#i really like the poster because i can look at so many beautiful pictures all together

[aquanutart]

I absolutely LOVE the Squirtle/Wartortle illustrations by kantaro in Pokemon 151!

The Squirtle jumping so joyfully from the rock into the ocean, the colors are STUNNING! I love the contrast of the Squirtle's aqua blue framed in the vivid orange sky, the soft bit of blue reflecting in its shell and its tail just catching the sun, how little and squishy its body looks as it launches itself towards the water with such tremendous excitement!

The lineless style of the background gives me the feel of a travel poster and I sense the tropical environment around it from the rocks and trees framing the corners, the waterfall splashing with as much energy as the Squirtle!

The layered blues on the surface of the water and the bubbles rising at the corner make me FEEL the liquid rising to meet the Squirtle--I can just feel how the next moment it's going to break through and be immersed in a cool island swim!

And the Wartortle running along the sunset beach, this is somehow everything I always imagined for Wartortle! I adore the way the rich purple melts into the warm red/orange sky, the matching purple clouds and shadows in the foreground, and how the dimming sunlight glows red on Wartortle's deep blues!

I love how the yellow and orange of the sky illuminate the lapping waves, I can just feel the gentle motion of the sea at dusk. The aqua color of the ocean matches Wartortle's ears and tail and sets off the red-orange sand, I just love how the colors are here!

Wartortle looks so round and squishy, I love its happiness as it goes frolicking through the shallows, chasing the bubbles caught in the setting sun! The shine and deep shadow on its shell give it an almost jewel texture like real tortoise shell; I love the silhouetted splash Wartortle leaves as it goes running across the shore. It's so full of energy and delight at the end of a gorgeous day! The colors in these are SO vivid and harmonized and the style is so cute and bursting with energy and joy. I just LOVE it (also Squirtle is my starter)

[slut4hee]

I Can Keep A Secret, Can You?

{Paring: Idol Heeseung x Blk Fem! Reader ⋆. 𐙚 ˚

{Genre: smut, nda signing, secret relationship, 18+ so (mdni).

{Synopsis: You joined a fan sign raffle for a chance to speak to the members of Enhypen, but specifically your ult bias Lee Heeseung. You joined for the heck of it, not thinking you would win but to your luck you did. Not only did you get a chance to speak face to face with Heeseung, you got to sign an nda with him…

{Warnings: Softdom heeseung, sub reader, rough sex, unprotected sex, (use protection my lovelies), oral ( f receiving), big dick hee, kissing, titty play, doggystyle, fingering, breeding kink, creampie, cum eating, squirting, dirty talk, pet names.

You screamed to the top of your lungs, as you read the email stating that you won an entry to an in person Enhypen fan signing event, in Seoul South Korea. You couldn’t believe what you were reading right now, you out of all people got selected to meet the Enhypen face to face, in the flesh.

You’ve always been a big fan of Enhypen, being that you’ve been supporting them since I-land, and you literally own every single one of their albums and posters. You loved all the members of Enhypen, but there was one particular member you loved a little bit more.

Lee Heeseung, he was your ult bias and you were so in love with him. You’ve been biasing Heeseung since the beginning, and you have all of his photo cards, as well as his pictures and posters all over your wall. The fact that you will get to meet and speak with Heeseung in person, has all types of butterflies erupting in your stomach and so many emotions going through your head all at once.

You quickly started searching for flights to Korea, and browsing many hotels and airbnbs. Finally after hours of looking for the perfect hotel and the appropriate flight, you booked them both squealing in excitement as you jumped up and down on your bed. You got ready for bed, but you knew sleep wouldn’t come so easily for you, because of how excited and shocked you were, you couldn’t wait for the day to come.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚

Fast forward, it’s now been a week since you found out you’re going to meet Enhypen in person, to meet Heeseung in person. You are now in Seoul, and you’re currently in your hotel room, doing your makeup and getting ready to head to fan sign. That’s right, today is the day your dreams come true and you couldn’t be more happier. You honestly still can’t believe you won the freaking fan sign, and on top of that you get to visit South Korea, one of your dream destinations.

You finally finished your makeup, going with a natural yet soft pink look. You also wore a cute little light pink crop top, with a denim mini skirt showing off your beautiful curves, and you styled your hair in a slicked back bun, your edges laying nicely. You took one last look at yourself in the mirror, admiring your beauty loving how your makeup and hair turned out, you hoped Heeseung would think the same.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚

You’re now standing in line, waiting to enter the building. Your nerves are all over the place and your heart is racing in anticipation as you wait to go inside. It’s really fucking happening, you thought to yourself as reality sets in that you’re about to be face to face with 7 Korean men you’ve only seen on tv, and in concert.

Finally after what felt like eternity, the line moves as the staff starts letting people in, you practiced deep breaths, as you make your way inside the venue, you’re so nervous and anxious you don’t know what to expect. You made it in, and a staff member checks your invitation, before leading you to your seat in the front.

Your heart beats out of your chest, when you realize just how close you are to the stage. Your hands trembled as you held up your phone to snap a picture of the stage. Just as you’re about to take the picture, the crowd of engenes burst into a fit of screams, shouting the members names as they arrived on stage.

You smiled with excitement, waving and screaming for the members as they introduced themselves and bowed to the crowd. Your eyes were on Heeseung the whole time, you couldn’t believe how much more handsome and ethereal he looked in person. Suddenly Heeseung made eye contact with you, his stare lingering a little longer before he turned away smirking to himself.

Did Heeseung just smirk at me, you thought to yourself as you try to process what just happened. Not long after you were being called up for your turn to interact with the members. You started with Jungwon, telling him how much you adored him, and appreciated all his hard work as a leader.

Then it was Sunoo, you expressed how much you enjoyed his vocals and how beautiful he was. Finally after speaking to the rest of the members you then made it to Heeseung. Your palms are sweaty and your knees felt stiff, as you take your seat in front of him. Heeseung gazes at you, studying your facial features.

“Oh my god, Heeseung I love you so much I’m sorry I just don’t know what to I-“ you tripped over your words, feeling nervous from his intense gaze and the fact you are sitting right in front of him, is a bit overwhelming. Heeseung smiled brightly at you, showing off his pearly white teeth, as he reached his hand to hold yours. You were a little taken aback by his sudden move, but you quickly complied, holding his hand with yours.

“Tell me your name princess” he smirked, swaying both of your hands back and forth. You blushed hard at the pet name, not being able to hold eye contact with him. He noticed that, as he titled his head to the side a little as he waited for you to answer his question.

“My name is Y/n, I came all the way from the U.S to meet you Heeseung” you explained with enthusiasm, a wide grin displaying your face. As you both continued to talk, you noticed how Heeseung listened so attentively at what you had to say, and you weren’t so sure, but you would think that Heeseung was into you, by the way he seemed so interested in your day to day life.

Unfortunately it was time to move on to the next fan, you couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that it went by so quickly. You expressed your love and appreciation towards Heeseung one last time before standing up to take your leave. What you didn’t notice was that Heeseung was watching you the whole entire time as you walked back to your seat, not even noticing that the next fan had sat in front of him.

Heeseung knew he had to have you, you were the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen, and he couldn’t deny you intrigued him so much, it was just something about you that he couldn’t quite grasp, but he was determined to have you in his bed by the end of the night. So he quickly called over one of the staff members, whispering something in their ear. The staff member nodded in agreement before walking off.

As you’re grabbing your things getting ready to leave, you feel someone tap you on your shoulder catching your attention. You looked up to see a Tall Korean gentleman with a black mask covering his face. You looked at him confused, wondering if you done something wrong.

“Miss if you don’t mind, would you be willing to follow me to the backstage” he asked you politely, you looked at him a little suspiciously, wondering why on earth would he be asking you to come backstage with him.

“I don’t understand, did I do something wrong?” You asked him, feeling nervous and anxious. The man quickly shook his head no, you immediately felt relief wash over you, hoping you didn’t say or do anything to make any of the members feel uncomfortable.

“No miss you’ve done nothing wrong, it’s just” he leaned in closer to whisper in your ear. “One of the members has requested your presence backstage” he replied, you stared at him in a state of shock, trying to process the words that just came out of his mouth. You wondered which one of the members actually asked for you backstage.

“U-Uh okay” you stuttered, feeling a little skeptical and worried, you were just hoping you weren’t being tricked and you’re actually being led to your death. Only one way to find out right? The man nodded, as you followed him backstage.

Finally he stopped at a door, that had a sign on it that said “Staff Only” You swallowed down your nerves, as you prepared yourself for the worst. The gentleman opened the door and behind it was two other Korean gentleman, who were sitting at a desk, one of them holding a stick of papers.

“Please come in and take a seat please” the man with the stack of papers said, as he gestured you towards the seat. You gulped before taking a seat. The man then laid the stack of papers in front of you, as well as a pen. You looked up at him confused, why was he handing you a contract??

“I know this is a bit out of the blue Miss Y/n, but it seems that one of our Artists has taken a liking to you and has requested for a one night stand with you” the man spoke with seriousness in his tone, you stared at him wide eyed, did he just say what you think he just said. You looked down at the paper in front of you, and at the top of it read the words “𝑵𝑫𝑨” in bold letters.

“Umm may I ask which artist has requested for me” you replied, as you shifted in your seat, feeling a little uncertain about this whole situation. The other man then spoke, you recognized him before, you’ve seen him with the members when you saw them at their world tour.

“My apologies, let me introduce myself. My name is Park Sunwoo and I’m the manager for Enhypen. And to answer your question, Lee Heeseung has requested for you Miss Y/n” he nodded. Your heart nearly leaped out of your chest when he said that, the Lee Heeseung wanted to sign an NDA with you?!

“Before we get started, I do want to let you know that you have every right to decline this offer Miss Y/n. But for me to further explain any more information about this, I would need you to sign your signature on this line right here on the paperwork” he pointed to the line, indicating that you sign your name. You bit your lip nervously, debating whether you should sign it or not.

But when will you ever get the opportunity to have a one night stand with Heeseung, when will you get the chance to do anything like this. You’ve never been the one to do one night stands, or just give up your goodies the first time you meet a guy, but this was so much different. This was Lee Heeseung from Enhypen we’re talking about it, so without any further thought you signed your name on the paper.

“Very well then. Thank you so much for agreeing to the terms Miss Y/n, I will now explain how this whole process works. So you have agreed to signing an NDA, with Artist Lee Heeseung. This means that whatever You and Lee Heeseung decide to do tonight is strictly prohibited from the public eye, do you wish to continue?” He asked, scanning through the pages of the paperwork.

“Yes, I-I do” you responded, fiddling with your fingers. This was just too much to process, you couldn’t lie and say you weren’t a little excited though. He then flipped to the last page of the contract.

“Going forward, we also want to make you aware that failing to comply with the rules of the contract is automatic breach, that goes for both parties. So without further ado, would you please sign your name one last time and we can move forward” Your trembling hands grabbed ahold of the pen, signing your name on the line once again.

“Great, everything has been finalized. We would be contacting you with information regarding your evening plans with Heeseung, once your background check comes back clean. Thank you for your time Miss Y/n” Park Sunwoo stood up to shake your hand. You shook his hand and thanked him before you were led out the back exit.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚

As you got back to your hotel, you had been checking your phone nonstop, feeling anxious and impatient. Finally your phone dinged with a notification, and you grabbed your phone so fast, opening your messages.

Unknown Number: Hello, Miss Y/n. Just informing you that your background check came back clean, and I will now be sending over a personal driver to pick you up from your hotel, to bring you to Heeseung’s private accommodation.

You: Oh okay, thank you so much.

Ten minutes later, you received another text from an unknown number, stating that they’re waiting for you down at the lobby. You quickly grabbed your things, taking one last look at yourself in the mirror, before heading downstairs. You were now in the back of a Black Mercedes Benz Van, with the windows tinted. Not shorty after, you were pulling into a parking lot of very nice modern style Airbnb.

“We have arrived” the man hopped out of the driver’s seat to open your passenger seat door for you. You thanked him and smiled, and he bowed before getting back into the van and driving off.

You nervously walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Not long after, none other than Heeseung himself answered the door. You gasp inaudible at the sight of Heeseung clad in a white tank top, gray sweats pants, and his hair damp from the shower you assumed he just finished.

“Come in please” he moved to the side to let you by. You nervously walked into the house, taking in the scenery of the place. It was nice and cozy and looked lived in. It’s like Heeseung read your mind when he said “This is my place actually, I stay here when I’m not out on schedules or on vacations” he nodded and smiled, as he walked closer to you.

“It’s really beautiful Hee, I love it” you blushed shyly, feeling a little hot from the close proximity of your bodies almost touching. “Hee?” He questioned as he smirked and wrapped his arms around your waist. You damn near melted, your knees feeling like they’re going to give out on you any minute now.

“I-I mean Heeseung, sorry it’s like a nickname all of us fans call you” you stuttered, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks. Heeseung chuckled, biting his lip, then leaning down to be face level with you because he towers over you. You’d breath hitched, as you feel his lips ghosting over yours.

“Is this okay, do you mind if I kiss you baby girl” he spoke lowly, his voice sounding husky and laced with desire. You whimpered, feeling your arousal starting to leak through your panties.

“God yes, yes you can kiss me plea-“ before you could even finish your sentence, Heeseung’s lips crashed against yours, kissing you with hunger and fervor. You moaned into the kiss, when you felt Heeseung’s hands gripping your ass. You let out a yelp, when Heeseung suddenly picked you up leading you to the bedroom.

“Fuck, you don’t know how bad i want you baby, fucking took everything in me not to pull you into one of the dressing rooms and fuck you stupid” he groaned, laying you on the bed as he got on top of you, attacking your lips once again. You could only moan in response, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Heeseung, please I need you please do something” you begged shamelessly, still not processing that you’re about to fuck Lee Heeseung, someone you thought you would never have the chance to meet, but here you were about to get your brains fucked out by him.

“Shhh, patience baby I’m gonna give you what you want” he smirked, as he started to undress you. He tugged your top off, and unclasp your bra effortlessly starting to suck on your brown nipple, his other hand fondling the other. You arched your back, rubbing your thighs together trying to gain some type of friction.

