#how to find a music producer online

[insertdisc5]

game development question, howd you get the music for your games done/find musicians to work with? what was the process like and how hard was it?

id love to make a game of my own some day, but the scariest part of that to me is the music because i can learn to code and i can already draw, but music just seems. a bit too hard

thank you in advance ^^ sorry if you already answered this somewhere

this is perfectly timed because we're almost done with our search for a composer for project ts!

tldr: just get someone to do it for you. you don't have to do everything.

for isat, i was already in contact with Lindar from my first game Serre! I think I was just saying on twitter that music was hard, and Lindar DM'd me with some samples, so she was hired on the spot lol

as for project ts, Amazing Producer Dora put a few posts out on social media (twitter and linkedin iirc?) asking if people would be interested, and we got a good chunk of answers.

looking for musicians yourself and asking for their availability would work too!

as for what you'll need imo, your budget is the most important to figure out imo. How much can you spend on this? Songs are usually X$/song, or X$/minute of song. Look for rates online! Or ask them for a quote! Or just tell them "i have this amount of money what can i get for this"!!! Also you need to know when you'll need this by. Give them a deadline! Even if the deadline is something you work on together later!

After that, how many songs do you need from them? It doesnt need to be COMPLETELY set in stone, but try and keep to it. Give them moods-- you probably would need a title song, a happy song, a sad song, a tense song, a "walking around" song, and go from there.

And then, the Mood. You don't need to know EXACTLY what you want, but just something to get them started! Or at the very least, have a primer with the story/look of it, and a couple of mood words, and let them do what they're good at. Don't stress too much about not knowing music words, so far I've worked with musicians who don't mind me just going "this needs more oomph" lol, but every musician is different!

for reference, this is the sheet i gave Lindar for ISAT's soundtrack:

those are my thoughts as a person who hires composers, i'd be curious to know what composers think!

[louisupdates]

With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to an end, Billboard has been looking back on the 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the Past 25 Years. Below, we take a deeper look into the solo career of Louis Tomlinson — one of the members of our No. 22 pop stars, One Direction — and how his songwriting, originally honed in 1D, has helped him develop into one of the group’s strongest breakout artists.

When One Direction officially went on hiatus in 2015, Zayn Malik dropped Mind of Mine in 2016, Harry Styles’ eponymous LP dropped in 2017, Niall Horan followed with Flicker later that year and Liam Payne’s First Time EP arrived in 2018. Louis Tomlinson, however, took his time with releasing a full project – and entered an era of healing and self-discovery that saw him realizing his potential as one of 1D’s most self-actualized artists, even if not necessarily the starriest.

Even before going solo, Tomlinson showed he was meant for breakthrough success while in One Direction. Longtime Directioners know that Tomlinson wrote more songs in One Direction than any other member, penning long standing hits including “Perfect,” “History” and “Fool’s Gold” and proving his fortitude as a songwriter who understands lyrical cleverness and crafting the indescribably catchy refrains necessary to produce arena-ready hits. Beyond his musical abilities, Tomlinson’s sense of humor and friendship with fellow 1D members also ensured fans had a soft spot for him.

However, when he did go solo, the road was slippery at first. He teamed up with Steve Aoki for his first solo release “Just Hold On” in December 2016, and just three days before its release, Tomlinson’s mother died of leukemia. He still took the stage to perform the song on The X Factor, the first public testament to the star’s strength and dedication to his musical craft.

Tomlinson’s resilience amid adversity continued as he navigated the music industry. The star signed with Epic Records in 2017 and released a few singles – including “Miss You” and the Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals-assisted “Back to You.” While the infectious hooks to both tracks could have easily solidified Tomlinson as a pop mainstay, the two singles didn’t perform as well as expected on the charts: “Just Hold On” peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “Back to You” hit No. 40, while “Miss You” missed the chart altogether. Ultimately, a full-length album never materialized with Epic Records.

Tomlinson shortly got back on his feet, as he always does, and signed with Arista Records in 2019 – where he honed his talent as a songwriter, this time feeling comfortable enough to tackle more vulnerable topics in his music. His first release under the label was “Two of Us,” a heart-wrenching tribute to his late mother. “I know you’ll be looking down/ Swear I’m gonna make you proud/ I’ll be living one life for the two of us,” he sings in the chorus, giving a glimpse into what would soon become a musical career full of honesty and vulnerability.

Unfortunately, shortly after its release, another hardship struck Tomlinson’s life when his 18-year-old sister Fizzy died of an accidental overdose. Both the release of “Two of Us” and the tragedy that followed showed just how close Tomlinson’s community of fans is, as they showered him with online love and support in the months that followed.

After taking some much-deserved time to heal, he announced in August of that year that his debut solo album was on its way – and shortly after, he released a follow-up single, the rock-leaning, drumline-driven “Kill My Mind.” Tomlinson admitted that he finally found his stride. “I’m actually really proud and relieved to finally find my place, find my lane musically,” he told Hits Radio Breakfast at the time, indicating a moment of relief amid his turbulent few years.

Tomlinson’s debut solo album, Walls, arrived in January 2020 and while it hit the Billboard 200‘s top 10, it was met with mixed reviews from critics, who suggested that the heart he wanted to portray wasn’t quite there. His growth outside of commercial success proved otherwise, as he had been spending the past few years building a solid identity not only as an artist, but also as a person. While some of the other One Direction alums are still finding their footing with their solo sounds to this day, Tomlinson grew strongly into an instrumentation-focused pop-rock artist whose lyrics go beyond the cookie cutter sentiments you might expect from a former boy band member.

And soon, all the hard work – both personally and musically – finally paid off. Faith in the Future, his 2022 sophomore solo album, debuted at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. In the United States, Faith In The Future debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, and at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200, his highest-charting set yet on both tallies. The album’s success, as well his sold-out live shows on its accompanying tour, not only showed the still-standing Directioner devotion to Tomlinson, but also made it clear that he picked up a slew of new fans along the way.

Tomlinson’s self-awareness was evident on the album’s lead single, “Bigger Than Me.” “When somebody told me I would change/ I was afraid, I don’t know why/ ‘Cause so does the world outside, I’ve realized/ It’s bigger than me,” he sings – indicating that the key for solo success all along was being himself, and letting go of the pressure that fame brings.

While Tomlinson has still yet to score the major chart hits stateside that his 1D bandmates essentially achieved right away – and has been more focused on his 28 clothing line the past couple years – he’s proven that he doesn’t need traditional pop crossover success to have a bright future ahead of him. With another couple albums and tours that continue to establish his identity and expand his artistry, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him making the jump to arenas in the not-distant future. Louis’ solo career may not have gotten off to the perfect start, but it just might end up being perfect for him in the long-term anyway.

[xstevex-world]

Steve Harrington’s favourite musician has been the same since he was 17.

He distinctly remembers hearing Chrissy Cunningham play in his car radio during his senior year, subsequently listening to nothing but her breakout EP for a week straight - and that was just the beginning.

He followed all of work for over the past 7 years: bought physical and digital copies of all her albums, watched every music video multiple times, read every interview, saved up enough while working weekend shifts at scoops to get tickets to her sold out shows in Indiana - he had so much merch that Jonathan Byers once joked that Steve could probably make a shrine to his idol.

He had even kept up during her hitatus, almost two full years of radio silence from the star, like she had disappeared off the face of the earth. It wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened, but it didn’t help that it overlapped with him dropping out of business school to pursue a career in cosmetology and that final falling out he had with his father over his choice in education.

The day she came back felt like Christmas.

Her comeback announcement dropped on June 13th - and it wasn’t just a new post on social media or a candid shot online someone managed to snap.

It was a whole EP drop, 4 entire songs (and a music video) that he knew he was going to play on repeat after 716 days of radio silence.

