#hey they just did their fanmeet so im allowed to do it

[selamat-linting]

sick that vixx never re-did their love master concept for a korean comeback like i get theyre the subby boyband group but depend on me is one of the best song that captures what its like to want to dom somebody, you want them to completely surrender to you and rely on everything for you even their sense of wrong or right. and that song is shunted aside as one of their barely promoted japan released. sad!

[lesbiancarat]

Haha its fine! Im book anon for a reason so take all the time you need! Before I start, I wanna apologize for the possible asks you got about the merch and hybe in general. I didn't intend to cause stress and need to be careful bdjahdsj so slap me with a fish!

Onto the ask! But agreed, I mean before the big kpop boom we saw, this was very common. Build a decent fanbase and then move to Japan or China. (Of course sometimes you see INSTANT movement in other countries but that depends on the company and such but you know what I mean) but since we do have the more global kpop era, we may see more companies do America which isn't a bad thing. It makes sense buisness wise so they will jump on it after debut or something. Thus I don't see it a bad thing for kpop groups to promote in America because hey, if in Korea they do sell western artist music who also tour there, kpop groups can also do the same ya know?

Now onto the hybe comment, I will try not to speak too much on it so I will try to summarize. I think my theory is due with merch from their main artist, they think maybe it could work with svt which maybe could but svt has a different fanbase so throwing on random merch won't make fans really want to buy (not saying some won't which kudos to you! As a fan you are allowed to consume what you please except not be a bad apple about it) so thus like the infamous water bottles which was done for bts, they thought why not do it for svt because bts fans sold it out apparently for a 2nd wave of it being sold again. (Which to this day idk why someone in the hybe team thought this was smart. Like...this is just in bad taste imo) I do wanna agree that it appears that hybe doesn't seem to have a proper art team for svt because while sometimes wild, I do know for their main artist they do have thoughtful merch based around say an album concept I recall. Kf course they will make mistakes i.e. the water bottles. I do wish it can improve because even though it is capitalism, I think fans do want decent merch. We have seen interesting ideas like svt making their own magazine and selling it lol. Of course it is hard to please because some fans want subtle merch ideas while others don't mind the vibrant pastel colors we got or some want wild ideas like svt figurines or something. Overall I hope I didn't drag this too much as I just wanted to respond back to you, I agree with many points you said so yeah cx I say let's also wait as this is barely what, a year or even less of svt being under hybe properly. Especially when hybe had its rebranding and expanding so things are being changed, I know fans are worried about this which is valid but let's not panic just yet. Let's come back in a year to this and see what has improved and what hasn't. (OK but peldis sold the boys rings!? :o since when!? I haven't heard of this actually, when did this happen if I may ask?)

Oof yeah sadly with streaming, many view "oh you don't stream it means you aren't a fan" when isn't the case (which is why I personally don't like when certain companies also do "listening parties" which seems a bit ???) I do remember this popped up big in 2017 but many fans called it out so it quiet down a bit. Like we didn't see it so often where fans were causing problems over it so idk why this returned nor what the cause of it was.

But thank you!! It really was a nice closing chapter, I think when I have personal stuff settled I will try maybe get a new bunny? And oohh congrats on the album! (Note to hybe or pledis. Please make the us store a more common thing, it makes things so much easier! Am happy it was at your place quick so kudos to the us store. Oohh wonderful choices! I think for many fans anyone or heaven's cloud seems to be the popular picks? For me, I may have to say game boi or heaven's cloud as well! Those songs make me just so happy? Like game boy is just so creative with the way it was made. As a video game nerd, it is perfection. I could make an essay about this song lol and heaven's cloud is just...wow. I feel so at ease with the song, comfortable and soothed. Like you are on a cloud lol. Also that is totally fine! Rtl was a grower for me (I blame the mv, it didn't do the song jusitice) but it is a bop and can't stop humming the chorus at random moments. Overall a great summer album. Just imagine any of these songs performed live ndjansns

lol don't feel too bad about it! honestly they weren't that bad + i can always delete asks if i really don't want to answer them, i just always get a bit paranoid that things will get out of hand so i may end up getting more serious in those situations OTL

and yeah i agree! i don't think it's a bad thing for groups to promote in the US, as you said, it's similar to groups expanding their fanbase by promoting in china or Japan or other asian counties, it makes sense from a business standpoint and there's nothing wrong with promoting in different countries. i just wish that some kpop stans understood that western and/or global popularity is a bonus and not a requirement for success. while they do have a global appeal, at the end of the day kpop's main audience is korea, and groups that achieve popularity in Korea have already achieved what they set out to do. but there's unfortunately a decent chunk of international fans that prioritize western popularity over anything and can't fathom that a group can be successful without being popular in the US. or they just talk as if their groups western achievements are more valuable than their Korean ones and to me that starts to look like xenophobia... (sorry if I'm repeating anything i said before in regards to this, i feel like i am but I'm too lazy to go back and check OTL)

