#i did competitive dance for 10 years and have been dancing since i was 3!

[mariclerc]

just finished reading the new chapter of an unexpected role and MORE LILY x GRID INTERACTIONS PLSS

Thank you very much for this request!! I love writing Lily's adventures in the paddock, it seems very cute to me 🥺🥺🥺

An unexpected role (pt.6) | cl16

Summary: you revealed your little secret to your date, you didn't expect he would take it so well. Warning: none, just fluff as usual.

Follow the series!! Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

Sunlight streams through the window of the Ferrari motorhome. You're sprawled on a plush sofa with Lily, your two-year-old daughter, she sits beside you with a half-eaten cookie clutched in her hand. She giggles as a video plays on your phone, showing her interactions with the Red Bull mechanics earlier.

“Hey amore, are you almost ready?” he calls from another room.

“Almost, just gotta find Lily's lucky socks!” you say smiling.

Lily throws her head back and laughs, cookie crumbs flying everywhere. You scoop her up, tickling her tummy. Visits to the paddock are more frequent now, since the first race you and Lily attended everyone in the paddock and the teams love you both, it's like a breath of fresh air in the paddock, and not to mention the fans, after the initial hatred little by little they gave in and now they adore you two.

“Where did my little lucky charm get all this cookie on her, huh?” you say softly while looking at her.

“Dan-iel!” Lily says.

“Oh, Daniel spoiled you again, didn't he?” you shake your head.

Suddenly footsteps are heard approaching the room.

“There they are! My two favorite girls.” He says entering the room with a playful smile on his face. Charles ruffles Lily's hair, who squeals in delight. “Found those lucky socks yet?”

“Yup, she had hidden them in my bag. Naughty little girl.” You say with a giggle and then lean towards Lily and put on her socks and butterfly shoes.

Charles raises an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. “How about a pre-race cuddle session to appease the racing gods?”

Lily claps her hands and squirms out of your arms, making a beeline for Charles. He scoops her up, showering her face with kisses.

“Careful, you might give her pre-race jitters!” you say laughing.

Charles winks at you. “Nah, she's got Leclerc blood in her veins, she thrives on competition. Just ask all the mechanics she's been racing around the paddock with today.”

“Speaking of which, did you see the fan videos circulating online? Lily giving Valtteri a high five was adorable.”

“I know, right? It's amazing how much everyone loves having her around. You'd think she's been on the grid since day one.” he smiles softly.

You lean in and kiss Charles softly.

“She brings a different kind of energy to the paddock, doesn't she? Reminds everyone there's more to life than trophies.” you whisper.

“Oh, absolutely! You and Lily are my lucky charms, my whole world! Now come on, let's get this show on the road.” he said while holding you close.

You hand Charles Lily's stuffed bunny, a constant companion on race days.

“Go get 'em, champ! We'll be cheering you on from the pit wall, as always.”

“Always.” he kisses your forehead.

He takes Lily's hand, leading them both out of the motorhome. As they disappear down the hallway, you can't help but smile. Charles may be a racing champion, but in this moment, you and Lily are his biggest victories.

***

Charles emerges from the motorhome, Lily bouncing in his arms, her hair bouncing in a mini ponytail. The paddock is a hive of activity, mechanics bustling with purpose, engineers huddled over laptops, and fans straining for a glimpse of their racing heroes.

A collective gasp rises as Charles appears, Lily's bright eyes taking in the scene with wide-eyed wonder.

“Buongiorno everyone! Ready for another race?” he says while smiling to the fans in the paddock fan-zone area.

The crowd erupts in cheers.

“Forza Charles! And ciao bella Lily!” says a smiling little fan while waving his hand.

“Ci-ao!” Lily says waving her little hand.

Charles chuckles, then spots Logan Sargeant strolling towards them, a grin plastered on his face.

“Leclerc! Looking sharp today, even with your little pre-race mascot.”

Lily reaches out, giggling. “Lo-gan!”

Logan scoops her up in a playful hug, earning another round of cheers from the crowd.

“Looks like you've got some competition this weekend, mate.” Logan giggled.

Charles feigns a frown. “Don't worry, Sargeant. I'm sure I can handle a little competition... Especially when she's this cute.” He winks at Lily, who giggles and buries her face in his neck. Photographers snap pictures like crazy, capturing the adorable interaction.

“Looks like someone's got a lot of fans to sign autographs for today.” You say walking behind them.

“Only the best fans, amore. Now, come on, let's get down to the grid. It's showtime!” He says, handing Lily back to you.

You follow Charles through the throng of fans, Lily nestled comfortably in your arms. As you walk, you hear snippets of conversation, all praising Lily's cuteness and the joy she brings to the paddock.

One little girl, clutching a Ferrari flag, yells out:

“Good luck, Lily! You too, Mr. Leclerc!”

Lily waves enthusiastically at the little girl, a smile splitting her face wide open. You glance at Charles, a silent understanding passing between you. This little girl, surrounded by the roar of the engines and the cheers of the crowd, is exactly where she belongs. The paddock may be her playground for now, but who knows? Maybe one day, she'll be the one stealing the show on the grid.

***

The roar of the crowd intensifies as they approach the grid. Charles, focused on the upcoming race, gives you a quick but reassuring squeeze on the hand.

“Alright ma belle, listen. I gotta get ready. You and Lily find a good spot at the pit wall, alright?”

“Don't worry about us, we'll be your loudest cheerleaders. Go get 'em, champ!” you say while nudging him playfully.

He leans down and kisses Lily's forehead.

“Be good for mama, okay? And remember, papa loves you the most.” he says to Lily and he gives her a little kiss on her cheek.

Lily giggles, clinging to her bunny plushie. A young Ferrari mechanic, a teenage girl with grease stains on her overalls, approaches you both shyly.

“Hey there, little super star. You want to see the car before the race starts? It's super fast, just like you!” the mechanic tells Lily timidly.

Lily's eyes widen with excitement.

“Would you like that, Lily?” you asked Lily while smiling.

Lily nods enthusiastically.

“Thank you so much, that would be amazing!” you tell the mechanic.

The mechanic beams, clearly delighted. “No problem at all! Follow me, little miss.”

The mechanic leads Lily, her eyes sparkling with wonder, towards the gleaming red Ferrari. You watch them go, a warm feeling spreading through your chest. The paddock, once a world of flashing lights and roaring engines, has become a second home, filled with people who adore your little family.

You find a spot at the pit wall, just as Charles takes his position in the cockpit. He looks out towards the crowd, his gaze locking with yours for a brief moment. You give him a thumbs up and a reassuring smile. He nods, a flicker of determination in his eyes.

The lights go out, plunging the grid into an electrifying darkness. Then, with a deafening roar, the engines ignite. Charles is off, a blur of red against the grey asphalt. You hold Lily close, her tiny hands clutching her bunny plushie.

“There he goes, baby! That's papa!”

Lily doesn't take her eyes off the track, her small voice joining the chorus of cheers as Charles battles for position. The race is on, and you know, no matter what the outcome, this day, filled with love, family, and the thrill of the race, the paddock visits will always be one of the best adventures for you and Lily.

***

Lily's eyes are glued to the track, tracing the red blur that is Charles' car with rapt attention. You, however, find yourself drawn to a group of young engineers huddled nearby. Their animated discussion, usually filled with technical jargon, has an undercurrent of worry that sends a shiver down your spine.

You catch snippets of their conversation: "front wing damage," "pit stop for repairs," "crucial time lost." A pit stop this early in the race could throw Charles' entire strategy off balance.

Anxiety gnaws at you, but you force a smile for Lily, brushing back a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

“See that big red car down there, honey? That's papa! He's having a little trouble with his car, but the clever engineers will fix it up in no time, alright?” you whisper softly at Lily.

Lily nods, her brow furrowed in concentration. The little girl beside you, normally brimming with boundless energy, seems to have sensed the tension in the air.

“Why don't we send papa some good luck vibes? Close your eyes really tight and think of the fastest, strongest Ferrari ever!” you whisper again leaning closer to her.

Lily closes her eyes tight, squeezing her stuffed bunny with all her might. You follow suit, a silent prayer forming on your lips for Charles' safety and a successful race.

Suddenly, a flurry of activity erupts in the Ferrari pit lane... Mechanics scramble, tools glinting in the afternoon sun. Charles pulls into the pit box, the red flag forcing an unplanned early stop. You watch with a mixture of apprehension and admiration as the team works with lightning speed, their practiced movements a well-oiled machine.

Just as your heart starts hammering against your ribs, the pit stop ends. Charles, with a fresh wing and a determined glint in his eyes, roars back onto the track.

The red flag is lifted, and the race resumes with renewed intensity. The crowd erupts in cheers, their anticipation hanging heavy in the air. You grab Lily's hand, squeezing it tightly.

“There he goes! Now let's see papa show everyone what a true champion is made of!”

Lily beams, a spark of mischief returning to her eyes. She raises her tiny fist in the air, chanting along with the crowd. “Go papa go! Go papa!” she smiles shyly.

You watch, a rollercoaster of emotions churning inside you, as Charles battles his way back up the field. The race has taken an unexpected turn, but one thing remains certain: your family is in it together, for every pit stop, every thrilling overtake, and every victory (or defeat) that awaits your family on the racetrack.

***

Disappointment hangs heavy in the air as the winner's car streaks past the finish line. Charles follows close behind, his red Ferrari a blur of consolation. The crowd, initially buzzing with anticipation, erupts in a mix of cheers and groans. Lily, perched on your shoulders, scans the track with wide, confused eyes.

“Papa?” Lily asks you with a tender look.

“There he is, honey! Look, it's the red car!” You point to the part of the track where Charles' car is located.

Charles navigates his way through the final corners, bringing the Ferrari to a stop in the designated post-race area. The roar of the engine fades, replaced by a wave of mixed emotions washing over you. While a tiny part of you yearns for the elation of victory, the bigger part swells with pride at Charles' fighting spirit. He may not have secured the top spot, but he fought hard, his skill evident in every daring overtake and smooth maneuver.

Mechanics swarm the car, their faces etched with a mixture of disappointment and respect. Charles emerges from the cockpit, his helmet tucked under his arm. His expression is a mask of controlled emotions, but a flicker of disappointment momentarily clouds his eyes.

He scans the crowd, searching for his family. When he spots you and Lily, a wave of relief washes over him. He strides towards you, a determined glint returning to his eyes.

“There you are! Come here, mes amours.” He says addressing the two of you.

You weave through the throng of fans, a mix of congratulatory pats and sympathetic murmurs on your way to Charles. The air crackles with the post-race energy, a bittersweet symphony of cheers and dejection.

Charles scoops you both into a tight embrace, the familiar scent of adrenaline and sweat wrapping around you. You bury your face in his chest, offering silent comfort for a battle well fought but narrowly lost.

“You were amazing out there, Charles. We're so proud of you.” You whisper as you give him a kiss on the cheek.

“I know it wasn't the win we were hoping for, but...” he kiss your forehead.

He trails off, his gaze falling on Lily, who watches the post-race celebrations with a furrowed brow.

“Hey little champ, what do you say we celebrate papa's second place with some ice cream? How does that sound?” He says smiling at Lily.

Lily's face lights up with a radiant smile, all traces of confusion forgotten. “Ice cream! Yaaay!”

Charles throws his head back and laughs, the sound a welcome release after the tension of the race.

“See? Second place isn't so bad after all, especially when you have the best pit crew a driver could ask for.” He says smiling at you.

He winks at you, the familiar spark back in his eyes. You smile, knowing that win or lose, your family bond remains the strongest trophy of all. Together, you navigate the bustling paddock, Charles and Lily hand in hand, ready to celebrate his second place and the unwavering love that binds them. The race may be over, but the joy of being together remains the most precious victory.

***

As the three of you walk through the paddock, several staff members and the drivers stop to say goodbye to the three of you... In particular, say goodbye to little Lily, since she has become the little princess of the paddock.

Lily lets out a little scream when she sees Oscar. “Osc! Osc!” she says, jumping up and down and smiles when she sees the young Australian. “Mama! Can I... 'ay goodbye to Osc?” She asked you and you smiled at her.

“Of course you can, honey pie! But be careful, okay?” you said sweetly and she let go of your hand and walked towards Oscar.

Charles let out a small chuckle as the two of you looked at Lily walking towards Oscar, Obviously you two followed her closely, but without stopping her little adventure.

Oscar looked down to see Lily, who had a smile from ear to ear. “Oh, hello there little Lily!” He said giving her a smile and bent down to take her in his arms. “What are you doing walking around the paddock alone? You know it's bad, right?” Oscar told her and she just stuck her tongue out at him as a joke.

Lily turned her little head towards you and Charles. “Mama and papa, there Osc!” She said pointing to Oscar where you and Charles were standing, you smiled at the young Australian.

Oscar smiled at the two of you and moved a little closer to you. “Hey, congratulations on the podium Charles!” says Oscar, greeting Charles friendly. “I got scared when I saw Lily walking alone in the paddock... Why did she come towards me?” He asked with a small grimace on his face.

You smiled softly. “Well she wanted to say goodbye to you.”

“Yes... And apparently she fell in love with you.” Charles said softly and Oscar's eyes widened.