That opened the floodgates for everything to start again: she went back on social media, thanked her fans for their wholehearted response to her new releases. She started doing interviews again: discussing her mental health and the impact of her mothers control in her life; her reunion with her best friend (and apparent ex) from high school; her label dropping her after it was found that her “momager” had embezzled a huge amount of money from said company, releasing her from her contract early and allowing her to find new partners, new producers, new projects.

She talks about how she’s never been happier, and Steve can’t help but beam at it. He can hear it in her music, how it’s going more against the grain of what’s popular, opting instead for etherial synths mixed with heavy guitars. She sings about heartbreak and moving on and being better than then the people who brought her down for long, now that she’s starting fresh.

Steve loves it, thinks some of the changes have something to with Eddie Munson’s name appearing in the credits of all her new material.

Truthfully, he got curious after someone on Twitter posted a screengrab of cameos made by Munson and his own bandmates in all of her new music videos. He thankful someone else made the connection, and although he’s not the biggest fan of Corroded Coffin’s music (apart from the collaboration EP they did with Chrissy: “CCxCC presents Satanic Slumber Party”, that was incredible), he would lying if he didn’t say he was totally enamoured by Eddie goddamn Munson.

Let alone the fact that he’s totally Steve’s type (big hair, bigger eyes, a complete dork with a heart of gold but who also looks like he would bite someone in both a feral dog and a “please take me to your bedroom right now” kind of way), the guy is a genius when it comes to music, spending interviews talking about the process of artistry and the importance of storytelling - even when they’re discussing songs about him, written by Chrissy about their break up, he’s still so passionate and witty, the two of them spending interviews bouncing off each other in a way that would rival his relationship Robin.

He’s fine, really, he knows logically this is just a celebrity crush that will pass if he stops thinking about it for long enough, but he’s certain that this could develop into one of those all encompassing obsessions if he doesn’t curb it now- and that’s exact what he does. He tries to put that energy into school, excelling more than he ever did in an academic setting. He meets up more often with Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle and Barb, inviting them over more often for dinner or drinks, sometimes even just because he wants to make a breakfast feast and need someone else to eat it.

It’s at times like this that he misses Robin, who only has about 6 weeks left of her internship in Paris - he hasn’t seen her in person since he went to visit her a few months ago during spring break. He wishes she was her to openly judge him over this, before rambling on about her own current hyperfixation or moaning about her lack of romantic adventures since she and Vickie broke up.

They still talk on the phone every afternoon (nighttime for her), ranting to each other about their perspective day and sharing any worthwhile gossip.

Tonight’s no different, he’s telling her about the current drama happening in his classes when Robin says:

“I met someone today.”

He’s ecstatic - in his opinion robin deserves the world and the fact she’s met someone on her own in a city where she has been finding it hard interacting with people outside of her placement is a miracle in itself.

She tells him more: how she met this girl that morning at café, acting as a knight in shining armour (Robin’s words, not Steve’s) when the girl got flustered trying to order her coffee in broken French; how she spent the day showing this girl around to her favourite shops and parks and museums; how they spent hours talking about everything and nothing; how Robin hasn’t felt this way about someone since Vickie.

“So then we had dinner at that Italian place, the one I took you to, and, Steve, oh my goddess, she has the cutest little laugh-“

“Did you get her name?”

“Oh, sorry” he can hear her move the phone from one ear to the other. “Yeah it’s Chrissy.”

Steve stops his pacing. That would be one hell of a coincidence, if it was Chrissy Cunningham. She is playing in Paris the following night, the penultimate stop of her current tour. (The very show that he had been tempted to go to, since he could stay with Robin. It absolutely wasn’t because Corroded Coffin was joining her for the European leg of the tour - acting as her band, as well as performing songs from their collaboration as the encore - something that did not happen at any of the American shows). It couldn’t be the same Chrissy that Robin had fallen head over heels for in the space of a few hours, right?

“Did you get any of her socials?” He asks, cautiously.

“Nope,” she answers, popping the p for emphasis. “I didn’t think to ask, because I’m an idiot and all that-“

“Robs,” he interrupts, trying to keep his voice steady. “You’re not an idiot.”

Her hears her laugh on the other end of the line, the same kind of self-deprecating giggle she uses when she’s nervous. He wishes he was there with her so she could see him roll his eyes at her, their main way of communicating their love.

“What did she look like?”

“Oh!” She exclaims as he hears her tumbling over something (knowing Robin, probably herself). “We took a picture together, hold on, I’ll send it over.”

His phone vibrates against his ear, so he brings it in front of him, putting Robin on speaker so he can see the photo.

And.

Holy fuck.

“Robin,” he says slowly, because he actually can’t believe it himself. “Do you know who that is?”

((Part 2))

[saey707]

I SEE YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN "HEARTSTEEL" I LOVE THEIR INTERACTIONS ON TWITTER AND EVERYTHING (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA) It's cool, just cool :') Well, the point is... could you do a Yone x fangirl!reader? (I've been thinking about an anonymous online friendship and then a BIG surprise when they just meet face to face) Anyway, have a good day <3 -🍄

✿ Prompt: You have a chance encounter with Yone ✿

♡ champion focus: yone ♡ tw: none! ♡ Gender-neutral reader

Author’s Note: YES HELLOOO! ૮₍´｡ᵔ ꈊ ᵔ｡`₎ა Thanks so much for requesting! I tried my best to get the premise of your idea in, but I did make some changes to improve the flow of the short and make it more authentic! Hope you enjoy! ૮₍˶ •. • ⑅₎ა ♡

You and Yone met through an online board long before he went off the grid- hell, you met long before Yone even became legendary!

While it wasn't the conventional way to meet someone, you couldn't help but become fascinated by him and all the discussions he participated in. It's not every day you meet a (kind) man so invested in the history of Japanese warriors, DJ'ing, cold brew, and meditating!

You've never met Yone in person, but you figured from his messages alone he was either an old man or a kind soul... Even both. Every email Yone sent you was well punctuated and wise. He always knew exactly what to say, to an extent where you didn't know if he was just researching everything he was telling you or was telling you something based on his life experiences!

The day Yone sent a photo to you was the day you were convinced he was an old man now. It was clear that the photo was printed when he took a picture of it. His long, black hair was neatly kept, and he stood tall and sharp in a suit... Not to mention, there were orbs on the edge of the photo, and his eyes were as red as a demon!

You knew, eventually, your anonymous pen pal would stop replying one day, but it still hurt all the same. For years, you wondered if Yone was okay. You wondered where he was now, what amazing things he was doing. You wondered if one day he would ever email you back again... You wondered if he was dead.

"Hey, Warrior! I know it's been a few years since we last spoke. I know you won't respond, and I don't carry any grudges against you for it. I just can't help but wonder: How have you been? Were you ever able to get that red motorcycle you wanted? Are you still DJ'ing?"

That was the first email in years you sent to him... And you couldn't help but find some comfort in having a one-sided conversation. In a way, it felt like it healed the past few years you were left wondering and waiting.

"Hi, Warrior! You won't believe what happened yesterday: I finally got myself to meditate for 30 minutes straight! I'm still not sure how you can do it for an hour, but maybe someday I can get just as good as you. Hope you respond soon. I miss you!"

It became a regular habit for you to email him, even knowing you would never get a response. But maybe someday he'll be able to see what's going on in your life. Maybe someday, he'll open up his emails and respond to you... It's just wishful thinking.

"Have you seen the new band going viral? They're called Heartsteel! Their producer has the same name as you and even rides a red motorcycle in the music video! Isn't that cool? I know it isn't you, but at the very least I can imagine that it is you. I can imagine it's you out there doing great things with great people. And maybe it makes sense to me now why you won't respond. But just know I'm proud of you. No matter what you're doing out there. I'll email you again in a few days. Bye, Yone."

You sent the email, shutting your laptop now.

Waiting in line for a cold brew, it came as a surprise to you when you saw a man in front of you looking down at his phone, not even realizing that the line had already cut down to his turn to order.

You waited a few seconds... Then another. Then another.

