#i love korean so much it makes so much sense for my brain and the way i think about stuff and i love the way you express something in korea

[inhiatusfromlife]

.

[dreamingaboutsakuratrees]

I know Tim is usually portrayed as a "thinks mayonnaise is proper seasoning" white guy, but I love the idea of mixed Tim, especially half east Asian Tim, and even MORE specifically, half Japanese Tim. Idk why it just makes sense in my brain. Every Tim I write is half Japanese in my mind even if it doesn't make it to the final product.

I also like the idea of white passing, half Korean Tim. Imagine everyone thinking he can't handle spice because they've seen Bruce trying to eat takis and he almost died, but Tim grew up with his mother's kimchi which was made to burn through solid steel and has an unhealthy obsession with spicy noodles (think buldak, shin ramyun, etc). This guy could eat California Reapers like grapes without so much as flushing and is honestly terrifying to witness (i guess this scenario would also work with Japanese!Tim, but tbh I know more about spicy Korean food than spicy Japanese food).

[soo0hee]

Fun Time

Pairing — Chwe Hansol x afab!Reader

Summary — Visiting your brother you met one of his member. To bad that you liked to have a little fun... Requested by @cyd0129 , i hope you like it!

Genre — fluff

Warnings — none

Word Count — 1.1k

Rating — sfw

A/N — @tusswrites & @svtiddiess thanks for brainstorming this with me <3

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©soo0hee on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

Visiting your brother at his job was always fun. Watching him turn simple melodies and beats into full fledged songs that would maybe, possibly, end up on an album of their group always gave you a sense of calmness that you rarely ever got to feel.

And while the Universe Factory was almost like a meeting point of Seventeen members, you had never gotten to meet every single one of them. It was funny almost but Woozi had always been a little mysterious when it came to his family, so neither you, nor the members who knew about you were surprised about their producer keeping this detail to himself.

And Woozi wanted to protect himself from the chaos that was doomed to happen if you and certain members of his were to ever meet eachother.

To protect his piece of mind, is what he told you once over dinner at your apartment. You had cackled at his serious expression but accepted his reasoning knowing that you indeed could be a little menace if you wanted to.

With your from your brother requester personal lanyard dangling from your neck and bubble tea in your hand you walked through the lobby of the Hybe Building. It surprised you how well recognition system worked as you remembered last times visit where you had needed almost 20 minutes and a staff members help to actually get inside.

Walking up to the elevator with your earbuds blasting music straight into your brain, you took out your phone to text your brother of your incoming arrival when you noticed the text he had send you a bit ago.

Universe Factory is empty. Am in Studio 7. Meet me there? – received 2:31 pm

For a moment your brain blanked just as the Elevator arrived with a Ding.

The Universe Factory you knew where to find, Studio 717 however you had no idea. It was a practice room, that much you knew, but when it came to the location, you were absolutely lost.

Maybe you should ask someone? One of the staffs? No, they had already stared like you had frown to heads when you walked in with your own Lanyard! There was no need for you to receive those stares a second time.

So you pressed the Button with the number 7, hoping that the first number of the studio was the indicator of the Level you had to go to.

The doors closed and you went up just to stop at the second floor.

A familiar face appeared behind the door. A face that you had seen a million times already on press pictures, photo shootings or the group selcas Woozi loved to send you every then and now.

A few that had yet to meet you however.

Vernon was one of those members that you were being hidden from, until now.

The hip hop team maknae only nodded in acknowledgement, eyes fixed on the lanyard to verify that you had the right to be there.

He pushed the button to the 9th floor.

“You going to the finance department?” Vernon asked smoothly in korean.

An idea struck you that couldn’t passed up.

Fanning confusion you stared back at him and answered in perfect English with, “I’m sorry, what?”

It took Vernon a second to make the switch in language before asking again if you were going to the finance department. This time in english.

“Uhm, no. I was actually searching for the Studios… I have an appointment there.” You said without feeling bad for lying, internally groaning that your hopes of your destination being on the 7th floor had been crushed just like that.

“The Studios are on the 8th floor.” Vernon answered, eyebrow raised in suspicion.

That one you knew. But-

“And the practice rooms? I need to be in 717 to meet someone.”

Now that made the Rapper curious. 717 was their Practice room! What was a stranger like doing in their practice room?!

Admittedly, a very beautiful stranger, but a stranger none the less.

“Uhmm, I could take you? It’s where I’m headed right now! But only if you tell me what kind of business you have there.” He offered. You could clearly hear the teasing tilt in his voice.

You played along.

“I’m a new choreographer. They called me to take a look at a choreography for what I’m guessing is your group if you are headed there. Preparation for a new comeback?”

The elevators door opened on the 7th floor.

Vernon swallowed. A new choreographer meant changes to the already existing choreo and he prayed that wasn’t the case.

The elevator closed.

He hummed quietly, agreeing with the last part.

“Yeah, I’m from Seventeen. Vernon.”

“Nice to meet you Vernon. I’m y/n. Pleased to meet you.” You grinned and bit your lip to prevent laughing out loud at the dumbfound face he made.

Vernon on the other hand had trouble to keep his composure. Something about the way you smiled at him and the accent of your English had his ears heat up.

Once the Elevator opened again, he almost fled out into the hallway while you slowly followed with a snicker hidden by your head over your mouth.

“This way please!”

The member od Seventeen were known to be a magnet for chaos and this was proven again when you could hear the loud screams of who you guessed would be Seokmin and Mingyu behind the closed door.

Vernon snorted at the sounds his members made inside. Reminding him of a seal at times like this.

Like a gentleman Vernon opened the door and let you inside. There were only a few members of the group, one being your brother and almost none of the staff.

“Did someone know that we have a new chorographer?” he yelled in korean towards the guys, thinking that you weren’t able to understand him like this.

It was comical how fast all heads whipped around to stare at him.

Woozi groaned upon seeing you standing behind Vernon while grinning like a cat.

The few members who had recognized you smiled in amusement.

“Aish! Lee y/n! Did you prank him? Vernon-ah, this isn’t a choreographer. She’s my sister.” The producer sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Ah Jihoon-ah, why rat me out so fast?” you complained with a whine.

Vernon, confused and a little dazed at the turn of events had to pick his jaw up from the floor. Stammering at you with a pout. Joshua patted his back while passing him.

“I see you have met y/n.”

“She- she’s not a-“

“All she is, is a brat!” Jihoon answered and slapped the back of your head gently with his bag slung over his shoulder, ready to leave.

“You’re no fun Jihoon-ah.” You called after him.

“Just come with me so we can get some food!” was the response echoing from the hallway.

You turned back to Vernon.

“It was nice to meet you, Vernon. I hope I’ll see you soon.”

With a wink and a flip of your hair you were out the door and gone.

The American slowly turned to Seokmin who didn’t bother holding back his laughter.

“And? What do you say?”

“Hyung…” the younger forced out star struck. “I think I’m in love…”

[being-addie]

Morning Routines

We're all looking at those Instagram influencers who somehow manage to wake up at 5 am, do meditation, journal, do a 15-step Korean skincare routine, and go to the gym. And then they make a green smoothie and avocado toast, get dressed in a Chanel outfit and then sit at their fancy desk with a vanilla latte and a croissant.

This is not realistic. You probably already know that, but it likely won't stop you from trying to change your routine bit by bit to look a little like theirs. That didn't stop me, at least.

But now I've come to realise that no matter how much I try, I'll never be able to have a routine like the ones I see online. Because it doesn't exist. It's all curated for aesthetic appeal and generates a sense of false productivity in the watcher's brain. We feel motivated looking at those videos and never get around to changing our own life because we're too busy living vicariously through our phones.

Here's some things you should add to your morning routine, not to be fancy, but to feel better. This is coming from someone who's tried the unrealistic routines, and I now incorporate all of these into my routine. You can skip or add things according to your schedule.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H: Do your body a favour and loosen up your muscles. Nothing better than having a good stretch that wakes your body up.

Drink water: Before you put anything in your system, drink water. Not coffee, not tea. Plain warm water. And I don't mean lemon water. Some people might not agree, but lemon water strips your teeth of the enamel. It also is acidic, so all that bullshit they talk about it being "alkaline and pH balancing" is nonsense. Warm water is the way to go.