“God baby, you’re so fucking sexy gotta taste your sweet little cunt now” he growled, tugging your panties off and spreading your legs wide. You whined, when he dragged his long fingers through your wet folds, sliding his finger inside.

“Fuck, this slutty pussy so tight, fuck can’t wait to stuff you full of my cock mama” he hissed, as he watched the way your tight pussy sucked his finger in. He then leaned down to lick a stripe of your pussy, licking and sucking your clit softly.

“Oh my fucking god, shit Hee baby feels so good” you screamed in pleasure, your legs shaking uncontrollably, as you grabbed ahold of his fluffy hair. His wet tongue felt like heaven on your pussy and you couldn’t get enough.

“Shit baby, wet little pussy taste so good, fuck I could eat your sweet cunt forever” he groaned, the vibration sending a shock of pleasure through you, you gripped his locks a little harder, feeling your climax approaching dangerously.

“Ughh, fuck Hee I’m g-gonna cum” you cried out, your legs trembling as the band in your stomach threatens to snap any minute.

“Cum for me, cream on my face pretty little slut” he flicked his tongue faster against your clit, plunging his fingers deep inside your tight pussy. Not long after you were coming undone on his mouth and fingers, squirting your essence everywhere. Heeseung cursed under his breath at the sight of your spent pussy, leaking out your juices.

“Damn sweetheart, that was so hot I’m so hard I need to feel you wrapped around my cock” he whined, as he quickly rid himself of his clothes, showing off his perfectly lean build, and his long hard cock that leaks precum from the tip. You mouth watered at the sight, as you grabbed his dick stroking him slowly.

“Ah-fuck, shit that feels so good Y/n” he whined, his hips buckling up involuntarily. You bit your lip at the way his heavy cock twitched in your hand so desperately. Before he could come undone, he swatted your hand away, earring a whine from you.

“Get on all fours for me baby” his voice sounding strained, as tugged at his hard cock. You quickly, laid your face down in the pillows, and poking your ass out arching your back. Heeseung smacked your ass before aligning his cock up at your hole. He started to push himself inside you, his cock sliding in easily from how wet and turned on you are. He lets you adjust to his size for a minute before setting a rhythm, rocking his hips back and forth.

“Fuuckkk, you’re so fucking tight, god baby sucking me in so good” he lets out deep grunts as he pounds into you from behind. You gripped the sheets roughly, feeling every inch of Heeseung’s cock penetrating your walls.

“Yes yes yes, fuck me harder please harder” you screamed, throwing your ass back at him as you desperately chased after his thrusts. Heeseung threw his head back, showing off his flushed neck. You clenched your pussy tighter around him, earning a whiny moan from him.

“Ahh f-fuck, stop clenching baby or I’m gonna cum” he hissed in pleasure, gripping your waist tighter as he slammed into you roughly. You rolled your eyes to the back of your head, the head of his cock hitting your g-spot over and over again.

“Please Daddy, fill me up with your babies, I want your load inside me” you looked back at him, tears gathering in your waterlines, from the intense pleasure you’re feeling. Heeseung’s hips stuttered, as his strokes became sloppy, losing his pace.

“Shit shit shit, I’m about to cum Nghh fuck” he moaned deeply, his thrusts became erratic as he chased his high. Not long after his hips stilled, shooting ropes of thick cum inside you. The feeling of his hot cum, triggered another orgasm out of you, squirting and creaming all over his dick. He pulls his softening cock out, watching the way his cum and your arousal leaks from your spent hole.

He collapsed on the bed beside you, pulling you into his arms as he placed a soft kiss on your forehead. You smiled weakly at him before snuggling your face into his neck.

“Wow baby, that was the best sex I ever had in my life” he chuckled weakly, his breathing still uneven from the intense orgasm he had.

“I can’t believe I just fucked Lee Heeseung” you said in disbelief, as you looked up at him before kissing his lips. He kissed you back, as he rubbed your back softly.

“𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗻𝗴”

“𝗜𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼, 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂?”

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚗𝚍…

A/n: FUCK FUCK FUCK, if I ever get to sign an nda with Heeseung, just know ima fuck the life out of this man🤭 but honestly I’m thinking about making a part two of this where reader and hee possibly start dating secretly 👀. Let me know if you guys want it, hope you guys like it and reblogs are greatly appreciated. ᯓᡣ𐭩

_____________________________________________

𝙏𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩:

@wave2hoon

[scimagic]

SMG4: WOTFI 2024 Thoughts and Analysis Masterpost

WOTFI 2024 is finally here and I had so much fun watching it! I've even watched it a few times already!! I'm so glad this was my first ever live WOTFI, it makes me wish I knew of SMG4 earlier but alas! I'm still so happy I found SMG4 and it's wonderful community the way I did!

This is one large compilation of all my reactions, opinions and deeper analysis... -es on WOTFI 2024! I will go over the entirety of the video almost scene-to-scene with my OWN OPINIONS! (And yes, it gets hella long) I divided it into sections of the video and even included pictures for viewing convenience!

Hope you enjoy reading essays <33

Warning: Spoilers (duh).

✧ Before The Show

As said before this was my first live WOTFI, since the episodes release at 9AM for me I had to put on my alarm one hour before but I shut it off fhjkdsa

So you can imagine my panic when I had to make my breakfast 10 minutes before it started

Not my greatest planning but I managed to (somewhat) make it on time!

✧ Let's Jump Right In!!

WHUH HAPPEN

Loved the spin off of Mr Puzzles' jingle, I knew I was going to get it stuck in my head the moment the lyrics switched

I was amused when Puzzles re-enacted his life, thought he'd give a little more meat to work with but I'm glad he just explained what we already knew. Some of his charm lies in the mystery that is his life

"So I did what any ambitious, misunderstood young soul would do... I locked myself in my room and watched TV all day!" So real tho-

I'm surprised I didn't see many people react to Puzzles cursing so loud hfdskja maybe we're all busy with the rest of WOTFI but I SCREAMED when he went "-WERE VIOLENTLY FUCKING CRUSHED BY YOU LOT!!"

LET THAT MAN CUSS FREELY!!!!

"... yyyou!" <3

LOVE EVERYONE'S COSTUMES TOO!! They all look great!!

Maybe it's because of the teasers they gave but I thought the crew was going to go against Puzzles himself with the challenges, but pitting them against Mario and SMG4 made me pleasantly surprised (I will be a lot throughout all this!)

I ADORE THIS INTRO SO MUCH!! It's so fun and vibrant and the way it was animated was so cool!! I WANT THE POSTER SO BAD!!!

Haeheh big Puzzles from the website!!

Love how Saiko is just screaming at Puzzles too fhdskja

✧ Fun Carnival Torture Metho- Games!!

I didn't say what my challenge was but it was called Chuck N' Dunk: Who can dunk the other first in shark-infested waters?

It didn't make it but I do see shark-infested waters, so either I gave a bit of inspo or I'm just delusional hfdsjka

"I have to deal with internet comments all day! This is nothing!" HAH!!! THAT'S MY FUCKING YOUTUBER RIGHT THERE!!! (He still lost)

Love to see SMG3 and Puzzles appreciate the beauty of destruction together, gotta love two villains vibin over causing chaos, it'd make for a fun dynamic if SMG4 ever considers it

On that note, when SMG3 tries to shake Four's tight rope I knew that was Three straight up

Even under Puzzles' control, the cast still retains a bit of their personality, as shown here and in the Puzzlevision episodes

Bob has like- the coolest costume ever holy shit- I really wanna draw it some time

I KNOW IT'S JUST A MASK AND SOME RECOLORING ALRIGHT IT JUST FITS HIM AND HE LOOKS COOL

I LOVE HIM SO. FUCKING. MUCH. HE'S SO SMUG THE BASTARD

This is a really funny joke actually

PIE GUN GO BRRRRRRRRRRRR

I liked seeing Karen included in this WOTFI, she was a main character in a few episodes and her dynamic works well with the others! Just a tired mom wanting to work but pulled along silly adventures, grounding in a badass caring way

CHANGE THE WORLD. MY FINAL MESSAGE. GOODBYE!! God I haven't heard that meme in so long

Plus [Italian vc] YOU SONSOFFA BITCHES

"Hope you two have your running shoes on!" said in the gayest villain voice ever, I love him your honor

Bob going for the clown girl instead of the exit is the Bob-iest thing ever and it just drives my point of the crew retaining their personalities even under control, so people shouldn't be surprised when it happens fhdjksa (cus I've seen it!)

FOUR ONLY WINNING BECAUSE HE'S A CLOWN IS SO FUNNY YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND

So... Ben (SMG4's Thumbnail Artist) posted a lot of Gokus when someone mentioned Metallica's For Whom The Bell Tolls

That's why I thought there'd be some kind of reference to it in WOTFI which... now that I say it out loud sounds kinda dumb hfsjdka

But the moment Mario appeared as Goku I immediately thought of Ben and it had me gigglin fhdsjka

You'd think Tari would be in the ducky mini-game but you'd be wrong! <3

Final thoughts of the games, this year's WOTFI challenges were delightful!! They were all very clever from the audience and well chosen from the crew! Congratulations to the folks that got their prompt in!

✧ WHACK-A-LEGGY (aka forgive me father for this next part)

You........ CANNOT tell me he wouldn't treat you right- God- DAMN.

LISTEN. HEAR ME OUT. YES I'M GONNA BE SIMPY IN THIS REACTION POST FUCK YOU.

Puzzles is the type of guy to give you the best of the best simply because you say so and deserve it, doesn't matter if it's as tame as a big bouquet of flowers OR as extreme as absolutely destroying your enemies through the most painful torture you have ever witnessed

He would treat you RIGHT!!!!

THAT IS THE MOST PERFECT MAN RIGHT THERE

Oh yes and I love his interactions with Leggy, they're adorable, yes FHDSKJA

THEY MAKE A CUTE DUO

Speaking of Puzzles treating you right: I am on the FUCKING FLOOR. THAT MAN IS PROTECTIVE TOO.

It's just so endearing to me how protective he is of Leggy (yes yes I know I know he's done evil shit to Meggy I know) BUT LISTEN.

In an actual redemption arc, I can see Puzzles as the most loyal motherfucker that you've ever befriended, that man is going to go to the edge of the earth and fight for you if needed BECAUSE you're his friend and that is so lovely to me

It's cute how he's trying to tell Leggy where to go, where to hide and just how worried he is of her

Mind you, the contrast between Puzzles being worried and SMG4 and Mario wanting to curve-stomp that goomba to death is hilarious fhdsjka

So forgive me if I giggle like a schoolgirl over that man

✧ I'm Gonna Get Real With You For A Moment

MR STINKY

Oh this scene now- lots to unpack

First: Adore how this scene plays out, I love the portrayal of Puzzles' meltdown, induced by grief, sadness, anger and frustration over how things are playing out. It's a big "I'm supposed to win! Why don't you let me win!" moment, I simply adore when those happen.

The pitiful cries when you don't get your way when you've meticulously planned everything and done Everything to get it, and do everything did Puzzles indeed try

Second: The colors, the dramatic red light, the destruction of the park out of anger and overcharging it seems

It's basically a tantrum

Third: The voice acting is phenomenal, and that's been said all throughout the Puzzlevision arc, Brendan (Mr Puzzles' voice actor) is so good at his job- he's perfect in those high pitch inflictions of emotion and the lower threatening tones, that scream is chilling and painful

Fourth: I can try and decipher that blue screen

FATAL ERROR A problem has been detected and Mr. Puzzles has been shut down to prevent damage to himself. PUZZLEVISION.EXE Check to make sure any new show or movie is properly installed. If this is a new installation :It's not: ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any PUZZLEVISION updates you might need. :I don't need any: If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable CPU(?) memory options such as Unused Shows or Movies. If you need to use safe mode :I don't: to remove or disable components, restart yourself, press :nuhuh: to select Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe Mode. :NO: Technical Information: *** STOP: 2xREADING (... xACTUALLY)

That last line is ineligible to me but I tried my best for y'all <3

Lots to unpack just in this tiny little message

In his system, Puzzles is programmed to shut down if damaged. Which is CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT. His OWN SYSTEM shuts down to prevent damage to himself.

Also he's SPEAKING THROUGH THE BLUESCREEN, he's actively saying No to "Safe Mode" and REFUSING any repairs his system suggests

THIS MAN DOES NOT CARE FOR HIS BODY (if you couldn't tell by the TV head part)

AND HE'S SO UNSERIOUS HE STRAIGHT UP TELLS HIS SYSTEM NUH UH!!!!

A little easter egg that someone else on Twitter found :)

Puzzles has become a rage horror monster and I'm here for it, the horror elements do go hard when they're played

URGH. AND THIS MOMENT. Many have pointed it out by now BUT THE TRAUMA OF THE CASTLE!! I AM SO WEAK

Puzzles REALLY plays into those psychological torture methods, it is so RUTHLESS of him, intentionally or not!!

✧ STEP RIGHT UP, MY FRIENDS, TO PUZZLEPARK!

He looks horrible in armor despite being everyone's pathetic knight in shining armor FHJDSKA

"You're MINE" I SURE AM SIR!!!

THAT GROWL THO- BRENDAN STRIKING AGAIN WITH THEM VOCALS!!!

AND THIS!! IS THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR OH BOY!!

The transition into the actual song is SO GOOD, instead of going higher like the actual Disney intro it goes LOWER and it's PERFECT for the intro!! It makes Puzzles sound INSANE (RIGHTFULLY SO!) It also tricks you because you know the melody so well until UH OH!! WE'RE IN DEEP SHIT!! LET'S GET THE FUCK IN!

3!

2!

1!

IMMEDIATELY threateningly playful I LOVE IT!!

It sounds so much like the songs in Nightmare Before Christmas, Kidnap Sandy Claws, Oogie Boogie's song, it has their same vibes! The same devilishly playful with their victims kind of vibes and it's RIGHT UP MY ALLEY BABY

It has SUCH an energizing beat too!! It makes you wanna jump in your seat to the beat!

The set up is so fun too, purple is an interesting choice to go with.

I cannot stress enough how GOOD THE VOCALS ARE TOO I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT

AND THIS PART. GOES EXTREMELY HARD. THEY ALL LOOK GREAT

They cooked with the choir of minions fr!! They sound great together!!

