#i just googled it to see what the actual release date was

[rawbones]

sorry to be a killjoy but i’m already sick of the barbie movie and it’s not even out yet lmao

[writingsbychlo]

the slytherin boys + barbie

draco: pouts when you say you’ll go with pansy but also refuses to dress up as ken, or dress up in the slightest. would take you both to watch it and surprises you last minute on the day by wearing a pink t-shirt he borrowed from enzo. rolls his eyes when you get excited but is actually very happy with himself for it.

mattheo: would want to do a double feature with oppenheimer too. makes it a whole date scenario. buys all the snacks but makes you carry them in your purse. wants to dress up for oppenheimer (???) so he wears a suit and a fedora and tells you to wear a pink minidress for barbie. highkey the best dressed couple to go see the double feature, everyone comments on it and he never lets it go. (“see!! I told you it would be cool to dress up for both.”)

theo: would say he’s only dressing up if he can wear the shirtless ken in the fur coat outfit. buys the tickets and the snacks and helps you pick your outfit even if he’s still pouting because you won’t let him wear the mink coat. has the “I’m just Ken” song stuck in his head for a week after and sings it non-stop, drives everyone insane. talks in your ear all the way through but in a funny/cute way, with jokes. (I firmly believe he would do this with every movie though). orders a “I am Kenough” replica hoodie and wears it to smoke in the astronomy tower.

enzo: had a google alert set for ticket release day bought them with the intensity one would buy taylor swift concert tickets. does not care in the slightest for oppenheimer. would wear a full pink outfit with you and possibly even let you bleach his hair to be ken as long as you promised to dye it back after. (“look, cousin, now we match!”, draco refuses to speak to him for a whole week.)

tom: agrees to go and will wear one of your pink scrunchies on his wrist as a gesture of love, and it works. does, however, love your barbie outfit and makes sure to whisper some very dirty things to be sure you know. is stoically thrilled when you surprise him with oppenheimer tickets for the same day. holds your hand through barbie and kisses your knuckles occasionally. scoffs when you laugh at all the ‘typical men’ scenes (Zack Snyder cut of Justice League 💀). is deeply concerned when you play “What Was I Made For” on the way home after and immediately switches it to the “Barbie World” credit song

[gguk-n]

Harmonies on the fast lane (Carlos Sainz x kpop artist!Reader SMAU)

Face claim- Bibi (A K-Pop Artist) Stage name is Aria

Google translated korean and spanish. All the pictures are from pinterest or instagram

ariascorner

Liked by dlwlrma, kimsmell1, and 256,976 other

ariascorner 저는 F1과 카트를 좋아해요. I love F1 and karting Newest hyperfixation!! Also you should go karting with your bestie

user1 누나 너무 예뻐 💓💓unnie is so pretty user 2 can't believe unnie is also f1 girlie❤️💓 user 3 사랑해💓 I love you user 4 누나가 최고야!! 사랑해 💓❤️Noona is so pretty, love you

ariascorner

Liked by _happiness_o, m_kayoung and 467,892 other

ariascorner 지금까지 최고의 해. 올해가 얼마나 꽉 찼는지 믿을 수가 없어. 그리고 나는 내 매진된 쇼에서 너희들 앞에서 공연해야 했어. 정말 고마워. 나는 계속해서 더 열심히 일하고 너희 모두를 자랑스럽게 만들 거야. 날 사랑해줘서 고마워. 사랑해!! The best year so far. Can't believe what a jam packed year this was and I got to perform in front of you guys at so many of my own sold out shows. I am so grateful to you. I will continue to work harder and make you all proud. Thank you for loving me. I love you!!😭😭💓💓😘😘

user 5 네가 사는 걸 봤어, 넌 정말 좋아. 😭😭I saw you live, you are so good user 6 I'm the girl she kissed in the second last picture. best day ever🙈🫣 user 7 천사의 목소리 Angelic voice 💓💓 user 8 Please come to my country soon 😭😭

ariatics

Liked by 5479 others

ariatics It's that time of the year and dispatch has released their rumoured relationships this year. *drumroll* It's Aria unnie this time and we can't see the guy's face at all. But who ever it is I'm so happy for them!!

user 1 eww, how can she do this to us??🤬🤬 user 2 she'll never succeed if she doesn't work hard and only hang out with guys🤢🤢 user 3 how is her company letting her do this? user 4 I hope they break up asap so that unnie can go back to making music 🤧🤧

ariatics

Liked by 6479 other

ariatics Dispatch posted a picture of Aria unnie at Incheon airport. Apparently she has personal business she needs to attend to.

user 5 I hope she gets her shit together soon. user 6 how can she look so pretty even without make up 😭😭 user 7 bet she is going on a trip with her boyfriend😪😪 user 8 she just finished her rookie years and is already acting like a senior 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

carlosainz55

Liked by landonorris, charles_leclerc and 1,754,862 others

carlossainz55 Some rest and relaxation before starting pre-season training

landonorris ooo, it's your girlfriend. Did she teach you how to soft launch?🫣🫣 charles_leclerc can't wait to see you at the race in a couple of weeks🤝👍 user 1 we lost him girls, he's taken😭😭😔 user 2 2 shirtless Carlos pictures in one post🥵 user 3 good luck Carlos, know you can do it!!👊 user 4 can't wait to see you in Bahrain☺️ user 5 who do you think the mystery girl is??🤔

sainsgirlie

Liked by 45,879 others tagged carlossainz55 and ariascorner

sainzgirlie Carlos back at the paddock after his appendix removal surgery in Jeddah. He will not be driving this week but it seems that his girlfriend has tagged along to take care of him. From what people have seen, they say Y/N Y/L/N also known as Aria, a k-pop artist keeps fretting over him. Both of them were seen exchanging a couple kisses confirming the pair is indeed dating.

user 6 unnie has gone mainstream😱😱 user 7 Get well soon Carlos!!😔❤️ user 8 Atleast someone is taking care of him😭 user 1 can't believe my eyes. Y/N unnie and Carlos oppa 🤧🤧

carlossainz55

Liked by carlossainzofficial, ariascorner, landonorris and 4,678,986 other tagged ariascorner

carlossainz55 So grateful to be able to share my life with the prettiest, kindest and most important woman in my life. I've become a better person because of her. Thank you for always being there for me, in my good and bad time. I love you carino!! 사랑해 자기야 I love you baby

landonorris congratulations mate!! I don't have to keep my mouth shut anymore ariascorner landonorris not like you actually did charles_leclerc both of you look so cute. Alex wants to know if we can get tickets? ariasworld charles_leclerc Alex can have all the tickets!! user 2 aww!! they are so cute!! I've never seen Y/N so in love!! user 3 그녀는 국가의 공주일 뿐만 아니라 그의 공주이기도 하다. She isn’t only the nation’s princess but his princess too user 4 two of the prettiest people dating🥰🥰 user 5 Carlos is in love ngl I would be too if I was dating Y/N😍😍 ariascorner ¡Gracias por quererme! Te quiero, mi príncipe 💓💓😘😘 Thank you for loving me! I love you my prince Liked by Author

ariascorner

Liked by genyouthent, carlossainz55, dlwrlma and 3,879,975 other tagged carlossainz55

ariascorner So blessed to be able to call you mine. I'm gonna proudly show you off!! Thank you for believing in me and supporting me!! You are the best thing that has ever happened to me!! I love you baby!! Te quiero más que a las estrellas del cielo I love you more than the stars in the sky

user 6 그가 널 행복하게 해주길 바라 😭😭💓I hope he keeps you happy user 7 I get the best of both worlds. My mom and dad are actually dating!!!😘😘 user 8 So happy for you Y/N!! I hope you are always happy🎉🎉 user 1 she said fuck kpop standards, I love my man😱😱 user 2 we love supportive couples😍😍 user 3 can’t wait to see you at races and Carlos at inkigayo 🤣🤣 carlossainz55 넌 내 인생의 사랑이야. ❤️❤️ you are the love of my life Liked by Author

Hope you enjoy!! I had fun making this!!

[cuverale]

my girl - t.c (part 2)

warning: google translate used french and spanish, sorry if it’s wrong!

part one

yourusername

liked by tchalamet, zayn, zendaya and 10,859,276 others

yourusername felt like a dream! thanks again for being there for me y’all!

view comments

zayn 🖤

yourusername 🖤

kissmeyn ok but when are you guys gonna release the song??? we’re still waiting 👀

hero_ft you were amazing

yourusername thank you!!

ynmybaby GUYS I WAS THERE AND SHE DID AMAZING!! IT WAS LITERALLY A DREAM COME TRUE SHE WAS SO SWEET!! SHE STAYED A LITTLE LONGER AFTER IT WAS OVER SO SHE CAN MEET HER FANS!!! 🥹🥹💖

ynsbabygirl she’s such an angel 🥺♥️

timmytimmy did Timothèe showed up???? 👀

ynmybaby tbh I was so focused on Y/n I didn’t even look around me from the moment she was on stage lol

timmytimmy i got you girl 😮‍💨

chalamtfan guys I don’t think he was there. I mean someone would see him but there’s no pictures of him so idk 🤷🏼‍♀️

ynfan2 breathtaking ❤️‍🔥

username49 Timmy liked again!

randomuser i wish timmy was there tho

yourusername ok so usually I don’t like talk about this stuff, but as you can see, it’s my account that you’re commenting on and i was having a good time with you guys but everytime i see comment like this i feel like that’s all I’m worthy of and it makes me uncomfortable. So please be more respectful about this stuff. Take care <3

randomuser you’re right i’m sorry. I won’t bring it up again

more comments

enews

5,594,279 likes

enews Timothèe Chalamet showed up at Coachella watching his ex girlfriend Y/n L/n’s performance. We are wondering what will “sources” say about this.

view comments

timmytimmy I KNEW IT!!

chalamalabingbong OFC HE WAS THERE FOR HIS GIRL

ynfan2 he was so sweet to fan but he was hiding and he never took his eyes off of Y/n 🥺

username49384 well it explains everything right???

callmebyyourpeach i wonder if she knows he was there

ynmybaby E! News is on team Y/n&Timothèe everyone!!!!!

tchalafann i mean they’re not wrong 👀

timmychalamt Guys! I was there and I saw him. He watched her perform and sometimes he sang along with her. He took pictures of her everytime she got close to his side. And I’m not too sure about that but when she started singing “holding on” there was tears in his eyes.

ynmybaby it was their song 🥺

timotea0 this made me cry 🤧

sweettimmy wait really????? 😭

timtim24 I’m actually crying I feel so sad for him. He loses the girl he loves, everyone is making fun of him for something that isn’t even true and now deuxmoi claims that he was dating Taylor and he cheated on her with Kylie.

sweetteaa what?💀

timotheefan15 istg that girl is crazy . Leave him alone!!

more comments

tchalametdaily

1,848,276 likes

tchalametdaily after all this, they’re still claiming that him and Kylie are officially dating?? Now that’s what I call crazy.

view comments

yourfan8 I’m done 💀

timmyfan04 HE LITERALLY SAID HE WASNT DATING THAT GIRL OH GOD

randomuser93 i love & support them!

timmytim wtf

ynynyn9 they’re not even dating 🤡

timmytimmy leave him alone for god’s sake!

randomuser look, idk the details of this whole situation but didn’t he literally showed up at his ex’s performance? There is a video of him looking at her with tears in his eyes and they’re still talking about that plastic bitch? I wonder how much kris payed them.

ynmybaby Y/n claims that they ended their relationship on good terms but i think there is something else going on. She was asked about timmy this morning and she looked so uncomfortable. I really wonder what’s going on but I don’t want my girl to feel uncomfortable.

username953 what if he really cheated on her?

randomuser no way he would do that to her but i think the rumors are part of the reason they broke up.

randomuser97 “devil works hard, kris works harder.”

more comments

ynlndaily

3,593,275 likes

ynlndaily Timothée at Y/n’s performance last year vs now :/

view comments

ynsbabygirl does it ever drive you crazy…

ynmybaby just how fast the night changes…

timmytimmy I still remember when he hyped his girl every chance he got and after she finished her song he said “that’s my girl” and the fans went crazy :((

sweettimmy BRING THEM BACK 😭

kissmeyn God pls let Timmy and Y/n get back together

username491 I don’t think they’ll get back together

chalametfann he was so excited for his girl (he was literally jumping the moment she got to the stage😭) and after the performance him and Y/n met with fans and had so much fun together I MISS THAT SO MUCH

more comments

enews

3,594,279 likes

enews Timothée Chalamet and Y/n L/n spotted together, seemingly arguing about something.

view comments

kissmeyn wait wait

ynmylove I saw the other pics, they were not arguing!

timotheefan8 pls get back together pls plsss

ynmybaby no arguing my babies just hug each other and forget everything

ynsbabygirl I saw the other pictures. She was laughing in one pic. And his hands was on her waist on another 👀

timmytimmy omg is it really happening???

timotheefan15 yesyesyes

more comments

timmyandynupdates

3,593,274 likes

timmyandynupdates GUYS ITS HAPPENING!!

view comments

ynmybaby damn, they were arguing last week now here we are. I’m so happy tho!!

ynsbabygirl they can’t resist each other anymore

timmytimmy OMGOMGOMG

tchalafann I was waiting for this one!!!

timotheefan15 they look happy 🥺

randomuser isn’t that kylie’s new boy toy?

timotea0 no, that’s Y/n L/n’s boyfriend Timothèe Chalamet.

more comments

yourusername

liked by tchalamet, austinbutler, pauline.chalamet and 13,894,275 others

yourusername Tu me manques depuis le moment où tu m'as quitté, he said.

the comments are limited for this post

tchalamet Empecé a extrañarte tan pronto como nos despedimos, she said.