Make your bed: A clean bed should be the first thing you do after you wake up. At the end of the day, you'll thank yourself because it will be clean, and fresh and you can fall into bed immediately.

Hygiene: Wash your face to get rid of crusty eyes and sleep. Do a basic skincare routine (cleanser, moisturizer) so you'll feel fresher. Brush your teeth and hair.

Move your body: It doesn't matter what you do, even if it's for 15 minutes. Go for a walk, do a Zumba workout, or squeeze in a HIIT session. You can find lots of tutorials on YouTube (Caroline Girvan, growingannanas, Chloe Ting). Either way, working out will help you feel more motivated and happier. It's the endorphins.

Clean yourself: Set aside some time for showering, slathering on lotion, and doing your (real) skincare and makeup routine. Pick an outfit that makes you feel good about yourself.

Eat something: ALWAYS make some food. Your body has been famished for hours on end, give it some fuel. Make a healthy breakfast, or prep one the night before. If you don't get very hungry in the mornings, have a banana, and pack a mid-morning snack beforehand so you don't reach for chips.

Do 3 things: Make a to-do list of everything you need to do today. Don't overwhelm yourself. Then, knock off 3 easy tasks from the list that you can do quickly. You'll be filled with a sense of motivation, and it'll be easier for you to complete your list. It can be chores, it could be some assigned reading. Just get it done.

Gratitude or prayer: You don't need to sit for 15 minutes to practice gratitude. You can think of things your thankful for on the way to school or work or practice deep breathing/say a small prayer on the subway or bus. You don't HAVE to do it, but it definitely makes you realise how much you have in life and appreciate it more.

Kindness: Start your day with kindness. Compliment your barista, smile at the old lady on the street, pet the stray cat. There's so much love in the world, and you have so much love inside you, and it's beautiful to be a part of it.

No longer will I be stuck in a rut. I cannot be confined to being a bitter, unhealthy person when I know there's a smiling, healthy, happy version of me in the future. Deep breaths. You'll get there babe.

<3

[sioneve]

There is a drunk korean customer hitting on the number one cutest karaoke staff 💦

Korean Maki x Japanese Nico AU

This is inspired by a trend on Twitter a while ago where people draw Korean X Japanese girl (see the QRT and you’ll be flooded by lots of cute art)

of course being the nicomaki trash i am, i draw this AU for them, I think it’s my favorite AU now 😇

why this makes sense for nicomaki: 1) Pile is half korean 2) I just want to draw it

i got a nkmk infection in my brain- this whole story only took 5 seconds to write in my head 👇

Maki is half Korean-Japanese & currently on a medical student exchange in Japan. There she meets Nico, a staff at a karaoke place that Maki frequently visits.

Maki can’t take her eyes off Nico since day one but being the loser she is, she buries her feelings. One night, Maki gets too drunk and spills everything out in Korean right IN FRONT OF NICO and when they're getting closer- Maki: *pass out* Nico: ...huh? huh??

────────────

The next day Maki frantically apologizes to Nico for all the embarrassing thing she had done & Nico forgive ofc Maki: did I do other things to you? Nico: nothing... Maki: oh thank god Nico: haha yeah, you're definitely not trying to kiss me Maki: haha yeah Nico: yeah Maki: Nico:

(It's going to be so entertaining when Maki finds out that cute girl is actually 3 years older than her...)

────────────

AND ANYWAY with that apology happening Nico is being called to work again and before she left, she said

"Dont mind it :) Let's introduce ourselves properly next time, of course when you're sober haha"

Maki, the night later being the loser she is:

YAZAWA-SAN... I LOVE YOU.............

translation of the mixing language gay despair maki-chan:

"Why are you so cute? Isn’t it unfair to be that cute? Is she asking me out on a date? I can’t stop thinking about you… ah, it’s bad, I’m mixing up Japanese, Korean, and English. Really, I’m so hopelessly in love, what should I do??? (ㅠ ㅠ)(ㅠ ㅠ)"

new character unlocked, say hello to kousaka honoka, daughter of a local bar owner

translation of the mixing language gay despair maki-chan(2):

"I'm not okay at all. I am in love… uahhhh Yazawa-san is so CUTE!!! What should I do???"

If I ever made a nkmk doujinshi i will totally pick this story (unless there are more exciting story in the future we will never know) there is so much to explore with this AU flustered maki-chan who is head over heels for nico and nico who like to tease maki-chan oooooooooooooooooooooooo

[wheeboo]

seventeen as wave to earth songs

FEATURING. seventeen (ot13) GENRE. headcanons WARNINGS. none WORD COUNT. 1.3k

notes: i thought n wrote this within the hours of 3-4 am because my brain couldn’t fight the urge even tho no one asked for this lmao ;; im blaming this seungkwan edit on tiktok that conspired me to do this. a lot of ppl have prob done this but this is my take (some of them were HARD) :') honestly any of these can be switched around

choi seungcheol as calla

the first word i associated with this song is "devotion", and my mind immediately thought of cheol. he is the definition of loyalty and puts in his all when it comes to love and towards whoever his calla will be. he has the power of reassurance and hope, and this can also be interpreted vice versa will cheol being the "calla" of the relationship--the one who may be withering away inside, so he needs that other half to supply him with the rain that he needs to grow

"But Calla, you can always grow back, oh If you don't have enough sunlight I'll blow the clouds away, Calla Bloom yourself until the end"

yoon jeonghan as daisy.

jeonghan as daisy just MAKES SENSE?? he is the splash of colour within a simplistic life, a constant source of happiness even in the most mundane situations. i just love the vibrant feels of this song and it makes me imagine a scenario of running down the beach holding hands with him. seeing his presence just never fails to brighten up my day up, and its just a very comforting song in general which reminds me sm of him

"Oh, daisy, it's my happiness to run into you Life always goes on and on But, I'll live with you forever So, be my daisy"

joshua hong as bad

the instrumentals of the song gives me joshua vibes. and just like the lyrics, how can the sight of joshua's smile/just him in general not make your day even better? for some reason i also had an imagination of him serenading someone with this song plsss, it would be so swoonworthy to hear that. its such a romantic song abt finding joy and happiness in your loved one, and i think joshua has a lot of love inside of him

"How could my day be bad when I'm with you? You're the only one who makes me laugh So how can my day be bad? It's a day for you"

wen junhui as light

the constant mention of the moon and the sky just gives me jun energy. i don't know if the word quirky is the right word to call this song (probably not, now that i think abt it, maybe more calm) but its a word i would definitely describe jun with. he's always a person who tries his best to shine as much as he could and he's just someone you can rely on yk

"You are my sea, you are my sunshine The star, the moon"

kwon soonyoung as pink

this song is just very... freeing and nostalgic? and it reminds of me soonyoung where everything just feel so liberating and free when it comes to being with him. his spirit just seems to rid of any worries just so easily, and it kind of reminds me of the sunset, where the colour pink is shown, and just like the song says- it's such a beautiful colour just like him

"During the sunset The pink light is clear It drew you, the beautiful you Your image" (translation may not be accurate because it's in full korean)

jeon wonwoo as seasons

someone had to be seasons and it was such a hard choice of who to give this song to but ultimately, i picked wonwoo. this song is just so bittersweet and melancholic. it holds so many heartfelt emotions inside of it but also so many unhappy emotions as well. it displays vulnerability and how that kind of feeling can feel burdensome to those around you and overall, i feel like he is the more perfect choice for this song tbh

"Oh my life is fallin' apart Maybe no one will notice if I disappear But I'll pray for you all the time If I could be by your side I'll give you all my life, my seasons"

lee jihoon as wave

i absolutely adore the instrumentals of this song sm. it's about embracing the unknown with someone special and i feel like the kinda fits with jihoon very well. i just love the symbolism of waves and stars in the song and how it symbolises this desire to adventure and traverse thru the unknown. i also think jihoon is very introspective n knowing that nothing lasts forever, but with the wave being mentioned that will last forever just,, perfectly contrasts with that? this was a bit hard to explain asljkdlas n made more sense in my head

