#imagine eliminating the best vocalist of the show...

[mingoosgf]

They really eliminated Chanelle... I can’t imagine fumbling the bag SO BADLY LMAO

[steelcityreviews]

REVIEW: CCPAC’s “Spelling Bee” is D-E-L-I-G-H-T-F-U-L

Winner of the 2005 Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences with its effortless wit and humour (and long winded title). Featuring a fast-paced and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a uniquely fresh score by William Finn, there are several challenging numbers amidst the seemingly simple and relatable narrative. 

This production falls under what Curtain Call Performing Arts (CCPAC) calls their Passion Project Series. It is described as a way to showcase trained vocalists and actors in post secondary arts facilities or those who have experience performing in various shows around the GTA. The intent of the Passion Project is to give professionally trained performers in Hamilton and surrounding areas an opportunity to work in an environment that “encourages experimenting and working together in a devised based process.” If passion is what is needed for this production, then this one has it in spades, allowing this particular bee to soar.

Plot wise, Spelling Bee is straightforward. An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents compete for the spelling championship. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the contestants spell their way through a series of words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box? 

Most of the show is played for laughs, including unexpected and hilarious audience participation as they compete against the skilled spellers on stage. This aspect of the show demonstrates the improv skills needed to keep the flow of the show going and the moderator/vice principal roles (Emma Bergin and Keegan Buchanan respectively) are especially brilliant here giving ridiculous “can you use it in a sentence” prompts which results in loud, appreciative laughter from the audience and selected audience members on stage. 

The direction of the show is exceptional from its staging to the technical choices throughout. In less experienced hands, this show could easily dissolve into chaos but co-directors Kat Baronowski and Zachary Viola prove they have strong creative visions and fresh new ways of involving their cast members in every facet of a scene (involving many of them behind the scenes as well). No one is underutilized here and every aspect is carefully thought out, including making the ensemble portray believable youths which is no small feat. I cannot imagine how much rehearsal some of these numbers must have taken to make them as precise and professional as they appear on stage.

One standout in particular occurs in the second act’s progression of the spelling bee rounds. The back and forth between the vice-principal and character William Barfee (it’s Bar-fay, not Bar-fee, played with nerdy arrogant gusto by Gareth Finnigan) slows to a hypnotic pace and is one of the best numbers in the show to watch. The technical ability here also deserves praise as the lighting is masterfully executed by Hunter Kennedy-Rullo. 

Every character in Spelling Bee gets at least one moment to shine and to list them all would give away too much of the story. Part of what makes Spelling Bee funny but also heartfelt are these character deep dives through song, revealing who our overachievers really are and their internal struggles with absent family members, the pressures to win and how to prove themselves beyond the confines of the school’s gymnasium. Each elimination is a way for the characters to reflect, accept or vehemently deny their fate. The Unfortunate Erection moment is a fantastic example of this and demonstrates some great sight gags (skillfully performed by Jacob Rushton) throughout. I can say confidently that there are no weak links in this cast and all deserve high praise for their efforts in this production. 

A passionate and successful project to be sure, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a d-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l way to spend your time this July. You might even learn a thing or two! Don’t miss it. 

For tickets and more information, please visit http://www.curtaincallpac.ca/

Photos by: Zachary Viola (main poster) and Kreations Photography 

[krysphycookiez]

stray kids | you as the female maknae

synopsis: you’re the female maknae of the infamous k-pop group stray kids! let’s see how you get along with these eight chaotic boys

genre: fluff, platonic, imagines

pairing: stray kids x maknae!reader

a/n: wowza another female maknae au post- yes i have an obsession with these types of writings and i have no regrets. expect a lot of these extra member au’s for boy groups and girl groups

❦

you’re his smol baby child and nothing will change his mind

chan just wants you to be happy and he’s really good at showing that, whether he makes sure you’re always healthy or just doing daily check ups on you

if you don’t end up taking care of yourself he’ll get really upset and probably give you a long lecture

one time you actually cried because of his scolding because you felt really bad and he started crying too

if he feels like there’s something up with you and you don’t open up, he usually plans with the other members to do little things to cheer you up

and those plans work all the time

he knows how much you struggle with the idol life because of his own past struggles so he empathizes with you very well

if you’re an english speaking foreigner, he’d be very chaotic with you and felix

but then it eventually just turns into chan being done with you and felix’s bullshit

nags you sometimes but he just wants you to be careful- so for the most part he just lets you be

when your time of the month comes he’s usually the best at handling the situation (jisung i’m looking at you)

he also let’s you mess around with his tracks, but he makes sure you don’t do anything stupid. as you once almost deleted a whole new track

hugs you from behind a lot to remind you that you’re loved and a precious cinnamon roll

he’s a soft leader for you and it’s just downright wholesome

ngl you had a crush on minho during trainee days, i mean- just look at him for crying out loud

that silly crush soon disappeared and now you see him as a best friend

though hyunjin knew about this past crush and obviously tattled to minho. now you’re his main target for flirting

speaking of flirting, he always tries to make you as flustered as he can cause he just loves your reactions

he also initiates a lot of skinship with you cause you’re like a small teddy bear to him, also he just likes cuddling with you in general

if you’re part of the danceracha, you and him would start a lot of weird shit with hyunjin and felix

hell even if you aren’t part of that sub-unit you still find a way to cause chaos with minho

also you ask about his cats all the time cause you love them a lot, and that just boosts his cocky attitude even more

he gets very possessive of you when it comes to your guy’s friendship

cause he’s the type to say “no one outside of stray kids is allowed to talk or even look at you”

ofc he’s joking though lmao

you two are like an old married couple. a lot of bickering goes on between the two of you and that just becomes the butt of stray kids inside jokes

and both of you are very petty with each other too. like- you know when your little sibling hits you so you hit them back? yeah that’s the two of you

overall both of you have a really strong friendship, and other people get jealous of it pretty easily, even stray kids themselves

you took felix’s spot as changbin’s favorite member overtime

he’s your number one hype boi, he always gets pumped up whenever you do something like singing or rapping cause he’s amazed by your talent

probably let’s you toy with side soundtracks so he can see your production skills

overtime you have gotten better because of him, and you’re very grateful for that

he does a lot of aegyo with you cause he just loves you so much, and he also hugs you a lot too

you tease him about this height but he reminds you that you’re shorter and this leads to bickering

also since he’s not the shortest he probably rests his elbow on your head to tick you off or to get a reaction out of you

most of the time he gets a fist to the stomach but it’s still worth it

he also makes sure you aren’t overworking yourself, even if he’s one of the more busy members

if you’re feeling down the drain he buys you some of your favorite food and snacks to cheer you up, and it works for the most part

because of the attention he gives you, felix sometimes starts petty fights with you and the other members get easily amused by this. especially changbin himself