The chorus of the song is just as catchy as Creative Control, I had worries that I wasn't going to like this one as much as CC but I was SO wrong!! It's right up it's alley! They both have their strengths and their unique way of presenting Mr Puzzles, I wouldn't be able to decide which one is "better" since they both have different points to send across

Creative Control is jazzier, it taunts the crew and introduces Puzzles as the master villain with a bit of backstory, it's used to show the control on the crew both visually and lyrically with Puzzles putting them in different scenarios while singing how they can't leave

Meanwhile Puzzlepark, while similar in the controlling part, has more going on. It's not just Puzzles trying to control/stop Meggy, SMG4 and Mario, it's also them fighting back when they couldn't in CC. It also has the rest of the group trying to detain them, mind-controlled by Puzzles. It's crazier than just putting them in shows and popular culture references, it's throwing things at them, attacking them and messing with the world, trying to enact revenge yknow!

I particularly like when Meggy and Puzzles sing together, their voices contrast well

"But it's time for you to die now." Haehah! Hello!! This is the part where I kill you!!

AND A LAWSUIT ARC REFERENCE TOO!? OH I'M IN HEAVEN!!!

The lyrics scratch at a very nice part of my brain, I think SMG4 has always had a knack for rhyming, they've perfected it over the years and it's paid off well

And combined with the change in beat it goes for extra points, mwah!! Chef's kiss!!

"That child is gone... Six feet under right WHERE YOU AND YOUR STUPID FRIENDS BELONG!!"

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART FUCKING EVER!!!! THEY ABSOLUTELY COOKED

IT'S ABOUT HOW THREATENING PUZZLES IS IT'S ABOUT MEGGY STILL TRYING TO HELP HIM DESPITE IT ALL IT'S ABOUT HIM ABSOLUTELY REFUSING THE HELP BECAUSE THAT'S. JUST. HIM. PUZZLES. REFUSES. HELP. THINGS go his way or they don't go at all!!!

AND THAT ENDING NOTE MYYYY GODDDD GIVE THIS MAN AN EMMY RIGHT ABOUT FUCKING NOW!!!!

That was such a clean note, Brendan has an amazing singing voice and I'll be listening to this on repeat for A WEEK

SMG4 RELEASE PUZZLEPARK ON SPOTIFY NOW AND MY LIFE!!! IS YOURS!!!!

✧ In The End... It's For The Better...

They like using the trope of going inside a character's brain/heart/whatever to talk to them huh...

I'm not saying it as a bad thing! It's just a pattern I'm sure we've all noticed! I think it's cute!

SMG4 wouldn't be SMG4 if they at least didn't Try to save their villains, sure there's distasteful ones like that lizard that absolutely deserved it, but all the other villains had redemption arcs, heart to hearts, sympathy before dying... SMG4 is about chances, finding your people and having a heart even towards those who wronged you, even if in the end the worst happens to them

And I think that's beautiful

Regardless of having a heart, however, Meggy has the absolute right to be angry at Puzzles, maybe it wasn't right but I don't blame her for snapping at a kid, that kid Is Puzzles after all

I see two possible interpretations of Meggy becoming Leggy one more time: either- Truly to get close to Puzzles and become a true friend, or simple manipulation to get him to stop. Either are possible in my book, maybe with a little more thought I'd be able to know which one but for now I remain satisfied with being skeptical on this one, I don't care to find what the real intentions were since I know the ending.

Plus nothing is in black and white, there's a lot of layers to Puzzles' and Meggy's relationship........

And speaking of that ending-

HAH!!!!

I THOUGHT THAT SHIT WAS HILARIOUS!!

IN TRUE SMG4 FASHION YOU (SORTA) REDEEM A VILLAIN AND CELEBRATE SAVING THE DAY WITH A STUPID MEME

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO FOLKS IT'S SMG4 IT'S THE FUNNY HAHA MEME SHOW!!

STOP TAKING IT SO FUCKING SERIOUSLY THE WHOLE TIME!!

IT CAN BE SERIOUS AND STUPID!!!!

Mr Puzzles SHOULD go to the psych ward, HE'S FUCKING INSANE

YOU DON'T GET REDEEMED IMMEDIATELY AFTER ALL THAT!!

I'm glad they didn't redeem him completely! I didn't believe him at all when he said he learned a valuable lesson! I was like No The Fuck You Didn't!

You can have a redemption later! That's okay! I trust the writers with handling the arcs and making them good! And you heard Luke, they might bring him back later! (Which is a definite yes!)

I would love for them to take it slow with Puzzles, not immediately of course, let him breathe and write another arc right now, settle things with everything and everyone and THEN you can break him out, the universe is full of possibilities, and I'm SURE I will enjoy whatever the SMG4 crew writes

Haeheh she looks like a nerd with those goggles

Someone's Artist Puzzles AU just came true btw-

"And Didney shut down..!" :D

The Showgrounds is gonna start looking more like an actual carnival too!! Wahoo!!

I WANT THAT FUCKING HOODIE-

That Puzzle plushie looks so ugly I LOVE HIMMMM

I WANT THAT FUCKING POSTER AND KEYCHAIN

SOMEONE PLEASE FUCKING COMMISSION ME SO I CAN BUY THEMMMMMM AEUGHHHHHH

Thank YOU LUKE AND SMG4 CREW FOR GIVING US THIS WOTFI!!! I LOVED IT WITH ALL MY HEART <33

I would love to hang out and go get some pizza with Mr Puzzles :(

And finally... that lil jingle to end with the rolling credits

✧ Final Thoughts

Believe me when I say I think this is the best possible ending for Puzzles, he doesn't die, he doesn't get completely redeemed, but he does face consequences and he gets a chance for the future, best of both worlds me thinks

I loved this rollercoaster that was Puzzlevision, I might've hopped on the train sorta late but I stayed for all the duration of the ride and I had a blast <3

Mr Puzzles was great and maliciously loveable, learning about all these characters and growing to care about them was amazing, I'm really happy I have a new series I can watch and analyze and enjoy!! I'll be remaining in my seat with my one ticket until I get off the SMG4 train, not sure when!! But until then you can expect me to still love this show, draw for it and analyze it much more than any reasonably normal person should.

If you've read this far, I love you soso much and hope you enjoyed this hell of a scroll, because I spent so many hours on this shit YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND-

K BYEEEE <333

[mtkay13]

Gonna post TWO hoboxus today because I CAN! (still desperately trying to catch up with my twitter posts LOL help I'm terrible at this)

From a meme based on art by KOTTERI, the author of Veil (among amazing other things). Find them on twitter @_K0TTERl_!

More musing below, as per usual! (Be ready it's a LONG one again)

I really hesitated with how I wanted to do this. The original had this gorgeous red poster that seemed like a perfect fit for WKX:

(@_K0TTERl_)

Either I went for the imagery of ZZS wistfully gazing upon the mysterious and eccentric WKX, which would definitely have been more aesthetic and undeniably fitting, or I went the semi-humorous route of channelling the "WKX fell for that ugly hobo and his gorgeous shoulder blades" meme-ified side of their dynamic.

Well, clearly that's where I ended up going, but I feel like explaining a bit.

For me, this picture was three-folds:

First part is the meme; it's kind of funny, kind of ridiculous, and sets the tone of what TYK starts off as; rather absurd, with its reasonable dose of dark humor, and the (at first seemingly improbable) meeting and love story between a silly dying hobo and a strange, suspicious, hedonistic gentleman. It felt thematically appropriate for TYK to twist the original image and put the obviously uglier one on the poster since TYK relies heavily on genre subversion to begin with.

Secondly, there is WKX. So, controversial opinion (/jk) but I don't think WKX was necessarily convinced or even really thought that ZZS was "a beauty" underneath his alleged mask. It was probably a mix of various feelings and teasing/provoking which lead to this joke. First, everything he expresses throughout the book and in extra 4; the fascination for this man who seemed too hide great strength and was of no known identity--who was probably more than what he seemed.

(I'm gonna push it just a little bit ((but isn't that the fun of literary interpretation)), but the "beauty under the mask" is not only physical. It could be a way to say, I think that beneath your raunchy, ridiculous attitude, beneath your gross appearance, beneath the pretense that you're a nobody, that you're a peasant, you're probably someone of great importance and great accomplishments, someone much stronger than you pretend to be--someone like me, perhaps, even. The shoulder blades references are, besides of course WKX *actually* noticing them, the observation of how ZZS moves, of how agile his body is, etc...)

Anyway-- the entire point of this intro is to say that to me, this isn't actually referring to that whole side of their dynamic (or not entirely), but rather to that passage that I am STILL OBSESSED WITH where Wen Kexing recognizes ZZS just from the way he's sitting in a restaurant, and that makes him feel things not entirely positive:

Zhou Zishu stepped into an inn alone. He chose a seat by a window, ordered a few side dishes and a jug of mulled rice wine, and drank it slowly while soaking in the sunshine. As soon as Wen Kexing walked in, he saw Zhou Zishu from behind. He didn’t know why, but he thought that this view was quite special—he could always pick it out of a crowd. Zhou Zishu did not sit with his back straight. Most of the time, he lounged indolently at an angle that looked exceptionally comfortable. Wen Kexing thought that it seemed as though nothing weighed on him; seeing him was enough to ease the heart. Wen Kexing unconsciously halted his steps. He stared at Zhou Zishu’s relaxed silhouette for a while, with no trace of an expression in his face or eyes. His heart swelled with some strange feeling—strange, in that it was no feeling at all. He felt as though this man was mocking him with this wordless posture; he who rushed around for one thing or another, who was burdened with so many cares, yet obstinately put on a devil-may-care persona. Zhou Xu—as carefree as duckweed, he thought, with a body like willow catkins. In all the world, with its boundless perspectives, where could you find someone who walked their path alone and never allowed anything to trouble them? Yet he was not apathetic—he had his joy, his anger, his sorrow—and they came in a flash as quickly as they went. Within the blink of an eye, he had forgotten it already.

(Tian Ya Ke, chapter 18, TL by Lianzi) (have I quoted this already??? If not I should have I love this passage so much)

AND THEN QUOTING ANOTHER PASSAGE (LOL), TL by me this time:

From the moment he'd noticed his shoulderblades, felt this rush of excitement, to when he'd started liking who Zhou Zishu was, when he'd thought——so this is the Commander of Tian Chuang. Suddenly, he'd felt as if he'd met his other self. Both of them, lone wolves caught in a hunter's trap, struggling for freedom to no avail, until they had resolved to coldly gnawing off their own legs in the end. He'd felt compelled to follow him around, watched him, until he suddenly realised—if Zhou Zishu could live like this, then surely, so could he?

(Full passage in this other post LOL)

So yes, THIS. Those two things. That's it. Need I say more? HAH OF COURSE I DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO (help)

More seriously--the way WKX is captivated by ZZS' apparent carefreeness and freedom, all the different feelings (or absence thereof, as he puts it, which I interpret as so distant from what he's used to feel that it almost feels like nothing at all) is what I was going for here.... By not showing his face at all LMAO

The envy, the frustration--the impression of being mocked, but also the longing, how it inspired him to follow along and try to be free like he was.

-cough- yes, so that was point 2 out of 3.

Now lastly, about ZZS himself and my representation of him as hoboxu. I think (?) I've written enough about him that I think I can keep this succint. I love how priest often makes a point of expliciting, in the book, how he's so often smiling, and how he's always incredibly energetic in the morning, as if the night of pain had never happened. I like to think that hoboxu is both a carricature of a ridiculous character that ZZS has fun embodying---but also a liberated expression of his deeper self.

WKX feels like he's mocking him, but ZZS is also mocking himself relentlessly, when he feels like the outside resembles the inside finally, when he feels ridiculous in these new robes, when he allows himself the most outrageous behavior---and then there's mocking life itself, mocking jianghu, mocking everything that he nonetheless deeply cherishes. It's almost... gently mocking, affectionate mocking of everything because his own life has become a joke yet he's still going to enjoy it to the fullest--drinking to his heart's content, rolling in the mud and visiting touristy sites (or so he intended).

In the end... the world is still in his own hands. He chose everything, chose the way he lived, the way he (would have) died and still has the power to dissappear at will--but he stays. Stays and endures what he pretends annoys him, because he can't help himself, because he's ridiculous and is aware of it and may as well have some fun while being so.

I can't seem to ever have enough of this, of this vibe. I wanted to have him laugh at and with WKX, at and with the people seeing him, at and with himself, at and with the narrative.

SO YEAH HAH THATS HUM THAT'S IT. You know what they say, it's only a fun meme if there's an essay behind it (noone says that help 😭😭😭😭)

I hope you had fun reading it and have a nice weeked 🤪

[homestuckreplay]

radiation poisoning from my libertarian grandpa :(

(page 779-791)

A few days of updates here! I was kinda mad about the Fruit Update on the 18th. I like captchalogue mechanics, it’s fun to see how all the different modi work and the different situations characters can get into when the modi go wrong. But a five page update of just picking up fruit was too much for me. I simply could not find an interesting thing to say about that.

But now we’ve seen more of Jade’s house, and it’s… a lot. Her atrium having four wings might be relevant later, but doesn’t mean much yet – same with the beautiful pink and yellow clouds outside. Her real instrument looks like a bass guitar (due to its four strings). A trend I noticed before of the kids’ rooms getting messier and houses and lives getting weirder with each successive introduction definitely peaks here. Jade’s room is littered with plushies, plants, guns and uranium, and her grandfather might be the strangest of the four guardians, stranger than a business clown, a ventriloquist rapper, or a woman who builds a cat mausoleum with a secret passage.

Jade’s grandfather is a ‘WORLD RENOWNED EXPLORER-NATURALIST-TREASURE HUNTER-ARCHEOLOGIST-SCIENTIST-ADVENTURER-BIG GAME HUNTER-BILLIONAIRE EXTRAORDINAIRE’ (p.790) which doesn’t paint a great picture to me. That description suggests a man whose quest for personal glory eclipses any regard for other cultures, the environment, health and safety guidelines, or anyone ‘weaker’ than he is. He probably ‘discovered’ the frog statue island we see in WV: Ascend and took it as a trophy, raising his family there even if that’s not the best thing for the island ecosystem or his granddaughter’s life and health.