Soon enough, you were annoyed. "Uhh, hey?! It's your turn to order..!" You tapped the man's shoulder, watching as he turned his head to you, confused as he shook himself from the alternate dimension his head was just in.

Your eyes widened as you stared at him for a moment, taking in the intricate details of his face. You recognized the sharp look in his eyes. You were familiar with the shape of his jawline. From the moment you got a good look at him, you knew it was him.

And while it seemed as if he didn't recognize you, the moment you spoke, his eyes lit up. It was you.

"Warrior?"

"Deer..."

[niteshade925]

April 11, Xi'an, China, Xi'an City Museum/西安博物院 (Part 1):

Since I didn't take pictures of all the plaques, and some of these artifacts can be near impossible to look up, I will not attempt to name all of them.

The entrance to the Xi'an City Museum, also called 西安市博:

Xi'an city used to be called Chang'an/长安, and was the capital city of 13 different dynasties, including Qin dynasty, Han dynasty, and Tang dynasty. This is a (pretty big) model of Chang'an city in Tang dynasty, including parts of the palace:

Various Buddhist statues from different dynasties:

And a statue of Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) that's in a pose I've never seen before:

Stone column with a loong dragon and clouds carved upon it:

I didn't take a picture of the plaque, but if I remember right this is a bixi/笔洗, or a small bowl containing water where you rinse your brush, and in this case it's fashioned from jade:

A carved jade decor (from a belt?):

A Qing dynasty jade zhaijie/斋戒 tag. Zhaijie is usually translated as "fasting", but it's more than that, it combines temporary dietary restrictions (definitely no meat or fish/seafood or alcohol, I'm not sure about animal products) and abstinence from a variety of activities, like enjoying feasts, entertainment, and working on official business. Those in mourning may be exempt from zhaijie. This tag was worn by officials when there were major national ceremonies going on, for example the annual ceremonies at Temple of Heaven/Tiantan/天坛 where the emperor prays for rain and a good harvest, as a reminder to observe the zhaijie rules during the ceremony:

Painting from Republic era (1946). I can literally read everything on the upper left but the name of the painter.........................sigh. Can't find it online either. Anyway I love how the painter created depth here:

This painting is by Qing era painter Zhang Qia/张洽 in 1787. I love the brushwork:

Totally forgot to take a picture of the plaque, but I love this calligraphy:

Bronze ritual wine vessel (called hé/盉) with phoenix head spout, from Warring States period (475 - 221 BC):

Bronze wine vessel (called jué/爵), if I remember right, this is from Zhou dynasty (1046 - 256 BC):

Bronze bells, part of a bianzhong/编钟 set. Although pentatonic scale has been seen as a key characteristic of traditional Chinese music, the bianzhong can play in heptatonic scale. And for the physics lovers out there, this kind of bell is very interesting in that the cross section is almond-shaped, and a single bell can produce two different tones depending on where it is struck. The protrusions on the bell (called mei/枚 or zhongru/钟乳) apparently affect the frequency of the sound produced as well.

The Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng (曾侯乙编钟) is the oldest playable set that has been found so far, discovered in the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng (died 430 BC). A full album was recorded with this ancient bianzhong set in 1989.

Early currency....yep these are shells. This is the reason why Chinese characters with the shell radical (贝/貝) usually have to do with money or treasure (ex: 财, 寶, 购, 赎, etc etc):

Different coins from different states in the Warring States period:

Different coins and molds after Qin dynasty (the weirdly shaped ones are apparently all from Xin dynasty/新莽):

Different seal stamps. I love the one with the turtle on it

[lilyliveredlittlerichboy]

it's time now. it's time to imagine the brightest future you can, and talk about it.

a future where people only work 8 hours a week and everyone's basic needs are met. a future where we are more connected to nature and eat seasonal, local produce. a future where you look out for your neighbours and they look out for you. a future where you actually know who your neighbours are. a future where everyone is just a lot more relaxed and able to do whatever they want to do - this 8 hour working week has given people their lives back and now they're able to make community events, work in community gardens, sing and dance and spend time with their kids, play whatever sport they want, travel, read, create art and music.

People are interacting with each other in good faith again because money as an ulterior motive has all but disappeared. Cus you see a few decades ago they made profits illegal. All money has to be put back into the company and CEOs can take home a salary only, no bonuses and it can't be more than 3x what the lowest paid employee makes. You can go to jail if your company is found to make profits, advertise on a large scale or pay its high ranking members more than what's allowed.

Jail still exists but mostly people go in for financial crimes (greed still exists); drugs are decriminalised and available to use safely. people are not as desperate now so there's been a massive reduction of violent and petty crime and most of the people who still do this are teenagers who get away with a slap on the wrist. police are not armed anymore and are heavily penalised if they abuse their power or hurt a civilian, and their role is more that of mediator, signposter (to community services, social services, and free and accessible healthcare including for mental health) and security. together with the former military they make up an "emergency task force" which are called upon in times of need and crisis, for floods, fires, other such disasters.

the stock market completely collapsed after profits were made illegal and people had to find other ways to figure out what a company was worth: such as how they treat their staff or how accessible their processes are. as a result of this, as well as more widespread disability thanks to Covid and an ageing population, accessibility is fucking incredible now. most places are accessible to the vast majority of disabled people even without them having to ask for a single thing. If they have to ask, accommodations are made quickly and without fuss and this is completely normal now. disabled people are more visible than ever in public life and this has led to a generally kinder, more tolerant public life.

Everything is slower now. Social media as we know it died decades ago and Internet 4.0 is efficient, will find you accurate answers and the websites you're looking for very easily and fast. there's monopoly laws restricting how large companies operate online. online ads are all but illegal - there's "phone book" esque pages where you can promote your business or service and that's allowed but not anywhere else. Lots of people are still annoying and some of them are still cruel but overall living together as humans has gotten so much more chill. We've tackled climate change and reversed much of it, now it's a global day of mourning whenever a species is found to be extinct through human intervention. these days used to happen much more frequently but it's very rare these days. Most everyone gets the day off and is encouraged to read about the lost species or hold themed funerals. Globally everything has gotten better - there's much more global equality now after a bunch of western/formerly colonising countries almost self destructed and then instead decided to own up for colonialism, pay reparations to a lot of countries in Africa Asia and Latin America, as well as indigenous nations of North America, Oceania, even in Europe. The USA doesn't exist anymore instead its a whole host of separate nations all managed by the native people whose land it is. The UK doesn't exist anymore. England is still sad about it but Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Cornwall are called Cymru, Alba, Eire and Kernow again and they've formed a Celtic Union for better collective bargaining power in the EU (which still exists, somehow. Its better now. England may still be out of the EU I'm not sure). Migration is common and foreigners are welcomed into any country with open arms.

I may try to write something about this. I have a vision for a future and it's so lovely. Here, on earth, with the starting point being now. We have a lot to work with and only a few changes could make such a difference. Demilitarisation, UBI and maximum working hours, greedy financial practices made illegal. Conservation and education on local plants and nature and food. Community building on every level. Giving people their lives back.

This is all extremely possible. If it were up to me, very little in society would be left unchanged but it would all be people friendly changes. changes that aim to support the poorest and most marginalised, changes that aim to punish greed and exploitation. It's a work in progress of course. But I have a vision for a better world and dammit if I'm not going to share it with you.

[ioniansunsets]

may i please have some heartsteel yone/f!reader? i haven't seen much of my beloved producer 🥺

✖ Heartsteel!Yone x Reader ✖

✖ Word Count: 2k

✖ Tags: Long Term Established R/S

✖ A/N: You get together with Yone 10 years ago in Japan. HC Yone as someone who started out DJ-ing at clubs before outgrowing the scene and fading to obscurity online before Heartsteel picked him up.

----  Meeting Him ----

- You met him back in Japan, back when you visited clubs and actually managed to catch his DJ-ing before he quit. It was underground but it was unique. Experimental stuff that just somehow still sounded so damn good to you. You found yourself drawn to him and eventually going up to talk to him during a break between sets. He fell in love with you shortly after, he had a small but loyal fanbase and having someone like you appear at every single one of his performances really weakened the walls around his heart.