you also just find a lot of comfort within him cause he’s really gentle with you

and because he smells good all the time too lol

changbin is an equivalent to an emotional support dog. loving and very energetic

the two of you are l o u d asf

hence why you and hyunjin aren’t allowed to share a room together anymore. you had a laptop in your shared room and you guys would watch horror movies that would scare the living shit out of y’all

hyunjin likes to take you on shopping dates so both of you can either eat something together or go on a shopping spree

and mini fashion shows start too lmao, he probably gives you like a million clothes to put on

if you’re one of the main dancers, he’s the reason why you are able to dance as well as you can today. cause you felt close to giving up but then he came in and encouraged you to keep going

during his trainee days, his fights with jisung would scare you. one day it got so bad you started crying cause you didn’t want them to hurt each other

they then realized what they did and hyunjin was the first to apologize, even buying you your favorite drink to make up for it

he tries to steal your attention from minho and that almost results in his deathbed

no one’s stopping this boy from doing anything to get your love and attention tho

whenever you guys aren’t together you text a lot, and you guys send each other cute memes in the process

you guys are just like north and south you can’t stand to be away from each other

he also loves to cuddle with you. whenever you get a nightmare you usually turn to him to sleep with so you can feel the comfort of his loving arms

the other members know about this and they get jealous of that sometimes

hyunjin sees you as the little sister he never knew he needed, and he just wants you to have the best possible life he can offer you

let’s be real here, jisung probably didn’t know how to talk to you during trainee days cause he thought you were really pretty

he’s never basked in the beauty of someone so elegant before

the only time you guys really started talking to each other was in the skz survival show, and in that span of time you two grew extremely close (and if you ended up getting eliminated he’d get really sad)

he’s scared to let you into his production studio cause he’s scared that your clumsy ass would do something, but you never really do anything

if you speak english you two probably have weird conversations in english. quoting vines and inside jokes

on break days he takes you out to get boba and just chat, and usually in the morning when it’s less busy and more peaceful

he lets you take his hoodies cause he thinks you look adorable in them, and also when you give them back to him they smell like daisies

if you get hurt in any way, shape or form he gets very upset cause he really doesn’t like seeing you in pain

one time he caught you crying to yourself because of hate comments directed towards you and his heart shattered

he actually ended up tearing up himself and offered to buy you something to make you feel better

if you’re one of the main vocalists you and him probably have high note competitions, since the two of you probably had iconic high note parts

you also pinch his cheeks a lot cause you like how he just looks like a cute squirrel

which results in him pinching you back

jisung would cherish you like treasure since you’re so valuable to him, and you’re one of the reasons he’s able to keep going in his harsh idol life

a few simple words to sum up your friendship; a cacophony of chaos and screaming

you and felix just have the weirdest but at the same time also one of the strongest friendships in stray kids

if you’re a foreigner the friendship is even stronger, cause you two can relate more easily, and ESPECIALLY if you’re an english speaking one

also if you’re australian like him, the chaos is just even worse. a bunch of australian slangs here and there as well as saying inside jokes

he definitely texts you at 3am to talk about something he thought of or just to send you stupid memes

also probably infected you with his dabbing and fortnite phase

you also probably tease him about his sexy moments on stage, like when he lifted up his shirt. which also made you want to see his abs again

to get back at you he lifted your shirt on stage in front of STAYs to show your own abs and everyone went crazy, and he ended up getting his ass kicked

you two are also like emotional support for each other

since you guys are some of the youngest and had some of the hardest times you know when somethings up, so you two just go and hug/cuddle with each other to let the other one know it’s okay

and you’ve also come up with a way to communicate with each other without the other members knowing to talk about personal things, like a secret language

and if you didn’t have supportive parents in the idol life, felix would automatically connect with you cause he went through something similar

this guy just also wants you to feel safe and loved cause he knows what it’s like to feel so alone

overall you and felix are like two peas in a pod, very alike in many ways but will turn to each other for emotional support or just to feel better

dandy boy seungmin is such a little shit around you

he always teases you and always finds a way to tick you off to see your reactions, such as playing with your hair or stealing your clothes

so you being the petty little bitch you are, you do some things that will trigger his pet peeves, like make a room dirty or not doing chores

and that’s how you developed your evil maknae side, all because of this devil puppy

but even then the bickering isn’t always that bad, that’s just how you two show your love for each other since you guys literally don’t know how to be nice to each other

unless it’s about food or games, then there’s civil acts going on

seungmin actually likes to hug you because you’re like a smol baby chick, but it never really goes further than that

INSULT BATTLES ALL THE DAMN TIME

and it’s usually seungmin who wins them, but when you do win them it’s always a very witty victory

seungmin also knows when something’s up with you. if you suddenly stop acting like a savage around him he knows something is up

so he then investigates, comforts you and caves in to take you out to the mall to make you feel better

he doesn’t think he’s helping that much when those times come to you but he actually helps a lot, cause he gives of this comforting aura that makes you feel safe

also he smells like roses too lmao

seungmin is your pretty and bitchy best friend, but at the end of the day he will always be there for you

the two of you are the; done with everyone’s shit duo, at least when the two of you aren’t causing chaos

you and jeongin are very close in age, so naturally all of the members baby you and while the attention is endearing, it can get out of hand sometimes

so the two of you team up to pull the ultimate pranks on all of the members to get back at them and record all of their reactions

of course this results in scoldings and getting chased by an angry hyunjin holding a broom but it’s still worth it

both of you also compete for who can get more attention if you aren’t getting tired of it

and this can also lead to petty bickering that the other members watch in amusement (and they probably fucking grabbed popcorn too)

jeongin has a good sense of judgement, so he knows when the mood is feeling down

and he usually drags you to the side to plan a way to cheer up the members or bring up a lighthearted mood, since he knows the two of you would make a good plan

he doesn’t really like skinship but he finds it cute when you hug him or hold his arm

and the other members get pressed about this cause you’re allowed to hold his arm but they can’t even touch him with their fingernails

both of you have definitely tried to cook together

and fail miserably, which resulted in MORE scoldings and a temporary banishment from the kitchen, but the way you guys cooked was very funny

you made him a smoothie to make up for the fact that you got him banned from the kitchen cause it was mainly your fault

jeongin would be a more chill and laid-back friend, but he’s still very caring for you and will protect you at all costs

❦

a/n: waeeeee another one done! i had a lot of fun writing this and i hope you guys enjoy it as much as i had fun writing it.

also lee felix get your sexy ass off of my twitter feed i don’t feel like simping

this is @/krysphycookiez logging off... ♡︎

[wickymicky]

when im watching gp999, im not just thinking about who is doing well in each individual team, im thinking about who would do well in the final lineup. i have positions and roles in mind and im slowly filling them out lmao. one of those 54 girls will be the group’s leader, one will be the group’s maknae. one or two will be main vocalists, one or two will be main dancers, one or two will be main rappers. probably just one for that last one lmao, this isnt a rap-heavy bunch of trainees haha. who would be the best fits for those roles? who would be the most interesting choices? 