Jade’s bed and her two closets (below and inside her room) are all topped with strange reddish orbs on spires. It could be coincidence – there’s only so many shapes – but they remind me of the orb spires the kernelsprites land in after hatching (p.424), and as such, could have some connection to her strange powers. Jade’s other contraptions, gadgets and gizmos are a mystery to me – I know the window is a Problem Sleuth reference, but for the photoshopped in devices, I can barely begin to speculate. I do think that given the sciences of appearification, transportalization, alchemy, sylladices and strife specibi, these probably don’t have the same in-universe applications as their real world references. Physics simply works differently in the world of Homestuck, and I’m trying to make fewer assumptions about the world’s fundamentals (beyond gravity, which we’ve witnessed often).

Jade has been so associated with prognostication and esoteric knowledge that finding out she is also a nuclear physicist, a very different type of knowledge, was such a moment of characterization whiplash that puts her at both extremes of the science-religion dichotomy.

The uranium nuggets in Jade’s room, and recurring atomic symbol on her contraptions matching the bunker’s fuel gauge, are more connections between her and WV. But her room contains nods to all her friends, too. Her Slimer poster and magic chest are obvious John references. Her Squiddles poster and plushes are something Rose likes enough to put on a shirt, really hurting her dark eldritch aesthetic, and the anthropomorphic Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff art is signed TO: GG FROM: TG (he even drew his stupid record symbol). Worse, the Manthro Chaps Jade collects are definitely part of the Smuppets line of products; their design is so similar.

A becquerel is the standard unit of radioactive decay per second, and luckily for Jade, one becquerel is not harmful to human health – in fact, human bodies are constantly undergoing several thousand Bq of radioactive decay (even the skeleton has its own radioactive isotopes). I wonder if this is Jade’s cute name for her pet because she loves science, or if this creature has been mutated by Jade or her grandfather’s experimentation, and got the name that way. It could explain why Dave calls Bec a ‘devilbeast’ (p.382) and thinks he should be shot. (Seeing Jade’s gun collection also makes this line feel way too real).

JADE SHIRT DESIGNS TALLY: Atom, Leaf, Pumpkin, Slimer, Spirograph, Squiddle, Creature

> Jade: Engineer a glass case for your URANIUM and store it outside.

[crguang]

I feel like there’s a lot of sacrificing for a joke in hsr, which is definitely annoying especially when it just…doesn’t make sense, tonally and just logically. And I really do wish we found out more abt the TB, and I would’ve like even like a tidbit from firefly since we talk to her sm, we even play as her at the end. Or maybe get an offhand mention abt how she’s not supposed to tell us bc of the script or smth . I def agree w you, I cannot take the ipc seriously, bc there’s all this stuff abt how they’re doing stuff for their own benefit and profit but idk the stuff w the stellaron hunters and them is just so goofy, like it doesn’t make any sense.

ok so, I was looking thru ur blog and I realized I sent a message abt two-ish weeks ago, tumblr probably ate it smh. I was just saying how it was silly that Kafka’s wanted poster literally says she likes coats on it, and her bounty, like that’s it. Shes so sjsjshbsbddbbewv. And I also came up with another fic idea, like Kafka in an idol/band AU, but also I think her being an actor w the other stellaron hunters would be funny. But yk if I ever get around to writing anything instead of Kafka just living in my brain, who would she be in a band with, I was think abt using some of the characters from the animated before the show starts thing, but the instruments just don’t go together. Also I think I need to work on writing Kafka in general, bc she’s so complicated and it’s fun but I also overthink things too much.

And the leaks were unfortunately right abt 4 characters on one side. I’m not as devastated as you ofc, but hopefully I win my 50/50. Hjskalskskskndn I will cry if I loose.

also, no need to apologize for ranting, your rants always make more sense than mine, and I really enjoy your thoughts. -🌠

i agree with you 100%!!! missed opportunity with firefly and the tb reconnecting it could have been so nice. and omg i think i read that ask, it sounds familiar but i have so many (most are really old reqs, the recent ones are the event reqs i keep to answer eventually) and sometimes things get lost or i’ll click on the notification, answer in my head, then go do something else and forget to actually post my reply, im sorry😭😭 but YES i was thinking of kafka’s description in the game and while i know its the objective writing of the game and not the ipc, i find it funny to believe that whoever was in charge of her wanted notice thought she was hot as fuck because “dashing” and “beauty” in the same sentence is crazy work. her bounty is even funnier bc im wondering how they found out that she loved coats like😭 did she steal a bunch (she did), are they rlly monitoring her credit card and seeing all the purchases of expensive coats, is she always found in a store— what is it?!

actor au stellaron hunters would be really fun… you could also just put then in a band together for the idol/band au because i do think they’re the people who understand her best. the thought of kafka and jingliu practicing together is so funny because jingliu would hate that woman like GDJFBFNG her arrogance would have liu clenching that instrument so tight

i dont think you should worry about overthinking when it comes to writing, it can be a weakness because then you focus too much on details and forget the big picture, but personally i also think j too much into things when i write characters like kafka especially. when every genuine emotion is in the twitch of a finger, there’s kinda no choice lol

“im not as devastated as you” is killing me but its true… im the biggest victim of this banner system bc if i dont get my swanie i’ll @)&$(&)@)£<£#%. i hope u win the 50/50, unless i lose mine in which case i hope everyone else also loses <3

[where-fading-princesses-live]

Finally got around to watching Being the Recardos on Amazon Prime after procrastinating for months... ugh, why do I torture myself? I knew it was going to be God-awful.

I generally hate biopics. It’s just too hard to cram an entire person’s life in 2 hours. I much prefer to read a biography or memoir which offers deeper insight and can be thorough and detailed or watch a doc. Real stories are always more interesting than dramatizations. That being said, my main issue was with the casting. I just couldn’t see Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem disappear into the roles of Lucy and Desi. They looked NOTHING like them. I will give props to Kidman to at least nailing Lucy’s voice, but otherwise, her hair and makeup was atrocious and did not embody Lucy at all (it looks better on the obviously photoshopped poster, trust me... it looks like utter sh- in the movie). I generally like Bardem but he was miscast as Desi. So he’s got an accent so what? A guy who was shorter and didn’t speak in a deep baritone would have been a better choice. I would have preferred unknowns in these parts. When you use A-list actors who are supposed to be representing Icons, it’s hard to see them as the people they’re meant to be portraying because they’re too recognizable themselves. 

I also had issues with the actress playing Vivan Vance as well (too lazy to look up her name). She was about the right age as Viv maybe a couple years younger but much too thin and pretty. Viv was an attractive woman when she wasn’t playing Ethel (they always made her look frumpy and older than she was irl) but you have to keep in mind she wasn’t a pin-up girl, either and she wasn’t old but she wasn’t that young either. She was 42 albeit classy but still... the hair was all wrong and I just couldn't see her as Vivian. In fact, after comparing their pictures side by side I think Vivian was much more glamorous but she wasn’t supposed to look that glamorous as Ethel... they let Ethel be glammed up in the later episodes and this was an issue that cropped up in the movie but still. The actress didn’t even try to do her voice and sounded nothing like Vivian so she just didn’t do it for me. The only actor that completely fit his part was JK Simmons as William Frawley. Maybe he was thinner than Frawley but he got the voice and mannerisms down pat that if I closed my eyes I could totally see Frawley speaking. Now if only the rest of the cast was as good as he was, the movie would have been at least partly bearable.

I gather this movie was intended to be a low budget TV movie because that’s exactly what it felt like. No effort put into it all because it went direct to streaming. 

Also there were so many historical inaccuracies, too many to list off but purist Lucy fans would spot the inconsistencies from a mile away (the most glaring issue was how Lucy and Desi met on the set of Too Many Girls in 1940).

Honestly... the costume department couldn’t have done a worse job...

Was this supposed to be Lucy’s natural brunette hair? Cause no.... no it’s not. 

Sorry but Kidman just couldn’t capture her beauty at all... 

The Communist speech was also really cheesy... the audience reactions could not be more forced and you can tell when they were told to gasp and look shocked. If Desi’s speech was staged for the cameras I could forgive the forced reactions but it was not staged and the audience irl was not expecting Desi’s speech. If you look up the actual address Desi gave to the studio audience it was much less dramatic and easier to suspend one’s disbelief.

The film offered nothing new either... in fact the crappy 1991 TV movie Before the Laughter did a more entertaining job of capturing Lucy and Desi’s rocky marriage than this movie did. I didn’t care for Maurice Benard as Desi but Frances Fisher KILLED it as Lucy. It was not a great movie by any means but I’d rather watch that one any day over this hot mess.

The only thing I can say that was positive was that it was a wise choice to zero in on a single week of filming the I Love Lucy show as opposed to showing their entire lives and careers. we see parts of that but there was too much to show in 2 hours so focusing on a single moment in their lives and what led up to that was for the best so that it didn’t feel too rushed. Biopics work best when you’re focusing on just one thing. But that being said the movie still fell flat on its character development and there was no emotional connection to Lucy and Desi at all. In 2 hours I felt like I still didn’t really know who these people were. It was a very surface level movie with no real deep commentary or themes or anything. I also hated the fake interviews with the writers as the movie’s opening it was very weak and cliche. They were trying to push this movie as a docu drama but it wasn’t. It was just another bad dramatization of two Hollywood Legends with no new insight. 

But then I didn’t really expect it to be a good movie so can’t say it met my expectations or really disappointed me because I had none going in.

I’m definitely going to watch the far more superior documentary Lucy and Desi directed by Amy Poehler. Docs are always 10000x better than crappy biopics.

[ciaossu-imagines]

I'm back with another Saiyuki ask ✌️

So you know, the Ikkou is really famous, anywhere they go, they get stopped by townspeople who want Sanzo to chant Sutras and such... So, that's kinda Sanzo's fanclub.

Do you think Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo have a fanclub too ? How good would they be at handling it ? Maybe Kogaiji, Dokugaku, Yaone and Lirin have one too, they seem really loved among yokais.

Anyway, I got "inspired" while listening to the Idol drama-cd lol

This one made me laugh quite a bit! I love this idea and had a lot of fun answering this one! Thank you so much for the request and I hope you'll enjoy the headcanons!

Okay, realistically, I don't think Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo have fan-clubs all their very own, though they are recognized and known. I think it's more that they're recognized and known though as companions to Sanzo and fans of theirs are normally already part of Sanzo's fan-club and they're liked by extension.

But just because the idea of it really amuses me, we're going to put that realistically aside and pretend that yes, all three of these dorks have their own fan-clubs and that they're all just as sizeable as Sanzo's.

Now, Gojyo definitely would get a little bit of a swollen ego when he first learns he has a fan-club. He's going to be pissed if it turns out that most of his fans are men...he's really hoping his fan-club consists of mostly beautiful women. He definitely would be the one to take advantage of a beautiful woman being a fan of his already to get laid, if the click and connection was there with that person. Otherwise, he might have a drink with a fan, if they amuse or seem cool to him. He tends to be pretty okay and friendly to his fan-club, but only if they don't come off as being annoying or wanting too much from him.

Hakkai is the most level-headed and realistic about having a fan-club. He knows that his so called fans really don't know anything about him at all, that they're infatuated with an idea of him and not who he actually is. So he never really has moments of ego or lets it get to his head at all. He'll remain polite and civil to any of his so-called fans and he won't go out of his way to be rude to them at all. He's generally pretty okay with being approached, as long as they don't take up too much of his time or cross any of his boundaries but for the most part, he prefers not to interact with his fan-club all that much.

Much like Gojyo, I do see Goku enjoying the idea of having a fan-club and he thinks it's really cool. He sees most of his 'fan-club' as friends and it might go to his head a little at first. For the most part, he's cheerful and nice to everyone who is his fan, though he really hates it when they start to get demanding or if they get too touchy-feely with him and that's when he has no problem letting them know they need to back off. While probably the friendliest of the three, Goku has no problem putting his foot down and making people back the fuck off and he does have a temper. If people annoy him too much, he's just going to walk away and if they try to stop him, he's cool with a fight too, if they look at all strong.

Okay, but honestly, when it comes to Kougaiji...you know how teenage girls hang posters and cut out pictures of their favourite celebrities and such all over their walls? If such things existed in the Saiyuki universe, I think Kou would be plastered all over so many demon girl's walls and probably a fair few demon boy's as well. He's a huge deal to demons and as he's fairly handsome, I think that really helps his popularity among the demon girls in particular. However, he's really not that great about handling the whole 'I have a rabid, insanely passionate fan-club' thing. He appreciates their support, sure, but like...they're more terrifying than some of the enemies he has faced and he can't just kill them like he does his enemies. He largely tries to avoid them as much as he can and it's part of Yaone and Dokugakuji's responsibilities to help him do such.

[smolwritingchick]

The Bangtan Gal Chapter 27- KCON 2014

Chapter Summary: BTS attend KCON for the first time. Jennie meets G-Dragon. Someone makes a surprise visit for Jennie

Words: 5,000+

-----

'Los Angeles, California'

Standing in front of their van, they applauded in front of the cameras, eager to what was to come for K-Con. Jennie wore jean shorts, Nikes and a Spongebob shirt. She also wore a black snapback over her head.

"Where do you guys want to go?" Suga asked. "I wore a Mickey Mouse hat because I want to go to Disneyland!"

"Go to Disney World, in Florida!" Jennie suggested. "We should all go, one day."

"We just changed, why don't we go to the beach?" Rapmon mentioned. "I didn't get first place last time nor go to the beach!" He whined.

"Breathe!" Jen shouted as she started shaking him, to calm him down.

"We need to go to the beach!" Jimin declared.

Raising his hand, J-Hope spoke, "Let's go shopping!"

"Yeah! Shopping!" Jin agreed

"What? Shopping? I'm in." Rapmon laughed

"Beach!" Jen said in a loud voice. "B.E.A.C.H!"

"I guess we are going to the beach since the majority of the members want to go to the beach."

Suga shrugged. "For the members who couldn't go last time." He placed a hand on Jimin's shoulder.

"I like the beach, too." Jungkook added

"Beaches in Los Angeles are very famous."

