#confirmed that they will NOT be performing live on saturday

[terracebatman]

Asking AI who Pete Davidson should date next.

[itsmrshamilton]

Last Goodbye | LH44

summary: reader is involved in a car accident during qualifying. can Lewis make it to her on time to say one last goodbye

a/n: lol, the summary is way more dramatic than it needs to be. I'm trying a different pov. Let me know what you think. Requests are open.

💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌

The sun was positioned high in the sky, the wind softly tickled the trees and there wasn't a single cloud in view for miles. The perfect Saturday afternoon to hold the Qualification Races for the British Grand Prix which would take place on Sunday. Lewis had left earlier that day just like the other racers in order to get to the track on time and begin preparing with their teams. Due to her work, Y/n was unable to attend most races on the calendar but she wouldn't miss the Silverstone race for anything in the world. It was their home race, the one time she got to spend the whole weekend with Lewis and their family while he worked. As scary as it was for her, she loved watching her favourite person do what he did best and inspire millions while he did it.

As was their tradition for home race weekends, Lewis had left Y/n her favourite breakfast in the kitchen, a handwritten note on a counter and a soft kiss on her forehead while she slept then quietly snuck out with Roscoe under his arm. She would have offered to bring their son with her later in the day but she knew that Roscoe had eager fans in the engineers' garage that were waiting to spend the day with him. So she got up and went about her morning on her own, tidying up and making snacks for later when Lewis came home knackered and starving.

She picked up her bag, patted herself down for keys then checked her phone for any last minute requests from her boyfriend. Seeing nothing new since the previous texts she sent, she figured he may have already started racing so she took a quick selfie and sent it with a caption. "I think I stand a chance of overshadowing your paddock outfit today, lol. I'm leaving the house, see you soon. Knock 'em dead, love" She giggled at her awful sense of humour before leaving the house and locking up.

The drive to the track was usually short but on such an eventful day, there were many cars on the road and one could feel the buzz of excitement and anticipation in the air. Y/n wasn't an anxious driver but seeing people pull risky moves between the lanes made her drive with a foot hovering above her brakes just in case.

💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌

"Okay, Lewis, P2 for Q1 was a great start. Let's keep that up and improve if we can. Q2 starts in 10 minutes, yeah?" Fred clapped Lewis' shoulder and walked off to another part of the garage.

"Yeah, thanks, man." Lewis replied as he stood in the red garage looking at the screen replaying his latest performance on the track. Roscoe pawed at his foot and whined, clearly requesting to be picked up. The bulldog seemed to forget that at his old age he was getting heavier but his father lovingly adhered and brought Roscoe to his chest with a grunt and a kiss to the forehead. "Where's your mum, eh? She's usually the one cuddling you during qualy, huh?"

He looked around the garage to see if his girlfriend had entered while he was distracted. He knew that the drive there wasn't very short but she always arrived before Q2 began so he was slightly confused. "Hey Marc, have you heard from Y/n or my dad?" he asked an engineer as he glanced at his phone. "No, nothing. There is traffic at the entrance though so that may be causing their delayed arrival." the Italian responded. Lewis nodded seeming satisfied as he read Y/n's text confirming that she was on her way. He grinned like a love struck fool at the picture she sent of herself decked out from head to toe in Ferrari merchandise. She was truly the most beautiful being he had ever seen and he wondered for umpteenth time how he had lived before he met her. He sent heart emojis in response and went back to watching the recording on the screens.

💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌

Y/n sighed in relief as she reached the last intersection before the paddock entrance. She could see gates from here and couldn't wait to get out of her car and see her son and boyfriend. The red light she had stopped at turned green and she let her foot off the break to move forward. As she was about to cross the middle of the intersection, she noticed the cars behind her screech to a sudden holt but before she could assess the confusing situation her car was hit from the side and she was sent jolting forward. The last thing in her vision was the airbag exploding into her face. She was unconscious by the time the horrified bystanders saw her car get thrust into the nearest pole by the driver who ran the red.

💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌

Lewis was seated in the red and yellow car and about to put on his helmet when he saw marshals, guests and staff hurrying in the direction of the paddock entrance. Focused on the next part of the race, he tried to stay grounded and drown out the sounds of shouting. "Lucas, radio check." he said to his engineer. "It's Lewis, radio check." Silence on the other end. He could now hear the sound of sirens in the air. "Lucas? Can-"

"Loud and clear, Lewis. Apologies for the delay, we were receiving a call from the stewards that there has been a car accident outside the entrance so there will be distractions during the second session."

Lewis grimaced and secured the position of his helmet on his head. Car accidents were awful to witness so he really felt sorry for those who were involved. He took hold of the steering wheel.

"That's awful. Do we know who it is? Has help arrived?" He asked sincerely.

"Uh, not really. They say it's a blue and red Audi and a black-"

"A what?" Lewis felt his blood run cold and his suit get tight. He didn't think he heard right. He couldn't have heard that right.

"A blue and red Audi. Anyways, let's focus on the ra-" Lewis didn't let Lucas finish because he shot up and scrambled to get out of the car he was strapped into. He fell out, landed on all fours but got up to rip off his helmet. His knees stung and there were shouts all around him but he had no time to listen. His skin was hot, his throat was tight and DAMN IT, WHY WOULDN'T HIS GLOVES COME OFF! Frustrated, he took off in a sprint towards the paddock entrance, shoving everybody out of his way. In the back of his foggy mind, he thought he heard barking right behind him but was too distracted to check.

When he finally made it off the racetrack property, he was buzzing with adrenaline, covered in sweat and coughing from screaming at the crowd to let him through. At the end of the driveway he could see two green ambulances and multiple police cars parked in a taped off area. "Oh, God. Oh God, no."

He only knew one person with a red and blue Audi. A red and blue Audi that he had gifted them. One person who hadn't yet arrived to the Ferrari garage.

He stumbled forward to take in the scene illuminated by flashing lights. But before he could mumble out another plea to God, he stopped dead in his tracks. A black body bag. Beside what was left of the blue and red Audi that belonged to his girlfriend.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thanks for reading! Be sure to interact with this post before you leave. Requests are open.

Do not repost on another platform, alter or translate my writing. I don't consent. If you do, I will send evil shongololos to bite your toes off at night.

[poweringthroughthis]

fever dream | nakamoto yuta

nsfw, mdni

pair: yuta x male reader

desc: Being an avid NCTzen for a while now, you can't believe the events that transpire once you finally get to attend the NCT concert in your country, and meet your biggest bias.

warnings: dirty talk, oral, anal s*x

It was most definitely a fever dream. Korean fans are truly lucky with how often they get opportunities to see their favorite artists perform live. The rest of us, on the other hand, check whether the name of our country has been included in the artist's list for the latest world tour, while we happily cheer them on from the confines of our homes. But as they say, good things shall come to those who wait. You never thought such a day would actually come but it has, and here you are, standing at the entrance of the stadium that NCT was set to perform at today!

For obvious reasons, your nerves were all over the place. You couldn't get rid of the giddiness no matter how much you tried to normalize the day mentally. In fact, the idea of soothing your nerves was what brought you here, at the venue.....four hours in advance. The entry gates were closed and security had barely begun overseeing the arrangements. As you took in the surroundings, two or three vans came to a halt in front of the gate. It didn't take much of a genius to guess the Neos had arrived. Your heart started ringing in your eardrums. You were about to see them in the flesh.

They were surrounded by bodyguards from all directions but you could see a comparatively relaxed formation of their security since no fans were here yet. You were admiring the boys from a distance as they came out of the vans in sweats, not wishing to misuse this opportunity and get in their personal space. Then you saw him, and your heart stopped for a second. Your bias, Nakamoto Yuta. He was absolutely ethereal. You almost missed his brief glance at you, chalking it up to your delusions. But it was hard not to faint when he asked the security guard something, pointing discreetly in your direction before he went in, trailing the other members.

The guard gestured you over but you were still somewhat confused. "Hey, you! You're here for the concert, aren't you? Mr. Yuta said you can wait backstage if you want to." Your eyes widened comically. Did you hear that right? You were afraid you were going to need CPR, this was a little too surreal for a random Saturday.

"um, but can I ask why?" you managed to croak out.

"Kid, do I look like I know that? Get in if you want to, or keep standing in the heat. I have work to do." he replied gruffly and you quickly entered the premises.

Finding the green rooms wasn't much of a hassle, with the halls being void of anyone and a door reading 'NCT 127' in ginormous font. The rooms must be divided based on subunits, you figured. The door made a creaking noise as you you shakily opened it and peeked inside.

Only one person was present, you couldn't see their face since they had their back towards you but it was easy to confirm by their hair color. It was Yuta. He seemed to be busy, either doing vocal warm ups or texting, but you had to clear this misunderstanding. "Hi? Um, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting but-"

"No, it's fine. You can come in." he turned around, smiling at you. He had a smile so radiant, you wondered how many hearts he had already captured with that smile alone. "I told the security to let you in."

"Uh, thanks? I think there has been a huge misunderstanding, I don't know you personally but you're free to correct me if I'm wrong." you replied, slightly more nervous now. He raised his eyebrow at that and motioned you to go on. "But, you're like a celebrity and I'm a nobody. I just want to make sure you're not mistaking me for someone else and you aren't in trouble or anything. It's okay if you need me to leave."

"Well, I've never met a 'nobody' before." he grinned, "You are very attractive, if I'm being honest. And you're welcome to stay as long as you want."

"T-thank you"

He was sitting on the sofa, the one closest to the door and he patted the space beside him, motioning you to sit down. You were unsure if that was appropriate, considering you had met the guy not even five minutes ago but it didn't feel right to deny.

"What's your name, cutie?"

"Uh, it's y/n"

"That's cute. Do you have any social media?"

"Y-yes."

"Let me follow you then, I don't really post but I'd like seeing pictures of you."

"Um, okay. If you want to, I mean." you were a stuttering mess, you couldn't believe this was happening. He followed your instagram handle, liking a few posts before following and you had never felt more self conscious in your life. You wanted to hide, you knew the pictures he was liking were all your cringey photos and selfies from your rare confidence boosts.

"Hey, are you shy around me?"

"Y-yes...sorry, this is really overwhelming. I've just been such a big fan for the longest-"

"A fan, huh? Tell me, is it a big turn off if I kissed you right now?"

You stared at him incredulously. "Um, well...I'm not sure if you're asking for my opinion."

"Oh, but I am." he smirked, moving closer. He had a hand placed on your thigh and his face was mere inches away. "What's the verdict?"

"No, not a turn off. Not at all." you said, barely above a whisper.

"Great. You're a sweet little thing if I've ever seen one." he said before closing the gap and capturing your lips in a gentle kiss. It was slow and sensual. He tasted like strawberry, probably because of the lip balm you thought.

Your hands went up to caress his face, and he placed his hands on your waist, bringing you even closer. You couldn't tell how much time had passed, the two of you were completely engrossed in each other. His hand trailed down to your ass and gave it a squeeze, eliciting a surprised gasp. You didn't want to, but you broke the kiss and stared at him.

"I'm not going to push you if you don't want this, I'd like to have your consent."

"I want it."

"Are you sure? We're complete strangers, you have no reason to trust me."

"I know, but I've had a crush on you for a long time. You can do whatever you want, honestly"

"Fuck, that's hot. I don't know how I'm gonna control myself, but I'm willing to try."

With that, he went back to kissing you. He started getting a little more aggressive with his movements, sucking your lower lip. He slowly trailed his tongue on your bottom lip, asking for entrance and you opened your mouth slightly, letting his tongue in. He was so experienced, you could only melt in his arms. You tried your best to keep up but were mostly overwhelmed. It was..your first steamy encounter, after all.

You broke the kiss, a string of saliva still connecting your mouths. Yuta stared at you with lust filled eyes, a smirk plastered on his face. "You're doing so good for me, kitten."

"I am?"

"Yeah, I'm going to make you feel good, so good." He got up and locked the door, turning back towards you and you realized that this was happening. He went back to sit next to you, bringing his lips back onto yours, his hands going under your shirt. You moaned softly as his fingers grazed your nipple. "You're so sensitive."