“Oh, that’s so cute Lily!” he said as he hugged Lily.

“Bye Osc!” Lily said as she got out of his arms.

Both you and Charles said goodbye to the Australian and headed towards the exit of the paddock with a Lily who was somewhat curious about her surroundings.

***

When you got to the hotel room, Lily was quite exhausted from the day of adventures she had had, so, with the help of Charles, you gave her a bath and put her pajamas on. Between the two of you, you told her a bedtime story while she snuggled with her stuffed bunny Mimi.

Charles leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Sweet dreams my little one. I love you.” he whispered sweetly towards Lily.

“Luv you da!” she said a little sleepy.

You leave the joint room and you stood in your place. Charles turned on his heel and looked at you.

“Are you coming love?” he asked tenderly.

You blinked. “Yes... Yes honey, just give me a moment, okay?” You tell him and he nodded as he walked to the bed that was in the center of the room.

Carefully, you opened your travel bag and took out an envelope with some papers that you had been processing for a couple of months. With the help of Fred, Lorenzo and Pascale you were able to do this, you wanted Charles to officially be Lily's dad... And maybe they don't have a blood relationship or anything else, but the connection that exists between the two of them and, in general, between the three of you, is something incredible and even though neither you nor he are married, the fact that Lily bears his last name is more than enough for you.

You carefully walked back to the room with the envelope behind you. “I would like to give you this.” You whispered softly while you handed him the envelope and he sat on the bed.

He looked at you somewhat confused. “What is this darling?” he asked.

“Find out for yourself... Open it.” you whispered again.

He opened the envelope delicately and took out the papers, some contained the entire legal process to be able to have paternity rights, kinship by affinity and so on, until he reached the last one that said: Lily Marie Leclerc, he looked at you with watery eyes. “Honey... I.” he said with a small voice. “I'm... I'm her dad, chérie... Tell me it's not a dream.”

You smiled at him. “It's not a dream my love, you're officially her dad.” you said and hugged him with all your strength. “Happy Father's Day mon amour!” you whispered and placed several kisses on his face, he couldn't believe it, he was officially a dad.

“Oh god, this is.. This is the best gift I have ever been given in my life! Oh mon cœur, thank you for this!” He said now with happy tears running down his face and you smiled lovingly.

“It's nothing baby boy... I thought, well, we should make it official.” you giggled.

While you two were hugging each other, a new adventure began for your little family... The now Leclerc family and you simply couldn't be happier about this, because you and Lily feel happy, much happier than you both had been before you met him.

[crazylittlejester]

Unsure if you’ve answers this already, but what’s the rest of the chain doing in your modern au?

I don’t think ive ever really talked a lot about it like, in depth, but im more than happy to because i love my au and my silly guys :)

my bad for spelling errors i am Stupid 💔

Time: (46) Lives on the ranch with Malon. He worked full time as a mechanic before he met and married Malon, and he still works at the same place just SIGNIFICANTLY less hours because he’s also doing work on the ranch. He also plays guitar as a hobby, he played more when he was younger but Twilight’s BIGGEST flex in middle and early high school was that his dad owns some fuckass guitars

Hyrule: (20) He really really really likes rocks and being outside so he’s going into geology because he wanted to dig in the dirt and find special rocks. Sometimes Twi will text him like “bro where are you?” and if he even has service Hyrule will just send him a pic in the literal middle of fucking nowhere. Hyrule lives with Legend in the same apartment as Wars, Twi, and Sky, EXACTLY one floor below them

Legend: (20) Political science major, because he was running out of time and had to pick something. He’s not super sure what he wants to do, he has like, no plans, he didn’t think he’d be alive this long and have to DO something with his life. He works at the same little coffee shop as Sky, and those two are good friends. Every time Wars is being too loud above him (jumping, screaming, dancing) he will get up on his table and smack the ceiling and yell, or he’ll leave him angry voicemails. He left the dorms because he couldn’t handle being in the room next to Wars’s dramatic ass, he was DEVASTATED to discover all he did was move in underneath him

Wild: (19) He’s doing fashion/arts and he really really likes photography. He’s a retired skater (same as Wars) and on good days he can move around alright with minimal pain, but it’s not uncommon for him to use a mobility aid. He’s very good friends with Wars and sometimes they’ll fuck around at the rink together, other times when he has five minutes to spare Wars will drive him around and they’ll go to parks and just sit. They’re each other’s oldest friend and they both left a sport that was literally their entire world and its been hard to adjust to life without competitions but they’ve got each other. Wars makes a very serious effort to meet up with Wild 2-3 times a week

Four: (19) He’s a blacksmith, like his grandpa, but he got roped into this mess of a friend group somehow anyways. He finds most of them to be far too loud or dramatic, but they’re his best friends and he’s stuck with em

Wind: (16) He’s still in high school, but he does band and soccer. Wars took him skating ONCE because he used to babysit him, and Wind kinda got obsessed with the idea of what he calls ‘knife shoes’. Of ALL the people Wars has taken to the rink with him (who have no prior experience skating), Wind is the best. He’d be able to fuck around and play ice hockey with Wars, he’d get his ass beat if he went against an actual hockey player, but he can play a simple friendly game with Wars if Wars agrees to it

and then for anyone unfamiliar with the au!!:

Wars: (20/21; depends on what time of year I write the au in, because everything is just about their last year of undergrad and he’s a December birthday) He’s a retired figure skater who holds a world record and several gold medals, and he won the hyrule equivalent of the olympics at 18. He’s a dance major now, he’s been doing ballet since he was 3 and he never quit it, and he’s gone pretty much all day during the week because he goes skating for two hours before class, his last class ends at 5:30, and then if he’s actively in a show rehearsal ends at 10. Weekends are his only time to breathe but he’ll still have rehearsal from 1-6 and will hit the rink from like 10-11 unless Sky and Twi get on their literal hands and knees and BEG him not to because they miss him and “when will my husband return from the fucking war??”

Twilight: (21/22; his birthday is March) Bio/chem major with the intent to become a vet for ranch animals. He LOVES animals so so so so much, and he has a rather bad habit of bringing home sat wet creatures to his adoptive parents/aunt&uncle Time and Malon who just need a little extra love, including but not limited to: Several dogs, several cats, an injured bird, Warriors, a baby deer. Most of these things get taken care of and then released or Time helps them get adopted, and others get kept (at LEAST four dogs (including a very fluffy one named Wolfie), Wars, and two cats)

Sky: (21) English literature major who wants to become a teacher because he had an awful time as a disabled kid in school and he was made to feel stupid and he NEVER wants a kid to have that experience. It broke his heart to realize Wars had that experience too and still thinks he’s stupid, but Sky is determined to be the kind of english teacher you remember DECADES after you leave grade school because they were so important and changed your life. His gf Sun also loves english literature, and they go on dates to the library together and it’s just disgustingly sweet. He’s living out his best coffee shop romance au life because he does in fact work at a coffee shop and he did in fact fall in love with the girl who came in and ordered mint tea at 4 pm on the dot every day he just so happened to be working

[fountainpenguin]

there making another fop

I've heard! I'm not sure what the status is on it right now, but I saw some concept art almost a year ago, I think. For all I know, it might have started airing, but I haven't been keeping up with it (Not even sure where).

I'm not enthusiastic about the idea, but I don't love being negative on my fandom blog, so I haven't said anything, and if I do say positive things after watching it, there are some uneasy roots beneath. Based on what I've seen, I'm not impressed, but I've heard rumors that they're bringing the Pixies back (about 16 years since their last episode iirc), and if that's true then I've pumped. I miss them so much.

I think I heard there was time travel involved in the new series, something about the future, and if they've killed off H.P. and Sanderson's taken over as Head Pixie, I'm gonna go feral.

All I want is pathetic lapdog Sanderson, H.P defending his title as the sassiest character in all Fairly OddParents, and a reference to a 37-year plan, and I'll be content.

If you are not going to put Sanderson in charge of all the universe's magical paperwork just to have him peace out and run off to another singing competition, then what is even the point. smh. "Fairy Idol," my beloved.

I have serious doubts that a new crew of writers will take the time to study or even want to keep all of H.P.'s subtleties, so his sass is probably on the chopping block in favor of easy dull and gray stereotypes... but I will always love that stupid man who offered Fairy World in a mini golf gamble, nearly bailed 5 seconds later because he changed his mind and wanted to go to a rave, and proceeded to lose to a 10-year-old despite the fact he was cheating the entire time.

Even before Jorgen showed up, H.P. was losing that entire match, and this was after bragging about how skilled he is because "he's magic." He's the best. He's so cocky and so, so silly. I love him.

He spent 37 years taking over the world and immediately after he did, he got drunk, went home, and sat in his hot tub. His job is to fill all the magical paperwork, but he flits around calling people "Meat" and "Dude" and he likes to break dance while wearing a full business suit.

He used a newborn as a yo-yo once. He likes robots, pizza, setting his godson up on dates, and giving stupid nicknames to important heads of state. He makes Sanderson carry him, but he'll be the one to carry Anti-Cosmo. His idea of an evil plan is prank-calling you and saying "Hi" while he stands two feet away. He's scared of Mama Cosma. His henchmen are daycare workers who sing songs and wear pink. His hat is also a pen. He's the world's most perfect man <3

[dxncingwithastrxnger]

Lexy's Christmas Sleepover!! (Attempt #3)

Hello, everyone!!!! It's that time of year again!!! Now, I know that in the past two years, I haven't been very reliable at getting out my Christmas requests, and I greatly apologize for this. But in previous years, I've also tried to make myself write a bunch of full length one-shots which for me usually means 3k+ words, SO, this year, I'm gonna go ahead and say that I can't guarantee a full length one-shot on every single request, BUT I will at least write a drabble for any requests sent to me this year!! I can guarantee this for sure!!!

NOW, Since I'm a multi-shipper, I will write for mannyyyyy different ships in each of my fandoms and it would take awhile to list every single one of them, SO, instead, I'm going to list each of my current fandoms that I'm comfortable writing for and then you can send me either a ship or a character you'd like a reader insert fic for. Poly ships, platonic ships, and platonic/family groups are perfectly okay as well!!! If you happen to send me a ship or character that I'm not comfortable writing for, for any reason, then I'll let you know, but I doubt that will happen, tbh. So, without further ado, here are the fandoms and prompts!!

[Some of the dialogue prompts I'm using came from this list]

When requesting, please tell me: Fandom + Group/Ship/Character + Reader Gender (If Needed) + At least 1 Prompt (I will accept multiple!). You may request as many as you'd like!!

Duration:

11/28/23 - 12/31/23

KNY/Demon Slayer

Fandoms:

Seven Deadly Sins

Four Knights Of The Apocalypse

Miraculous Ladybug

Riverdale

Bungo Stray Dogs

Marvel

The Vampire Diaries

The Originals

Legacies

Legend of Zelda (Mainly BOTW + TOTK)

Stranger Things

Supernatural

Scenarios:

MHA/BNHA

1.) Decorating The Tree

2.) Dancing In The Snow

3.) Present Shopping

4.) Gift Giving

5.) Wrapping Gifts

6.) Making A Gingerbread House

7.) Gingerbread House Competition

8.) Snowball Fight

9.) Sledding

10.) Mistletoe

11.) Christmas Baking

12.) Christmas Market

13.) Making Snowmen

14.) Christmas Party

15.) Watching Christmas Movies

16.) Dancing To Christmas Music

17.) Going Ice Skating

18.) Christmas Dinner

19.) Making Christmas Dinner

20.) Fake Dating For Christmas Ball

21.) Secret Santa

22.) Both Reaching For The Last Cookie

23.) Making Christmas Decorations

24.) Christmas Carolling

25.) Decorating The House/Apartment

26.) School Winter Dance

27.) Christmas Office Party

28.) Stranded On Christmas Eve

29.) Christmas Drinks

30.) Christmas Photo Shoot

31.) Christmas Tree Farm

32.) Cookies For Santa

33.) Christmas Dress Up

34.) Fireplace Snuggles

35.) Accidental Christmas/Eve Confession

36.) Winter Walk

Dialogue:

A.) “Stop trying to get me to walk under the mistletoe.”

B.) "That should be our Christmas card this year.”

C.) “Why’d you turn the music off?”

D.) “I know we said no presents this year but…”

E.) “I hate Christmas shopping.” - “I love Christmas shopping!”

F.) “Do you want to put the star on the top of the tree?”

G.) “What do you think? Like the tree?”

H.) “Open your stocking!”

I.) “It’s snowing!”

J.) “What are you doing?” - “Making a snow angel.”

K.) “Do people even use nutcrackers?”

L.) “Do you still believe in Santa?”

M.) “You’d make a cute elf.”

N.) “Look! Reindeers!”

O.) “Is that supposed to be a snowman?”

P.) “Do you have any carrots?”

Q.) “This is the best gift you could’ve given me.”

R.) “You have snow on your eyelashes, looks cute.”

S.) “Come here by the fire.”

T.) “Please don’t make me wear this, I look ridiculous.”

U.) “You’ve really made my Christmas this year.”

V.) “I thought you were going home for Christmas.” - “Well, I couldn’t leave you all alone.”

W.) “I’m never letting you convince me to go carolling again.”

X.) “Here, you can have one of my gloves.”

