#full comeback on october 30th

[withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus]

[mggpleasedontlookhere]

checkmate

summary: where y/n and spencer live in a world of soulmates; but how magical can it really be when the last words of your lover are the only indication of their existence.

word count: 7,054                                                                                               reading time aprox: 26 mins

warnings: character death, angst

a/n: this is my comeback fic, I hope you like it. I made sure to make it extra angsty to compensate for my disappearance :) also this fic can be read by anyone!

masterlist

Chess is a meticulous endeavor, not only in its cold and calculated nature, but also in the player’s ability to detect insecurity flash across their opponents' eyes, the unconscious idiosyncrasies that foretell future moves, and the slow descent into hopelessness that disintegrates the former’s conviction. Most will point out the cruelty of the game, how callous it must be knowing your end eight moves before it happens. However, others will oppose this notion as it is the game; one must lose to win.

It’s all a matter of who plays their pieces right.  

Before that pivotal moment, players can only maneuver through a black and white arena. Fingertips would drum in anticipation while the other would hover over their pieces, striding across the board with purpose. Regardless of the disparity between the players’ experience or skill, there is always one factor, unmoved by player attributes, that is not a disadvantage nor luxury for either party: time.  

Even in the checkered plane, nothing will matter. The players will cease to move, forced to end the game by the lack of time. This mechanism in nature acts as a failsafe if either individual is unable to conclude the game. In other words, there are only two outcomes: winning the game by will or letting time take that will away from you.  

However, what is not noticed is the growing ache in the winner’s chest, disappointment beginning to fester inside of them because of their loss in deciding. In that split realization, the winner is placed on an equal plane as the loser, wondering if they ever really won at all.  

This middle plane is beautiful and tragic simultaneously—maybe the beauty is in the tragedy. But as my palm leaves a bloodied handprint pressed against Spencer’s chest, all I can see is the world around me turning red.  

Please be okay, please be okay for me

My mouth would silently mutter in tandem with his desperate and reaching touches, a mantra I convinced myself could surpass time, all while knowing my will was seized from me the moment Spencer uttered the words imprinted at my hip.  

-

October 27th

2 days before  

Water vapor collected around the coffee mug pressed to my lips. Although it’s ironic to call it a ‘coffee’ mug considering it was filled to the brim with scalding tea. The tips of my fingers and the skin of my palms tingled at the heat given off. My thoughts drifted to the explanation of the first law of thermodynamics that Spencer had kindly explained during the walk home from the night before.

  An unconscious smile brushed over my lips briefly, reminiscing the blissful moments of the team gathered around a bar table after finishing up a briefing about a local case. A warm cloud of content passed through my chest while a lightness traveled from the bottoms of my feet to the summit of my forehead. The herbal tea traveling down my esophagus countered the cold nipping of the autumn air, bringing a welcome equilibrium to my wellbeing.  

I shrugged the knitted blanket over my shoulders further, staring into the calming view that the apartment window provided. Across from the building was a small, abandoned park. Most of the neighbors had steered clear of the area as it didn’t meet anyone’s aesthetic standards—well, except for mine. 

 Half of the trees have lost their leaves, counting down the days to winter. The park benches were covered with tangled vines, even some lacking required wood boards. In summary, the place was an overgrown jungle that no one was willing to inhabit. In result, the once communal area was condemned by the normal folk for being ‘too dead.’ However, I would oppose those who claim the lack of life in the park considering life is not only just living, but it is to invite death.  

In my observation of the park, a soft reflection suddenly appeared beside the yellow oak trees. In my peripheral, I can see my roommate creeping up behind me with his limbs moving catlike. I bit my bottom lip to conceal the amused huff threatening to escape me, instead settling to blowing over the steam rising from my cup.  

Just before I saw his head bobble over my shoulder, arms stretched out above me, I whipped around his lanky figure and ducked under his arm. “You know for an agent; I expected a better performance.” An inaudible yelp interrupted the fit of giggles I was in as some of the tea spilled onto my blanket. “Now look what you’ve done! Do you know how hard it is to get dark liquids off cotton?”  

“Just some hydrogen peroxide will do the trick,” Spencer shrugged, insisting to pull off the semi-damp blanket off my shoulders. “Plus, you messed up my bit!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot I was living with a five-year-old,” I teased, nudging him.

  Spencer craned his neck to the side, letting the sore tendons and muscles stretch out from just waking up. All without forgetting to let out an obnoxious yawn in addition to his exaggeratedly extended arms. “I’ll have you know that this five-year-old has three PhDs and three bachelors,” he boasted.  

“...and daddy issues.”  

Before I can find a way to defend myself, the same blanket that brought me solace previously was transformed into an unmerciful whip. Spencer chased me around the couch until I slipped and toppled over the cushions, landing on the throw pillows. I buried my head into the leather arm, shutting my eyes, while I replicated the nature of Spencer’s antics by emitting ridiculous snores. 

 “You can’t touch me while I’m sleeping,” I murmured, feigning my slow lull to slumber. “It’s socially unacceptable.” During my spiel, Spencer had playfully grabbed my ankles and dragged me to a sitting position.  

“SPENCER!” I gasped, clutching one of the pillows in hand and smacking him over the head with it. “You do not handle people like that! No wonder why you also have momm-”  

Spencer’s palm gently nudged me back onto the couch mid-sentence, leaving my frame to hit the cushions with a loud thud. A boom of laughter filled the empty space of my chest, my breath thinning as dopamine jumped from my brain’s synapses. An enchanted smile caressed the corners of my mouth mirroring the one Spencer was sporting.  

In these insignificant interactions, I would think back to the times where our comfortability was limited and reveled on how much our friendship grew over the years. There was a sense of solace that overwhelmed me knowing that introducing—and working on his—humor brought an auspicious light to the darkness that often clouded his mind.  

My lungs deflated with a hefty exhale, my arm slinging across my eyes in relaxation. Clamored feet and the rug shifting against the wood floor caught my attention. Freeing my line of vision, I was met with a raggedy-haired genius with barely a foot between us. I reached out to comb through his locks, the webbing of my hands catching the tangled curls. “You need to shower greasehead.”  

“Actually, the buildup of sebum and laloin in the gland of the hair follicles—coined as the sebaceous gland—offers moisture and protection, given that it is regulated upon its natural equilibrium.” Spencer leaned into the soft touch of my fingers, like how a kitten purrs against their owner’s affection.  

“Well, I don’t know about you almost-birthday-boy, but I don’t think you want to go into the next chapter of your life smelling like you just changed out of your first diaper.” I pushed myself up the couch, gesturing Spencer to the hallway bathroom. “This is the big 31!”  

“Y/N, we had a party for my 30th. I think I’m good to last for the decade,” he huffed, walking towards his bedroom to grab a change of clothes.  

“That’s not the spirit, Dr. Reid!” I yelled across the room. “I swear Spence, you’re the only person who’d turn down a party... And, you even turned down Rossi’s invitation to go all out in his backyard.”

“Another year to celebrate the ever-closing gap between my time on earth and my imminent demise—oh, and how can I forget celebrating it in an open space full of ticks and pollen,” Spencer sarcastically jested, his voice bouncing off the thin white walls.  

“At least you’d know your soulmate, right? Then I wouldn’t be the only one to deal with your ‘Debby Downer’ ass,” I added on, rolling my eyes at his usual pessimistic rulings.  

“I would prefer nihilistic, but if that vernacular serves you then to each their own.”

“Hey, maybe after you die, I and your soulmate can mourn over you—bond and all that—and then I can steal them away,” I teased.  

I looked to the lightning bolts etched into the crevices of my thighs, my fingertips tracing each design until it fell onto the carved words at my hip. In a way, the stretch marks made beautiful vines attached to the faded letters, covering the obvious red scratch marks that had resurfaced from my bad habits.  

I kissed my fingertips before planting them back onto the markings, chuckling to myself of the intimate gesture. Unconsciously, I began to rub at the tattooed words once again, hating how their protrusion made my skin crawl.  

“I mean I’m dead, what can I really do?” Spencer called out, stopping in his tracks when he reached the bathroom door. He faced me as he spoke, going on about his birthday celebration tomorrow—half of his speech unheard to me—until he requested my immediate attention. “You have to stop picking at the words, Y/N. You’re going to end up hurting yourself.”  

“I know, I know,” I sighed, letting my dominant hand fall to my side. A pout fell on my lips at the loss of the small satisfaction scratching granted me. “But the words are just so uncomfortable sometimes. I mean you got lucky with the whole soulmate placement.”  

Spencer brought his free hand to his chest, thumb tracing over the small words typed on the skin. “Yeah, I guess I did get lucky huh.” A soft smile grazed over his lips while his eyes were still trained on the unknowing figure resting against the couch.  

“What does your marking read aga-”  

“Spence, what’s it say on your che-”  

I groaned in playful disbelief at the coincidental timing. “You know at this point I’m starting to think we’re telepathic, Spencer.”  

“That’s actually what my tattoo is,” he laughed. “It’s my name.”  

“Oh yeah,” I nodded, remembering the first time we brought it up in the early days of meeting one another. “Must’ve saved a lot of name tags in elementary school” I teased.  

Spencer shook his head, shuffling into the bathroom with a lightness in his steps. With the closing of the door, my gaze fell onto the marking once again. 

 Regardless of the mechanics of soulmates, I was never worried about the possibility of not meeting them. I was already at my happiest knowing shared moments like these were good enough. However, unbeknownst to my ideal wishes, an irking desire still lingered in the back of my head while fingers hovered over the imperfect skin.  

October 28th

1 day before

“Kid, you can’t sit there and tell me that finding your soulmate can be ‘scientifically extrapolated.’ That’s not the point,” Morgan amusingly shook his head at Spencer, ruffling the top of his head as he brushed past him.  

“Okay,” Spencer tutted, “tell me. What ‘is’ the point then?”

“Well, all I’m saying is that finding your soulmate—if you have one—is supposed to come supernaturally.”

“Morgan, did you just try to win over boy genius here by talking about the supernatural?” With a tilted smirk, I nursed the half-filled flute between my fingertips. My gaze flickered over to a pleased brainiac sharing the same mischievous glint found in my eyes. I let my head fall back against the couch cushions, my eyes fluttering close to the sound of grown children bickering. 

 “Alright,” Morgan raised his hands up in defense. “All I was pointing out was that things like these can’t be solved by numbers and science.”  

“The same can be said about Newtonian physics, but look where we a-”  

Morgan flung a ball of crinkled wrapping paper Spencer’s way, aiming for his head. Spencer attempted to dodge the projectile—emphasis on attempted—only to have it hit him square in the face.  

“So much for those Newtonian physics, huh?” I teased while getting up to open another bottle of champagne. Spencer slouched in his chair, the paper cone hat on his head shifting to the side. A grimace replaced the smirk he initially wore, muttering about how he was going to get Morgan back.  

“Y/N! Bring that bottle over here when you’re done.” Morgan called out as I walked into the kitchen, pausing the ongoing discussion of the case we planned to tackle. “Also, bring another juice box for Reid here!”  

A chorus of laughter followed my ears which each step, a grin finding the corners of my lips. I rose to the tips of my toes to reach for the unopened bottle in the alcohol cabinet. I made my way to the freezer, taking out the bucket of ice I stored away hours ago. When closing the appliance door, my eyes landed on a picture magnetized to the surface.  

It was a physical reminder of the time that Spencer convinced me to dress up as Amy Pond, the eleventh doctor’s sidekick, for comic con. He too was dressed up in the doctor’s attire: a brown corduroy suit, a bowtie, and a sonic screwdriver. We both had silly grins planted on our faces, it seemed like nothing could tear down the joyous bubble we were in. Upon reflecting on the memory, the kitchen door swung open revealing a merry Spencer.  

“Hey, I was supposed to be getting you that juice box,” I joked.  

Spencer shook his head, pushing past me to get to the cupboard. “Very funny,” he droned, sarcasm dripping off his words. I leaned against the counter, setting the bucket of ice to the side. I analyzed his movements, noticing how often he fidgeted with his fingers or how his legs would clumsily turn inward at times.  

“You know,” he paused, turning around to face me, “In some countries ruled by military dictatorship, staring could be deemed as a call for execution.”  

I crossed my arms, challenging him. “Well last time I checked; we aren’t in any of those countries. Is that right, Dr. Reid?”  

“Unfortunately,” he chuckled. “Did you need anything?”  

“No, why do you ask?”  

“Well, by the way you were checking me out, I would think you needed something.” He sauntered over to the opposite counter across the kitchen, hoisting himself up on the granite. I watched as the casual smirk fell off his face after failing his initial attempt to sit. The second attempt proved to be better, although that didn’t stop me from rolling my eyes at his impotence.  