- You spent college dropping by any of Yone's appearances throughout your fall quarter and as school went on and as winter break came over, you finally found the time and energy to hang around and visit his other appearances too. Some fun mall gigs, cute online streams in the day, even managing to land a dj-ing gig at a local dance competition. You could tell it was hard, he had a distinctive style that was as much a pro as it was a con and eventually he faded away from performing at all in person.

- It was his 'Final Performance' so the speak. That late night in the club, a drink in hand, bright smiles as you had fun with you friends while watching the elusive masked dj on his little stage. It was his final performance. Now or never to confess your love for both him and his music, your nerves straight ice as the night slowly drew to a close. Unbeknown to you, he too, felt exactly the same as he watched you from the stand. The passing comments and small conversations the two of you shared over the months left him yearning for something more with you.

- And it was sweet when it finally happened. Uncharacteristically gentlemanly coming from a DJ. You stayed as the club begun to close, Yone walking up to talk to you just like any other time a friendly conversation before he offers you a small giftbag, softly telling you its a personal Christmas gift for his most loyal supporter, telling you to open it when you're home. You thank him, pushing yourself to exchange numbers with him so you can give him feedback when you're home safe. You curse as you miss your chance to confess in the heat of the moment.

- As you return home, you pull a thin package beautifully wrapped in the little bag. You unwrap it to find a homemade mixtape, all of your favorite songs from him paired with special unreleased works that he think you would like. How he even managed to know which were your favorites shocked you honestly. As you look into the bag further a sweet handwritten note confessing his budding love for you neatly written in decorative paper falls out. Poetic words with the neatest handwriting, you could swear the paper itself was scented too. Your heart races as you listen to the CD while reading the pages of his feelings. The first thing you ever messaged him was a cute " Yone, I love you too." Which Yone has graciously screenshotted and looked back on often over the years.

---- Heartsteel / Dating ----

- You two are the loving parents of Heartsteel, the comforting consistency, the caring confidants of the group. There was just something nice about seeing Yone and his partner of almost ten years still going strong in such a stable relationship that causes all the boys to look at you with such respect. You have fun with them all, you work hard late nights supporting Yone and his work, you look out for him as he looked out for you. You were as much part of the gang as he was.

- Surprisingly Yasuo loves you just as much (platonically), he's happy to see Yone just genuinely be so at ease around you, to have someone be there for his brother that can actually make the man relax? You have his approval. After moving on and joining True Damage, Yasuo would worry seeing Yone so alone, so having you appear and provide his brother with such companionship made him happy. Though, Yasuo does tease Yone a lot, every time you meet him he always asks you if Yone has proposed. He can't understand how you two have been together so long yet not gotten married.

- Dates with Yone were always so calming. Bringing you out to hot spring inns during stressful times, inviting you to cute hidden cafes to work together, comforting jamming sessions late night at his place if money was tight. Nothing embarrassingly over to top yet not so casual that you felt like the two of you weren't doing anything special. There was just something about the way he just knows what you need. As the years went by you realized it was just how Yone was, he was an attentive guy and especially so when it came to you.

- Also it was no secret that Yone looked at self care as a priority and slowly you picked up on his little habits too. Simple yet small adjustments to your own habits. The way you two would go through the motions of burning incense and making tea early in the mornings for a quick meditation and mindfulness session. The loving way he would cook healthier meals for you, how he would be the one buying bath and beauty products, how he would motivate you to follow him to Kendo lessons to exercise, how he would leave books filled with comments on post-its around the house for you to read when you had time. The softest part was how he never seemed disappointed even if you said no to any of this, he was caring and patient after all, he'll win you over into self help eventually.

- The biggest change with the new popularity of Heartsteel was seeing the sheer number of fans Yone started to get. You almost forgot what it was like being his fangirl honestly, so used to your life with him after his semi-retirement, it was weird suddenly being thrown back to your college days of being in love with that DJ at the club. Sure things were different, you came home to him, you slept by his side every night, you heard all his music before it was released, but still... There was something about the way your heart thrums as you stand in the audience watching Yone lift his mask to throw you a charming smile. There was something about the way you knew when he laughed softly on stage, when he waves to the fans, when the crowd cheers, that the cool DJ standing up there was all yours. Oh it made you smile just as bright.

---- During Touring Season ----

- Being together for so long had its perks and its downfalls, for one, you two had a really nice house together, a place you truly called home. Little bits of Yone all around you all the time in the way the bed smelt like him, the way you see his drinks in the fridge and his things around the room. As much as it all comforts you when he is away, it all also oh so depressingly reminds you how lonely you are without him. At the least, Yone was a man of conviction and strict schedules, without fail every day at midnight where he is, when the concerts over he would always contact you somehow. Be it a call, a message, and photo. He would always make sure to send you at the very least, something, once a day. Lovingly checking in on you to make sure you were ok.

- Sure you had your own life outside of being his loving girlfriend but yet, being by Yone's side was such a commonplace that the emptiness of the house felt foreign after all these years. Yone did his best to make sure you weren't alone though, leaving little notes hidden around the house for you to find and read, leaving you a playlist to fill his study with music so you could feel like someone was still there. Of course he still called you when he could but there were other things too, like how he kept ordering meals for you, secretly asking your neighbors to keep an eye out to make sure you were safe at night, how he actually sent you postcards so you could have a physical reminder that he was thinking of you. It was all so sweet.

- If you could make it to a concert? You had the VIP treatment, he was very secretive, not really having social media, no one really knew he was in a long term relationship with you. But for Heartsteel? Everyone close to Yone knew who you were. No questions asked, a VIP pass thrust into your hands courtesy of Alune who excitedly dragged you backstage to say hi to your partner before and after the performance.

- During the actual show it was crazy, for someone whose style was so underground it was exciting and certainly different to see how wild the crowd was compared to your hazy memories of small secluded rooms in the fringes of Tokyo all those years back. Heartsteel was good for him you had to admit, seeing him on the international stage, seeing him having so much fun with the other boys, seeing the way he was just glowing with joy when people actually hollered and cheered at his beat drops. A warm bubbling feeling rises up in your chest as you see him smile the way he does around you, only this time it was on the big stage. You knew he was happy with his own small fanbase of loyal stans but you two knew better, a tiny fanbase wouldn't pay the bills, being so wildly loved, being able to make music, his passion, for work. Having so many new people hear the same style of mixing that caught your attention years back and actually love it? Heartsteel was a blessing to you both.

- When you run backstage after the performance to congratulate all the boys on the successful performance Yone stands further back. A warm smile on his face as he pulls off his mask to watch you hug and high five everyone else, a mix of feelings as he watches you talk to his bandmate. As the initial greetings pass, you finally walk up to him, everyone leaving to settle their own post performance maintenance. For Yone, that was a little habit of searching for you and reaching out to pull you into a hug. A habit that he once had all those years back, the nostalgia after every performance always hitting him so hard his usually calm and cool demeanor would crack. The lightest tinge of a blush could be seen rising up to his ears as he finally makes eye contact with you. Slowly he walks over, a hand reaching out to beckon you to come over and hold him.

" You were amazing up on stage, I almost forgot how charming you always looked in the DJ booth."

" And I almost forgot how exciting it was to search for you cheering for me in the crowd. Especially when the crowd is that big."

Yone laughs softly. A deep melodic noise that sends shivers down your spine. Oh the way the corners of his lips curl up, his sparkling emerald eyes gaze down at you. His right hand reaching up, the back of his fingers lightly brushing over your cheeks, pushing your hair back behind your ears.

" Just like old times my love?"

" Just like old times Yone."