im hoping with everything ive got that kim bora ends up the leader. kim dayeon is an amazing leader too, but for whatever reason i cant really see her ending up as the leader of the debut lineup, even if she’s in it. i feel like she could be a fantastic main dancer/choreographer tho lol, that would be kinda sick. did any other produce group have a self-choreographer? 

kang yeseo would be one of the most interesting produce group maknaes ever, i think. she’s not like the bright shining up and comer that somi and wonyoung were, she’s more of a veteran than most other trainees on the show hahaha. i think it would be so interesting to have a maknae with more experience than most of her unnies. both pd101 and pd48 had the maknae win the show at number 1, and i dont think yeseo will be there in this show, but she’s clearly almost guaranteed to be in the final lineup at this point, she’s getting like nothing but good press. and i dont think someone younger than her will debut (is there anyone left who is younger than her? kim sein was eliminated so idk. chaeyun maybe?)

nagai manami would be the most interesting main rapper out of everyone here lmao. what a story that would be, you know? imagine... just thinking about that makes me so excited lol, that stage might go down in history as one of the most significant mnet survival show moments if she does debut as a rapper after trying it for the first time, never having tried it before, rapping in a language she doesnt speak fluently, and having the original rapper who wrote the song she’s rapping an original verse to tell her “manami... i want you to keep rapping. you have a lot of potential” vmlkfmvlkdfmbv. that was so cool lol, in that moment i just felt so proud of her, and i didnt even remember her before this episode. i know her now though, that’s for sure

main vocal... well actually there’s a lot of options for that lmao. main dancer too. im not even gonna pick anyone for either of those because tbh those are positions that could be filled by countless trainees there. if bora’s in the group then she could definitely be main vocal, she’s one of the best vocalists there. same with yurina, who is definitely gonna be in the debut lineup lol. i want bora to be in there, but i do recognize that it’s still kind of a longshot at this point. and main dancer? i mean, there are even more options for that lmao. that’s not an interesting discussion to have, imo. 

i have a feeling that neither dayeon nor bora will be the leader of the group though. dayeon is too young, and this group will definitely have a bunch of members in their 20s. she has a really strong chance of ending up in the debut lineup though. bora would be a great leader even if there are a couple members older than her, but im not confident that she’ll be in the debut lineup. i feel like the most realistic options are like... yujin, cai bing, or like.... yeseo lmao, idk. i know what i said about dayeon being too young haha, but idk. anyway, cai bing is the oldest trainee there, but tbh i dont think she’s a great leader. yujin probably could be a good leader, but i dont get the impression that she wants to be. so idk. hmmm. 

anyway idk what role seo youngeun will have but i hope she’s in the debut lineup

[itspopietimetodraw]

Naya Rivera Plastic Surgery Before and After

Recently, the 33-year-old starlet and also vocalist (who is best understood for playing cheerleader Santana Lopez on Joy) has actually started to resemble Kim a lot; they could be associated.

Besides sharing the same preference in makeup, hair, and fashion, they also have comparable functions, like pillowy lips, plump cheeks, arched eyebrows, and her application of plastic surgery! Read review about other stars and their cosmetic surgery improvements!

Yet Naya really did not always look so Kardashian-ified. Allow's analyze her beauty change throughout the years, from 2004 until now!

Naya in 2004

In our very first image, Naya was only 16 years old-- although she would certainly already been acting because of age 4. At the time, she had a prominent mole simply below her reduced lip, which she has actually because had actually gotten rid of. With her all-natural hair color and no obvious makeup, she looks so fresh and quiet.

Naya in 2009

5 years later on, she returned to the red carpet after landing her advancement role on Glee. She was 22 right here and appears to have blonde teeth and perhaps dimmed her hair to a solid black. Apart from that, I don't identify any changes to her functions, which are adorned with just false lashes, black liner, sheer lip gloss, and also blush. It's a far cry from her contemporary red carpet design!

Naya in 2010

As you can see from this 2010 red carpet appearance, Naya's elegant ambiance used to be a lot much more spirited and colorful. The oversized bun, headband, bangs, as well as red lipstick are fun, but we'd never see her in these points now. Without hefty lashes, structure, or contouring, her makeup is remarkable. And also she has perfect teeth!

Naya in 2011

This is one of the most telling "before" photos. Without a smile and her look encountering straight at the electronic camera, you can see simply exactly how different her original features looked. For beginners, she had very heavy-lidded eyes, thinner brows, and normally complete cheeks. Her lips may or may not be enhanced, yet they still look natural at this phase.

Naya in 2012

Naya's much-loved appearance needs to be this from 2012, where she matched her pink makeup to her attire. Just how beautiful does she look with her hair tied back, in this rosy flush, subtly shimmery lipstick as well as a dark lining? Also, individuals would certainly pay excellent cash to have cheeks, lips, and teeth similar to this, so I can't imagine why she later dabbled with them!

Naya in 2013

Her design wasn't rather as one factor the following year, at age 26. Besides the hefty blush and also frizzy hair, this is when she started entering into false lashes in a big method, choosing a spidery set that prolongs virtually to her eyebrows! Yet I'm unsure that make up her various look in this picture. To me, it seems like her eyes obtain even more wide-open from here on out, suggesting a feasible treatment there.

Naya in 2014

It remained in 2014 that Naya started to morph right into Kim Kardashian 2.0. Besides her recently caramel-colored hair, every attribute takes Kim's signature design ideas. There's the lengthy incorrect lashes, curved brows, tightlined eyes, and obviously, nude lips as well as hefty contouring. The latter makes her nose show up narrower, but I actually do not spot any surgical adjustments there. It's her eyes and lips (specifically the top lip) that have transformed.

Naya in 2016

By 2016, Naya had the refined style of red carpet pro, this time around with brown hair color. Once again, it's all very Kardashian-esque thanks to the neutral combination, cautious contouring as well as plumped-up naked lips. (However, don't get me wrong, I assume this makeup is truly well-done!) Are you discovering how much narrower her face has actually become?!

Naya in 2017

Luckily, Naya either reined it in or the shots settled by the list below year. I assume she looks excellent below! The lengthy, straight black hair in a middle component is still extremely "Kim," yet she's eased up on all the shading as well as contouring. I can't help yet discover a significant difference in her face form (and her eyes) when I compare this picture to 2011.

Naya in 2019

After almost 2 years away from the red carpet, she returned in 2019, looking practically unrecognizable in blonde hair. This color primarily deals with her skin tone, but it does not make her skin radiance as the darker hair does. We can likewise see proof below that she hasn't let up on the shots, a minimum of in her lips.

Verdict

This is one Before & After where the pictures truly do speak for themselves. I believe we can all concur that, at minimum, Naya has actually messed around with hyaluronic acid fillers in her lips and also cheeks.

However, that's not all the work she has actually had actually done. Considering her smile, it's noticeable that her teeth have actually been made over with a set of oversized as well as bright white porcelain veneers (which, in my viewpoint, were entirely unnecessary!).