Y.) “What are you wearing?”

Z.) “Did you get us matching pyjamas?”

AA.) “You look so beautiful in the snow.”

BB.) “It’s bold of you to assume I haven’t eaten my entire advent calendar.”

CC.) “Christmas hot chocolate is not normal hot chocolate. Where are the marshmallows?”

DD.) “Smell this candle, it’s amazing.”

EE.) “Aren’t you going to write your letter to Santa?”

FF.) “I’ll let you sit on my knee.”

GG.) “You’re my Christmas angel.” - “Wow that was…intense.” - “Just take the compliment.”

HH.) “But I wanted to be Santa this year!”

II.) “Did you make me a tinsel crown?”

JJ.) “I can’t get the star on, would you give me a hand?”

KK.) “Looks like you’ve had a few drinks!” - “You haven’t had enough if you’re noticing. Come on, bar’s over there.”

LL.) “Will you make me a hot chocolate?” - “Name all the reindeer and I will.”

MM.) "I've never understood the tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve. Why would anyone do that?"

NN.) "I've hid all of your presents where you'll never find them." - "They're under your/our bed, aren't they?"

OO.) "Someone ate Santa's cookies last night and it wasn't me."

PP.) "It's Christmas Time!" - "Oh god."

QQ.) "In the name of Christmas Spirit, I demand you come with me."

RR.) "You know what that means?" - "Christmas?" - "Christmas."

[niuniente]

Reading your dream made me want to share my dream. Because it's been sitting on my mind the role day for some reason and that's not something that happens often. I hope you don't mind me just sharing it, i feel like i need to put it out there.

I dreamed that i was late to school. mind you, i'm 31 years old and so i was in the dream, I feel.

And the school was the one i studied until i was 14 years old. my home wasn't my home or any home i ever lived in. in the dream i woke up at the correct time but took too long getting ready. like school started at 9 and it was getting close to 10. (Never had lessons starting at that weird time until college when i choose late classes because i lived a bit far away from school) I somehow had no material for school other than a folder with loose paper, both used and blank one,s and a pencil case, my bag was a simple tote bag. (that also struck to me as strange but i felt like i was trying to just not go empty handed to something i wasn't ready for.) I was finishing getting ready when a friend called me asking if i was okay and why i was late. This friend is someone i met by the time i was on the second half of my college years, he was saying the first class would be at the pool, since they were wanting to revitalize the school's sportive center. the school does have a sports center but no pool in reality. I somehow get in time even thought i previously was almost a hour late, when i see my classmates they're mostly people i did go to school with. plus the friend from college. we all on our 30's. we were also accessing the sports center through the street not the footbridge the school has linking the two buildings like we used to do. when we get there the pool is not only pretty much underground it also is in a awful state. most of the tiles are missing and broken, the water doesn't even fill half the pool and it's very dirty, almost bog like. One of the boys that i remember from my school years jump down into it and kinda walks around while everyone else kinda says 'eww', he than jumps out of it and starts to playfully chase the girls that made more noise when he went in, including the girl he was dating at the time we went to school, they start to scream and giggle trying to dodge him. he was wearing a coral bating suit. and then i woke up! It's funny... i don't usually see faces very well in my dreams, i know who people are, but the faces are not clear, but this is the second dream in less than a month where the faces of a few people were very clear to me. and last time it wasn't even someone i know.

I mentioned some time ago earlier this year that something has shifted in dreams. I've always seen people in my dreams and they're just something vague. Now, I can see them clearly, sometimes I even know their names. If I could draw portraits, I could draw them easily because they're as clear as a day (and these aren't real people, mind you).

It was fun that you shared that dream with me because I keep having the same dream theme! Not so much anymore, but occasionally it comes up. I need to go to school and I'm late. Sometimes it's been already 3 months and I have forgotten to go to the school. Sometimes, I manage to get to the school but I don't know where my class is, what subject I'm having etc.

I always read school dreams as "Okay, listen; you've already gone through that literal life lesson. No need to try to backtrack and do it again. No need to. You're done with it. Let it go."

Sometimes, I have dreams were I have to perform but I have don't know how to do it. It can be a beauty pageant competition, a dance competition, a singing competition, or a play which I have role in but I don't know what it is. I don't know my lines or my cues.

Once, I tried to escape from the theater, right before the play starts, through a window but I couldn't. Billy Idol was sleeping on the window sill. I tried to move him but he was too heavy. I tried to open the window but it kept hitting his head. Then, I woke up and I knew the message was "We know it's scary and you have no idea what's going on, but you have to stay where you are. You're at the right place, it's going to be OK. Don't run. We won't let you because it will hurt you. You're save".

[anyways-wonderwall]

Eurovision Special!

It's my favorite time of year, Eurovision time! Every year I make a post talking about my five favorite songs from the year and generally talk about what I thought of the whole competition.

Uhh here's the thing though, this year SUCKED. Like I have been following Eurovision for six years and there has never been a more mid year in my experience. There were literally only 5 songs I liked, which while it made writing this really easy, is terrible given I usually playlist around 10 songs each year. I don't know what was happening but the countries dropped the ball on picking entries and the jury decided that only boring songs were allowed to do well. I cannot express how disappointed I was this year. (I just realized in my last post I wrote "Eurovision is getting too good, and what comes up must come down sometime" and unfortunately I was right)

Anyways, if you haven't read my last two Eurovision posts (which you can find here and here) I give each song a score from 1-10 in four categories: singer, song, catchiness, and performance. While technically a perfect score is a 40, there are available bonus points based on whether it isn't in English, it makes me laugh really hard, embodies Eurovision, etc. Each song also gets a fun little note so I can remember what it sounded like. Listen it's really hard to keep track of 37 songs.

Without further ado, here are the only good songs in Eurovision 2023:

5. Lithuania - Stay by Monika Linkytė

Score: 28/40

Notes: chutoh aahh tootoh

Final Ranking: 11th

I was really on the fence about including this one since it didn't really grab me at first, and in all honesty its not that great or unique and I kind of wrote it off as your standard Eurovision song.

But then as the days went on, I found the chorus - ‘Čiūto Tūto’ haunting me. I have never had more fun than dancing along with the chorus and there has not been a day I haven't sung this song. I'm re-listening to it now and honestly, I'm fine never listening to it again, but it has changed my life.

4. Austria - Who the Hell is Edgar? by Teya & Salena

Score: 30/40

Notes: Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe

Final Ranking: 15th

Now this is why I listen to Eurovision. I come here for camp nonsense and this year Austria delivered. A feminist song about being possessed by Edgar Allan Poe?? Perfection. The song itself is really catchy, the singers are incredibly fun and charismatic, and the music video is just such a great time. I am really sad this song didn't place higher, especially since a lot of people were praising it. You deserved more girls!

(although edgar allan poe was actually very pro-slavery so they should be canceled /j)

3. Malta - Dance (Our Own Party) by The Busker

Score: 30/40

Notes: Perfect sax part

Final Ranking: didn't make it to the grand finale >:(

As the comment suggests, the strength of this song is the killer sax riffs (riffs multiple!! they just kept delivering!). The song as a whole is a super fun time, with a fun message and a goofy music video, once again things that I look for when I listen to Eurovision songs. Plus they're from Malta! A micronation represented by people actually from there! I feel like that alone deserves bonus points (I mean Malta only has half a million people, less than Wyoming).

2. Portugal - Ai Coração by Mimicat

Score: 38/40

Notes: Cabaret flamenco

Final Ranking: 23rd

This song reminds me a lot of Fanfare Ciocarlia in the best way. Its quick, full of brass, and makes me want to dance. It's also all in Portuguese and the live performance was absolutely mesmerizing. I don't know exactly what this genre is called, but I'm such a fan. Give me fast-paced music and some brass and I'm in love.

Finland - Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä

Score: 39/40

Notes: Why did the bridge keep going

Final Ranking: 2nd

C'mon, did you really think that I would put any other song at number one? This song hooks you from the beginning, has an aggressively European synth riff, nonsense Finnish lyrics, an inexplicable heavy metal chorus, this song is absolutely wonderful and one of the best to come from Eurovision. This song clearly stands out from all the others, and is the only one that I know of that made its way into international Tiktok. I mean if my roommate knows a Eurovision song without my involvement that means that it has some cultural power.

Unfortunately, I don't think this song is perfect. The bridge kind of ruins the momentum of the song by steering it into generic pop and for some reason they keep that overtone for the rest of the song. They were so close to committing to the bit, then they weirdly tried to make it sound normal. That aside, this is clearly the best song of this year and I am convinced that they rigged it.

I think the only songs I actually liked enough to keep listening to in my daily life are the last two, which is pretty bad for a Eurovision year. I just hope they do something good next year in stupid Sweden.

(and my least favorites this year were Georgia and Greece, really bringing down the letter "G." Luckily Germany brought a great song to make up for those two.)

[captainericvgc]

EPISODE II: CAPTAIN ERIC VS THE RUINOUS RULESET

I’d been planning to write about my thoughts about the Global Competition I that happened last weekend only for another GC to be up next weekend. This article also got eaten by when my computer restarted without my permission so thanks for that Windows update. The Team For the GC I used Clover Bell’s BaxBalance team. The only difference is Baxcalibur actually has Icicle Spear instead of Icicle Crash and I actually played a few games on Showdown with the team before I realized the mistake. I’m not going to go too much into detail about the team like a normally would because I didn’t build it!  Credit goes to Clover Bell and you can check his explanation of the team here. I will say what drew me to this team as opposed to the other ones featured was Palafin. I’d seen Gavin Michaels use it to some success and it had been doing work in online tours. I never thought to use it because I didn’t like how telegraphed you had to be switching it out to bring in the Hero form but having watched EUIC, I could definitely stand to use Zero form more for damage. Results I went 10-4 in the GC which wasn’t bad and honestly if I did get so completely bamboozled by a Crabominable in one game and if Baxcalibur gets hit by Heat Wave instead of dodging it forever (which would’ve given me a Thermal Exchange boost which would have secured a knockout) I probably could’ve gone 12-2. Between friends having birthdays and meeting with my family for Easter I didn’t play all 45 matches which is kind of disappointing. I don’t think I would’ve been on  Three Things 1. Practice Practice Practice I just straight up do not play enough Pokemon Showdown to be successful consistently at a high level. I did maybe 15-20 unfocused matches with the team before the GC. I won all but maybe 2 or 3 of them but I can’t tell you what my gameplan was on Team Preview or what my endgame plans were. I just was winging it way too much. I need to have the team flowcharted better especially since it seems like the core this team is built around is going to be dominant format in Reg C for a while. 2. Need More Damage One thing I really like about this team is that it is really hard to OHKO any of them and with even my average positioning skills, I always felt I had good options in the mid-to-end game to pivot too. That said the draw back to this is I felt like dealing damage was pulling teeth. Flutter Mane missed a KO on an enemy Flutter by maybe 2hp that could’ve cost me a match if the opponent didn’t time out. Palafin hits way harder than I thought it did and would and I don’t mind that Arcanine doesn’t hit so hard because it’s more of a support mon anyways, but I need more out of Flutter Mane and Baxcalibur and that’s something I’m going to test before this Global Competition which leads to... 3. Is Bax Him? I don’t feel I bring or use Baxcalibur that much anyways and I wonder if something better would go into that slot. I’ve considered Roaring Moon, Iron Hands and Kingambit for possible swaps. To be fair, Baxcalibur is great because of the immunity to burns keeps his attack rocking. It may be worth it to switch Loaded Dice for Clear Amulet and make a Dragon Dance and make him more imposing that way. Iron Hands can buy me turns with Fake Out and a slow Volt Switch to get Palafin in quicker and safer than having to do two hard switches or wait for a KO and then I can bring it back in immediate. Roaring Moon as an option would give me a faster attacker and the Protosythensis/Booster Energy/Acrobatics combination deals alot of damage. It could also in theory provide speed control with Tailwind or Damage mitigation with Breaking Swipe. Kingambit is a solid defensive Pokemon and would discourage opposing Intimidate users which would help make Palafin’s job easier and helps with enemy Flutter Mane. Up Next I’m competing in BauerdadVGC’s weekly tournament on Tuesday April 18th to close out my 32nd year on this planet. Then it’s gonna be a mad dash to trying to confirm my team for the GC on April 21-23.

[theducks-111]

Eating Disorder Issues:

I have had a diagnosed Eating Disorder for about 2 years. I have been fighting one since I was 11.

It started with just not having food in the house

My mom was sick, my dad was dead, my brother hated me, and I was an elementary school child

I made due but I didn't eat much outside of school

But the problem was I hated school and did all I could to avoid it

Then I hit puberty and started to gain weight

I looked at pictures of me at 10 and 9 and longed for that body

I was 12 when I started restricting

At the time I was also on a competitive dance team so that does not make the body image issues any easier

I restricted on and off going from eating just fine to eat a pack of fruit snacks a day at most

It came to a head when I was 14 and I had been eating a snack 1-4 times a week for months.