*liked by yourusername

ynsbabygirl SOMEONE TRANSLATE THIS PLS

ynmybaby OK OK!! The caption is “I’ve been missing you since the moment you left me” in French and Timmy’s comment says “I started to miss you as soon as we said goodbye.” in Spanish.

timmytimmy I love when they talk to each other with their first language 🥺

chalametfann SO THEY’RE BACK TOGETHER?? 😭

kissmeyn YESS!! They’ve been spotted kissing yesterday!!! 🥹🥹🥹

timmytim THANK GOD!

tchalamet’s story

@iloveneilperry @miawastakens

[thisbluespirit]

How To Find Your (British Actor) Blorbo On The Radio: A Brief Guide

(Disclaimer: British, because the main tool I'm using is the BBC's Genome.)

If you want more of your fave actor, or you love full-cast drama podcasts/audios (and audiobooks/NF content too) here's a guide on how to get your hands on BBC Radio broadcasts.

The BBC have a great free resource called Genome, which has all the Radio Times listings from 1922 to the present day (plus some of the actual articles), and it's searchable. Up until its arrival, it was really hard to do that, so \o/

Not all actors do radio and not everything you find will be obtainable, but it's always worth a try! It's especially likely for actor-blorbos who do other audio work, or theatre (theatre tends not to pay so well, and radio is a handy extra thing that can be more easily slotted in between performances than TV/film.)

Go to Genome, and put your blorbo's name into the search box:

Press search, which will bring back a bunch of results from both radio and TV listings from 1922 up to the current year:

2. Filter down to "radio only" on the sidebar to avoid scrolling through all the TV. At the top of the page you can change the display order to First broadcast (or Availability, if you want it only to bring things currently available to stream on the BBC website), among other options.

I can also cut down on extraneous results by selecting a date range that only covers when my guy was active.

I scroll down until I find something that looks interesting, in this case a proper audio drama, called The Hornblower Story. It's from 1980 and is an adaptation of a well known book. The details give me enough info to search the wider internet, and see if I get lucky...

3. Search the internet and listen to your blorbo act in radio drama!

There are several ways to obtain radio drama online. If you use streaming sites like Audible and Spotify, it may be there, although usually only if it's had a commercial release.

The BBC still broadcast old programmes on the radio, so it might be currently available on their website to stream - and unlike TV, you can listen to BBC Radio anywhere in the world! (If you are in the UK, you can also download and use the BBC Sounds app.) The Genome will usually provide a link for you to go straight there, if that's the case.

However, obviously, most BBC Radio from past decades is not available commercially or being broadcast by the BBC now and some doesn't exist in the archives, or was never recorded (as with TV), but as methods of recording audio at home have been widely available since the 1950s and 60s, there are loads of off-air recordings of radio made by listeners/collectors, and some have freely shared their copies online. Some are in closed forums etc., but three good sites to try first are YouTube, RadioEchoes & the Internet Archive.

I usually start with a Google search - e.g. '"Title" radio' or radio bbc and if that doesn't give me anything add on first "Radio Echoes" and then "Internet archive" to the search.

And I'm in luck! Radio Echoes appear to have the adaptation I'm after. I need to check the broadcast dates to see if they match up & then I can stream or download for free - and hear my blorbo play a stern Admiral for 5 minutes or less, hurrah!

Clicking on the links takes you to a screen where you can press play to stream or right click on the play bar to download the mp3 file to your device. (Click the "Save audio as..." option).

These are archive off-air recordings, so the quality can vary, especially for older programmes.

4. Rinse and repeat with each new likely Genome discovery.

If you find a copy of what you're looking for on the Internet Archive instead, you'll get up a page with a play bar (like the one above), with episodes listed plus details (to varying degrees) below. If you want to stream, just click play and enjoy. If you want to download it, then click on the MP3 files line on the right-hand sidebar, which will then give you an "X no of files" button to click and you can download them to keep.

(You can download all the files, but I usually cut straight to the chase and just nab the MP3s.)

Sometimes the BBC have released a commercial audiobook. In those cases, if you already use audio/music streaming subscription sites like Audible or Spotify, you should be able to find it there.

If you don't, or you want to buy a download, I've found the best option (weirdly!) (for UK users, at any rate) is to get the audiobook up at Penguin Books, which links to various paid subscription streaming and download options, so you can find the best one for you (and you know it's been recced by a hopefully reputable source.)

Last year, I wanted to buy Vivat Rex, the BBC's landmark dramatisation of all the English history plays rolled into one giant starry-cast Jacobean audio serial, and successfully used this route. (I'm very old by internet terms and still like listening via MP3 files on my MP3 player, as long as it survives.)

Pretty much the only affordable download option I've found so far I got courtesy of Penguin's links to Hive. (But this may be a UK only option.)

If what you're looking for seems likely to exist even if you can't find it by any of these methods - keep trying! New things are being added daily to all these websites, and the BBC cycle round old shows all the time.

And if you want to go deeper, there are closed forums etc. for radio enthusiasts where you need to make an account, but you may then be able to torrent or download an even wider variety of things.

Of course, whether or not your blorbo has been in anything good or any radio at all will depend on them, but I hope this guide will help enable you to find out!

YouTube, Radio Echoes, the Internet Archive and Old Time Radio all have radio from other countries too. So while the BBC Genome can't help you with anywhere outside the UK, the other links here can be good places to look around and browse for things you might be interested in.

You can of course use the same methods to search for things like a favourite author, or particular plays, to see if the BBC have done any radio adaptations - BBC Radio have done heaps of things that have never been adapted on screen, so it's always worth a look for anything you'd be into.

Radio Echoes is browsable as well as searchable, and while Internet Archive is a bit less so, there are some excellent collections you can look through, like the Saturday Night Theatre collection, and the BBC Radio Shows listings.

[pieheda]

So, I realized only after watching the Todd In The Shadows video AND the hbomberguy video that I, too, have caught James Somerton just making shit up.

I’m not going to cite actual video titles because he changes them all the time anyway so why bother, but he has one that’s about Angels in America and Rent. This is my jam, I’m a theater gay, so I watched them - and immediately felt like the main thesis would fail an English 101 class. The thesis was “people have the misperception that Rent was made before Angels in America, and why is that?” which is not a thing that people believe, actually. At least, not people who know how google works and can just look up release dates. I found myself thinking that maybe he and some friends were surprised at this, and he decided it was a widely held misperception. But I kept watching the video, and when talking about how popular Rent was when it premiered on Broadway, he said that it was taboo to even mention AIDS at the time.

That is completely untrue. I was an adult in 1996 when Rent was released on Broadway, and AIDS was no longer a taboo subject in the US. There is plenty of data out there to support this, but I think it’s particularly compelling that in 1993, the movie Philadelphia, about a man suing his employers for firing him upon learning that he has HIV, was an enormous box office hit. It won Tom Hanks and Bruce Springsteen both Oscars, for Best Actor and Best Original Song. The Oscars aren’t very daring, perhaps you’ve heard. They aren’t big on giving out awards for things that everyone is terrified to talk about.

In another video that is cited by Todd in the Shadows, I realized that I had ALSO caught James making shit up in that one. When I watched the video for Red, White, and Royal Blue, James said that all these straight women wanted gay romance without sex and I laughed and said “they most definitely do not want that”, because I’m a fan girl and I’ve seen AO3. No research needed to debunk that, most if not all women who knowingly consume gay romance absolutely want there to be some fucking. The only person who would complain about that would be some exceptionally clueless homophobe who accidentally stumbled into this movie.

Both of those things, when I saw them, made me shake my head and say “that’s just not true.” I even commented on the Rent video.

What I did not do is think hard about what exactly is going on here. My opinion of Somerton went down with each of those discoveries, but it wasn’t very high to begin with; I never have liked his presentation style, because of how often he talks down to the people he’s discussing or to his audience. But frankly, there’s a lot of content out there that plays free and loose with the facts or starts with a bad premise (“people have this misperception” with no evidence of that isn’t far off from “Marvel fans on twitter hate this movie!” followed by only 5 tweets cited in the article). I just accept that people lie on the internet, I didn’t expect better. I didn’t stop to consider that gays really should do better, particularly we should not lie to one another about gay culture and history, and ESPECIALLY not when claiming to be doing what we do for the purpose of uplifting gays. I didn’t google to see if there were other issues with him, because if I had I would have learned about him getting into it with Jessie Gender and wouldn’t have given him a view ever again.

We’ve reached such a garbage state that I overlooked that. Seeing everything he’s done all lined up in these two videos had a real impact on me. Todd is absolutely right that it’s abominable to add to all the misinformation in the world, and hbomberguy is right that it’s particularly egregious for James to rob from gay writers who don’t have the funds and attention that James does. But it’s especially bad to just make shit up about gay history and the current state of gay acceptance, particularly when James constantly had the perspective that it’s always bad and gay men always have it the worst. Most likely the “everyone hates gays like me especially” was a calculated choice to create an attitude of persecution within his fandom so that they would accuse anyone calling him out of homophobia. But misinformation about acceptance is ALSO harmful to our community. It’s harmful to go around believing that people are out to get you when they aren’t. The cost of damaged mental health is ALSO important.

And he coldly exploited that because there’s a stupid fucking app that is tailor made for grifters to make cash hand over fist by confirming their audience’s worst fears and creating new anxieties in them. It’s absolutely ghoulish.

[gb-patch]

[The beautiful guest art piece is by allie_ozS on Twitter]

Welcome to 2023 everybody ✨!!!

We’ve got Baxter, Tamarack, and Qiu to celebrate with us. It is their year, after all.

It's always an exciting time thinking about everything that could happen over the course of a new year. Our Life: Beginnings & Always will at long last get its final DLC and Our Life: Now & Forever will be the major project in development. That's amazing. 

Speaking of, there are two major launches planned for 2023 at GB Patch Games.

Our Life: Beginnings & Always – Baxter’s Story DLC

Second Quarter (April-June)

Our Life: Now & Forever Demo Expansion + Crowdfunding Launch

Third Quarter (July-September)

And those happen to be all the goals I’m setting for 2023. We're keeping it simple, haha. I usually love to plan out as many milestones as I can, and it never works out as intended. Because of that I'm sticking to only the most central production points for the official goals.

But that’s not to say there won’t be anything else to look forward to over these next twelve months, it’ll just be a surprise for you, and me, what ends up actually happening.

For one example, it was mentioned in the year review post that right now the Google Playstore releases are on hold until an error is fixed in the engine we use. There is a chance we’ll be able to start putting games on that storefront in 2023, but it can’t be guaranteed or given a specific date.

And another consideration is that with Our Life: Now & Forever coming to the forefront of development, I'll want to have something else on the backburner. As excited as I am for the game, I couldn't only work on OL2 until it's complete. At least part of my efforts this year will be going into creating another piece of content. But I don't know exactly which, or if it'll only be one thing. There are multiple options. One of these days there might be some interesting previews appearing on the Patreon, and then later on the public social media as well.

▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾▴ ▾ ▴ ▾ ▴ ▾

Along with these year-long goals, I’ve noted the usual monthly plans in the full post HERE.

And with the updating done, I wanna give all my appreciation to our players! I'm able to go into 2023 knowing with total certainty that I can spend this year working on developing our projects. GB Patch Games has gotten so much support from people who love the Our Life series, and our older games too. It's absolutely wonderful, and I never want to take it for granted. For however many more years I'm around to do this, I'll do my best to make all your kindness and encouragement worth the while.

Thank you again for coming here to see how things are going! I hope we'll all have a wonderful 2023 💕. 

Discord -  Twitter - Website - Patreon

[peachjagiya]

Did Tae and Wooga really leave Jk in the ski resort? And JK was left to learn how to snowboard in 3 days?

No.

The spotify subs were simplified but youtube captions transcript feature clarifies what happened a little.

Obviously context important and we shouldn't be so Western as to think digital translators know this better than actual Korean speakers.

So for clarity, this is according to DeepL then cross checked with Papago and Google Translate.

Here's the transcript if you want to do your own clicking:

보드를 타러 갔는데 저는 이제 너무 재밌어 가지고 하룻밤 자고 내일아침까지 타고 가야 되겠다 막이 생각을 하고 있었어요 그 다 같이 그럴 줄 알고 있었고 근데 이제 전부 다 타고 들어오더니 다 막 아파 가지고 삭신이 있으시다고 해가지고 숙소에 퍼질러 있는 상태 그때 딱 디토가 나왔더라고요 그래서 딱 디토를 듣는데 이게 너무 좋은 거예요 그그스키장이 약간 막 가슴이 먹먹해지고근데 그 상황에서 갑자기 이셋이 간데셋은 가고 저는 이제 혼자 남아가지고이 노래만 진짜 한 30번 들었을 거예요 밖에 보면 새게 그 약간 그런 추억이 있어 갖고 되게좋아하는

DeepL translates it as:

I went to ride my board and I was just thinking, I'm having so much fun I'm going to take it with me and stay the night and ride it till tomorrow morning and I thought they were all going to do it together Then they're all coming in and they're all sick (also suggests sore as a translation) and they're all spread out all over the place and the sun's going down and they're all in the lodge and that's when Ditto came on. Ditto came on, so I was just listening to Ditto and it's so good, and the ski resort was getting a little bit heartbreaking, and then all of a sudden they go and I'm left alone, and I must have listened to this song like 30 times, and when I look out there, it's like, ‘Oh, my God." I have a little bit of that memory and it's a favourite

Ok. So bearing in mind this is a favourite memory and JK recounts it with a laugh, here's what I'm taking from it:

❄ They're all at the lodge - JK says this. Sidenote: Seojoon posted photos in another country at this point so I think it might have been just Hyungsik and possibly Wooshik as he posted a snowy lodgy looking picture at the end of December.

❄ They have accommodation away from the lodge as Jimin and JK did - JK specifies he wants to stay overnight to snowboard early in the morning but after three days, surely they've already been staying overnight. This sounds like a new plan to stay closer to the slopes.