“You know,” I repeated his words, grabbing the champagne and ice bucket as I began to stroll out of the room. “I’m really starting to think you have a better chance at ‘extrapolating’ your soulmate rather than finding them.”  

“Wait!”  

I whipped around to face him with furrowed eyebrows. I nodded for him to continue, watching as a sly expression reappeared on his face. “You forgot my juice.”  

I sighed, setting the items back down on the counter before reaching for the fridge. “You are a grown man, Spence,” I gesticulated at the boy. I grabbed Spencer’s favorite sparkling water and left it aside. “You couldn’t get your own?” I raised my eyebrows at him, ducking out of the refrigerator door.  

He crossed his legs, still propped up on the counter. “Well, you did call me a five-year-old and it is my birthday,” he argued, shrugging his shoulders tauntingly.  

“I said that the other day, and considering it’s your birthday, that would mean you’d be old enough to conduct yourself,” I countered.  

“Actually, it’s grammatically inappropriate to say, ‘the other day’ when the event in question occurred yesterday,” he began to ramble. With an unimpressed nod, I began to slowly back away from the scene until I was abruptly stopped once again.  

“Wait!”  

“What!”

“You forgot to put it in a cup,” he meekly suggested, his face evident of mischief.  

“You’re clearly enjoying this aren’t you?” I groaned, shuffling towards where he was. “I’ll give you something to enjoy...” I whispered to myself.  

With a plan set in motion, I sauntered over to where Spencer sat. Once I was in front of him, I made sure to give no indication that I was moving beside him. Instead, I leaned forward, letting our chests press together as I reached up for a mug. I would be lying if I denied the faint blush warming up the apples of my cheeks or the tightness of my throat from this proximity. In a nervous hash, I could’ve sworn hearing Spencer’s breath hitch as my chin brushed against his neck.  

Feigning a confident disposition, I dropped back to the heels of my feet, finding myself to be inches away from the enamored and naive genius. “You need this?” I murmured, trying to maintain a collected tone of voice. However, Spencer did make it difficult with the intensity of his penetrating gaze or the way his breath fanned over my sensitive skin.  

For a lasting moment, I began to dissect the small specks of hazel hues in his eyes and how a dark pool of brown surrounded his irises. The tip of his nose was flushed in crimson and his mouth hung in what seemed like anticipation and hesitation battling it out. “Uh, yeah... thank you.” His Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped, linking his fingers with mine to take the mug.  

Without breaking eye contact, he set the mug aside and away from view. I opened my mouth to say something, but I soon discovered a dessert residing in the back of my throat. Slowly my composure unraveled, leaving me and Spencer in a purgatory of uncertainty and elation. I heard my heart thump against the walls of my ribcage as my eyes traveled to the parting of his lips, his tongue ever so often swiping against the skin.  

I shook my head out of the trance we were in, popping the hypnotic bubble forming around us. With a trepidatious smile, I gestured to the living room, suggesting going back out there. “Do you want to...” I tied my hands behind my back, stepping away from him slowly. He nodded in response; his mouth tightly pressed into an awkward line.  

With less than obvious movements, we both tiptoed our way back to the liveliness of the other room, soon forgetting about the juice and cup all together.  

-

“Bye guys, thank you for coming! See you tomorrow.” I politely bid everyone a farewell, sending them safe wishes home as they excited through the front door. “Pen, are you coming with us tomorrow?” I received a tipsy nod and a few stumbling feet, but nonetheless confirmation for the case. Spencer was to the left of me doing the same, enduring some last-minute birthday teasing from Morgan before he made his exit.  

With the slow creaking of the door, I leaned against the wood, letting my legs slowly slip down the floor until I was sitting. I tilted my head up, staring at an exhausted Spencer before making grabby hands at him. He snorted at the childlike request, aggressively pulling at my wrists until I landed into his chest.  

“Alright birthday boy, just because you’re older doesn't mean you can get all strong on me,” I warned, nuzzling my heavy head onto his shoulder. A pleasant silence surrounded us, our bodies maintaining an equal balance as we leaned onto each other. On another note, it reminded me of Newton’s principle of force that Spencer explained to me a few months back. How Newton’s cradle, a simple office trinket, exemplified conservation of momentum and energy. In this fragment of space, it felt like that with Spencer—it always felt like that: a comfortable momentum.  

“Hey Spence?”  

The quiet continued to spread throughout the atmosphere.

“Spencer?” I pressed my chin against his chest, feeling his arms find their way to my lower back. He hummed in response, his eyelids resting at a closed position. “I’m sorry about that thing in the kitchen... I was just messing around.”

  He took a while to react before sighing and pressing a tired kiss to the side of my head; with that, I knew things were okay. “Oh! I didn’t give you your present yet.”  

I melted away from his arms, scurrying off to the couch. In an exaggerated reveal, I pulled a small parcel from beneath the cushions, glee filling my eyes as I watched the bow on top spring out. I extended my arms towards Spencer, eager to have him open it.  

He walked tentatively towards me, taking purposefully leisurely strides. At one point he began to act like he was in a slow-motion sequence, causing me to threaten the integrity of his present. With raised hands, he sat next to me on the couch and gently pried the gift from my hands. “What did you get me this time? Let me guess. From the size and shape of his package here,” he turned the box around in his hands, shaking it up, “and the sound to force ratio-”  

“Just open the damn thing, Spence.”

He smiled at my usual impatience, letting his fingers glide against the edge of the parcel. Finally, with gentle hands, he picked apart the wrapping paper, careful not to rip the heart sticker that held the presentation together. He gathered the bow in his palm, and gently pressed the sticky side of the accessory to my cheek.  

I cringed at the feeling, but that soon dissipated hearing the mollified chuckle escape Spencer’s mouth. With a determined huff, Spencer pulled the last pieces of wrapping paper from the box and was left with a frayed book in his palm.  

“The Parliment of Foweles...” he whispered; an unreadable expression crossed his features.  

I curled into my own body, anticipating some form of reaction. “I... I remember you told me the first time we really sat down and got to know each other that your mom used to read that to you when you were younger.” I picked at the stitches on the couch, a lump forming in my esophagus as my tongue swelled. “It’s first edition...” I smiled, insecurity beginning to conquer my excitement from before.  

“Sorry, if you don’t like it... I was just-”  

A pair of arms pulled me into a secure embrace while a tender hand came around to cup the back of my head. An inaudible expression of gratitude was lost in between babbles of endearment and soft caresses. Spencer pulled away with pools of adoration, he clutched the book in hand as he pulled me under his arm. He ran his thumb along the deckles that adorned the sides of the pages, his palm tenderly feeling the roughness of the old woven spine.

To open the book, he singled out a random page and lightly flicked a few pages to the side before I halted his movements completely. “Wait!” I requested. “I want you to read it after the case so we can do it together,” I sheepishly tucked a hair behind his ear, hiding the careful blush on my cheeks. “If that’s okay with you.”  

“Yeah...that’s fine with me,” he breathed, his eyes locked onto the soft curves of my face. I pulled my hand away, tugging my sleeve further down my arm. “Oh! That reminds me.” Spencer places the book behind him and headed over the coat rack next to the front door. Sliding his hands through various pockets, he finally pulled a small box from one of the compartments.  

He tentatively approached me, turning the object in hand. “I know it’s my birthday, but... I wanted to do something because you’ve made everything better in these past years,” he confessed, fidgeting as he came closer. “Being with my mother always felt like home, and I just... you became that for me, so thank you.”  

My fingers reached over to his open palm, approaching the velvet box as if it was fragile. I glazed over its general shape, turning it a few times between my hands. “Spencer...I don’t even know what to say.”  

“Well, you can start by opening it,” he smiled.  

I shook my head, gently prying the box open. Inside laid a beautiful heart-shaped necklace with words etched into the metal. Once I read the words, a heavy breath escaped my lungs, and my shoulders lost all tension. “Spencer...”

  “I thought that it would be easier to have the words of your soulmate above your heart rather than you tracing over your hip,” he professed. “I also know that even if you deny not having any connection to this soulmate thing, it often brings you comfort when needed.”  

My attention went to him the second he uttered those words. “How did you know,” I mumbled with an enamored chuckle.  

“Well, whenever we’re in the field, I could tell the times you get nervous or need reassurance by the way you subtly touch your hip.”  

“I thought staring was punishable by death,” I joked, referring to his argument earlier today.  

He brushed it off with a wide smile, combing his hands through his hair. “I know we have a hefty case tomorrow based on what Penelope showed us last briefing, so I hoped that this would make you feel better,” he confessed, shrugging his shoulders and leaning back into the arm of the couch.  

“Thank you, Spencer...really,” I wrapped my arms above my head, trying to attach the unlocked chain around my neck. “Can you...?”  

With gracious hands, he lifted the chain from my fingertips and wrapped it around my neck. The skin of his fingers would occasionally brush the back of my neck, sending euphoric chills down my spine. I felt myself squirm under his touch slightly, although it wasn’t enough to be obvious. Lifting my hair to the side with his wrist, he clasped the necklace together, letting the cold metal kiss the skin.  

I turned around, appreciating the trinket in my hands. I shook my head in disbelief, watching as some of the moonlight that seeped through the window reflected off the metal. “Thank you, again, Spencer.” I nodded, bringing him into a meaningful embrace. My head rested in the crook of his neck, an aroma of pine, vanilla, and old books surrounding us. “This really is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever possessed.”  

He scoffed, gently wrapping his hands around the small of my back. “Everything pales in comparison to you.”  

-

October 29th

...

I twirled the metal heart in between my fingers as Hotch’s words failed to reach my ears. I would look up occasionally to see the pictures, but we’ve been dealing with an unsub who showed no mercy to anything morally reprehensible. I sighed, swinging my feet under me as I pretended to be enveloped by the case file in my other hand.  

“Since we’re dealing with a L.D.S.K-”  

“A long-distance serial killer,” Emily intercepted, nodding towards the team.  

“We’ll have SWAT patrol the surrounding rooftops. Emily and I will stay with the defense team here.” Hotch pointed to the house of the unsub’s target. “Morgan, Y/N, and Reid will go through the floors of the apartment building with the strike team—witnesses stated that he was located on the 5th floor, but we have to be ready for anything.”  

I looked over to Morgan with a determined expression. His face hardened at the words and his lips was pressed into a tight line. In my peripheral, I could see the way his veins would constrict against the skin as he clenched his fists.  

This case hit him particularly hard considering we couldn’t save the unsub’s last victim. It was a 4-year-old little girl, and we were misinformed about her possible location. By the time we got to her, she was faced down into a park well with a single bullet hole above her heart. I watched the slow diffusion of her blood, and how the water turned to a murky black. I couldn’t imagine Morgan’s guilt considering he was so sure of himself when reaching a breakthrough with the unsub’s whereabouts. The parents of the child would soon blame Morgan for his ignorance, spewing derogatory slurs in their distress.  

“We’ll get him Hotch,” Morgan assured, “This time, we’ll get him.”  

Spencer noticed the certitude in his voice, sharing a look with me to give extra attention to Morgan out in the field. I smiled at him, warmed at the concern that the genius had over his friend.  

“I’ll be working with local PD to hold a press conference to keep the public on the lookout,” JJ expressed, crossing her arms.

“Since...last time, we figured that unsub finds enjoyment in toying with us or singling us out. So, keep each other in check and make sure to report back in your earpieces every five minutes.” Hotch himself seemed perturbed by the unsub’s earlier actions considering he had his own toddler to deal with. “Penelope has sent the coordinates to everyone. Remember the profile, and don’t leave yourselves vulnerable. We’re dealing with an elusive unsub that won’t stop at nothing to satisfy himself,” Hotch spoke with a quiver in his voice.

  I bit the inside of my cheek and breathed heavily through my mouth. My hands began to drift to my hip but momentarily stopped as I remembered the chain around my neck. I slumped into the chair as Hotch dismissed the team, sending them out for their respective assignments.  

“You, okay?” I whipped around to the sound of JJ’s voice. She leaned against the doorframe with an expression full of concern. Looking behind her, she noticed Spencer noticeably pacing through the bullpen waiting for a specific someone. He attempted to disguise his eagerness by counting tiles on the floor or squares on the ceiling, but to JJ he was easily discernable.  

I let a dry laugh, shaking my head. “After what happened, I’m a bit worried—not about me—but Morgan and Spence.” I swiveled around in the office chair a few times until I landed in front of JJ.  