You broke the kiss. "Yuta, I'm a virgin."

He groaned and kissed your neck. "I can't believe I get to pop your cherry." He continued trailing kisses down your neck, his hands squeezing your nipples. Your hands roamed his back and shoulders, enjoying the way his muscles rippled under your touch.

"Take your shirt off, baby." He removed his own shirt, exposing his well built upper body. You felt yourself grow wetter just by looking at him. His body was truly godlike, his toned muscles glistening. You couldn't help but stare.

"You're so beautiful" he whispered. "You're going to look even more beautiful once I'm done with you." He started unbuttoning your shirt, taking it off completely and throwing it away. Your breath hitched, your body was exposed and Yuta was staring at it like a starved animal. He bent his head down and captured a nipple between his lips, licking and sucking, his fingers teasing the other. You were a moaning mess, the feeling was too much.

"Does it feel good?"

"Yes, god yes"

"Good. Tell me, have you ever touched yourself, baby?"

"Y-yes"

"And what were you thinking about when you did it?"

"You"

He groaned at that and pulled down your pants, along with your underwear. He kissed his way down from your chest to your thighs. His mouth was hovering over your dick and he looked up at you with a devilish smirk, "I'm going to suck you off, is that alright?"

"Please, I've never felt anyone's mouth down there"

"Good." He started by giving a tentative lick and you whimpered. He smirked and licked the underside, swirling his tongue around the tip. He slowly took the whole thing in his mouth and you threw your head back, moaning.

"F-fuck, feels so good"

He was bobbing his head, his tongue swirling around your dick, his cheeks hollowed. The feeling was incredible, you had never felt anything like it. You were bucking your hips and gripping his hair, trying not to cum.

"Cum in my mouth, baby"

And you were a goner. This was the craziest day ever. Yuta just said that to you. You wished you could replay the sound of that a hundred times over.

You came in his mouth, and he swallowed it all, moaning. He stood up and licked his lips. You were a panting mess, coming down from your high.

"You're such a good boy for me"

"M-more"

"Don't worry, we're not done yet"

He started undoing his belt, taking his pants off and throwing them aside. He was wearing a pair of black boxers, and his erection was evident. He pulled them down, his dick springing free and you were in awe. It was big, and thick, and you couldn't help but stare. He chuckled, "Like what you see?"

"Yes, it's so big"

"And it's all yours, baby." He stroked himself a few times, his precum leaking. "Are you ready, kitten?"

"Yes"

"Get on your knees." You obediently got down on your knees, facing away from him. He lined his dick with your entrance, rubbing it against your hole. You nodded. He slowly pushed the tip in, and it felt like your whole body was on fire.

"Fuck, you're so tight"

He grabbed your hips, and started thrusting, slowly. You were moaning and whimpering, the feeling was so intense. You had never felt anything like it. You were being stretched open, your hole being filled to the brim.

"Y-Yuta, faster"

"You like that, huh? You like my cock?"

"Y-yes, I love it"

He picked up the pace, his thrusts becoming faster. "Thought you were innocent, baby. Who would have guessed you'd turn out to be such a slut."

"Fuck, Yuta!"

"That's right, say my name."

You were being pounded into the floor, and you were loving every second of it. He was fucking you so good, his cock hitting your sweet spot. You were moaning and whimpering, unable to hold back.

"Fuck, you're so sexy. I'm close."

He chuckled. "My sweet little angel, you can't get enough of me."

You were close to climaxing, the pleasure was so intense, you could barely think straight. You were a moaning mess, Yuta was grunting and breathing heavily. He was pounding into you, his thrusts becoming more erratic.

"After today, I'll make sure you keep coming back for more. Make you feel good, just like this. Gonna ruin you for anyone else. You'll be begging for my cock, and only my cock."

"Fuck, Yuta!" You cried out, nearing your orgasm, his dirty talk sending you over the edge. You could tell you wouldn't last much longer.

"I'll turn you into a dumb cock slut. I'll train you to take my dick in your ass every day. I'll fuck you so hard, you won't be able to walk."

"Please, fuck me harder. Make me yours."

"You'll be walking to the concert ground funny. You'll be so fucked out, you won't be able to function. I'll make sure of that."

"F-fuck, Yuta!"

With that, you were both pushed over the edge, and you came, hard. Your vision went white, and your body was wracked with pleasure. You could feel him filling you up, his warm seed filling your ass as he pulled your head back towards him, neck straining as he sloppily kissed you.

You were both panting and spent. You had just had sex with the man of your dreams. He was still inside of you, and he was still kissing you. It was a passionate kiss, and you could feel his adoration for you. You were so lucky.

"You did so good for me, baby." He whispered. "Such a good boy for me."

You were too blissed out to reply. Your brain was not cooperating with the rest of your body, still in a state of euphoria.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

Yuta picked you up bridal style, taking you to the bathroom, your head resting on his chest. You had never felt so loved.

"Give me your number? I promise we can sneak off to a date whenever I'm off schedules. It won't be that easy, I know."

"I'd like that."

"It's a date then. I hope I didn't disappoint" he smirked.

"I should be asking that. I was a virgin."

"Baby, I'm happy you chose me. And if I may add, you were amazing. If not for the security standing outside, I'd have kept fucking you throughout the night."

"Oh god, please don't make me blush"

"I'll make it up to you."

And he did. The next concert stop, you found yourself on his bed, naked, being ravaged by him. And the day after that, and the day after that. Soon the two of you were something more, and neither person could have asked for more.

Maybe reaching the concert venue too early wasn't as stupid as you'd thought.

[jokeroutsubs]

[📝ENG translation] The Finnish festival summer will be scorching hot next year - a new festival headlined by the Eurovision Sensation.

A legendary festival is making a comeback in Finland next summer with Joker Out as a headline artist. This post will summarize two articles to tell what is all of this about. There were few articles published in the media but these two will summarize the main points.

English translation by @niini5 and @drugsforaddicts, review by @saallotar proofread by X klámstrákur.

The Finnish festival summer will be scorching hot next year - a new festival headlined by the Eurovision Sensation

Original article written by Jarkko Fräntilä for Rumba, published 19.11.2024.

Happening in Mikkeli!

Dinosaurock, which started in 1987, and Jurassic Rock, which began in 2007, are getting a successor. Dinosaurock comes to Visulahti, Mikkeli,from August 15 to 16, 2025.

The first 12 artists to be announced for the festival have now been revealed. The lineup includes names like Joker Out, Ismo Alanko, Sexmane, Stam1na, Etta, Sara Siipola, Irina, Eevil Stöö, and Mikkeli-based BRHG. Additional programmes will be revealed soon.

The band, which rose to international fame with their song Carpe Diem in last year's Eurovision Song Contest, visited Finland for the first time in 2023. Joker Out performed to sold-out audiences at Olympia, Tampere, at Logomo, Turku, and at two shows at the Tavastia Club, Helsinki. The tickets were sold out in no time. The band performed at Tavastia¹ in the early 2024.

¹Translator note: Concert location in the early 2024 was Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki

Dinosaurock's Aikainen Lisko (Early Lizard)-tickets are on sale from today, 19.11.2024, onward. You can find the event's website here.

————-

Dinosaurock of Visulahti makes a comeback next summer - organising the festival are Jurassic veteran Mikko Jokipii and Jonna Vuolle from Mikkeli

Original article writte by Anssi Mehtälä for Mikkelin Kaupunkilehti, published 19.11.2024.

A dream had for many years of many live music lovers in Mikkeli is about to come true next summer, on on the 15th and 16th of August to be precise.

Mikkeli will then once again host a rock festival, and in what many even consider to be the only right venue too, Visulahti Travel Center.

On Friday and Saturday, around a dozen domestic and foreign artists will perform in Visulahti, of which about half will be announced at this stage.

Among others, Stam1na, Ismo Alanko, Bloodred Hourglass, Sexmane, Irina, Saimaa, Mokoma, Etta and Eevil Stöö will be coming to Visulahti.

One international guest has been confirmed so far: Joker Out, the Slovenian indie rock band that made a name for themselves at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.

The band has since visited Finland, performing for instance twice at the Tavastia club in Helsinki and at Ruisrock last summer.

“We are still looking for two or three international performers. The essential thing is that they'll strengthen the festival's repertoire” says Mikko Jokipii, one of the festival's creators.

The festival carries a name that can only be described as legendary, Dinosaurock.

The organiser is a joint-stock company of the same name, founded this autumn and backed by Jurassic Rock's long-time background figure Mikko Jokipii, who is also a film producer, Jonna Vuolle from Mikkeli, and Mikko Linnansaari, who has extensive experience in festival production.

“Our goal is to create a great event for the people of Mikkeli, a celebration of life and joy. It will be a medium-sized rock festival with lots of fun things to do.”

“As a Mikkeli resident, I feel really great to be able to create an event like this with great professionals” festival's producer Vuolle sums up.

“There has been a tremendous amount of positivity about this everywhere.

Let's take a look at the festival history of Mikkeli.

Dinosaurock was a festival organised by the live music association Melmu in Visulahti between 1987 and 1990. It revolutionised Finnish festival culture with its high quality, diverse lineup and relaxed atmosphere.

The Jurassic Rock festival, on the other hand, was held from 2007 to 2018, first in Visulahti and then in Kenkävero.

The new Dinosaurock can be seen as a continuation of the work of Jurassic Rock, which many still fondly remember. So why the name Dinosaurock?

“Dinosaurock is the original rock festival from Mikkeli. We want to honour that, it simply felt better to return to that name” explains Jokipii.

“Additionally, the name Jurassic Rock is now owned by Sanoma Group. It’s better that it stays there” Vuolle adds.

“In any case, our Dinosaurock aims to be liked by both Dinosaurock and Jurassic Rock visitors” Jokipii sums up.

The two-day event is being built in line with its predecessors, as a warm-hearted event.

“Visulahti has always been important to me. It was the number one aspect of Jurassic Rock and once the venue was moved to Kenkävero, the event wasn’t the same for me anymore” Jokipii says.

Visulahti will have two stages, a bigger and a smaller one.

“The planning of the festival area is already underway. Now we are scouting the best possible locations for the stages and other infrastructure” Jokipii says.

Services will cater to even the most demanding audience.

“The time has changed quite a lot since the early years of Jurassic Rock when it comes to festival services. At the same time, the customer expectations have risen regarding the quality of food and drink sales, accessibility, and VIP services. We are working hard on these aspects in collaboration with Visulahti” Jokipii reveals.

The organisers are pleased with the reception the festival project has received. The preparations were started well in advance.

“At the beginning of summer 2023, I was in contact with Mikko for the first time, when I got the idea of organising a music event in Mikkeli.”

“Due to Mikko having a busy schedule with films, the idea was left to simmer and the serious planning of Dinosaurock began this spring with the first meetings in Mikkeli” Vuolle explains.

“It feels like Mikkeli’s music scene now has a space for at least an event of this size” Jokipii describes.

“People everywhere have been incredibly positive about it. Ticket buyers, concert organisers, bands, everyone has been totally like, “Yeah!” And yes, the word ‘legendary’ has come up quite a few times” Vuolle laughs.

This positive reception has also convinced the organisers that the project is worth pursuing.

“If the feedback had been more along the lines of ‘meh, I’m not sure’, we probably wouldn’t even be talking about Dinosaurock right now” Vuolle says.

Mikko Jokipii and Jukka Holmstedt were posing with the Visulahti dinosaur in 2007. (Ph: Taru Hokkanen)

Next summer, the organisers of Dinosaurock expect to attract approximately 5000 people per day.

“It’s a modest goal. But we want to create an event that grows sustainably, if it grows, and that it can be organised practically, repeatedly, and every year” Vuolle notes.

“The program is curated so that every performer matters. And, of course so that the selection is diverse and interesting” she concludes

Dinosaurock’s ‘Aikainen Lisko’ (early lizard) tickets are now on sale today, November 19, 2024. A limited number of tickers are available here.