❄ They're all getting tired/sore/sick and are sprawled around the lodge. - JK says that.

❄ Ditto came on so this was after it's release on the 19th, placing it three days after the shoe picture that appeared online. That's the three days. - JK's words, Ditto release date.

❄ The mood was getting melancholy and JK is playing the song on repeat - JK's words.

❄ Tae and friends go while JK is listening to the song, JK confirms.

❄ My conjecture, supposition, speculation: The more I think about him laughing that he listened to it so many times, the more I wonder if they just went to go sit in the car like a prank? I can very genuinely imagine Tae doing that. Obviously I don't know him but it doesn't seem out of character to be like "Come on, lets see how long it takes him to notice."

❄ JK notices they've gone (in Spotify subs, it says they've gone home but I think this is hyperbole) and is like "oh my god", he says. I'm speculating he just catches up to them like "WTF, you bastards." Think of Tae calling JK a motherfucker after he hangs up on him. Doesn't it feel like it could have been something similar? Hey, you're imagining it now, aren't you? Doesn't feel that sinister, does it? 😂

If they did go "home", I suspect it means accommodation, not hightailing it to Seoul.

But I do want to just point out that I don't think it makes Tae a bad person if they did leave him there and go back to Seoul. JK, a fully grown man, made a choice to change the plan so he could snowboard more and maybe everyone else was tired or had schedules. I mean they're very famous and busy.

So again. No. I don't think Tae left him there for three days. The dates suggest they were together - Tae, JK and Tae's friends - for three days and this happened at the end. But it's a happy memory for JK.

[thechanelmuse]

Wendy Williams

When my damn spidey senses kick in.

From the moment that diagnosis news went viral today, something didn't feel right. But I couldn't put my finger on it.

So Wendy's niece, Alex, went on The View today and discussed the upcoming 2-part Lifetime docuseries, Where Is Wendy Williams?, with the hosts (who all watched the series). Apparently, the series exposes the court-appointed conservatorship that bars the family. I been knew about the family being barred and not being put in the know about her whereabouts (sketchy), but not what the series features aside from Wendy. Interesting.

Peep all the details revealed and the specific questions that are asked:

Right after the interview 🤔, news about Wendy having aphasia and frontotemporal dementia comes out. How convenient. Who is the damn guardian? Why is it so secretive? I google. This ho down here pops up but I also see it's made its way onto twitter:

Now this court-appointed temporary guardian has filed a lawsuit against Lifetime to block the docuseries from coming out, according to TMZ. On the same day as the interview and that diagnosis news. Clockwork. 😒 Per TMZ:

"Sabrina Morrissey -- who says she's acting in her capacity as temporary guardian of W.W.H. (presumably Wendy Williams Hunter) -- just filed suit against A&E Television Networks, but she did it under seal, meaning the public can't peep what exactly she's running to court for.

"Morrissey is also seeking a temporary restraining order in her action -- again, that's often the mechanism used when someone wants a judge to step in and halt the release of a film or television project. Now, what's interesting is that the judge actually ordered all the docs to remain temporarily under seal -- and set a hearing date for next week to determine whether they should stay that way as the case plays out.

"Of course, the Wendy doc drops this weekend, and while the hearing on the sealing issue falls after the release date, it's possible the court will rule on the merits of what Morrissey's asking for ... namely, injunctive relief against A&E -- while the docs are temporarily sealed. "

Leak docuseries now.

😒

[doll-elvis]

I’ve seen these photos of Priscilla on Pinterest and she looks so upset, do you know if there’s any back story behind these photos

hello and thank you very much for sending in this ask ꨄ︎!!

I’ve always been too distracted by that absolute unit of strawberry-blonde hair on Priscilla’s head to notice her expression but after closer observation I think you’re completely right in your assessment of her mood- sis was looking like she would rather be anywhere else 😭

after a quick google search and finding out that these photos were taken in April (sometime after the 23rd) of 1966, her expression started to make all the more sense

and not only is the date important for the context of these photos, but that unit of hair could also be very important

just a quick disclaimer: since Priscilla herself hasn’t spoken on these photos anything I say below is merely my own speculation as to why she may have looked upset on that day

To begin, according to Peter Guralnick's "Careless Love”, Elvis had just finished filming for his 22nd picture Spinout, in California, when he returned to Memphis with Priscilla on April 23rd. And so by knowing that they were photographed together in the meditation garden sometime in April, it’s safe to assume it was likely after the 23rd as they were in California for the weeks before

The film Spinout is relevant in this as 1. His costar was Shelley Fabares who he had a crush on 2. One of Elvis’ and Priscilla’s biggest arguments occurred during the filming of Spinout while they were in California and the cause of their argument was reason number one… Shelley Fabares

Both the Memphis Mafia and Shelley herself have confirmed that the relationship never went beyond anything platonic as she was faithful to her partner but nonetheless Elvis and her spent a lot of time together and formed a close bond

Naturally, Priscilla became suspicious that an affair was taking place and so she expressed to Elvis that she wanted to meet Shelley which then led to the first time that he had ever threatened get rid of her ⬇️

(read from left to right + click photos to see full text)

excerpt is from “Elvis and Me” by Priscilla Presley

(I believe this argument will appear in the upcoming film as Jacob Elordi says the line “I don’t have a goddamn thing to hide” in the recently released trailer)

No exact day was given for when this argument took place, it could have been the first week of filming or it could have been the last, but I would imagine having Elvis tell you to get all your things and leave would cause a lasting sort of sadness and have you questioning just how important you were to him even after going back to Memphis/Graceland

And this kind of thing actually happened a few times while they were together. Sonny West once said that Elvis’ greatest defense was offense meaning that if you were to approach him about something i.e Priscilla approaching him about his infidelities, Elvis’ response would be to turn the tables and put the pressure on you i.e telling Priscilla that he wanted her gone ⬇️

excerpt is from “Elvis: What Happened?” By Sonny and Red West, along with Dave Hebler

Another instance ⬇️

excerpt is from “Elvis and the Memphis Mafia” by Alanna Nash

Tbh as much as I love Elvis this is why I do hold a lot of sympathy for the friends and women in his life (even the ones I don’t personally like) because he tended to give ultimatums as a way to get what he wanted

“If you don’t like this, then leave… if you don’t want to do this, then leave…” and he did that because he knew most people would choose to stay

Now, the significance of that unit of strawberry blonde hair is purely speculative, but I'm wondering whether Priscilla started dyeing her hair that color to resemble Ann Margret as Elvis was quite melancholic over the fact that Ann and her boyfriend Roger Smith were spending so much time together during that time, infact, they were engaged just 2 months later in June of 1966

The affair between Ann Margret and Elvis lasted only a year after they met while filming Viva Las Vegas, so it doesn't make much sense that Priscilla would start dying her hair strawberry-blonde 3 years later (although she did try to emulate Ann in 1963) but it could be possible, and knowing that Elvis was still thinking about Ann Margret in April of 1966 would definitely be enough to make her upset at the time

What do y’all think?

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: Odd Squad UK -- Episode Titles! Crackpot Theories! Venting! Excitement?

Honestly? I expected at least something from Odd Squad UK. It's the first of August (at the time of writing), advanced schedules have been put out and now go through October...I mean there was bound to be something, right?

Well, yes. Inverse Pandora's Box. (Or is it an actual Pandora's Box, given my criticisms?)

Episode titles. Synopses (of the basic kind). That promo image up there that came from PBS Kids themselves after I tweeted about my findings. It's like going to the bathroom after having not been in it for nearly a year, opening the door, and suddenly being hit with a flood of bathwater coming at you. When I say there was absolutely nothing of substance that I could dig up over the course of that time beyond a 30-second trailer and a Kidscreen Magazine image that everyone and their mothers use to talk about the series, I mean it. Go ahead. Go punch in "odd squad uk" into Google and get back to me with how long it takes to see my username in the search results.

I'm going to set aside my Seren's Study about PBS's mistreatment of Odd Squad and shift gears just a little bit. This Seren's Study will cover all of the theories, discussion, and thoughts I have about these episodes and characters, in lieu of a Seren Reacts video (an XP-era laptop does not good for OBS Studio recording make). You will see me scream, cry, melt (shit's hot outside), and ask if I can put any of this on my job resume.

Before we begin, I'm going to warn folks that there will be spoilers ahead for those that haven't seen the episode titles and synopses, nor the trailer for OSUK. If you want to take a peek at those, I made a handy-dandy Google doc here. As for the trailer, I made a Seren's Study on that a while back.

Oh yes, and I'll be referring to Odd Squad UK as a whole as a series, not a season. Technically, it is a spinoff series, just marketed in America as Season 4 of Odd Squad.

All right, warnings are out of the way...now we can dive in. Less'go!

A Refresher

Let's get caught up to speed on what we know so far. Couldn't hurt, y'know?

Odd Squad UK -- or Season 4 of the regular Odd Squad series, in the delulu minds of PBS Kids execs -- is a spinoff series of Odd Squad, following Odd Squad Mobile Unit (Season 3). The premise involves a girl named Orli, an Odd Squad agent working on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls who is transferred to a precinct in the UK to boost numbers and help deal with the rise of oddness. She eventually partners up with Ozzie, an agent of the UK precinct, and begins working under one Captain O, a Director who loves anything nautical and aquatic. From there, we see a lot of other characters who take the spotlight -- deadpan Security agent Orwell, quirky Scientist guy Onom, a Chef O, and a girl in a rather mysterious department.

Keeping in line with the reputation of Britain having series with shockingly low episode counts (there's even a trope for it!), Odd Squad UK has 12 episodes in total, the lowest of any season/series to date. However, the crew is open to making more episodes if there is enough demand for them -- a cliche that has plagued a ton of animated kids shows as of late due to the flakiness of the industry.

...That's really all I can give you in the way of a refresher. So let's move on to what the episodes contain.

------------------------------------------------------------

What's the Story, Seren?

Press releases and articles for Odd Squad UK have touted focus on Orli. Once. Exactly once. By all accounts, it seems like the focus of the series is on her struggling to fit in with British culture, customs, and of course, their wacky mathematics. That, however, is not the case -- instead, Ozzie is the focus of the series' story arc.

...Yeah, it has a story arc. They're pullin' an anime with this one and I don't know if I like that.

The arc features Ozzie and his relationship with the Terrible Three, a villainous trio of (what I can presume are) youngsters who seek to spread oddness throughout the town. And guys, I feel obligated to put this tweet from my moot here:

Because they're right. On every single account. This leads into my first criticism, which I will compile at the end. Moving on, though.

Due to that arc, a majority of these 12 episodes feature villains in some kind of capacity. This is not unusual for Odd Squad as a franchise, of course -- villains to them are what air is to a living being. Goes hand-in-hand, and there are many episodes that have villains as antagonists. What is unusual, however, is having well over half of your episodes feature a villain in a major capacity, and while I do love myself a good villain, it seems like one hell of an overdose.

Outside of that, though, the series will feature Orli attempting to fit in to British life. Because after all, she isn't just transferred to the UK -- she has to upright pack up and move nearly halfway across the world. Which I won't deny is a nice premise...but again, 12 episodes.

Enough complaining, though. Let's move on to what I'm sure y'all came here for.

------------------------------------------------------------

The Episodes, or: Netflix is Quaking in their Boots

ISS' CRACK THEORY TIIIIIIIIIME.

In this section, I'll go over each of the episodes revealed thus far, share my thoughts, theories, and what I, for one, hope to expect. (I'd use the colloquial "we", but different strokes for different folks and not even I know what's gonna happen.)

So let's dive into our very first one...

------------------------------------------------------------

Odd Ones In

James Rallison is marching his way on over with a nice fat happy lawsuit as we speak.

...Okay, I kid. He's not. He knows about PBS Kids, but trust...trust me guys, he is not suing anyone.

While this synopsis, like all the other synopses PBS Kids has ever put out ever, is barebones, most of the stuff in this episode can be gleaned from the trailer. The episode is split into two parts for a 22-minute episode in total.

The first part basically deals with Orli transferred, and by extension moving, from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls to good old Britain. Touted as being "the best agent in the world" to help solve oddness, the British agents realize that she sure as hell can't stand on the same pedestal as the thirteen already-existing living legends do, especially since she has no idea how the fuck British people go about their lives. The second part features Orli and Ozzie teaming up to deal with a creature known as an Icy Mousey that is freezing agents left and right.

Let's be honest right out the gate: this is already a better premise for a 22-minute season premiere than "Odd Beginnings" was in 44. And yeah, I know "First Day" is similar, but Olympia didn't have to move to an entirely different country when she graduated from the Odd Squad Academy, y'know? Nor was she branded a "best agent" because she wasn't one yet. Here, we have Orli becoming a Canadian transplant who echoes the sentiments of everyone who has ever traveled to another country and failed to do the research beforehand. Which makes sense, because she's supposed to be an audience surrogate.

I really can't discuss this episode at length without heading into the next episode, though, because it ties into that and the trailer. So, may I present:

------------------------------------------------------------

A Dish Served Odd

Died in 2015. Born in 2024. Welcome back, Seren Taking Food-Oriented Odd Squad Episode Titles to Reflect Episodes About Food That Are Not About Food At All.

*the longest sigh I have ever taken in my life*

Following up from the season premiere, this episode takes a look at the UK town of [REDACTED], where Orli wishes to explore. Most of the stuff in the trailer is taken from this episode, up to and including the alternate-angle image included in the initial press release of Orli and Ozzie telling someone to "stop right there". We have Orli fighting a woman for tour bus tickets using Rock-Paper-Scissors (and I am not talking about the Nickelodeon cartoon, thank you), Brits attending an Odd Squad movie event, and The Trifler.

...I mean okay, there's more, but the hell do you think I have, an eidetic memory or somethin'?