Her eyes are also far more "open" than they were before, leading me to think she has actually undergone surgical treatment to get rid of a few of the excess skin from her top eyelids.

Then, there's the issue of her transforming face form as well as recently sticking out, rounded cheeks. I believe it nearly appears as if she had actually fat eliminated to contour her face, using liposuction surgery, and then had it returned into the cheek area.

So what do the experts state? According to one interview, Dr. Jason Emer thinks "she has actually definitely had nose surgery and filler via the cheeks and lips. She might have implants in her cheeks, as well."

Nose surgery? Implants? Well, we know that Naya is familiar with cosmetic surgery. In her 2016 memoir, Sorry Not Sorry: Desires, Mistakes, and Maturing, she disclosed that she gifted herself breast augmentation for her 18th birthday, calling them the "the most effective $8K [she's] ever before spent." So it's not unsubstantiated that she would certainly be game for the remainder of these cosmetic improvements also!

[you-did-well-moon]

Who Do You Think You are? |Monsta x 8th Member Au|

Monsta x boys X Arslyn/ Other trainees x Arslyn/ More Changkyun X Arslyn

Summary: Arslyn and the other boys find out there will be a new trainee added to the show. Arslyn had already been a part of the show. The other boys dont react too well, but how will Arslyn react?

Type: fluff/angst get ready boys

No Trigger warnings yet

A/N: Hey this is my first time posting a piece of my writing on this website. This is an original character of mine. I want to see how this post is received, and if received well I will put a whole description for her and I will continue the series. Please enjoy.

My eyes flitted around the room taking in the sight of all the boys who had practically raised me. My heart felt light seeing them laughing and their eyes shining after all the tears that had been shed. Losing Minkyun had been no easy blow. Thankfully, K.Will had given us a chance to escape the cruel consequences of the reality show by treating us to dinner.

I had been seated between Hyungwon and Yoonho. My outfit was quite simple. A black beanie adorning my head with my soft brown locks in a loose braid, and my bangs framing the side of my face. Big black glasses were sitting on top of my nose. I had a grey over sized hoodie with a black jacket that was now hanging on the back of my chair. Black ripped tights fit snuggly around my legs keeping the cold at bay. The whole outfit was paired with a pair of black dirty high top Converse.

Even though we weren't standing on a stage in front of him, I couldnt bring myself to feel comfortable around K.Will. Minkyun's face kept popping up anytime I made eye contact with him, so I settled with only looking at his forehead. I did my best to push the thought of him packing alone back at the dorms out of my head, and I let myself fall in a state of rest. I leaned back in my chair, and I smiled and laughed with the boys as I ate.

It seemed almost like a dream. I hadn't been able to feel this at ease since before the reality show when we had all just been innocent trainees. Now every night was filled with restlessness and doubt. Every morning was filled with a rushed awakening, and it was spent in the practice room. It seemed like a constant cycle of practicing, producing, and executing the missions.

There was no time for sleeping or eating. There was no time for sitting back, and letting yourself drift off. There was no time to be human anymore. I had to debut.

Hyungwon seemed to notice my distracted state and nudged me. I stepped out of my head, and I snapped my attention to him. He raised an eyebrow, but I simply smiled and shook my head. It seemed to be enough for him since he went back to talking with Hyunwoo and Hoseok. Just for assurance he took my hand and gave it a squeeze before letting go of it.

We ate and continued to laugh and tease each other. The atmosphere tensed for a little when K.Will pulled out the ranking cards. He gave them out with me being in third place behind Hoseok, but in front of Hyunwoo. My eyes fixed on Hyunwoo. Only worry plaguing my mind.

Everyone had given him the title of leader without him asking for it. Now whatever team he was put on, he would carry the hopes and insecurities of his other partners along with his own. Both times his team had lost someone, and I could tell it was taking a toll on him. I could practically see the words "It should have been me" written across his forehead.

I couldn't remember the last time I had seen the smile where his eyes scrunch up, and his cheeks puff up. He was a quiet man, but he was sensible, and he had the natural instinct of protecting others. He had a big figure, but he had an even bigger heart. At first, he had been awkward but the one day I started playing with his hands before a mission it seemed to have broken down the walls surround him. While playing with his hands, telling him all my doubts, and wishing him good luck he had softened. He seemed to look out for me a lot more since that day.

My heart hurt for him, and I was about to call his name to atleast try to make him laugh when I was stopped by K.Will addressing us.

"Enjoying your meals?". A chorus of "yes" rang around the room while my mouth stayed shut. A nervous feeling settling down on me.

"Something completely unexpected has happened. At where you are...this could be your biggest obstacle". My eyes widened as my breath got caught in my throat. My hands seemed to fidget with the cuts in my tights as I took in everyone's reactions. Eyes were either widened or narrowed, and the room had gone silent. What could be worse than the pain of having to watch as one of our close confided friends and brother got taken away from us.

"Regardless to the program, I think this is almost natural to happen in the process of becoming an idol group." he continued. Natural? Had someone been in a scandal? Was someone getting so much hate they had to get eliminated by default? At this point my hands were shaking, and it felt like my heart was being squeezed by an ice cold hand. I quickly took the hands of Hyungwon and Yoonho in mine with a tight grip. Their hands tightening around mine with hyungwon rubbing my knuckles with the pad of his thumb for comfort.

"I came to realize we dont have enough rappers. 3 of 10 trainees are rappers". I looked at the boys and quickly realized it was true. The vocalist outnumbered the rappers by a huge amount. I was one of the vocalist. Were they going to eliminate one of the vocalist to even it out more? My mouth felt dry, and my eyebrows had furrowed. I licked my lips in anticipation. My throat felt like there was something blocking any air coming in, and my chest felt heavy.

Was it the opposite. Would they add- No! They wouldn't. Right? This would create chaos, but at the same time an icy liquid ran through my veins with the thought of having to lose someone else. They wouldn't be as cruel as to-

"We'll be adding a new trainee to NO MERCY" My chest heaved with a silent gasp. I forgot. This was a show. A survival one. They didn't really care about us. This was about ratings and the money. That's what we were worth. That's what had defined us since the very beginning. They would be cruel because to them we're simply their puppets. It was sad to admit, but they were the ones with the strings.

Both grips on my hands tightened making me snatch my hands away. Looking down I saw the red spots quickly disappear until my skin was back to it's normal olive tone. I looked at them, but they were all staring at K.Will. My eyes wandered to all the boys as looks of uneasiness were quickly transforming into glares.

I couldn't keep my head up. I looked down at my hands shaking in my lap as tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. I felt numb. All feelings had gone and now I just felt empty. After all that? Tears shed, sweat dropping, and uncontrolled sobs getting choked out. After all the pressure, and the heaviness of our choices put on our shoulders. They were going to add someone else?

I could feel the bile coming up the throat as my head felt light and the room became blurry. The silence defeaning, but my ears were ringing.

"I'll bring him over."