[gvenevera]

Kuroshitsuji Musical ~ 寄宿学校の秘密 (Secrets of the Boarding School) 2024 ~ VERA’S REVIEW!

Yes you read that right! I’ve had the most fateful chance to watch the very first performance of the newest Kuromyu in Hyogo last Saturday, so I figured I’ll eternalize some of my best memories here.

Before we begin: the LIVE STREAMING is available for the LAST PERFORMANCE, September 29th 2024, HERE! For only 3800 yen, you’ll get to watch it live at home, or watch it later for up to 1 week (October 6th)! Apparently you need a Japanese VPN though, if anyone knows how to navigate the site, please do share.

A few disclaimers from me:

*Anti-shippers DNI. This post barely has any shipping content at all but I don’t like people who harass others over fictional preferences. I’m a shipper, I can’t help being biased for my OTPs.

**Since photos were prohibited in the venue, I’ve included stage pictures featured in official news websites or accounts.

***This is by no means a critical review but merely a fangirl’s ramblings, and I often drew comparisons to the original stage play Kuroshitsuji Musical: Secrets of the Boarding School (2021). For reference, I suggest you watch it first! I intentionally avoided rewatching the 2021 version close to the airing date though, so my memories may not be accurate. Also my Japanese is mediocre so I apologize if there were important dialogues I didn’t catch.

Introduction

I know, sorry for the dilly-dally intro. But I’d like to first stress that ever since I started following Kuroshitsuji in my first year of university (like 9 years ago now lmao), I’ve ALWAYS dreamed to watch the stage musical live in person. When 2024’s performance was announced immediately after the last episode of the anime, I was overjoyed to see that our old cast was coming back.

And it was fate that gave me the opportunity - my scheduled work program this year was set to be in Kyoto AND during September! Needless to say, I had the Kuromyu ticket bought and reserved first, before my confirmation with the Kyoto office or my visa and plane ticket. Priorities, right?

Quick remark on the ticket process: I hit a snag right in the beginning because the ticket reservation website Eplus required a Japanese phone number to sign up. I contacted multiple people (middle school friend whose brother used to work in Japan, another who was quarter-Japanese, several dealer websites with high rate exchanges), until I settled on my roommate’s friend from high school who was currently working there. Many thanks to her and my roommate for the help!

She took care of registration for me - even so the advance sales was a LOTTERY ticket! We fortunately got the lucky draw - I saw many Japanese fans on X who were not so lucky, while others bought in bulk to sell later. Then, I used the online barcode to exchange for a paper ticket when I arrived in Japan on September 1st. That’s when I get to know my seat number - 3rd floor, 2nd row B. A very far position from the stage, but it’s alright because we’re here for the atmosphere anyway!

The performances for the first 2 days were set in Hyogo Performing Arts Center, KOBELCO grand hall. I’ve honestly never been to any kind of music performance (or even concerts) in my life, so I was blown away by the sheer size of the venue.

By 10 AM, the audience was trickling in. I was in awe of the fact that you can tell who was coming in to watch kuromyu - beautiful women dressed in black-and-white tones, many even sporting gothic lolita bows and dresses to keep up with the Victorian England theme. In fact, it felt like the whole of Ikebukuro were gathered here in this very building!

We were ushered into the hall entrance at 11 AM and let me tell you, the crowd was suffocating! In front of the theater, there was a goods section for Kuromyu merch. I’m so glad I took the time to queue up because it seems some of the merch were starting to sell out by the second day. The booth clerk looked perplex to see a non-Japanese customer here though. Here’s how the line looked like, and this was still early before most of the audiences got in:

(We’re not supposed to take any photos but I saw the warning signs too late…Here’s a view from where I was sitting on the third floor.)

I realized then as we were settling in that some ladies around me had binoculars!! Well how was I supposed to know you could bring those here, instead of trying to find those fancy opera glasses!?! Ah well, I was lucky that I’d recently had my prescription glasses updated and the seat to my left was vacant, so I could lean in to see the center better.

The Performance

While it is true that you can barely see the actors’ faces from the balcony seats, it was the grandness of the performance itself that blew me away. For the first time I could see the stage in all its entirety, all the actors dancing in synchronization, and the special effects…oh it had improved A LOT from 3 years prior!

The stage sets for Weston may look a tad “crowded” in the still photo, as compared to the original where they used white backgrounds but in reality, it blended in so prettily with the flashing stage lights. The middle section was a rotating floor and one of my memorable scenes was where Ciel and Sebastian were discussing their plans while crossing the rotating stage, to give the illusion of “strolling across the school grounds.” Sounds like a simple trick but if looked amazing from above.

On to the story itself - the execution actually barely changed from the 2021 rendition, which for me, was a relief! Now I know, some would argue a rerun should add in different elements, because who would want to see the same thing twice right? From past experiences with Kuromyu, the reruns tend to be hit or miss - different actors, different song remixes, voice changes, and so on. For this performance, I could barely tell that the cast (apart from Ciel, Sebastian and Undertaker) were all new members. Everyone got into character flawlessly!

The story of course followed the entirety of the Public School Arc. The script and choreography was almost identical to the 2021 stage musical version. If you would remember, this Kuroshitsuji arc was the first to be portrayed on stage before the anime adaptation - same as previously, they seemed to take inspiration from the manga only rather than the anime.

Some key moments from the play:

The opening sequence was again a recap of the previous arcs - Jack the Ripper (Lycoris that Blazed the Earth), Book of Circus (Noah’s Ark Circus), Book of the Atlantic (Tango on the Campania). I’ve always loved this part because you could tell they slipped in iconic themes from the past musicals.

Perfect Black: the main theme, and my favorite from this stage! I’m so happy to have heard it live! *swoons* Thank god they didn’t do anything weird to remix it. The whole cast dancing together was beautiful! However I thought 2021 did it better with the dramatic light focus on Sebastian during the chorus drop.

Ciel’s Earl of Phantomhive outfit was changed from the glittery blue suit to a blue-green checkered coat this year. (I’d have bought his Earl photoshoot set if I knew it beforehand) Yana-sensei later tweeted that she was the one to re-design it, to better match Eito. Then Eito Konishi himself replied, saying he was honored to play as Ciel Phantomhive, to which Yana-sensei praised his singing and called him “Eito-bocchan” …boy was he fanboying hard over that. He’s one of us!!

Arrival at Weston: I don’t have a comment on the P4 in particular, they were all straightforward from the manga. I think I like Redmond’s character the most here, he looked very pretty with the side-ponytail and while he was a show-off still, he wasn’t as annoying or arrogant as I somehow expected.

A notable interaction: Violet forcing Greenhill to pose for him at the swan gazebo. Greenhill’s actor really looked strained trying to keep an upside down bridge pose (Edward was supporting his back, but kept getting distracted). When he broke the pose and got up, Violet hit him over the head with his sketchbook so hard that the thump echoed through the hall.

As for the Prefect’s Fags: Edward and Cheslock were giving off some suspiciously gay rivals-to-lovers vibes over here. Which I kinda vibed with, I hope they kept the energy into the Blue Cult Arc!

One important thing: they kept the ALL the Fag lines! Which in Japanese accent also kinda sounded like them repeatedly calling each other “Fućk”. Oh how I wish the anime had kept those!

Soma Asman Kadar: now this guy deserves an ovation just for himself. Not only did he kill the role, he was also the funniest! Soma’s song was greatly improved and lengthened with catchier music and dancing - when his troupe “arrived” at Weston, he even dragged Ciel and Clayton to join in. I can’t do it justice, you have GOT to see those two English gentlemen crack the Indian dance moves! His pestering of Maurice Cole was hilarious and he kept exasperating Ciel out of his character, their chemistry was wonderful. I really didn’t expect to get hooked by Soma in this arc out of all people! Too bad Agni wasn’t here.

Maurice Cole’s miniarc - Flawless. Sometimes I wonder if he was an easy character to play just because his character trait is so extremely over-the-top lol.

The library kabedon scene and sebaciel burning Purple House scene didn’t exist. Another scene cut off from the last musical was where Clayton and the Blue House kids were congratulating Ciel on his fag duties and Sebastian took the chance to blend in with them. Sadly that was one of my favorite adlibs.

Ciel’s dream sequence: this was originally in the 2021 musical. After a talk with Macmillain made him revisit his past trauma, Ciel “dreamed” of the cultists, and Sebastian’s close call with Undertaker in BotA. I actually forgot about this part when I watched it in theater - the highlight was sebaciel reenacting the scene in BotA where they reached for each other, the enactment surprisingly gave me the impression of Ciel’s “worry” over Sebastian’s “vulnerability” here. Unlike the 2021 version though, Undertaker didn’t pull Ciel into a bridal carry or referenced the R!Ciel wake-up scene as clearly.

The second half after the break was the long-awaited Cricket Match. Like the previous version, there was no scene of Ciel jumping into Master Michaelis’ arms, but I think they just couldn’t fit that one into the sequence. The cricket songs were mostly the same as the original - with an improvement being them cutting out Red House’s random beauty pageant contest. It actually felt like the cricket match went by faster this time, which was a win in my book. I’ve heard people complain of Kuromyu 2021 being a “Prince of Cricket” musical, hence the bad reviews back then.

The laxative meat pie scene was hilarious. From Sebastian faking it as a student complete with Red House’s uniform, to the team’s diarrhea horrors. Redmond stole the show again, as he was going to help Harcourt in the middle of the field, but tragedy struck which made him deadpan: “Oh. Someone get Harcourt.” Then immediately left the stage lol. The Blue House kids lifted Harcourt out.

The Green vs Purple house battle was the same as last time. I always felt bad to see Cheslock being the only Purple kid doing his best because without any support member cast while Violet was sitting in the grass. But this time, he gave Cheslock a tree sculpture of his bust as a good-job reward! Good for them.

Lastly Green vs Blue. They incorporated the rotating stage again in the last batting when Greenhill accidentally hit Ciel. The end of the match cut straight to the Thames Boat Ride, then they did the Blue House cheering scene after. Sebastian finally got to do his signature bridal carry, awww.

Midnight tea party: the setting was even more beautiful than last time. Undertaker letting his hair fall from his hat was iconic as usual. I was impressed with Master Agares’ fight scenes because his actor looked quite older than his 2021 predecessor. I always liked how they did Derrick Arden’s death in the musical, it felt more anguished from the P4 POV while in the anime, it just felt like a gruesome horror scene.

Final musical number was Ciel-Sebastian-Undertaker chorus during their fight in the garden. Music and choreography seemed to be similar, EXCEPT they somehow changed the iconic “Your life is my priority” scene!!! 2021’s version had me hold my breath as Sebastian had his arm possessively hooked around Ciel and took off his glove with his teeth (seriously, you have to see it yourself). This time they had Sebastian and Ciel reenact the scene on the highest stage instead of front and center, and I didn’t feel as much suspense nor was there any glove-removal from what I could see. It was also a weird placement because they were so far away, and Undertaker should’ve been the one on the top as he did his goodbye pose holding the moon.

We end the story with Sebastian recapping the aftermath with Weston’s students, and finally sebaciel’s conversation back at the manor. Again, Ciel reiterates that Sebastian is the only one who could never lie nor betray his trust. Perfect Black came on as an outro, and I got chills when Sebastian ended the last verse on a raised note!

The curtain call was the experience I’d waited for. Somehow I only realized just then that the actors would do the full call during their finale performance, which was what we got to see in the recordings! That day, after the cast bowed twice, the exit announcement immediately came on but guess what? The audience, including myself, kept clapping all the way through the announcement, it went for so long that the cast actually came out to take another bow! As they returned on stage, most of us also stood up for a standing ovation - according to twitter this doesn’t seem to be a regular occurrence outside of the finale. It felt like a truly wholesome “welcome back” for the troupe and for Kuromyu, especially after the rather harsh criticisms from the previous stage (due to major cast and style changes, even I took a while to bring myself to watch it) and the long break due to the COVID years.