"We can go for Rap Monster and Jimin."

"Shopping is so tempting, too."

After bickering, they headed into the bus. Jennie laughed at J-Hope's excessive screaming along with V and Suga. The rest of the members just stare. 

"They're out of their minds." Jin declared.

"I should have voted for shopping." Rapmon chuckled to himself.

Watching the guys bicker about the beaches in Busan, they turn to her and ask her about the beaches in America. "Depends on where you go. You'd have to see it in person." She answered. When they received a poster with their faces on it, Jen snickered at her photo as they started the ladder game. "Is my head really that big?"

'What is the ladder game?'

'After a member draws a random line to connect the columns, follow the path to see which team member will be placed in it.'

"These are old pic of us." Jungkook pointed out

"My hair looks a hot mess in this picture, ugh." Jen cringed at how her curls were all over the place.

"Aw! Ennie's hair!" V cooed.

"Please stop." She groaned.

"You look like you're going to kill someone." Jimin pointed to J-Hope, looking at his photo with the mask.

"These are our debut album pictures." Jin asserted.

"These are from more than a year ago," Suga added.

"Can we not look at these pictures again, please?" Rap Monster asked.

'What is the image game?'

'Point to the member that best fits the answer to the question. Who is the most popular member to fans?'

"Who's the most childish?" Suga read the card. "Three, two, one!"

Jennie pointed to Jin while the rest pointed at each other. "Why me? Why?" Jin looked around, over the loud shouts of his name.

"We all picked Jin!" Suga cheered.

"There is a reason for it." Jin tried to explain. "I'm 23 years old and our youngest member is 16 in America. I'm trying so hard to get along with you guys."

"Is that why you buy Mario toys?" Rapmon threw him under the bus.

"Even adults like Mario!"

"Many adults collect toys as a hobby." Suga bluntly agreed. "Next, which member is the trickster?"

"We don't even have to think about this one." V laughed as everyone pointed to Suga.

"I still feel like you're gonna draw on my face again." Jennie let out a sigh. Suga chuckled to himself, considering her words. "Don't get any big ideas!"

"No promises. Who's the best duo in BTS?" Suga read the card and everyone pointed to Jimin and V. "The 1995 duo."

"Please stop picking on each other!" Rapmon exclaimed while Jimin and V bickered back and forth saying what

"Who is the most beautiful member?"

Not thinking much of it, Jen pointed to Jin while the rest of the members pointed to her.

Jin pointed to himself but widened his eyes in surprise at the result. "Wha!? Not me? I'm the princess!" He sputtered.

"Miss Bangtan is the most beautiful. End of discussion!" Jimin shouted.

"I'm offended." Jin huffed

After playing, Suga won the game with three picks and he drew the lines on the board. Team A consisted of J-Hope, Rapmon, Suga and Jungkook. Team B currently consisted of V and Jimin. And once Suga put Jennie on Team B, Jimin and V started cheering enthusiastically.

Jungkook looked at the board, to see what the fuss was about and yelled, "NO!"

"YES~" V cheered.

"This can't be right!"

"IT IS~"

"AHAHAHAH! WE HAVE JENNIE! IN YOUR FACE!" Jimin shouted and held her hand, giving it a few kisses. "Thank you, Jennie. Thank you. We will win for sure!"

"You're welcome?" She let out a soft laugh.

"We're going to win~" V cheered, high fiving Jimin and Jin.

"I will be the leader of Team B." Jimin suggested.

Jungkook swiped her hat over her head and put it on his head instead, while she tried to get it back, failing every attempt. "We have the main vocal and the rappers." Rap Monster confidently spoke.

"They have the leftovers."

"UM! Who you calling a leftover? We're winning this, so that smile won't be on your face for long." Jennie called him out.

"We'll see, missy."

Arriving at the beach, they announced the three missions.

'Mission #1: Take a picture with someone holding a camera'

'Mission #2: Take a picture with someone holding a surfboard'

'Mission #3: Teach someone the Bangtan Chant'

"I'm so happy Ennie is on our team. We can easily communicate." V sighed out of relief.

"Oh yeah? Well, we have Rapmon!" Jungkook shouted in annoyance.

"Don't rely on me!" Rap Monster let out a whine.

'First team to successfully complete all three missions will be deemed the prize winning victor!'

Walking outside, Jennie looked around to find two teen boys with a surfboard. "Over there!" She pointed while her team ran past her to approach them

"Can I take a picture with you?" Jin asked in English.

"Hey! Can we take a picture with you?" Jennie added on, meeting up with them.

"Yeah, go for it." The boy shrugged while Jimin held the camera.

"Should we flex?" The second boy asked, trying to show off his muscles.

"One! Two! Three!" Jimin took the photo.

"Thank you!" Jin politely said in English.

They hug them and cheer before running off to the next mission. Rushing past Team A, Jennie decided to swipe her snapback off Jungkook's head, earning a loud "Yah!" in response as she ran off ahead.

Turning around, she stuck her tongue out and ran along with her team, ignoring his shouts.

"Can we do the chant first?" Jimin asked

"We might as well!" Jennie answered and approached a group of girls. "Hi, do you mind chanting with us?"

"Chanting?" One of the girls questioned.

"We need to say, 'Bangtan, Bangtan! And you have to say Bang Bangtan! Think you can do that for us?"

"And take picture," Jin added. "One, two! Bangtan, Bangtan, Bang Bangtan and picture, click!"

Jimin set up the camera. Team B shouted, "Bangtan Bangtan, Bang Bangtan!" With the group and snapped a photo.

"Thank you so much! Have a great day!" Jennie thanked them and ran with her team.

"Oh no, they're almost finished!" J-Hope looked on.

"One last mission!" Jennie exclaimed.

Her heart was racing, her team had to win this. She didn't want to lose.

"Let's go find a camera!" Jin dashed forward. "Where is the camera, man!? Camera, camera."

"Let's go closer to the water. I feel like it'd be easier if we got closer to the water." Jimin suggested.

"Alright, let's move." V walked along and the team walked into the street. "Sorry!"

"Sorry!" Jimin turns to the cars, looking apologetic.

"Screw it, I am not apologizing, the light is green. Just keep running," Jennie huffed out of breath. Near the beach, they continued their search. Hectically searching for someone with a camera until they approached a couple. "Excuse me! Hi! We're currently on a mission and we have to take a picture with someone holding a camera, do you mind if we take a picture with you?"

"Oh, sure." The lady obliged and Jimin quickly took the picture.

"Thank you so much! Have a good one!"

"RUN!" Jimin shouted as they started to dash back to the bus. Jennie sprinted ahead of them. "Run Jennie! Run like the wind! Run like it's the last time you're running! RUUNNNNNNNN~!"

"It's too hot to be running." She sprinted her way to the bus, in the heat. They stopped at a red light as Team A joined them. Gasping for air, she put her hands on her knees for a moment and stood back up. Glistening with sweat, thanks to the physical activity, Jen remained determined to win the challenge with her team.

"We have Jungkook!" Rap Monster happily said. "I have faith in you."

Glancing at Jungkook, she caught him competitively staring her down. He had a cocky smirk on his face as he prepared himself. "If I win, I want your smarties." He demanded.

"Hell no! Not on my watch! If I win, you're not getting any!"

"Make the best team win."

Once the light turned green, Jin held onto Jungkook while Jennie sprinted ahead with her team to get the first seats in the van.

"We won!" Jimin happily cheered. "We arrived first!"

Feeling accomplished, Jennie sighed out of relief and shouted, "AYEEEE!"

After everyone got back in the van, Rap Monster murmured in defeat, "Alright, we lost...I called you guys the leftovers but we lost." 

Jimin spoke, "It's our destiny. How could you call us the leftovers? I was so upset that I had to win!"

"It was more like, who could run faster?" Suga added

"I know, I trusted Jungkook!" Rap Monster exclaimed

"Jin grabbed my arm!" Jungkook explained. "And I wanted Jennie's smarties!"

"Here, you goofball, I was planning on giving you some, anyway!" She laughed and handed him a few packs.

"I'm happy, now."

"What's the prize?" Suga asked as the producer checked out the photos from both teams. After showing off their photos, Jimin continuously asked for the prize.

For the prize, it was mini display surfboards.

"Awe yeeahhhh!" Jennie happily accepted the surfboard. Her surfboard was orange and black, showing off a tropical vibe.

"They're for display." Jungkook looked on

"I don't need it at all!" Rapmon brushed it aside.

"I think these could be a nice display in our recording room," Jin said

"Since you did your best, I will give these to everybody." The producer handed them more mini surfboards. Jimin held them hostage while the guys tried to snatch them from him.

----

'KCON 2014 Downtown, LA'

When it was time for the High Touch, BTS walked out to piercing screams and cheers. Jennie matched her members' grey clothes with her hair out in curls.

The cheers were welcoming, yet deafening.

"AHHHHHHH!"

"JUNGKOOKIE! JUNGKOOK-AH! YOU'RE SO CUTE!"

"J-HOPE!"

"RAPMON!"

"JENNIE! OH MY GOD!"

Smiling and waving at the screaming crowd, Jen stood in between Suga and Jin as the eight members greeted the crowd on stage. She blew kisses at the fans and laughed at how their screaming got even louder.

After greeting the fans during the fan engagement, each of the members took the time to introduce themselves to the crowd. Once it was her turn to speak, she looked around at the eager smiles of the fans who were thrilled to see her and the rest of the members.

"Hey~" She waved before widening her eyes at the loud screams. "Oh wow! I wasn't prepared!" She let out a laugh.

"JENNIE, I LOVE YOU!" A fan shouted

"I love you, too! What's up, guys!? I'm so happy to be back, in America! I see you and the fan signs." She pointed to a few fans who made Jennie signs. "For those who don't know me, I'm Jennie! Your Bangtan Girl. I love y'all~ thank you so much for coming to see us!" She let out another laugh over their high pitched screams.

"YES GIRL!"

"JENNIE~"

When asked by the MC if they could choose any K-pop group who would it be and why, Rap Monster answered in English, "If we had a chance, of course, it would be Big Bang."

"Any particular reason?" The MC asked

"Of course, their music is crazy and their performances are crazy." He rambled on.

"Yes, and they're badass!" Jennie enthused. 

G-Dragon is supposed to be performing at K-Con, maybe she could try to find him and introduce herself, if possible.

When asked about what was it like to debut, their experience, and what it's like up until now, Jennie genuinely answered after Rapmon. "Honestly, I still can't believe I'm here. Like I'm surrounded by all these amazing fans and a part of an amazing group. I'm grateful. I was so nervous when I first debuted. I get butterflies, just thinking about it. Coming from America to Korea was a big change and I honestly never imagined I would get this far, especially with these guys. Anything you set your mind to, just go for it. Anything can happen if you work hard. Thank you for the support!"

Once asked about their passions outside of performing and doing music, Jennie smiled at some of her member's broken English. When Jin handed her the mic, she answered, "I love playing the guitar, so I like to work on my guitar skills."

"I'm about to cry, she's so cool!" A fan said while filming on their phone.

"I also like to play golf. I have a guilty pleasure for it." Jennie shrugged with a smile.

"Ugh! She's so precious." Another fan said while filming.

For the final question, they are asked what games they like to play or things they like to do when bored, Rap Monster answered, "We play crazy music and dance around." He started dancing. "TURN UP!"

For the high touch session, standing in between V and Suga, Jennie kept a bright smile on her face as each of the fans walked across the stage, tagging each of their hands.

"Jennie~" A girl squealed in a high pitched voice as she tagged her hand. Jen let out a giggle at her fangirling. It was something she was still not used to.

"Your hands are so soft!" A guy, around her age exclaimed as soon as he tagged her hand.

"Thanks, cutie! Lotion does wonders." She quipped with a soft chuckle.

"OMG! You are my bias!" Another girl told her, shaking her hand.

"R-really? Wow. I'm pleasantly surprised. Usually, it's the guys."

"You're more popular here in America than you think. I love everything about you! Please don't stop doing what you're doing. You're my inspiration to become an American K-Pop idol."

"Thank you. No matter what, never give up. Continue to practice and work hard. It may be tiring, it may feel like your dream is far away, but it may be closer than you think. Believe in yourself. You got this. I'm looking forward to seeing you as a trainee and debuting as a soloist or in a K-Pop group in the future, missy." She gave her hands a gentle squeeze as the girl choked out a thank you because of the tears in her eyes.

Once the next female fan approached her to tag her hand, she said without nervousness in her voice, "Hi Jennie! I love your smile!"

"Hi! I love your smile, too, cutie!"

"Jennie, will you please marry me?" Another asked her as he held her hands. He too, looked around her age. "You slay my life. I have the biggest friggin' crush on you. You are seriously just too beautiful."

His eagerness and admiration in his eyes touched her. "Ight. When and where?" She teased. He freaked out in response, getting flustered before he moved on to the next member.

"I love you, Jennie!" A fan said as she passed by her.

"Love you, too!" Jen responded.

After the high touch, Jennie sat next to V and Suga at the table while groups of fans came by for their autographs.

When a teen girl approached her, she started to tear up as she held back the tears. Jennie's expression softened when she looked up at her. "Aw! Smile! Don't cry!" She held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You're real right?" She asked in a shaky voice. "I'm not dreaming?"

"Nope, in the flesh is the Bangtan Girl." She smiled sweetly and signed her autograph.

"Jennie! When are you dying your hair like the other guys? Your hair is the same color for the past few comebacks." Another fan questioned curiously.

"When you least expect it." She winked. 

Big Hit told her they wanted to leave her hair alone until a future comeback. She was looking forward to the day she would get her hair dyed but also nervous because her hair had never been touched.

"How do you deal with the hate?" A male fan asked as she signed his autograph.

"Honestly, not everyone is going to like me. I understand that. Some crazy fangirls are still angry about having a girl in BTS, claiming they want to kill me and such a such, but Rap Monster helped me to ignore the hate. He told me, 'Ignore the bullshit and not waste my time on the haters'."

"Smart man." The guy nodded. "I agree, don't even worry about the haters. Keep doing what you're doing. I enjoy having a girl in BTS. It brings a nice mix. Been a while since we've seen a coed K-Pop group. Don't worry, your USA fans have your back."