“You know you fidget the same way as Spence,” she pointed out, grinning at the similarity. I shook off the oncoming warmth that flooded the skin and looked elsewhere. “You’re right to worry about both of them though. But you know how stubborn and determined they are.” As she began to walk out, she left a lingering message that soothed my nerves. “Plus, Spencer may have that IQ of his, but we all know runs things between you all.”  

She wasn’t wrong. I’ve always kept a watchful eye over the both of them—maybe Spencer a little more—but nonetheless, I deeply cared about both of them. It was relieving to know that Spencer’s circle of trust exponentially grew from Morgan to JJ to me. It symbolized the growth that Spencer was mostly oblivious to, but it meant more to me than I can explain, seeing how he opened himself up to happier possibilities.  

A sharp exhale left my lungs while my lips formed into a sly smirk. Without another minute to wait, I left the round table behind JJ, leaving Spencer to stop dawdling. “You ready genius?” I walked out into the hall, not sparing a glance at the figure trailing behind me.

“With you? Always.”  

-

“Nothing here,” a voice confirmed in my earpiece. My gun hung low in my hands while I tiptoed through the floor of the apartment building. “You know Y/N, if I knew that the unsub was going to the pick a building in the area we resided in, maybe I would’ve considered having the party at Rossi’s instead,” Spencer joked.  

I bit the smile growing on my lips, focusing on the assignment on hand.  

“Maybe after the case, instead of reading that book in our apartment we can go over to that small library/cafe we’ve been meaning to go to,” he continued to drone, forgetting about the connection of everyone’s channels.  

“Reid, if all you’re gonna do is flirt with Y/N, leave the damn channel,” Morgan warned. Hearing the worry in his tone, Spencer straightened up, coughing to cover up his soft apology. Being separated didn’t help the irrational thoughts that built up in the back of my conscience; I can’t even comprehend what’s probably going through Morgan’s head.  

“You good?” I mumbled into the com; my eyes straightforward while I advanced towards the hall. Morgan didn’t respond, an inaudible huff coming through the speakers.  

“I’m moving up to the top floor. Y/N and Reid, go back down to the basement and see if we missed anything,” Morgan broke the awkward silence with an austerity in his words. The silent hum that came afterwards was worse than earlier. I turned off my earpiece, sensing a conversation about to ensue between the two gentlemen.

The thickness in the atmosphere was similar to the air that surrounded me and Spencer when competing in recreational chess. Whenever I attempted to put his king in check, he would block the move by maneuvering another piece in front of it. This would lead to a game of cat and mouse until I would figure out that the entire time, Spencer had been deluding me into false security while checking my king piece. Ultimately, I would lose to Spencer. However, there were games where I’d outmaneuver him or win by dumb luck.  

I’d like to think that I developed some sort of intuition for his behavior from playing against him, but he’s deemed unpredictable every game. He was always sharp, eight steps ahead and aware of all possibilities. I guess that’s what make him an effective profiler, always thinking in the future.

I ran down the stairs, still armed, when Penelope’s voice ran through the earpiece. “Updates! Updates people.” The joy in her voice always relived me of the gloom that usually surrounded me in the field; hopefully she has the same effect on Morgan.  

“Hey, Pen.” An invisible grin was evident in my words, knowing she’d pick up on it.  

“Hello, my love, seems like at least one person is happy to see me,” she verbally jabbed at the lack of response from Spence and Morgan.  

Still no response.  

“Sorry, they’re working out their marriage at the moment,” I teased, hoping for the usual distasteful comment I usually get from Morgan.  

Still nothing.  

An unnerving feeling crept up the back of my neck. “Penelope, can you check if their coms are still workin—shit.” Before I could finish, a long buzz of static came through the speakers. The only comprehensible words that were picked up was the beginning of my name before cutting off.  

I bit my lip, pulling out the small piece of technology and tapping it a few times. “Come on... dammit.” After playing around with the earpiece, I grew frustrated with it and stuffed it into my pocket.  

I paced in the small landing between the stairs, thinking of a new gameplan. I ran my fingers through the ends of my hair, feeling the split ends prick at the skin. I felt a mountain growing in at the bottom of my stomach, leaving my esophagus constricted without air. “What would Spencer do,” I mumbled to myself, gripping onto my necklace.  

“Spencer...Spencer...”  

Before I could finish the mantra, a shot rang out from above me, and the crashing off glass followed. In the split moment, my legs grew a mind of its own and sprinted to higher ground. Suddenly, the sweat perspiring off me turned cold, and my heartbeat slammed itself into my spinal cord as I ran. My feet forgot its exhaustion while my mind devoured every irrational thought, and combined it with adrenaline.  

The single thing that drove me over my limits was knowing that the person who fabricated and would shoo away these thoughts was somewhere I didn’t know I could get to in time.  

-

Spencer’s POV

I tiptoed into a vacant suite of the building, still antsy about the scolding I received from Morgan. The conversation after didn’t help considering it was all a reminder to be aware and focused on the task at hand. I knew Morgan was filled with the need for redemption despite the team forgiving him of his ignorance. So, I shook off the creeping feeling and abided by his instructions.  

Deciding to update Y/N and Morgan about my whereabouts, I spoke into the coms only to have static come out of it. I tried once again but failed to reach anyone. The room around me shrank as a sharp exhale left my lungs. I swallowed the buildup of saliva in the back of my throat, feeling uneasy about not knowing what’s to come.  

Seeing at the area was clear, I looked out of one of the windows. Initially I cringed at the accumulated dirt and grime in the glass panes, but that all dissipated when I spotted the quaint park that Y/N loved. No one else had any interest in the community lot, seeing as people would coin it—or what Y/N would tell me—the park of death. But to her, she saw the opposite as she always does.  

The light feeling of reminiscing my interactions with Y/N soothed the disconcerting atmosphere, keeping me grounded. Although the sentiment ended as soon as it started when I spotted one of the apartment walls was spray-painted with black letters.  

Zugzwang

A blaring shot rang out and glass shattered into the room. I ducked into the floor, shutting my eyes. My head spun as the boom impaired my hearing. The window was forcibly open, the shards resting beside me. Left disoriented, I groaned, only feeling the after wave of vibrations on the ground. However, I soon found out that the quake of the floor wasn’t from the initial shot, but the rapid clobbering of feet inching closer to the suite and a shadowy figure preceding it.  

Y/N emerged from the doorframe, panting. Eyes were laced in fear while they bore into my own. My stomach twisted into knots from previous events while I contemplated what had occurred. The presence of Y/N wasn’t even strong enough to relinquish the egging feeling crawling in my skin. I anticipated Morgan to appear, considering he was closer to the scene.

Where was he?

Another thing I didn’t anticipate, a second shot.  

“Spencer?”  

-

January 3rd

Three months after

My thoughts antagonized one another while I stared out into the world from the eerily quiet apartment. The living room was cold and empty despite the array of furniture scattered about and the broken picture frames lining the walls. The vapor rising from the cup of tea drifted into the air, vanishing into nonexistence. It’s funny how that could happen in a matter of milliseconds.  

The pain the lived inside the chambers of my heart was no match for the burning of skin I felt when holding onto the steaming cup. The only worthy adversary would be the rush of self-resentment that coursed through me when picking up the book. I deserved it though. I deserved the spikes through my stomach while my fingers trailed the deckled pages, reminding me of the first time I held the book, its previous owner present with me.

I would remember our time together.  

I would remember the promise shared between us.  

I would remember the bloodied handprint pressed against my chest.

Now all I had was the physical manifestation of what’s left: the necklace. As cruel as it was for me, I kept it in the book, using it as a bookmark while I lost myself into poems. After a while, the inked words lost their meaning to me, becoming an empty cacophony that encased the jewelry.

Every time I grasped the chain in my clutches, a numbed ache would make itself known at the pit of my stomach. It clawed at my intestines and made the entirety of my body system obsolete. With that, I was abandoned with the sinister hauntings of my own mind—a part of me that I was once praised for. 

 A genius. A prodigy. Hidden behind the real mess of a guilty man.  

I ignored the smashed chess board and pieces that laid still at my feet, concentrating on the snowflakes that littered the park across from the building. The grounds looked beautiful, covered in layers of pure white. I sipped at the tea once more letting my mind deteriorate with a sophisticated nonchalance. 

 What a tragedy it was to know my soulmate, especially right under the tip of my nose. What a cruel joke life had played.  

I wished I had more time.  

It was easier to let the guilt consume me rather than pondering on what I lost—who I lost. Had I lost myself too? Maybe, it didn’t matter. In some masochistic way, I enjoyed the guilt because it was a way to remember that at one point someone made for me existed. I used it to relive the moments I could never get back.  

All that remained was an empty shell of a man, staring out into a dull world, wondering how time took everything away from him.  

-

taglist: @rexorangecouny @howdycharlie @honeymilk-4 @linthebinbag @andreasworlsboring101 @ssareidbby @kyleetheeditor @fanofalltheficsx​ @jimilogy @lulwaxim @jhillio @m3ssytrash @haylaansmi @meowiemari @ashwarren32 @codyf3rnsupremecy @goldentournesol​ 

[yukeri]

Lovemonth Updates! YURI&Co. released a statement earlier today amid growing controversy related to their group, Lovemonth. They begin by thanking fans for sticking with the group for this long and apologizing for being so silent before announcing Lovemonth is having a comeback at the end of this month! It has been eight months since their last comeback, which was their single album MOON released in October 2021. The statement also addressed the heavily speculated absence of Rudy: she is indeed on hiatus due to showing symptoms of anxiety and depression. As she is still convalescing, Lovemonth will be promoting as a 5-member group. We hope Rudy is doing well and focusing on healing! You can find YURI&Co.'s statement in full below:

EDIT: A mysterious teaser for Lovemonth's comeback has been uploaded to their official Instagram and Twitter. The comeback date is indeed June 30th, 2022, but the concept is still hard to tell.

[letsgogatsebenguys]

✨Got7 Members’ Projects 2022✨

Hiiii!

This list will be updated as more news about the boys’ projects come out ^^ 💚

January

KazzMagazine(magazine) Jay B

TheStar (magazine) Youngjae

Harper’s Bazaar (magazine) Jackson

Fanmeeting in Bangkok, Bambam

Love (EP) preorder starts on the 5th, release date 26th Jay B

MBC FM4U ‘Dream Radio’, Jan 17- Feb 6 Youngjae

Esquire Gentle Gala, Jackson

Stationz89.1 JAYB's R&B🌴, Jay B

16th 💚👀

2022 Welcoming Kit, Youngjae

“王嘉尔 JACKSON WANG” song, Jackson 11th

2nd mini album, B. Bambam 18th

“My life”, song, Mark 21st

February

Food Truck Battle SS2 (variety show) Mark (APPEARANCE CANCELED)

Cosmopolitan (magazine), Jackson

MBC FM4U ‘Dream Radio’, Jan 17- Feb 6 Youngjae

“Easier” song collaboration, Amber Liu ft Jackson Wang, Feb 25th

March

LOST & FOUND english album, Jackson, 7th

‘Melting’ A business proposal OST, Bambam, 9th

“HELLO 2.0 LEGENDS ONLY” James Reid x Jay B x ØZI, 11th

THE ORIGIN -A,B Or What? Show, Jay B (judge)

The Glass magazine, Mark, 21st

“Midnight Horror Story”, appearance Jay B, 24th

‘Lonely’ song, Mark, 24th

“GOT7 Youngjae’s Best Friend” radio show, Youngjae, 28th.

‘Take You Down’ DS, Yugyeom, 31st

‘Blow’ MAGICMAN, Jackson, 31st

April

Save Me, song, Mark 7th

Yaksha (movie) Jinyoung, 8th.

Men’s Folio Malaysia (magazine), Jackson

NBA half time performance, Bambam 7th ❤️‍🔥

“GOT7 Youngjae’s Best Friend” radio show, Youngjae, throughout all the month.

May

Men’s Health, magazine, Bambam

Yugyeom Meets Germany tour, May 5th Berlin

Yugyeom Meets Germany tour, May 7th Munich

Yugyeom Meets Germany tour, May 8th Oberhausen

Point Of View: U, vinyl edition, 18th, Yugyeom.

“Homecoming” Got7 Fancon 21st, 22nd

GOT7 COMEBACK 💚 23rd

GOT7 Youngjae Best Friend radio, Got7, 23rd

Marie Claire (magazine) Jinyoung

“Pull-up” fanmeeting in Thailand, Mark, 28th-29th

June

Men’s Folio (magazine) june/ july, Youngjae

Yumi’s cells Season 2 (kdrama) Jinyoung, 10th

“Nostalgic” ON • OFFLINE Fancon,JayB 18th

Sugar, 2nd mini album, Youngjae, 21st.