"When you spoke to me, The words are like a floating star Now I'm next to you The waves will take us far away"

xu minghao as ride

the lyrics of the song is basically describing someone else being your safe space, and i definitely think minghao is that. he is the type of person whose presence is an easy source of comfort to whatever sort of emotional baggage one may hold. he's simply just the definition of the word comfort and to me, is what this song gives

"I'm on a ride Ride You are my city Everything"

kim mingyu as peach eyes

mingyu is just the type of person whose eyes seem to hold SO MUCH love or appear so lovestruck? or just him in general tbh--he just seems to hold so much love and is willing to dump that all for the person he adores w all his life. like eyes can carry so much within them istg. this song is also more on the cheery and upbeat side and i definitely think that resonates w the type of person that he is

"Peach eyes and blue skies It's on the moonlight, how many songs I write You'll be my sunlight, how could I not rely On you, peach eyes?"

lee seokmin as sunny days

the sun = seokmin hello?? i love the description of nature in this song and it reminds me of walking in the park on a sunny afternoon with him and it's just so perfect, like how everything is just so insignificant without the presence of the other person aka him. it's a golden type of love where it doesn't waver even as time goes by, and i can definitely see that with seokmin

"You are my golden age Evеrything shines so bright That my eyes go blind Our youth never ages here"

boo seungkwan as love.

this is my favourite wave to earth song btw. it may just be me being very biased but listening to the song while thinking of him just FITS him? the song is literally abt the strength of love thru hardships, being someone with a fragile heart, and reminds me of those types of hugs where it just feels... right? like everything is simply okay? the song makes me ascend each time i listen to it on full blast, and boo never fails to make me ascend with not just his voice, but his care and the amount of love he carries in himself, his strength, just HIM

"My little heart too Like small waves in it Broken and pushed back Melting into you Only then can I see my eternity" (translation may not be accurate because it's in full korean)

vernon chwe as so real

the instrumentals in this song esp at the end are so superior btw. other than that, despite the calm vibes this song emits just like vernon, it's also a song about feeling stuck, about being lost in your emotions. not that i'm assuming vernon is feeling this way, but in general, it reminds me of that feeling being alone in your own world which i think suits him with this song more than others

"I can't explain Where I'm buried now An empty vein You'll never understand"

lee chan as surf.

this song has such an uplifting and upbeat vibe and it's about enjoying the time that you have, even though it's temporary, and living in the moment spending time with yourself and also those that you love as well. the lyrics make me smile so much, and i definitely think chan fits the song very well because i def think he has this power to charge others (like his members) with energy just by being himself

"Dance my babe, dance my friends We don't have much time to enjoy Just sing it my babe Bigger than you ever did We don't have much time to enjoy Our time will be gone someday But I'm okay Life is like surfin' anyway"

taglist (open) ʚɞ @enhazen @haowrld @ylliris-hanniehae @icyminghao @slytherinshua @jeonride @lockburn-castle @vrnism @weird-bookworm @mhlsymlysn @ryuwonieebae

[neodreamgirl]

I have something to say...I was very annoyed with what I saw on X the day the news about Taeil being dropped from NCT because he is under investigation for sex crimes came out. Of course when something like this comes out people immediately try to point their fingers to the other members and question if they had known all along that someone they've been working with for 8+ years was capable of committing sex crimes. That's a valid question, I'm not going to sit here and deny it, but what annoyed me was the fact people kept talking as if anything related to the other members came out and confirmed these suspicions. Nothing specific about this incident came out for people to be all like, "There's NOOO WAY they didn't know!" How do YOU know? What detail between Taeil and his victim has you so convinced that the other members knew what was going on? We know nothing. Nothing official about his victim and his actions have been reported so why are we running rampant with all these rumors? Not only that, but all these hypotheticals are just taking the attention away from Taeil, the one that's under investigation for sex crimes. Now you're directing your attention to people who weren't reported to have done anything to anyone. You're paying attention to speculation instead of official reports from the police. Please...

Another thing that pissed me off was the spread of unofficial information provided by random twitter users. Information that hasn't even been confirmed being spread around like it is fact. There are threads that are full of random screenshots and translations that any non Korean speaker would have no choice but to believe is correct. Then, there are threads debunking these rumors or criticizing some of the translations because, according to native Korean speakers, they don't make sense and the hangul is fucked. Wouldn't anyone seeing this online just think to themselves: "Hey, you know what, since there is so much back and forth about this information, let me ignore this and believe the things that have been reported as facts. The facts being that Moon Taeil was kicked out of NCT because he is being investigated for sex crimes. If all those screenshots and stuff turn out to be true, okay." It's not that deep. I don't understand. The whole, "BELIEVE ALL VICTIMS" thing is dope and all but it has rotted some of your guys' brains, especially because it has become some sort of performative activism. You aren't thinking straight at all. You just want some random that ends up on your profile to see you're not a "Taeil apologist" (???) because you're retweeting or reposting all this random information. Go outside, please. Also, in this instance, we don't even know if the woman that filed charges against him is the same woman in these screenshots going around. So whose story are you really spreading around? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW.

This lack of...media literacy is devastating to say the least. Again, all we know is that a woman filed charges against Moon Taeil and he is now under investigation for sex crimes. That is enough for me to tune his bitch ass out and never want to see his face again.

Lastly, something that is also getting on my nerves is that some fans are wording their issues strangely...They're saying things like Taeil "betrayed" his members...girl. No the hell he didn't. He showed them nothing but love and commitment. "We all waited for you and you go on and do this?!" Girl...You are not a victim. NCT is not a group of victims and NCTzens are definitely not victims. You don't know that man and that man has never touched you or violated you. You're just mad because you never thought you would have to hate him. That's all. You're acting like it's a personal attack to you when it isn't and you also don't know him personally so chill out. Now you're making this about yourself and non victims. LIke, can we FOCUS? MOON TAEIL WAS KICKED OUT OF NCT BECAUSE HE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR COMMITTING A SEX CRIME AGAINST A WOMAN.

[codename-adler]

mafia husbands hcs

getting my TSC paperback tomorrow and to that i say!!! fuck. here's some Stuart/Ichirou bullshit in the meantime 🤷‍♀️

Ichirou calls Stuart “London”

in retaliation Stuart sometimes calls Ichirou “kid”

i’m a sucker for age gaps (ADULTS) so most of the times i picture Ichirou @ 25-30 and Stuart in his forties;

however i do like the idea of Stuart being only slightly older, which would also make him Mary’s baby brother instead of her older brother and that… when you think about all it would entail… ain’t that the tragedy.

thus the “kid” taunting at Ichirou from Stuart either becomes an offensive teasing if Stuart is only a few years older than Ichirou, or downright an insult both because Ichirou takes it as a jab at his being unfit to lead a crime empire, and because it’s Stuart putting a boundary between them romantically/sexually (why don’t you want me!!! we both are terrible men, let’s not start pretending otherwise by acting holier than thou!!! i want what i want and what i want i get!!! let me have you!!!)

Stuart is much softer and more sensitive than your average mafia man, but don’t be fooled, that only makes him more lethal–his feelings won’t save you, his shame won’t let you walk away, he’ll only make this more painful and dangerous for you because you think you can plead your case with him, you think you can survive him, but you won’t. he’ll kill you just the same. only he’ll have gotten more information out of you, and he’ll have more to confess to the priest on Sunday.

that man is sick with guilt and religious trauma. choir boy who died inside and is rotting still.

strong argument in favor of forties!Stuart is Mark Strong, beloved.

Ichirou is a remorseless bitch who gets infected with Stuart’s [bottomless] emotional depth; it’ll kill them both.

they do kind of have a James Bond/Vesper vibe, but both can be either at times.

Ichirou hates kids, Stuart loves them.

Stuart & praise/competency kink anyone?

is Ichirou twink-ish? probably. do i have to like it? absolutely not. i want him with muscles for days. it just happens that physically, he’s been out-alphaed (brother eurgh) by Stuart. best picture i got is that youngish Korean assassin in RED 2, but in that movie specifically and only. iykyk.

Lee Byung Hun! that’s the man! he is still so fine today make no mistake!!! and with that, not to pull a “what if the roles were reversed?” but can you imagine older!Ichirou with young!Stuart??? no no don’t talk to me.

they may be mafia husbands, but these bitches would slay a cowboy AU.

upon second thought, they are very Chris Argent/Peter Hale coded. and that makes so much sense as to why i was so easily seduced and my brain melted.