Carefully, doing his best to make sure his hair doesn't tickle you, the same hand that pushed your hair back now rises to hold his own messy fringe up as he leans down. Gently, just like always. His lips press against yours. Nothing too affectionate, you two were still in public after all, but still you could feel it, the way the softest kiss from your lover fills your chest with such overwhelming love. As you pull back you look up to see a smile so bright that it causes his eyes to close. Ah, you were truly loved.

[brights-place]

heyyy, if you’re still taking requests, i wanted to ask if you could do a fem kpop troll x john dory (romantic hcs)💕

one more thing…maybe also how he reacts when he finds out that his girlfriend is an (kpop) idol, when he also is an idol🤭

John Dory with an fem! Kpop S/O

Pairings: John dory X Reader

Warnings: None

A/N: This is just some Head-cannons from the K-pop X Reader for John Dory and Branch I have mixed in with the Headcannons for an K-Pop! idol reader（╹◡╹）♡

- You guys met when poppy was inviting the sub genres to pop village to show them pop music since it was their turn to show around the different genres of their style of music

- John dory was suppose to be helping sort out different sub genres when it came to you and the K-pop group he paused and stared at you and your group

- You appearance was gorgeous you had an unique texture to your silver-colored bodies which gives off a glossy rainbow chrome effect - you had an voluminous f/c hair swept to the side above their right eye with a smaller tuft of hair above your left ear and wearing a glossy leotard of matching colors you fit in with your group well but you stood out to him. - Your thick eyeshadow of different colors and how you glowed made him stare at you as Wani tried to get his attention to help sort out the groups - Stared at you as you glanced at him giggling before leaving with your group as John Dory walked over to branch to ask about your group

- “The K-pop group? Oh there just pop but in Korean… it’s horrifying aswell how good they are” Branch mumbled “Thanks Bitty B!” - He saw you again when he was gonna preform to show some of Pop music to you all he noticed how you stared at him the whole time how you smiled and glanced to your K-pop group who nodded together and you all quietly in sync danced abit with the music

- When it was the your groups turn you danced and sang as people screamed and enjoyed your dancing with some screaming the English lyrics of your songs as some stared confused but enjoyed it and how entrancing it was

- John Dory stared at you in awe the whole time smiling thinking you were an small group that just enjoyed dancing unaware you were quite popular in your K-pop genre

- After the show he walked up to you and asked you about yourself to get to know you better while Wani, Ari, Kim-Petit, Gomdori, and Baby Bun were giggling and leaving you two alone - John dory walked over with an smile that made you blush slightly on your slightly shiny skin as you two shook hands "I'm JD it's nice to meet you?" "(name)" you said smiling as he smiled "Your K-pop right?" You nodded as he asked questions and you'd answer them the two of you exchanging information - which soon turned to talking about other music and then turning to your own personal life's and things you likes - You went on an whole rant about your music genre telling him that K-pop was caracterized by catchy hooks, polished choreography, grandiose live performances, and impeccably produced music videos, K-pop including music by groups like BTS and BLACKPINK which where most popular and now frequently tops the Billboard charts, attracts a fiercely dedicated online following while you and your group were bigger then others and famous John dory didn't know that. - That's what made you calm he didn't know you were an Idol like him - You started to bond together and he asked if you can teach him some K-pop dances and he could let you go to all brozone concerts for free

- You were happy the deal worked out be he was even happier that you wanted to g see his concerts

- You two exchanged dances you even taught him your K-pop dance for one of your bands is songs 'Feel My Rhythm' which he loved so much but he didn't know it was your K-pop group - As an surprise he preformed it with his brothers on the concert as he posed and pointed an finger towards you playfully before going back to dancing

- You two would be laughing together back stage as you complimented him so much "John dory you put my bands- I MEAN My favourite bands song in your concert?" John dory smiled "we did an english version you translated it all for me thats why I wrote it down"

- You literally teared up "정말 친절해요!" you exclaimed hugging him as he blinked confused as Wani appeared from thin air and whispered to John dory "They said you were really kind" Wani soon ran off once again giggling

- He was slowly learning Korean just for you even though he absolute SUCKED at it you found it adorable

- You two slowly started to get comfortable with each other so sometimes you'd be staying over with him or he's staying over with you.

- Branch was going to grab John dory for rehearsel saying good morning to rhonda opening the door to see you sleeping in john dorys arms drooling and john dorys head on your neck sleeping aswell

- Branch literally deadpanned as poppy squealed so happily at the scene

- Denies he has feelings for you due to the fact your too good for him... like he fels bad that he even likes someone like you so he wanted to ignore you cause your too good for him

- You on the other hand get teased by Wani, Ari, Kim-Petit, Gomdori, and Baby Bun while practicing for an concert of yours - He was ignoring you which made you feel hurt so you invited him to your concert begging him to come after finding him and asking him to just go so he could just see you on stage

- Literally whipped for you so he 1000% agreed to hugging you and apologizing for ignoring you and you even asked for the others to come as well!

- When he went to the concert his eyes were wide when seeing you sing in Korean and dance happily as you noticed john dory in the crowd you grinned even wider dancing before posing while panting - He heard Better place being played along with his brothers and turned to you dancing and singing his parts made his eyes widened while he blushed an deep shade of blue as his brothers teased him - After the concert as usual you tackled him in an hug excitedly telling him you did what he did for you at his own concert with brozone

- You two grinned him holding your waist with your hands on his shoulders as you giggled happily as he chuckled looking down at you before you kissed each other - The others cheered as Baby bun was shouting an "FINALLY!" so loud as you started to curse your friend out in Korean as john dory chuckled holding you back by your waist "사랑해요" You literally froze - Once he said that you literally tackled him once more to pepper his face with kisses for learning how to say 'I love you in Korean'

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact

[stevethehairington]

begin again au where eddie is a singer songwriter who moves to new york with his singer songwriter boyfriend, who recently got "discovered" when his song was put in a movie.

said boyfriend has an affair with someone on his team from the label, and eddie dumps him on the spot and stays with chrissy for the night because he has nowhere else to go.

chrissy drags him to a local dive bar for an open mic night, and she pushes him to get up onstage where he sings one of his newer songs.

it gets a lukewarm reaction from the crowd, barely any reaction actually, but eddie doesn't care. it's whatever.

except, as he's slumping back onto his stool, he's approached by this guy. this beautiful beautiful guy who sort of looks a little worse for wear and absolutely, definitely is drunk because he starts going on and on about how incredible eddies song was and how great his voice is and how he hears things, hears whole arrangements, and that's what he heard with eddies song. he tells eddie he's a music producer, that he wants to sign eddie.

eddie doesn't believe him. tells him he doesn't want to be signed anyways.

this guy — steve, his business card says — accepts the rejection, and leaves. but then when eddie himself finally decides to leave the bar, steve's outside, like he was waiting for him. here he admits that he couldn't actually sign eddie even if he wanted to, and explains how he basically just got fired from his label and that's how he ended up at the bar, drinking himself into a stupor.

they hit up another bar together, and get to chatting some more, about music, about their careers. and at the end of the night, steve proposes signing eddie again, tells him he can make it happen if he really wants it. eddie makes a promise that he'll call steve the next day to let him know what he decides.

the next day rolls around and eddie calls. he tells steve's he's in. so steve picks him up and steve takes him to his label and he has eddie play for his boss — who tells steve he's just not into it. steve pitches they get eddie in the studio, get him some back up instruments to really get the full vision he heard in the bar, find someone who will produce it and then give it a new listen with fresh ears. his boss tells him they don't make demos, so come back with a real one yourself and we'll talk.

steve's disappointed by that, but he's not going to let that discourage him. he and eddie get coffee after and steve's thinking a mile a minute, tells eddie fuck that they don't need a demo, they don't even need a studio. all they need is eddie, his guitar, and the city. they'll record outside, right here in the city — a whole album, every song in a new location.

and eddie — he fucking loves the idea.

they get chrissy to help with the recording, and they comb the city for musicians. they find gareth on the drums, jeff with his bass, archie with his guitar. lucas with his cello, erica with her violin. robin with her trumpet. dustin with his keyboard. one by one they fold them into this project, add them to their band.

they record in alleyways, on rooftops, in parks, in the subway, all over the city. they use the background noise to their advantage. they make fucking magic with it.

along the way, of course, eddie and steve fall in love.

when they finish the album, they meet with steve's old boss again, who loves what they've done. eddie demands he give steve his job back and for a bigger share in the deal. but steve's boss isn't down for that, as great as their album is.

when all is said and done, eddie decides he doesn't care if he's been signed or not. he decides to distribute the album online for $1. steve calls in a favor from an old friend, an old journalist friend who's known for her honest music reviews, who has a pretty big following because of it, and she — nancy — helps promote the album. she gets the word out, and they release the album.

and it does fucking incredible.

and it's all thanks to steve. and the beautiful record they created together. the beautiful journey they went on together.

in the end, eddie doesn't care that this whole thing didn't work out the way he'd hoped it would at the start of this all because, well, he's had the fucking time of his life making this album, and he's made so many friends along the way, and he — he's fallen in love. and it's the best thing thats ever happened to him. steve is the best thing that's ever happened to him.

he couldn't be happier.