“GOT7 Youngjae’s Best Friend” radio show, Youngjae, throughout all the month.

Shining on your night, Yumi’s Cells 2 OST, Jinyoung, 24th.

July

‘Born to be Alive’ Minions: The rise of Gru soundtrack, Jackson, 1st

‘imysm’, song, Mark, 1st.

MAPS (magazine) Mark

‘Rocking chair’ song, JayB, 14th. moved to august

“GOT7 Youngjae’s Best Friend” radio show, Youngjae 1st- 16th.

Sugar, concert/ fanmeeting in Bangkok, Youngjae, 16th

Mark Tuan App, 20th

Team Wang Design“Mudance” launching party, 20th

Esquire Singapore (magazine), Mark, July/August issue.

Arena Homme Plus (magazine) Jinyoung

Sounderry Festa 22, Yugyeom, 24th

‘BRB’, H1GHR MUSIC compilation, JayB, 27th

‘Cruel’ song, Jackson, 28th

August

VOGUE Thailand (magazine), Mark, 1st

“GOT7 Youngjae’s Best Friend” radio show, Youngjae

SUGAR in Bangkok (concert, fansign), Youngjae, 6th-7th

‘IRREPLACEABLE’ song F.Hero x Youngjae feat the toys, 18th

Yugyeom Live in Manila, concert, 19th

Clash Magazine, Jackson

Head In The Clouds, music and arts festival, Jackson, 20th & 21st.

Awesome Music Festival, JayB, 21st

K-Producer Battle LISTEN UP, episode 3 with guest performer JayB, 22nd

‘Rocking chair’ song, JayB, 23rd

‘Closer’, Good Job OST, JayB and Youngjae, 24th

‘the other side’, album, Mark, 26th

“far away” mv, Mark 26th

Dazed Korea (magazine), Jinyoung.

Singles Korea (magazine), Jackson

ELLE Thailand (magazine ) Jackson

Billboard China (magazine) Jackson

Yugyeom in Bangkok, concert, 27th and 28th

September

MAGICMAN, full album, Jackson, 9th

Hyperound K-fest Abu Dhabi, JayB, 10th

Vogue Thailand (magazine), Jackson

Vogue Korea (magazine), JayB

“Be Yourself” 2nd EP JayB, 21st

Milan Fashion Week, Onitsuka Tiger SS23, Yugyeom, 20th

Lonely (rock version), Mark Tuan, 30th

October

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Manila Philippines, 1st.

The Other Side (tour) North America, Mark 3rd, San Antonio TX.

The Other Side (tour) North America , Mark 4th, Houston TX

The Other Side (tour) North America , Mark 6th Dallas TX

Daejeon O’clock Music Festival, JayB, 7th

The Other Side (tour) North America, Mark 8th, Atlanta GA.

Dazed (magazine), JayB

Vogue (magazine) Singapore “Rebirth”, Jackson, out from the 12th

The Other Side (tour) North America, Mark, 13th, Philadelphia, PA.

The premiere Kpop Music experience, Bambam, 15th-16th *APPEARANCE CANCELLED*

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Bangkok Thailand, 14th-16th

2nd Ep “Abandoned Love” Def 17th

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Jakarta Indonesia, 22nd.

November

Maps (magazine), JayB

L’Officiel Philippines (magazine), Jay B

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Tokyo Japan, 2nd.

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Mexico City Mexico, 23rd.

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Monterrey Mexico, 24th.

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Sao Paulo Brazil, 26th

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Santiago Chile, 28th

December

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Taipei Taiwan, 3rd.

L’Officiel Hommes Thailand (magazine), Mark

Christmas Carol (movie) Jinyoung, 7th

Marie Claire Korea (magazine) Jay B

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), London UK, 14th

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Paris France, 15th.

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Frankfurt Germany, 17th.

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Munich Germany, 19th.

Jay B Tape: Press Pause (tour), Amsterdam Netherlands, 20th

TBA

Hi5 (movie) Jinyoung

[crvmsdecorum]

“If there is no pizza then I’m not going.” 

( zoey deutch, 24 , female, she/her,  ) Did anyone else just see ALESSIA FAUST ? I hear for the FAUST family they can be a bit IMPULSIVE & CRUEL. But I also heard they can be LOYAL & ADVENTUROUS. If you dare, I hear they frequent OLLIE’S in their spare time when they aren’t being a SOLDIER / BOUNCER AT EDEN’S. Tread carefully or else you might be next on their list !

trigger warnings;; mentions of abortion, suicide. 

T h e B a s i c s

Full Name: Alessia Vivienne Faust Nickname(s): Alice, Wild Child, Spitfire, Brat.  Preferred Name(s): None.  Age: 24 Birthday: October 30th Birth Place: Paris, France Current Residence: Chicago, Illinois Zodiac: Scorpio  Nationality: Italian Ethnicity: French, Italian Occupation: Soldier / Bouncer at Eden’s Tattoos: Has the family tattoo on her right upper shoulder and added various flowers around it, a tattoo around her neck, tattoo on her upper right thigh, collarbone tattoo in Italian,  Piercings: Triple earlobe piercings (both ears) w/ one cartilage piercing, industrial piercing on right ear. 

P e r s o n a l

Status: Single as a fucking pringle.  Positive Traits: Protective, Friendly, Selfless, Blunt.  Negative Traits: Reckless, Impulsive, Sarcastic, Grumpy.  Sexual Orientation: Straight

F a m i l y

Father: Matthew Faust (deceased) Mother: Lucille LeRoux (deceased) Siblings: Oliver, Lucian, Darcy, Effie, Hana, Cassidy, Andrew, Caleb. Others: Blair. 

P l a y l i s t

do it like a dude by jessie j • no glory by skan (ft. mime & drama b) • fight back by neffex • what’s up danger by black caviar (ft. blackway) • rumors by neffex • don’t call me angel ariana grande (ft. miley cyrus & lana del rey) • now you by gjan 

B a c k g r o u n d

Meet Alessia Vivienne Faust ; Her name literally means Defender of Life. She is currently 24 years old and a bouncer at Eden’s. 

She was born on October 30 and is the result of a rather short affair between Matthew Faust and infamous French ballerina dancer Lucille LeRoux. 

Regardless of how short it was their actions resulted in Alessia. When Lucille first learned of her pregnancy she was beyond frightened and more overly worried of what it would do to her career. 

She instantly thought about aborting the baby and on the day of the operation Lucille was confronted by Matthew himself. Feeling ambushed by his appearance the woman came clean in telling the Italian her unborn child is his. Outraged by her actions he kept a calm look and simply made a deal with Lucille: carry the child to full term and then hand the baby over to him. All expenses will be paid for the woman’s troubles plus more. Without a second thought to it the ballerina accepted this. 

The entire pregnancy was long to Lucille and came quick to growing tired of it, especially watching the other dancers from the sidelines, but she stayed throughout the pregnancy for the money. It was a lot and Lucille couldn’t pass it up. 

Soon enough the time came and Lucille gave birth and no one was by her side (Matthew was on a plane). At first she refused to look at her daughter and just allowed her newborn to be laid in her crib. The French finally gazed upon her daughter when the newborn couldn’t stop crying and no nurse was coming to her aide to sooth the infant – and you know what? Lucille fell in love. 

When Matthew arrived to the hospital to take what was rightfully his the Italian came to see the hospital room empty. No Lucille, no newborn daughter. This was the result of how Lucille ended up with a hit on her from the Italian mafia. 

She used the money he had given her prior to the birth and ran away. Lucille created a new identity for herself and moved to London. There she thrived as an artist who resided in a old fire station. The place was big enough just for her and little Alessia. Plus, the art work they would create together. 

As you all very well know all good things come to an end and Lucille’s actions quickly caught up to her. It was Halloween and Alessia had just turned five years old and was dressed as a ballerina - a nod to her mother’s former profession. She had went trick or treating with her next door neighbor and their kids, the night went off perfectly until Alessia came home. 

The ballerina child found her mother lying in the bathtub filled with water and her wrists slit so deep with a ‘suicide’ note on the sink. It was a nightmare that she forever will remember unlike most of that night. One moment she stood over the corpse and the next Alessia was in the police station an hour later covered in a mixture of water and blood. The next she remembered was a police officer wrapping a blanket around her with exciting news. “We have dialed your father and he is on his way to get you.” is what the office said. Never before had anyone spoke to Alessia about her father other than Lucille and all she would say about him is he was a charismatic business man. 

Little did Alessia know is the officer who informed her of this was on the payroll of the Italian mafia and was the very same man who murdered Lucille, but yet he didn’t act like a cold hearted killer at least not to the child. The last thing Alessia remembered of that night was meeting Matthew Faust for the first time and ditched the ballerina costume. 

Over the next few years Alessia quickly changed or more so showed more of her brute personality Lucille always kept in check. She acted out at school, but mainly against those who were bullies or she deemed they deserved it. 

The bastard daughter doted on her father constantly and loved him even more when she felt a rage against her mother for ending her life early. There was nights where Alessia expressed her thoughts of the anger she felt to Matthew. “Wasn’t I enough?”, “How could she? I - I thought she loved me.” Then the truth came to light of Lucille’s true reaction to learning of her pregnancy and how she wished to end it before Matthew told her a little white lie and said Lucille had a change of heart. He twisted the words around to make Lucille more of the bad guy and it worked like a charm. 

The anger she felt Alessia turned it into drive of what her mother is missing out on from her actions. While she caused a lot of fights in school and protected those who cannot protect themselves, Alessia somehow managed to excel in school and managed to graduate in the top ten percent. 

By the end of the summer Alessia moved to New York and attended private college institute for a business degree. She wanted to be useful to the Italian mafia when needed and what better way then getting this degree? 

Though there was something missing from Alessia’s life -- ADVENTURE. She still attended school, yes, but when not in school she would pull off some of the craziest stunts that involved parkour among many other daring things. All everyone knows is she has scars on her to prove it. 

And after almost four years in school, half way to achieving her Bachelor’s degree Alessia up and left. The need to see the world and for all it’s glory finally caught up to her and she set out to see. Of course she remained loyal to her family and often helped them out while living in Italy for a while. 

With nears stirring in Chicago of what is going on, Alessia decided she can get her fill of action back home and left Italy. 

Personality;; Alessia is an impulsive woman and is always put’s her family before herself. She does have a soft caring side though it is hardly shown to those outside the Italians. Alessia has very powerful protective instincts. She cannot stand to sit back and see people get hurt, always trying to do something to help whenever possible, even if for a complete and total stranger. She is extraordinarily devoted to helping innocent people and protecting the Fausts. Now without being said, Alessia is very sarcastic and a sharp tongue at times. She is always ready for a comeback when someone say something to her in a negative manner of the sorts. 

Wanted Connections;; Former flames, enemies, old school mates, friends, etc. I am honestly down for anything.

[fy-skz]

[TRANS] Stray Kids, Preview 10/9 Comeback...To Reveal Digital Single ‘Double Knot’

Stray Kids previewed their comeback on the upcoming October 9th.

On this 30th at 12AM, Stray Kids uploaded the video ‘Stray Kids “THE FINAL PIECE 2019”’ onto their official SNS channel, which made known the release of their new song and the start of a large project.

They will meet their fandom, STAY, through the release of their digital single ‘Double Knot’ on 10/9, and their first solo concert ‘District 9 : Unlock’ on 11/23 and 11/24.

The veil is still draped upon ‘Astronaut’ on 11/9 and ‘Cle : LEVANTER’ on 11/25, raising curiosity.

Again, objects related to Stray Kids’ ‘Cle’ album series were included in this video, exciting fans.

The key that appeared in the logo of album ‘Cle 1 : MIROH’ and the trailer of ‘Cle 2 : Yellow Wood’ again made an appearance.

New track ‘Double Knot’ will be released at 6PM of October 9th. Source: Sports Seoul Translation: Candace @ FY!SKZ ; take out with full credit

[seungcheolrk]

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2019 !