[starburstfloat]

Let's Talk Innuendos and Queer Subtext: TXT's Poppin' Star Lyrics Analysis

One of the joys of making progress in my Korean language journey has been the ability to analyze lyrics more critically by dissecting tone, word choice, or rhyme schemes that would have otherwise slipped by me a few years ago. And as someone who has a deep love for literary analysis and kpop, there's an unparalleled joy in getting to bridge the two together. I'm happy I have this space to do that. So without further ado, let's take a look at TXT's Poppin' Star from their first full-length album, The Dream Chapter: Magic (thank you nika for requesting this!).

This song feels like a sonic representation of this memefied image:

It's literally bubblegum pop at its finest. It sounds sparkly, cute, uplifting, and deceptively adorable, and anyone who has seen the choreography can attest to watching the video with a ridiculous smile on their face.

I could give high praise endlessly about this underrated early TXT Bside, but I wanted to prioritize the lyrics for this post! We're going to talk about the superficial meaning of the song before we dissect some of the more suggestive, metaphorical elements. Heads up I'll be mentioning sexual innuendos, so if that's not your cup of tea then please kindly leave.

My goal is to get you to see that, at the very least, this song is not just about eating candy. Whether or not we agree on the queer subtext is another debate, but I'm hoping this analysis post can be a lesson on interpreting figurative language and grasping inneundos.

Whenever I do analysis, I always start with the surface level face-value of what's being presented, and then I try to peel the layers and discern the underlying themes or suggested connotations based on context clues. Usually I leave out the initial face-value in my posts because it's something so obvious that it feels contradictory to present it. But it feels relevant to include for Poppin' Star. So what is the face-value meaning of the song when we look at the lyrics as a whole?

On the surface, this song appears to be about a young male protagonist who experiences a burst of emotions - dizzying warmth, sweetness, and a clouded brain - after he eats a variety of flavored candies. He states that he is not satisfied with the burst of flavor he's experiencing - now that he knows this intense feeling, he's craving more.

cr. color coded lyrics (though I'm cross referencing multiple translations and using my own knowledge of individual words and tonal conjugations to understand the song)

It doesn't take much of an analytical eye to catch the innuendo presented in Poppin' Star. What exactly is an innuendo? An innuendo is an allusive hint to something typically sexual. The keyword here is hint - it's something you pick up on based on subtly provocative language. Critics could argue that "your brain must be in the gutter" if you find sexual context where there is supposedly none. I'd say blaming the observer for a sexual interpretation is disrespectful to the art in question. Inneundos are meant to be spotted and discussed - they have the potential to heighten the art and unveil a greater message. Just because something is sexual does not mean it is bad.

Now that we have that cleared, it's pertinent to reflect on the surface value of the lyrics in contrast to the glaring inneundo jumping out at the audience. Let's look at the opening lyrics together:

One look at the lyrics, and you'll raise your eyebrows and go, "Really? You sampled a mouthful of candy and can't stop talking about how you're tingling all over, feel dizzy, and are melting from the sweetness?" The song's lyrics and language is quite figurative: the audience is guided to see beyond the literal meaning.

If we break down the individual feelings our protagonist shares, it sounds reminiscient of a first kiss or sexual experience. Considering how strongly the lyrics center on oral pleasure (oral as in the literal sense of the mouth), the rightfully assummed metaphor here is kissing. Let's look at all the instances where the song connects pleasure to the mouth:

별가루 가득 물면 느껴지는 불꽃놀이일까? / (Is this) fireworks that I feel when I bite a whole mouthful of stardust?

입 안을 채운 콕콕 따끔한 이 느낌은 또 / This tingling feeling that has filled my mouth

혀끝에 건전지 / A battery at the tip of my tongue

Our protagonist talks extensively about the pleasure in his mouth in correlation to feeling dizzy, warm, fuzzy, electrified, and excited - all feelings heavily associated with heightened sexual experiences, and notably kissing.

A striking detail is the fact that our protagonist is not alone during the story - he's actively talking to another person, meaning he's not literally eating candy by himself and getting an explosive sugar rush as the superficial interpretation insinuates. We notice this from the opening line which calls to a direct "you":

짜릿한 정전기 you’re popping star / Electrifying static, you're popping star.

Not only is this a reference to the title, making it an important detail to note, but it's also inviting the audience into acknowledging the relevant prescence of another character, some unnamed you. He goes on to say:

머리가 띵하게 기분 좋은 my love / Making my head feel dizzy, that good feeling, my love

He's directly saying "my love," so this person is clearly special to him. This person is his popping star - someone who evokes all of these explosive, tingling feelings.

The chorus is riddled with suggestive language: "This isn't enough / I need something stronger / A chew full of lemon, lime, orange, yeah / I need more, more, more / A stronger popping / A chew full of lemon, lime, orange, yeah"

Our protagonist is craving more flavor as he seeks a pleasure high. My interpretation is that the other character is wearing flavored chaptstick, perhaps fruit-flavored or candy-flavored, and our protagonist wants to taste more of the character's lips. Another interpretation is that they're both chewing on flavored gum, and when they kiss, the flavors blend together in a satisfying burst. Both feel plausible to me. The chorus suggests a kiss through the explosive repetition of surprised "oh's" that the members sing. It's hard to explain without hearing it, so skip to 0:48 in the song to catch what I mean. The explosive instrumental paired with the high-pitched oh's feels representative of an epiphany, or at least a heightened emotional state.

Perhaps one of the most glaringly suggestive parts of the song is Beomgyu's line after the first chorus, where he says:

잠깐 쉬어갈 땐 slime vacation / When (I) take a short break, slime vacation

This implies he's taking a break from exchanging slime, or saliva, with the aforementioned "you". Keep in mind that Korean sentences don't always need an explicit subject, so it's unclear whether Beomgyu is saying "When I take a short break" or "When we take a short break". However, later in the song, during a critical moment that I'll get to shortly, Yeonjun explicitly mentions the pronoun 우리 (we/us) which means we can assume this whole candy-tasting fiasco is, at the very least, a pleasure-seeking high that our protagonist is doing with someone by his side.

The kissing metaphor is more strongly suggested when Taehyun says:

어제 했던 건 벌써 지루해 / The things that (I did/were done) yesterday are already boring

더 더 더 강한 popping이 필요해 / I need a stronger popping

which tells me the song is self-aware enough to recognize it's not just about eating candy. Why would yesterday's candy be described as "the things that were done yesterday"? I also find it interesting that he's using the verb 지루하다 instead of 심심하다 when mentioning boredom. Both of these verbs mean "to be bored", but 심심하다 refers to boredom through a lack of action, whereas 지루하다 has the connotation of being bored by something because you've been doing it for a prolonged time; as in, you're getting physically tired of it. So, Taehyun is saying that the stuff he did yesterday has become repetitive and tiring, and he's now seeking a stronger high. Very suggestive language.

There's a line from Heuningkai that really stands out towards the latter half of the song. He goes:

가끔은 조금 위험해도 돼 / Sometimes it can be a little dangerous

엄마 몰래 자물쇠를 열어봐 / Open the lock without my mom knowing

The conjugation here is very interesting!! He uses the 아/어도 되다 pattern at the end of the adjective for "dangerous", which is a conjugation used to give permission for something. So, rather than him stating the fact that it's dangerous, he's giving permission to the speaker to be a little dangerous. It's a subtle nod at him approving risky behavior, so perhaps a better translation would be "it's alright if sometimes it's a bit dangerous".

"Open the lock" reminds me of Soobin's verse in Sugar Rush Ride:

, which I interpret as a more blatantly sexual inneundo for losing one's virginity. I don't think Poppin Star implies more than kissing, but asking someone to open your lock without your mom knowing, and engaging in risky behavior, appears symbolic to doing something you wouldn't want your mom to see, so at the very least it's suggestive language.

This interpretation aligns with the direct album overview provided by Bighit, which states that "The Dream Chapter: MAGIC tells the story of 'magical adventures' that boys encounter together with their friends [...] the boys share their transformation, confusion and exploding emotions that arise during their transition to adolescence." Notice that the official statement itself says that the album centers on a boy and his friends as they transition into adolescence. Interesting.