Went to the doctors and learned I had dropped 40 pounds in a month and a half

Then I went to the mental hospital where they made me eat

And having a food scarcity fear and an eating disorder in the mental hospital is not fun

I would have pretzels and goldfish hidden in my bin and around my room yet I was barely eating and drinking enough to avoid getting tubed

After a 6 month stay, I was eating at least 1 meal a day and 2 snacks

After another year I had gained back a few pounds and was eating 2 meals most days

In present day I eat at least 3 mediocre meals a day and 2 snacks

But recently I went to my friends house

She's my same age but much more beautiful

Tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, freckles, she's the whole package

And she's skinny

Add on that my mom had been on a diet herself

So for the last few days I have been closely monitoring my food

This morning I ate eggs and berries, for lunch I had… more eggs and berries + toast

I didn't want to eat dinner.

I told myself I was gonna but I was just exhausted

My mom ordered me my favorite noodles

I was so nauseous with hunger but the thought of food made my jaw heavy

So now, I sit in the bath trying to eat my favorite food when my jaw is heavy and locking and the food feels like clay in my mouth

[steamishot]

T-29 days

i'm now updating my calendar for every event i have this month. so far, it's:

8/8: pizza with S&I

8/10: beacon hike with matt

8/11: NJ hike/hangout with T&S

8/16: dinner at LG's home for the first time (will start giving away my plants)

8/18: visit A and her baby with S at her apartment/pool day

8/21: carbone lunch with matt

8/22: rubirosa and comedy cellar with matt

8/26: switzerland

9/6: last dinner with T

9/7: last brunch with S&I

i have resistance to some events, and the feeling is definitely bittersweet. i find myself not truly enjoying the hangouts because it is laced with some sadness. my depresso would rather not see anyone until it comes time to move. but, it is nice that my last month will be filled with special moments.

i chatted with K about this, who has had a few losses/breakups in the past few years. she mentioned sobbing for an hour because she had just found a great dance partner but in the coming months, he will likely be deployed/away for months at times while he focuses on his military career. it's like that quote "'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

ceramics: i've made entirely all bowls and one mug this semester. my mug didn't turn out that great. aesthetically, it was okay, but i tried drinking hot peppermint tea from it and it tasted funny. so i'm most likely not going to use it for drinking purposes. for my last few pieces, i'm torn between keeping them for myself or giving them away as gifts. the last thing i put in the fire was a blue bowl and a pink bowl - let's see how those turn out. class ends in two weeks already.

exercise/health: i'm really ramping up on the exercise recently. walked/hiked about 20 miles this past weekend, did a 7 mile bike ride, yoga sessions, etc. ran ~2 miles a few times! for a minute when i was super full, i stepped on the scale and reached my goal weight of 120lbs. but now i'm back down to 116-117. glad that i haven't had any hemorrhoids/blood in my stool since may.

last work week: it's matt's last work week at NYU! he was off for 10 days so i'm glad he's going back to work haha. it's his last night shift week here, and i'll have the whole apartment and bed to myself to chill this week. excited to drink tea and read.

odd bucket list items: yesterday, we had mcdonald's for the first time in NYC. i usually only get mcd's when i'm in LA. before we leave, i also want to give the panhandler who is always outside of our building "a dollar or two".

moving logistics: the moving company has been set. actual apartment is still up in the air. we're not ruling out the luxury buildings anymore. i've been checking daily for the same community that we're in now. it's more convenient to lock in for future move-in dates, and i trust that the building/maintenance will be good. slowly, the late september move-in date listings are coming out. i notice that rentals are claimed pretty quickly, so the market is quite competitive. i've been also browsing zillow rentals and have email updates for new listings, but those are not as frequent.

duolingo: i completed the chinese sessions, and have been learning japanese for the last few weeks. i was practicing music for a bit; may go back to it later. my friend K's competitive nature has been rubbing off on me. i've been trying harder at the game instead of doing the bare minimum. she's all about getting the XP and winning in the game (maintaining a top 3 status). i'm now at 237 day streak!

[ghoulishdude]

Hi, everyone! Been a while since I wrote one of these but I really need to let it out somehow...warning for somewhat (?) unbalanced personal situatiob, also excuse any typos I'm just trying to get it all out at once

So, for context my mom grew up in the 80's , youngest daughter of 6 siblings, basically helping run the household since she was about 8, cooking cleaning gardening washing...you name it (this is a fact she constantly brings up btw)

The thing is, she continued the cycle with me, which I'm thankful for cause honestly life skills ™, having me do my laundry and ironing since I got my first period (9 years old) as well as do the dishes and put them away, aside from other things.

Well, I have an older brother...and guess what, this was not the case for him. Sure, he'll wash his own dish and take out the trash every once in a while but that's it. Ask him to fold his socks and he'll look at you like all confused.

Now the issue for me has always been the expectation of having to do everything for everyone else, and my brother not getting the same treatment. Like, if my mother's reasoning is that we need to know these things for when are independent, why am I the only one receiving these 'lessons'? (Note: a few years ago I actually asked her and she told me, a bit jokingly but still concerning, that my brother would just move in with me when she passes away, and then find a wife to do those chores for him, which...wow)

It's also annoying that, since he won't do the chores in question, whenever I'm doing something of my own, I'm asked to get up leave it and go do that chore. Some examples: having to get up to take the laundry out of the dryer while I'm trying to meet a deadline for a class I'm taking, despite being told that my sole focus should be my academic growth (ok contradictions), having to pause my workout routine (that I started because she subtly told me I was getting chubby) because I had to help her find something in the kitchen and today's incident...

Basically what happened over this weekend is that my best friend of over ten years invited me to her sister's dance competition and then to sleepover at her house (this is a yearly occurrence so you know). I'm always reluctant to attend not because of them, I love them they've always made me feel like part of their home, but because of my mom's reaction when I get back home the day after.

When I was younger I understood as her looking after her teenage daughter and being worried about her staying the night at a different house...fine, understandable. Now, having the same reactions when I'm a young adult (literally 22) and staying at a house where I've stayed hundreds of times, and being promised to be driven over before sundown? Weird If you ask me.

Anyways, everything was going well the morning after the competition, Sunday morning, she texted me and asked when I was going to be home, I told her that after lunch and that my bestie's mom was driving me, she said ok. We had lunch at about 4:30/5pm (again, it's a Sunday and also we woke up super late), she texts me super insistently asking where I was, I told her that still at the house, she asked why I didn't take a taki, I reminder that my friend's mom was giving me a ride, why spend money at all? Well, she basically told me to do whatever i wanted then. I expected that but it still hurt.

I came back home at around 6:10, the sunset hadn't even begun, and what did I get home to? Passive aggression and the cold shoulder, who would've known? Part of me wonders if it's bitterness at not getting to have the same experiences (at my age she already had my brother and been married to my dad for 3 years) or it's the lack of control over having me near at all times?

Oh, yeah, I forgot, I came home and noticed that all the laundry was tended out to dry and hadn't been put away, so all the insisting I get home was to fold the laundry and put it away in everybody's closets. Fun.

Which brings me to my previous point...all the frustration I feel about my brother and I not having the same responsibilities or duties. Like, if I'm not home or I'm busy, couldn't my brother, you know just thinking out loud, do the frickin laundry? And then when I try to bring it up she shuts me down with how it doesn't bother her to cook and clean for everybody so why does it bother me, and how I'm so selfish, cold hearted and I'm going to die alone if I keep acting that way (honest to God)

By the way, it's the same with cooking, everytime she wants to show me a new trick or dish I tell her to get my brother and she tells me that it's no point because I'll be the one cooking at the end (yeah, because you never bothered to teach him anything, like you did me) Also I was nine years old with you making me cry over not knowing to fold underwear. Maybe a twenty seven year old man will learn faster? But idk

That's all for now. I'd appreciate any advice, quote, moment, new perspective...over all I just needed to express my feelings and this has helped before.

If you've made it this far tell me what's your favorite book! I've been trying to get back into reading.

Thank you and good night <3

[nemesis-21]

15 people, 15 questions

Thank you @visualtaehyun for the tag! I've never done one of these before and the questions seemed interesting, so I had to give it a go before the new year.

1) Are you named after anyone?

Yes! I'm named after one of my paternal great grandmothers.

2) When was the last time you cried?

When I met my nephew for the first time a few days ago (he's my first nibling making me an auntie officially, so I was very overwhelmed in a good way).

3) Do you have kids?

No and I plan to keep it that way.

4) What sports do you play/have you played?

Growing up I swam and did karate competitively. I also did gymnastics, tap dance, and ballet. (I also bowled on my school's varsity team later on if that counts. Lol)

5) Do you use sarcasm?

All the time.

6) What's the first thing you notice about people?

How they interact with me and others (their communication style, eye contact or no, their tone, if they're rude, kind, impatient, etc.).

7) What's your eye color?

Hazel, but they look more green or blue depending on the day.

8) Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings. Scary movies tend to bore me despite my appreciation for the genre and storytelling (I keep trying to like them, I swear!). But I tend to enjoy happy endings more cause they help me relax from the stresses of daily life.

9) Any talents?

I'm not quite sure. Maybe baking? Or I've been told I'm a really good gift giver?

10) Where were you born?

The United States

11) What are your hobbies?

Reading, crafting, baking, consuming a lot of different Asian and/or queer content, hiking, and (unsuccessfully) studying languages (formerly German and Korean, currently Tagalog).

12) Do you have any pets?

Unfortunately, no. But I really want some.

13) How tall are you?

5'3" (about 160 cm) with my boots on

14) What was your favorite subject in school?

This is a tough one because I was and still am a huge nerd, so it's a tie between my English, language, and history classes.

15) What is your dream job?

Working for an international NGO within the realm of gender equality and/or human rights (based somewhere outside of North America).

Since I don't tend to directly interact with a lot of people here (the love is still there for you all, I'm just shy), I'm going to leave this up to anyone who sees it and wants to participate, go for it!

[hotarutranslations]

#HelloProDanceGakuen! Public Recording!

#HelloProDanceGakuen

The public recording! Is over!

I'm already going to fall asleep in 3 seconds! The heat level was too crazy, my head hurts! I'm too tired but I'm not tired at all from the adrenaline! Look, you don't what I'm talking about, right!

I'll do my best to write!

First off,

We've had Hello Pro Dance Gakuen, since it started in 2019 but, All of the fans that loved and supported the show, Also the many teachers who have helped us, I want to convey the fun of dance! I love dancing! with just the mindset () As colleagues from different groups, With Hama-chan, Manakan, and Kaedy, Every time, sometimes desperately with tears our my eyes, we have encouraged each other

With that! We're finally able to have a large scale public recording! That is,

This isr really big for the show, I wonder if there will be another opportunity for this, I've thought,

I seriousssllyyyyy tried today,

I realized that!!!!!!

Thank you very much for your support🫨🫨🫨

It was amazing…… We did so many things……

Wait, don't give up, if you haven't seen it yet--

You can watch it!!!

This time the public recording event, Will be available on HELLO!PROJECT STREAM!

Big applause, everyone

The way I heard it, maybe it wasn't originally planned, I don't know but……

It seems there were a lot of applicants, That is, really, a lot of people wanted to see it, While doing it, while watching it, I also thought this so🔥

Happyyyy!!!

I don't know if there are others who think like that, Like those who didn't go got jealous, You really don't think so, please definitely watch it…… Everyone was amazing……

The streaming period will be determined soon⚠️

They have to check a lot of things, right-- There will be another announcement, wait for it!

Also,

For everyone on the worldwide level, Wasn't the non-stop showcase, too crazy?

When it was time for us to change our clothes, I changed quickly and watched from the sleeves🕺🕺🕺

I really wanted to see by the front🕺🕺🕺

Everyone in KOSÉ 8ROCKS break dancing🕺

Thats right, break dancing is now part of the Olympics and KOSÉ 8ROCKS was made up of Avengers of the best in the world in break dancing, it was really exciting at the venue too, aah, everyone will like them more with this

SHUHO-san led HOUSE🕺

SHUHO-san is a teacher who helped us in season 8 and has won many competitions, a lot of people have never experienced HOUSE, right, its stylish, right, I wonder if their feet are floating already I want to check the video, right

Also, The MC super duper heated things up, Umebo's Imagine-san!!!!!!

Umebo-san has helped us twice at Dance Gakuen

Also with Imagine-san, He has also been the MC for various dance battles around the world,

With that, Our first stage of a dance battle, I'm honored he was our MC……

The last scene was the best🕺

Also, also with peace of mind and trust, Joujou Gundan-sannn! They said it was really exciting and amazing,

During the public recording it felt like I was doing everything for the first time,

I'm grateful for their present that reminded of how things are normally-------!

Eh,

Really, doing an improvised dance battle….. Uwaa……

For Ishida, its my 13th year (I said it was my 12 year during the event⟵) and you may be thinking how many times is she going to say,

Improvisation and free dancing is really😕😕😕😕😕😕

Although,

it was super super super fun! I had fun! That is my #1 emotion!

Make no mistake, I did my best with my experience with a public recording and,

I was able to do it with your support!

Within this dance dance dance day, I also realized, I'm an idol after all...🤍 Idols are fun, I love them

Thank you very much for the wonderful experience!

This was thanks to everyone who supports the show! Thank you very much!