LAST UPDATE OCTOBER 2019

* CONVEX —

a month full of learning new things — even if some of those ‘new’ things are altered existing things. more tweaks and changes to their choreographies and line distributions ahead of the new comeback. once again, last minute stresses him out. 

dyed his hair silver on the 12th. it’s the first time he’s had a more unusual colour so he’d been really nervous but jihoon seems fascinated with it so it’s more than worth it to seungcheol. 

photographed and filmed all the necessary content for the album and comeback on the 16th and 18th respectively. he’s grateful he’d done a little work on his acting beforehand, even if there wasn’t too much in the ‘boom boom’ music video. it’s all experience and help looking more natural and charismatic off stage! 

start convex’s first end-of-year season with the asia artist awards in vietnam on the 28th. they bring home the groove award with luxe and it feels so good to win something that for a moment, his other worries seem far away.

then, on the 30th, they appear at the melon music awards and bring home the ‘1thek performance award’, once again alongside luxe. they performed at both shows, too, and whilst it’s exciting to be back on stage and getting used to it again, it’s also terrifying how much he has to balance at once. 

his focus in training in november has again been rounding himself out ( ach variety & speed/lte rapping, pts no specific focus ) ★

* RELATIONSHIPS —

still too shy to talk to other idols for more than polite greetings, but at least he’s trying... sort of. 

wishing he’d taken jihoon up on his offer to help him socialise at the halloween party but it’s fine. 

* PERSONAL —

honestly, as before, really overwhelmed by everything. preparing for the comeback, learning tweaks to choreographies they’d already learnt both for that and any end-of-year shows and awards shows. he feels like he barely gets time to breathe this month, let alone give himself chance to re-balance when he needs to. 

definitely not a fan of flying, but that’s unsurprising. 

* OBSESSIONS —

music as you wish by wjsn

score one summer’s day by joe hisaishi ( from spirited away )

misc has been touching his hair a ridiculous amount this month, possibly from stress.

* IMPORTANT DATES —

12th — new hair ; silver isn’t just for pensioners! 

13th — recording session #1 ; boom boom & shining diamond. 

14th — recording session #2 ; chuck & campfire.

15th — recording session #3 ; fast pace, I don’t know & if I. 

16th — camera, lights ; photoshoot for ‘boom boom’. 

18th — movie magic ; music video filming for ‘boom boom’. 

25th — take flight ; travel to vietnam. 

26th — asia artist awards in vietnam ; performing ‘adore u’ & ‘very nice’.

27th — safe landing ; back in seoul. 

30th — melon music awards at gocheok sky dome ; performing ‘very nice’.

[berrysherrypop]

For Those New To EXO!

EXO was originally divided as EXO-K and EXO-M: “K” stood for Korean and “M” for Mandarin. One sub-unit would promote in Korea and the other would promote in China). They debuted as 12 members in 2012 with 6 per sub-unit, but two membersleft in the year 2014 (names: Kris and Luhan) and one left in 2015 (name: Tao). The reasons as to why they left are due to personal issues, health issues, and conflict with their company. A lot of fans left during those years and many people believed that they'd flop after these events. Many didn’t even believe in EXO’s success even before they lost members, that they wouldn’t become so popular. Obviously, the opposite happened.

There are only 9 members now. Ordered from oldest to youngest: Xiumin (3/26/1990), Suho (5/22/1991), Lay (10/7/1991), Baekhyun (5/6/1992), Chen (9/21/1992), Chanyeol (11/27/1992), D.O (1/12/1993), Kai (1/14/1994), Sehun (4/12/1994).

EXO debuted with the concept of being “aliens” with superpowers; coming from Exoplanet, they’re protectors of the tree of life and have come to earth in order to protect the heart of the tree of life and now earth from the red force. Each member has their own power and symbol: Xiumin-Ice, Suho-Water, Lay-Healing, Baekhyun-Light, Chen-Lightning, Chanyeol-Fire, D.O-Force/Earth, Kai-Teleportation, and Sehun-Wind. (They also each have their own number for clothing/jerseys). This superpower concept has remained in each comeback, and they’re one of the only (if not, the) groups to have such a foundation and artistic style based on the same concept for so long.

Despite people’s pessimistic view of the group, EXO was a really hyped up group by their company with a total of 23 teasers starting on December 21, 2011. Each teaser was made to slowly reveal who is who in the band, their concept, and their capabilities as rookies. This was done until March 21, 2012, and during that time two music videos were made prior to debut. Those music videos were not yet their official debut.

Side note: EXO-M only had 4 Chinese members: Kris, Luhan, Lay, and Tao. Xiumin and Chen were also in EXO-M but they are Korean.

Another side note: they still do create Chinese versions of their songs, they also had a Japanese debut in 2015 so they also have some Japanese discography as well.

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: A sub-unit of EXO, EXO-CBX, debuted in 2016 and the member Lay also had his solo debut the same year (Lay’s solo discography are all written, arranged, and produced by him). EXO-CBX consists of the members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin.

LAST SIDE NOTE: The EXO fandom is called EXO-L. The 'L' stands for Love. In the alphabet, the letter “L” is the 12th letter (for twelve members) and links the letters K (EXO-K) and M (EXO-M). EXO-Ls are considered to be a sub-unit of EXO so: EXO-K + EXO-L + EXO-M = One. Therefore, the band's slogan "WE ARE ONE!" means that the band members and the fans are ONE. EXO-Ls are in charge of promoting worldwide Love for EXO-K and EXO-M."

EXO MUSIC VIDEOS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:

What Is Love (January 30th, 2012)

History (March 9th, 2012)

MAMA (April 8th, 2012) - Their official debut song/anniversary date.

Wolf (May 30th, 2013) - first time promoting as a whole group.

Growl (August 1st, 2013 and for the 2nd version, which has a different visual theme, August 20th, 2013)

Miracles in December (December 4th, 2013) - Winter M/V.

Overdose (May 6th, 2014)

Call Me Baby (March 30th, 2015)

Love Me Right (June 3rd, 2015) - there's a Japanese version which is their Japan debut single (Love Me Right ~Romantic Universe~).

Lightsaber (November 11th, 2015) - promotional single for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Sing For You (December 10th, 2015) - Winter M/V.

Lucky One (June 9th, 2016) - Double Title Album.

Monster (June 9th, 2016) - Double Title Album.

Lotto (August 18th, 2016)

Dancing King (September 17th, 2016) - a collaboration with Yoo Jae Suk, a single for SM Station Season 1.

Coming Over (November 18th, 2016) - Japan comeback single and also a short video.

For Life (December 19th, 2016) - Winter M/V.

Ko Ko Bop (July 18th, 2017)

Power (September 5th, 2017)

Electric Kiss Short Version (December 5th, 2017) -Title track for their first full Japanese Album.

Universe (December 26th, 2017) - Winter M/V

Don’t Mess Up My Tempo (Novermber 2nd, 2018) - the first comeback to feature member Lay since For Life in 2016.

EXO-CBX Music Videos:

Hey Mama! (October 31st, 2016) - Sub-unit debut song.

The One (November 6th, 2016) - first shown during their concert tour Exo Planet #3-The Exordium, which lead to suspicions of the sub-unit, which was also later confirmed after the three members sang an OST (original soundtrack) for a K-Drama (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo) with the title "For You".

Crush U (December 25th, 2016) - a remake of the original soundtrack for the game Blade & Soul, performed first on November 18th.

Ka-Ching! (May 1st, 2017) - short music video for their Japanese debut.

Blooming Day (April 10th, 2018) - Korean comeback.

Horololo (April 24th, 2018) - released prior to their Japanese comeback in May.

LAY’S SOLO WORK:

Monodrama (May 27th, 2016) - SM Station solo song, prior to his solo debut and the first Chinese song of SM station.

what U need? (October 7th, 2016) - The music video was released on his birthday as a gift for his fans and for the promotion of his solo album later that month.

Lose Control (October 28th, 2016) - His solo debut with Lose Control being the title track and name of his EP.

I Need U (September 25th, 2017) - pre-released single from his Lay 02 Sheep album, it was dedicated to his grandparents for their 50th anniversary and was actually written at the same time as “what U need?” since it is a response to the 2016 single.

Sheep (October 7th, 2017) - title track for his second album Lay 02 Sheep.

Goodbye Christmas (December 22nd, 2017) - title track of his winter extended play Winter Special Gift.

Give Me A Chance (October 7th, 2018) - pre-release single for his album Namanana.

NAMANANA (October 19th, 2018) - title track for the third album. It’s also his official U.S. debut under the name Lay Zhang. Each song on the album is both in Chinese and English, totaling to a count of 22 tracks.

EXO is a group that has broken multiple records: fastest selling concerts (0.2 seconds), youngest group ever to perform at Tokyo Dome, best selling artist in Korea for 4 years in a row, 4 million sellers, etc. Even individually, members have broken records (Lay’s Lose Control EP broke seven out of eight Guinness World Records on the YinYueTai China Weekly Charts). They’ve made monumental achievements not only as an idol group but have given great contributions to the Hallyu wave (performed at the Pyeongchang Olympics closing ceremony, first artist/k-pop act/non-royal to be displayed on the led screens of the Burj Khalifa, etc.).

[jiannguo]

Xiao Zhan under the lens of Zhang Yue 211008

Photographer Zhang Yue, on 8th October, published a long article about his 30th birthday spread. Link below is the link to the original article in WeChat :

This photo above was taken by Xiao Zhan.

Zhack started the project with Xiao Zhan in August, and a few of these shots were presumably taken at YuGuYao filming locations, and of course streets of Beijjng.

(Below here is my own interpretation inspired by Zhack's article)

1. Alleyways- Light

These photographs were taken in the backstreets of Beijjng. I feel these photos represent Xiao Zhan during his carefree days, when he was still able to enjoy simple things, full of light and joy, youthfulness with hope for a beautiful future.

2. Roof - Warmth

I love this particular set of photos. It shows him as vabriant, his luxurious self standing in the middle of blazing red, his reflection blurred in the water, fierce winds blowing, his shadowed face shining in the sunlight. This is the set that I feel represents the time he became 'red and hot' in Entertainment industry, after ChenQingLing .

3. Ravines - Wind

Third set was probably shot in the sets of YuguYao in Yunnan. The photos show hin in the middle of a rocky mountains, stomping, kneeling but he's holding holding an umbrella and catching the rocks thrown in his face with his bare hands. Running with a hind of smile in his face and ends with him smiling vibrantly.

4. Plains - Recognition

Despite everything, he works hard. This is my favourite set, a period where he is him in a green field peacefully enjoying his time and playing with horses. In some form, this signifies freedom.

5. Heights - Return

To me personally as well, this section represents comeback. He struggled a lot, accepted, believed, worked hard and negotiated. After many many months of darkness comes the soft light of dawn which will eventually be the blazing sun... His hands blocking the wind, but his eyes are clear and fixed towards the horizon. This is his official return.

[vaampz]

want to stan vav? pls do! ❤

VAV currently consists of 7 members: St. Van, Baron, ACE, Ayno, Jacob, Lou and Ziu. VAV debuted on October 31, 2015, under A Team Entertainment -- formerly AQ Entertainment.

For what I can tell, it’s a pretty nice company. A Team handled all the exits of the old members with a a lot of class, never blaming the guys in any moment and wishing them the best of lucks in their new paths (Xiao and Gyeoul are still under their management for example and doing well). Their marketing team has been on point lately promoting the group and CEO Ryan S Jhun not only produces bops for them but he is always so caring toward the boys ?? like being with them in some of their vlives and other stuff, even his little puppy Simba is around for schedules lol. Plus, us fans are so well fed with daily updates and everything has subs. 

VAV are seven adorable, tall and hard working guys that have been trough a lot since debut and the path has definitely not been an easy one, but they’ve always make sure to give fans a lot of love and the relationship they have with Vampz is so good and pure, they really give us so much and ask for so little in return. They deserve more recognition.

Anyways! The fandom name is VAMPZ and here are their official accounts:

Twitter: @VAV_official

Instagram: @vav_official 

Members IGs: St.Van | BaRon | Ace | Ayno | Jacob | Lou | Ziu

VApp: E6A311 

Youtube: A Team channel 

Tumblr: vav-official 

Fan Cafe: VAVofficial + English Tutorial to sign up | they really appreciate all the letters even if it’s not in korean so if you can sign up and send them lots of love! They always try to answer, and Ayno has been pretty active there lately.

VAV App: You can download the .apk here | it’s also in English so it’s easy to understand and the boys do weekly chats there with the fans wich are subbed in the moment. Sometimes they also do giveaways there and you can chat with other Vampz, It’s worth downloading it. 

Bonus: little member introduction/profile ♡

The current line-up officialy comeback for the first time with the digital single Venus (Dance With Me) on February 18th, 2017, showing a fresh image along with a new sound. This was the debut for Lou, Ayno and Ziu --- also when they finally got a stable line-up. 

Official MV 

MV Performance ver.

Jacket Making

Dance 2x speed

Dance random speed 

Visual Video 

Fanchant

Stages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 

Other performances: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

On May 5th, they made a flowery comeback with the second digital single Flower (You), this time they showed a more cute and soft image. As a little fun fact, Ayno wrote the rap part !