What? A small scoff escaped my mouth but went unnoticed by our senior. My face was still hidden, but my head managed to shake. My nose scrunched, and I pursed my lips. He really wanted to rub it in huh?

The empty feeling in my chest was replaced with a nasty hot feeling. Anger and hate. Two emotions I despised, but I couldn't help it. My head snapped up, and I managed to make eye contact with the older man. My eyes narrowing, and all the curse words imaginable repeating like a chant over and over again. He held my heated gaze.

" I hope you guys say hello to each other." The atmosphere seemed to darken more than it already had. "Now?" Hyungwon asked with a disbelieve look in his face. I could tell he was incredibly annoyed by the look in his widened eyes.

" Yes, he's coming to the restaurant. I'll bring him in" with that last hate inducing sentence he got up and left the room. We wouldn't have any time to prepare. We wouldn't have any time to clear out our minds of any hurtful things. He was hitting us with a surprise attack, that would change the directions of our paths that had seemed so clear. I bought my hands to my face, and hid behind them.

I hadn't met this guy, but the only thing I could focus on was the crippling emotion of hate. It grasped and weaved it's way into the deepest crevices of my mind. I looked up. Jooheon had put his turtle neck up so that it covered half his face. Others were staring to do the same. As if it would help them block any occurence of the situation. It gave them a mask to hide behind, so that the new guy wouldn't have any idea. We didn't know his name, and we were already thinking of strangling him.

At that thought a little voice seemed to make it through the haze. This isnt right. It's not his fault. My head started to pound. My heart was starting to be pulled into two different directions, and I had no idea what to feel. I felt like an outsider inside my own body. Frustration and pity probed and poked at me. The one minute of absolute hate was slipping away even though I tried grasping at it.

No.

I had a right to feel this. Do you?. I could feel my body slumping into the chair with my head resting at an uncomfortable position. It was giving up. My body was giving up. My mind was giving up. My heart was giving up. I was giving up.

"Will he be as good as kwanji, Yoosu, or Minkyun?" I recognized Gunhee's voice. I wanted to speak up. We have to give him a chance. He doesn't deserve this. He could be as good, or he could be worse. But we can't do this. We can't take out our anger on him. He's human....just like us.

I couldn't find it in myself to speak out. My usually clear and strong voice had abandoned me. All that was left was a meak broken sound.

Coward.

I opened my mouth in a weak attempt to get air into my lungs and clear the haze that was still clouding my eyes. My eyes closing and opening again. As I heard two pair of footsteps coming down the hall I let them close , and allowed my head to slump.

One minute...that's all I need.

Having any distastasteful feelings for a stranger went completely against my morals and beliefs. It went against who I was as a person. That person that had been hell bent on detesting another human being was not me.

"Hello I'm I.M and I'm 20 years old. I'm a rapper. Nice to meet you". A deep wavering voice filled the past silence of the room, but I ignored it.

I let any negative feelings I had housed slip through my fingers. Holding a grudge against someone one for the sole reason of existing wasn't me.

" The rest of you get to work now and prepare to perform even better than you did yesterday". K.Will's parting words made no effect on me as I continued with my eyes closed.

Loathing someone for wanting nothing but to do what they love and live for isn't me.

"oh gosh I feel sick" my mind wavered a bit at Minhyuk's harsh words.

Tearing another human being down instead of helping them stand up was not me. Becoming the exact connection to their insecurities and using those doubt filled voices against them was not me. Leaving a terrified vulnerable human being alone and without a hand to hold was not me.

"We can't really welcome you right now. And to think you replaced him..."

Trying to justify something I know is wrong for the sake of evading any guilt and avoiding looking bad was not me.

"We can't be all that nice to you."

"I can."

My eyes snapped open as I raised my head high. My voice back to the effective and stable tone I had always known it to be.

I am Ceol Arslyn. Not lower than anyone else, but not better either. Just human.

Everyone turned their attention to me. Some with looks of betrayal, and some with disbelief. There was one. One that looked at me with eyes full of hope, and he happened to be the one sitting directly in front of me with a pale face and his lips set in a frown. His eyes flicking down and up every so often with fidgeting hands.

"Who do you think you are..." I let my tone get clipped, and I watched as his eyes widened and a certain strain settled on his face. "to come here and act so horrified". I let my body become at ease with a bright smile pulling at my lips as I stood up.

"You look like you just saw your mom get our her shoe when you talked back because dude samee" I made my way around the table and took in his reaction. He visibly relaxed and looked at me with a funny kind of amusement.

I dragged Hoseok out of the seat next to his and let myself fall on to it. "why are you so nervous hm?" I looked at him and saw as he shifted in his seat. He looked up at me, but quickly let his gaze drop. He responded with a shrug and a mumbled "I don't know".

"You don't know why you're feeling? Uh that's deep but save it for when we're in the studio, and Jooheon a long with Gunhee start googling words that rhyme". I saw the two mentioned men sit up, but I payed no mind as I offered him my hand.

When he took it, and I gave his hand a little shake I continued "I think we should start with real names first. I'm Ceol Arslyn. Vocalist, dancer, and producer. But you can call me Slyn." With a nervous twitch in his eye he cleared his throat

"Im Changkyun" I gave his hand a squeeze and with a soft tone "Nice to meet you. Rapper huh? I look forward to seeing what you can do with that deep voice of yours but for now lets settle for getting to know each other..." as I finished my sentence I gave a pointed look to Jooheon.

I looked at everyone waiting for then to introduce themselves, but everyone stayed quiet. My nervousness at their reactions was soon changing into annoyance. Beside me Changkyun once again shifted in his seat.

Fine. Looks like I'm doing all the work.

Letting the smile return to my face, I put my hand on Changkyun's chin lifting it up so that he was looking at Jooheon. I let my hand drop and lift in Jooheon's direction. "That's Jooheon. Rapper and producer. Just a little warning he's number one right now, but he's really not that scary. Don't let that stupid glare fool you. He's just scared becaue he has some real competition now" my smile widened as both Jooheon and Gunhee narrowed their eyes at me.

Going in order around the table I introduced everyone. I threw in little jabs here and there because they were literally about leave him on his own to figure everything out. I almost did too.

As I finished introducing everyone I didn't see the soft look Changkyun was giving me. He had braced himself, and had put up walls while on his way over here. Ready to be hated and despised, but here you were. Your petite stature that barely came up to his chin with your big eyes and glasses that kept sliding down your nose. You were willing to risk the friendship you had with the other guys, and who you had known for years...just for his sake. For someone you had barely met. He felt like his heart had gotten lighter, and it was easier to keep his head up. You had risked everything...just to do what you thought was right. Your soft orbs filled with a certain kind of light that made him feel comfortable enough to make eye contact with the others. You made him feel safe, and whatever came his way he knew he would have you to lean on. It was a soft mundane blanket of calmness and peace that covered him being around you.