[venusvity]

Chloe is the only member with a SoundCloud account, and even then, she's not very active on it nor makes it publicly known she has it. It's a public secret among constellations; either you know about Chloe's SoundCloud, or you don't.

2020 ; YOU WERE BORN BACKWARDS

This song had actually been online for a couple of months before constellations found it. Even then, they questioned if this was actually Chloe as it sounded nothing like her typical style of music, using much heavier and darker themes than anyone expected from the bubbly idol. Despite this diverging greatly from her idol image, many of Chloe's fans greatly appreciated "you were born backwards" because to them it felt like a look into the "real chloe" not the image presented to them.

2020 ; HE WILL NEVER CHANGE

HE WILL NEVER CHANGE garnered attention for the album cover as well as this being the first song Chloe publicly claimed and promoted. She posted a link to the song on her Instagram story, saying, "I made this all by myself :)" but fans would be more interested in the unreleased photo of then Cicada member Hyojin, silently confirming the rumors that the two were dating at the time. Though fans did find it peculiar, she confirmed their relationship through a song about a toxic and co-dependent relationship.

2021 ; GIRLHOOD, WOMANHOOD

GIRLHOOD, WOMANHOOD is about the very human state of dissatisfaction and the fact that Chloe is always chasing something, which has been all her life. This song is about the feeling of not being able to fully control your life. Shockingly, this was the song that got fans worried about Chloe's wellbeing, as if all the other songs before this weren't a clear sign of something going on, but the concerns were mainly directed at the company mistreating Chloe instead of her mental health.

2021 ; GOOD MEN DIE QUICK

GOOD MEN DIE QUICK is Chloe's thoughts about toxic masculinity and masculine norms in society. The lyrics can be interpreted as representing how men view women as objects, as well as depicting beauty standards and the pressure on women to always appear pleasant. This song would get Chloe the "feminist" label and have her receiving backlash for months, though she never publicly responded to it or claimed to be a feminist.

2022 ; IN THE BACK OF HIS CAR

What is called her most disturbing song, IN THE BACK OF HIS CAR, is described by fans as a horror movie experience from its haunting sound production to its horrifying lyrics. You're either in awe of it or concerned for Chloe's well-being. This would be another song she promoted on her Instagram story, many constellations deeming this a cry for help from her, with the caption, "i'm very proud of this one :) i composed, produced, and wrote it all by myself" this is also the song that gained Chloe her "coquette" status on Tumblr and Tiktok.

2022 ; WORD VOMIT

WORD VOMIT is another one of Chloe's songs that just makes you worry for her. There's something about how abuse, especially childhood abuse, often makes its survivors believe that with love comes pain. That love laced with pain is what they deserve, so they subconsciously seek it out. It's what feels familiar despite how destructive it actually is. Though the song is beloved by many, some interpret it as Chloe glamorizing abuse, which her fans will dox you for saying.

2023 ; CYCLECYCLECYCLE

After a year of nothing, CYCLECYCLECYCLE would hit Chloe's SoundCloud, taking a much softer and more raw production than her previous releases. The song has been interpreted as releasing old fears and accepting that they will always be a part of you instead of closing the door. It's a song about healing that leaves you feeling hollow due to its melancholic and bare instrumental. This song would have brief virality on Tiktok for its heart-jerking lyrics, making some of the saddest edits you've ever seen.

2024 ; OBSESSED

After another year of forgetting the password, Chloe would log back into her SoundCloud to release her most well-known track there, OBSESSED. Being a relatable Pop-Rock banger about being too invested in your man's past relationships, many people demanded an official release, which Chloe has yet to give. Fans were happy to see Chloe release something on her SoundCloud that has them dancing instead of worrying about her well-being.

[white-cat-of-doom]

how many versions of cats were released on cd? I have the obc and olc versions so I was wondering if you knew what other versions there were, and if possible where to find them :D many thanks!

Hello Anon,

There are eighteen cast recordings:

Original London 1981 (both 2CD full recording and 1CD highlights)

Original Broadway 1982 (both 2CD full recording and 1CD highlights)

Vienna 1983 (1CD highlights)

Budapest 1984 (1CD highlights)*

Australia (Sydney) 1985 (2CD full recording)

Japan (Osaka) 1985 (2CD full recording)

Hamburg 1986 (2CD full recording)

Amsterdam 1987 (1CD highlights)

Paris 1989 (2CD full recording)

Japan (Nagoya) 1989 (2CD full recording)

Mexico 1991 (1CD highlights)

Warsaw 2004 (1CD highlights)*

Prague 2004 (1CD highlights)*

Dutch Tour 2006 (1CD highlights)

Italian Tour 2009 (1CD highlights)*

Japan (Tokyo) 2019 (2CD full recording)

2019 Movie (1CD highlights)

Vienna Revival 2021 (2CD full recording)

*Non-replica production, if that matters

In addition, there are a number of promo CDs that include a handful of tracks from the casts at the time of release:

Hamburg 1996 (3 track promo, assuming audio taken from 1986 cast recording)

Japan (Tokyo) 1996 (3 track promo)

CATS 1998 Elaine Paige (3 track promo; 'Memory' included, and two other non-CATS songs)

Japan (Osaka) 2001 (4 track promo)

Madrid 2003 (1 track 'Memory' promo)

Moscow 2005 (8 track promo?, two versions; both have 4 instrumental tracks)

Dutch Tour 2006 (3 track promo, audio from 2006 cast recording)

German Tent Tour 2011 (3 track promo)

Of everything listed above, the only ones I do not own are the Madrid 2003 'Memory' promo, Prague 2004 cast recording (a very rare CD that was scrapped before moving to production, only test/promo copies exist), and Moscow 2005 (another very rare promo release, only found with the press packages). Who knows if I can ever get my hands on them.

In terms of where to find them, the OLC, OBC, and Vienna 1983 are still being produced today and can be easily found new online, through Amazon or eBay (or better yet, in-person at your local music store!), and so is the Budapest 1984 CD as well (at least from what I can tell, it is always readily available brand new from Hungary). The 1989 and 2019 Japanese cast recordings are also still readily available brand new from Japan through the Shiki webstore. The 2019 movie highlights is also very easy to find, considering it just was released. The Vienna 2021 recording is still available from the label's website (at 45% right now!), but they only ship within Europe.

All the others can be found second-hand to varying degrees of ease online (i.e., eBay). The 1980s cast recordings are not too difficult, with Hamburg being fairly easily found, but as you start moving into lesser known (and shorter running) productions, it becomes more difficult to find them. Some are extremely uncommon, and I purchased the only copy I have even seen go for sale throughout the years, and I am still waiting for the chance to get the few I do not have.

Happy hunting to you, Anon!