Official MV 

Jacket Making

Dance Practice 

Performances: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (they focused on busking and festivals for the promotion and didn’t perform on any music show)

On July 4th, they made a summer comeback with the third digital single ABC (Middle of the Night). This time around, both Lou and Ayno wrote their rap parts !

Official MV 

MV Making 

Dance Practice 

Fanchant

Stages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 

On November 2th, they made their fourth comeback of the year with the digital single She’s Mine, showing a more classy and sexy image. The song was produced by Coach & Sendo and the choreography made in collaboration with 1Million Dance Studio !

Official MV

MV Making

Jacket Making

Concept Film

Performance Version

Dance Practice (Malaysian ver.) 

Dance Practice (X-Mas ver.) 

1MILLION Dance (w/ Ayno & Baron) 

2x speed dance

Change Parts Challenge

Dance Practice (Self Cam Version)

Fanchant 

Stages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Now they are working extra hard for a comeback in early 2018 that will carry a similar manly concept to She's Mine (at least according to the members haha), so please wait for them! ♡ It’s rumored to be on January 29th because of a picture that Ryan S Jhun posted with the hashtag 29/1 on it but it’s not confirmed or anything untill the date (December 30th).

COVERS:

Downpour -- I.O.I, by Ace and Ziu

White Night & Wake me Up -- Taeyang, by St.Van and Lou

Fools -- Troye Sivan, by Ace

Fool -- WINNER, by Ace

CHOREOS:

Shape of You -- Ed Sheeran, by BaRon (vocals and choreography)

How I Want Ya -- Hudson Thames, by Ayno (choreography) + Close-Up Version 

Better --  Attom ft Justin Stein, by BaRon (choreography)

OTHER:

Zero Coke -- Noh Yoonho Mixtape (Zero ver.) + (Coke ver.) ( also the video was filmed/directed by BaRon )

Bite My Nails -- Noh Yoonho Mixtape (Audio) ( both Ayno’s mixtapes are self-written and self-produced )

Trouble -- Xiao feat Jacob (MV)

Interviews, shows and other stuff:

note: this’ll be only the videos with the current line-up! for older content i’ll probably make a different list~

[ENG Sub] VAV Surprise Letter (aka the only time I want to see them crying but at least it was for the sweetest motive, they are so precious) --- Part 1 (with Lou and Ayno) + Part 2 (with Baron, St. Van and ACE) + Part 3 (with Ziu and Jacob)

[ENG Sub] VAV’s Apartment (2D1N) --- Ep. 1 + Ep. 2 + Ep 3 

[ENG Sub] VAV’s Apartment (The Return of Superman Version)

[ENG Sub] VAV VCAM Series (playlist with ALL the episodes to date -- it’s the best to get to know their personalities in my opinion)

V’LOGS (playlist with all the logs)

[ENG Sub] The Immigration

[ENG Sub] Soompi Interview

[Portuguese Sub] Revista KoreaIN Interview

[ENG Sub + Portuguese] Revista KoreaIN Interview (pt2)

[ENG Sub] Pops in Seoul Q&A

[ENG Sub] Pops in Seoul Pick & Talk

[ENG Sub] TOUR AVATAR 2 with Ayno & Lou --- Part 1 + Part 2

[ENG Sub] Fact in Star Interview

[ENG Sub] TongTongTV Interview + Performance

[ENG Sub + Portuguese] Radio K-Pop Brasil Interview

[ENG Sub] HypnoticAsia Interview

[ENG Sub] KoreanUpdates Interview

[ENG Sub] MEET YOUR IDOL: VAV

[ENG Sub] MEET YOUR IDOL: VAV (DELETED SCENES & BLOOPERS & FUNNY MOMENTS)

[ENG Sub] VAV - Game Life Bar Ep. 5

[ENG Sub] VAV - Game Life Bar Ep. 6

[ENG Sub] VAV x VSLive 

[ENG Sub] VAV on Star Interview

[ENG Sub] VAV at PeekAVoo&Voom Rookie Stage (Full) 

[ENG Sub] What Did VAV Buy With 10,000 Won?

A letter to Sound K from VAV

Show Champion Curtain Talk

VAV Fact In Star (Self-Cam)

VAV Preview Show! She’s Mine 

KStation TV --- VAV Busking Hongdae (this is pretty fun to watch)

VAV TV1 pt 1 + pt 2

VAV Backstage Chat

GSGM 2017 Summer Making film (with Ayno)

Beautiful Smile YT Channel (it has clips of ther vlives with english subs)

MyLovelyBaron YT Channel 

VAV Thailand YT Channel (it posts a lot of the content that is only available for VAV App users so it has subs)

Seoulmates Vlogs --- 1, 2

Kaelyn Tee Vlog -  VAV in Sunway University

VAV Individual Broadcasts

BaRon’s ASMR

[erhiem]

JYP Entertainment recently announced the current health condition of TWICE Jeongyeon, who has been experiencing psychological anxiety since October last year.

On August 18, JYP Entertainment posted an official statement on TWICE Fan’s, announcing Jeongyeon’s health condition. Fans of the girl group have started trending some hashtags related to the female idol on Twitter to show their love and support for her.

(Photo: Instagram: @twicetagram)

Twice revealed Jeongyeon’s current health status

Based on posts about Jeongyeon’s health condition, JYP Entertainment stated that the “alcohol-free” singer currently suffers from panic and psychotic anxiety disorders.

He said that although Jeongyeon has been taking measures to recover twice, completing group schedules in the past months, her health is the most important issue.

ALSO READ: Twice Jeongyeon reveals he doesn’t like ‘alcohol-free’

Therefore, JYP Entertainment took the time to examine various angles, including the opinions of professional medical institutions. The agency has then decided to give two-time member Jeongyeon enough time to focus on his recovery and rest.

(Photo: Instagram: @twicetagram)

JYPE further said that he discussed Jeongyeon’s current health condition with the artist himself and other TWICE members. As a result, they have agreed that Jeongyeon will not participate in the group’s upcoming event for the time being.

Read more: Twice Jeongyeon worries fans after losing 8kg and looking tired on stage

The agency further stated that they will provide best practices to help improve TWICE Jeongyeon’s health status within a sufficient time period.

“We wish for your love and support for Jeongyeon’s full recovery. Thank you.” JYP Entertainment concludes.

(Photo: Instagram: @twicetagram)

TWICE fans, commonly referred to as ONCE, showed their support for Jeongyeon via Twitter, where they started trending the hashtags “#GetWellSoonJeongyeon,” and “#WeLoveYouJeongyeon.”

This will be the second time TWICE members Jeongyeon will be on hiatus. She initially took a break from group activities from October 2020 to January 2021 as she was experiencing psychological anxiety at that time.

You May Also Like: Twice Became The First K-Pop Girl Group To Achieve This Milestone On The Billboard 200

Because of this, Jeongyeon was unable to participate in TWICE’s comeback with their second full-length album, “Eyes Wide Open”, which was released on October 26.

On 31 January this year, TWICE Jeongyeon made a surprise appearance at the 30th Seoul Music Awards, where TWICE performed and received “Bonsang” (main prize).

(Photo: Instagram: @twicetagram)

She continued to participate in TWICE activities over the following months, including her latest comeback with their tenth mini-album, “Taste of Love”, which was released on June 11.

TWICE made a Japanese comeback with their third full-length album, “Perfect World”. Only eight members of the group were seen promoting the album, indicating that Jeongyeon is getting some rest.

Twice wishing Jeongyeon a speedy recovery!

TWICE’s album Gaon for July 2021 enters album charts + achieves their third album certified 2x Platinum

In other news, the three most recent TWICE albums still consistently rank on the Gao Albums chart months after their release.

On the Village Albums Chart of July 2021, TWICE’s “Taste of Love” took number 33 with 14,076 more copies sold. The album has sold a total of 536,952 copies as of July.

(Photo: Twitter: @JYPETWICE)

“Taste of Love” also received a 2x Platinum certification from The Village, with a total of over 500,000 copies sold. It is the group’s third album to do so, after “Eyes Wide Open” and “More and More”.

At number 96 is TWICE’s “MORE & MORE” with 4,379 more copies. In total, the album has sold 519,367 copies as of last month.

In the end, TWICE’s “Eyes Wide Open” claimed the 98th spot with 4,296 more copies sold. The total number of copies sold is about to reach 600,000.

For more news updates on other K-Pop news, always keep your tabs open here on Kpopstarz.

Owned by Kpopstarz.

Mhaliya Scott. written by

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The post #GetWellSoonJeongyeon Trends on Twitter as JYP Entertainment Announces TWICE Jeongyeon’s Current Health Situation appeared first on Spicy Celebrity News.

[sknews7]

Ghana FA medical chief Baba casts doubt over Premier League’s October return

The well being knowledgeable believes the collaborating golf equipment will want extra time to prepare for the brand new season 

Ghana Soccer Affiliation (GFA) Medical Committee head Dr. Adam Baba believes the Premier League (GPL) is not going to begin on October 30 as introduced by nationwide President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sunday.

After six months of soccer suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic, the game obtained the all-clear for a comeback from the top of state, on the again of a big lower in Ghana’s variety of energetic Covid-19 circumstances.

“It’s not possible to start out the league in October from my viewpoint. If the federal government stated go forward, you can begin however we can not begin in October,” Baba advised Kumasi FM.

Editors’ Picks

”There’s no crew that may let you know that it has began preparation. We’d like a minimal of 4 to 6 weeks for the golf equipment, they should buy new gamers and begin pre-season coaching which can’t be executed in three weeks.

“Virtually, we give ourselves 4 to 6 weeks from the time we’ve been requested to start out so the earliest we would begin in November.”

The 2019-20 Premier League was on the match week 15 stage when it was delivered to a halt, on the time, briefly. In June, the GFA Govt Committee took a call to cancel the season completely.

“In the direction of the progressive easing of restrictions, the federal government has taken the choice to permit the resumption of coaching in all contact sports activities, taking into account the approaching participation of our nationwide groups in worldwide competitions,” Akufo-Addo acknowledged within the televised tackle.

“Certainly, some nationwide groups have already been given the dispensation to start coaching forward of their worldwide engagements. All sportspeople who’re camped are to be examined recurrently.

“Fellow Ghanaians, with respect to soccer, after due consultations with the Ghana Soccer Affiliation, it has been determined that the Ghana Premier League and the Division One Soccer League will restart on Friday 30th October with a full regime of testing of gamers, technical and administration employees.

“No spectators shall be allowed on the coaching centres and when precise competitors resumes, sitting in any respect stadia shall be restricted to 25% capability to make sure social distancing. Sporting of masks by spectators at stadia shall be necessary.

“The restart of all different sporting competitions shall be decided on a case-by-case foundation, pending consultations between the Ministry of Youth and Sports activities and the respective sport associations.”

Bechem United CEO Nana Kwasi Darling believes resuming soccer in October after a six-month break could also be too quickly.

“It’s been far too lengthy not experiencing soccer for the previous 4 months. We’re actually happy with the lifting of the ban,” Darling advised Light FM.

“Commencing the league in December would have been higher for the gamers to coach and attain match health however all in all, we’ll modify to it beginning subsequent month.”

The GFA is predicted to make an announcement on the best way ahead for the league within the coming days. 