Overall summary

Kuroshitsuji Musical 2024 was a faithful rerun of its predecessor. They succeeded with the musical numbers, new cast, overall adaptation of the story. The settings, props and special effects were wonderfully upgraded. The original cast carried the show: Eito Konishi’s singing felt greatly improved and I thought he carried himself as more mature than his last performance as Ciel. Sebastian’s Toshiki Tateishi had a mesmerizing voice the more I listened to him, he never went out of breath even while dancing or fighting - truly vocals fit for the troupe leader. Kandai Ueda did well as his own Undertaker too, even with Undertaker’s peculiar accent.

My few complaints: I felt like the P4 cast (bar Redmond) could do to have more distinction in their tones and movements. It felt hard to distinguish who was talking at times. The performance seemed to have a faster pacing this time around, and you get less absorbed in certain conversations between the characters, so I wished they’d added in slow scenes here and there. And of course I miss the signature sebaciel moments that I’ve mentioned - granted, this manga arc had always been my least favored because of the lack of sebaciel interactions anyway! So I’d say they did the best with the source material.

While I enjoyed seeing my favorite production performed live with the music blasting through my eardrums, it was the atmosphere that truly made the experience for me. Sitting in the 4-storeys grand hall full of some 2000 Kuroshitsuji fans really pulled me back in time, especially during the standing ovation. I’m so happy to see my favorite series so loved after all these years. I’m sure Yana-sensei could feel it too.

I wish a successful performance for the cast going forward to Tokyo, and hopeful for many more musicals to come!

[nanoa1foryou]

Translation for the Tamperelainen review of the Maaasta Kuuhun kiertue, 23.11.2024, by Ville Laine

Show review and pictures | Overpowering Kuumaa concluded their tour in an ecstatic Nokia-arena - But what then?

Will Kuumaa create a frenzy in a full to the brim Nokia-arena? And is the rise to stadium level up next? Ville Laine went to see it. He grabbed a great picture collage along the way. Check out if you got into a picture.

After the buzz of the beginning of the year, the international concertist have been few and far between in Nokia-arena, save for Judas Priest and Bryan Adams who have been delightful exceptions-

This void has luckily been used by national stars from Apulanta to Maija Vilkkumaa and even this weekend the arena has not one but two sold out national concerts: now on Friday Kuumaa and right after on Saturday Vesterinen yhtyeineen.

Right from the start I have to admit that I am unfamiliar with Kuumaa, even though the band has managed to already perform in UMK and to collect themselves Emma-awards and to dominate the streaming charts.

Before heading to the hall I could for sure name one song from the band, Ylivoimainen, which may have been too overpowering to avoid hearing.

Now Kuumaa is, despite their less than ten years of age, on an ice hall tour, which ends today in the ten thousand-headed crowd in the sold out Nokia-arena.

Of the weekend's grand concerts I picked Kuumaa, because leaving your comfort zone occasionally is healthy and certainly, at least as a phenomenon, Kuumaa is worth the closer inspection.

I arrived at the hall around half an hour before Kuumaa's beginning, so the night's other performers were missed this time. Hall was well on its way to filling up and the expectant atmosphere was tangible. The security were somehow amazingly on top of the situation and were sending waves of the audience from the front towards the back. A quick look too the audience confirmed that as a middle aged assumed man* I was this time around quite the rarity, because the audience at least on the floor were mostly comprised of representation of all ages of the more beautiful gender, with the main part of the age distribution being around both sides of twenty.

*Miesoletettu (assumed man) or naisoletettu (assumed woman) are common terms in Finnish to refer to a person or a group, whose gender you don't actually know but for the sake of clarity and ease of speech, you would refer to as men or women, without saying that they are for sure such.

The audience was respectably dedicated. This was confirmed already at the point, when before the concert even properly began, a song started playing from the tape. Because I don't know Kuumaa's actual works, it's difficult to say if the song playing was theirs, but rarely I've heard that loud group singing before the actual performer themself are even on stage.

"However, no reveals were given during the show, and it ended in that even familiar to me work from the band, meaning the song Ylivoimainen."

After, the impressive tall video walls filled with the silhouettes of the band members "getting ready for the concert". As the band's singer-guitarist-songwriter Johannes Brotherus arrived alone first on stage the audience finally lost their minds totally. Soon arrived the rest of the band, so the core trio formed by drummer Jonttu Luhtavaara and bassist Aarni Soivio as well as the live group fill in, keyboardist Okko Saastamoinen.

After I photographed the first three songs, that often is the case for this song and dance, I moved to the side of the audience into the front most part of the floor, because getting into the mood is often helped by placing yourself near the most fanatic crowd. Though I have to admit, that the mood seemed to be through the roof all the way to the very back row.

Whenever the lights turned on in the audience, the hands were up just as much on the floor as in the seated stands all the way to the furthest back rows, the phone lights lit up the hall as an even sea during ballads and dancers were seen all around. If before the show the volume of the group singing was reaching the skies, then during the show it was practically a full two hours of even more roaringly noisy singing, at its peak even nearly covering the music coming from the stage.

It is delightful, that Kuumaa play actual instruments and at the latest by the song Mikä sua ajaa's saxophone solo, that was performed by Saastamoinen who otherwise resided behind his keyboard, got even an older man to smile contentedly. Before the song Brotherus asked the audience, how many of them knew the song in question and I may have been the only one in my section of the audience that didn't raise their hand. This was of course no surprise, as the songs and their lyrics seemed to be very familiar to the audience.

Brotherus worked as the main speaker to the audience and overall the front person for the whole band, as the others supported behind. As a musician he also presented his variable talents, because in addition to the guitar, violin and piano were at home in his hands.

Brotherus' presentation felt quite sincere as he for example read aloud in delight the numerous sings in the audience, spoke to the audience almost in a familiar manner without forgetting the further back stands. Despite his young age he seemed to be at home on the big stage. Of course a big part of the speeches were the basic " How are you doing, Tampere", "It's so fun to be here", "Sincere thank you for being here", "How are we doing" -set. He did even conclude, that "it's fun to end the tour in an intimate club" (the 10 000 person capacity sold out Nokia-arena).

The stage show rivaled the equivalent international "big names of poprock" like for example Robbie Williams' performance seen on the same stage quite some time back. The massive video walls of the stage were impressive and the other video walls of the arena were used well to create the feel of the big leagues.

Near the middle a warning of flashing lights were projected onto them and the song Täydellisin as well as nearly all those that followed got an additional spice of lasers splitting the air. Rakastaja and a few song near the end got even accompanied by pyro's, so all the elements for a visually impressive arena level show were in their place. A key part was of course the whole band's stage presence, that used the large size of the stage, especially as Brotherus and Soivio flew around the stage, and Soivio even went into the audience with his bass.

Musically the concert moved from one mood to the next, for example Juna-asema calmed the situation as phone lights twinkled on and right after Romuna revved it back up to it's peak. The songs seemed to be largely about love, or the ending of it, which is after all an eternal topic for songs.

As I said the selection of instruments was varied and the sound mixing at least at the front of the audience felt functional. Though I didn't pick up many songs from first listen, I did notice my foot tapping along at quite a few points.

Near the end we also saw a few guests on stage. At first on the screen rolled a video where, like in the spirit of the show Suomi Love, the band visited the home of a fan with the help of their friend, for example vacuuming and looking through the fridge. This fan named Viivi was apparently unaware that a visit like this had occurred, as their reactions were quiet surprised in the audience and in their speech after, as they were directed on stage with cheers to the stage and to the piano, next to Brotherus.

As a show of gratitude for supporting the band since 2017 they got a serenade right then in the form of the song Siks kai mä oon sun. This was certainly a memorable moment for the fan in question and to the rest of the audience and it highlighted the warm relationship between Kuumaa and their fans. As the song played, thousands of red cardboard hearts rose up in the audience to emphasize this mutual love.

In the end Brotherus teased the audience to follow the band's socials for the next phases in the band's journey. We'll be interested to wait and see what the band can do to defeat the ot finished arena tour, where the main show at Nokia-arena was certainly not the only one sold out. If the language of songs doesn't change, the only possible bigger stunt may be a national stadium tour. The olympic stadium or Ratina stadium have already been filled with many national artist's singular (or a few back to back) concerts, but there are more stadiums in Finland and the success of the band seems to be at it's peak, if any conclusions are to be drawn from tonight's ecstatic feel.

However, no reveals were given during the show, and it ended in that even familiar to me work from the band, meaning the song Ylivoimainen. Tonight the band did indeed seem just overpowering.

-

Captions for the pictures in the article:

Though Kuumaa's stage was in a way simplified, the visual whole was impressive and completely rivaled international names.

Kuumaa's Johannes Brotherus' presence was immediately sincere.

The audience was in ecstasy before the performer even got on stage.

Musically I was most taken by Okko Saastamoinen's saxophone solo.

Lasers were tightly splitting the air on end half of the show.

There were numerous messages in the audience to the band, that Brotherus read between songs.

The band's drummer Jonttu Luhtavaara got to show off his guitar skills as well.

The bassist of the band, Aarni soivio, also visited the audience with his stage.

Phone lights from the audience brought their own part to the show's visual impressiveness.

Aarni Soivio's and Johannes Brotherus' relationship seems downright brotherly.

Red hearts filled the audience during the song Siks kai mä oon sun.

Viivi will likely remember this concert for the rest of their life.

Kuumaa, aka Jonttu Luhtavaara, Johannes Brotherus and Aarni Soivio.

Additionally pyrotechnics were not forgotten about in the already impressive show.

Near the end the atmosphere rose to nearly trance-like.

[soundslivemagazine]

In Defence Of Oasis

Exploring the hype behind one of Britain’s most loved and raucous rock n roll bands.

Unless you’ve been living under the most soundproof of rocks this week, you will have heard the news. After a decade and a half of the alluring ‘will-they-won’t-they’ drama, the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam have rekindled just as suddenly as they’d ended it all backstage at a gig in Paris in 2009.

The rumours abound on social media suddenly began to feel a lot less like fantasies when Oasis, Noel and Liam’s accounts all teased an announcement last Saturday. Oasis had made announcements since their split, usually about anniversaries, merchandise and documentaries, this wasn’t out of the ordinary. In fact, the band would soon be marking 30 years since their era-defining debut album Definitely Maybe came out in August 1994. Singer Liam Gallagher had also threatened to reunite the band on plenty of occasions in the ensuing decade, but never made good on his word. Why should this time have felt different?

In theory, it shouldn’t have. The village eventually loses interest in the boy crying wolf. And yet, when Liam Gallagher stepped onto the Main Stage at Reading festival to perform a headlining set on Sunday and opened with nostalgic on-screen visuals of Oasis, any doubt left in fans’ minds quickly evaporated.

The following Tuesday, the band confirmed what we already knew: Oasis, the biggest Britpop band of the 1990s, were back in action.

The avalanche of articles followed like they hadn’t in over 20 years: Oasis had undoubtedly reignited the fantasies of music magazines and publications that were otherwise scaling down in the face of rising operational costs. We’ve now seen over 20 NME articles, news on the BBC website, a revived radio documentary on BBC 6 Music, countless Rolling Stone thinkpieces, news in SPIN Magazine, the Manchester Evening News, gossip in the rags of the Sun, Mail, Metro. The mural in Manchester. The millions of people that tried to get tickets for the reunion dates that sold out in hours. It’s easy to be sick of it all, to think there wasn’t a band more overrated, overhyped or beloved than Oasis.

But let’s forget the hymns for a moment. Let us re-examine the appeal of the band before the myth: five boys from Manchester who believed in nothing more than the rock ‘n’ roll dream. And certainly, nothing less.

Cast your mind back to 1994, before the success and idolatry, before their songs would be turned into design-for-life anthems, before the band would be permanently woven into the fabric of British music history. Strip all that away and try to imagine hearing a then-relatively unknown Oasis for the first time. Imagine being told that half the band was not yet 22 years old, that they were a new band, releasing their third-ever single? Can you imagine, however simple it may have been lyrically, hearing Live Forever for the first time? In particular, just 4 months after Kurt Cobain’s suicide, after many fans were left feeling like they were staring at the definitive end of an era of honest independent music?