I do find it odd (hehehe lol obvious joke) that an episode out of 12 is dedicated to Orli learning about her new hometown. I get why -- if you discount the fact she does not magically learn all about a goddamn country within a day, she really needs the tour, and we really need the tour, because Let's Go Luna got the axe and someone needs to pick up the slack -- but to not, say, expand "Odd Ones In" to include a tour seems like a waste, especially since the "watch our shit or the show gets killed off" guillotine is hanging over this franchise's head. You can compare Toronto to this -- I'm a dumb lil' American who sees Canada as the land of free healthcare, maple syrup, and a choir of red-shirted children singing "O Canada" with an orchestra in the near-dead of night. Seasons 1 and 2 take place in Toronto, though they never say it outright. There's signage and places that scream Canadian. So why, then, did we not get lessons about Canadian culture? Because if Olive and Otto took the time to teach me lessons about Canada, the writers probably would have fumbled the bag and ruined the world tour story arc of Odd Todd. Which...wouldn't really be a good thing.

I don't know. My opinions will probably shift when I watch the episode itself. At the very least, it's gonna give us McDonald's product placement, which will give me good leverage the next time I roll up behind an asshole in the drive-thru.

------------------------------------------------------------

Odd Jubilee

Not to be confused with Ruby Jubilee, a popular pegasus character from G5 of My Little Pony. This is her...odder cousin.

...No, actually, if you think about it, it fits, because Pinkie Pie and Olympia. Bite me.

So this episode is the start of many, many Ozzie-centric episodes. Which, given whom this series' story arc is about, makes sense. In this one, "Party Agents" (Party Department?) arrive with a box that, of course, contains a party. Like Pinkie Pie's party ca- okay, you know, I joke a lot about Olympia being Pinkie Pie (and I even have a pretty smeggin' good fanfic goin' about it right now!), but the comparisons are fucking writing themselves here. Lest we forget this franchise made a Friendship is Magic reference back in Season 2 with Party Pam's balloon colors.

But I digress. The conflict of the episode comes in the form of Ozzie, who has the key needed to open the box. Unfortunately for him, and for the rest of the UK precinct agents, he's vamooshed and needs to be found.

...If this isn't tying into the story arc, shove an apple into my mouth and send me to Walmart. You couldn't put a sign on any episode here that wouldn't make it any more obvious that there's a story arc. At least Season 1 was humble about it and kept all the 43s hidden as cool lil' Easter eggs. (Season 2 stumbled a little. Season 3 was when shit hit the fan and the smell and the sight of it was made obvious to everyone.)

I might as well get this out of the way now: there's a bit of a problem when it comes to whom, exactly, the series focuses on. We have a core cast of seven main characters. The franchise as a whole is notable for focusing on two agents in particular, mainly two Investigation agents. Orli is an audience surrogate and we're supposed to see the world through her eyes. Ozzie has a bitch-ass past and a wild-ass story arc, hence why he gets the most focus. While residing in seasons with higher episode counts, Olive and Otto, as well as Olympia and Otis, have an equal balance of screentime between each other, despite two of them having an ongoing story arc.

So lemme ask: who am I supposed to focus on here?

Looking at it now, a core cast of seven main characters instead of the four we've gotten before is a great shakeup, but not if you have 12 episodes and a threat of cancellation hanging over your head while your body's infected with Network-Don't-Care-Anymore Disease. Even the synopses alone tell me that this is 100% going to be a hell of a mess, and more than one main character is going to be lacking in the character development section.

Maybe I'm being a little too cynical, especially after Odd Squad Mobile Unit. But this is a franchise that is going on 10 years and made a "jumping the shark" joke only 3 years in. Odd Squad is not immune from rot, so I'm not surprised when it happens.

------------------------------------------------------------

The New Ozzie

Congrats everyone, we now have a name we can pin on the Mysterious Department Girl. Only took us nearly a year!

Opie -- not to be confused with the Opie from Season 1, mind you; different gender, precinct, and department -- is in the Department of Help and Human Services and is being promoted to its topmost position, called a Head. (The Season 3 episode "O For a Day" implied there were head agents of departments in Odd Squad, but nothing was outright confirmed in terms of the organization as a whole -- it likely was exclusively for the Seattle precinct.) Ozzie, who was the previous Head of the Department of Help and has since moved to the Investigation department (neither a promotion or a demotion; both departments have the same shape with the same number of sides), needs to help her learn the ropes. Problem is, he also has to solve oddness in town. What do?

This episode pretty much solves the question of "is he wearing an H on a hexagon or is that a bridge?" It's an H. The department's logo is an H. I can't even be mad at that, but I'm not happy about it either. Ozzie was a leader, and now he's a run-of-the-mill Investigation agent, which could raise some interesting conflicts given the story arc. It can be a superiority complex. It could be the "British people evil" cliche. Or it could lead to absolutely nothing. It's 12 episodes, take your pick.

------------------------------------------------------------

Bad-Luck-itis

Okay. They paid the "Find the Cure" fee. Can they please get their paychecks and go the fuck home already, guys?

Seems the gadget competition video served as some weird foreshadowing, if you replaced Orli and Osgood with Captain O and Orwell and the Mondays with...well, Bad-Luck-itis. Basically, Ozzie becomes a walking disaster area, and his partner, plus another agent named Osgood, have to find ingredients to make the cure.

This can reasonably go one of two ways: either we get an episode that's a direct copy, or we get an episode that's actually unique and puts a spin on things. Until we get a bigger and more explanatory synopsis, it can go either way, and, well...we don't right now. So I can't really say much about this. I will say, however, that given "Off the Clock" from Odd Squad Mobile Unit, I'm hoping "Bad Luck-Itis" "Bad-Luck-itis" can keep up the pace. That was a solid episode, for what it was worth.

------------------------------------------------------------

The Triangle Sisters

Not to be confused with the Triangle siblings from "Crime at Shapely Manor". Thass'...thass' a whole 'nother ball game.

There's really not much to this one either. The synopsis tells of Orli and Ozzie attempting to hunt down villains -- the eponymous siblings, natch -- who have stolen shapes from a museum. That's about it. Either this is "Crime at the Britain Museum" or it's something unique. Like with "Bad-Luck-itis", it's too soon to know yet.

...But that wording is very suspicious, given Ozzie's story arc...makes you wonder.

------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Information

Ah. Three for three with the "is originality as dead as chivalry" comments.

This one concerns "Bad Lemonade" in particular, in that it's about a villain using bar graphs to bring some kind of harm to a character. Imagine Odd Todd, then imagine him slandering an entire pseudo-government organization instead of just Polly Graph. Now make him an adult woman, and you've got this episode.

If they really wanna spice it up, they could slip in some wondrous British social commentary that dumb lil' Americans like myself would never get. But Odd Squad as a franchise has never really been about that (I am slapping the word "really" so hard my hand is red, thank you), so here I'll sit in my delusion for two months.

...Also, Canada slander. Just to get under Orli's skin.

------------------------------------------------------------

A Dicey Situation

Oh yeah, we had a Director character, didn't we? Let's employ her in a- ohhhhhhhhh, it's another one of those episodes.

Look, I love "Totally Odd Squad". Provides some excellent backstory for Oprah, gives us some lore as to the inner workings of Odd Squad as an organization, and it had O'Donahue flirting with his boss in one of the most expressive romantic things in the entire franchise. Same goes for "Fistful of Fruit Juice"; I loved that too.

On a more negative note, if you've ever seen my Seren Reacts video on it, you'd know that "Mission O Possible" is on the lower end of the ladder for me. Among other criticisms, it's a parody of Mission Impossible that utterly bombs due to network restrictions and poor choice of central character. I'm not exactly banking on "A Dicey Situation" to parody anything, but I'm not holding confidence that it's going to be good either.

At the very least, the villain's name is unique. If her last name is Doubloon, I'm hoping we can get a financial math moral that can put me and the rest of the fandom at ease when it comes to the sheer irony of this franchise tackling every aspect of math but finances. You can't say "kids today don't wanna work anymore" if the shows made for them are too afraid to teach them about a new app called The Fucking Dollar Bill.

------------------------------------------------------------

Lift Off

Now here's where shit gets good.

Imagine, if you will, me, going to Japan to buy some Precure merch and not understanding any cultural customs.

Now imagine Orli in the same spot, in Britain, with elevators. Oops, sorry, lifts.

Here's a fun fact some of you may not know: there was an episode with a working title of "See You Later Elevator", all the way back in Season 2. No one knows what that episode was turned into, if it went beyond the script and name-registering stage, or what it was about. And while it was made sometime in 2017, predating this episode by a good 7 years, it makes you stop and think for a moment about if "See You Later Elevator" did get past the script stage but was retooled to fit Orli instead. Depending on who you ask, it's at least a better title than "Lift Off".

This episode could best be summed up as "how does Britain work?", as Orli must send an interdimensional clam (God did not create enough animals to populate Europe, clearly) back to its home but has trouble working the lifts because they're different from the elevators she had in Canada. And I gotta be honest, folks...this might be one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. 11 minutes of Orli being a silly ding-dong and toying with a machine that can cause immediate death is gonna be real fun to watch. (Only...y'know...no gore. For obvious reasons.) It's like if you had 11 minutes of Orla trying to figure out some item in the modern world and kept messing things up, and I'd enjoy that too in spite of what I think about Season 3.

------------------------------------------------------------

A Tour of Odd Squad

Not to be confused with "Welcome to Odd Squad" from Odd Squad Mobile Unit; I'm sure this episode won't be as bad as this one.

...

I'm overshooting the mark, aren't I? Shit.

Old-timers to the fandom might remember all the tours held of the studio set the first two seasons used. In-universe, "Disorder in the Court" is the only episode I can vividly recall where a tour is offered someone who wasn't an Odd Squad agent. As a freebie, to boot. (When I first saw "A Tour of Odd Squad" as a title and its synopsis, I was under the impression that tours given to non-clients and non-agents were not a concept that existed. I was wrong.)

This episode, however, has an Odd Squad Superfan tour. A bit of a different breed, though if you want to believe the Odd Squad Superfan Tour exists in "Disorder in the Court", feel free! I know I will.

Basically, it's a "spot the imposter" type situation. One villain has come into the tour in disguise as a fan of Odd Squad, and Opie must stomp them out. This is another episode that raises quite a few suspicions concerning Ozzie's story arc, because we don't know if it's a child disguised as an adult, a child that looks like a child, or an adult that looks like an adult. The synopsis doesn't tell us that much. If it is a child that looks like a child, though, I have to wonder if they'll pull an "I'm separated from my mommy and she's in the group, help me get back to her" gambit. It's a villain trio that describes one of the worst periods in a parent's goddamn life. Kids are smarter than most would think. I can envision it.

Good premise either way, though. I look forward to seeing how things play out.

I am also expecting as much meta commentary as Oprah did in "First Day". Hey, they did it once 8 years ago, and I wanna see them do it again. Clap back!

------------------------------------------------------------

Club 37

Not to be confused with Club 24- okay, look, this is fucking annoying and I can't keep doing this. Just set your bars low, people. Set them seven feet from the ground and call it a day.

Oy...okay. So this episode involves the exclusive titular club. To gain access, an agent or a partner pair must solve a total of 37 cases, which Orli and Ozzie must do. Because...in 6 episodes, they haven't solved that many? There goes Orli being Odd Squad's best agent to stem the rise of oddness in the UK.

...I dunno, guys. You think the crew saw my "What Odd Squad Got Past Censors" video, realized the implications of Club 24, and made a kid-friendly variant instead? It's a very slim chance, next to nonexistent, but I can't help but wonder. After all, not every day you see two preteens enter a nightclub where the line is full of solely adults.

This episode does have a few similarities to "The O Team", though, just in the way Olympia and Otis have to solve a select amount of cases. Hoping it isn't a retread, because "The O Team" was a great way to shine some light on two side characters and "Club 37"...isn't. PBS synopses do not pull red herrings, people.

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Odd Way Round

Go ahead, take a shot for every "odd" pun they make in this season. At this point, Popularity Papers did a funnier thing with their Odd Squad title reference. (And also has better, more inspirational titles than just making puns out of "popularity" and "papers".)

Putting aside the title, though, the episode has a pretty straightforward premise -- Orli needs to get to the Odd Squad Test Center, but is repeatedly stopped by villains as she's trying to get there.

All right, first question: exactly what does Odd Squad need a Test Center for? I'm not buying that it's a British thing, because even with my dumb lil' American ways that's the stupidest shit I ever heard. And second of all, how the hell are they keeping that shit staffed? Who's staffing it? How much money does the Britain HQ have in the bank to keep that shit staffed?

Best way I can really sum this up is that it'll be 11 minutes of battle scenes with a payoff of her coming to the Test Center and being told "lol your test is on another day". Not exactly enthused, but I'm not going to actively hate it out the gate either.

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Strictly Odd Dancing

Now this. This is the kind of punny shit I live for with this franchise. It's another "odd" pun, sure, but it's also a pop culture reference very few people would get. Hell, it took someone in the Odd Squad Discord server to tell me they were referencing the British version of Dancing with the Stars! This is what I like!

Moving on to the premise: the episode features two minor characters, Ostin and Olyla (you'd think with the latter name, PBS would be all over it...'cuz Lyla in the Loop and all that), who tell a story to some agents about how they went from "singing and dancing gross" to "singing and dancing great" due to a villain's influence.

It's...another storytelling episode. Which, again, I'd be fine with, if there weren't 12 episodes in the entire damn series. Focusing on minor characters (not side characters; "minor" here refers to oneshots) is nothing new for the franchise, but most episodes that do it are in seasons with high episode counts. This series does not.

Let's be honest for a moment: the only saving grace this episode has for me is if we get a musical number. It's a singing and dancing episode. It'd be a crime not to have a song. LET ME HEAR THE BELTING OF THE BRITISH CHILDREN, GOD DAMN IT. I DESERVE IT.