You suddenly stood up making the chair screech as it moved across the floor. "I think we're done here. I'm ready to go home, and pretend I'm doing something productive. You guys can keep eating, but I'll be waiting in the van." I got the jacket I had left on the chair, and let a grin take over my face when I saw Changkyun get up.

"You coming with me?" A quick nod while shrugging on his jacket answered me. I waited for him to walk up to my side before I started walking out if the room throwing a peace sign at the table of boys who had stayed silent. They had scoffed and glared at me. It hurt. Of course it hurt. Having someone like Hoseok look at me with disgust made my breath hitch. I had to remind myself that Changkyun would have gone through worse.

I hope when this all over, they won't hate me.

Changkyun and I walked in silence. Our footsteps echoing around the hall as we walked towards the exit. Leading him into one of the vans, I chose to get in the very back seats. Changkyun sat beside me with his hands grasping at each other. I took a deep breath in.

"So, what's your favorite color?"

[cherriegyuu]

let's talk produce x 101 (4)

Here it is, the second round elimination. To be honest I'm overall happy with this line up. I know that my number one pick (kookheon) probably won't make it so I have to broad my sight and look at some other trainees. But I do have some things to say about the current top 10 spots

#1 kim wooseok

Will probably be in the final line up. Does it bother me? Not really. The only things that really bothers me about him is that he has this sort of dead look on his face, he is completely blank. I wish he would show more of his emotions, that's all.

#2 lee jin hyuk

he has become a fixed member for me, that's all I have to say. He managed to completely change my mind and make me root for him

#3 kim yohan

i just love him, really do. even if he isnt the most talented in some areas he is still charismatic and works hard

#4 lee hyeonjun

this is where it gets a little off, for me personally. for starters i don't understand his appel, i honestly don't. yes, he is cute and what else? this group is set out to be the next wannaone and if i remember correctly they used to have sexy concepts and I honestly can't see this boy doing it. He looked so awkward during the 7th sense and they turned finesse into somewhat of a cute song so let's hope the concept evaluation shines a new light on him.

#5 ko jungmo

this kid... I also don't understand it. Differently from hyeonjun who was part of performances i remember, I can't remember of a single thing jungmo did. All I know about him is that he placed 9th for a while and that's it (I honestly only know of this because I just finished watching the episode)

#6 lee eunsang

I'm scared I'll start to sound repetitive so let's just say okay for now

#7 nam dohyun

he is young, yes, but he is talented when it comes to rap. I think him with jinhyuk will do a good job as rappers (though I do think that such a large group has spot for one or maybe even two more rappers)

#8 lee jinwoo

like hyeonjun I just think he is cute but he did surprise me with his singing in the last evaluation

#9 han seungwoo

all rise for our main vocalist and leader (though he can fight with jinhyuk for that last one) I don't know how else I can compliment him, I don't think I'm eloquent enough.

#10 kim mingyu

he is a constant battle for me. I like him because he is hardworking and he always has a positive mindset and although he was never truly a leader he did an amazing job in class f by always being the first to raise his hand and do things when everyone else was too scared to do something wrong. I like that even when is he being hammered in the head he still holds his head up high (like during the first episode, or maybe second, with soyoo) but he is too awkward while dancing and boygroups these days have really hard choreography, I'm scared that if he does make it to the final lineup he will struggle a lot to keep up with the others

In my opinion I could cut out 4 trainees in this, as you can tell by now, and these are the ones I would put there

#seungyoun i know it is unlikely that mnet will let 4 previously debuted trainees  debut again with this group but he is is a gem. Like seunwoo is well rounded, can rap, dance, sing and let's not talk about how good looking and funny he is, he is always the mood maker of his team.

#hyeonsu he is such a great dancer, works hard, did an amazing job in the girls girls girls team. I hope more people will look at him the same way.

#kookheon he is my number one pick since the start. He sang believer pretty much completely on his own for the position evaluation and if someone told me that he is a English native speaker I would actually believe it (no pun intended). Can you imagine how powerful a team with him and seungwoo as vocalists would be? Unstoppable,if you ask me (I can see them ost's coming their way)

#won hyuk I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't like his attitude with his team, as I have mentioned before, but I also understand his desperation. He is easily one of the best rappers in this season, maybe even from the previous one, and I wish more people would look at him, even mnet is trying a little on his behalf. I hope he gets a new chance to prove himself

[nomimits7]

Mission Bangtan | 1

Title: MISSION BANGTAN pt1

Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Ratings: M {angst and fluff}

Warnings: Language. Future violence. Talk of abuse.

Summary: As a professional eliminator you are ordered to get rid of Bangtan. A group of trained fighters hiding behind the mask of BTS. Your mission is successful until you get to know them. Will Y/N be able to complete the mission, or will she end up protecting her target from the real danger.

Autor’s notes: This is my first attempt at a fanfic. I don’t know if there is going to be any smut involved. Feel free to send in suggestions. I’ll try and update as soon as possible, but I am a student and my time is limited. Enjoy.( Also this one is edited. thank you @feed-my-geek-soul I love you!. Also the header image will change as soon as I get a more... mission like one! Hope you enjoy)

Finally. Finally, you’ll get to prove that you indeed are the best. Finally, you can rid this world of evil. Finally, you’ll get to give this evil a name.

Since you were brought to this academy you where taught to hate ‘Them’, even though you never truly understood who ‘They’ really were. You didn’t really have solid reason to hate them, but you did. You were a trained professional. An eliminator at the top of your class. Best actress, best fighter, best killing instinct, best strategist and above all, best at controlling your emotions.

“Y/N!” Your commander called. “It’s time. Do NOT disappoint…”

“Yes sir” you responded

Your commander was a heartless bastard. He made sure you knew exactly how fortunate you are. Your parents were two of his targets. One mission that ended with two dead and one orphaned child. He made you into the perfect killing machine. You grew up believing he saved you.

But, you hated him. Not only had he taken away you parents, but your innocence as well. You where sixteen years old when he made you hate him, when he broke you… forever. He was the devil himself.

“Your mission. You will infiltrate Bangtan. Earn their trust, catch them off guard. You need to eliminate all seven of them. You will need to eliminate them in the most iconic way imaginable. You must make a spectacle of them, you will send a clear message. You will destroy everything they stand for”

Seven….

“Here are their files. It is not much but it is enough to get you acquainted with your targets. I want a full mission run-through in the morning”

“Yes sir” you said, keeping a straight face “Good, you are dismissed”

Seven…

Seven is a bit more than you bargained for… Their files aren’t really of help either. Your brain is tired of trying to make this plan perfect, fool-ptoof even. If you can execute this then he’ll be satisfied. Perhaps you’ll even get to take down eight men, instead of just the seven.

The sound of midnight arriving pulled you from your daydream. “Right, let’s look at these files again, maybe I missed something.” You groaned.

Kim Namjoon

Age: 24

Skills: Clumsiness but extremely clever. He specializes in Tactics and planning.