In 1994, Oasis were ’77’s punk all over again. Entering a landscape of artists (a term Liam Gallagher has derided) who internalised their music and recoiled at the notion of explicit success, Oasis were a brash rejection of shoegaze and indie’s philosophies, even going as far as to instruct the presenters of BBC Radio 1’s Evening Sessions to tell the world that Oasis were not an indie band. They were a rock ‘n’ roll band, and a band that dared to aim high, openly and with no apologies (all apologies for the pun). 

That was a philosophy they would live by until the bitter end, for better or worse. In a world of falling ambition and no hope, as Britain emerged ravaged by the Thatcher years to find there was nowhere left for its young to go, Oasis were determined to write their own destiny, largely for themselves, but invariably, for their entire generation. 

Keep reading

[taekooktimeline]

November 13, 2023 (released) -

Jk performed on Audacy Live (and did an amazing job!). Eagle eyes noted that, once again, a V briefly appears on the wall of his set. There’s been at least three instances of a “V” showing up during Jk’s “Golden” promos, to the point I don’t think it's a coincidence and want to archive this (though, as usual, please decide as you like).

The first instance was the custom wall that contains Jk’s tattoos + things he likes that were described by him as being “meaningful things.”

This photo was released as part of the concept photos for “Golden: Substance.” K media noted the following about the concept photo, “The final set of concept photos, titled “SUBSTANCE,” arrived Saturday and features the BTS member posing against a graffiti backdrop with numbers and words that are special to him, such as 0613 (BTS’ anniversary date), ’97 (his birth year) and the logo for BTS ARMY.”

A notable “V” in gold is included in the backdrop. As noted previously, I don’t typically like to analyze tattoos, but a lot have consistently said over the years that the inverted A in Jk’s ARMY tattoo is a V, which was confirmed in this backdrop (+ it’s in a golden color, like the album name). (Side note: I adore that he’s now able to more freely and comfortably show off his tattoos).

Wide shot of the concept photo -

Prior recap - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline/730820982596665344/october-7-2033-released-us-time

Article - https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/jung-kook-golden-album-concept-photos-1235438971/

Golden concept photo sketch -

(timestamp 4:54 is when he describes the three concept themes)

The second instance of a V showing up in Jk’s work is in the main title track “Standing Next To You” official MV.

Official MV -

(timestamp 1:28)

And now we see another “V” showing up during Jk’s Audacy Live performance.

Performance -

(timestamp 11:20)

Random musing but I found it interesting Jk looks in the direction of the “V” once he passes it, as if he wants to draw attention to it.

Also interesting to note is the letter “J” that also appears in the Audacy Live performance, which is better seen when the image is brightened up.

Just like there’s a J near the V in his concept photo!

Image CT: d_ktaekook

[yumeparadox]

Grand Fest Recollections. Thank You For Two Years!

My heart feels so heavy today. As I woke up to see a sunrise that matched the one we finally have in Splatoon 3, reality settled in.

Life has to go back to normal after a splatfest weekend but this celebration truly changed everything.

The Grand Festival was such a wonderful celebration of Splatoon in its entirety. 

I felt the most unbridled joy experiencing that magic brought to the in-game performances, the live renditions of each song in carefully crafted set-lists and seeing Liquid Sunshine choreography and its vibrancy for the first time.

On and off stream the three stages are where I spent the most time during Grand Fest when I could. I sat around the venue and just took in the details of the concerts and the setting; enjoying that moment in time was how I kept myself grounded.

But I think what had me start to unravel is realizing that I let the actual splatfest battle experience slip away.

I’d seen a Twitter comment on Sunday while I was taking pictures of Three Wishes that mentioned again how we would be able to return to the venue because of a datamine (granted I knew of this from months ago) about the amiibos.

I had no idea when the feature would drop and when we would be able to revisit the Grand Festival Grounds again. It could have been a week from now for all I knew. 

We got the confirmation almost instantaneously. I was overjoyed to be able to go right back but I also felt a little ridiculous for not playing the fest more if this would be the case.

I want to give a massive thank you to everyone who did play matches with me for Team Present though—especially my homies @Chandlier1229, @mxntymoon, @semisentientseafood, @epicyoshimaster and @kosirenn

Big ups to @CJHyperfresh and @Jasbiskus for inviting myself and my partner @squidryder to collab on an amazing stream. It was an unforgettable time and we had so many laughs.

Thank you Ryder for joining me in Tricolor and reacting to the results! You make me smile so much and your presence is a present.

Emotions were high throughout this whole event for a lot of us but personally, I wasn’t able to fully process it until things were ending.

I know I got overwhelmed with the vastness of everything and other more existential thoughts. So, I can only imagine what developing all of this was like.

Admittedly, I felt my reaction to Three Wishes was lackluster. The whole reason I went for an IRL stream was in case I didn’t say much and so that some emotion was visible. 

I cried the first time I heard the song and saw the lyrics but the tears weren’t happening that Saturday.

Granted, there’s a lot happening the first time you experience Three Wishes in-game, but the way the VOD turned out is something I can’t change much like my splatfest team.

While I had my reasoning for joining Team Present, perhaps I was too logical about it. Although that’s what the theme asks of you, I can’t help but lament on this a little bit. I want to work through this feeling.

I went in thinking that the present is where I can experience all of time. It’s a difficult concept and a part of me wishes I had treated it differently. Seeing clips from people playing the splatfest also got me in my feels, too. I wonder if I did enough.

As someone who chose Team Marie and fawns over her the most (Frye is probably a close second at this point), I thought about joining Past simply because she was fighting alongside Callie this time. 

The Squid Sisters had the most compelling splatfest art by far for the event and I know their Grand Fest outfits were my favorite. 

Their music saved me from the moment I played my first Splatoon 1 splatfest. I cried over the Plaza, over seeing them back in the DLC, over hearing City of Color leitmotifs to this day.

The Rainbow Color Inkantation version of it has so much urgency and emotion in the vocals, as if they’re urging you to remember them and fight for the past.

That’s not to say Off the Hook isn’t also meaningful to me, however. They are the reason I was able to pursue voice acting as a hobby in the first place, starting out with voicing over their splatfest dialogue. 

And of course, we all know their formation is still so closely linked to the Squid Sisters existing. Anyone who watches my streams can tell which group I go crazy over the most but choosing in terms of the passage of time may not let your choices align and check both boxes. I agonized over teams for a while.

Ultimately, I stuck to the question as best I could. 

Which is the most important to you?

Experiencing the now. Finally reaching that promised day. 

My memories are never super clear for me unless I preserve them in some form of writing, video or photo. Skill issue on my part but all brains are different. 

So, I repeated this a lot that fateful weekend: the present moment will always become the past so make it count. Choosing one doesn’t mean the other isn’t important but again it was truly difficult.

My past self got me where I am now and every decision I make in the present sets me up for success in the future. 

I grew up hearing that we don’t know what tomorrow looks like and you can’t obsess over it. Although, when you have good things to look forward to you can’t help but anticipate how they’ll play out. 

Past, present and future are intertwined and if you look at the splatfest theme graphic, you’ll see that all the ink swirls connect despite being different colors.

I think that’s why they called the second night of the Grand Festival the Day of Unity. We were all together to witness that performance regardless of team choice.

Music will always be the core of Splatoon and it will carry on across the sea of time, imbued by our passions and joys.

Good games, well played to everyone! I’m really grateful to have been here and seen every splatfest from the beginning this time around. Splatoon has been with me through every season of my life and it's ink-redible.

I have so much appreciation for everyone who stopped by the streams over the weekend. Doubly so for those who shared messages about when they first found my videos and the impact they’ve had.

I’m glad my enjoyment of Splatoon could resonate with you and go so far as to brighten your day.

We reached 3K followers on Twitch (another yearly milestone) with everyone’s support and I met so many new people. To those who know me from my videos only, I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.

Looking back, I started broadcasting there in late 2022 so I’ve streamed every Splatoon 3 splatfest since the World Premiere (aside from the ice cream theme since I was visiting family).

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts this weekend. It had been a rough few weeks leading up to Grand Fest, so, once again I’m glad I could be there in any capacity.

Thank you Splatoon team for everything you’ve created and I hope we can continue to show just how much this series means to us. It’s time for me to finish up some projects from the past.

This is my first post on this side blog but I plan on sharing more of my writings here so please look forward to it!

Sending you all so much love and strength, Yume 

[louisupdates]

[Translated from Spanish]

Louis Tomlinson in Chile: You infected us with your faith in the future

It's very confusing; how can we identify our favorite in One Direction? It is truly a difficult decision to make and clearly we can't stop thinking about the pop group of cute heartbreaking guys, but it is very clear that each one plays their best version on stage.

That was the case of Louis Tomlinson, who returned to our country on his Faith In The Future tour. After two years since his last visit, he stole sighs again, conquered with his messy hair, and took the breath of all the attendees by performing a powerful setlist full of surprises that reflect his influences in music, and also revived the success of what was one of the most important boy bands of recent times.

A few minutes passed from nine at night. In the middle of the numbing cold, all the lights of the Bicentennial Stadium in La Florida abruptly went out. Between scenographic fumes and the screams of a fan who woke up as if she were a monster, sirens began to sound and the screens were turning on one by one.

A mirror-effect Louis approaches us and writes on a scoreboard, ‘Faith In The Future,’ while his entire band positions itself to start the intro of The Greatest. In the middle of a "Sing it with me, Santiago!’, the pyrotechnics and crazy screams of a stadium warming up, a high-caliber show began.

"Kill my, kill my, kill my... you kill my mind," the audience chanted loudly as the fan action begins, the flash lights of the cell phones turned on and began to move impressively coordinated, I wonder: How did they do it? In a moment all the seats up and then the court down to end up together going up and down the lights creating an effect of fireflies dancing to the sound of one of the highest-grossing songs of Louis’ debut album Walls.

I think it was one of the most energetic beginnings of concerts I've seen in the first half of this 2024. It was a very special artist-public connection. Without being a devout fan, I ended up letting myself fall into the screams of a crazy teenager who gets excited for every first chord of the songs of their dream artist.

"Bigger Than Me", "Holding On To Heartache", and my favorite "Face The Music", continued to present Louis’ new works, but I think that reviving One Direction with "Drag Me Down" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", was the most appreciated climax by the attendees, firstly for being a selection very much in line with their tour and second because I think they will always be in our hearts as our favorites.

"This is fucking crazy, I mean it's cold, but I’m feeling really, really good on stage tonight, Chile": these were the words Louis expressed after seeing the uncontrollable energy of the public, that despite the fact that the enclosure was not full at its maximum, the voices multiplied as if their capacity was tripled.

For me, the surprises of the night were really the covers he performed. I mean that clearly the influence of these artists are part of his musical career, and listening to him live confirmed that Post Malone and Arctic Monkeys are on his playlist.

"Chemical" and "505" were presented at the Bicentennial and, as if they were Louis’ own. The public began to sing them from start to finish.

"Back To You", "Angels Fly" and "Out Of My System" ended a fluid and continuous concert, full of energy and insatiable screams. The dances and the fan action were present, but when the pyrotechnics were done and Louis shouted a dry, "Good Night!" and the lights of the whole stadium went out, the attendees wanted more.

"Louis, Louis, Louis, Louis!" We all shouted at the dim light of the stage. We wanted more, Luchito, please come back.

Between shouts he returned with his band to perform "Saturdays" and close with "Silver Tongues.” I honestly thought he had forgotten it, because it is one of the main singles of the latest album and as the song, "I don´t feel like going home" says, none of us wanted to leave.

The grand finale was simply a souvenir, between fireworks and a rain of feathers and red bows, Louis left the stage leaving a tear in the eye of more than one of us who were present. I don't know if you, but I kept thinking about why Tomlinson has a lot of faith in the future, becoming without a doubt one of my favorites.

Louis Tomlinson | Date: 05/24/2024

Place: La Florida Bicentennial Stadium

Producer: DG Media

Photographer:@cqphotographer

Journalist: Cristopher Orrego Jiménez

Photos: [x] [x] [x]

[twstgarden]

✦ ❝ 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞... ❞ ✰

❝ 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐔𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 ❞ writing commission for @mariahmaru

— a purchase of one lotus flower has arrived from our dearest customer. a special lotus sent by azul ashengrotto of octavinelle dormitory is now ready.