Finally started this month, Hello Pro Dance Gakuen season 10 is airing,

Don't miss it🌏💫

From now on I'll cook and eat a streak

Also everyone, For tomorrow as well for me,

It will be an amazzzzinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggg day

Those who know, know, right

My heart is in shambles

7:00PM……▶

Please look forward, and kinda, look over me… Howawawawawawawawa

7:00PM

(nah but maybe we can meet up again after 7:00PM) (How about we go there and then come back here later) (Well in any case look forward to tomorrow)

see you ayumin <3

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS EUROVISION SPECIAL: 20/05/2023 (+ Lil Durk/J. Cole & Ed Sheeran)

Content warning: Discussions of Israel-Palestine conflict, death/grieving and brief mentions of r*pe, homophobia and Drake

Welp... it’s a big one. Despite all of the movement and a hefty competition, “Miracle” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding reigns for a sixth week. This’ll be fun to run through... welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start with the notable dropouts and as you’d expect, there are a lot this week, mostly because we have 16 new songs to cover... which may be a record. What I consider notable dropouts are songs that exit the UK Top 75 �� which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40, which means we say farewell to “Scrap the Monarchy” by The Krown Jewelz, “Favela” by Nines featuring J. Styles, “Boat” by Ed Sheeran, “Alone” by Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj, “Make Me” by Borai and Denham Audio, “Peaches” by Jack Black, “Here” by Tom Grennan, “Snooze” by SZA, “Us Against the World” by Strandz, “Players” by Coi Leray, both “Mother” and “Made You Look” by Meghan Trainor (not her best week), “Pointless” by Lewis Capaldi and of course, some of the long-time bottom-feeders – “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM, “Another Love” by Tom Odell and finally, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, because of course.

It’s a busy week... yet somehow, Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” found time to return. 16 new arrivals and we have “Someone You Loved” at #75... the UK Singles Chart, everyone. We also have a ton of other random re-entries, like “CUFF IT” by Beyoncé after her tour announcement – it previously peaked at #5 – as well as “Creep” by Radiohead getting a Guardians of the Galaxy-related surge to #41 (it peaked at #7 in 1993, and Thom Yorke is right about it – it sucks). As for our notable gains... I mean, we did see some boosts for “Waffle House” by the Jonas Brothers at #37, “MATHEMATICAL DISRESPECT” by Lil Mabu at #27... this is all terrible news. Outside of that, we have “Dancing is Healing” by Rudimental, Vibe Chemistry and Charlotte Plank at #23, “Dog Days are Over” by Florence + the Machine at #21, “Giving Me” by Jazzy at #14 and Mae Muller copping her first top 10 with “I Wrote a Song” at #9 after a particularly bad closing performance at the You-Know-What contest.

The top five on this week’s UK Singles Chart consists of a mix of your standard, expected tracks from past weeks and at least one surprise. We have “Wish You the Best” by Lewis Capaldi at #5, “Eyes Closed” by Ed Sheeran at #4, “Daylight” by David Kushner at #3, “Tattoo” by Loreen at #2 – we’ll get to that soon, don’t worry – and of course, “Miracle” at the very top. Now to cover the big story I haven’t been mentioning by name:

Eurovision Song Contest 2023

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest broadcast included a video presented by Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA that bragged about the recent success Eurovision acts had been having on the charts, which we saw ourselves on this show – if I can call it that – with Maneskin, “Arcade”, “SNAP”, and I’m sure I’m missing some. Eurovision songs always appear on the chart if they do well, but prolonged success is rare and the streaming success as of recent is pretty good for the contest’s longevity. Of course, Eurovision was hosted in Liverpool – on behalf of Ukraine – this year, so there was a lot more buzz about the final in the UK than usual, with me myself getting back into the hype for this year. I did enjoy it, for the record – I don’t do Eurovision reviews because a lot of it ends up in the top 75 the week after but if I did, I’d be pretty positive since I liked the minimalism of some of the staging, especially the more inventive or sparse-looking performances, as well as appreciating a lot of the songs. My favourites were Luke Black from Serbia and Slovenia’s Joker Out, but they did not get far in the competition or on Spotify at least in the UK, so we’ll have some of the lesser songs – but at least not any of the dull ballads – debuting here instead, and since I did it last year I may as well cover them separately once again. As with the new songs, the numbers represent the debut position and I’ll note which country the song is representing instead of the production credit – but don’t worry, I’ll weave them into the review as with last year. Oh, and I’ll keep the #2 debut for last just like Sam Ryder for consistency’s sake; Loreen will not be in this section. As for who will be, well...

#63 – “Because of You” – Gustaph

REPRESENTING: Belgium

Landing at the seventh spot in the song contest is Belgian singer Gustaph, who self-produced this cute little dance-pop track alongside Willem Vanderstichele – awesome name. Cribbing from Jamiroquai’s fondness for both big hats and funky beats, we have a groovy house track on our hands wherein Gustaph honestly carries himself as a diva over an infectious synth bass and more generic house production that sounds as 90s as it could possibly sound. It’s a love song where Gustaph carries on because of his partner, and whilst the drop doesn’t do much justice to the celebratory tone of the song in my opinion, it has really grown on me due to the live performance, which was fantastic, and the notable anti-homophobia undertones are obviously going to resonate in the current... LGBTQ hellscape in the western world. It’s a defiant song that makes up for its shortcomings in pure charisma – I wish there was more to it, but that final crescendo with the fizzling percussion and strings does a whole lot to sell me on it. It’s a song that’s absolutely fit for the burst of energy format that Eurovision tends to allow for.

#56 – “Solo” – BLANKA

REPRESENTING: Poland (controversially)

Yeah, there were some issues surrounding this one. Apparently, there were accusations of rigged votes due to connections the jury had with BLANKA... and I hope 19th place was worth the corruption, guys. It’s not like the end result of it, produced by Tribbs and Maciej Puchalski, is all that good. You wouldn’t be able to tell a Pole made it considering the generic European pop sound reliant on a reggae-esque beat that somehow gets stiffer the more percussion is added, sounding like a modern version of Ace of Base that nobody asked for. BLANKA celebrates how she’s better off without this partner, and I don’t really care because she doesn’t sound like she does either, with the entire song sounding as processed as possible. Eurovision is at its worst when it’s boring, and BLANKA absolutely was, with the performance being just as dull as the song is. BLANKA even released extra remixes – and this is not like Ukraine, wherein TVORCHI released an original mix and a Eurovision mix (the song – and especially the genius performance – were great, by the way, and it’s a shame it did not chart). No, it has a nightcore version, several producer-led remixes (they’re both cheap garbage but the Audiosouls slap house remix kind of works for what it is), a live acoustic version that does her pronunciation absolutely no favours and a Goddamn Christmas version. It adds jingle bells. Next.

#48 – “Who the Hell is Edgar?” – TEYA and SELENA

REPRESENTING: Austria

I guess we had to be on a strictly first-name basis with the entrants this year, and despite coming 15th with a surprisingly minimal and drab performance, I at least like the song’s conceit. It’s about ghostwriting, and takes a pretty comical approach with the two suddenly having this hit song on their hands, being possessed by the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe because... of course, and ending up not being able to pay rent still despite the song’s popularity, making a point about how little artists get royalties-wise from streaming services. It makes a decent point and is pretty goofy doing so, making little cute references to the business side of the industry... though that may be why the juries were unwilling to give it the time of day. With that said, it’s an alright song, though it’s kind of soured on me – the warping synths, staccato bass and rollicking guitars in the verses are great, but it doesn’t entirely mesh once we get to the hypnotic chorus, especially with the bass distracting from the hypnotism of it if anything. In fact, it gets a little too bombastic for me especially with the choir interludes and some of the delivery feeling a bit noxious, but that’s kind of expected with this goofy premise. It’s alright, but not one of the Eurovision tracks from this year that I come back to often.

#45 – “Unicorn” – Noa Kirel

REPRESENTING: Israel

You know, to an extent, Eurovision is about representing countries and their public image. This has always been necessary for Europe, as we have committed some of the worst crimes against humanity known to, well, humanity, and to be seen as fun-loving and progressive is just what we want to look like in the face of growing discontent and awareness of the bloodied history of these nations thanks to the war in Ukraine. Produced by Yinon Yahel and placing third, this song tells the story of Israel, and whilst Kirel has said it represents harnessing the feminine power of the unicorn and that she’s promoting “togetherness”, don’t be fooled: she’s lovey-dovey with President Herzog, and this song is a bitter, bitter version of the story of Israel sang by someone who didn’t get the memo that Kesha wasn’t being 100% serious. Kirel dismisses believing in old stories – which, for someone with family that survived the Holocaust, you’d think she’d be more open to hearing – calling them “fairytales” whilst making references to her DNA and professing the “independent” power of Israel amidst other people “calling them names”, with an extra touch of condescension to, you know, native people fighting for their freedom? She does the whole patronising motivational aspect, which could come off okay if she weren’t representing Israel – say what you want about what the song truly means and it’s going to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people (which is great!) but to me, this is sly propaganda written off as a girl-power anthem. When the continued oppression and murder is ongoing, current and brainwashed into Israelis in their youth, it’s hard to compare it to a motivational song from many of these other countries that are not so explicitly murderous, especially due to how pissy and defensive this is lyrically. To make it this danceable and kitsch is just the genocidal cherry on top of the cake of ethnic cleansing. Screw this song, free Palestine, and let’s move on.

#10 – “Queen of Kings” – Alessandra

REPRESENTING: Norway

I mean, if we’re getting political still, there are some Queens and Kings here in England I wouldn’t mind to see gone. This song placed fifth and is the first top 10 hit by Alessandra, the part-Italian singer, alongside production from Henning Olerud and Stanley Fernandez, who I think are the main issues here. I did think the performance was completely fine, if a bit disappointing, but this girl-power anthem is not about genocide – thank God – but instead is kind of a Game of Thrones escapist fantasy acting as a release for the struggle that it was for Alessandra to grow up bisexual in Italy. It’s not immediately obvious in the lyrics but it’s Eurovision – it’s usually AGAP (as gay as possible). Her breathy belting is impressive and rapid, even if it didn’t translate that well live, but I don’t like the dramatic swell of this, mostly since it feels really cheap and over-produced, which really muddies Alessandra’s performance: she just has no space here, especially with the bass at the front of the mix that gives it a nauseating, headache-inducing feel that shreds it of a lot of its genuinely promising elements. It’s a shame because the high note is impressive and the song is catchy as sin, but the first of our Eurovision top 10s doesn’t impress me that much. At least it’s better than Mae Muller, and with this, her and Loreen, as well as the next song, we actually have four Eurovision songs simultaneously in the top 10, showing an unexpectedly large impact for the contest this year. Oh, and by the way, I’m sure you know but “I Wrote a Song” placed 25th... hey, it could have been worse. We could have been Germany.

#6 – “Cha Cha Cha” – Kaarija

REPRESENTING: Finland

Now this one is probably our strangest: as expected, the vast majority of the charting Eurovision tracks are 90% to 100% in English, but this one is by a formerly practically unknown rapper whose vocals are solely in Finnish. Whilst it came second overall, it won the televote and there were a lot of fans in the audience that night, I imagine partly because of how over-the-top and outwardly quirky it all is. It was a rather populist track in that regard, and I’m not surprised that despite its inaccessibility, it’s in the top 10... and it’s not just the language: it’s really out there. Produced by Aleksi Nurmi and Ki-RO, I wouldn’t be all too surprised to hear 100 gecs over this, combining hypnotising bass and intimidating techno rhythms with a creepily layered vocal in between a perking siren that eventually takes us headfirst into a dance-rock jam, with a charismatic chant vocal Keith Flint would be proud to hear still near the top of the charts. I have no idea what the song is about and I don’t think I’m supposed to: the “cha cha cha” is there to make sure I don’t need to care, and the guitars smash into the mix to ensure the only important element of the song shines: it goes hard. It goes intensely hard... and then it goes really 100 gecs on us and turns into a full-on trance song, still using the “cha cha cha” motif but otherwise ditching the chorus for a completely new one and it’s just Goddamn brilliant. With an utterly seamless transition, Kaarija’s yell dampens into an Auto-Tuned croon fit for 90s bubblegum dance, and every flash of synth has so much colour over the still pulsating dance beat that you almost forget this is one song until the crowd cheering comes in like this is “Zombie Nation” and a soaring guitar leads us into the final refrain. It’s adorable, it’s aggressive, it’s bizarre and honestly, with the ending callback to the original hook and siren loop, it’s kind of genius. Of course it won the televote, and whilst it wasn’t my favourite, it absolutely deserved to win the contest as a whole. We’ll get to the true winner after a not-so-brief interruption from songs that may actually last.