since you sent this ask hybe released the caratland merch which was actually really nice, and today they also announced that there will be birthday merch for cheol (and presumably all members from here on out). we don't know what the bday merch is yet but some carats are already a bit miffed that hybe is even thinking to capitalize off the boys' birthdays... i bring both of these up bc i feel like the caratland merch proves your point that hybe is capable of designing good and thoughtful merch, and honestly this does reassure me a bit. but on the other hand them trying to capitalize off the boys' birthdays also proves that they still don't fully understand carats wants and priorities as a fanbase. which, if the future of seventeens merch is gonna be quality merch with some shitty cash grabs in between, i can live with that. I'm not gonna like the shitty cash grabs and i think it would be in our best interest as a fandom to not go crazy buying those shitty cash grabs, because if we don't then hybe will hopefully stop wasting their time and put more effort into /quality/. but if we get quality merch for important events like concerts and fanmeetings, i can live with it. as you said too, it can take time for these things to change, and we should all recognize that. but at the same time merch specifically is market driven, so i don't think it's a bad thing if people like @ hybe on twt about any bad merch that comes out in order to drive that change dhfkfj

but also on a maybe more fun note in regards to the merch... with some carats being upset about the bday merch i was thinking about what hybe could do for merch instead that would fill the niche of being at intervals throughout the year that could still be limited time drops but that carats wouldn't be mad at them capitalizing on and then i was like duh! they could literally just make merch off of going seventeen! honestly I'm surprised they haven't yet. maybe not merch for every episode, but they could have a line of permanent gose merch w a basic logo or something and then release limited time merch themed around some of the more popular episodes at various points during the year. I'm actually kind of obsessed with this idea now and for once I'm like hybe/pledis please capitalize off of this!! dhfkgjg

they never actually sold them, but for seventeens 3rd anniversary, pledis planned to sell replicas of seventeens rings. after it was announced carats were understandably upset since the boys worked so hard for those. luckily pledis heard carats concerns and put out an apology and didn't manufacture them in the end. I'm glad that at least they listened to carats even though it would have been better if they had never considered the idea in the first place :(

oh yeah listening parties are definitely just another marketing technique to boost streams. i think like with a lot of marketing techniques, it just depends on the execution. imo if they're done well it can be a good way for fans to connect while listening to an artists music, which is mutually beneficial for the company, but i can totally see a situation where companies get greedy and push it too hard. i don't know anything about what happened with them back in the day, but if you're curious why SVT had listening parties leading up to your choice, they were set up by UMG, the American distributor that SVT worked with for this cb. in this case the listening parties weren't just for boosting streams, but also likely for UMG to gauge interest. SVT isn't officially signed to a US label yet, but UMG's data from the listening parties could be used to show US labels whether or not there's enough interest for them to be signed. which if that happens we'd almost definitely see a more permanent US shop!

ahh yes, once you're ready I'm sure it would be great to have another bunny companion 🥺

yes! heavens cloud and gam3 bo1 are both such feel good songs! my sister actually added heavens cloud to their Spotify after i made them listen to the album in the car dhfkf it's now one of 6 kpop songs they have saved (4 of which are SVT... my influence 💅 DHFJFH) I'm certain we'll see some of the songs from your choice at caratland this year, hopefully it's all of them but I'd especially like to see heavens cloud and wave 👀 I'm also still crossing my fingers for an i wish live performance bc i can't believe my favorite SVT b-side is one of the TWO tracks they haven't performed live not including the new album (the other one being network love, which i would also like to see live!)

[writers-leir]

soulmate!joshua

i know i’ve been mia for like a while and i’m sooososo sorry i promised to update earlier since i came back from china but i got lazy and then suddenly i was moving into res and ;;;;im so sorry;;i hope this makes up for it

okoKokOKOK SO

soulmate!joshua!!!