➻ yandere! azul ashengrotto x mai bouquet (mariahmaru's oc) ➻ mai finds herself enjoying the stability of her life after graduating in night raven college. as she pursued higher education while working to provide for herself, she suddenly reunites with old friends from nrc. however, that meeting somehow caused things to go south. cw: (including but not limited to) yandere themes, unhealthy relationships/obsessions, manipulation, magic manipulation, implied gaslighting, obsessive behaviour, mentions of stalking

➻ word count: 3,760 words

this work does not have spoilers for any of the arcs in jp!

do not steal or translate without my permission.

buy me a coffee here and ko-fi here if you want to support me

commissions are open, you may refer to this info post.

luck was smiling down on miss mai bouquet.

hearing the words, “you’re hired”, from the human resource personnel of a local café lifted her spirits. finally, she got a job at a café to help with her studies. after graduation from night raven college, mai was one of the other students who opted for higher education rather than working as a full-time adult.

she does her best and her best rewards her greatly. she was praised at her café job, and her professors have been proud of how wonderful she performed in her college work. hearing the words, “congratulations, miss bouquet. your test results came back with an a”, brought a smile to her face.

life seemed so perfect. everything was going well for her in twisted wonderland. it has been about 4 years since she graduated from night raven college, and while she has been keeping in contact with some of her friends and close acquaintances, they could not find the time to go out and have a chat over tea because of how busy life gets now that they are older.

on a weekend night, mai finds herself in her living room curled up on the couch while watching a musical – a typical night on her day off. feeling relaxed, she felt her eyes fluttering shut as she thought of getting a quick nap.

however, a knock interrupted her peaceful moment.

sitting up from the couch, mai glanced at her door and wondered who the person was. it did not take long until a letter came through her door, and everything went quiet outdoors as if the delivery person left.

“…there are still people delivering mail at this hour…?” mumbled mai to herself as she stood up and grabbed the letter – an elegant dark purple envelope sealed with lavender wax with the sender’s address as well as hers indicated on the back.

‘to miss mai bouquet,

reunions tend to occur 10 or so years later but think of this letter as a sweet reminder of all the friendships and old memories we cherished as we meet once more and unwind from life for at least a few hours.

you are cordially invited to the night raven college class of xxxx’s garden-themed unofficial reunion on saturday, xx/xx/xxxx from 1:00 pm onwards at the grand wonder ballroom.

to confirm your attendance, please fill out the attached form and forward it to the same address indicated on your envelope.

we hope to see you there.’

it seems vague, does it not? a reunion after 4 years of being away? surely, it’s too early to reunite with old friends, no? despite those thoughts, mai shrugged it off, accepting the invitation anyway as she did want to see her friends back at night raven college. with how hectic her life was, she found no time to go out and chat with any of them.

on the day of the so-called unofficial reunion, mai entered the venue with a beautiful dress befitting a garden theme while suiting her taste in fashion. upon her arrival, she clutched her bag as all the confidence she felt back home washed away once she saw the crowd in the room.

a soft sigh escaped her lips, hoping to relax her rapidly beating heart. her eyes scanned the room, seeing a few people she recognizes. they were all busy mingling with their old friends, sipping on some drink and having a laugh as they reminisced memories and talked about their current life circumstances.

while observing her batchmates, a voice was then heard beside her.

“angelfishie~!”

ah, she knew that nickname all too well. a smile grazed over mai’s lips as she turned around and waved at the energetic leech twin, “hey, floyd! how’s every—eek!”

before she could even get the words out of her mouth, floyd wrapped his arms around the lady and engulfed her in a squeezing tight hug. a series of giggles left his lips as he squeezed the brunette lady, not paying any mind to how she was trying to pry him off her.

“can’t…breathe…!” wheezed mai as she tried to break free from the suffocating grasp.

“my my, floyd, you seem to miss mai-san the most,” teased jade as he let out a soft chuckle, “you ought to lighten your grip.” floyd glanced at his brother as he replied with a slightly disappointed expression, “come onnn~ we haven’t seen each other for 4 years now!”

mai let out a relieved sigh as soon as she felt floyd’s grip loosening a little. patting his arm, she replied, “i missed you guys, too. how’s everything with you both?” with a smile, she conversed with the twins as they shared updates on their lives while mai shared hers in return.

their conversation went smoothly until she heard a familiar voice from behind, “well if it isn’t my dearest pearl.”

pearl. what a familiar nickname.

mai looked back to see azul smiling at her, his attire as formal and neat as always. he looked elegant — far more elegant than how he was back in their school days. paired with his charming smile and suave aura, azul was easily the eye candy of the room, so much so that even mai did not realise her cheeks were tinted with pink.

“azul, hi! it’s been a while,” greeted mai with a smile.

“indeed, it has. i hope things are faring well with you. ...though,” a soft chuckle left azul’s lips, “i’m sure everything is well with you. a talented and kind young lady such as yourself would surely flourish in her life, no?”

mai let out a soft laugh as she replied, “oh, stop with the flattery! haha, but yes… i’ve been doing well. i got a job at a local café while also pursuing higher education!”

azul’s eyes twinkled as if he was amazed and he smiled, “oh? my, i knew you would be doing well. haha, it is very pleasing to know you’re living in a stable condition.” mai smiled in return, thanking the man as they continued to converse with the twins occasionally joining in.

the day was splendid, but mai could not set aside the inkling gut feeling of something going wrong.

was she being paranoid? of course not!

her companions are totally to be trusted.

after the reunion, mai felt like she was on a cloud – drifting away and enjoying life after a relaxing get-together with the people she called her friends. however, that all shattered when she dropped the cup of coffee she was serving and accidentally spilt the hot beverage on a customer.

odd. she was always so composed at work, especially with all the eyes on her.

it was almost as if she was not in control of her actions at that very moment. regardless, she was extremely guilty and felt embarrassed with all the customers watching the commotion now.

“i-i am so sorry!” exclaimed mai as she tried to wipe off the stain on the customer’s shirt, but it was too late as the guest was infuriated and screaming in pain. panic crossed mai’s face as she desperately tried to ease the situation with her co-workers lending her a hand, unaware of the small smirk on a man’s face seated at the far corner of the café.

as if that wasn’t enough, mai received her test results a week after her midterms, but instead of the usual smile and compliments of the professor, she was greeted with a soft sigh and a small frown. “miss bouquet, i am quite surprised with your results. if there is anything you find hard to grasp in our lessons, you can always tell me,” spoke her professor as mai grabbed the test.

her eyes widened the moment she saw her result. what was this? 

failed? after working and studying so hard? was she suddenly not doing her best?

mai spent the rest of her night on her bed, looking up at the ceiling as she wondered why things went south in the blink of an eye. with the mistakes she made at work, she knew it wouldn’t be long until the manager fired her. the only hope she clung to was the fact that it did not happen. yet.

she hoped it would not happen, that being fired from her job would just be a mere imagination.

unfortunately for the lady, things did not go her way. she lost her job and was in the process of failing the rest of her classes. the longer she took the time to get back on her feet, the more things went wrong. mai felt hopeless, but she tried to keep her faith. maybe one day, a light of hope would shine down on her, and she’d be able to live in a stable condition again.

weeks turned into months and her situation at her college got even worse. now that she did not have any job, paying her bills has become a challenging task and it wasn’t long until she received an eviction notice from her landlord.

a soft sigh left the lady's lips as she eyed the letter. she only had 2 weeks to pack her things and leave. "great... just what i needed," mumbled mai as it was a more sarcastic response to her recent situation, "what is going on with me...?"

unbeknownst to the lady, a certain man was happy with how things turned out. it was all going according to his plan.

mai started to pack her things, and on other days, she would sit and search for a job to apply to help with her living conditions and her education. so far, she was not facing any success — her job hunt proved to be a difficult challenge as the ones she applied to either never got back to her after screening or cancelled the interviews at the last minute.

one afternoon, mai decided to sit in a café for a change of scenery. it might lift her spirits — at least that's what she says to herself. mai continued to apply to jobs in every online job posting she saw and even reached out to her other friends hoping that she'd find some luck.

while she was scrolling through the job postings, a figure suddenly sat before her, making mai look up as she wondered who would sit at her table as if she wasn't present in the first place. her raised brow turned into a small smile as soon as she realised it was just azul, "oh... i thought you were someone else."

"did i frighten you?" questioned azul.

"not at all. i was just not expecting anyone to sit at an occupied table," replied mai as she kept a small smile on her face. azul chuckled a little as he spoke to her, "do excuse me. i saw you upon entering the café and thought i should accompany you."

he then glanced at his wristwatch as he was about to ask a question he already knew the answer to, "it's an hour past evening. shouldn't you be at work?"

mai sighed softly as she replied, "i lost my job... and i am about to get evicted, too. life isn't really on my side lately." a bitter chuckle left her lips as if to lighten the mood while slightly showing how her circumstances had been affecting her.

"i mean, things got so bad that i even started to flop at college! i failed my exams and my assignments were just showing me a big fat f," ranted the brunette. she had no one to talk to about her problems as she was trying her best to keep herself busy to distract herself from the sadness. so, the moment azul struck a conversation with her as an opening to console her, she took the bait.

azul sat silently with his eyes on her, paying attention to all her rants as if he was not the cause of her problems. of course, she did not need to know that.

nor will she ever find out.

after mai ranted to him, she felt a bit of her burden lifting off her shoulders. she needed to let it out, and now that she did, she was able to breathe a little. that did not solve her problem, of course, but at least someone was willing to listen to her.

"...my pearl, what if i lend you a hand?" spoke azul.

mai went silent for a bit as she raised a brow, "...for a price?"

azul laughed a little and shook his head, "of course not. when have i ever charged you for any help i extended out of my compassion?"

"um... you tried when we were still in nrc."

"ah, but that was so long ago, no? people change, dear," replied azul, "come now, i really want to help you."

mai stayed quiet for a moment, thinking about the offer as she wondered if he was being genuine. though she knows azul might be acting suspiciously, she thought of giving him a chance. after all, they are good friends and mai knew he wouldn't do anything to harm her even more than life already did.

she still tries to find the good in him. despite his ways back then, mai will admit that he is quite generous and helpful.

"...alright," replied mai, "what help are you talking about?"

azul smiled as if he were glad to hear her answer, "i know a library that is currently hiring for an archivist, and i believe you'd be a perfect fit for what they're looking for."

it was as if mai was blinded by a ray of hope.

"wait, seriously?" spoke mai, "please refer me. i'll hand you a copy of my resumé!"

azul hummed in response as they continued with their dealings, and it did not take long until mai received a call a few days after she met with azul. the call came from one of the staff in the library he had mentioned, and after months, she finally scored an actual interview.

mai passed the interview with flying colours. she finally got a job as an archivist in this cosy, yet large library settled a few meters away from her college.

her first day went splendidly. though mai was still a little nervous and paranoid that she'd face some other bad luck, everything was going smoothly, and it had gradually calmed her nerves.

now that she had one problem solved, she had to find a way to pay her rent, or find another place to live in. she only had 3 days left in her eviction period and she had all her things packed, all ready to leave but not knowing where to go.

"...should i?" mumbled mai as she held onto her phone, azul's contact flashing through her screen as she hesitated to call and ask him for help. he did help with the job hunting, but mai hoped it wouldn't be too much to ask for a place to rent.

30 seconds turned into 1 minute, and 1 minute turned into 2 minutes. mai eyed azul's contact number before looking at her clock, then back at her phone, then back at her clock again. "...screw it, i'm calling him."

not even two rings later, azul picked up the phone and spoke with a rather pleased tone, "ah, my pearl. i was not expecting you to call. how may i help?"

'not expecting...? he answered it rather quickly for someone who isn't expecting a phone call...' thought mai before shrugging and speaking to him, "hello, azul... i was wondering if you could help me find a place to rent. since i'm being evicted and all... i only have 3 days left in this apartment."

azul then replied through the phone, "of course! you know, you don't have to bother with renting at all. you can stay at my place."

mai blinked in surprise. she had been financially struggling for a while and being given the option to live rent-free sounded fantastic for her current circumstances, but she was also worried she might make the wrong decision.