NEW ARRIVALS

#72 – “Real Back in Style” – Potter Payper

Produced by Jason Julian and Kyle Evans

Potter Payper was blocked by Ed Sheeran for the #1 on this week’s albums chart, with the album of the same name as this track debuting at #2, which is still his highest peak yet. I’ve never really been impressed by Mr. Payper, but his guest verse from last week was alright so I had some hopes for this and honestly, it’s not bad at all. The filtered gospel choir-sounding vocal sample is pretty airy with how it’s edited and it leads to a levitating foundation which fits Mr. Payper’s yelling delivery since it makes him stand out even more as he makes his entrance before the pounding drums come in and he finds his pocket a bit more tightly. The rhyme schemes are pretty good, with a flubbed rhyme actually being used for tension purposes, which is a sick decision, and the soaring chipmunk vocal behind the hard military-esque drums is a nice touch too. Sadly, he focuses from Recovery-era Eminem melodrama syndrome with an unnecessary, cheap-sounding electric guitar but it’s not that distracting when Mr. Payper is going so hard delivery-wise. He’s barely adding much groove or rhythm as much as he’s just yelling into the clouds about his life, and it’s kind of endearing due to the sheer passion. The beat switch could have been pulled off a bit better – the build-up feels a bit too long for what is essentially just a trap beat, and not one that goes consistently hard either. It sounds like Mr. Payper wrote and rapped over a beat with no drums and the producers just jumped the percussion in afterwards. With that said, the second beat is where Potter gets the most profound – if he hadn’t been placed in prison and mistreated by police, if he didn’t get involved in drug trafficking, if he wasn’t impoverished, he wouldn’t be able to receive the praise and success he does now... and that’s a sad existence when laid out as explicitly as it is here. Maybe this guy really is improving, though it may take another single for me to really be convinced to check out that album. Regardless, I’m impressed it charted. Speaking of album cuts charting, however...

#71 – “Satellite” – Harry Styles

Produced by Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon

We’re basically a year on from the release of Harry’s House and man, I still think it’s pretty terrible. I don’t like this one at all but it’s probably one of the better tracks, and now it’s got a video, it barely made its way here. Maybe it’s grown on me? I mean, no, it really hasn’t. It’s the track I want to like the most, with its progressive electronic swirl at the start furthered by Styles’ ambient humming, but the cosmic sparseness of it doesn’t allow for Harry to actually dive in as much as he clearly wants to. He feels a bit unambiguous to his own instrumental, which may fit due to the song being about him orbiting, just waiting for his love interest to bring him in... but then why does it have a corny dance beat in the chorus? Why is there a pitch-shifted post-chorus interlude that only plays once before being a distracting layer of some of the lines in the chorus? That chorus never changes like I feel like it should – it’s one of those songs that demands a bit of a narrative switch but it’s constantly stuck in flux, adding nothing of interest except for a brief crash of guitars that sounds great, especially with the distant reverb on Harry’s voice and the soaring synths, but it really is too little too late and there’s something about the guitars combined with a continued unchanging chorus that prevents it from ever feeling cathartic. I would have preferred it maybe go into a half-time breakdown or you know, he finally gets the girl, making more of a moment of the song instead of flindering off into nothingness, but I guess that would mean it doesn’t fit into the numb void of Harry’s House. If he played into it more with the songwriting, maybe it’d actually be interesting.

#70 – “TMO (Turn Me On)” – Luude and Bru-C featuring Kevin Lyttle

Produced by Chase & Status and Luude

...What? Were we really in need for a remix of “Turn Me On” by Kevin Lyttle by the “Down Under” guy with vocals from... Bru-C of all people? Why aren’t Chase & Status credited but the sample is? For what it’s worth, I really like the original. If I ignore the backing vocals from a BTEC Sean Paul, I can get into Lyttle’s unique falsetto that makes the song feel really cute, especially with the upbeat dancehall rhythm and extra synth inflections added by RedOne. It’s additionally VERY catchy, and has not left my head since it peaked at #2 in 2003 – he was blocked by Sugababes, which was a surprise to me. I assumed this had got to have gone #1, but alas, here we have Luude, Bru-C and Chase & Status taking the song to a new generation of listeners and is the remix any good? To be fair, Luude tried his best to make sure the general vibe – even if not genre – was replicated, with an uncredited emcee hyping up the track before it starts, and the dancehall rhythm being replicated with breakbeat stabs... and Goddamn it, it’s really good and I have no idea how to feel about that. It doesn’t do much to the original other than changing the sound – in convention, it’s very similar, with rubbery synth glitches reflecting the jerkier synth strings in the original. That’s probably for the best in this case, as making this any darker would completely ruin the naive, fun-loving spirit Lyttle has, and Bru-C’s “desperately trying to be cool” cadence fits perfectly, especially with a slicker-than-usual rhyme scheme and flow that sounds pretty sick over the pulsating drum and bass beat. This song is one that absolutely knows its intentions and completely succeeds with flying colours. It didn’t really exceed my expectations but... it’s a drum and bass remix of “Turn Me On” by Kevin Lyttle, what should even BE my expectations?

#69 – “hotline” (Edit) – Billie Eilish

Produced by FINNEAS

This is a one-minute cover of “Hotline Bling” by Drake. There is a full version of the cover, which was recorded in 2018, and released on her SoundCloud as well as a physical single, but she noticed it going viral on TikTok and released this tiny edit of it onto streaming services. You can barely tell that it’s a cover, given its acoustic guitars and her whispered delivery that phases into the cloudy production... and uh, that’s kind of it. I don’t like the original song because it’s a tad whiny, and Eilish’s version definitely isn’t but I don’t get much obvious emotion from it at all. This is essentially just a nicely-produced snippet of an acoustic instrumental that features barely audible Drake lyrics in the background, and it sounds like it would make a good background track for a scene in a particularly pastoral film set in a forest, or a dream sequence. That’s probably more analysis than this tiny snippet will ever have. I like the sound, though, and if Billie’s going this direction with the next album and this re-release is a reflection of it – I wouldn’t put it past her to include this on it – I’m pretty excited for what might be next.

#66 – “Area Codes” – Kali

Produced by Tate Kobang and YG! Beats

Ludacris’ “Area Codes” featuring Nate Dogg is a classic, lighthearted jam that sadly never charted in the UK. It has Luda’s signature brash fun and carefree bars alongside Nate’s rich voice dripping in untouched swag and charisma. It’s full of hooks, and I recommend you hear it if you like this interpretation by Kali, a rapper who I know (and liked) from XXL but have otherwise heard not much else from. I expected a more fun, swaggering track reminiscent of the funky R&B hook of the original, but this is such a bare snap track wherein Kali’s rapid whispering is at the front of the mix as she raps about taking advantage of all these men she’s with. The minimal, eerie nature of the beat alongside the soaring sound effects in the back allow for it to sound really dark, and it’s a shame that Kali doesn’t fully play into that, as I’d prefer it to fully give in to the evil seductress vibe implied by the laughing and flow than keep in this awkward middle stage. This is especially an issue with the song’s length, as it just kind of flounders off into an instrumental... which doesn’t serve much of a purpose when there’s practically nothing to said instrumental. This is far from bad, and I’m pretty impressed by Kali’s presence here, especially on the call-and-response chorus where she throws in that her hoes might even include your dad, but I’m not fully on board because there just isn’t much here.

#53 – “Side Effects” – Becky Hill and Lewis Thompson

Produced by Jon Shave and Lewis Thompson

Man, I’m not even close to finishing this episode, am I? Well, at least the charts are somewhat making it easy – I can’t say much about one-minute snippets or really even Becky Hill tracks. This sounds like any of her others for the most part but there is an interestingly darker tinge to this that would be interesting... but the flashier swell and the sing-songy chorus kind of ruins that vibe for me. Becky actually fits very well on darker production here, so I’m pretty disappointed they didn’t go that route fully, as again, I’d like her to play the villain more – framing it as a moving on or breakup song is just less compelling and less fitting production-wise than going into full cheating, regretless one-night stand mode. With all of that said, this song is still very much functional, and Lewis Thompson’s production has enough quirky sound effects to differentiate it slightly from the typical slap house, with the vocaloid drop being a tad more ethereal helping with this quite a bit. Also ever since I mentioned them in the “TMO (Turn Me On)” review, Sugababes must be on the mind because the chorus of this song, even just the first line, immediately reminded me of their version of “Freak Like Me”. Honestly, Becky Hill could kill that. Now that’s a cover I want to hear more than one minute of.

#35 – “Mountain” – Sam Ryder

Produced by Jimbo Barry, Lewis Allen and Sam Ryder

During the performance at Eurovision, Sam Ryder brought out Roger Taylor of Queen. A legend, of course, he deserved to be there and he was even given a little camera pan and acknowledgement by aging homosexual Graham Norton. He played drums on this song. That was it. Ryder didn’t come out and cover a Queen song, which is beyond me since when I think about British music, Queen is one of the first acts to cross my mind. Roger Taylor was just... there. He doesn’t even play drums on the official version, so that felt like a massive wasted potential. Regardless, the performance raked up some sales for this song and I’ve not been diagnosed with narcolepsy so it’s clearly not my fault that I immediately felt the urge to fall fast asleep when I pressed play on this one, right? Ryder has a nice voice but this song has no weight or grit to it, just a whole lot of fake handclaps and a surprisingly weak chorus when it comes to a recognisable melody. It just feels very staccato and also very reminiscent of Katy Perry’s “Roar” which had that exact same problem. There’s an instrumental break that consists of a single drum fill and what sounds like the start of a guitar solo... before it just creeps below the final chorus in the mix. If I were to soundtrack an advert for cars that I didn’t actually want anyone to buy since I kind of liked having them, and I’m not going to make much of a profit anyway since they’re not great-looking or designed by expensive companies, they’re just kind of middle-of-the-road cars that couldn’t be afforded by the average person but also is below the price range of the kind of person who would flex a car collection, so I’m just kind of showing off the cars in well-shot ads that clearly cost a lot to produce so I should probably try and sell the cars, but there’s not much of a demographic for them anyway so it might be cheaper to keep them since I rented this sent to film so I definitely have the space at least for now, and Hell, I might be able to coerce the person who owns the property I used to film the semi-professional-looking car adverts to take at least two off of my hands for his troubles... this is my first choice.

#29 – “Life Goes On” – Ed Sheeran

Produced by Aaron Dessner

I have still yet to hear – (Subtract) in full, but this seems to the post-album release single Ed is pushing, considering it has the video and a duet version with Luke Combs. Sadly, Combs isn’t credited here, but this folkish tune was in his wheelhouse before he was on it. The song is an acoustic ballad about the death of his friend and entrepreneur Jamal Edwards. He says that he wanted the world to stop like it did for the Queen and he got some of that comfort through the traditional “Nine Night” custom where for eight nights, friends and family gather for drinks and recollection of memories they have with the deceased. The ninth night is a party to commemorate their life and acknowledge that things have to go back to normal, but Ed struggles with this idea, because it hit him so heavily initially that he can’t bring himself to do anything but sink and sulk. He continues the weather theme that’s present in some of the other singles and you can hear a lot of the raw emotion in Ed’s great vocals here, and since it’s mostly acoustic, he really shines, with a lot of the moments of swell seeming borderline sarcastic considering how he’s convinced himself that life must go on. The bridge leading into the final chorus is a really crushing moment and as someone who is still processing a very important loss, this hit me really hard. It’s a beautiful tribute whilst also serving as Ed passionately taking a grip on his own grieving process, which is very difficult to do, and because of how personal it is, I think the Luke Combs version, which take the same lyrics, doesn’t serve the song much purpose, even if I love his vocals as always on here. It just means a lot more to hear it from just Ed.

#17 – “All My Life” – Lil Durk featuring J. Cole

Produced by Dr. Luke

Sigh, one thing I really hate about J. Cole is his blistering ignorance of issues that don’t directly affect him. You can’t be a conscious rapper and be spitting on beats produced by rapists, Jermaine, and that same vitriol goes to any rapper who won���t admit their imperfections on wax. That’s why it’s particularly annoying that he’s present on this song about Durk actively trying to improve himself, with a motivational chorus led by a children’s choir (which rarely ever works and doesn’t here under the weak trap beat) and a verse that shows how despite some of the blame being on the system, and rightfully so, he’s going through a lot of his own trials to get himself out of the violence he had become so accustomed to. It’s a great verse, with the difficulty of keeping the balance reflected in the varying cadences that go from mellow, muted melodic snippets and nasal, unabashed yelling, as well as his crooning about how a lot of the problems are inherent and internal – he’s not trying to preach, he’s using this to remind himself more than anything. So why is J. Cole here? He’s flexing, mostly against other rappers which just feels misguided when half of the verse is about a murdered rapper he admits he’d never heard of until he died, then getting rightfully upset at the media for publicising it and attracting fake hype just because he was the victim of a murder. Without many specifics or any interesting imagery, he’s essentially saying nothing about this societal issue whilst attracting all of the issues towards his own orbit; it’s all about him, and how he’s above all of that, despite the fact that he continues to use weapons as imagery when describing how much better he is than all these reckless, clueless rappers. To have this holier-than-thou verse after Durk’s honest one about how he lived that life and it’s a difficult mental process to get out of it is completely tone-deaf, and the fact that he really isn’t showing much technical skill or even a good flow here makes it even more bitter. The hook was growing on me by the end as well, and the melancholy Rod Wave-esque beat is not bad at all... so piss off, Cole, find worse songs to ruin. This could have been good.