I'd be happy to leave the analysis there and say, "See? The song is clearly an innuendo", but then the writers toss in the gayest shit during the last third of the song that forces the audience to pause and reinterpret.

Yeonjun and Taehyun sing the following lines:

이건 어쩌면 나라에서 허락한 / Maybe this is something that the country has allowed

우리끼리만 숨겨둔 유일한 / Something we have kept hidden just among us

자 아무에게나 허락된 게 아냐 / Alright, it's not allowed to just anyone

입안 가득 터뜨려 / Burst a mouthful

The verb used here is 허락하다 which means to allow, permit, or approve. Talking about what your country allows in connotation to something you've kept hidden among the two of you…feels queer-coded. Especially when the rest of the song has been dedicated to pursuing a thrill from "my love", a pursuit which they acknowledge is intimately private given the line "without my mom knowing". Why bring up what's allowed in your country in a song that centers on a boy seeking pleasure? The last line is odd too - it's conjugated as a command, so our protagonist is telling us, the audience, that we should pop a mouthful of the candy too. In connection to the line above it, it's implied that he knows popping the candy aka kissing his love is not allowed for everyone, but he's encouraging others to try. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that they repeat the last two lines again, but change the command to 입안 가득 터뜨려 봐 which is a less forceful command and more like "Give it a try".

If the song truly were just about candy, talking about what your country allows and who is allowed to do it feels very out of place and strange. This, paired with the striking fixation on oral pleasure makes me believe the song is about a boy kissing his friend, and it's been a fun, exciting little secret between the two of them.

It doesn't feel like an exaggeration to find queer subtext here. If you're an avid TXT fan, you'll know their songs are very queer-coded, from 0x1=lovesong having the most blatant thematic connection (I still regularly think about Soobin's "I can't go to heaven, I don't belong there" line) alongside Sugar Rush Ride, which suggests we "swallow the sugar rush"....sir, swallow what exactly??!

I hope this could spark your interest and see the lyrics from a new perspective. Sorry not sorry if this burst your innocent perception of the song...like I said, it sounds deceptively adorable 😂 let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading!

[dearweirdme]

I think it's probably just me but jkk either "change" a lot or they just didn't and I'm the one overthinking. I'm talking about all the shipping stuff.

So you know jkk was and is a popular ship.

I became an Army in 2020 and i think before, in 2019, I was lurking around in bts/army stuffs. And I must say jkk has been popular since then. I fell on their videos and I was so into it. It was interesting to see so much skinship occured. At least for a bl fan.

Things started getting different when I got into taekook. I couldn't look back at all. There were times I would doubt, forget the idea of them dating and then come back and notice how obvious they were.

So of course I tended to compare the two ships a lot. First I would go on popular sites like Quora and see what was people opinions. Most of them will show undeniable taekook moments and the other half, jikk ones.

Since I was in my doubting era and I wasn't familiar with any of the korean/kpop culture living, I would take jikk skinship to a whole new level. My brain would just switch off and I'll tell myself over and over that no friends touch each other that much. Especially if I thought that taekook were a couple.

But even if I thought like that, nothing could crush my belief for taekook. It just co fused me a lot.

Years passed and 2023 put like a big hole in my head because aside from the footages we were offered by the company in 2022, I failed to remember what jikk was like back then. Anything related to them just vanished.

And here I come.

I don't know if I'm the one who changed my perspective or its the ship in general, but I see nothing other than friendship/brother relation. I swear to God it is sooooo obvious it almost hurt to remember how foolish I was to think otherwise.

Now I can pinpoint what the real difference between taekook and jikk is. For me.

When we don't see taekook touching on screen, doing everything for the fans eyes, it doesn't deny anything. In fact, every analysis and hypotheses we've had till today makes so much sense. Them secretly hanging out together, talking about each other every chance they get, inserting one another individually in everything they are faced by... it is just there.

Now jikk. Sigh... i love them a lot. I watched the two episodes yesterday and I know some people claim that the show isn't what it takes for the ship to be debunked but let me just say this: they make no sense as a couple if it isn't for the skinship. If there was a hour footage of jikk tomorrow and they didn't touch each other at all, yall will see exactly what i'm talking about.

The real difference is in the words and actions. That's all.

Hi anon!

What an interesting ask 😊.

I have personally never seen anything romantic between Jk and Jm. When I finally discovered they were a strong ship, I was shocked 😂.

When we talk about how connected Tae and Jk are, we don’t just mean the way they are physically close. It’s almost indescribable, but I think it is also what you mean. They are just on another level when it comes to closeness as a whole. There’s an underlying awareness and understanding and connection between them.

[whyse7vn]

DOWN BAD -

[ ot7 x reader ]

JOON4PRESIDENT

8 participants - 8 online

———————————

y/n: hi

tae: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

y/n: ?

tae: holy fuck ur so fucking funny😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭☠️😭

jimin: i BEG you let that man hit

at this point it’s embarrassing

tae: pls

jk: i think ur funny too

namjoon: shame is free

tae: idk what that’s supposed to mean

jk: it means shame is free i think

y/n: is that why you’ve been at my house for the last 2 weeks??

cuz you wanna hit??

yoongi: 2 weeks??

jin: down so fucking bad

jk: i thought tae was here cuz he missed us?

tae: I AM I SWAER

but if y/n let me hit in the time i was here i wouldn’t be mad

y/n: ur sick

hobi: why have you let tae stay in ur house for 2 weeks?

y/n: he FORCED his way in here

tae: not true jungkook willingly let me in

jin: jungkooks not even a real person so that doesn’t count

jk: i’m real

i think

jimin: i’m telling you he needed that 100k for rent

yoongi: taehyung homeless era

tae: I HAVE A HOME

y/n: ur not acting like it

tae: home is where the heart is

and my hearts with you bbg

y/n: leave

jk: am i real?

tae: are you a construction worker?

jk: no

tae: cuz ur a building

namjoon: what?

tae: 😉

@y/n

not you namjoon or jungkook

y/n: it’s hard

the life i live

hobi: hard like a criminal hard like the beat

tae: my rizz is out of this world it’s actually insane

jimin: do you know what rizz means?

bcs you can’t be fr

jk: isn’t rizz a type of cheese?

yoongi: this is my competition…

y/n: ur thinking of swiss cheese kook

jk: I AM

how did you know that??

y/n: can one of you guys come a get tae from us pls im begging you

jimin: i can’t read sorry

jin: i’m literally blind

hobi: 🫣

y/n: i fear his stupidness is rubbing off on jungkook

yoongi: i think he’s just naturally dumb as hell

jk: who

yoongi: see

y/n: plS my biggest fear in this life is waking up to furry jk

tae: ummm

that would have nothing to do with my influence

yoongi: call animal control maybe they’ll help you with tae?

tae: ??????

y/n: NAMJOON PLS UR MY ONLY HOPE PLS PLS PLS

namjoon: i’m not here

tae: CAN SOMONE DEFEND ME LIKE OMG???

jUNGKOOK TELL HER HER GREAT I AM

jk: he’s great

tae: UR NO HELP FUCK U

i’m gonna kill myself in front of you all in the most horrific way and change ur lives forever and NO amount of therapy will help you forget or move on

jk: ok i’m ready

tae: i’m leaving

y/n: god bless 🙏���

tae: ur obsessed with me get help

i hate you all

losers

gosh

fucking bitches the LOT of you

L

AWOOOOOOO

lone wolf era

jimin: what the fuck

namjoon: are you done?

tae: yeah :/

y/n: do you feel better now??

tae: as better as i can be in a situation like this :/

hobi: what situation?

tae: wdym?

jin: he has to be brain dead or something

tae: right hoseok stupid as hell

jk: i think jimin is talking about you bro

tae: jungkook ur young i wouldn’t expect you to understand

jk: ur right

y/n: they changed the korean age system isnt that crazy

jin: DON’T TALK ABOUT AGE

jimin: it’s a sensitive topic for him cuz he’s still old no matter what

namjoon: please

jk: i’m 25

jin: IDC SHUT UP

y/n: yikes

hobi: jungkook has been 25 for like 10 years

jk: that’s not true that makes no sense

hobi are you bad at maths?