Kim Namjoon better know as RM or Joon is the leader of Bangtan. His very sharp and takes care of each member. He would do anything to protect his members. He loves nature and it was his idea that Bangtan hide behind the faces of BTS. He’s one of the rappers and takes pride in their followers.

 Kim Seokjin

Age: 26

Skills: Dad Jokes. He’s a very good cook. He specializes in close combat and can be dangerous with knifes. He also has great knowledge of poisons.

 Kim Seokjin better known as Jin is the oldest member of Bangtan. He’s an expert in the art of knives. He too would do anything to protect his members. His cooking skills comes in handy when he need to take out a target silently. He’s known as Mr Worldwide handsome and takes pride in his title. He takes special care of the Three Maknaes of the group. He’s one of the vocalists.

 Jung Hoseok

Age: 24

Skills: Can make anybody smile. Extremely good at dancing. Specializes in Dance fighting. Known as the Shadow of the group. His personality is the best cover for his skills.

Jung Hoseok better known as Hobi is the sunshine of the group. He’s always smiling and trying to keep all the members spirits up. Its suspected that he might be the sun in the group. He’s loud and very passionate in his position as the main dancer and Rapper in the group. This makes him the perfect cover man.

 Min Yoongi

Age: 25

Skills: Being still. He’s the opposite of Hobi. Specializes in the element of surprise. Not much is known of him.

 Min Yoongi better Know as Yoongi or Suga is the quiet one of the group. He’s a rational thinker and can be dangerous. He’s extremely good at being unseen. He’s an observer. He hides behind a straight face, but isn’t that cold hearted. He’s also one of the Rappers in the group.

 Kim Taehyung

Age: 23

Skills: Unpredictable and bizarre are second nature to him. He specializes in close combat and thinking outside of the box.

 Kim Taehyung better Known as Tae or V is the unclassifiable one of the group. He forms part of the Maknae line. Even his members can’t predict his actions. He’s what you can call a switch of sorts. He can jump from personalities. Suspected that he’s an actor of sorts. He’s one of the Vocalists

 Park Jimin

Age: 23

Skills: Soft and kind. He’s one of the most flexible. He specializes in close combat and squeezing into impossible places.

Park Jimin better known as Jimin is the wannabe Maknae of the group. He forms part of the Maknae line. He acts as if he is the youngest. He’s the closes to Yoongi and can be just as quiet. His softness is suspected to be a cover of some sorts. He occasionally erupts and can be scary. He’s one of the vocalists

 Jeon Jungkook

Age: 21

Skills: Muscle mania. Inexperienced. His specialities are his strength and stamina, and his computer skills are top level.

 Jeon Jungkook better known as Jungkook is the Maknae of the group. Even though he is the most inexperienced he is the strongest member and has the most control. He’s associated with a bunny. He looks innocent, but in reality is deadly. He loves a challenge and he rarely loses. He is the main Vocalist of the group.

 After re-reading the file an additional four times you give up. How in the seven worlds are you supposed to infiltrate a group like this? Wait, why do you need to get rid of them? Nothing in their files explains the evilness they possess. Nobody can be that good at hiding evilness, your commander hasn’t even mastered that art yet. Or maybe that’s exactly what they want you to believe… you’ll have to get creative.

“So… you’re going to go to a fan sign, and become friends with them? How exactly are you going to eliminate them?” you commander asked clearly intrigued.

“Well… there wasn’t much to go on in their files. I’ll have to look for a weakness first before I can be clear on the exact execution of the mission. But… the calculated time for this mission is a bit… concerning sir.”

“Concerning?”

“Yes sir. This is going to take time. They won’t trust me from the start I’m first going have to win their trust. Considering everything the files show, my acting’s going have to be on point.”

“Fine, there’ll be no limit, but I expect progress.”

“Of course, sir”

You finally leave his office, heart racing you release a breath of relief.

“Right let’s begin shall we…”

The venue was filled to the brim. You knew they were well known but this is just ridiculous. Being raised in the academy you rarely ever heard of the outside world. Waiting in line with you newly bought album… the first item you have ever bought for yourself… you try to look for any signs of the seven targets. They haven’t arrived yet and you start to doubt that they ever will. One scream and the whole room erupts into cheers. You try to see them but there are to many people in front of you.

“Stupid. Should have arrived earlier.”

A good two hours later you finally get to see them… Your heart stops. There in front of you seven of the most portrait perfect humans are seated. There were no pictures in the files, so you don’t know who is who, but one thing you do know… This mission isn’t going to be easy…

Taking the first seat you knew you were doomed. The first member was beautiful. His skin was flawless. His brown hair fell over his dark dark dark eyes. His lips formed into a gummy smile as he looked at you. You didn’t know who he was or what to say. Shyly you pushed your Album forward without saying a single word. His curious eyes searched yours. It was at this point you realized your guard was down. Like a compressed spring they popped up. Your eyes became emotionless, it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Usually our fans are very happy to see us. You aren’t a fan are you?”

At this you looked up. His eyes were searching…

“Not really. This is all new to me.” It wasn’t a lie really. This was your first time experiencing this. Smiling he gave back your album and reached out for your hand, Taking it in his.

“I’m Suga, or Yoongi… welcome to Army”

Welcome? Did you just join a cult? You thanked him and moved on to your next target. This one was younger, you could tell by his soft smile. He almost looked angelic. Again, flawless skin, light brown hair painting his perfect features. Again, you said nothing as you pushed your album towards him. Smiling he gladly took it and signed it.

“So… You’re new? Welcome, I hope you find our music enjoyable.”

“thank you” you responded emotionless

“I’m Jimin. You are?” For what felt like years you decided to give them your real name. It’s not Like they’re going to be alive to do something about it.

“I’m Y/N.”

“Y/N, that’s a nice name” You thanked him and moved to the next member.

This guy was beyond handsome. His blond hair and dark eyes were a deadly combination. Taking your album, you couldn’t stop staring.

“Y/N…right? Hi I’m Jin.”

“Hi…Nice to meet you” This guy was a master in poisoning??? With each member you had met thus far you couldn’t connect their files with them. How could these boys be that dangerous or well trained? Thanking him you moved on to the next member. This member had the most beautiful dimples. His light brown hair made him look even more like a Greek god or something.

Now you knew you were screwed. No way in hell can you loose focus in this mission.

“Hello Y/N, I’m Namjoon. How do you find Bangtan so far?”

“You all seem really nice. I might like your music, but we’ll have to wait and see”

“You haven’t heard our music and you’re at a fan sign?”

“Yeah, it’s weird I know but that’s why I bought the album.”

You said goodbye and moved on to the next member. Namjoon grabbed your hand, snapping your head around you nearly went full commando but as you turned you saw tickets grasped loosely in his other hand.

“Come to our show. You might like it. You’re the first person I have ever came across that’s so… straight forward.”  

Thanking him you moved on to the next member. By first glance you could tell he was energetic. His smiling face greeted you. You could tell he was the light of the group and you wondered which of the remaining three he was.

“Hi, could you sign this please?” Taking your album, he made quick work of signing it.