"...are you sure? i don't want to bother you," responded mai.

"bother? nonsense! you are always welcome to stay here."

mai did not respond for a bit as she was weighing her options down. it came to the point where she had nowhere to go, and she did not exactly have the finances to pay months' worth of rent if she picked a new place.

"fine."

and that sealed the deal.

mai soon found herself in azul's home. it was quite a lovely two-storey modern house with a garage and other amenities such as a backyard pool, outdoor seating, and a small garden. if mai had to be honest, azul's house was fancy.

"oh... wow, you live here?" spoke mai in disbelief as she gawked at the place.

"mhm, and you are free to live here as much as you like..." replied azul.

mai was able to settle in nicely, and even if she won't admit it, she felt comfortable in azul's home. perhaps a mansion would be better suited to call the young man's home with all the fancy things that are included.

things were going well with mai. azul had been nothing short of generous and hospitable, allowing her to make herself at home. mai felt like her life was getting back on track — she got a job as an archivist, her grades at college were slowly working their way back up again, and she got to live in a large home without having to worry about rent.

luck was smiling down on miss mai bouquet once more.

hearing the words, "you're doing well, mai!", from the librarian lifted her spirits. she was happy once again with how stable her life turned out. perhaps all those hardships she experienced these past few months were merely a challenge, a test, to see if she perseveres.

and persevere she did. her job paid her well, and her education was thriving once more. her professors were proud to see her do well on her tests and assignments, and seeing the "a" on her report card made mai proud.

azul was happy for her. really, he was.

he was always there to celebrate her achievements or comfort her on days when she felt down. he never once left her side or let her deal with her problems by herself. it was as if he wanted to make sure mai never felt alone, and that she was never struggling alone. that she always had him no matter what happened.

mai was grateful. she had a friend who would lend an ear or their shoulder if she needed one. that was all there is to it. a friend helping a friend out, no?

so why is she starting to feel uncomfortable with azul's "friendliness"?

there was never a day azul gets to miss some physical touch with her — whether it's through hand-holding, head patting, or even just a light touch on her shoulder.

at first, mai thought it was nothing, but it had gradually escalated to more than just light touches and friendly pats. he started to wrap an arm around her shoulder when they sat on the couch, or hug her from behind whenever she started to cook something in the kitchen. he would even place an arm on her waist when they walked together in public.

as if that wasn't enough, he had started to dote on her. when azul gets a day off and mai still has to attend to her work, she comes home with food neatly placed on the table while azul sits with a smile, inviting her to have a taste of the food he made.

mai tolerated that for a while. she knew it was just his way of being friendly, and she couldn't exactly tell him off when he was being nice to her. at least, that's what she told herself.

her tolerance was starting to wear thin as days passed. the more affectionate and domestic azul had acted towards her, the more uncomfortable she felt.

she wanted to know why he acted that way towards her. perhaps there was just a little misunderstanding between them and she wanted to make it clear that she was not looking at him in a romantic light.

one night during dinner, mai silently ate her meal with azul on the other end of the table. they were enjoying their meals in silence until mai's voice was heard, "...hey, azul?"

azul glanced up at her as he gulped down his food, "yes?"

"um... why are you being so... affectionate?"

that was it. mai finally asked the question she badly wanted to know the answer to, but instead of a reply, azul merely smiled at her before returning to his meal as if he never heard the question.

mai waited for a reply the whole night, but he wouldn't even acknowledge it, so she decided to ask once more after preparing to retire for the night.

"...you still did not answer my question earlier," spoke mai as she reminded azul of the inquiry. the young man was already in his sleepwear as he was about to head to his bedroom when he heard mai speak.

he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, "is it bad?"

mai was not expecting that response. she wanted to tell him that she felt uncomfortable, but it was as if all words ceased to exist at that moment... like she could not speak all of a sudden.

azul then walked towards her, leaning down a little to her height as he added, "my pearl, i've been nothing but hospitable and kind to you. oh my, don't tell me you're no longer in need of my help?"

"what...? no, no, that's not what i—"

"is it suddenly so wrong for me to show you some affection? when all i've done is to make sure you get to be with me?"

mai was a little stunned. what did azul mean by that? yes, he helped her, but why was he saying that as if his help came with a price? oh dear, perhaps she should have said no in the first place.

seeing her stunned expression, azul smirked in amusement. he laughed a little as he narrowed his eyes at her, "now that you're here with me, i'll make sure you'll never find your way out again."

© twstgarden 2024 || please do not steal, translate without my permission, or use this to train a.i.

[gairofkami]

Magia day news translation (with google translate) :

"Magia Day 2024" event with an audience to be held! It has been decided that "Magia Day 2024" will be held with an audience.

We will bring you the latest information on "Puella Magi Madoka Magica Magia Exedra" with a stellar cast of guests. Details are as follows.

[Summary] ◆Event title: "Magia Day 2024" ◆Cast: Akari Komiyama (role: Namae), Aoi Yuki (role: Kaname Madoka), Kaori Mizuhashi (role: Tomoe Mami), Eri Kitamura (role: Miki Sayaka), Ai Nonaka (role: Sakura Kyoko), Emiri Kato (role: Kyubey), Momo Asakura (role: Tamaki Iroha), Sora Amamiya (role: Nanami Yachiyo), Shiina Natsukawa (role: Yui Tsuruno) MC: Haruka Mori ※Titles omitted, in no particular order ◆Date and time: Sunday, August 25, 2024, doors open at 16:45, performance begins at 17:30 ※Doors and performance times may change due to circumstances. ◆Ticket price: All seats reserved ￥3,000 (tax included) ◆Venue: Yurakucho Asahi Hall ◆Inquiries regarding the performance: Hot Stuff Promotion 050-5211-6077 (Weekdays 12:00-18:00) ◆Inquiries regarding tickets: ePlus FAQ https://support-qa.eplus.jp/ (PC and smartphone compatible)

[Ticket advance lottery reception]

■ Reception period: 21:00, Tuesday, July 2, 2024 to 23:59, Monday, July 15, 2024

■ Reception URL: https://eplus.jp/magia-exedra-0825/ (PC and smartphone compatible)

■ Winner notification: 13:00, Friday, July 19, 2024 -

■ Payment period (only if you win): 13:00, Friday, July 19, 2024 to 21:00, Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Registration as an e+ (eplus) member (free) is required for reception.

・Please apply at the reception-only URL above during the reception period. Applications can be made from PCs and smartphones.

If you choose to receive electronic tickets, you can only apply from smartphones.

・Up to two tickets can be applied for per person. ・This is a pre-order (lottery system). It is not first-come, first-served, so please apply at a time that is convenient for you during the application period. ・Winners and seats will be determined by lottery from among those who apply during the period, not on a first-come, first-served basis. ・Seat designation is not possible. Please check the ticket face. ・Application details can only be changed or cancelled during the application period. Please note that changes or cancellations (declining purchase) after winning will not be accepted. ・Winners must make payment within the payment period. Please note that if payment is not confirmed, your win will be invalid. ・Please set your email filter settings to receive emails from "@eplus.co.jp". ・We will also send you emails notifying you of the lottery results, but you must check the results yourself by checking "Application Status Inquiry" from the start of the result confirmation period. ・Please check the fees for payment and ticket issuance at the time of application. ・Reselling purchased tickets (including listing on online auction sites, buying and selling at prices higher than the retail price, etc.) and any attempt to do so is a violation of the contract. Please note that tickets that have been resold will be invalid and you will be denied entry.

[General sale] ■Application period: Saturday, July 27, 2024, 10:00- ■Application URL: https://eplus.jp/magia-exedra-0825/ (PC and smartphone compatible)

*You will need to register as an e+ (eplus) member (free of charge) to apply. *You can apply for up to two tickets per person. *General sale will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If the planned number of tickets is reached, applications will close. *Payment by credit card only. *Tickets will be issued from 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. *Please note that we will not accept any refunds, seat transfers, or complaints after purchase.

[LIVE STREAMING] This event will be streamed live on YouTube. ■Streaming date and time: Scheduled for Sunday, August 25, 2024 from 17:30 ■Streaming channel: Official YouTube channel for "Puella Magi Madoka Magica Magia Exedra" (https://www.youtube.com/@madoka_exedra) *The URL for watching the program will be announced later on the official Twitter account for "Puella Magi Madoka Magica Magia Exedra" (@madoka_exedra). *You can watch the archive for a certain period of time after the program ends. *You can watch the YouTube Live broadcast for free, but you will be responsible for any communication and packet charges for internet connection.

[ATEENTION] *The latest information on this event will be announced on the official website (https://madoka-exedra.com/) and the official X (@madoka_exedra) from time to time. *There is no cloakroom at the venue. Please note that we cannot store your luggage. *Preschool children are not allowed to enter. *If you are using a wheelchair, please contact the following office after purchasing your ticket.

Hot Stuff Promotion 050-5211-6077 (Weekdays 12:00-18:00)

*For the purpose of this performance, there will be camera equipment in the venue. In addition, there is a possibility that you may be captured on the live camera. Please be aware of this in advance.

*You will be asked to confirm your identity when you enter the venue on the day. For details, please see [About identity confirmation] below.

[About identity confirmation]

To prevent resale, we ask for your cooperation in confirming the identity of the visitor (the person who applied) and accompanying person when entering the venue.

★For those who purchased electronic tickets Go to "Sma Ticket" from the "Ticket" tab at the bottom of the ePlus app and present the admission screen and your ID to the staff.

*You will not be able to enter with a screenshot of the ticket.

*If you have purchased two electronic tickets, please distribute the tickets to your accompanying person in advance. *For details on electronic tickets, click here (https://eplus.jp/sf/guide/spticket)

★For those who purchased paper tickets Please bring your pre-issued ticket and identification.

[Prohibition on resale for profit] Tickets cannot be sold or transferred to third parties, including friends and family, for profit. The name entered at the time of application will be printed on the ticket. When purchasing, please make sure to purchase under the name of the person attending and the name of the person accompanying you. We are not responsible for any troubles related to tickets obtained by other than the official purchase method.

On the day of the performance, please be sure to bring a "ticket" with your name on it and a "photo ID" that can verify that your name is the same as the name on the ticket. If you do not bring your "ticket" or "identification", or if it is lost, stolen, or incomplete, you will be denied entry for any reason. In that case, we will not refund the ticket or cover transportation costs. Thank you for your understanding. *We will check the ID of the purchaser and accompanying person at the time of entry. Please be sure to bring your ID. *If there is a discrepancy in the confirmation, you may have to wait for a while for the confirmation.

[About ID] Please bring the ID of the purchaser and accompanying person registered at the time of application.

If you do not bring your "ticket" or "ID", or if it is lost, stolen, or incomplete, you will be denied entry for any reason.

In that case, we will not refund the ticket or cover transportation costs. Please note in advance.

*If we cannot confirm that the "purchaser" and "company registered at the time of purchase" are the same as the "attendee", or if we find that they have been resold or transferred, you will be denied entry.

*We are not responsible for any troubles related to tickets obtained through methods other than the official purchase method. *If there is a discrepancy in the confirmation, you may have to wait for a while for the confirmation. *Please note that it may be very crowded just before the start of the show due to identity verification, and you may not be able to enter the venue in time for the show, so please enter the venue early.