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[bigyack-com]

WTTC Moves April’s Global Summit from Puerto Rico to Mexico

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has confirmed that its annual Global Summit will now be held in Cancun, Mexico, and not in Puerto Rico as originally planned. The event had been scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 21 – 23 April 2020. Earlier this month a series of earthquakes hit the island causing damage to buildings. Puerto Rico has said that the financial resources that had been set aside to host the event, will instead be used for marketing efforts that promote the country’s “open for tourism” message and drive immediate visitor numbers to the Island.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, said, “WTTC remains strongly committed to supporting Puerto Rico’s amazing comeback story as seen in their record-breaking year in tourism last year. Although the Island was ready to welcome us with open arms this April, despite the recent seismic activity in the southern region, reallocating resources to continue this great momentum is the right thing to do in order to further boost tourism. We are looking forward to hosting an event in Puerto Rico later this year.” The WTTC Summit will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from 21 - 23 April 2020, with the dates for another official WTTC event in San Juan, Puerto Rico, expected to be announced in the near future. “This switch to Cancun will enable us to host a Global Summit focused on the opportunities and challenges facing our sector in 2020 and beyond, which will help to grow tourism further. 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Airport Implements SITA's Airport Management Solution  Air France to Launch Twice-Daily Flights Between Paris-Orly and Munich, Germany  ANA to Enhance Service at Airports in Japan with Portable Translators  Yvette Thomas-Henry Appointed GM of Four Seasons Resort Nevis  Hahn Air Enters 2020 with 40 New Partner Airlines  CWTSatoTravel Partners US Military's Spouse Employment Programme  My Emirates Pass Gives Passengers Special Discounts in UAE  Visitors to Singapore Must Now Register Unmanned Aircraft  India's Vistara Airline Appoints APG as Online GSA in France  BOC Aviation Orders 20 Airbus A320neos  China Airlines to Launch Direct Flights to Chiang Mai, Thailand  Green Light for Vietnam Airlines to Expand Codeshare Agreement with Delta  All Hi Fly Flights Now Single-Use Plastic Free  Air India Renews Distribution Agreement with Amadeus  Mandy Goh Joins St. Regis Langkawi as Executive Chef  Spirit Airlines Signs Purchase Agreement for 100 Airbus A320neo Aircraft  Hamad Int. Airport Served Record 38,786,422 Pax in 2019  British Airways Starts Offsetting Carbon Emissions on All Flights Within UK  Marriott Opens Second JW on Hainan Island, China  Airbus Partners Aston Martin for Special Edition Helicopter  Dassault Aviation Appoints Charles Wemaëre as VP Worldwide Spares  Boeing Appoints Niel Golightly as SVP of Communications  Jayson Goldstein Joins Four Seasons Boston as F&B Director  Vietjet Takes Delivery of Two More Airbus Aircraft  Two Executive Appointments at Bombardier Aviation  Air India No Longer Available on Sabre GDS  Thailand Targets Tourism Revenue of 3.18 Trillion Baht in 2020  Seaplanes in Thailand? Interview with Dennis Keller, CBO of Siam Seaplane  Future of Airline Distribution and NDC - Interview with Yanik Hoyles, IATA  Cambodia Airways Interview with Lucian Hsing, Commercial Director  HD Videos and Interviews  Podcasts from HD Video Interviews  Travel Trade Shows in 2019, 2020 and 2021  High-Res Picture Galleries  Travel News Asia - Latest Travel Industry News  Read the full article

[whatthekpopofficial]

Minah Of Girl's Day Announces Solo Comeback In New Teaser Images

Minah of Girl's Day will soon be making her solo comeback  with a new digital single! On October 30th KST, Dream T Entertainment (stylized as DreamT) revealed four teaser images for the upcoming single album, Other Way. The album will include the track "11°," a song written by Minah herself. The label stated that the track will feature a vintage guitar sound that will set off Minah's smooth vocals perfectly. The teaser images feature Minah looking reserved in a simple, winter outfit and sitting against a rich, green background. Her hair and makeup are kept simple, hinting at a melancholy, emotional track. The digital album will be released on November 3rd at 6 p.m. KST. Check out the teaser images below! What do you think of this concept?

Media: DreamT Entertainment Read the full article

[fyjuliet-blog]

Juliet drops teaser for a new MV, ‘Don’t Look’!

On September 30th, a few hours shy of October 1st, a teaser was uploaded out of nowhere which was revealed to be for Juliet’s comeback album. The music video is for the song ‘Don’t Look’, the title track of her album, and has already been greeted with mixed reviews. The teaser so far depicts two women in a relationship, one being Juliet and the other is actress Yoojin. Many netizens are a mix of shocked and overjoyed on this Paragon member’s move on representing the LGBT community. Many questions regarding the storyline have yet to be answered, and no set date for the music video to drop keeps fans on their toes. 

What do you think of the teaser so far?

COMMENTS:

cherriesgem: OH MY GOD???? THE TEASER LEFT ME SPEECHLESS. LORD GIVE ME STRENGTH TO WATCH THE ACTUAL VIDEO.

reignoveru21: wow she’s getting desperate she’s gotta pull the gay card to get attention and views. song sounds liek shit too lmfao

julietsrose_: QUEEN 👏 OF 👏 THE 👏 GAYS 👏👏👏👏

ivorywinters: does this mean she’s actually gay?? is that why she picks terrible men to date???

slave4paragon1: the full music video ain’t even out and i already K N O W this music video is gonna fuck me up fam

[rickhorrow]

15 + 5 + 5 To Watch : 42219

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 22 with Jacob Aere

Networks have unveiled their plans for this week’s NFL Draft, which begins April 25. Disney’s presentation of the event will feature over a thousand production elements, with over 600 player highlights, and 57 cameras covering the action. ESPN’s traditional draft telecast, presented for the fourth year by Courtyard, features host Trey Wingo, NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, and many others. Meanwhile, ABC’s differentiated coverage will focus on the journey of NFL Draft prospects, and feature “Good Morning America’s” Robin Roberts, host Rece Davis, and ESPN’s “GameDay” crew: Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack, Tom Rinaldi, Maria Taylor, and Chris “The Bear” Fallica. Meanwhile, NFL Media will deliver more than 76 live hours of Draft Week coverage, including a record 23 draft war room cameras. Before the first round on Thursday, NFL Draft Red Carpet airs with NFL Network's Melissa Stark and Michael Irvin interviews prospects as they arrive. By harnessing everything from hardcore sports to lifestyle coverage, both the Disney family of networks and the NFL itself demonstrate their awareness that the Draft is now must-see TV and the NFL is now a 52-week sport.

Peyton’s Places, a 30-episode documentary series hosted by legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, will air on ESPN+. Manning will host the football-themed series, revisiting seminal moments in NFL history. In the series, the two-time Super Bowl champ with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos interviews former NFL players, coaches, and other key figures about football history and its cultural impact. Slated to debut July 15 exclusively on ESPN+, the series will be presented in five chapters, each comprising six episodes. In addition, ESPN and/or ABC will air special compilations, recapping each part after the full episodes debut on ESPN+.  The series is part of ESPN’s celebration of the NFL’s 100th season, produced by NFL Films in collaboration with ESPN+. While not specifically tied to the NFL Draft, the announcement of the new Manning-led series has particular significance before this year’s Draft in Nashville. Manning was selected by the Colts with the first overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft…out of Tennessee.

Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have reached an agreement on a 4-year, $140 million extension that includes a $65 million signing bonus, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Wilson's extension is the richest ever in terms of average annual value ($35 million per season), surpassing Aaron Rodgers ($33.5 million). His $65 million signing bonus is also a new record, topping the $57.5 million Rodgers got last summer. Wilson, who is coming off arguably the best season of his career, was set to make $17 million in 2019, the final season of the four-year, $87.6 million extension he signed in 2015. As noted by Axios Sports, with their franchise quarterback taken care of, the Seahawks will now turn their attention to potential extensions for All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and top pass-rusher Frank Clark. The last few weeks have been full of rumors that "Russell Wilson wants to play for the Giants" and "Russell Wilson and his wife, Ciara, prefer New York." In hindsight, that was all nonsense – and it’s par for the rumor mill that always accompanies the NFL Draft run up.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has announced that the league will expand to 30 teams in the coming years, up from the previous expansion target of 28. In 2006, MLS had 11 teams. This season, there are 24, with another three on the way: Inter Miami CF (2020), Nashville SC (2020), and Austin FC (2021). Garber also anticipates selecting the 28th and 29th expansion teams in the coming months with no timetable set for the 30th team. Sacramento and St. Louis appear to be the frontrunners for slots No. 28 and 29, as they've both been asked to make formal presentations to the MLS Expansion Committee. The MLS Board of Governors also set the expansion fee for those two spots at $200 million apiece. Other cities whose expansion hopes may now be reignited include Charlotte, Detroit, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Raleigh, and San Diego, according to Sports Illustrated. Pro soccer is thriving in the U.S. and Canada, and expansion during the last decade has been a key driver of MLS' growth. Investors continue to be enthralled. So why not keep it going?

Even though NBA viewership was down 8% during the regular season, marketers have lined up to take part in NBA post-season action. Strong demand has already gobbled up between 85%-95% of the ad inventory on ESPN, ABC, and Turner’s TNT, with percentage rate increases over last year in the high single digits. Regular-season ratings have minimal impact on the post-season because the NBA Playoffs involve marquee teams with stars playing head-to-head every night. Moreover, numerous postseason superstars have huge social media followings that help draw viewers – particularly younger ones. Perhaps with that in mind, Adidas Basketball and Marvel have unveiled a campaign for a new limited-edition "Heroes Among Us" shoe collection featuring five current and former NBA and WNBA players. Players featured include the Rockets’ James Harden (Iron Man), the Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard (Black Panther), the Wizards’ John Wall (Captain America), former NBAer Tracy McGrady (Nick Fury), and the WNBA Sparks’ Candace Parker (Captain Marvel). The shoe line will be available at retail April 26, as the playoffs tip off their second round.

The Indiana Pacers have agreed to a deal keeping them in Indianapolis for the next 25 years. The agreement includes $295 million in public subsidies for renovation and expansion of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers’ home arena. A further $360 million will be used for capital improvements, comprising $270 million from state and CIB sources, and $65 million from private investment. As part of the deal, the city of Indianapolis will also contribute $25 million for public infrastructure needs. Approved by the House of Representatives, the greenlighted bill now goes to the Senate to be voted on and secure final approval. Construction will be completed in three phases. Phase one will focus on interior renovations, scheduled for February-October, 2020. While this won’t disrupt Pacers’ home games, the WNBA Indiana Fever, who play their games during the summer, must play home games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons at another venue. Herbert Simon, the team's 84-year-old owner, has said he wants to keep the Pacers in Indiana and that his son, Steve Simon, will take over the franchise, which has been in their family since 1983.

After winning his fifth green jacket on Sunday, Tiger Woods learned last Monday that he would also be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Trump announced in a tweet that he had spoken to Woods and would be presenting him with the prestigious honor. The honor is not one to be taken lightly. Woods will become just the fourth golfer to receive the medal, joining Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Charlie Sifford. While Nicklaus and Palmer were given the medal by President George W. Bush during his presidency, Sifford, who was a mentor to Woods, was honored five years ago by President Barack Obama. When Sifford was awarded the medal, Woods tweeted his congratulations. Woods will be the fourth athlete to receive the award during President Trump’s time in office, joining Babe Ruth, Roger Staubach, and Alan Page.  

Tiger Woods’ comeback Masters win delivered $22.5 million in exposure to Nike, according to sponsorship analytics firm Apex Marketing Group. As Tiger made his final round charge towards the title, he is estimated to have generated more than $23.6 million in total exposure for his sponsors. While AT&T, Gillette, and Tag Heuer left Woods as he suffered image issues related to marriage infidelity, substance abuse, and injury, that opened the door to new partners such as Monster Energy – Woods’ golf bag sponsor – which saw $960,000 in exposure during his final round at Augusta. CBS News noted Nike's stock price rose 2% after The Masters began and "continued to edge up Monday" following Woods' victory, adding more than $2 billion to Nike's market value. The "Tiger effect" was also "enough to boost the stock prices of other golf brands." Callaway Golf "spiked as much" as 4% from the start of The Masters through Monday. Acushnet Holdings, which owns Titleist, "jumped nearly" 5% in the same period. However, not even Tiger trying to chase down Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major wins can change golf’s trajectory – more than ever, it is a game for the aging and not the more desirable demographic, the young.

It’s never too early to get in the Games. NBCUniversal has teamed with the Olympic organizing committee LA 2028 to offer brands advertising opportunities ahead of the 2028 Olympics, to be held in Los Angeles – the first Summer Games to be held in the U.S. since 1996. A sales team is being built by NBCU and LA2028 (plus the USOC) that will begin presenting opportunities for brands to associate themselves with four sets of games crowned by the 2028 Summer Games in L.A. With the first summer games in the U.S. in more than three decades set to arrive in 2028, this partnership marks a new type of opportunity for marketers to get involved in the Olympics — which is shaping up to make an unrivaled economic and cultural impact. “At no other time in Olympic and Paralympic history have the stakes been higher…We are at an inflection point in the sports, lifestyle and live event business that demands a complete reimagining of the model and approach to embracing and involving marketers,” said LA2028 Chair Casey Wasserman. The move is highly unusual, as normally the Olympic organizing committees and broadcast partners pursue sponsorship deals independently.