"Thanks, man!" She fist bumped him.

"Jennie, are you ever going to show your abs like the rest of the guys? You never lift your shirt in the bulletproof dance. You remind me of DO from EXO because he hasn't shown his abs yet, either." Another fan commented.

"Hahah, my abs are a work in progress. You'll see them when I'm ready."

"Can't wait! I bet it'll be when we least expect it. You're going to kill us, aren't you?"

"Maybe~."

Once the next fan approached her, she happily greeted them. "I always wanted to meet you and ask you advice on something." The guy mentioned as she looked up at him.

"What do you want advice on?"

"I want to become a rapper for a K-Pop group. But people always keep telling me it's impossible. But then I saw you...and you gave me hope that I can do it. That it is possible to be an American in a K-Pop group. How can I keep the doubts away?"

"With the people saying it's impossible, don't let that discourage you. Don't allow people to tell you that you can't do this or that. If you want to become an American rapper in a K-Pop group, go to all the auditions they have, continue working on your skills and never give up. Prove them wrong. Prove that it isn't impossible. It isn't impossible. You can do it,"

"Thank you...I really can't wait to see your growth in BTS. Been a fan since Amity."

Widening her eyes, she started to grin. "R-really?"

"Yeah, been there since day one. You're cuter than I remembered. I believe leaving the group was your best decision. You're so happy, with BTS. I've noticed."

"Smart fan, that's for sure."

"Uh huh. Can't wait to see you do big things with BTS."

"Thank you. I will never forget my fans since I started performing. If it wasn't for fans like you, I wouldn't be where I am, with all the support. So, I thank you."

"Thank you for sharing your talent with us." He smiled and moved on to the next member. Next fan snuck in a camera to record her. "Jennie, I know I'm not supposed to film but can you say hi Tateana, to my friend?"

"Yeah, sure." She looked at the hidden camera and waved. "Hey, Tateana! Wish you could be here! Thank you for supporting BTS! I hope you're having a great day! Love you, girl!"

"You're the best! Thank you!"

"Jennie! I snuck in to give you smarties!" Another fan handed it to her and her eyes lit up.

"Aw, nice! You are friggin the best! I was craving Smarties, you the MVP! Jungkook ate the rest of my smarties without telling me."

As the last group approached them during the autograph session, Jennie had her head down when she heard someone say, "Hello JW."

"Hi, what's your..." She trailed off as soon as she lifted up her head. Her stomach dropped while the guys watched her with knowing smiles and the fans were questioning her expression change.

"Hah! She's shooked!"

"Deadass...Wow, her reaction was better than expected."

"Is this how you're going to greet us?"

"She's still shooked."

Jen's throat tightened up as hot tears filled up her eyes, covering her mouth as she stood up. There in front of her were her two sisters.

"Surprise, bitch!" Vienna laughed. "Wow! You should've seen the look on your face! Hahaha!"

Out of nowhere, Jennie jumped over the table to attack them with a big hug, earning cheered and awes from the crowd. 

"What are you two doing here!?" She shouted in a brittle voice.

"Nice to see you too!" Alani laughed.

"What do you mean what are we doing here? We came to see you, goofball!" Vienna exclaimed.

"Mom and Dad send their love. They weren't able to come with us, but they're hoping to see you soon."

Letting go of them, Jen couldn't stop smiling. Even if their reunion was brief, just the fact that she could see her sisters was more than enough to boost her mood.

"We know you're busy but we wanted to visit you. Gosh, look at you. So pretty. You're glowing." Alani sighed.

"Working hard on the new album?" Vienna crossed her arms.

"Definitely." Jennie nodded.

"How's your guitar? Not slacking, are you?"

"No slacking."

"Good. All right, we gotta go! But we'll see you when you go backstage! Thank Rap Monster for allowing us to come backstage with you!"

Surprised, Jen turned her head to Namjoon, who smiled and waved at her. "You did this?" She questioned while he grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "Thank you for this."

"Anytime, JW."

After the autograph session, Jennie's sisters were allowed to go backstage with her when they had their break.

"So, what's the guy's name that you've been hanging 'round with a lot?" Vienna asked.

"I hang out with all seven of them. Be specific." Jen declared

"His name is Cook. I think his name is cookie? With a C?"

"K. Kookie. That's one of his nicknames. His name is Jungkook."

"Joon kook?"

"Jung. Kook."

"Jung-kook. Ah. Okay. I'll call him Kookie for now. He's cute! I love his smile! You two dating? When are you going to start dating? Do any of the members like you?"

"Oh, my God..." Jennie groaned, facepalming.

"I'm serious, I dunno what goes down in Korea, but they're all good looking, so you never know. Do you like any of them?"

"I have a brother and sister bond, with them!"

"Uh huh. Wait until you get older and the baby fat goes away. You probably won't think one of them is just a friend to you. Okay, so here's what you gotta do. You have condoms, right? I mean, I got some if you want-"

"VIENNA!"

"What? I'm trying to set a good example! Safe sex is better! Make sure you have condoms. And it may hurt the first time so-"

"Oh, my God, PLEASE, stop! I'm not dating, anyone! We're all busy trying to promote music, what are we going to do in a relationship? It won't work."

"IF you weren't dating someone in the group, maybe? You never know who may be looking your way! Just choose your boyfriend wisely. Make sure he's cute, treats you right, makes you laugh, all that good stuff."

"Vienna, I got it. I'm not dating, anytime soon."

"Hit me up when you start getting in your feelings. Been there, done that. Wait...what's this?" She grabbed her hand and checked out her friendship ring.

"It's a friendship ring."

"Who gave this to you? It looks nice. Oh! Kookie gave this to you? FUTURE ENGAGEMENT!" 

"STOP! It's not like that!"

"I gotta tell Alani. Better yet, let me ask Kookie himself!"

"NO!" Jen shouted in horror, running after Vienna. She managed to jump on her back, halting her steps.

People laughed at their banter while Alani sighed when she watched the two bicker.

"Oh, my GOD! Stop harassing her! Leave Jennie alone!" Alani shouted in annoyance. "Am I the only mature one, around here?"

After catching up with her sisters, they left to attend the rest of the convention, saying their heartfelt goodbyes. It sucked she would have to leave them, again, but it was nice to see family, back at home.

Walking backstage after eating, Jen's stomach dropped when she saw G-Dragon nearby, sitting on a chair, on his phone. How in the world just luck manage to have him right there in front of her? Her mom always told her, to just walk up to people and introduce yourself and see how everything goes.

With butterflies in her stomach, she decided to approach him.

'He's just a guy. An epic guy, might I add. But just say hi. Say hi and run away.' She thought as she made her way to him. "Excuse me." Her voice sounded more timid than usual.

Looking up from his phone, G-Dragon immediately smiled softly, causing her face to warm up. 

"Hi! My name is Jennie. From BTS. It's so nice to finally meet you, G-Dragon." She bowed politely.

She felt like she was about to embarrass herself as she tried to keep herself together. But the way he stared at her, so intently, was intimidating. He stood up and bowed as well.

"Hi!" He intertwined his hands with hers and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Jennie. I've heard a lot about you."

'He's holding my hands-he's holding my hands! Act natural!' She freaked out in her head. 

"Re-really? I hope it's all positive. Gosh, I'm trying not to pass out. You're so amazing."

"Thank you, I think you're amazing, too. First time at K-Con? What do you think?"

"I love it! They need to continue this. I believe K-Con will get bigger, every year. I hope we can come back again next year or in the near future. I'm looking forward to your performance. I know it's gonna be lit."

"Are you adjusting to the industry, well? It's not every day we see a girl like you in a K-Pop group. Your Korean is very good."

'Look at me, having a conversation with G-Dragon and he's complimenting me on my Korean. Don't let me wake up from this dream, yet!' She thought. 

"I'm well-adjusted now, thanks for asking. The members helped me with everything. I'm enjoying this opportunity."

G-Dragon continued to stare down at her with a smile. "BTS, right?"

"Yep. We're working on our new album, it'll be coming out soon. Um, do you mind if we take a picture? The guys aren't going to believe me when I tell them, I met you."

Letting out a laugh, he nodded and gestured for her to take out her phone. Taking out her phone, and opening the camera app, he put his arm around her shoulders and flashed a grin for the camera while she smiled for the selfie.

Then she decided to take a video. "We're here at KCON LA! And explain to me why I'm with THE G-Dragon, right now? I'm screaming internally!"

"What up!?" He threw up a peace sign. "Shout out to BTS! Shout out to Miss Bangtan! Good luck with your upcoming album!"

After posting the video and selfie on the BTS Twitter, tweeting, 'LIFE IS COMPLETE! G-DRAGON! #Jen'

He was very kind and patient with her as she asked him questions about his experiences so far as a K-Pop Idol and being with Big Bang.

"Some advice I can give to you is to know what you're good at. Keep improving your skills. Challenge yourself. Your dream was to be a part of a K-Pop group? Now dream even bigger. And try not to put a lot of pressure on yourself, or wear yourself out. Take it one day at a time." He advised, while she listened intently, nodding at his words of wisdom.

"I'll work hard."

"Good. I'll be watching you. Do you have an Instagram?"

"I deleted it. I was going to make a new one, soon."

"Okay, when you make a new one, follow me. I'm interested in your growth, here. I gotta get ready, but remember what I said. I'm looking forward to running into you, again. Maybe at the MAMA Awards." He smiled brightly and walked away.

Exhaling as she watched him leave, she ended up smiling and clapped her hands in excitement. She'll never forget the day she had a conversation with G-Dragon.

Back to where the guys were, Jennie walked in and was immediately shaken by Jimin, who shouted "HOW!?" in her face.

"How what!?" She shouted back.

"HOW WHAT!? How'd you meet G-Dragon!?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Hobi's loud screams were heard as she was bombarded with questions by the rest.

"One at a time! Jeesh!" Jen calmed everyone down. "All I did was approach him and say hi. I didn't think it would be so hard despite my nervousness. He had to leave to perform but I managed to get a picture and video. He's very kind by the way. Even cuter up close."

After the fuss, Jennie watched on at the guys goofing off, pretending to make a commercial. J-Hope blew the hairdryer at Jennie's hair and she flipped her hair, pretending to look sexy for the camera as she gazed at it.

"Ah! That's too sexy!" Jin pushed her aside. "This is a family program!"

"Hey!" She shouted.

"You look like a horse," Suga told J-Hope when his face was all up in the camera.

"You look like a turtle." He replied.

Later, Jungkook started making a beat to prepare Jimin and V to have a freestyle rap battle. 

Standing in between Suga and J-Hope, she rocked back and forth with everyone, shouting, "Aye! Aye! Aye!"

Starting first, Jimin rapped, "Oh no! You tucked your shirt in! That means I'm going to beat you hard! I'm going to punch you hard! And then you'll roll on the floor. And then you'll die!"

"WHA?!" Jennie shouted over the erupted laughs of the members. "V is precious to us all, let's not kill him!"

"Dude, he said he'll kill you. Come on." Rapmon beckoned V.

After V swallowed his food, he said, "Yo!"

"If you keep repeating, 'yo', I'll punch your face!" Jimin added.

"Oh, man!" Suga shouted.

"You gotta come back from that, V! Spit something!" Jennie encouraged

"Yo! I'm chewing on kimbap! Oh, I want to chew your face, too!" V rapped, cupping Jimin's face.

"PFF!" Jen's loud laugh was heard as she held onto Rapmon. "I can't!"

"I want to swallow it, but I can't because of your face!" He started dancing

"What is going on!?"

"What the heck is he saying?" Jimin asked with a laugh.

"Yo! I just ate my lunch but I can't digest it." V went on

"He's not even rapping. Don't beatbox for him."

"Yo, Jay-Z! Yo, Kanye West! Yo, Jimin! So much height difference."

"You have to rhyme." Jimin laughed. "You're just dissing me!"

"It's a different style of rap." V explained. "Yo, I was eating but none of you are funny. I was observing,"

"You're done." J-Hope hit him with the card while Rapmon pushed him back.

Jin was requested to go next. "You can say whatever you want." Rap Monster explained.

"Yo, Jimin! I was listening to your rap all these years! Why don't you throw it away? Your rap is so corrupted. I rap just like...Jay-Z!" Jin rapped while giggling.

As Jen dropped her jaw at his words, Suga shouted out of nowhere, coming in between the two, "Oh my God! OH SHIT! OH MY GOD! It's all over! He raps like Jay-Z! OH MY GOD!"

Squinting his eyes shut, Rap Monster shouted, "WE CAN'T AIR THIS!"

As she continued to laugh out loud, Jen managed to shout, "WAIT! WAIT! That did NOT just happen!"

Meanwhile, Suga continued his freak out, "He's like Jay-Z! Period! Oh man, he's like Jay-Z!"

"I think Jin is out of his mind." J-Hope giggled.

Turning to the camera, Jin said, "I sincerely apologize to all the fans of Jay-Z and hip hop. I just did it to entertain you guys."

-------

The next day was the time of the performance. They were waiting backstage. The loud cheers of the fans were deafening as Jennie had butterflies in her stomach. When the eight of them rose on stage, she looked around in awe, with the fans holding onto their light sticks and other items. After performing No More Dream and Boy In Luv, the eight members make their way to introduce themselves to the crowd.

"WOO HOO!" Jennie shouted on the mic, to louder cheers. "Heh, heh, can you guys get even louder!?"

As the cheers went up a volume, Jen nodded in approval, shooting up a thumbs up.

"All right! All right!" Rap Monster shouted. Standing at the end with V, Jen continued to listen to Rap Monster speak to the crowd. "It's great to be able to perform here in LA, right? So honored. For those of you who don't know us, we're BTS, we debuted last year. For those of you who don't know us, we would like to introduce ourselves. Let's start with J-Hope."

"Woo! Good to see you! I'm your hope! J-HOOPPPEEE! WOO!"

Jimin breathed on the mic and smiled. "WHAT'S UP LAAAAAAAAA! WOO! I'm Jimin, yeah~"

"Errbody I'm Rap Monster, leader of BTS, TURN UP!"

"It's an honor to be here in LA. I'm Jungkook!" He waved.

"Hi everyone! My name is Jin!"