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Villain of the Year

If this synopsis refers to Ozzie as the "unlikely villain", I am going to throw myself onto my front lawn, scream into the grass, and let the ticks consume me.

And that's not even getting into the other times we've gotten award mentions and episodes. Do we really need a villain variant of the Agent of the Year award that Odd Squad Book of Games introduced? What is point? Why is point? I was fine with the villain report cards Season 2 introduced! Leave it at that!

I'm just...I'm tired. Only a select handful of these synopses are inspiring confidence in me. If Season 3 came up with more original synopses than this series, with a return to form, does, then we're in trouble. That is with a capital T. A T as big as the Titans Tower, that's right.

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Planes, Trains, and Oddmobiles

God this is a good pun. God I love this pun. Best title of the franchise, hands down. Even beats out "Assistants' Creed". Took them ten fucking years to make the pun, but...it's here, and I love it. It barely even relates to the episode from what I can tell from the synopsis, but damn if they didn't do good.

And speaking of the synopsis, this one has a sort of similar plotline to "Nature of the Sandbeast" from Odd Squad Mobile Unit, in that there is a female creature with eggs missing who is incredibly pissed off and is seeking to harm anyone and anything until she gets them back. That episode had the titular creature; this one features a Huggle Monster. That episode had Orla, Osmerelda, and Omar fighting off the creature; this episode has Orli and Ozzie. Not exactly a repeat, but we'll see where things go.

...Okay, I'm taking my above comment back about the title not relating to the episode, because I just figured out what the math moral is.

It's about which mode of transportation is the fastest: a plane, a train, or a car.

I don't know whether to cackle because kids can't drive either of those things (and for "car", I'm talking about big-boi cars like Audis and Toyotas, thank you), or clap because they made a pun that encapsulates the math moral.

God bless them.

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Part of the Furniture

Now here's an episode title I really am scratching my head about. It's not a pun. It's not some kind of typo. It doesn't relate to the episode as far as the synopsis goes. It looks like a lost memo from a Bob's Discount Furniture employee meeting.

You wanna know the best part, though? The episode deals with Orli joining a bunch of clubs but not having time for all of them and helping Orwell at the same time. Which...I...look, if she doesn't join some kind of furniture-related club, then what is point? Is this some British pun I don't- ah fucking hell, it's a British pun I don't get, isn't it. God damn it.

Not really much to go off of with this one, but man is that title gonna be eating away at me for the next two months. I have to sleep at night, people. 15 years of sleep deprivation weighs on a person!

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The Odd Ness Monster

Look. The Oddverse has kraken. It's only justified that it'd have the Loch Ness Monster, too.

Me, I'm just surprised it took them way too many franchise installments to get to this point.

The synopsis for the episode, however, is a little confusing. The best I can gather is this: Onom and Orwell are doing something when the Loch- shit, the Odd Ness Monster wakes up. From there, they have to put it to sleep before it destroys Headquarters (which, I will remind you, is fucking underground and doesn't need much protecting against a creature commonly depicted in fiction as a seafarer).

It's incorrect, but this is PBS we're talking about. Wait until mid-September when we get stuff from the BBC.

Outside of the "destroying HQ" stuff, I look forward to seeing how a Scientist and a Security agent with differing personalities handle Odd Squad's take on Nessie. I guess the Britain HQ lacks a Creature Care department, otherwise either Onom or Orwell would be replaced.

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Oddtober the Thirteenth

Died around 2016.

Born 2024.

Welcome the fuck back, Oddtober.

For those out of the loop, Oddtober is the name of an event PBS Kids held to celebrate Odd Squad having new episodes in October. Because, y'know, they actually loved the show back then and didn't treat it like shit. The event died off when Season 2 premiered and was replaced by a more generalized "Celebrate Halloween All Month Long with PBS Kids" event, which has been in place for years now and covers multiple shows on the lineup. And now it's back, in episode title form.

If this wasn't intentional, you're lying to my face. If this was intentional, you're giving me a chance to gloat.

But what about the episode itself? Well...it's not another Halloween episode, unfortunately. It's not even airing on October 13, which sucks, but...that's a Sunday and PBS Kids doesn't premiere new content on a Sunday in most cases. The episode's premise is actually pretty unique -- the British agents wants a day off from oddness, which villains are, surprisingly, more than happy to give them...provided their happiness meters break the limit. To do this, agents throw them a party.

I...another party episode? Really? The fuck were they celebrating over in the writers room, the fact that Odd Squad got greenlit for another season and PBS didn't kill it off like it was forest game? I mean it's a good thing to celebrate, but again...12 episodes. And the crew was the one who gave the "you want more OSUK stuff, watch what we got to offer" ultimatum to begin with!

Given the title of the episode, though, I expect things to go down south very quickly. At the very least, we know where it falls on the incredibly messy franchise timeline.

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Agent Overhill's Last Day

Oh, another episode focusing on a minor character. I'd actually spit more fire at this if it weren't for the fact that this episode inches the line closer to the season/series finale. It's up in the air whether the "one last villain" is Ozzie or not. However, I can appreciate the use of "Overhill" as a name. As in, "over the hill". As in...someone who is old and past their prime.

...Yeeeeeeah, 10 fuckin' cookies they won't touch on that shit. Established rules for that haven't changed in 10 years, and just because it's Britain doesn't mean it'll be changed. I do like how they're willing to go further into retirement from Odd Squad after only featuring it for a one-off gag or an offhand mention here and there, though.

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The Ne- Wait, I Mean The Other Ozzie

And the prize for Most Unoriginal Episode Title goes to.

Seriously, there are a host of puns involving the color purple they could have gone with. Instead, they pulled from a previous episode title and changed the goddamn adjective. Now there's something to confuse the kids.

But what is the episode about? Well, Orli's being featured this time around, partnering up with an agent named Oz from the Movie Star Dimension to find out who is turning civilians purple.

I'm going to shove the elephant in the room out the door and let it go back to its native habitat: this Oz has absolutely no relation to the Oz from Season 1, nor Ozelprazelwixelmist from Season 1, and if you believe otherwise then I will respect that but you are wrong. Realistically, they could bring Oz back, especially since Odd Squad Book of Games brought him back via a mention and...well, he's an invisible agent, so there's no need to cast another kid to act physically. But this episode looks to involve a counterpart of Ozzie, which neither Oz nor Ozelprazelwindowsmistplay is. And I highly doubt they'd bring the latter back from the "silly lol gag" dead and put them in a major role.

Putting that aside, though, this episode actually contains what is known in TV Tropes parlance as a Mythology Gag, which is when a franchise references previous installments that are not canon to the work containing the gag.

In this particular case, I'll direct your attention to the pilot. Some of you reading this may have seen it, others may have not, and others I probably melted your minds just by telling you it exists. (Mass apology to those people.) At the beginning of it, Olive explains what Odd Squad is and what they do, coupled with slides that show oddness in action. One of these incidents is a family and their dog, who are all colored purple.

And thus, you have the basis for this episode.

Given how the pilot and Odd Squad UK have different staff and different prodcos, I don't know if this was intentional or not...but Tim McKeon is at least working on it, so it makes you wonder. What better way to celebrate the franchise's 10th anniversary than a throwback to the piece of media that started it all 12 years ago?

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Three is the Oddest Number

Huh. Did I just crack the code for why this franchise is keen on four-person teamups? Because it feels like I just cracked the code for why this franchise is keen on four-person teamups. (Okay, fine, five if you count Odd Squad Mobile Unit with both Oprah and Orpita. But this episode's not called "Five is the Oddest Number" so weh to ye.)

Anyway, this episode kicks off the two-part sea- sorry, series finale. I have no confirmation it is the series finale, but I've seen PBS Kids execs throw this franchise around like a ragdoll for the past few years and I can see a very clear path ahead. Almost crystal, even.

This is an 11-minute episode, similar to past season finales ("Who is Agent Otis?" as well as "Odds and Ends", "Sunny Sides Add Up" as well as "Old Odd, New Tricks"). Here, we're introduced to the Terrible Three in proper, who begin to bring their reign of terror upon Britain. We also get to see why Ozzie seems to know them, and unravel the story arc.

Again, I will refer to my Twitter mutual's tweet at the beginning of this post, and reiterate that the "main character knows the villains somehow" schtick is getting a little old. They would have had something good going with Olando if they didn't fuck things up, because that story was actually kind of unique. (Yes, discounting that Olando is a male Orla.) If they want people to watch Odd Squad UK so it gets more episodes, then they better hit a homerun with this go-around of an apparently popular story.

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Should Odd Acquaintance Be Forgot

I won't lie: before I found out what this title was alluding to, I genuinely thought PBS fucked up on the grammar. I thought, "Shouldn't it be 'Should Odd Acquaintance Be Forgotten'?"

But lol, no...it's a reference to a lyric in "Auld Lang Syne". God bless Google. God bless search engines.

This episode, the second part of the two-part series finale that is 22 minutes in length, picks up where "Three is the Oddest Number" left off, natch. It seems that the Terrible Three have broken into Headquarters and are close to securing a win against Odd Squad, but have hidden from the agents, who need to find them.

...I don't know about you, but I'm getting some Secret Catch Teenieping vibes. Only, y'know, there's no "the Teenieping is hiding in one of three objects". The episode could lean that way, though...wouldn't be unlike them.

In any case, the second half of the episode has the Terrible Three still on a rampage, opening up some containment units that will spread oddness throughout the town. The Britain HQ's agents are now forced to answer the question that I'm sure they'll be asked: "Oh yeah? You and what army?"

By finding other kids to help them.

...I know exactly what the fuck you're thinking right now and I'm here with the thorn in my foot squashing your hopes and dreams and letting the thorn go even deeper in.

If you have ever seen any reaction I've ever had to "Odd Together Now", you're probably aware that I died a little inside. With the ending involving clips of past seasons, even moreso. The Seren Reacts video...I had already gotten up once and came back when they showed Olive and Otto. That ending made me want to physically leave my house. And I have depression.

Smart is knowing tomato is a fruit. Wise is not putting it in a fruit salad. Peak intelligence is realizing that nearly every single child actor that has been on Odd Squad is now too old to reprise their roles and then not begging for them to come back. I want them to come back too, but that's what fanworks are for. Fanfics, fan videos, animations and skits, all that jazz. It can be done. Hell, I've made fanfics with Odd Squad characters. Other people have too. There are Odd Squad fanpieces all over the 'Net, if you look. Some are good, some are bad. But the fact of the matter is that they all have the creator's own personal brand of creativity to them.

But fanworks are a topic for another Seren's Study on another day. For now, I'll just say that I hope they go out with a bang with this one, for being only 12 episodes.

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The Future of Odd Squad UK: Cancellation or Resuscitation?

I will forever stand by my theory that Odd Squad UK was birthed merely to fill a quota, and the extra win for SSE and FRP of financial gain. But the quota part is what I'm specifically focusing on, because when it comes to this franchise, my ire largely falls with PBS Kids execs. Last I read, Sara DeWitt wanted about twenty shows by end of year. I lost count somewhere around March, but I don't know...if you count the season premieres (and Lyla in the Loop), I'd say it's nearing or exceeding that number.

...No, actually, they probably do count season premieres. Look at our very own OSUK.

The issue with PBS Kids and OSUK is something I'm setting aside for another Seren's Study that is currently a work in progress. However, it's no surprise that execs frown upon Odd Squad as a whole and include it in promotional media only for gratuity purposes. Like a way to remind the audience that yes, however creator-driven they may be, they do own the Odd Squad IP and they will shove it up as many hairy nostrils as humanly possible.

Because of this, it's entirely up in the air whether Odd Squad UK will get greenlit for another season, maybe with a higher episode count than just a meager 12.

...You would think. Bitch you would think.

It is worth noting that this is a coproduction, so PBS didn't solely produce this -- BBC Studios Kids and Family had a hefty hand in it, because, y'know, it's their own damn fault country. Hence, it's largely up to them whether Odd Squad UK will continue. And unlike PBS, they salivate over ratings over most anything else, and Odd Squad's is pretty well up there...so it does make you wonder.

Either way, I can't reiterate this enough: if you want OSUK to continue, watch it. TV, on the app, through official streaming services, anything that's legal. Hatewatch it, even; like I've said before, hatewatching is a nice happy form of reverse psychology at work, and everyone involved on OSUK could not even give a shit about you satisfying your curiosity if you gave them Bezos level of monies. Every little bit counts.

As for me, I'm not going to hatewatch OSUK, but rather, I'm going to try and go in with a relatively open mind and then rip into episodes accordingly. We do still have that gadget competition results video coming in September, so that'll be another tease that people who have read titles and synopses can see. And then they can judge the quality of the show itself with that in mind, of course.

If you've read all this and digested it and didn't just click on the links above, then thank you. Expect another Seren's Study on PBS's mistreatment of Odd Squad as a whole franchise soon.

(Would you believe me if I said I wanted to take a break for August? But the franchise never sleeps, and apparently neither do I.)

Seren out.