hobi: don’t speak to me

tae: jimin you smell the best in the group

y/n: why are you smelling people?

hobi: furry

tae: after the loml ofc

jk: jennie?

tae: SHUT UP

jk: did you break up again???

tae: KICK HIM KICK HIMMM

jimin: what do i smell like?

tae: like vanilla i love it soOOOO much

it’s like a sweet vanilla but not so strong it overpowers ur senses it’s just right

i could eat you

jimin: i wish bitches i wanted said shit like this

but it’s just you

thx ig

tae: ???????

jin: that’s frfr creepy as hell tbh

why is he actually sniffing people is that not insane

jimin: don’t be mad you don’t smell like sweet vanilla

jin: i’m actually glad

look at what ur attracting

hobi: furries

jin: right

tae: 𝖘𝖍𝖚𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖚𝖈𝖐 𝖚𝖕

jk: WOAH

CALM DOWN TAE CALM DOWN TAE ITS OKAY ITS JUST US 😰😨😭

jimin: again what the actual fuck

tae: ur right i’m sorry i didn’t mean to get like that guys

jk: it’s okay

namjoon: they’re actually insane oh my god

y/n: i have seen a real decline in jungkooks mental state since the arrival of tae at our home

yoongi: again i think that’s just jungkook

y/n: no i know jungkook

jk: yeah she knows me

i know her

we have a connection you wouldn’t understand yoongi

y/n: and i know for a FACT he’s not that dumb

hobi: dumb dumb

jk: right i’m not that dumb

tae: WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY RN???

jk: wait

namjoon: tae go back to therapy

jimim: begging you

jin: awoman🙏🏻

tae: NO

I TOLD YOU LAST TIME

SHE LAUGHED AT ME

THE THERAPIST

I WONT I WONT I WONT

you can’t make me

it’s a free world

jk: you can buy the world??

yoongi: what do people see in you?

jk: whom?

y/n: LMAOOOO

namjoon: jungkook are you high rn?

jk: am i what?

namjoon: high

jk: hello

work on ur spelling joon

jimin: who tf is supplying him with this shit

jin: bet it was tae

tae: NO LOL

LOL

LOL

yoongi: so it was tae

y/n: HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING JUNGKOOK HIGH THESE LAST 2 WEEKS TAE???????

namjoon: this explains a lot

hobi: this is why he’s been messaging shit to my phone at like 2 in the morning

crazy

jk: who

tae: NO

LOL

y/n: HOW HAVE I NOT NOTICED???

jimin: right you dumb as hell tbh

namjoon: does it not smell??

jin: namjoon drug expert

tae: MAYBE HES BEEN TAKING EDIBLES

FROM SOMEONE WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP???

LOL

yoongi: why are you giving ur self away like that

you really are stupid

jk: yeah stupid

yoongi: don’t ever agree with me again

jk: in y/ns bed rn

hobi: fight fight fight

yoongi: been there multiple times

jk: um ur lying

im here every night

i haven’t run into you in the last 4 months

tae: DONR TELL ME YOU LET JUNGKOOK HIT BEFOR ME OH MY GOD I CANT BREATHE RNNNNNNNNNNN

LIKE JUNGKOOK

ARE YOU FR .:’sk

omGGGH

NOOOSODODOD

jk: i’ve never hit a woman in my life

it’s not right pls don’t hit y/n

y/n: he comes to cuddle sometimes

yoongi: he does?

jk: everyday actually

she’s lying

jin: i’m gonna kill 14 puppies in-front of taehyung and see what happens

tae: why me

jin: you’re n need of a personality change

tae: i’m fine the way i am??

love urself and others will love you for you

we made a whole album about it?

jin: i’m not loving you for you tbh

and a LOT of people would say the same

tae: you guys are lucky i’m not sensitive

y/n: i’ve always been a lucky girly

hobi: you literally live with jungkook?

jk: yes?

hobi: nothing

jk: if you remember lmk ^^

tae: y/n do you have ugly man syndrome or something?

y/n: ??

tae: idk you just seem to enjoy being friendly with ugly men

y/n: never once have i said i’ve enjoyed ur company

tae: ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY IM THE UGLY MAN??

y/n: you said it not me…

tae: anything jungkook can do i 110% do it better

unless it’s lack common sense

i’m pretty full of common sense

jimin: that’s actually not true

y/n: maybe that’s what gets jungkook cuddles?

jk: when?

yoongi: being stupid?

y/n: yeah maybe he’s a loser and i find it endearing

yoongi: lol

hobi: me when i’m jealous

tae: IM ACTUALLY THE BIGGESt LOSER AROUND

TELL HER GUYS

namjoon: the biggest!

jimin: HE SOOOOOO DUMB ITS CRAZY

hobi: i feel the need to kick him every time i see him type of loser

jin: he’s such a loser actually i still bully him to this day

tae: not too much now

hobi: okay i can’t do this anymore let’s address the elephant in the room

jimin: namjoon…

namjoon: wtf?

y/n: don’t be mean

jk: are you guys in all in a room without me?

tae: u-um >.<

jin: did he just stutter through text?

y/n: pls stop

jk: where is the elephant??

jin: jungkook go to bed or something ur pissing me off now

jk: sleep well jin

namjoon: gn jin

jin: don’t feed into his shit namjoon

jk: y/n are you with the elephant?

yoongi: y/N aRe yOu wItH tHE eLepHaNt

jimin: what the beef omg?

tae: what is this elephant hobi-senpai ?!!!

i’m sitting on the edge of my seat

♡ (⇀ 3 ↼)

jk: me 2

hobi: tae you need to learn how to get a fucking grip and shut the fuck up

…

FYI JK AND Y/N ARE LIVING TOGETHER FOR THE FUNZIES OKAY? FOR THE GIRLIES THAT DO NOT KNOW

the rest of the members have their own houses and are lonely losers

[hils79]

Hils Watches Lovely Runner - Ep 5

I love that he can't outright lie to her about renting a video from her store but he can pretend to be tired and fall asleep

Aww she made a rainbow for him. That is so damn cute!

I knew there would end up being a love triangle

You can see the exact moment his brain goes offline because the girl he likes has asked him to go and see a movie with her

She's trying so hard to shield him from any news about the olympic swimming events so he won't be sad and honestly I think he's so deep into I'm On A Date mode I don't think he'd have noticed anyway

Aww she tried so hard! And then the fire alarm went off before the movie even started and of course there's a giant TV screen outside the cinema that's showing the olympics

Wait, was that sus taxi from the previous episode a serial killer??? How many genres are they cramming into this drama?

I was half thinking Im Sol's mum was going to end up dating Sunjae's dad with all the shenanigans they keep having. Can step-siblings marry each other? They're not biologically related.

I just went down a rabbit hole. So obv I don't know what South Korean marriage laws are like but here in the UK it is legal to marry your step-sibling providing you are not biologically related but you cannot marry your step-child which makes sense.

Love Im Geum and Sunjae holding hands while they watch a Korean woman set a weightlifting world record on the TV

Haha! Well, that bromance was very shortlived

How have they managed as a band this far when their singer can't sing. Oh, if only there was someone handsome and with nothing to do now that he can no longer swim

I don't know if it's the right way to do it or not but when me and my sister both learned how to ride a bike we did it on grass so it wouldn't hurt as much when we fell off

Aww of course he's going to teach her

Oh no Sunjae wants to start dressing like Taesung because he thinks that's what Im Sol likes

Oh no! Taesung is wearing the exact same outfit. This is about to get incredibly awkward

Yep, there it is

Oh no they're due to perform any moment and they have no singer. Who can they get to full in? Wait I'm trying to remember now. Was Taesung part of Sunjae's idol group in 2022? I don't remember seeing him but then I didn't know to look for him either. I know Hyunjoo said he dropped out of school after Im Sol's accident. Maybe he dropped out of the band too.

I'm getting all emotional because he looks so happy on stage but we know how unhappy he's going to wind up

Still suspicious of him btw

It's funny that in the last episode he got mad at her because he couldn't deal with his own feelings, and this time he did something nice for her and she got mad because she's worried about him.