cool cool so basically in this au world everyone receives a compass on their 13th birthday

and it’s supposed to point towards your soulmate no matter what

like if you pass them on the street it’ll go crazy for a bit but then point back and be like ‘hey bud you missed them’

and of course there are those stories you hear of how person A is on the plane going somewhere and suddenly their compass goes crazy cause person B was on a plane going in the opposite direction

or the ones about how someone’s compass starts going crazy,,,,,and just doesn’t stop cause their soulmate had passed or something

and absolutely no one knows where these compasses come from like people have stayed awake all night just to try and catch the person

but when they open their mailboxes the next day the compass is there,,,,,even if no one walked by

and oh god if that didn’t scare you half to death as a kid

it was basically the perfect scenario for a horror movie,,,,,,except for the fact that everyone got one, no matter what

when you get yours you instantly do what every other kid did when they got theirs,,,,,,,,you walked in the direction your compass pointed

and,,,as most other people who do that,,,you don’t find your soulmate (you later meet a friend who actually found their soulmate that way,,,,,but that was only cause her soulmate happened to be her neighbor’s middle son)

your parents helped you make the compass into a necklace

you wear it on you everywhere; to school, to outings with friends, even to dates

and you always wore it facing you, so that anyone who saw it would just believe that it was a simple necklace

the only people who actually know you wear it on you are close friends and family,,,,,,cause you just find it so tiring when people ask about it,,,,,which they always do once they see you wear it as a necklace

you’ve heard all the comments

“oh, you are so dedicated to your soulmate! that’s so sweet” or “i see you haven’t found your soulmate yet” or even “you’re never going to find a date if you keep parading around with it”

and you’ve become tired of explaining why your parents went through the trouble of making it a necklace,,,,,,,,it’s because your dad lost his and the only reason he found your mom was cause she asked him to not move,,,while she walked in a circle around him

and you,,,,definitely are not as brave and straightforward as your mom so you didn’t want to risk it

meanwhile,,,,joshua, as an idol, is not allowed to have his compass on him

after debuting, each of the members wrote their names onto the back of the compass in permanent marker,,,,,,and then handed it to their managers

while most idols aren’t allowed to take it out of their bags in public places,,,,there were some whose companies refused to let them even hold onto it

some are lucky enough to have met their soulmate before debuting (and joshua really doesn’t mean to feel jealous but wonwoo literally walked into a bookstore and came back with a soulmate three months before they debuted)

they were only allowed to have their compass when they returned to their dorms,,,,,which seungkwan and mingyu both took advantage of and regularly snuck out to get a drink and hopefully bump into their soulmate if they were lucky enough

none of the other members actually believe that they’ll bump into their soulmate,,,,,,until they come back one day and seungkwan has one extra phone number in his contacts

since seungkwan no longer has any reason to sneak out at night, mingyu starts asking the other guys if they wanted to go with him (even though seungkwan had felt really bad about it and said that he could still go out)

seungcheol rejects his offer, saying that he has to make sure the dorms don’t burn down when vernon decides that he’s hungry and wants to eat instant noodles

minghao says he would rather leave it up to fate,,,and says he hopes one day his soulmate will attend a fanmeet

when mingyu turns to joshua, the only other person in the room, he figured that joshua would also say no,,,,but it was worth a try right?

to everyone’s surprise,,,,,he says yes,,,,,,,,,

and at first he was a bit confused on what mingyu and seungkwan did during their adventures

but then he finds out that they just went to different cafes at different times of the night,,,,and they always got something to eat or drink (it was a good way to find the good cafes too)

it’s not like they weren’t trying to find their soulmates,,,,,,they just,,,,,kinda let fate run its course

and joshua can’t say that he’s at all disappointed because mingyu took him to the small cafe on the second floor on the corner,,,,,and he was extremely surprised with how nice it was

the cafe only opened at night, for the students who needed a place to study,,,because everyone knew that trying to study at your own place almost always ended up not working

the cafe was designed really nicely, with beige walls and hanging plants, and a bookshelf pushed to one side with beanbags and sofas for reading

and all the items on the menu were good too

the takeout cups were all different, made from recycled paper and cardboard

they were of different colors, and also had cute prints and drawings on them (the baristas had plenty time on their hands most of the time before exam season, so they liked to draw on the cups)

and even if you ordered to stay at the cafe, the foam art is always so cute and unique

joshua ends up really really liking the cafe so he decides to go back there every few nights when they’re not busy

and while he hasn't met his soulmate yet,,,,,he’s not that worried he’s just there to get a drink and snack and enjoy the quietness of the place

the baristas already knew mingyu from when he went with seungkwan so they’re kinda shocked that joshua went this time,,,,,and eventually they get used to it

so,,,,you’re a broke student,,,and uni isn't cheap so,,,,somehow you have to find a job, right?