MLB is bringing the 2026 All-Star Game to Philadelphia, as part of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred last week said the league’s typical process of awarding All-Star games “went out the window” with the move to award the 2026 game to the Phillies. Manfred has sought to make competitive bidding and sequential awarding of All-Star Games key tenets of his tenure since his 2014 election. However, during an event at Independence Mall last week to announce the selection, Manfred said the move to tie the 2026 game to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was a personal decision that followed more than two years of repeated requests from Phillies Chair and close friend Dave Montgomery. Said Manfred, “Dave never asked for a favor for the Phillies or for himself. But two years ago, he began asking for this game and to announce it soon.” Fittingly, awarding the 2026 MLB All-Star Game to Philadelphia mirrors the 1976 event that was played at Veterans Stadium, and tied into America’s bicentennial.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has put forward the idea of adding mid-season tournaments to the league and shortening the number of games played each season. Currently, NBA teams each play in an 82-game regular season, with games lasting 48 minutes. For Silver, player welfare is reportedly at the heart of the proposed reforms. But to counteract the reduced revenues a shortened schedule will bring, Silver has suggested adding all-new mid-season tournaments to maintain income. While acknowledging these changes will do away with more than 50 years of American basketball tradition in the U.S., Silver believes they are necessary for the NBA to stay relevant as fans’ viewing habits change in an increasingly competitive market. It is has been rumored that seasons could be scaled back to 70 games per team, with the NBA exploring the possibility of the mid-season tournaments being hosted in Europe and Asia. The two continents have been earmarked by the league for brand growth. Considering that ever-older NBA players have so many miles on their bodies – just look at the just-retired 40 year old Dirk Nowitzki – Silver is right to begin reimagining the schedule.

Despite some shockers in the first round that left busted brackets in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge presented by Jägermeister, the NHL is now offering – for the first time ever – a fresh start with the Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Chance Bracket. At the conclusion of the First Round and before the start of the Second Round, fans will be able to submit a new bracket at NHL.com/Bracket with their predictions for the remainder of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Hockey fans submitted more than 1.42 million brackets in the initial 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge. Following upsets that knocked the Lightning and Penguins out of the Playoffs, the NHL is offering fans who participated in the playoff bracket challenge a second chance. The Lightning were projected as champions by 48.62% of the brackets, and the Penguins were selected by 51.3%. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs are probably hoping that their fan Drake doesn’t make the trip to Boston for their Game 7 showdown with the Bruins on Tuesday. The so-called “Drake Curse” has been exhaustively noted – when the rapper roots for someone, they lose.

London is set to lose the ATP Finals after 2020 with the ATP reportedly favoring moving the season-ending men’s tennis tournament to Turin in Italy. According to the Daily Telegraph, barring a last-minute change of heart, next year’s ATP Finals will be the last staged at the O2 Arena, which has hosted the men’s tennis finale since 2009. The ATP has undergone a nine-month bid process for a new five-year hosting deal, and in December narrowed its shortlist down to London, Manchester, Turin, Singapore, and Tokyo. The Telegraph report claims that ATP executives are likely to rule out a fourth extension to its hosting agreement for the O2. Italy’s bid is apparently unlikely to sell as many tickets as the event at the O2, but Italian media reports have said that Turin’s mayor, Chiara Appendino, is willing to put up an annual guarantee of $17 million in order to secure the tournament hosting rights. The ATP Finals has been a major success in London, drawing more than 250,000 people each year and accounting for 15% of the governing body’s revenues, which amounted to $144 million for the last financial year.

Spending on over-the-top (OTT) technology in sports will hit $6.8 billion by 2021, according to a new report by Deltatre. The analysis reveals that sports operators worldwide are now spending 15% of total budgets on OTT technology, and by 2021, more than $6.8 billion will be invested in the sector. Other key findings in the report reveal that 2/3 of consumers are not willing to spend more than $39 per month on sports content – with the remaining third prepared to pay more. Additionally, the analysis from Deltatre, a Bruin Sports Capital portfolio company, offers good news for global sports operators investing in fan engagement functionality, as doing so delivers a 24% uplift in subscriber acquisition. 72% of those surveyed in the report cite personalization and a tailored user experience as the most important feature offered by OTT sports services. Almost the same number of consumers, 71%, want deeper immersion and a desire to feel closer to the action through the more advanced functionality that OTT can provide. OTT metrics have changed. It's no longer just about streaming games. Encouraging viewers to come back day after day is the gold standard, even when there’s no live competition taking place.

Port of Oakland says A's waterfront ballpark would pose safety risks. The Port of Oakland’s maritime industry is "raising red flags" over the A’s waterfront ballpark plan, claiming that the 34,000-seat venue and housing project "would pose both a safety risk to ships and a threat to the port’s future as a major, regional economic engine," according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The A’s counter that the project "wouldn’t endanger any port jobs or adversely impact the port’s shipping business." The commission "finds itself having to balance the needs and future of the third-largest port on the West Coast with the desire" of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and the A’s to "create a new neighborhood" along the waterfront. Unlike the Giants’ Oracle Park, which "sits on a relatively quiet stretch of waterfront," the A’s ballpark "would be perched right on the edge of the port’s Inner Harbor turning basin." The basin is a "key waterway where each week bar pilots turn around an average of 25 ships" after the vessels "unload and load cargo at two nearby terminals." The pilots are very concerned about the ballpark’s lights, which they claim can act like a car’s high beams and interfere with a navigator’s vision.

Top Five Tech

Gen.G Esports announces a $46 million round of funding including Will Smith. According to Esports Insider, other new partners include Japanese soccer star Keisuke Honda's Dreamers Fund, Los Angeles Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong, former Chairman of U.S. Investments Alibaba Group Michael Zeisser, and MasterClass Co-Founder and CEO David Rogier. Two-time NBA Champion and current Gen.G Player Management Advisor Chris Bosh will continue to lead the team’s creative and commercial endeavors while the new capital will go towards supporting the ongoing expansion of Gen.G’s global footprint, which already includes teams in the world’s top esports leagues across the U.S., China, and Korea. The new money will also contribute to the development of Gen.G’s youth esports academy program and the launch of Gen.G’s Los Angeles headquarters, opening in July, 2019. Honda’s presence will help build esports in Japan and other nations with budding esports communities, while Smith’s investment adds to the list of big-name U.S. esports investors.

Barstool Sports drives to make a splash in golf with “Barstool Classic.” According to Golfweek, the multi-month tournament will begin with eight qualifying events in major markets, including Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York, leading up to one championship event. The tournament features teams of two playing at 50% handicap in four-ball format. The winning team gets $10,000 and a trophy for their efforts. The tournament kicks off June 3 in in Milton, Massachusetts, and then takes place on August 26 in Pound Ridge, New York with two additional events to be scheduled in the New York and Philadelphia areas, in addition to the championship. Barstool’s media presence has been built behind loyal fans. And golf is an area that Barstool President Dave Portnoy knows is a hot topic among their fan base, and subscribers can’t get enough of that content. In the week after Tiger Woods’ comeback Masters’ win, Barstool is choosing the right time to capitalize on America’s newfound passion for golf.

NHL stars are creating video diary series for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. According to Adweek, one player on each of the 16 teams participating in the NHL postseason is taking part in a video diary series called Cup Confidential, in which they will talk about their team’s performance, the atmosphere in the arena, pregame rituals, fans, home lives, and other topics across the NHL’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter channels. Players who are part of Cup Confidential include Tyler Ennis of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames, and Matt Hendricks of the Winnipeg Jets. While there have been big upsets of late including the Tampa Bay Lightning's 0-4 defeat, the video diaries have been a key part of the NHL’s strong social media push during its playoffs.

Golf hits a hole-in-one with 1 billion minutes of streamed coverage with Tiger Woods’ Masters victory. CBS Sports and The Masters live streaming coverage drew record viewership online, with more than 1 billion minutes of coverage streamed as Woods secured his first major victory since 2008. Over the tournament’s duration, an average audience of 447,000 per minute watched the live stream from Augusta. According to SportsPro, an average of 10.8 million viewers tuned in to watch CBS Sports’ coverage of the final round on Sunday, registering the tournament’s most-watched morning golf broadcast in 32 years. 18.3 million viewers tuned into the final day at its peak between 2:15 pm and 2:30 pm when Woods sealed his fifth green jacket. The final day of play drew a combined 37.2 million viewers, setting the highest Sunday coverage for a Masters since 2013; the final round replay also drew an average of 4.5 million viewers.

Twitch was a preferred streaming destination for Generation Adidas Cup. As part of the MLS agreement, Twitch streamed video coverage of 66 matches from the elite youth tournament to a global audience live from Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas April 13-20. According to MLS, the league also showcased off-field programming through player engagement seminars and coaching symposium talks in addition to streaming live matches. The games at the Cup hosted matches across both U-17 and U-15 divisions. Generation Adidas Cup is the latest MLS event to integrate Twitch as a featured distribution platform, joining eMLS Cup on March 30 in Boston. Reaching into youth sports may be the next big marketing key for a progressively more crowded sports OTT and streaming field.

Power of Sports Five

A Bay Area high schooler creates a charity to help sports communities around the world. Shevali Kadakia suffered a concussion at age 15 that put her on the sidelines, unable to play soccer or basketball for a long period of time. She realized that she had accumulated a surplus of uniforms during her time playing sports over the years, and that those jerseys could be put to good use. After visiting the impoverished neighborhood of Cite Soleil in the Port-au-Prince section of Haiti, she decided to not only start donating her old jerseys, but also to start a charity. According to KRON 4, the non-profit SKCharities has been contacting colleges all across the U.S. asking athletics departments to donate old uniforms with many happy to help. The nonprofit also organizes free introductory basketball and soccer camps for children and has helped over 4,000 kids worldwide to date.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer ramps up his charity efforts with $690 donated for every strikeout he tallies on the season. Although somewhat rambunctious in nature, Bauer has a heart of gold. Last season, he started his 69 Days of Giving campaign. He donated $420.69 to different organizations for 68 days in a row, and $69,420.69 on the 69th day to Max Hayes High School, an inner-city Cleveland school focused on STEM courses. According to Yahoo! Sports, this season he has added his strikeout donations, where for every punch out he records, he will donate $10 to 69 different organizations.  Already, Bauer has generated $22,800 in 2019 with the money dedicated to providing kids with after-school opportunities. A self-described nerd as a kid, Bauer wants to ensure STEM education gets its fair share of help and has taken to his active Twitter page to let his fans have a say in the charities he will support. An MLB All-Star in 2018, Bauer is poised to make a big splash on the mound as well as in philanthropy this season.

Sports anti-racism charity joins government board to fight anti-Semitism. Action Against Discrimination (AAD) is joining the U.K. government’s new working board to tackle racism and anti-Semitism in sport. According to Jewish News, the group, which is set up by U.K. Sports Minister Mims Davies, is reviewing soccer’s current sanctioning regime to create a closer partnership between soccer authorities and the police to better identify offenders at matches. Tackling hate in sport is a large issue that continues to permeate UEFA, MLB, the NHL, and the NBA. By teaming up with governments, more direct action will be committed in the U.K. toward changing the status quo of waving aside offensive and derogatory language in professional sport.

The world gets a helping hand with a MLS and Adidas Earth Day celebration. According to Hypebeast, Major League Soccer‘s social responsibility platform will run its fourth annual Greener Goals Week of Service through Earth Day. MLS Works’ Green Goals initiative explores ways to reduce the soccer body’s greenhouse gas footprint while raising awareness about environmental issues throughout the sports community. MLS has also worked with Adidas and others to create special limited edition eco-friendly kits from recycled marine plastic uniforms with all 24 clubs sporting these outfits during their games on Earth Day weekend, which took place April 19-21. Additionally, MLS clubs and staff will also be volunteering and partnering up with local charities to give back to the community. Overall, the new environment-friendly jerseys encourage soccer fans to decrease single-use plastic usage, raise awareness for plastic pollution, and generally connect sports fans with eco-friendly practices.

Oakland Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley is hosting a charity event for vulnerable youth in sport. The 1st Annual Conley Island Best In America Charity Golf Tournament in Columbus, Ohio will raise money for LiFEsports, a charity at Conley’s alma mater, Ohio State University. LiFEsports serves over 1,000 Central Ohio youth from socially vulnerable circumstances through its summer camp, year-round clinics, and Youth Leadership Academy. The program mentors and teaches social skills and valuable life lessons to the youth who need it the most. According to 247 Sports, LIFEsports was in such high demand last year that they couldn't accommodate all of the children that they needed to help, so Conley is using golf and some of his star-powered friends including current and former NFL players Eli Apple, running back Beanie Wells, linebacker Darron Lee, and cornerback Shawn Springs to bring in donations for kids who can use a helping hand through the power of sport. Whether wanting to participate or simply watch, this charity event combines golf and football to gives back to kids who could be future stars in their own rights, so long as they can receive a little help to even the playing field.