[luaspersona]

fic teaser | kim taehyung

pairing ↠ himbo!taehyung x reader (f. reader) genre ↠ college!au; holiday!au; smut; one-shot; humor summary ↠ after making some terrible memories together, Taehyung wants nothing more than to never see you again; and he was pretty much succeeding until — after a minor accident — he finds himself having to spend Christmas alone with you in the middle of nowhere. rating ↠ +18 teaser warnings ↠ nothing explicit; profanity; nudity; mentions of sex; mentions of bondage; mentions of puking.

complete work warnings (full warnings on the post) ⇝ alcohol consumption; sexual tension; religious jokes; minor accident; very minor parent issues; second hand embarrassment; pov switch; explicit smut: masturbation, orgasm denial and control, edging, dirty talk, pet names, soft dom!taehyung, switch!reader, fingering, oral (f. and m. receiving), unprotected sex, praise kink, light spanking, a splash of degradation, begging; overstimulation, multiple orgasms, squirting, creampie, rough sex, aftercare.

release date ↠ released. teaser word count ↠ 0.8k estimated reading time ↠ 2 minutes

note ↠ so i had the idea to write a holiday!au for tae’s birthday around three weeks ago and just now finished the outline lol 🤡 i’m still working on it, but i decided to drop a little something so you can have a taste! the teaser happens a couple months before the actual fanfic, so it’s not christmas here yet lol sorry, i promise i’ll plan better the next time (i probably won’t tho). note² ↠ wanna thank @imakeamess for the BEAUTIFUL BANNER, i know i was all over the place but you were able to create the most amazing art for me, so thank you once again🥺 note³ ↠ special thanks to @uarmymoonlight for helping me come up with the story and patiently listening to me rambling about this fic nonstop, i love you! and @vsualitae for helping me find inspiration and letting me spam his dms with this lol note⁴ ↠ also, merry christmas for those who celebrate and happy holidays! hope you all have an amazing year ending and an even better new year🎄

if you wanna be added to the taglist just leave a comment 🥰

When Taehyung was eighteen years old, he told a slightly less experienced Jungkook that girls have a secret sweet spot on the back of their knees.

Yeah, pretty shitty, he knows, he knows— but!, in Taehyung's defense, Jungkook was too damn innocent for his own good and he obviously didn't expect that Jungkook would take a whole ass year to google it. How hard is it to differentiate a freaked out face from a fucked out face, really? It was only like, 30% his responsibility. 

Clearly, though, the universe wasn't as understanding, because now Taehyung is pretty sure that he’s cursed.

Whenever he’s feeling like he’s hot shit, life finds ridiculous and absurd ways to humble him — being extra careful to guarantee Jungkook front row seats.

Fair enough. Taehyung has no problem owning his stuff, and he didn’t really believe all this karma shit anyway.

Except when it came to you.

“Shit.” Soojin curses, hands stopping in their search for her keys.

“What's wrong, babe?” Jungkook frowns.

“Can we maybe go to your place? My roommate had some work stuff to prepare and asked me to give her some space this afternoon.”

Taehyung groans “Soojin, we live on the other side of campus and I'm starving.” He punctuates this by lifting the food bags in his hands.

“But she's been super stressed lately, I don't wanna add to that.”

“We won't! We can be quiet, baby.” Jungkook reassures. 

Soojin chews her bottom lip. “You sure?”

“Promise.”

Taehyung nods. “She won't even notice us.”

Soojin sighs. “Fine.”

“Also, it can be a great opportunity for Tae to finally meet her.” Jungkook turns to Taehyung. “She's painfully your type, man.”

“Don’t even think about it! My roomie is not interested in Taehyung’s fuckboy ways, Kookie, she’s a pure soul.” Soojin protests.

“Baby, that’s slutshaming. Not cool.”

“What? I'm not a fuckboy. I'm just a very good boy who likes to give people what they want, nothing wrong with that.”

Soojin rolls her eyes, then finally opens the door.

Barely they step into the apartment, though, the three of them freeze — somewhat distracted by the sight of a blond man standing in the middle of the living room, covered only by a blue underwear and a trail of purple marks on his neck and collarbone.

And damn, what a fine man that is. Taehyung had never seen such pretty pouty lips before and he can't help the sudden wish to add a couple of purples to that soft skin himself. 

“What the hell?” Soojin's question prompts the man to cover his crotch with his hands. Pitty. “Who the fuck are you?”

“So, I found these old ropes in the back of my drawer, but I think they can hold—” you stop talking once you enter the living room, seeing a hell of a lot more people than when you left.

Jungkook snickers, glancing down at the rope still in your hands. “Pure soul my ass.”

When your name drops from Soojin’s mouth, something snaps in Taehyung’s mind. You see, he isn’t dumb by any means, but Taehyung sure sometimes is slow.

To be fair, he’d spent so much time trying to forget everything about you and the day you met that it’s only natural that he would take some time to recognize your face from his days I wish I hadn’t woken up archive.

But the way your fingers tighten around the knots before you hide them behind your back? Shit, how can he forget the way those fingers felt entangled in his hair that night? The way you made him groan against your neck whenever you pulled a bit too strong?

And your thighs? Fuck, they are so much prettier than he fantasized they’d be, barely covered by the oversized shirt you’re wearing. Taehyung almost has to stifle a groan because holy fuck how he wishes he could’ve seem them — felt them under his palms that night.

“Is he your work thing?” Soojin sarcastically points to the man’s general direction.

“Yeah, sorry about that, Soo, I just wanted to— Taehyung?!”

He grimaces, eyes immediately darting away from your form as he clears his throat, letting out a silent “hey.”

“You know each other?” Soojin frowns.

“We uhm… we met at—” you stutter “we met once. At a party.”

Soojin is silent for a moment, before her jaw drops “Wait— is Taehyung the puke guy?!”

The blue underwear man looks at you immediately. “Did you puke on him?”

“No! No, of course not, Jimin, it was him who— I mean, uh” so this is what humiliation tastes like? “Nevermind.”

The sudden sound of Jungkook’s laugh erupts beside Taehyung, and the boy takes his hand to his stomach as he leans forward. Taehyung is sure he’s never seen Jungkook so happy.

It takes around a minute for Jungkook’s laugh to turn into light giggling as he tries to catch his breath.

“She’s the girl you puked on? No fucking way, man.”

Well. Yeah. Karma and shit.

READ THE COMPLETE WORK HERE

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[cheesy09]

[CN] Kiro's Screen Date

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

[Note: This date was translated with the help of Google Translate :>]

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 1]

Hearing the sound of pebbles hitting the window, I quickly look down.

Carla waves her hand and points in the direction of the back door of my house. I feel a sense of elation. After confirming that my parents are asleep, I carefully pick up my skirt, go downstairs and slip out the door.

Carla: We have to hurry up, or we'll miss the magic show. It's the hottest new thing right now!

Before I can say anything, she takes my hand and starts running with me.

As one of the few cheerful girls in the girls' church school, Carla is always taking me to experience all kinds of novel things at the moment.

If not for her well-informed sources and the dogmatic atmosphere at home, I probably would never have even had the chance to see the club.

With the town being as small as it is, we arrive at the newly opened club very quickly.

The waiter leads us inside, and the moment the doors open, the music is loudly amplified, mixing with a series of encores.

The man in a white suit takes off his hat to the audience and gracefully walks off the stage.

His blonde hair is particularly dazzling, like a figure walking out of a palace oil painting. People don't stop cheering until the figure disappears around the corner of the stage.

Host: Today's magic has come to an end, please enjoy the rest of the evening.

The music sounds again. The lights of the mirror-ball reflect on the dance floor and all kinds of men and women begin to dance.

MC: ...Is it over?

Carla: What a pity! I wonder If I'll be able to sneak out again during the next performance...

Carla lets out a regretful sigh and pulls me to sit in the booth next to her.

But after just one look behind her, she suddenly seems to have discovered something and her face livens up again.

Carla: You sit here for a bit while I go put my makeup on. Since I'm not interested in magic, I've got to find a handsome guy to dance with, otherwise these tickets will have been in vain.

MC: Wait...

When I look up, I see a pair of blue eyes behind Carla's fiery figure.

The man not far away is clad in a white suit. Before I can react, he walks up to me, and with a slight twist of his fingers, a flower suddenly appears, held between his fingertips.

Magician: The most beautiful flower, given to most adorable and charming lady in the room.

He immediately hands over the flower to me, his blue eyes particularly clear in the light, akin to shining stars in the night sky.

I am left a little stunned for a moment, hesitant on whether I should take the flower from him.

Magician: You don't like magic?

MC: No, I like it very much.

MC: It's just my first time seeing this kind of magic... I'm sorry, my friend and I just missed your show.

Magician: Do you still want to see it?

His slightly drawn-out voice carries with it a certain temptation, pulling me into its tide, and I nod almost subconsciously.

He smiles and sits down on the plush seat next to me, asking the waiter to serve us two glasses of wine. He then takes out a deck of playing cards.

Magician: Actually, magic can not only change things out of thin air, but can also provide many interesting forms of entertainment.

Magician: For example, in the this deck of cards, I can guess your heart.

MC: Guess... my heart?

Magician: If I guess correctly, you have to answer my question, if not... I will give you whatever you want.

Magician: Want to give it a try?

He holds the cards with a determined look on his face, and his blue eyes look straight into my heart with a hint of aggression and bewitchment.

My heart cannot help but beat faster, yet I deliberately raise my voice, unconvinced.

MC: Okay, please start.

Magician: Please choose a card from this deck. Remember the type and number, don't show it to me, and then put it back in again.

I draw out a 9 of hearts, then turn the card over and put it back, following his instructions. He shuffles the cards a few more times.

He puts his hand on the cards, as if sensing something, then takes one out and hands it to me.

After taking a good look at the card, I cannot help but widen my eyes. It is the 9 of hearts that I drew.

MC: ...How did you do it?!

Magician: I said I could do magic.

Magician: First question, tell me your name.

MC: Jenny.

MC: Please sir, what is your name..?

Magician: Kylo.

He raises his eyebrows slightly. At this moment, the stars seem to be condensed within his irises, rendering me unable to look away.

Kylo: Miss Jenny, shall we continue?

Kylo: Right now, everything has only just begun.

His slender fingers fingers fold the cards then, and the pile of cards dance regularly in his hands, drawing a beautiful arc in the air, and are then handed to me.

The inadvertent contact of our skins leaves my fingertips with a slight burn.

Just when I am about to take over, the cards fly obediently into his palm in the next second.

A slight smile appears on the corner of his mouth and he waves the cards in front of me again, his mischievous movements making me even more eager to try.

We play like this one game after another, chatting more and more speculatively with each magic trick, until the waiter comes to remind us that the club is about to close.

What occurred just now was akin to a beautiful dream, but now that I have woken up from this dream, I am a little ashamed to find that Carla has disappeared without me knowing when.

I quickly search the surroundings with Kylo, but even until everyone has gone, she is nowhere to be found.

Waiter: If you're looking for the lady who came with you, she and another gentleman have already left.

After listening to the waiter, we are left with no choice but to walk out first.

The street lights are turned off in the early morning, and a few crows can be heard in the distance every now and then, making the already dark night even more eerie.

Kylo chuckles into my ear. He seems to have read my thoughts.

Kylo: I'll take you home. I want to hear more interesting things about your school.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 2]

Kiro: This is my first playing the male lead since I started acting. It's truly great being able to work with my senior.

In the dressing room, Kiro takes off his top hat, straightens his jacket and then sits down not far away, slightly reserved.

He is the best among the newly signed actors of the company. Although his qualifications are still relatively young, he will definitely go on to become a good star in the future.

MC: Don't say that. We both belong to the same company, so there will be many opportunities for us to work together in the future.

Assistant: Miss MC, your coffee.

MC: Betty, also...

Just when I am about to ask my assistant to make another cup for Kiro, the door of the dressing room creaks open.

Assistant Director: This is the script for the next scene. The screenwriter has just revised it. It would be best for the two of you to walk through the scene in advance after reading it.

Assistant Director: We plan on deleting Carla's part to make the rhythm more compact. After finishing the shots, we will shoot the entire scene from the doorway to the end.

Taking the script, I glance at it briefly and then frown slightly.

MC: It's a bit different from the previous content...

The previous scene where Kylo sent Jenny home is changed to that of an intimate one, with the inclusion of hugging and kissing scenes that are somewhat bold nowadays.

Kiro, who is standing on the side, is also left stunned. He looks at me with a bit of hesitation and then quickly averts his eyes.

Although he has deliberately turned his head, I could still make out the slight blush on his face.

Assistant Director: This is the version that has been approved by the higher-ups. Though it's somewhat challenging, I believe that the two of you will definitely give us the best of your acting skills.

Assistant Director: If you want to finish the shoot before dawn, focus on this... and...

After a few more explanations, the assistant director leaves, taking my assistant out, leaving us alone with the scene.

Apart from the roar of the fireplace, no other sound exists in the dressing room.

After I read the script again, I adjust my mental state, get up and walk to Kiro.

MC: Relax a little. After all, this is a required course for actors. Let's try the dialogue first, shall we?

Although I am a little nervous, as an actor with more experience in the industry, I try to keep my tone as relaxed as possible.

After hearing what I said, he nods slightly and stands up, taking a deep breath, as if he has made up his mind.

Kiro: [slowly exhaling] Okay.

I pick up the script, flip to the revised scene and clear my throat.

MC: I'm home, Mr. Kylo.

Kiro: Then I wish you... sweet dreams.

Kiro's voice during the dialogue is clearly a little softer, and his hands grip the edge of the script rather unnaturally.

He doesn't dare to look at me with his twinkling eyes. After repeating the lines again, he hesitates and does not continue.

Though it is also my first time shooting such a scene, and I can't keep my face from feeling a little hot, for the sake of moving forward, all I can do is calm myself down and let myself take the lead.

MC: Here, put your hands on my waist, pull me into your arms and kiss me.

As I speak, I take his hand and put it on my waist, taking the initiative to move closer to his arms.

Kiro: MC...

Surprise flashes across his face for a moment, obviously not expecting me to do this. He is about to pull his hand away, but I pull him tighter towards me.

MC: Let's focus on the script. Here it says that the magician wants to kiss... Jenny.

MC: If you're not used to it yet, we can turn off the lights first.

I try my best to control my stiff fingertips, raise my hand to turn off the light in the dressing room and breathe a sigh of relief.

This way, the growing heat on my face will not be exposed to him.

I am unable to see his face clearly in the darkness, only an overlapping and ambiguous silhouette outlined by the firelight emitting from the fireplace.

Everything is magnified. I can clearly feel the heat of his palms transmitting through the thin lacey fabric at my waist.

The close distance makes his breath fan across my face.