#2 – “Tattoo” – Loreen

REPRESENTING: Sweden

Produced by Jimmy Jansson, Peter Bostrom and Thomas G:son

FINALLY! Oh, my God, finally, this week is over. Let’s just get this 16th song over with – sorry if it’s anti-climactic but for a Eurovision-winning song, it feels more like jury bait than anything all that interesting. I like the filtered synths but both the 80s synthpop pastiche context and 2010s EDM sound are very much done to death nowadays, so the song feels more like placing two clichés together than actually playing with them all that much. The performance and staging was excellent, however, and Loreen looked and sounded as excellent as she does on record if not even rawer and more powerful. The song itself is Loreen fighting through a troubled relationship and the claustrophobia that could set in from that tension is definitely there, especially in the orchestrated breakdown, but it just doesn’t click with me, especially due to the abrupt ending. It’s her first top 10 since she last won Eurovision in 2012 in Baku with “Euphoria”, which means she’s only the second singer to win Eurovision twice after Johnny Logan from Ireland, which ALSO means Loreen is the highest-charting non-UK Eurovision winner since Mr. Logan. Sweden tired the Irish for the most wins in the contest with seven and bam! – there’s your chart stats, you got my opinion, you got the background. It’s a song review speedrun.

Conclusion

Fittingly for a week with 16 songs it was kind of a mixed bag, though one thing I found they had in common was a lack of things to say... which is a saving grace because again, 16 songs. As for what I give out at the end, well, Ed’s done it again. Sheeran gets Best of the Week for the second week in a row for “Life Goes On”, though a close Honourable Mention goes to “Cha Cha Cha” by Kaarija. As for the worst, it’s a shame but Eurovision kind of dominates. That J. Cole pissed me off but not nearly to the extent that Noa Kirel does so “Unicorn” grabs Worst of the Week – it’s not a political cop-out if the genocide’s in the lyrics – and I think Sam Ryder gets the Dishonourable Mention for “Mountain”. I talked about cars for the vast majority of that review, and I barely know anything about cars. As for what’s on the horizon, I really don’t expect the Eurovision stuff to stick around outside of maybe Loreen and hopefully Kaarija, so I imagine it would be a similar free-for-all next week... though especially with less songs. Please, Britain? I have a life to live. Regardless, thank you for reading – if you were able to make it this far – and I’ll see you next week!

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My Eurovision Song Ranking 2023

I have been unusually busy in the last couple of months so this ranking is very late and not too detailed. For this year’s ranking I generally listened to the official videos 3-4 times, though in a few cases I did either watch the video with captions/translations or looked up lyrics. Not feeling that strongly about most of the songs yet.

It’s Loreen

(1) Sweden, Loreen, “Tattoo” – The song is okay but I really like Loreen’s performance, both vocally and onstage. She makes the song compelling in a way that I think few other artists could.

Would listen to again

(2) Finland, Käärijä, “Cha Cha Cha” – Very catchy & instant. The melodic final section makes more sense after reading the lyrics.

(3) Lithuania, Monika Linkyté, “Stay” – Introspective, dramatic, singer-songwritery with a slightly-too-abrupt chorus that is kind of hypnotic. It took a few listens to really grow on me.

(4) United Kingdom, Mae Muller, “I Wrote A Song” – On my first listen I thought, “it’s not bad, though it’s not amazing.” Upon repeat listens I am finding it holds up well and I like that it tells a little story about channeling negative emotions constructively. Hope they have decent staging. 

(5) Portugal, Mimicat, “Ai Coração” – Liking the wordy uptempo Portuguese.

(6) Czechia, Vesna, “My Sister’s Crown” – Dark and dramatic and rather pointedly political; I wonder how good it will sound without the echoing chorus. 

(7) Spain, Blanca Paloma, “EAEA” – I like the flamenco electronic pop, yet feel I should like it more than I do since it seems to follow in the footsteps of “¿Quién maneja mi barca?” (one of my all-time Eurovision favorites). It is a bit hard to follow as it does not quite have the relentless drive of that song.

The rest below the cut:

Enjoy it.  May not seek it out but won’t skip it.

(8) France, La Zarra, “Évidemment” – She really has that dance-pop chanteuse thing going on. It’s compelling as I listen but afterward I can’t remember any part of the song except the title word, and something about her pronunciation of “évidemment” in the official recording is really throwing me off. It almost sounds like an American trying to speak French and it does not sound that way in the live recordings I can find.

(9) Pasha Parfeni, “Soarele şi Luna” – Obvious comparisons to “Shum” and “Fulenn” which were both in my top 5 pre-competition. (Not complaining.)

(10) Ukraine, TVORCHI, “Heart of Steel” – Prefer it to last year’s song, really.

(11) Serbia, Luke Black, “Samo Mi Se Spava” – The music actually evokes video game music in addition to using games as a metaphor.

(12) Austria, Teya & Salena, “Who The Hell Is Edgar?” – Fun, catchy, about something other than the usual topics (love, heartbreak).

(13) Estonia, Alika, “Bridges” – Piano ballad.  I like the repeated rising line in the chorus.

(14) Albania, Albina & Familja Kelmendi, “Duje” – Albania doing what it does.

Okay/Would have to be in the right mood to listen

(15) Iceland, Diljá, “Power” – She has a decent voice and I like the rising line of “oh-oh-oh-oh” at the start of the chorus.

(16) Slovenia, Joker Out, “Carpe Diem” – Musically fine but does not grab me. I generally like the concept of the lyrics but would hope for a little more of the implied angst to come through.

(17) Azerbaijan, TuralTuranX, “Tell Me More” – It doesn’t sound like a Swedish import, which is a pleasant surprise.

(18) Norway, Alessandra, “Queen of Kings” – Initially catchy but really isn’t standing up for me on repeats. I may be biased because MGP was the only national selection that I paid any attention to this year other than Melodifestivalen and my favorites were Ulrikke and Rasmus Thall.

(19) Armenia, Brunette, “Future Lover” – Thankful for the changeup partway through after the twinkly piano & strings. Little bit hard to follow the lyrics but reading them I like the idea of the song. Not a fan of the video though.

(20) Latvia, Sudden Lights, “ Aijā” – Solid. It’s fine.

There is something in it I might like, but not enough for me to seek it out

(21) Croatia, Let 3, “Mama ŠČ!” – Consciously offbeat. Not sure what’s going on, it’s catchy but the song doesn’t seem interesting enough on its own unless they can attach it to a great stage performance.

(22) Australia, Voyager, “Promise” – Starts out OK, nice that it goes a bit harder but only for maybe 10 seconds. With the barrage of questions in the verses, the whole thing feels like an interrogation followed by a bunch of demands. Sounds good though.

(25) Georgia, Iru, “Echo” – Entertainingly dramatic, but kind of hard to understand and the lyrics barely make sense.

(23) Germany, Lord of the Lost, “Blood and Glitter” – Sonically a nice change of pace.  A bit repetitive without using that to good effect.

(24) Italy, Marco Mengoni, “Due Vite” – It’s very Italian. Not really sticking yet but it might grow on me (“L’Essenziale” did). 

(26) Belgium, Gustaph, “Because of You” – I should like this more (upbeat, dance-y, uplifting) but my brain just hears background music.

(27) Denmark, Reiley, “Breaking My Heart” – Denmark and Cyprus can hang out and mope together. The repetition isn’t doing it for me.

(28) Ireland, Wild Youth, “We Are One” – All it needs is a music video where people of all shapes, sizes, colors, genders dance around together (see also: the videos from “Story of My Life” and Malta’s “I Am What I Am”).

(29) Netherlands, Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper, “Burning Daylight” – Talky midtempo. Vaguely Coldplay at end.

(30) Cyprus, Andrew Lambrou, “Broken Heart” – Dramatic wailer, lots of falsetto. Voice is more interesting than song.

(31) Greece, Victor Vernicos, “What They Say” – Different direction for Greece. Not sure about this boom-clap thing at the end.

(32) Romania, Theodor Andrei, “D.G.T. (Off and On)” – Kind of enjoying the bluesy 6/8; reading the lyrics it’s a familiar theme but the official music video stage performance is a bit off-putting.

Dislike outweighs like

(33) Malta, The Busker, “Dance” – While I feel the message of the song, the saxophone riff and “I feel better in my sweater” are deeply annoying to me.

(34) Poland, Blanka, “Solo” – Not offensively bad, just vaporously insubstantial.

(35) Israel, Noa Kirel, “Unicorn” – What exactly is the power of a unicorn, mythologically?

(36) Switzerland, Remo Forrer, “Watergun” – Feels faux-deep and particularly odd coming from Switzerland. Sounds like an attempt to cross “Arcade” (playing games theme) and last year’s Swiss entry (muddled message).

(37) San Marino, Piqued Jacks, “Like An Animal” – Kind of like Finland’s song last year but less fun. “I can smell you like an animal,” charming. 

[seishun-emergency]

anyways. got tired of that whole "being sick" and "resting" thing so i made a tierlist! enstars characters and what i think their best/favourite style of competitive dance would be

explanations/notes under the cut if you're interested whatsoever in my thought process

ballet: starting with the obvious ones we've got izumi (canonically did ballet) and then the mfers who seem to have obvious ballet training (fushimi, shu). the other 4 i can't explain aside from like. vibes. look me in the eyes and tell me that adonis wouldn't absolutely kill it with the jumps expected of guys in ballet. hokuto has the prince vibes necessary for like every pas de deux ever! i think tomoya would get lifted a lot. and i think midori could do the lifts

jazz: there's like three threads of reasoning behind every character here. either 1) they aren't rigid enough for ballet but benefit from the structure and technique of jazz, 2) have the Energy for it. the Sass or 3) have the other kind of Energy for it (energetic/jumpy/etc.)

contemp/lyrical: i feel the need to point out that i accidentally put 4/5 of la mort here. Not On Purpose. (worth also noting that noir neige's choreo falls loosely in the vein of contemp/lyrical) kuro and tatsumi might be weird ones but hear me out i think they would both benefit from the looser amounts of freedom and ability to express yourself that contemp and lyrical have. how directly it is used to express emotion, particularly Sad or Upsetting ones

tap: now i'm biased because My favourite style is tap but i think everyone here either has the natural rhythm to understand tap from a musicality point of view or they would be able to make the rhythms of tap make sense to them in a logical way. (also i think tori did tap? in the fine vs. trickstar DDD match?? at least it sounded like it in the anime) specifically for hajime i think he would find it easier to just have to coordinate two of his limbs instead of his entire body at all times until he eventually gets better body control via dancing more because lord knows i was also like that,

hip hop/street: mostly self explanatory! tsumugi is there because of the brilliant smile music video are u kidding me. who taught him to fucking breakdance. i think shinobu would be surprisingly good at it because he's got good body control and would be good at picking up specific details of choreography! and i think aira just deserves to have cool moments

improv: barring the canonical one (leo tsukinaga ur insane) these are all guys i think have a lot of natural creativity and talent and would love to just fucking go at it with any song! they get to express themselves and their dance style and knowledge in arguably the most raw way possible on a competitive stage

musical theatre/variety: if you've never seen musical theatre/variety at a Dance Competition let me tell u this is some of the funniest most over the top shit ever. anyways. wataru is here bc he's the theatre bitch (otherwise he'd be in ballroom or jazz) and chiaki is here because he is so over the top (otherwise he'd be in jazz or hip hop)

ballroom: i can't see them doing any competitive styles and feeling comfortable in them. that is why this tier exists. they'd both do ballet tho if they HAD to choose one bc it has the necessary structure/similar expectations of elegance and poise

[c4llezz]

FAIRY TALE

requested: no, this is my first fic :o

HYUNJIN X F!READER

HIGHSCHOOL!AU

inspired by Fairy Tale by LOONA 1/3 and the LOONA SHOW Girls Act

TW: mentions of eating and food, if there’s more let me know!

genre: fluff

word Count: 3.4K

expect tons of mistakes, happy reading :)

hyunjin has always wondered, what if someone else could live her life? would it be different? would she have looked different? she might not be a movie character, but what if she was the protagonist of some disney princess movie?

“-UNJIN! KIM HYUNJIN!”

“huh?”

“were you even listening to me?”

“she was obviously not, she’s too busy starting at someone”

“shut up, gowon, I was not”. at that exact moment, you both made eye contact and her cheeks flushed a little before she turn quickly to look at her long forgotten and probably cold lunch.

“you definitly were” that one was choerry

“stop that girls” finally someone who could sympathize with her. “she was daydreaming about their life together, how could she have time to stare?” that doesn’t even make sense. all the table, except hyunjin herself, started laughing at what vivi had said.

and here they go again, making fun of her silly little crush on you.

well not that silly, it has been going on for 2 years already. but she has made some progress! like the time in math class when you were late and the only available seat was next to her because gowon decided to skip class and the usual spot you would sit was already taken by yves.

you were late, the usual bus you took to school decided to pass early today and you didn't know, after 10 minutes of waiting you knew you were going to be late if you didn't move so you started walking. Now you were running through the hallway to get to your math class.

when you opened the classroom's door you knew you looked horrible, your hair was probably tangled and sweaty with all the running you did, your shirt was missing some buttons and your tie was in your hand since you didn't have enough time to put it on.

the teacher just looked you up and down and continued with the lesson. the only place available was next to a really pretty girl. kim hyunjin, you had noticed her, she was smart and really pretty.

she was also extremely competitive. one time in some PE class she scored a lot of points in a dodgeball match and at the end, she started making fun of some of her friends for losing, then she started running and dancing around the gym. it was kind of weird, but also kind of cute.

you sat beside her and opened your bag to get your notebook, “of course I had to forget my book” you muttered to yourself

it seemed that the girl sitting next to you heard what you said and gave you some paper you could write in. “thanks. sorry to ask, but do you have a pen i could borrow? i lost mine and forgot to buy a new one”.