I was at the Ateez fanmeet livestream this morning and Jongho sang a bit of this song. Even for me as a fan I get all excited when someone I 'know' is singing on the OST of a drama I'm watching. I wonder what it's like for Seonghwa, who watches a lot of dramas, to have someone he works with every day on the OST of something he watches. Jongho has done a lot of OST work this year.

Oh no last time she listened to this she ended up back in 2023. Is it going to happen again?

[remyfire]

korean war anaesthesia practices? please sir some korean war anaesthesia practices? 🤲🥺

God I am so excited. I love you.

What I need you to know is I spent multiple hours over multiple days researching this just for Leo Bardonaro backstory that I am probably never going to get to write in detail anyway. I headcanon Leo as an anesthesiologist. Also I think it's a shame that they stopped having at least one or two dedicated anesthesiologists in the show after Ugly John because it's such a complex set of measurements to understand and as important a trained specialty as any other. It's difficult to pick it up off the cuff if you haven't been properly educated. I appreciate little moments such as in Bug Out when Hawk snaps at BJ when Beej is the one setting up the anesthesia. Very true to life and history when anesthesiologists were thin on the ground in Korea and doctors or nurses did have to double up, and also affording MASH their smaller cast to focus on.

Side note, I discovered first in my research that anesthesiologist and anesthetist are two different terms. An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor while an anesthetist is a nurse who has received the training to administer anesthesia, either assisting the anesthesiologist or working independently. The more you know!

Now let's get to excited autistic rambling :D :D :D

This is the Ohio 685A military model anesthesia machine, affectionately referred to as The Pig. This is the machine that was most commonly in use during the Korean War, all the way through to the beginning of the Vietnam War. It was important because it was lightweight, easy to disassemble, and it broke down into an easy-to-carry box in the event of the MASH unit needing to bug out.

Look how cute it is!!! My best friend The Pig I love them so much. An anesthesiologist was not only keeping a close eye on vitals and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, but they were also constantly watching the levels of administered nitrous oxide (what we know colloquially as laughing gas) and oxygen (which has to be administered as a level of at least 20%) to make sure they were giving enough to keep the patient under but not enough to cause them long-term damage of any kind. This is important given that nitrous oxide causes intracranial pressure, for example.

An interesting thing to note is that while they had begun to pioneer intubation as a way to administer an anesthetic in WWII and saw impressive results, in the Korean War, the majority of patients were still anesthetized by mask on account of the doctors having to work so quickly and efficiently that they most often defaulted to the techniques they were familiar with if they did not have to change. This might also be why a large number of doctors would choose to administer a spinal anesthetic instead of using a mask.

So the rabbit hole I really went down was how we typically see anesthesia used in media versus the reality of it. We're used to seeing them just put a mask on the patient's face and they're out immediately. Not quite accurate! Nitrous oxide alone will not put a patient to sleep. It's a wonderful pain reducer and produces a sense of euphoria and it's incredibly fast-acting, only taking a few minutes to reach full effect. But anesthesiologists would first administer something to induct unconsciousness, most popularly a dose of thiopental into the patient's IV line.

Thiopental is a barbiturate often used as an induction agent. Within 30 to 45 seconds, the drug reaches the brain and makes the patient unconscious (an interesting thing is that thiopental also reduces intracranial pressure, which was also helpful with the comment above about nitrous oxide causing that). But thiopental itself will wear off within around 5 to 10 minutes as the drug leaves the brain and circulates through the entire body, thus meaning the patient would wake back up.

This is where nitrous oxide comes in!! The thiopental injection induces unconsciousness and the nitrous oxide maintains it. Because nitrous oxide as a gas dissipates so quickly in our system, removing the mask will have a patient coming back to consciousness within minutes.

With how rapidly things had to move in surgery in a Korean War MASH unit, the anesthesiologists had to be on their fucking game. If they administered just a little too much of an induction agent or nitrous oxide, severe side effects could occur. Patients would suffer convulsions, damage to the brain. A wrong dose was a ticket to total shock, heart attacks, death. It's so stressful to read about and also so cool. The surgeons always get the big bucks but other doctors deserve their flowers too.

This was a fun hour of rambling!! Thank you for asking :D

[minhio22]

For @moonartemisia anniversary with hajun🎉🎉

I hope u like it idk if its okay tho dkdbdjdbdnndjdnd

Love ya🫶🫶

The 10th of October was typically a day that held not much importance to most people. Just another day in their lives, but for a certain couple it was more than a random date. It was the day that marked when Hajun and Heidi stopped dancing around their feelings and finally got together.

So what might these two be up to on this particularly lovely day you might ask? Well for starters both acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary on that day, pretending it was just your average Thursday. Attending classes, talking with each other, you know the usual. But secretly behind each other’s back both of them had plans for the other. Brain racking to make sure that it ends up going well and the secret not leaking out.

They both hid it well, especially Hajun since well it's him. Both had their own plans, going around getting it ready while the other was completely unaware as they both were quite focussed on their task at hand.

For Heidi, well she thought bringing Hajun out to dinner at a Korean restaurant for Hajun might be a great idea just to remind him of the taste of home. The good memories hopefully.Reservations were made beforehand as the place wasn't a casual restaurant as it was more on the high end side. As for Hajun, well he wouldn't admit it but for quite some time he had been researching and practicing in secret on how to cook some local Filipino dishes.

Little did they know at some point the other would find out what they were planning.

On the morning of their anniversary, Hajun was tidying up their shared room when he came across a receipt. It looked like it had accidentally slipped out of somewhere. When he picked it up and looked at it his eyes widened slightly at what he was looking at. It was a receipt for a reservation placed at a restaurant and one that he recognised as the two of them frequent there quite often. Hajun liked the place quite well as the food suited his taste the most compared to the other Korean restaurants the two of them visited before. Hajun's eyes trail downwards as he sees his lover's name printed out on the receipt. He smirked to himself as he thought that maybe just maybe he would mess around with his lover a bit later on. It warmed his heart though, knowing that his other half was going through the trouble and money to book the place. That was the gist of how he found out about Heidi’s plan.

As for Heidi? Well it started quite a while ago. There were times when Hajun could be seen in the kitchen, experimenting on something. Ingredients on the counter that Heidi knew were not staple in his usual daily cooking. When asked about it Hajun just smiled at her brushing her off but Heidi didn't let it go that easy. As if Hajun knew that Heidi was about to push it, a flirty teasing remark came out of his mouth making her blush and forget about her earlier thoughts. Sometimes it escalates, sometimes it doesn't. On their anniversary, Heidi was rummaging through the fridge when weirdly enough ingredients to make her favourite Filipino dish was inside. Oh questions will definitely be asked that night.

That night the two of them were facing each other. They could tell the other wanted to say something but didn't say a word yet so they were just staring in silence. That was until the two of them broke it at the same time.

“Hajun-”

“Heidi-”

The two of them stopped. Hajun being the gentleman (?) that he is, let Heidi go first. She was reluctant at first wanting him to say it first but yielded after a while.

“The ingredients in the fridge. Don't tell me it's for?” Heidi asked.

“Oh my one has sharp senses. Well what do you think?” Hajun smirked, answering the question with another question.

“Don't play around Hajun. It's for our anniversary isn't it?”

Hajun chuckled and nodded. “Smart girl. Of course it is. Now my turn.” He pulled out the receipt he found earlier that day. The contents were facing Hajun but Heidi could recognise what it was and her face was startled. “Is my one planning something for me hmm?”

“That's… I should be shouldn't I? It's our anniversary after all. But each of us, planning a surprise for the other at the same time…..” Heidi laughed at the thought and Hajun joined in not long after. It was amusing to see their significant other making plans unaware of the other's plans at the same time.

Now comes the question of what to do? After some back of forth between the two, they finally reached a settlement. It was agreed that they'd go ahead with Heidi’s plans as it was already paid in full was Hajun’s reasoning. To her dismay, despite wanting to eat Hajun’s cooking, Hajun countered by saying he could just cook it for her any other time.

“You like me so much that you prefer my cooking over some professional chef?” Was his words.

So that night they both enjoyed a scrumptious meal together at a slightly secluded part of the restaurant. The ambience was perfect for their special day. And when they got home Hajun still gave Heidi something a bit more behind closed doors.