His eyes are like a deep sea. The moment our eyes meet, there is a touch of aggression and anticipation within them that makes my heart tighten.

After a brief silence, I pout and am about to say something, but my lips are suddenly enveloped with a light warmth.

He kisses me.

His warm breath occupies my lips and my breathing grows chaotic. It takes me a while to murmur that sentence.

MC: That was my first kiss, Mr. Magician.

We embrace each other in an extremely intimate posture. Beneath the beautiful light and shadow, he is a little closer than before, completely encircling me within his arms.

I put my hands on his shoulders and breathe against his warm lips, as if the two of us are melting together into the sea.

His breaths are a little fast, and his heartbeats beat rapidly against his chest. For a moment, I cannot even tell whether they are his or mine.

Although I am left momentarily stunned, I keep telling myself in my heart that this is an act.

However, I am not the only one left stunned at this moment.

Kiro: [dazed murmur] ...That was also my first kiss.

His words fall between our intertwined breaths, seeming to cause the temperature around us to suddenly rise.

MC: ...You got the wrong line.

A trace of what is left of my sense of reason makes me realize that this isn't a line, and I quickly change the subject to cover up my restless heartbeat.

My words clearly make him panic. Kiro quickly lets go of me and quickly turns the light back on.

Perhaps because he got caught in the embarrassing situation of "getting the wrong line", his face turns a little red, and he turns around, looking down at the lines in the script that he is supposed to say.

And because of this, I am glad that he isn't able to notice my reaction--

I am also breathing rapidly, my face heating up.

Likewise, he won't know...

This was also my first kiss, Mr. Kiro.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 3]

Kylo: Good evening, everyone.

Kylo: It was fate that allowed us to meet on this night.

On the club stage, the red velvet curtains are drawn to both sides with the music, the spotlight drawing the audience's attention to the young magician.

Kylo appears on the stage in a well-tailored white suit. He takes off his hat in greeting and then a rain of flowers showers down on the venue.

The next instant, he waves the magic wand in his hand. A cluster of firelight rises and the flowers disappear.

Kylo: Are you ready to join this miraculous feast?

I see him throwing his hat into the sky, and then the dazzling ribbons explode, the hat changing from one to three.

Kylo raises his chin in the face of the bright spotlight and takes one of the hats with great confidence.

He takes his time making his next move. His blue eyes look around calmly before he opens his palms--

Under the intense drum beat, a snow-white rabbit emerges from the hat. It shakes its ears and jumps into his palm.

The audience then exclaims and cheers, stands and applauds, and several people in fancy attire throw gold coins at the stage.

At this moment, I play the role of Jenny and sit in the booth somberly.

Sommelier: It's quite a pity that you just missed Mr. Kylo's performance, miss.

The sommelier on the side vividly describes to me the performance I had just missed while clearing out the glasses.

I turn to look at Kylo and smile shyly.

MC: But I don't think this is the only time Mr. Kylo will perform. I'll arrive early next time.

Kylo: Then I will reserve the best seat for you.

He says, putting on his hat and bowing to me like a gentleman.

Kylo: It's getting late, and I honestly can't find any reason to keep the lady.

Kylo: So, let me escort you home safely, alright?

-

Kylo and I walk side by side on the way home, and I sneakily look at his profile in the moonlught.

Perhaps it's because it's my first time being so close to someone of the opposite sex, but every time our eyes meet, my heartbeat keeps speeding up uncontrollably.

After hesitating for some time, despite my embarrassment, I finally ask the question that made me most curious.

MC: Mr. Kylo, someone like you... must already be in a relationship with a girl, right?

Kylo: You guessed wrong. I don't have a girlfriend.

Kylo: However, at his moment, I'm encountering a beautiful love, so maybe I'll have one soon.

Like some kind of invitation, he takes advantage of the situation and takes my hand.

All of a sudden, my face feels hot and my heart pounds heavily.

His palms are warm and dry, and somehow, I let him hold me until I reach the door of my house.

MC: ...I'm home now.

Kylo: Then, I wish you sweet dreams.

MC: The same to you.

I nod and prepare to open the door, slightly reluctant, but his voice comes from behind me again.

Kylo: I have never felt time fly so quickly...

Kylo: Perhaps the romantic night calls for a romantic farewell.

His whispers are carried to my ears by the wind. I try to steady my mind and look at this person who is still able to be eye-catching even in the dead of night.

MC: [blushing] Mr. Kylo...

Before I finish speaking, he takes a step closer to me, a smile on his face, and immediately puts his hands on my waist, drawing our breaths closer.

Kylo: We need some romance, right?

This is clearly a line in the script, but looking into his eyes, I feel as if I have fallen into a deep sea.

He puts me in a trance, and I am unable to tell whether this is a part of the act or not.

MC: [blushing] I...

In an instant, all those unspoken hesitations are swallowed up by his kiss.

Different from the shyness in the dressing room some time ago, his breathing closely intertwines with mine, as if wanting to loose himself in the sensation with me.

Kylo: [murmuring breathlessly] Tell me...

He asks me softly, as if he were bewitching me.

My breathing is a little chaotic, and I begin to respond to him involuntarily, slowly snaking my hands around his neck.

MC: Yes...

A trace of tenderness suddenly flashes in his eyes, but he does not let me go because of this, only continues to deepen the kiss.

It isn't until the camera lights not far away flash that I am suddenly brought back to reality and stroke his cheek.

MC: ...That was my first kiss, Mr. Kylo.

Director: Cut! Come in earlier and come again!

I quickly take a deep breath and nod to the director.

MC: Sorry, director. I'll adjust my state.

After responding to the director, when I turn around and look at Kiro before me, my originally calm heartbeat starts to race again.

MC: ...Well, you've made a lot of progress from what you did in the dressing room.

Kiro: Yeah?

Kiro: But I don't think it's enough.

Kiro: When facing the person you like, you have to make her feel it more clearly.

Kiro says it so candidly that I have to blink in surprise for a moment.

There is clearly no change in his facial features - it's the same as ever.

And his behavior at this moment is completely different to that of the shy young man who was in the dressing room half an hour ago.

But he doesn't give me a chance to ask for an explanation. He nods to the director and indicates that the filming can start.

With the sound of the film machine turning, I pick up the hem of my skirt again, as if I have already transformed into that young girl who doesn't know much about the world, immersed in that alluring golden light.

A newcomer whose acting skills have improved so quickly--

I think I want to get to know you again, Kiro.

Director: Action.

MC: That was my first kiss, Mr. Kylo.

Kylo: Then I must be the luckiest person in the world.

MC: Do you say that to other girls?

Kylo: No, you're the only one in front of me.

As he speaks, he takes off his coat and puts it on me, tightening it around the collar.

I startle, looking at the coat he put on me so naturally.

This isn't something that's in the script.

I am unable to keep myself from looking up at him, but he just looks at me with a smile and tucks my wind-blown hair behind my ears.

The coat is stained with his warmth and gradually merges with my own, prompting me to take a step closer to him under the heat.

At this moment, I am no longer confused about whether I am Jenny or MC.

I just obey my instincts at this moment and place a gentle kiss on his lips.

He immediately hugs me tighter, his hands wandering around my waist, and then gently strokes my back.

I gently close my eyes and what follows is a longer and more lingering kiss from him.

God knows how bold such a performance is. We are expressing love in front of everyone as if no one else was around.

Looking at him in front of me, feeling his breathing and touch, I gradually am unable to tell whether these emotions are real or a performance.

Since we have to shoot different scenes and angles for editing, we kiss like this countless times.

And I have drowned in that deep sea countless times.

By the time the director shouts "Cut", the sky was getting brighter.

Watching Kiro pack up his luggage alone in the distance, I suddenly feel a little uncomfortable.

Maybe I need to process what happened today.

I don't say anything more to Kiro. When I am about to leave in the car, he comes and knocks at my car window.

Kiro: Miss MC, can I have your contact information?

Different from the wandering look he has during filming, his eyes are pure, and shine in the morning light.

He makes my heart skip a beat again.

MC: Certainly.

I don't want him to see anything, so I lower my head take out the lipstick from my bag. With feigned nonchalance, I write my phone number on a piece of paper and hand it to him, and then ask my driver to drive away.

Looking at that figure gradually disappearing in the rearview mirror, a faint anticipation starts to spread in my heart.

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

[PART 4]

But ever since that day, he has never contacted me.

Another day of shooting ends. As soon as I open the apartment door, the apartment manager on the first floor pokes his head out.

Manager: There's no call for you today, Miss MC.

MC: ...Thanks.

Manager: God, this is the first time I've seen you care so much.

Manager: You've been waiting for this call for three weeks, right? Tell me, what kind of person is this "Mr. Kiro"?

Seeing his look of interest, I smile politely in response and hurry back home.

The anticipation I felt when I handed over my phone number and name a few weeks ago has now turned into a slightly gnawing irritation.

The memory of that sweet and raw kiss has appeared so many times in my dreams in the middle of the night, that it honestly felt more like a dream.

Could it be that he is an expert? Not only is he an eloquent magician on-screen, but he's capable of leaving people anxious and sleepless at night off-screen as well.

Thoughts come to my mind, so I simply kick off my high heels and throw myself onto the sofa with a sigh.

To be honest, I could just contact him through the company while he is filming in other states.

But what is the point of contacting him like this? If he really thought of this as only a temporary emotion, then I might as well extinguish the flames that have ignited in my heart as soon as possible.

MC: Go ahead and film your movie. If you don't want to contact me, then don't contact me!

-

Kiro: Miss MC! Long time no see!

The next time I meet him is a month later on the set of a commercial we are co-producing.

As soon as I arrive at the beach we are filming at, the man who cast me aside and ignored me for more than a month immediately runs towards me.

He still smiles at me as brightly and warmly as the sun, and his eyes as blue as the sea can still easily take away my soul in an instant.

I turn my head away as if nothing has happened, deliberately not looking at him.

While I had some begrudging thoughts at the prospect of filming with him, the company has spent a lot of money to get this soda commercial.

Neither the reward in front of me nor my professional ethics has given me the chance to refuse.

Kiro: The response to the movie was very good. Everyone recognized our characters during the filming.

Kiro: People keep saying that we're a perfect match, a real couple!

My heart, which has been anxious for quite some time, becomes incredibly light. The corners of my mouth helplessly long to rise along with his, but I pull them down again.

I calmly straighten my back, raise my neck pretentiously and gracefully respond to him with a sideways glance.

MC: Yeah?

Kiro: I met a few movie fans a few days ago who asked me about your latest whereabouts...

As he waits with me for the camera to be set up, he talks about the daily happenings of this period, as if nothing has happened.

The irritability that has been with me for a long time lingers around me, mixing with the happiness of seeing him, and becoming more and more and complex than I am used to.

Kiro: How are you lately?

The "culprit" in front of me blinked his sincere eyes, an innocent look on his face.

Photographer: The props are ready! Come over here, you two!

Before I can answer, the photographer interrupts us.

But that was alright, otherwise I didn't know if I could maintain my composure on the surface.

After all, other than him, filming a summer soda commercial on a winter beach is sad enough.

Photographer: This set of promotional pictures needs to highlight the concept of drinks being incorporated into life. The two of you can chat about anything and find that casual everyday state for yourselves!

I sit under the parasol and make a cute gesture of enjoying the sunshine. Kiro is half-lying next to me clearly, reaching out to pick up a bottle of soda as if to drink it.

"Click--"

Photographer: Great! That's it! Keep going!

I straighten up and gesture to get something from the picnic basket. He changes his posture in response and looks back at me.

Kiro: You and I haven't seen each other for about a month.

Kiro: Like the photographer said, what should we talk about?

Photographer: Next one!

I am so angry that I hear the photographer's voice in my ears, so I immediately open my eyes wide and put on a sweet smile.

Kiro also raises his hand to put on his sunglasses, his face glowing.

"Click--"

The moment the camera moves away, my expression immediately collapses and I can't help but stare at him.

MC: Want to chat with me now? Did you take my phone number and forget about it a month ago?

Hearing my words, a trace of panic flashes across his eyes. He closes the magazine and is about to take my hand, but I cleverly sidestep him.

Photographer: Look at each other again! Smile... a little more sensationally!

I raise my eyebrows and look up at him, our eyes meeting in mid-air.

Kiro closes one eye and raises the corners of his lips in a teasing arc, though he is unable to remove the panic from his eyes in time.

"Click--"

This time, his outstretched hand grasps a hold of my wrist.

The warmth from another person irons my skin and is enough to warm my heart in this cold.

Kiro: I haven't forgotten. I've always kept your phone number!

Kiro: It's just... I haven't found the time yet...

MC: It's just a phone call. Do you need to find the time?

I can't help but complain quietly.

All I want is to know what he thinks of me, and meet with him and chat with him outside of the camera.

Kiro: Because it's a very important matter... so I've been thinking about how to tell you.

Kiro: Later I finally realized that I should tell you in person rather than on the phone.

He pulls my hand hard and prompts me to fall directly into his arms. Then the sound of the photographer pressing the shutter comes, one after another.

Kiro: What do you say?

Kiro touches my cheek with one hand and lowers his head.

The distance between us suddenly shortens and I fall into a clear ocean.

His breath gently brushes the side of my face and I breathe it in, along with the air.

Kiro: Will you go on a date with me?

"Click--"

I don't know if I had time to adjust my expression in the final photo and give a smile that met the requirements.

-

I don't even remember how I said goodbye to the photographer, thanked everyone at the scene one by one, and retired to the break room.

Involuntarily, my heart is roaring, and my cheeks have turned crimson.

Even after I wrap myself in my coat, my breathing still doesn't calm down.

A mischievous sound comes from beside me and a golden color that is more dazzling than the sun breaks into my line of sight.

The tip of his nose is still stained red due to the sea breeze. When he stretches out his hand, a piece of crystal clear fruit candy appears.