“yeah, don't worry”. she took a pen from her case and pass it to you. “you can keep it, i have more in my locker”

“oh, thank you!”

yeah, it was a small interaction. but it was a big one for her!

after that, she has been staring at you for much longer than before. sometimes she would look for you and find you already looking at her, you would send her a smile and she would send you one back, then you would continue your conversation with your friends and she would stare at you a little bit more before thinking she was being creepy and turn away.

“and she’s gone again”

“ok, ok, I'll focus now”

“thank you. so, as i was saying, yesterday i was talking to lip”. kim lip was your best friend, you were always together except when she was with yves doing who knows what in the library. “and she told me that y/n likes someone”.

hyunjin frowned a little bit “she does? who is it?”

“i don't know, she didn't want to tell me”

“she didn't want to tell you or you didn't let her talk?”

yves’ ears flushed a little at Vivi's comment “she left before i could ask her.”

“sure.

hyunjin was walking to the music classroom. classes had already finished but she wanted a little distraction from everything and playing the piano or the guitar was something that help her.

before she could enter, she heard a soft tune coming from inside. carefully she opened the door to see who was playing and she froze when she saw you.

you were playing the piano, she couldn't recognize what, but it was beautiful, mesmerizing even.

slowly she walked up to you and started singing, she didn't know why or what, but she continued anyway.

you turned to her, still playing, and send her a loving smile that she returned rather shyly. after some time, you stopped playing.

“kim hyunjin, i like you, i love you, would you be my girlfriend?”

before she could answer, her phone woke her up. of course it was a dream. it had to, you would never look at her that way and she knew that.

she looked at her phone and saw a message from choerry.

yerim🍒: soo…. when are you going to confess? i will help you if you want to

hyunjin😾: confess??? never.

yerim🍒: whyyy😩?? you would look good together

hyunjin😾: cause she likes someone already

hyunjin😾: and even if she didn't i'm not brave enough

yerim🍒: well you could be the one she likes!! i've seen her looking at you when you are not looking at her 👀

yerim🍒: that means never

yerim🍒: sorry, that was gowon

hyunjin😾: tell her to shut up 🙃

yerim🍒: i will!

yerim🍒: but think about it, i bet yves and vivi will help you too if you asked, maybe even gowon

hyunjin😾: yeah i don't think she would, but i'll think about it.

she tried to think about it, but the only thing she could think about was that melody you were playing in her dream, so she decided to take a walk and try to clear her mind.

she was going to the park near the school when it started raining. she entered the first shop she could find.

it was like a shampoo store. she didn't really know but there were a lot of different shampoo types. she was looking through them when a really loud voice scared her.

“hello! what are you looking for?”

“nothing, i was just waiting for the rain to stop and this was the first shop i saw”

“well, I know you need something, there's this look on your face”. the girl narrowed her eyes at hyunjin. “oh! you like someone!”

“wh- what?” how had she known? it was impossible to know that just by looking, right?

“you are in the right place; this shampoo is just for you” the worker took the product and gave it to her.

“i don't think a shampoo will help me i already have one at my home” hyunjin tried to give it back to the girl, but she moved back a little.

“this is not any shampoo, this is the shampoo, it will help you, you can take it for free”

“chuu! what are you doing?” another voice came from the other side of the store. the girl, chuu, turned to look at the other woman.

“haseul, this girl right here is in love, she doesn't know how to confess though, i'm just trying to help her” she explained. again, how did she know? they have been talking for at least 5 minutes and hyunjin was sure she had not said that.

“well, you cannot just start talking to her like that. sorry about her, she gets excited with this kind of things. i'm haseul” she extended her hand for hyunjin to shake.

“hyunjin. i don't really need this you can have it” she tried again to give it back.

“nonsense, it's free, for making you feel uncomfortable” she shot a look at chuu and the other girl's cheeks flushed a bright red.

“well, thank you. it looks like the rain stopped so i will go now.” she pointed outside and then started walking to the door. “bye”

“bye hyunjin! hope it helps you! i know it will!”

“chuu! stop it.”

“sorry”

hyunjin was walking back to her house, the streets were wet as well as the trees and plants, but the air smelled just like you.

how did she know what you smelled like?

well, one day after winning a dodgeball match against gowon and vivi she entered the changing room and saw you there. you were putting on some perfume and it smelled really good, it was sweet but not too sweet, it was perfect.

she was too distracted to notice that there was a street light right in front of her and she walked straight into it.

“oh my god! are you ok?” she could recognize that voice anywhere. of course you had to be the one who saw that.

she turned to look at you, one hand on her forehead where she probably had a bruise forming. “yeah, it was nothing”.

you looked at her with concern “are you sure? that looked really painful, i could-”. you were interrupted by the sound of your phone. “sorry, i really have to go, but there's a farmacy on the corner, here buy something with it” you gave her 10 dollars (it was way too much) and started running the other way, trying not to crash into people.

she looked at the money in her hand, then at the shampoo in the other one, and then at the direction you had run to. she needed help; she was going to try that stupid shampoo.

when you arrived at school the first thing you saw was a girl standing up from the floor. “hey, excuse me. your knee is bleeding”. you pointed down to them.

the girl looked at you then at her knees and back at you again “oh, i- i guess so”.

her voice was kind of deep but it was nice to hear. you looked at her for a few seconds before saying “i haven't seen you before, are you in 11th grade too?” then move your bag to search for something inside.

the girl's eyes widened a little bit before answering “uhm, yeah”. then she looked at her knees with a little pout on her face.

while looking inside your bag you asked her “so, what's your name?”

“oh, it's hyunjin, kim hyunjin” there was another kim hyunjin in the school? you finally found what you were looking for.

“well kim hyunjin, i know another kim hyunjin and she trips a lot too. take this band-aid, the infirmary is not open yet and I don’ think people would like to see blood on the halls” you extended your hand to give it to her and when she took it from your hand you started walking to the school door “see you later kim hyunjin, the name suits you by the way”

“wait!” you stopped walking “i made some cupcakes, would you like some? you know, like a way to thank you for the band-aid, i mean its ok if you don't want one-”

you cut off her rambling “sure! these are my favorites” the school bell rang. “i need to get to class now, but thank you for the cupcake”.

you were late again; you forgot to put your alarm and woke up late. and now you had to walk to school. you are getting tired of this.

you were walking when you heard a voice. “hello”

you looked to your left and there was a girl with black hair, not that tall but not too short, looking at you “are you talking to me?”

“yes,” She smiled at you.

“why? i don't even know you” it sounded kind of rude, so you added, “ohhh, do we go to school together?”

“yeah, we do!. why are you late?” she asked you.

“i just overslept. have we met before? you act like we know each other, so i'm a little confused” you asked her back

“we take the same bus sometimes”

as hard as you tried to remember nothing came to your mind “your face doesn't ring a bell, what's your name?”

“kim hyunjin”

“wow, there's a lot of kim hyunjins at our school, must be kind of weird to have to share a name with that many people”

she giggled a little bit. “yeah, it is. i heard you were quite popular.”

you looked at her a little confused “me? popular?”

she smiled at you “yes, everyone loves you!”

you put your hand on your neck “i don’t think that’s true”.

her smile widened “it is! i like you!” HUH?

after looking at your surprised and kind of terrified face she added “that’s what I heard people say when they talk about you” your face relaxed a little.

“really? i don’t think she does”

“who?”

“nevermind” you saw the school guard closing the gate “we are almost there. hyunjin now we have to run, you ready?”

“i am”

“tell me if you get tired” you smiled at her and then started running to get inside the school before the gate closed completely, she was following close behind you with a big lovesick smile on her face.

“school has been weird these past few days, don’t you think? you told kim lip in class.

she looked at you before saying “why? because your girlfriend hasn’t come?”

“yeah- wait she is not my girlfriend” she looked at you and gave you a teasing smile.

“but you want her to be” she poked your side a few times.

you hit her hands for her to stop “maybe i do… but is not about her, well it kinda is” she raised an eyebrow for you to continue “these past few days i’ve been encountering girls with her same name. they are all called kim hyunjin, not even the “kim” is different. don’t tell me is not weird.”

“it is weird. maybe is a sign! you should totally tell her you like her.”

”miss Kim, miss Y/L/N you can chat later, now pay attention to class” your teacher interrupted your conversation.

“sorry”

the next day you were at lunch with hyeju, one of your friends, both of you were looking at the same table waiting for someone to arrive. suddenly hyunjin’s friend group entered the cafeteria without hyunjin, is she sick?

“she’s gorgeous” hyeju said looking at gowon.

you looked at her and then at gowon, you had to admit she was pretty, she reminded you of a princess. “she is, everyone in that group actually”.

“but you have a favorite one, don’t you?” a new teasing voice joined the conversation. you looked at lip and gave her a fake smile.

“and you don’t?” The teasing smile she had on her face vanished and she was silent after that “i thought so”.

while you were looking at their table a new girl blocked your view, well she was too short to block it completely, but she was standing in front of you “are you y/n?”

you looked at your friends and then answered her “i am, you know me?”

“of course!” you heard hyeju whisper something like then why did you ask, but you ignored it. “can i eat with you?”

again you turned looked at your friends for approval but they were already standing from the table, so you looked back at the short girl “uhm, i guess. i don’t know you tho”

she smiled at you “want to be friends?”

“sure, what’s your name?” please don’t be another kim hyunjin.

“hyunjin, kim hyunjin” ok, now that had to be a joke. how many people named kim hyunjin were in your school? and how you hadn’t seen or heard from any of them before?

before you could say anything, she talked again “i really wanted to eat with you. i’m really happy.”

you looked at her with red cheeks “oh, you are really forward, i wish i could be like you”

“why? you like someone?” she looked at you with curious eyes.

“well, maybe” her face fell a little but she composed quickly.

“who is it? maybe i could help you”

“kim hyunjin” her eyes widened

“what? me?”

you laughed at her face “i’m kidding, i just met you today. i’m already finished so i’ll go now, you can have this, is an iced americano i bought it for someone else but they didn’t come to school today”

she looked at you a little astonished “oh… thank you”

“see ya” you started walking to the cafeteria door with a smile on your face.

“did you see that?” gowon told everyone at the table “they were definitely flirting”

“who even is that?” asked yves “do you think y/n likes her?”

“no, they met a few minutes ago” hyeju, who was now sitting with them and kim lip, said

“yeah. she likes someone else too” kim lip added “where’s hyunjin by the way? she hasn’t come to school”

“she is sick or something, she just send us a text saying she was not feeling well and that she was not going to come to school for a few days” choerry informed her and then looked at her phone to text hyunjin about the girl talking with you.

“i miss her, today we had PE and it was not the same, right gowon?”

“yeah, we finally won.”

these past few days hyunjin has been using the magic shampoo. she wasn’t expecting it to be magic and less than what happened happened. she didn’t expect to change bodies or whatever happened to her, but it gave her the courage to talk to you more than one time.

she knew she liked you before, but now she was 110% sure she did. you were so nice every time, even though you didn’t even know who she was. and after listening to one of your conversations with kim lip and hyeju she had a little hope you liked her back. so today, she was going to confess. she was going to walk up to you and tell you her feelings.

she was really nervous, what if who you were talking about was vivi? or yerim? everything would be awkward if that was the case. no, she was talking about me, she had to be, she said to herself.

at school she was looking for you everywhere, hopefully you weren’t late again (it seems you are getting used to it). she saw hyeju and kim lip, but you weren’t there. “where are you?” she whispered.

“who are you looking for?” hyunjin screamed a little too loud and turn to look at you.

“i- i” why was she like this? it's your opportunity you idiot. it seems she was a little slow with her response because you were talking again.

“Ssorry if i scared you, it was not my intention” your cheeks had a red tone and you were playing with your hands. were you nervous? “i wanted to talk to you actually, but you have been sick, how are you by the way?”.

“oh! i'm great! i wanted to talk to you too” this was her chance. her heart was beating faster by now, she just hopes she doesn't die before saying what she need to say.

“these past few days had been a little bit weird and I’ve talked to new people. they were really nice, some of them even told me they liked me? i don’t really know what happened.” you had a confused look on your face and hyunjin thought it was adorable. “anyway, what i’m trying to say is that those things gave me the courage to tell you this.” you took a deep breath before saying “i like you”

if she wasn’t smiling before she sure was now. you liked her, you really liked her. now you could date and live together in a cottage in the woods, get married and have a dog and 2 cats, like in a fairy tale! (this one even included magic). “if you don’t like me, that’s totally fine, i know is kind of weird since we don’t talk a lot.” when you were starting to walk away she grabbed your wrist.

“no! it’s not weird! i like you too, a lot. i just didn’t know how to say it, that’s what i was going to do today actually”. she looked like a tomato, but you did too so that wasn’t a problem.

“well, now that everything is on the table… would you like to go on a date with me?” you smiled at her and she felt like she was going to die right there. two years and her opportunity was finally here.

and so, she took it “yes, i would love to”.