[media-please]

America's Suitehearts, episode 127:

'The Man that Eats Colour meets the Luckiest Man Alive'

When Donnie the Catcher loses all his colour, the Horseshoe Crab ventures into the graveyard to find the source of this monochrome mayhem.

Below is a review of the episode from the blog DoctorBBlog.org, a website that fell inactive after Mr. Benzedrine was introduced into the show:

This episode marked the introduction of 'Mr. Sandman' in the show. I think it only aired once and got loads of complaints from parents that said Sandman had terrified their children. They pulled the episode from rebroadcast but kept Sandman as a character, retconning his inability to control his colour-eating powers by the next episode- it was like he'd gone under loads of character development offscreen.

I've been searching for a copy of this episode since I started my Suitehearts collection, and I finally found a tape at a yard sale last week. None of the databases online talk about the musical number at the end- this episode contains the only song without Donnie since his introduction- it's weird to see a song without the usual ensemble.

Like every episode, I can't find any behind-the-scenes info- I was specifically interested on how they achieved the monochrome filter over Donnie- maybe it's similar to how they did it in the Wizard of Oz? Either way, the original producer is still responding to my emails with denials that the show even exists past episode 20, but I know it was never cancelled, and I will get to the bottom of what the hell is going on with this show.

I assume Sandman's colour-eating was supposed to be a metaphor for mental health- it felt like the actor wasn't really clear on the character motivations, though. It reminds me of Donnie's first episode, too- both of them seemed like they thought they were acting in a thriller as opposed to a kids show. It was freaky, too, like Sandman's fear in the scenes of not being able to control his powers felt really genuine. Uncomfortably so.

I'll upload more screenshots later, but I thought the scene of Sandman realising he won't drain Crab's colour because of the latter's luck was too sweet not to share early. I'm glad the show started making use of Crab's good fortune again, it was a real chekov's gun situation.

No news on my search for a copy of episode 21. I'm starting to think it doesn't exist.

-B

[nearcie]

✸      ϑℓ‎ ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈ )ʃ     official debut     ;     the park series ───── 010124 020124 030124 @ playlist idea

the park at starnoon is the official debut album of for romance's the star at noon, released january first 2024. the album's full tracklist would be performed at their debut showcase, known popularly as the first annual garden party. streamed on youtube ( and later made unavailable ) this was the stand in for an actual stage performance and music video — a fact many fans disliked and even questioned. this era would see the debut of the noonstar uniform—both loved and hated by aoi fans who miss the style of the earlier dresscode.

▊▍ also check out ⋆ᝆ : teaser one. teaser two. teaser three. article. debut showcase.

the garden party was the source of jealousy for the newly named fanbase, oddco. only few fans got to attend such an event, and all refused to share the details as it was a special promise they made with the stars. rosing, the head of aoi's fanclub, gushed all over twitter how friendly and sweet the members had been to her as they remembered her from their aoi days. they even spent more time with her after the event, talking for hours until they eventually had to leave. though, she said they gave her something special in return, she's refused to share what this special thing is. this account would set social media on fire with fans tagging for romance in posts to explain why only some were allowed to go to the event and why they'd removed the performance from youtube.

it seemed for romance regretted the decision or at the very least felt sorry for the fans that weren't invited to the garden party as mbc would air the garden party in three parts: the performances, the interviews, and the fan interactions. but it wouldn't just stop there. on february 1, the park at midmoon would be released and the next month they'd release the park on saturn. together, these two releases mark the people's edition of the park series.

on february 14, the birthdays of 4/5 of the members, the park at starnoon would be completely free to purchase. however, the free versions contained different inclusions from the paid versions. in the paid versions, people were surprised to find they'd received special hand written letters for the members, tailored for each individual.

on marchen's birthday, march 14, the people's versions would be free, with the paid versions differing from the free version in the same way.

notably, those at the garden party were given a different version of the park at starnoon. this version included the full version of the bunny hole track: sunset/sunrise that had caused so much discourse online. the park on saturn's paid version had the bunny hole track, as well, except it wasn't sung by any of the members. it was sung by a completely new person, leading lore fanatics to theorize this was another part of for romance's newest music project. still, no one could come up with the reason why noonstar would steal a song from a nobody group. during one of the interviews, marchen told fans regarding the single: "somethings fall down a bunny hole and get lost. i was just trying to help my missing piece."

this sparked rumors that many was tied to for romance, but their fans contested this, claiming that the band has always been funded by the wealthy members not for romance.

this would spark a fanwar with oddcos as they believed many's fans were acting too high and mighty for a group nobody listened to. in defense, many's fans would point out their nobody group had a song on their fav’s album. from there, as you can imagine, it would escalate 😭😭.

all tracks were produced, penned, and composed by the staff team — cloud in a bottle, the same staff that handled all of aoi's releases when they still existed.

▊▍ THE PARK AT MIDMOON ⋆ᝆ : SOMEBODY SAID ONCE. FIREFLIES IN A BOTTLE. SWEET MOONSET. CHERRY SWEET DAY. LOOKING GLASS.

▊▍ THE PARK ON SATURN ⋆ᝆ : YESTERDAY . WALK ON MEMORIES. DEATH OF EGO. LAPS AROUND SATURN. THE MOON WAS ONCE A STAR.

in the days of aoi, every track included a letter from for romance, highlighting how to navigate the story they were telling. with noonstar, for romance has abandoned this method deciding to put the story in the hands of the listener. as lore fans do, they conducted hour long streams dedicated to breaking up the story, mapping out where it started and ended, and exactly where all the members fit into it.

the park at starnoon is noonstar's official hello to the world, including a brief overview on their feelings of having to leave all those years ago. if starnoon is a hello, then midmoon is their goodbye, but this goodby isn't really a sad one. in fact, it's more of a see you soon echoing konfyt's earlier statement at the garden party: "i'll leave you a map on how to find me."

but what about the park on saturn? for fans, this is the album for the other selves of the stars that are on their own solo adventures on saturn—navigating a different space and time, far away from where they should be. it's still debated if these really are other selves or new people entirely, but the message is clear: noonstar is saying please come home. home that is officially called rosemary or maybe even the tower no one has ever seen.

 ‎ ∯.    ⟢     ᨳ᭬(੭ ˊ ˋ)੭ㅤㅤ     gift boxes     ;    the album inclusions

the park series has three official versions: starnoon, midmoon, and saturn. the albums were intended to be viewed as a gift from a friend hence why the albums are referred to as gift boxes. the gift boxes were shaped in a yellow moon, a green saturn, and a pink star. fans could pink to include a nightlight option, meaning their boxes would be made in a way that they could be reused as a hanging light in their rooms. fans could pick a usb drive or actual CD to include in their album. only the cd included a music video for each track on the park at starnoon, but the usb had an encrypted video for the bunny hole track which is counting down to 021425.

there were eighteen versions of the posters: each member received their own as well as a group photo. the posters would vary based on the albums, signifying they were taken at different locations in relation to the album's title.

the letters were individualized per consumer as opposed to per album version. at first, it was assumed that the letters were all the same, but when fans on pinknote compared the letters they were suprised at how different they were. all the letters were handwritten by the members. to this day, no one's certain how noonstar was able to individualize such thoughtful letters, but it definitely helped rack up album sales.

the storybooks were the most interactive of the albums. on for romance's website, fans could put together a picture story based on the images they could find on pinknote and noonstar's section of the website. when they albums were received, there'd be a "sweet treat" —a colorful jar full of small items noonstar had found on their adventures outside of rosemary. based on what fans included in their storybook, the treats would reflect the story. the storybooks featured keychains based on the member's items and were stored in a six ring binder, with a waterproof cover designed with a heart emblem. the pages were interchangeable allowing fans to trade pages with other fans, create their own pages online with the generators fans were coding, or purchase more pages from for romance.

the sticker sheet had three versions: space themed, bunny themed, and one that consisted of both.

lastly, pale pink is a special mask for romance created specifically for fans. the butterfly shaped item wasn't available in every album, and no one could figure out how exactly to get one. it was theorized the company was test running the product, seeing if it was something fans even wanted.

though, the free version of the people's editions included only the photocards and the CD a few fans had mentioned receiving extras. one, in particular, received a stuffed brown bunny from rabbit and a note saying: please take care of him until we can meet again.