"WHAT'S UP LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!? I'm Suga thank you for coming!"

V looked around at the crowd, earning more screams. "HOW ARE YOU!? AH! ME TOO! V!" He cutely waved.

With a hand on her hip, Jennie eagerly looked around as the crowd cheered louder. "Aye yo! Aye yo! Make some noise for your bulletproof girl scout!" She shouted, throwing the mic up in the air, to listen to the loud cheers. "My name is Jennie! I'm so happy to be here, today! Thank you, LA, for having us! I hope you're enjoying the show so far!"

After Rap Monster recapped their journey of American Hustle Life, they go to their next song, Bulletproof.

When it was Jen's turn to sing, she got in the front of them, singing her verse.

Badda bing badda boom!

Jennie's here

I have no fear...so don't try to stop me

Hah!

Tellin' me your doubts...won't change my mind

You want me to party? I don't have time.

I've been busy workin'

I've been busy dancin'

I'm never prancin'

"Just enhancing!" She sang, hearing the crowd sing with her as she smiled proudly

I will preserve and you can't stop my flow

I'm in my own lane, I'm here to attain

"I got people asking, who's the girl?" She pointed her mic to the crowd as they loudly sang, "The one with the curls! Representing the girls!"

Impressed at their passion for singing along with her, she continued to sing, "I'm the one with the swag and I don't mean to brag but I broke oppositions to get where I am today!"

'Last Day In LA'

Arriving at the airport, the eight members made their way inside the airport. With the camera following them, Jennie turned to the camera and says, "I'm bummed we have to leave. I'm happy I could see my sisters. K-Con was lit! I hope to come back soon!"

"I'm so sad!" Jimin whined.

"It was such a bittersweet experience," J-Hope commented.

"Hi, Jennie!" Fans greeted as she waved at the fans. "Bye V! Bye Jennie! Bye, Jimin!"

Getting on the airplane, Jennie sat by the window with J-Hope in the middle and Rap Monster next to him. J-Hope had his camera on and said in English, "Hello, everyone! I'm J-Hope. Right now, Bangtan is headed back to Korea. We just came to LA. I'm thinking about attempting to converse in all English, starting now."

Turning to Rap Monster, J-Hope greeted him. "Hey, Rap Monster!"

"Hi!" He greeted in English

"How are you?"

J-Hope was confused at what his response was and let out a laugh, shifting the camera to Jennie. "Yeah, Jennie, how are you?"

Looking up from her phone, she put up the peace sign to the camera. "Just chilling, how are you?"

"Good! Good! Rap Monster English very hard. Bear with me. Hey! Jimin! Now English time. Be quiet. How are you?"

"Uh, so good." Jimin answered

"You look so happy. Why happy?" He asked while Jimin tried to figure out what to say. He let out a sigh. "M-my heart is, oh my God."

"We are in America," Jimin said

"Los Angeles."

"LA! LA, man!" Jimin made the LA hand sign, making Jennie giggle at his goofiness. Somehow, he spit out some of his saliva and J-Hope called it dirty water. "Handsome guy, man!"

J-Hope turned the camera back to himself. "Oh, Jimin is very no fun."

"Indeed." Jennie played along. "Such a party pooper."

"Jimin?" Rap Monster asked

"Yeah?"

"You got no jams."

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOOD BOOK!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEE

Continuation of the other post because that one got really messy lol

Oh my gosh. Okay. *claps hands together*

I just finished What About Will by Ellen Hopkins a few days ago, and WOW do I have a lot to say about it!! But first, I must share the cover because it is hekkin gorgeous:

LOOK!!!! DO YOU SEE THIS!!! DO YOU SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS IS!!! OH MY GOSH!!!

I know I shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but wow. Absolutely amazing. If a book has this as its cover, then it has to be good, I mean come on.

And all the details!! Family photos and a window with no curtain and a baseball and a glove on Trace’s side, and posters and windows with blinds and a video game controller and a phone and pills and THAT NOTE and… oh no the SHOES I JUST REALIZED THE THING ABOUT THE SHOES OH I AM IN PAIN (you’ll understand once you read, I assure you) on Will’s side…

And their faces, too! Trace’s eyes are open and he’s looking a little bit up, while Will’s eyes are closed and he’s looking down… ough.

THIS IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE COVER OF A BOOK THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN OH MY GOODNESS!!! IT’S BEAUTIFUL!!! AAAAAAAAH!!!

AND JUST BECAUSE I WILL SHARE ANOTHER PICTURE OF IT BUT ZOOMED IN

HELLOOOOO BOYS!!! OH YOU BOYS I LOVE YOU!!! TRACE YOU ARE SMALL AND CHILD AND PURE!!! WILL YOU ARE STUPID AND NEED TO HUG YOUR BROTHER!!! OHHHH I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! ACK!!!

Okayokay so the book is first-person POV written in a free-verse style (I’ll share some of my favorite quotes in a bit). It’s all from Trace’s perspective (he’s the younger brother).

OH SPEAKING OF.

THIS BOOK

IS ABOUT

BROTHERS!!! HECK YES!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO READ ABOUT!!! BROTHERS!!! YES!!!

And Trace and Will really are brothers, let me tell you. Their relationship is messy but it used to be so good and Will was always the older one who looked out for Trace and Trace was always the younger one who looked up to Will and and and alsgakgsksgskwgavsja

But now their relationship isn’t great because of Thingsssss 😭 And it’s so sad and so real and so OUGH

Speaking of, this book is so real. It’s not extravagant or mind-blowing, and there’s not crazy battles or big villains. It’s just… a kid. It’s a kid doing life in a messed up world with a messed up family. That’s it.

Actually, if I had to describe this book in one word, I think it’d be “simple.” Not in a bad or weak way, but in a refreshing way; it was nice to read a story that’s just about a kid doing life, y’know? It was really nice.

Mannnn I got so darn invested so darn fast my goodness- it was like. Pretty much immediately. Just a few pages in and I was already completely sucked into this story and this world and these characters and YES!!! It’s not too often that I get invested this fast, at least as far as books go, but What About Will was just different. It was really fun :D

This book was super easy to read—partially because of the story itself, and partially because of the format. The story was simple enough to understand easily, and the format made reading really… quick, I guess? Because it’s set up like a poem, the short lines/paragraphs made it incredibly easy to read through!

(It was just like this with Ellen Hopkin’s other middle-grade novel, Closer To Nowhere, which was also written in a free-verse style)

Oh yeah! Middle grade! Almost forgot to mention that!!

Despite being out of middle school, I still prefer middle-grade novels to pretty much any other book; there’s a ton of incredible ones out there, and I’ve often found that they’re more creative and sometimes, better written, than YA!!

That being said, What About Will can absolutely be read by anybody, regardless of age. Don’t let the age suggestion stop you from reading this, please!! I promise you it truly is an incredible book with an incredible story 😭

I won’t spoil, but towards the end of the book I EXPERIENCED MANY FEELINGS AND LET OUT MANY NOISES OF SUSPENSE, FEAR, HAPPINESS, AND MORE. MY SISTER WAS IN THE SAME ROOM AS I WAS WHEN I FINISHED THE BOOK AND SHE GAVE ME MANY STRANGE LOOKS. OH MY GOSH.

I want there to be a sequellll so bad 😭😭 Like… a YA novel from Will’s perspective… oh my goodness… I would go dizzy with joy if that ends up happening… please… oh my gosh…

NEEDLESS TO SAY this is one of my favorite books probably and I’m going to be thinking about it for a long time :)

Pretty much the only complaint I have is that sometimes the dialogue/inner thoughts of the main character felt unrealistic and unoriginal. This was not the case for the entirety of the book, but there were several sections that I didn’t feel were the best, as far as writing goes (unrealistic dialogue is one of my biggest pet peeves ever lol).

But other than that? Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I hekkin loved this.

Here’s a few of my favorite bits :D

[medusapelagia]

Brother of my brother 2

Tags: AU, Angst with a hopefull ending Relationship: Eddie Munson/Steve Harrington

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

He has smoked almost all his weed. He should go to Rick soon to get more supplies. When he sees the lights of a car he jumps on his feet, thinking that the police has come to arrest him for trespassing. But it’s not. It’s a stupid BMW. And he already knows who is driving it. “Still courting me, Harrington? I’m not as easy as you think. I wanna be dined before getting fucked.” The boy gets out of the car but leaves the key inside and the lights on. “Can you drive back home or do I have to drive you?” “I’m fine!” he says, but he swings as he stands up. Steve sighs and gets closer “Get into the fucking car. I’ll drive you here in the morning to get your stupid van.” “What if the van gets removed while we are having fun, uh?”

“It will not.” “How do you know?” “It will not, I’ll talk to Hopper.” Oh, yeah, because he is rich, beautiful, kind-hearted, and with good connections. Exactly like Eddie. But he is tired, so he lets the boy drive him, but he can’t hide his surprise when Steve pulls over next to the big mansion in Loch Nora. “What the fuck?” “My parents are not here and I have plenty of spare rooms. Choose one and sleep off what the fuck you took tonight. And tomorrow we will talk because I’m fucking tired of your attitude and Dustin is making me crazy. He wants us to be friends so desperately that the least that I can do is try, you know?” “You care about him.” “I do. It’s like a little brother to me.” Eddie has the very same feeling about Dustin, but he can’t be friends with Steve. He really can’t. “Thank you for your hospitality but I must go home. My uncle will be worried sick.” “He works by night. Dustin told me.” Fucking shrimp. He looks around. The house is big and cold. No pictures on the wall, no posters, and nothing is out of place. It’s so… impersonal. If it was his home he would have done so many changes. His sweetheart would have been perfect at the side of the fireplace. And he would have hung all his posters on the wall. And in his room… But that’s not his room. That’s not his house. He is just a stupid guest. “Fuck you.” “OK. Fuck me. Now can we go to sleep? I have a stupid test tomorrow and…” “This should have been mine!” he yells, not caring about the late hour or the neighbor “It should have been mine!” he yells again and then he starts to cry. Steve looks at him confused but gets some tissues and gives them to Eddie. “I think that you smoke too much, uh? I’ll get you some water.” He says and then he disappears while Eddie is sitting on a very uncomfortable leather couch. A leather couch. Probably Italian. Fucking rich kid.

[1004tyun-archive]

crystal 🥺🥺🩷 i know you’re already awake but it’s mostly because of your period pains and i hate that you’re in mommy :(( i don’t like it i wanna make it all go away…

today i was thinking i need to get rid of some habits… guess what im already thinking about ice cream ;_; the wifey salad will NOT help… neither will the nectarines… i’ll have to repeat to myself that i’ll get ice cream tomorrow… IM SO SAD MOMMY 😭😭😭🩷 but i was really freaked out by my breakout… i’m aging i can’t eat whatever i want whenever i want anymore 😔 also one thing so many nectarines were actually not good i was so sad i had to throw away three :(

moodboard of bedrooms because you said you wanted me to visit your bedroom!! 🥺🥺🩷 i wanna meet snorlax whom i’m always so jealous of 🥹😭 and that poster >:( i’m gonna teach taegyu a lesson dhsjdjd 😭

my love 🥺🥺🩷 i was thinking about living together in one of the fairy castles that you reblogged yesterday 🥺🥺🩷 i want that so bad… i also wanna get to the nearby river so we can play and shower together (idk how hygienic that is… but ✨aesthetic✨) 🥺🥹🩷 i love you so much my little mommy 🥺🥺 i hope you know i’m here for you always and i wish i could make you feel better during your period 😖 my sweetie pie~ i love you so much and i miss you even now 🥺🥺 i scrolled up to look at your cute picture hehe you’re so adorable, my adorable mommy 🥺😚🩷💎

baby~ 🥺🥺🩵 you’re so sweet my cramps are feeling okay today actually! maybe they heard your intimidation and decided to back off 😳

aw it’s okay baby 😭😭😭 you really did try not to have any today and your effort was still worth it! if you have some tomorrow i’m sure it’ll be okay 🥺 i understand being freaked out by your breakout but i promise you’ll be okay 🥺🥺🩵 sorry about your nectarines btw i hate having to toss bad fruit bc you can’t help but think if you were a day or two earlier those could’ve been eaten :(( and i hate that we’re not in those same young bodies that could eat whatever and be completely fine though meanwhile nowadays if i have dairy two days in a row my body starts destroying itself from the inside out like wtf 😭😭😭

oooh the bedrooms you chose are so cute!!! 🥺🥺🥺🩵 and little tyunning in the middle 🥺 hehe i’m sure snorlax would be honored to meet you i’ve told him so much about you 🥹 djshsjs me and the poster are still beefing maybe if you teach taegyu a lesson for trying to assassinate me they won’t do it again since they clearly won’t listen to me -_-

that would be such a dream come true my love i want it so badly too~ 🥺🥺🩵🩵 bathing in river water may not be hygienic but it’s so romantic and that’s all that matters 🥹🥹✨✨ my little baby 🥺🥺🥺 i love you so much you’re so kind and caring and beautiful my cherry bonbon 🥺🩵 i know we’re literally talking right now but i miss you :(( the picture you sent yesterday is so cute i’m gonna go scroll up to look at it right now you just look so precious and peaceful 🥺🥺🥺 my sweet lovable cherry bear, my darling baby~ 🥺🩵🩵

[donotfindme-atthistime]

In the half hour before sleep overcame me 2/8/23 Midnight Well Doctor. What is the Diagnosis?

Well Mr. Phelps. I’m sorry, but as I’ve said before, we’re going to need a lot more detail of your symptoms to really understand what’s going on. At the very least something beyond just your stubborn rocking back and forth and chanting “something is wrong.” 

An awkward silence hung as if Mr Phelps found nothing of concern, or any invitation to respond or dig deeper into that comment. He acted as if he had just been told that the president of Azerbaijan had a rather pleasant breakfast this morning. 

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and continued. 