and since your classes are always in the morning and afternoon, you have to find a night job

and!!!the cafe just so happens to be hiring

your shifts are fine, they’re nothing too extreme

you get to work at 8 and then leave at 2 tuesdays, thursdays and fridays and then wednesdays you have a 5-11 shift since your last class ends at 2 in the afternoon

the staff are all super nice, they’re always helping you out if you don’t know how to do something

and the manager also lets you have breaks if the cafe isn’t busy along with the breaks that you already have throughout the shift

you’ve noticed that the cafe attracts two general types of customers

the first ones are,,,,like you,,,,stressed students who need coffee to continue studying through the night

and the second ones are night owls who enjoy the peace and quiet the night offers compared to the bustling chatter of the day

unfortunately, you’re not allowed to wear your compass during the shift due to certain rules

one day when you’re doing an 8-2 shift you notice two people walking in wearing hats while the cafe is empty

you’re working the register so you take their order and their name and you,,,,,swear that you’ve heard the names joshua and mingyu somewhere but you just can’t put a finger on it

it’s only when your coworker tells you that they’ve been coming in less often, probably because they’re busy with recordings and practices, etc.. that it clicks,,,,where you’ve heard the name before

they were from the new group,,,,seventeen,,,,and you’re about to ask your coworker about it when she lifts a finger to her mouth, shushing you, and winks

you glance over every now and then because,,,,those are idols,,just sitting at the cafe you were working at

and you notice them whispering to each other, mingyu is gesturing with his hands while joshua shushes him every few seconds

you don’t have your compass on you so you don’t see it go crazy when joshua and mingyu walked in, before pointing directly at joshua

but,,,,they notice,,,,and mingyu’s trying to get joshua to go talk to you but he’s not having it because you have not had a reaction and that obviously means you aren’t his soulmate

this goes on for a few weeks, every time it quiets down in the cafe during your shift, joshua and mingyu walk in, order their drinks, sit down, and whisper to each other while gesturing

and every time before they leave joshua sends you a smile and a small wave and you,,,,,don’t understand the meaning of that but you smile and wave back because your parents raised you better

one day though, mingyu has enough, because he just can’t understand why joshua would not want to go talk to his soulmate when they’re right there

so he walks up to the counter and asks your coworker where you are

you’re actually on break, so you’re in the back checking your phone, messaging your roommate to ask her if she wanted anything from the cafe since she had an exam coming up

your coworker comes in and really excitedly pulls you by the arm and you’re like what,,,,do you want,,,,?

a minute later you’re standing in front of mingyu, with the counter separating you two and you only just realize how tall he is

mingyu’s grinning and bouncing like an overexcited puppy when you ask him what he needs, were the drinks not to their satisfaction? did you accidentally make the wrong thing?

he points to joshua and straight up says “he’s your soulmate”

and you’re kinda like hahhaha,,,,,funny joke,,,,,and mingyu frowns at this so he asks you where your compass is

you tell him the rules state no one is allowed to have their compass on their person while working, and you’d need permission from your manager

and,,,of course your manager says yes because this is joshua he’s the sweetest boy in the entire world no one can say no to him,,,,even if it’s indirectly

you grab your compass and as you’re walking out behind the counter you realize that you’re shaking because oh my god you were going to meet your soulmate and he’s joshua he’s an idol

joshua looks just as nervous if not even more and it makes you kinda laugh a little

and so the both of you put your compasses on the table face down, deciding to flip it over on a count of three

and you don’t think you’d ever be able to describe the feeling you got when you both turned your compasses over,,,,,and they were pointing to each other

of course mingyu makes joshua walk around you once, and then makes you walk around joshua once just to be 100% sure

and even before you’ve checked,,,,you and joshua already know that you’re soulmates

joshua asks you when your shift ends and you tell him that you have another hour before you can leave

but your manager (along with the rest of your coworkers who have been listening from behind the counter) tell you to go home already and get to know your soulmate a little bit

and joshua’s super sweet about it

he asks if you would be okay with him walking you home and of course you say yes!

you quickly grab a black coffee for your roommate (she was pulling an all-nighter) before grabbing your coat and leaving with joshua

mingyu’s already left for the dorms, and so you’re left walking with him alone

but it’s not awkward in any way

you both fall into conversation pretty easily, him asking you about your studies and you asking him about his work

when you arrive at your apartment you ask for his number,,,,and he sort of pouts because he wanted to ask you for your number first but )): it’ll do )):

you go into your apartment super excited and hand your roommate the coffee (she raises an eyebrow at how you’re so excited and why you’re home early but doesn’t question it) before jumping onto your bed and looking at the contact number that you had just saved

and joshua is doing the same as he enters the dorms, ignoring the knowing looks and winks that the rest of the members send him

the next day, as you’re leaving for a family lunch, you put your necklace back on, but this time you have it facing outwards

and when your aunt tells you (again) that you’ll never find a date if you do that, you tell her that you don’t need to anymore, and that you’re extremely happy with your soulmate

(you leave that lunch almost more satisfied about the shocked looks on your family’s faces than when you tell the story to joshua later that night)