[dr-spectre]

Ok this is a fun one.

Did you know Turquoise October never officially released anything to the greater world?

Someone somehow intercepted octarian radiowaves and recorded the bands music, during the events of Splatoon 1 when Octavio hijacked the airwaves an interest was born for their music and their "albums" were "released" online.

Oh yeah I heard about that! It makes sense considering Octavio produces the band right? Also didn't he air really inappropriate music too? I heard something about that somewhere.

I find it funny how there's a secret and underground interest for Octarain music among Inklings and they pirate their songs. That's fun I like that.

These little freaks know how to pirate, good on them!

[d3caynluv]

BLOOD SOIL is the 2nd full album of the Angelico co-ed group Pushing Daises released on November 1st, 2023 alongside their short film by the same name. The album consists of 11 tracks with "Catch me" and "Frostbite" being the title tracks. The group promoted the album for two months, ending promotions with 750,000 copies sold worldwide and 8 music show trophies between the two songs.

The album is entirely self-composed, written, and produced by the members of Pushing Daisies, citing to have very little help from outside forces with this album. A majority of their creative direction for this comeback was under their leader, Zasha, who wrote and directed their short film as well.

TW: HORROR IMAGERY + FAKE BLOOD!

TRACK OO1. INTRO: HOMECOMING

TRACK OO2. ALWAYS FOREVER

TRACK OO3. LEAP OF FAITH

TRACK OO4. CATCH ME

TRACK OO5. ORIGINAL SIN

TRACK OO6. SIDE EFFECTS

TRACK OO7. FROSTBITE

TRACK OO8. GOLDEN AGE

TRACK OO9. TWIN HOTEL BEDS

TRACK O1O. ALL I DO IS RUN

TRACK O11. OUTRO: THIS IS THE END

Pushing Daisies were styled by Nakyung who drew inspiration from dollcore and the southern gothic aesthetic. Nakyung also did their hair and makeup, which were heavily influenced by dolls and horror movies.

OO1. Biggest moment for them this era was when the Blood Soil short film was aired at the Sundance Film Festivle. Blood Soil would go on to win "Short Film Grand Jury Prize" making them the first Angelico Artist to take home an American based film award. Their reaction to winning the award would go viral as all the members looked stunned and confused, looking around like a mistake had been made before going to accept their award.

OO2. They brought back their beloved reality series "BEYOND THE GRAVE" and ran for ten episodes. The members went on various adventures throughout the show's run such as getting locked in an escape room together, visiting famous haunted locations around the world, undergoing a test to discover if they have any supernatural abilities or sensitivities, gathering around a campfire or in a dimly lit room to share their own ghost stories or paranormal experiences, spending a night at a reputedly haunted hotel, watching their favorite horror movies together, and many more freaky adventures wherever Angelico decided to send the group.

OO3. The group kept their social media activeee during this era! Zasha went live on their YouTube channel where she went over her entire creative process behind Blood Soil and shared personal anecdotes and inspirations behind the lyrics of the album. She read excerpts from her personal diary during this live, showing drawings and sketches of the characters and outfits she envisioned for this project. It was very insightful and intimate experience for fans.

OO4. Nakyung and Elliot were the most promoted members, as usual, the pair becoming Inkigayo MCees which fans ate up. They would go viral for interacting with groups they used to be a part of or were almost a part of. A picture of Nakyung smiling brightly while Sena of Venus side eyes her was a big hit amongst Mysies who know how to take a joke unlike constellations, who didn't find it funny. While introducing STARZIE, Elliot would make a joke about almost being in the lineup, saying: "Here's the group I was rigged out of, Starzie!" And while the members were able to take the joke, Elliot would have to apologize to netizens on his Instagram story later that night.

OO5. That wasn't the only scandal that hit the group this comeback! Yeojun would be spotted leaving a club with Lunarix member Evie, causing a frenzy online and disputes between the group's fanbases. Angelico would swiftly release a statement but would avoid discussing the relationship status of the idols, only addressing that the club they went to was a reputable club and neither one of them engaged in "inappropriate activities". Still, both Yeojun and Evie would release apologies, stating they were close friends and were just hanging out. After this, Yeojun would be notably quiet for the rest of the promotions.

OO6. The group would get matching tattoos towards the end of the promotions, vlogging the whole experience and even sharing the design on their social media for fans to get the same design if they wanted to. The design was a simple daisy with a single falling petal. Many netizens saw this move as inappropriate as it "promoted getting tattoos" to their "young and impressional" fanbase. The group didn't address this stirr through Zasha would post a selfie with her tattoo on her story with the caption "get jobs" which many fans found hilarious.

[holycatsandrabbits]

Three Ways to Practice Writing Without Writing

Writers need two things to produce a work: motivation and time. There are sweet blessed moments when we have both, and then those times we’ve only got one. What to do then? Write without writing. 

Case #1: Time and no motivation

Writers need to take breaks. Writers hate to take breaks. It’s like we think taking time off means moving backwards, rather than practicing necessary self-care. If you’re having trouble resting, you might try this writing-adjacent activity: murder. Well, the fictional kind.

A murder mystery party is where you have all your friends over for dinner (or video chat), and along with the pizza, you serve up a whodunit. Writing a game is a great way to practice your creative skills and entertain an audience, without staring at a blank page, muttering incantations to make a short story appear. There are lots of free resources online to help you craft a case, from characters to clues, and anyway, who hasn’t wanted to blame a friend for murder? Right?

Case #2: Motivation and no time

Whether it’s deadlines at work, final exams, kids’ soccer games, or spring cleaning, real life can eat up your time off. In that case, you can play a mental game called What If?

Stephen King was inspired to write his novella The Mist after visiting a grocery store during a storm and imagining an attack by monsters. Because of course he did. But next time you’re in the checkout line, ask yourself this: What is the weirdest thing that could happen right now? Bananas bursting into flames? 100 strangers throwing you a surprise birthday party? Everyone suddenly speaking different languages? Now, what could cause such a strange thing to happen?

Or say you’re on your commute to work or school. Ask yourself, How would this be different if we were on another planet? Would public transit be seats on the back of a giant highway-going serpent? Might there be sentient stop lights who attack if you turn left on red? What if you could hire a quintet of tiny aliens to sit in the backseat and provide live music for your drive?

Playing What If  is a great way to practice creative skills when you can’t be decomposing at your computer. Just remember not to jot down ideas while you’re driving.

Bonus Case: You want to practice

Writing exercises are a fun way to sharpen your skills when you’re not writing anything in particular. You can find lists of these online, and here are a few of mine that use a photograph of scenery.

For practicing tone: Look at the photograph and think of 10 descriptive words, like cloudy, swampy, wintery, etc. Now imagine the photo is the first shot of a horror movie. Think of 10 creepy descriptive words. Now imagine it’s part of a rom-com and think of 10 sweet and upbeat descriptive words. And so on.

For practicing character development: Imagine a character of whatever description you like. This scenery is their workplace. What do they do? How do they feel about it? How did they end up with this job? Now imagine a character who has a recurring dream about this scenery. What does the dream mean? How will they find out? Then imagine a character who makes this place their home. Where do they live? Is it a hidden home or easily found? What do they eat? And so on.

For practicing action writing: Imagine two characters at one edge of your photograph. They’re in a race to get to the other edge, across whatever landscape you’ve got. Describe who wins and how. Now imagine they’re fighting from one edge to another. Then have them dancing, sneaking, or whatever you like.

Thanks for reading! Remember, you’re a writer if you write, even if it’s just in your head, even if it’s just sometimes. You are not your production. You are your creative spark.

This article was first published on my writing blog

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