[coquettepotato]

My trip to Venice Mall

Desolate, that’s the word that comes to mind when you take in the chubby plain faced girl, trotting behind her parents in heels she hasn’t yet learnt to properly walk in, with a moody look the only makeup for her dulling skin. Her black and white kurta complimented her figure nicely. It wouldn’t be so bad to date her, one might think, with a hint of superiority, reflecting this author’s own sense of inferiority. She looked the serious, studious kind, this girl, but her coloured hair gave her the look of someone who indulged in things considered bad, say smoking.

Walking abreast were, in varying amounts of obesity, the mother and father. Is there some significance to positioning mother before father? Is my subconscious trying to tell me something? Ah, leave such matters for Freud! My readers moan. Very well, then. We shall continue. The mother clad in black, a busty middle aged woman whose bright pink lipstick wore her and a pot-bellied ageing man with hard work and diligence etched onto his face. Rather unassuming, plain folk wouldn’t you think? The hair on their heads didn’t turn grey for nothing haha.

We look at the daughter again. How she wishes to lie in the comfort of her blanket, reading that book that had become her latest obsession, had consumed her so largely that she’d begun to adopt its title into her meals. Butter, butter, everything butter. The exploration of same sex desire. It was no coincidence, she decided. And that brings us to thoughts of her greatest love, a former friend, someone she let consume her entirely. She missed her, as does this humble author. It’s a great loss, a pain that seeps into your very bones, making you so weary that you just want to curl up in your bed and cry and oh, how wonderful would it be if someone were to hold you then!

This mall that the family went to, it was…it was empty yet beautiful. Superficial, in a sense, with phony-looking people roaming the halls of the scattered showrooms. A towered, twisting staircase- pretty, a good place to make out, her university-trained brain muses. The artificial, blue shallow waters and the simple electric boats, the walls carved and painted to look just like Venetian homes- it all seemed such a bore to this thought daughter. Yes, that’s what she was, is. A new woman, utterly besotted with culture, the humanities and art. Pinterest, reddit, Instagram, tumblr, spotify, her journal and books, access to anime, movies and tv shows, writing poetry, learning from professors and students, researching, debating, spontaneous writings, all this gave her soul the fire that had been dangerously close to going out in recent times. A tragedy, indeed, for an eighteen-year-old, a fledgling, to have gone through so much. Even as I write, delicious music plays in the background haha!

At the floor just above, the aroma of baked goods wafted up to her, tingling her nostrils. Her mouth watered, anticipating salt, sugar, fat and carbohydrates in the most scrumptious combinations possible. And oh the joy when she finally had the taste of those Korean Soboro cream buns! Perfectly crispy, rich with butter, light and cool when settled in the throat and a steaming cup of coffee on top- heaven in the truest sense. That was precisely the moment that this young depresso became a happy espresso, even agreeing to have her pictures taken! Good food can do wonders for your mood, mind you. The people working there were so well- mannered and polite! And the girl that served the coffee and confectioneries was so cute that our protagonist yearned to be her age and a man. Again, the themes of the novel she’d been reading hit her like a maelstrom. Will her skin glow too? Shall she let go too of what society demands from her? What would happen?

[the-inkwell-variable]

Writeblr Interview Tag!

Thanks so much for the tag, @sableglass!

Short stories, novels, or poems?

Novels all the way. I've tried my hand at short stories, and they always end up being novellas or straight up novels by the time I'm done with them. May as well stick with what my little brain clearly desires!

What genre do you prefer reading?

Mysteries (cozy or otherwise), horror (especially zombie fiction or apocalypse fiction, yes please), fantasy (especially cozy, I love cozy fantasy so much, have you read Legends and Lattes?), and romance.

Are you a planner or a write as I go kind of person?

I'm a little of both! I'll generally have a plan in my head at the very least, if not a brief outline written down somewhere, but when I actually sit down to write, my writing tends to veer off wherever it wants and do its own thing (for example, FUCKING CHUCK). As long as it makes sense, I tend to just let it go wherever it wants lol

What music do you listen to while writing?

Surprisingly, I don't listen to much music while writing. I'll daydream to it, absolutely, but I mostly just throw on some Markiplier or an old debate that I've heard ten thousand times and write to that. It's more about the background noise than the actual content, y'know?

But when I DO listen to music, I drift toward lofi or mood music compilations on youtube. The kind that DMs play during their DnD sessions. Love those so much, they really help keep me locked in a single mood, which I absolutely need when I'm writing a scene.

Favorite books/movies?

Oh god. Lord of the Rings (including the Hobbit don't @ me). Train to Busan (or any Korean zombie movies/shows, really). Some Disney and Pixar - Big Hero 6, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Emperor's New Groove, etc. The Strain is one of my favorite TV shows - I also love Cutthroat Kitchen above all else, a bunch of different anime, and Dance Moms (yes I know it's toxic and yes I am ashamed of myself for enjoying it. I pity the kids but I rage at the moms.)

As for books, my favorites are the Beechwood Harbor Mystery series, The Luminous Dead, Thief Liar Lady, All Systems Red, Legends and Lattes, A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, anything Holly Black, Suffer the Children, Contagion, Luck in the Shadows, Assistant to the Villain, Dead of Night, and Surviving the Evacuation!

Any current WIPs?

Oh gosh. I'm bopping between From Carnival to Chamomile, a prequel to a cozy mystery series, and Dauntless, a zombie apocalypse trilogy, right now. Sometimes I'll work on Priestess Without Honor, a paranormal low-fantasy romance, and Chosen Against My Will, a dark mafia romance. I also have zer0 ALPHA, a lit-rpg isekai zombie apocalypse novel, but I haven't touched that in years and have only recently rediscovered my notes for it.

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you what would your standard outfit be?

I wear the same thing every day, surprisingly. That's the autism for ya. I love jeans and a T-shirt, especially if that T-shirt has a picture from an anime or show or something like that. Printed shirts, I think they're called. Oh, and mismatched socks. That's me.

Create a character description of yourself: 

Too tall for her own good and unwanted curves for days. Bobbed dark-blue hair with steel gray eyes. Too busy writing or gaming to really notice what's going on. Expect a text back within seconds of receiving it - she reads faster than most people expect and tends to read every text twice just to give it that safety buffer. If there isn't a snack and a drink nearby, call the police.

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

Hehehehe maybe. But not exactly in a good way. I'm very much the kind of person who will put someone I dislike into my book just so they can get the justice they won't get in the real world, even over something as minor as pronouncing my name wrong on purpose (I'm looking at you, Keiara).

Are you kill happy with your characters?

I want to say yes because I kill off characters constantly, but when it comes to my main OCs, no. I can't bring myself to kill them at all. I go out of my way to create characters for death (like FUCKING CHUCK) rather than put my favorites in the line of fire. I think that's a problem I need to work on.

Coffee or Tea while writing?

coffeecoffeecoffeecoffee

but I do love tea, especially in the fall. In the fall, I tend to drift toward tea and apple cider rather than coffee.

But otherwise? Coffeeeeeee

Slow or fast writer?

Fast writer when I actually sit down to write! Slow writer when I'm procrastinating. I've been working on Dauntless for...thirteen years? Twelve?

Where/who/what do you draw inspiration from?

I get inspiration from EVERYTHING. Dreams. Books. Movies. Something dumb my partner says offhandedly.

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

I absolutely want to be something cool, like a shadow mage. But I'm probably a little gremlin that hides in the edges of the woods and steals your socks. Mmmm socks.

Most fav book cliche:

Enemies to lovers! Especially when one person is smitten at firstt sight and doesn't realize it.

Least favorite cliche:

Friendship is magic. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with powerful friendships being front and center, but when the big bad is literally destroyed because fRiEnDsHiP I gag a little bit. I also hate undeserved happy endings - make the ending make sense. If it's a sad or horror book, sometimes the ending needs to be bad. And finally, forced romance. No. No thank you. Some stories don't need romance.

Favorite scene to write?

Descriptions! Am I good at them? No. Will I spend three pages describing a tree? Maybe.

Also conversations. I tend to do a lot of conversations and monologues in my writing. Need to work on that.

Reason for writing?

If I don't write down the ideas in my head, I will explode.

TAGLIST: @falconfate - @space-writes - @leahnardo-da-veggie - @i-can-even-burn-salad - anyone who wants to take part!