With another wave of his hand, the candy in his palm turns into a flower.

The corners of my lips rebel against my reason and raise due to this familiar scene.

MC: Is this also a trick by Mr. Magician?

Kiro places the flowers in my hand with immense care. He slows down his voice and speaks softly.

Kiro: You are the magician who has cast a spell on me.

Kiro: During the time I haven's seen you, I've thought about you every day.

Although I am slightly aware of his intentions, I still childishly choke him.

MC: ...It's been more than a month and you still haven't broken the act?

Kiro: Whether on or off screen, I have missed this lovely and charming lady.

Kiro: Rather, it was because I wanted to distinguish whether it was the you on screen or the you off screen that I couldn't forget...

Kiro: That's why I took on that scene that was shot out of town. I already knew your number by heart, and I had passed by the phone booth hundreds of times, but I still never called you.

Kiro: Because I realized that I couldn't just seek you out - I wanted to stand higher in order to be close to you.

Kiro: So when I came to know you were going to be shooting for this commercial, I worked hard to get the opportunity for this as well.

Kiro: Whether she's an innocent and lovely young lady on-screen, or a professional celebrity who hides her nervousness off-screen.

Kiro: Or the vibrant and lively MC in front of me, who secretly glared at me several times.

Kiro: As long as you are in front of me, you leave me fascinated.

He looks straight at me, slowly but not allowing me to refuse, and leans forward, pressing a little warmth to my lips.

Sweet, and just as raw and clumsy as that night.

Different from the master magician, standing before me is the sincere and passionate Kiro who belongs only to me.

I close my eyes and give him the same unskilled kiss.

The fire in the break room crackles, propping up a corner of spring flowers in winter.

Kiro: Will you go on a date with me?

He lowers his voice and whispers into my ear, sending a steady stream of heat that leaves me dizzy.

I put my arms around his neck and peck him on the cheek.

MC: Isn't it happening right now?

[END]

——*:･ﾟ✧——*:･ﾟ✧——

✨ Trivia: The 9 of Hearts card that MC drew in the start of the date symbolizes satisfaction and joy. All misfortune is reversed or mitigated by this card. It gives the message: enjoy today and stop worrying about tomorrow.

Translation Masterlist: HERE

[passionateseadruid]

Musical instruments part 1 of 2

This is part 2 of a rewrite/reimagining I'm doing of Hazbin Hotel

Check out part one here

Alastor - Organ. Because of the aforementioned Furby organ. (Also might I say that’s hilarious to me because… cannibal::organ)

Charlie - Piano. Because A it's the perfect mix of percussion and strings and B because in inside of every demon is a rainbow Charlie sits on a piano to start the song for the first part and a part in the middle it serves as the main instrument. 

Lucifer - Fiddle. Kind of obvious. He was playing a gold fiddle in the show. There's that folk tale about the devil bargaining a gold fiddle for a man's soul.

Adam - Electric Guitar. Feels kind of obvious. He plays a guitar. says "Guitar solo! Fuck yeah!" in his song.

Lute - (Electric) Bass guitar. Because they are meant to keep rhythm and if ep 6 of the show was anything to go by Lute is the one who keeps Adam in check. I also want to give her a chorus because she's the only exorcist we get to hear talk (other than Vaggie) so I want to reflect that by kind of "making her the voice of the exorcists.

Angel dust - Synthesizer. I want a real dark techno/electro vibe from all his songs because I feel like that fits the vibes of Poison and Addict. Leaning more towards techno but still like a very rave type music for angel because he should be able to dance like his problems will disappear from how catchy his songs should be.

Vaggie - Acoustic Electric. I want to hint to Vaggie's exorcist connections sooner so pairing her up with Adam and Lutes instruments (Guitar) would help to illude to a connection. If in season 2 we get to see more exorcists I want to pair them up with different types or tempos of guitar because I like the thought that since Adam leads all the exorcists and (most likely) made them then they all take after his signature instrument.

Heaven and the (other) angels - Trumpet. Trumpets are typically seen as royal and regal, which fits with Vivs interpretation of Heaven.

Emily - French Horn. Other than this being my favorite brass instrument (and my third favorite instrument over all), the French Horn (according to google) represents nobility, accomplishment, loneliness, and solitude. Emily is the youngest Seraphim and while she’s very high in their society she’s the one who’s kept in the dark the most. But in the end she’s the one who’s proven right (Pentious makes it to heaven).

Sera - Chorus and Trombone. Both of these are ironic actually. Sera is a character that treats everyone almost like children. She’s the one who decides what is best for Heaven and thus she "speaks for them"; and (according to google) the trombone symbolizes the voice of God. While they kinda flip-flop on whether or not God exists in the Hellaverse (blitz makes references to the son of God, but then Charlie says it the Angels who made earth) Sera is the closest thing we have to the ruler (even if she’s just a figurehead or a temp); so if he does exist she would be the one who would think "oh yes, I'll be the voice for the divine".

Carmilla - Vihuela. I could do Guitar but I want that to be specific for the exorcists. And a Vihuela is the next best thing.

Velvette - Electric string Quartet. She's a queen and I want to respect her as such.

Vox - Korg Electribe. It has a very electronic sound and most people use it as a drum. While Velvette says she's the backbone of the Vees it's clear who runs the show. 

Val - Bandurria. As much as I wanted something a bit more personal to Val I couldn't find anything and this chapter already feels overdue (despite the fact that I haven't actually set a release date for it). I wish we had a more concrete answer on where Val was from so I could pick an instrument that was more personalized for him. Like the Wiki says he's Hispanic but that doesn't tell us where his ancestry is from. In fact the word Hispanic refers to people who come from (or who's ancestors come from) a country that primarily speaks Spanish which could be Spain, Mexico, Peru or Argentina to name a few. (That's all according to google).

This is taking longer than I thought so I'll make a part two for the rest of the characters. Comment down Below what instruments you think would be good for characters like husk, nifty, Pentious, etc.

[chaifootsteps]

One thing about Hazbin that makes me sad is that I was so inspired and kind of obsessed with it over covid. I really thought it was going to be the next big thing and had the potential (note: potential) to be an insightful story about redemption and what it means to be "good person." I really was hoping it would do into ideologies and how good is subjective and can be variable, but that doesn't diminish the importance of trying to be the best you can to the world and those around you. I always liked how Charlie's song in the pilot seemed to focus on the plethora of "not to do's" and how being positive will get you into Heaven, which is superfical, but I was so excited to see her grow and understand what it means for someone to be worth redemption and even if they are, would the powers at be allow them into heaven.

Then Helluva Boss happened. And I am actually glad it did, since it really let me check my Hazbin expectation. I genuinly think season 1 had problems, but overall a genuinly okay season. I would have made some/quite a few changes, but it works. Season 2 feels so aimless and no overarching story. Season 1 can semi get away with that because it is the start so things are getting started, but it also had some themes of Moxxie's and Blitz's sense of self and the relationship with Stolas. I really didn't ship Stolitz, since they are not my cup of tea (I find little too creepy sometimes), but I was curious where things were going to go.

I think Hazbin genuinly has Helluva as a blessing and a curse. Hazbin had cracks but overall the pilot is more enjoyable than Helluva in my opinion. There are things I don't like, but I had some hope things would get ironed out for a grand show. Helluva really had me tamper my expectations for what I will see in Hazbin, but it also killed my intrest and excitement. If this is Vivzie at her best, then what is Hazbin. Did rhey have a writers room to critique the story or are we going with Viv's vision. I will say the quality of the show completly depends on how much of a writers room workshopped her ideas. I think she has fantastic ideas and concepts but is poor on the followthrough. It could still have a chance if theg brought writers in to help her.

I also worry that with the amount of time between the pilot and the release Hazbin fans have had more time to read and develope more insightful character and if Helluva is any example, then I worry that we shouldn't expect much from Hazbin.

I also don't think Vivzie has done much late 19th and 20th century history reading, since most of her characters were born, lived, and died then, but it only takes 10 minutes of googling and just wiki (a sourse viv has access to) to see how little research and sense went into some character backstories. You gotta at least know some broad stroked of when there were born, what they were around for at what ages and when they died. Strangly I think Husk is biggest offender, but I bet Alastor the more the show goes on will take the cake. If Mimzie shows up, I bet she's also barely researched since her asthetic and death date don't line up if you want her to be like that when she died. I have been reading for unrelated reasons books of early 20th century history of the US and around the world. I could write paragraphs on the issues of Husk historically and how we barely makes sense or doesn't. I know it's a fictional work, but some of these are bad, and it makes Viv look ignorant. You don't need things to be perfect for your show, and I would implore people to take some creative liberties, since the past is super complicated. However, I shouldn't be able to google questions and read wiki for 10 minutes to destroy your character idea completely since the backstory becomes impossible almost instantly. (HUSK)

Now Helluva is doing something and the show I waited years for I feel might be a dud. I can't say it didn't have positive impacts on my life since it made me curious to try new hobbies that reminded me of the characters. It's dorky but I kept my reasonings to myselr and just enjoyed the activity. I now habe nee friends, hobbies, and skills (and no one knows why I did this).

Anon, are you sure you're not me? Because the covid lockdown was exactly what led to me getting into Hazbin, and then attached enough to ignore Vivzie's stacking red flags for a while. It kept me sane during that miserable summer, which just so happened to coincide with some very difficult fandom stuff. It got me through when my grandma died.

Admitting the show wasn't the one we all dreamed of would have been one thing. Discovering what a tremendously awful person Vivzie is, that was a lot harder.

[sapphire-weapon]

The thing about Resident Evil, though, is that “from the beginning” can mean one of two different things. You can start from the beginning with Resident Evil (1996) on PSX, I suppose, but Resident Evil 0 (2002) is chronologically the earliest point in the series.

And, in my opinion, starting with either of those games is a bad idea if you’re coming in from RE4.

I’m going to give you two viable paths through RE, and you can choose the one that you think would work better for you personally.

If you came into Resident Evil through RE4make (and/or OG RE4), and you are only interested in seeing Leon’s story before going into the wider canon, this is the path you take:

Resident Evil 2 & Resident Evil 2 Remake (it doesn’t matter which one you do first, but you should do both. RE2make cuts some shit that’s actually really super important.)

Google search “Resident Evil 3 Leon epilogue.” It’s a single image. Just read it.

Darkside Chronicles (game)

Congrats, you are now up to date with everything (important) that happened to Leon pre-RE4, and you now have a better context for who he is/what he does in that game. From there, the canon timeline for Leon’s appearances then goes:

Degeneration (movie)

Infinite Darkness (Netflix series)

Damnation (movie)

Resident Evil 6 (game)

Vendetta (movie)

Death Island (movie) (releasing in July)

And that’s it. You’re up to date with Leon’s story, and now you can go through the rest of the games at your leisure. The good news is that Leon is in every single canon CGI movie that’s been released, so you don’t have to worry about tracking down anything other than games in order to go into the wider canon once you’ve reached this point.

If you came into Resident Evil through RE4make (and/or OG RE4), and you want to go through the canon because you’re interested in the world and not necessarily hyperfixating on Leon, I actually suggest going backwards and out of order. These are the steps that I would take in order for the series to make the most sense as you’re going through it:

Resident Evil 2 & Resident Evil 2 Remake (again: do both). Doing this gives you more context for RE4, and it introduces you to Claire and makes you aware of who Chris is.

(optional) Resident Evil: Outbreak. Nothing that happens in this game matters, and you’ll never see any of these characters again. This is the only non-essential RE title that I’ll mention, and only because Kevin Ryman is delightful and was supposed to be the guy training Leon if Leon had ever actually started work for real.

Resident Evil Remake. Ignore RE1 on PSX. It’s been erased from canon and overwritten by REmake. This now gives you the setup for why Chris wasn’t in Raccoon City when Claire went looking for him, introduces you to him, and also the rest of the recurring main cast. It will also explain to you who Wesker is; he’s the guy who was talking to Ada in the post-credits scene in RE4make (and who called Leon a dog over and over lmao).

Resident Evil 0. This tells you how Rebecca got to where she was when you meet her in REmake and finishes fleshing out STARS and Wesker for you. By the time you’re done with RE0, you’ll have a full understanding of who the main players all are and how this all started.

Resident Evil 3. Original or Remake. Doesn’t matter, really. I recommend the remake just because Carlos is hot in that version and the game is overall more palatable, but the changes that happen between OG and remake don’t really matter in the way the changes between RE2/RE2make matter.

Code Veronica X. Now that everyone’s out of Raccoon City, the next event chronologically is Claire continuing her search for Chris (and finally finding him).

Umbrella Chronicles followed by Darkside Chronicles. This is just to cap off the Raccoon City saga. Most of what these two games are are recaps of all the games you just went through, but there are extra bits in there that are important. Like, the original version of Operation Javier is shown in Darkside Chronicles -- and, once you see it, you’ll understand why RE old guard says that it’s been changed and retconned in RE4make. The rest of this list is just how the series then unfolds chronologically, because we are now caught up to Resident Evil 4.

Degeneration (movie)

Infinite Darkness (Netflix series)

Revelations 1 (game)

Resident Evil 5 (game)

Damnation (movie)

Revelations 2 (game)

Resident Evil 6 (game)

Vendetta (movie)

Death Island (movie, but not out yet, so it’s okay if you go past it until it releases lmao)

Resident Evil 7 (game)

Resident Evil 8/Village (game)

And that’s it. That is the list of essential RE canon. Everything else in this series is just a spinoff that’s there for funsies, and some of it explicitly is not canon. If you want to be a complete and utter crazy person and go through it all, feel free, but I promise you that you don’t need to know who Morpheus D. Duvall is (nor do you want to), or about that dude who fucked that spider in Gun Survivor 2 (though it is the funniest bit of RE lore to pull out and shock people with. DUDE PUT HIS DICK IN A SPIDER).

Good luck and god bless.