〇Identification accepted for admission to this show (copies/handwritten/expired/unusable items are not accepted) You can be verified with one item. ① Passport ② Driver's license ③ Student ID ④ My Number card (with photo) ⑤ Disability certificate ⑥ Residence card ⑦ Special permanent resident certificate ⑧ Basic resident registration card

*When using your My Number card as identification, please only present the front (the side with your photo). Please be careful not to present the back (the side with your personal number printed on it). Please note that the back of your My Number card will not be seen when verifying your identity. *Your personal number notification card (a paper card with your personal number printed on it and no photo) cannot be used as identification. If you do not have any of the above ① to ⑧, we will verify your identity using the following method [A] or [B]. [A]: Please bring two "official documents" [B]: Please bring one "official document" and one or more "items with your name printed on them" (you will not be allowed to enter with only one official document) One document is not acceptable. Two of the following are required for verification. [Insurance card, copy of resident's certificate, certified copy of family register, extract of family register, seal registration certificate, pension book] *Please bring all official documents in the same state as when they were officially issued. Also, resident's certificate, certified copy of family register, and extract of family register must have been issued within six months. One document is not acceptable. In addition to the above, one other official document is required for verification. [Employee ID cards, student ID cards without a photo, credit cards, cash cards, medical cards, commuter passes]

*Utility bills (electricity/water, etc.) and various mail items are not accepted, even if your name is printed on them.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you, but we appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

[lgcmedia]

Legacy Entertainment gives a sneak peek of V&A’s upcoming variety show

Earlier today a teaser video of the new variety show was posted on V&A’s YouTube channel, which got many Etervals wondering the premise of the show. The company confirmed on their social media accounts that ‘V&A’s Song Stealer’ is a musical variety program in which the V&A members will be given songs that they will rearrange using their musical and creative skills. Filming for the first five episodes of the show was completed in Stockholm, with the episodes focusing on one half of the group, VERSUS, as they create their own arrangement to TYPE ZERO’s ‘ONE (MONSTER & INFINITY)’.

Legacy Entertainment has added that in the first half of the show, two new members of VERSUS will be introduced publicly; AKIO ( KUROSAWA AKIO ) and SEN ( PARK SEOJIN ). Many fans may have known them as two of the members of Legacy's rotational boy group unit that was created in 2023; LGC SPRING BOYS. Since then, they've garnered some attention for their participation in other projects and Etervals are excited to see them take on a new journey as idol members of V&A and their contributions to both the unit and group.

The second half of the show will consist of all of the V&A members as they work on the song chosen by the fans' votes on V&A's YouTube channel. The selected song will be performed live in this year’s KCON LA as a special stage and thank you gift for Etervals.

The first two episodes of the upcoming show will aired on MAY 31 and JUNE 1 at 11:00AM KST respectively, and afterwards will be released every SATURDAY on V&A’s YouTube channel!

[ + / - ] um, excuse me??? new variety show for v&a and new members??? WHAT. i was waiting for the day v&a would have their own show and seeing how much effort they’re putting behind this, i do believe this may be a permanent show!! and don’t get me started with the new members!! two of my favorite lgc spring boy members joining versus??? that’s all i could ever ask for!! [ + / - ] do v&a really deserve another variety show?? i feel like they’re so boring to watch… zzzzzzz

#LGCENT #LGCBOYS #VNA #VERSUS #AGITO #KUROSAWAAKIO #AKIO #PARKSEOJIN #SEN

a/n: all of the V&A members ( excluding AKIO and SEOJIN ) will receive +3 notoriety from this article, while AKIO and SEOJIN will receive +5 notoriety! congratulations to KUROSAWA AKIO and PARK SEOJIN for officially being a part of V&A! this post is to make it official that the public is aware of the addition of the new members, their stage names, and the new variety show. you may link this article to your points sheet for reference.

[qnewsau]

Chappell Roan debuts lesbian country song on SNL

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/chappell-roan-debuts-lesbian-country-song-on-snl/

Chappell Roan debuts lesbian country song on SNL

Chappell Roan has confirmed a new era is starting for her, performing a brand new sapphic country-pop song on Saturday Night Live.

The pop superstar, 26, was the musical guest on the show over the weekend, as comedian John Mulaney hosted.

Chappell performed Pink Pony Club first, but for her second performance of the night, she debuted a new track.

Titled The Giver, the country-pop serenade is about her favourite topic: girls loving girls.

“All you country boys saying you know how to threat a woman right,” Chappell said during a spoken word aside in the song.

“Well, only a woman knows how to treat a woman right. She gets the job done.”

The title of the song was only confirmed when the SNL performance was uploaded – and then removed – from the show’s YouTube account.

Watch below:

Chappell Roan’s full hq performance of ‘The Giver’, her new cuntry single, live on SNL! pic.twitter.com/NdKLmqXRpw

— best of chappell roan (@bestofchappell) November 3, 2024

Watch Chappell’s performance of Pink Pony Club below:

Chappell Roan is releasing her second album

Chappell Roan toured Australia late last year following the release of her debut album The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess, which was a slow burn success.

She performed smaller venues in Australia, but in less than 12 months the American artist has become one of the biggest pop stars in the world, breaking crowd size records at festivals.

Chappell has been teasing the release of new music recently.

Last week, she posted a photo of herself with the vinyl of her debut album and wrote, “Album kinda popped off imo but it is time to welcome a hot new bombshell into the villa.”

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by ･ﾟ: *✧ Chappell Roan ✧*:･ﾟ (@chappellroan)

Read more:

Chappell Roan reflects on meteoric rise to pop stardom

‘I’m coming’: Chappell Roan teases next Australian tour

‘True talent’: Elton John is a huge Chappell Roan fan

Chappell Roan calls out ‘creepy’ fan behaviour

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[zapreportsblog]

A Brave Step

➥ summary : Iketeru Daga asks someone out on a date

➥ Iketeru Daga x reader, Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan x reader

Iketeru Daga stood at the edge of the bustling office, nervously fidgeting with his tie. He had always admired (Y/n) from afar, the way she effortlessly carried herself with grace and confidence. But today, he had mustered up the courage to take a step out of his comfort zone.

As the clock ticked away, Iketeru finally decided that it was now or never. With a determined breath, he approached (Y/n), who was engrossed in her work at her desk.

"Um, excuse me, (Y/n)," Iketeru stammered, his heart pounding in his chest.

(Y/n) looked up, her eyes meeting Iketeru's. She smiled warmly, her presence putting him at ease. "Hello, Iketeru. How can I help you?" she asked.

Iketeru cleared his throat, trying to gather his thoughts. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner with me sometime?" he asked, his voice surprisingly steady despite his nerves.

(Y/n) blinked in surprise, not expecting such a bold move from the usually reserved Iketeru. But she found herself charmed by his sincerity and bravery. "Sure, I'd love to," she replied with a smile.

Relief washed over Iketeru, and he couldn't help but grin. "Really? That's great! How about this Saturday?"

Saturday? That's only a few days away. But (Y/n) saw no reason to hesitate. "Saturday sounds perfect," she agreed.

Iketeru's smile widened, his heart soaring with joy. "Great! I'll pick you up at 7 pm, if that's okay?"

"That's perfect," (Y/n) confirmed.

As the week progressed, Iketeru couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. He wanted to make sure their date would be perfect, as he hoped it could be the start of something meaningful between them.

On Saturday evening, Iketeru arrived at (Y/n)'s doorstep, dressed in his best suit and a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He took a deep breath, gathering his nerves, and rang the doorbell.

(Y/n) opened the door, looking stunning in a simple but elegant dress. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Iketeru with flowers, and she couldn't help but feel a flutter of anticipation in her chest.

"You look beautiful," Iketeru said, presenting the flowers to her.

"Thank you, and you look very handsome," (Y/n) replied, accepting the bouquet.

“Shall we go?” Iketeru asks.

“Yes.”

•••

As they stepped out onto the streets, the air was filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement. The evening was cool and pleasant, making it the perfect setting for a memorable date.

Iketeru had planned a casual yet intimate evening, wanting to create an atmosphere where they could truly get to know each other. They walked side by side, engaging in easy conversation that flowed effortlessly between them.

He took her to a cozy little café that served the most delightful desserts. They settled into a corner table, where a flickering candle cast a soft glow around them.

As they sipped on their drinks, Iketeru shared stories from his childhood, his acting career, and his aspirations. (Y/n) listened intently, captivated by the passion and determination in his voice.

"And what about you, (Y/n)? What do you love doing in your free time?" Iketeru asked, genuinely interested in getting to know her better.

(Y/n) smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I love photography," she said. "Capturing moments and emotions through the lens brings me so much joy."

Iketeru's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "That's incredible. I would love to see some of your work sometime," he said.

"Sure, I'd be happy to show you," (Y/n) replied, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of sharing her passion with him.

After their delightful time at the café, they decided to take a leisurely stroll through a nearby park. The moon cast a soft glow, and the stars shone like tiny diamonds in the sky.

The sound of laughter and music caught their attention, and they followed the lively melody to find a group of street performers. Hand in hand, they joined the small crowd, swaying to the rhythm and enjoying each other's company.

As the night wore on, Iketeru and (Y/n) found themselves lost in each other's worlds. They opened up about their dreams, their fears, and their favorite childhood memories, sharing parts of themselves that they had rarely shown to anyone else.

With each passing moment, they felt a deeper connection forming between them. They laughed together, and at times, shared comforting silences that spoke volumes.

As the night came to an end, Iketeru walked (Y/n) back to her doorstep. He didn't want the evening to end, but he knew they had to say goodbye for now.

"(Y/n), I had an amazing time tonight," Iketeru said, his voice filled with sincerity.

"Me too, Iketeru," (Y/n) replied, her heart pounding with happiness.

"I hope we can do this again soon," he said, looking into her eyes.

"I'd love that," she said, her smile lighting up her face.

Iketeru leaned in and gently kissed her cheek, sending a rush of warmth through both of them.

"Goodnight, (Y/n)," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Goodnight, Iketeru," she replied, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks.

As Iketeru walked away, he felt a sense of contentment and hope like he had never experienced before. (Y/n) had ignited a spark in his heart, and he knew that their journey had only just begun.

And as (Y/n) watched him disappear into the night, she knew that she had found something special in Iketeru Daga - a connection that transcended words and had the potential to blossom into a beautiful love story. With a heart full of excitement and anticipation, they both looked forward to the chapters that lay ahead, where love, laughter, and shared dreams awaited them.

[pis3update]

SimFests on more lot assignments by Dandelion Sprout

"Let's say you've placed Showtime show stages and spectator spots a bit around in town, a proprietor walks around on the lot, yet SimFests never ever seem to occur on them. This mod aims to expand the amount of lot assignments where SimFests can be set up.

———As of version 1.0 of this mod, and based on The Sims Wiki's show stage page, this mod will make SimFests able to occur at (in addition to existing places):———

Public pools.

Gyms.

Libraries.

Art galleries (Confirmed by me).

Hangouts.

Dive bars.

Dance clubs.

Lounges (Likely excludes Future Lounges).

Horse ranches.

———Version 1.0 is tested to not support:———

No visitors allowed (Proprietors won't even enter any doors on such lots).

Visitors allowed.

Beach.

Due to the way the show stages and regular performance lot assignment limits work, it'd be considerable work to add support for more/all lot types, but I won't rule out a version 1.1 in the future.

The mod also adds some variation to which days SimFests can take place. Without the mod, they only occur on Tuesdays and Fridays. However, the mod doesn't seem to expand the amount of SimFests per town per week (Normally 2) noticeably.

Max NPC spectator limits have also been increased somewhat.

Although juice bars are considered a responsibility for proprietors, they are not required in order to spawn a SimFest.

The mod only edits one file: "Proprietor." As such, the chance of mod conflicts is pretty low.

———List of changes to "Proprietor." in GameplayData.package:———

SimFest(…) parameters have been added to the "MiscellaneousEmpty" section, permitting SimFests any day a week on non-ShowTime-nor-park lots, with prizes being the same as for Big Park. Audience size has been set to 8.

Proprietor hours for "MiscellaneousEmpty" have been changed from 12:00-20:00 to 14:00-00:00, to partially accomodate Late Night lots.

Small Park: Tuesdays > Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays; Audience size: 2 > 6

Big Park: Tuesdays > Mondays, Tuesdays > Fridays; Audience size: 4 > 10

Coffeehouse: Fridays > Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays; Audience size: 4 > 6

Live Show Venue: Fridays > Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays; Audience size: 6 > 10

Private Venue: Fridays > Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays; Audience size: 8 > 16"

More Info + Download @MTS.