Your vitals came back looking in spectacular condition, your bloodwork panels came back healthy, and CT scans show no signs of defect or trauma... Could we please get more detail into what you may be feeling at this moment so that we may direct you to the appropriate specialist. Um, my current recommendation would be to schedule an appointment with our psychiatric department. We have some of the best care in the North Central Tri District Metroplex! I assure you - 

That’s enough, Doctor. It sounds like the results of your test confirm my very fears. There is something deeply wrong with me in that there is nothing wrong with me. I lied on your intake form earlier. I am not thirty-four, that is not even a third of my age in fact. I should be withering and folding forward. Huddled and stiff! I should have been on a deathbed many decades ago surrounded by family. Yet here I am, suffering still. 

I don’t understand, Mr Phelps? Still? What I mean is. When am I going to die? I’ve tried all i can to whittle myself down. I starved myself, laid in a desert without water for days. Instead the barren land around me started growing green, while I remained unchanged.  I’ve tried other more gruesome methods. But the skin on my neck breaks fishing wire, and the bullet bounces off my head like a pong ball. I’m not invincible. I get paper cuts like any other person, and occasionally my stomach will be upset. I figured the intention of mine to die was the problem. I hired many hitmen to assist my own suicide yet their plans all backfire and they end up hurting themselves! You better believe those hitmen on the dark web would not even touch me with a ten foot pole. 

As a demonstration in one swift movement the patient pulled a needle he had snuck out earlier from the doctor’s drawers and crushed it against his neck where his jugular vein would be. Before the doctor could react in shock, the needle shattered and spread across the floor like cheap confetti. The white walls of the Doctor’s office turned iridescent, and the informational posters on lung cancer changed its content. Instead there were only moving pictures of cats dancing in a ring-a-round-a-rosies style.  Fascinating. Let’s say I don’t humor the idea of revealing the secret of your death resisting body to science - and instead I ask - well why do you want to die so badly? If what you say is true that your mere intention to die intervenes with the fate of death, and your age hasn’t naturally overcame you. You must be in a constant and unstoppable state of wanting to perish. So as a doctor, I must dig into the root of this cause. Why, yes why do you want to die so badly? Is life all suffering to you? Are you a big philosopher Mr Phelps? No. Forget about all of that. I could never really get into any of those books. Well I want to die because... 

The doctor could’ve sworn he saw a hint of red flash over Mr Phelps, but if it was ever there at all then it was gone in an instant. 

I want to die not because I think life is suffering. It may or may not be. I never paid attention to that aspect. I want to die because my greatest deepest dream since childhood is to have the most beautiful eulogy about me read aloud to a big crowd of people! People who love me! People who would remember me! And I believe the gods would allow me to listen to it too while I lay peacefully in that embrace of death.  I’ve waited very patiently night and day like a good boy. You see, mama taught me patience as a virtue. That Noah waited thousands of years for God’s signs! So what was it for me to wait a few decades? But naturally I grew impatient, but in the healthiest manner. I didn’t jump straight to attempting to end my life as a mere seven year old! What would there to be remember about me?  I grew possessive over my eulogy. I wanted more control.  Day by day I decided to insert myself into people’s lives.  I saved Paulas cat from the tips of that flimsy tree in the seventh grade! That would’ve been a wonderfully tragic death had the branch snapped and in turn so my neck.  I defended little Johnny boy from that troublesome locker room bully Pocketknife-Mike. My actions weren’t all risk. It was also out of seeking to be remembered.  I asked Nancy to the homecoming dance even though she wasn’t quite all that pretty. But I knew I would burn right into her mind the most compared to all the other underclassmen girls! What? Don’t look at me like that Doctor, I’m not even finished yet.  I ran that progressive campaign to protect our minority communities on our campus, and then served as student body president.  I gave up any of my feelings to that ungrateful Sarah and instead married that poor yet at least grateful girl Jeanine. I fed and raised my children. But made sure to be just enough tastefully absent except for the times I was there and needed, so that they’d not just grow tough and resilient, but remember my rare cherishing moments.  But now all of them: Paula, Johnny, my children are all dead and gone.  You may think I sound cruel, selfish, narcisstic, lacking a soul.  Perhaps yes, and for my lack of a soul I cannot die.  But how can you call me empty and heartless if all I have done is brought good into this world? And all I ask in turn is to be recognized for it? A eulogy! A real eulogy! One that I hear as a song from the other side of consciousness, while I’m locked away, frozen into place underneath coffin doors. 

The Doctor pictured this man as so for a second. He could see it. Mr Phelps’ hands clasped stiffly together and a smile curled artificially into place.  Phelps continued

Why there is no other perfection quite as near to the one of a lovely man’s tragic death. All his sins are forgotten and forgiven. And we rejoice over the good he has done in the world. That’s all I want Doctor. If there is suffering of mine, then this is the cure for it. I didn’t do any of this good in the world in exchange for money or power. And I am not sure how yet I will reap any personal gains from my eulogy post mortem. So tell me, should you really have that look on your face? Now that I am immortal I suppose. I find no reason to do good. I’m afraid doctor you may want to reveal the secret of my body’s ignorance to laws of biology to your torturous friends in science. Perhaps I deserve it.  Mr Phelps I believe you have been born once again just now.  How so? I do not want to! I propose that you now have a choice to turn your life around. Maybe instead of navigating life with a compass locked to the magnetic pull of death, try living for the sake of living! Be selfish outwardly. Break some rules. Of course I doubt you will spiral into evil. But it’s about finding a balance! Take this as a prescription for your condition and we’ll get started on a treatment plan right away!  I have high hopes, Mr Phelps, that death will come to you when you are no longer seeking it.  Well I’m unsure if those words give me comfort Doctor. I am unsure what I am feeling at all right now. But, very well, I’ll give it a try.  I only have the rest of my life to after all. 

[chaoskiro]

Voiceteam roundup part art

Since there´s still a couple of the round three works I contributed to that haven't been made public I figured I could make a cover art round up today. I ended up making a lot of cover art for other people's podfics and turns out I really enjoy it! I have learned so many new things in photopea, it's been great. I'll try to go in chronological order from first to last. Here goes!

I (as always) began very ambitiously (is it even a bite if it doesn't look like more than you can chew?) with this coverart:

It was quite a bit of work isolating all the hats from their background and covering the musicians on the stage in a way that looked natural by copying other parts of the background. This was also before I found out you could make a border around text in photopea so that was done by putting the same words in a slightly bigger font behind the other words and fiddling and cursing until it looked decent, I do think it's a nice effect.

Then comes this one:

This story is so beautiful. It's a moment between Max and Robin right after Starcourt where they sit and talk on the edge of an ambulance. I really wanted to show their backs, but I couldn't find any good screengrabs that would fit, so I went with this idea of the silhouettes. The robin one is actually taken from the bathroom scene and I can't remember where the Max one is taken from, just that I made sure she had the two braids in it like she has in the final Starcourt scene. I had to do so much fiddling to get their silhouettes properly shaped, because both of them had complicated backgrounds that photopea wanted to lump in with them. That is also part of why there's the slight glow around them, it softened the edges and made them more forgiving. This is probably the cover art I've ever made I am the most proud of.

I had so many ideas for this one. I'm pretty glad I ended up going with this one though. The neon lettering was harder to get to work than expected, I spent ages fiddling with that, and then making the poster fit in more with the picture and not feel stamped on took a bit too. I was really glad to find that background on pixabay since it really helped making the edges of Eddie's hair not stand out so much (that hair is a nightmare to remove background for). This one feels like a study in crucial details that no one would know that I spent so much time on, but would stand out if I hadn't spent that time.

Speaking of things I had a hundred ideas for. This one is actually the one where I worked on the most separate ideas. I think I had four beginnings on drafts that all looked wildly different plus an idea that never saw light of day because I am still suffering from the lenovo AAAA prank.

See, the thing is there is this bouquet of flowers that is absolutely central to this story and also extremely well described, so I at first wanted to include that on the cover or at least something resembling it. As it turns out when wondering the free-to-use pictures on the net that might not be as easy as that and even finding a bouquet with just about the right colourscheme turned out to be hard, and so did tuning the hues of a bouquet nicely.

In the end what decided it most of all was also having to include so many names and that I really fell in love with this specific flower mentioned in the fic.

Making the coverart for this one was mostly about learning how to manipulate the shape of text and exploring the many different colours of fire until I found the right one to pick for the text. (It's a Dutch translation of a Good Omens fic for those of you wondering)

This one, for me, ended up being an exploration in remembering what my grandma's videotapes used to look like, and yet not at all being able to find a good base image for making a more film-like tape case before going with this simple option. I do kinda enjoy making covers that seem like real things that could exist.

Aaaand last, but not least:

This one caused me trouble. Mostly because my ideas where too hard to execute and also because it's a very short fic that doesn't give many visuals. All the others are rooted in some visual from the fic, but this one is a conversation on parenting that doesn't include many visuals that I felt like vibed with the fic as a whole. So I ended up grabbing onto the fatherly aspect of it all.

This photo originally had a black background, but I felt like that would clash with the vibes, so I decided to change that, then cursed a bunch when I found out that was easier said than done, did a bunch of things that felt illegal and arrived at this little thing.

Thus ended my voiceteam cover art journey. I have really taken a liking to doing this, which maybe shouldn't have taken me by surprise since I also love illustrating songs. There's something about having text and a story and a picture all mixing together that I really enjoy. I plan to make many more, I kinda had a day where I was just itching to make some, two days after the regular rounds of voiceteam ended, but I didn't want to take any points from tie-break participants. We will see what the future brings.

[hbelcherarts246-01]

Process & Reflection (Week 3)

Text Reflection

This week, we read chapter 2 of our textbook, which is titled “The Anatomy of Typography”.

Right off the bat, I knew this was going to be a really interesting and enjoyable chapter to read (at least for me). I say this because I’m inexplicably obsessed with typographic anatomy and abstraction, which has been well-documented in many of my older blog posts. I honestly don’t know why I love it so much, it’s like a switch flipped when I was introduced to the topic in ARTS 102.

The chapter’s introductory “blurb” contained a really beautiful sentence, where it likened writing and typography to “thoughts made visible” and “frozen sounds”. It sounds dramatic, but reading it gave me chills and now I can’t stop thinking about it.

Moving on to the chapter’s main content, I found the section about the historical evolution of typography really thought-provoking. I always assumed that modern typography evolved from early handwriting, but I’d never thought about how the limitations of historical writing technology affected the development and evolution of letterforms. It's interesting to think about what our modern alphabet might have looked like if the technology back then had been different.

Lastly, I really appreciate the level of detail and organization of the chapter overall. Last semester, in Typographic Design 1, the course textbook covered a good amount of information on typographic anatomy, but it wasn’t super detailed and it felt less organized, which made it difficult for me to absorb what I read. This textbook is much easier to understand, as it provides plenty of helpful figures (like diagrams, side by side comparisons of different typefaces, etc). These figures helped me visualize and understand the concepts I was reading about. Overall, it was a really enjoyable and informative chapter, and it’ll be a helpful resource for the new project.

Process

This new project reminds me a bit of the “Sports Team Redesign” project, which was the final project in my Typographic Design 1 class last semester. This is mainly because we’re designing a logotype and merchandise, which we did as part of the final project. However, this new projects ks obviously very different in all other aspects. The 2 words I ended up with were “sparkling” and “whiskey”.

I'll be honest, my heart kind of dropped when I pulled my adjective, “sparkling”, and it just dropped even further when I drew my noun, “whiskey”. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of creating an alcohol-centered brand or promoting the use of alcohol through my designs, even if they aren’t going to be used for a real music festival. Luckily, Professor Wanco said she wanted us to stay away from explicit depictions of substances or substance use, which was a relief to hear.

I had a little bit of a hard time word mapping, specifically with the word “whiskey”. At first, I couldn't think of a single way, or a single synonym for whiskey that wasn't alcohol-related. I had a kind of “lightbulb moment” when I eventually thought of the word “spirits”. It technically relates to whiskey, but it's also a word for ghosts, which I felt I could work with. I ended up going with “Shimmering Spirits Music Festival” and started brainstorming logotypes.

When I started sketching, I got a little carried away with the “logo” part of the logotype, which you can see from the above picture (depicts some my sketches). So, I'm working on finding ways to incorporate typography into the logos I’ve sketched.

I’m also working on developing a layout for the poster. I was initially using hand-drawn (I used a graphite pencil and a ruler) grids for my poster layout sketches, but I soon realized that drawing grids by hand is pretty tedious. Additionally, I needed to be able to freely rework the layouts, which meant I needed to be able to erase parts of the sketches without erasing the grids. So, when I got home, I printed some custom-sized graphing paper and started sketching again.

I’m looking forward to making mood boards this weekend!

[backtouchechi]

Wakanda Forever

The film Black Panther really changed modern movie-watching experiences for me. It made me hungry for more diversity and more Black representations in the majority of the media I began to consume after watching the film. I never realized how much the film impacted me until I tried to trace my desire to become involved in the entertainment industry as either a screenwriter or a casting director. These are two very different functions when it comes to the production of media, but Black Panther inspired me. The screenwriter, with the help of the original comics, crafted this beautiful story that was about more than just a superhero. It was about Blackness, and what it looks like for Black people across the diaspora to engage with their culture. It paints a picture of what life could have been like in another life if Africa had gone untouched by the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and colonization, while also showing the effects of those tragedies on the other side of the globe. There are so many underlying narratives in the story that Black people especially pick up on because these are things that are true to their lived experiences. The casting director of the film, of course, was responsible for making sure the cast fit well together. To have all these Black people on screen, in turn, created this amalgamation of pride and unity amongst the Black community, because the cast did such a great job of immersing us into the world of Wakanda.

The way Afrofuturism was presented in this film was through technological advancements, as well as postering Wakanda as a utopia untouched by colonization. The technology in the film is manufactured for good, but the film does a good job of showing us what happens when people with bad intentions get a hold of such power. The Dora Milaje use their spears for self-defense and for the defense of their king, but when someone like Klaue had the technology, he used it to build an arm cannon that easily blew up a cash machine.

I watch Black Panther opening weekend with my family and with a few friends, and to this day, it’s the only movie I’ve paid to see multiple times in theatres. A celebration and embrace of Black culture, as well as a new approach to folding African culture into the mainstream. It’s not lost on me that although Afrobeats as a genre was popular with Africans overseas and the children of Africa-born immigrants, it’s not become a worldwide phenomenon, and I can pinpoint the shift, at least in my worldview, to the release of Black Panther.