“Hello Y/N, I’m your Hope, J-Hope” You could see he was the sunshine personality one. But Dance Fighting? No, you couldn’t place that as his skill. Not that he didn’t have the body for it, but he was so… Shiny.

“Where do you come from?”

Fuck… You knew you’d have to make up a story but for some or other reason you weren’t expecting a question like that. Clearly pausing too long he decided to break the silence.

“It’s okay you don’t have to answer. I was just curious.”

Relief flushed over you as you got up to move on to the next member. This member was young. Almost too young. His baby face smiling up at you as you take your seat. Maybe this was…

“Hi I’m Jungkook. You must be Y/N. I can see you’re a new Army. Welcome”

Yup it was clear as day that he was the youngest. His bunny-like features made it impossible for you to see this strength or to picture him being the strongest of the group. Like how?

“Hi, Yes I’m relatively new to this.”

“Well welcome Y/N. Enjoy your stay with Bangtan!”

Looking up to the last member your heart stopped again. This man seemed dangerous. You don’t know why but his light hair and dark deep eyes made you uneasy. Every sense in you body was on even higher alert as you approached him. Although you felt intimidated you couldn’t help but look. He was beautiful. This must be Taehyung. The unpredictable one. His eyes locked with yours and you knew he was going to be one of many challenges. They all are going to make this extremely difficult. You’ve been cautious around the other without feeling as if you might fail, but he made you realize how dangerous this mission really is.

“You really are a rare sight to see. Coming to a fan sign of idols you haven’t even heard sing. I praise you for that. Hi I’m Tae, but call me V. I do hope we’ll be seeing you again.”

Wow, unpredictable is an understatement. This guy was straight forward with every word yet confident.

“Nice to meet you V. I’m Y/N.”

“Y/N… Even your name is unique. I like you already.”

Saying goodbye and leaving you couldn’t help but wonder what he meant. It was probably nothing, just your imagination playing games with you. One thing you were certain of, your plans had officially changed.

You’re going to a BTS concert and you have work to do.

Part 2

[rkxluda]

MGA season 4, ep. 8 - Senior Team 1 - Girl Power ( @rkyngsun @rksomi @rkdoyexn @rksxna ) SNSD Chi Chi - All Night | Lines | Outfit | Beauty

“The best vocalist is…” Katie Lee grinned and Luda closed her eyes. There was hope, she couldn't deny it, but she knew it wasn't likely. There were so many good singers – more experienced singers. She'd only started taking vocal classes at the beginning of the year, so it was unrealistic and she was aware of that. But how would it feel to her name called out now? She had to bite her lips to suppress the smile caused by her own thoughts. “Lee Luda. Congratulations.” It took her a moment to realise that this wasn't her imagination but reality and as her eyes flew open, her hands were quick to cover the “o” of surprise that her lips formed and she bowed deeply towards the judges. Overwhelmed with gratitude and formerly unknown pride she couldn't wait for her mother to see this episode and she was incredibly thankful to her team for having gotten the lines that she did. Until the eliminations happened, she was caught in indescribable happiness.

As soon they announced that 10 people would have to leave, her stomach tightened. She was sure this time she wouldn't have to worry about being eliminated, but that didn't mean she wouldn't worry for others.

All expression left her face as Daniel was eliminated – she'd hoped her team would be spared and somehow she felt guilty. And Luda didn't feel any better when Kyungri was named – they hadn't worked together after the first two performances, but she was sad nonetheless. She hadn't really known any of the other eliminated contestants too well, but it seemed unreal and she wondered how exactly eliminations were decided. It was shocking. At the same time she felt like she couldn't complain; didn't have the right to.

The girl was the first one to be led into another room to choose the song to perform next week and with her fingers entwined and her lip caught between teeth, she tried to be as careful as she could. She'd done so well this time, she'd be distraught if a bad choice of song destroyed this. “Fxxk It” was immediately out of question, it simply wasn't her style and escaped her capabilities. The rest were all nice choices, but she wasn't really feeling “Can Be Better”. Luda did want to challenge “Tell Me” to show the judges and viewers that she bettered her dancing quite a bit and she really liked the group, but after the first team performance, she knew better and excluded this choice as well. “Why So Lonely” and “All Night” were left and she had a hard time deciding. She saw the staff's expression, but she didn't want to hurry her decision. The latter had a fun concept and would be fun to perform. But with the prior, she could show a new side of herself. The safe choice she'd surely do well with, or the new concept that held many possibilities – positive and negative.

“I choose all night,” she said and they told her she could leave. Showing a new side of herself might have been a good idea, but the dance to “Why So Lonely” made her a bit uncomfortable from what she remembered and if she'd show that on stage... no, she felt like she had to show everything possible in this episode, so no experimenting. Better a safe bet, well delivered than a halfway good surprise. She could still learn songs with other images later on. Nonetheless, going with the safe bet made her worry, she didn't want to be boring. She'd simply have to do find a way to charm the judges.

Luda went home and couldn't help feeling guilty. Guilty because she was still happy, overwhelmed really, even after the eliminations. For the first time the girl felt like she actually had a realistic chance and not just a hopeful one – she was named best singer of the episode and she'd managed to enter the semi-finale, which had to count for something.

The next day she arrived early at the practise room. She knew the parts of the KT building that she was allowed to be in rather well by now, having been there for the 3rd time after all, two in a row. As the practise room filled, she was surprised and happy to see Yongsun again. She hadn't expected to be in the same team thrice in a row. She was also happy to see Sana again and looked forward to working with Doyeon and Somi, who she hadn't been in a team with before. She felt like they all fit the song very much and she was excited to start practising, but first those who hadn't yet met introduced themselves.

“It's nice to meet you, too!” Luda responded to Doyeon. “I hope we'll get along well,” she added. Of course she was also looking forward to working with the other, but she didn't want to reply with her exact words. All vocal parts and the dance positions were distributed without much problem and to her own surprisethe girl found herself looking forward to the dance. It seemed fun and not too difficult, even if she would still have to spent a lot of time practising it – luckily she had Doyeon's help with that. She surely wouldn't have learned the dance as fast all by herself.

Like before she spent a lot of time at the practise room, but as she had to promise her mum, she went home to sleep on 3 nights, including Thursday to get a good nights sleep before the performance and to feel more than energetic enough, to charm the audience. But even though she went home more often, she took less breaks during practise, so she wouldn't loose much time. As grateful as she was to have her singing recognised by the judges, as nervous she was to fall deep this week. Singing and trying to convey emotions was one thing, adding in dancing changed a lot and she couldn't rest on any achievement. The girl had to show that she could still go farther and learn more. Show them better skills. As Katie Lee had said – she hadn't shone much so far and that “so far” was all during performances including dance. She couldn't stop trying to go beyond her limits.

In one of her breaks the girl practised their introduction in a corner in front of the mirror. She tried to flex her not-so-existent biceps muscles. Trying to look tough while doing so... didn't really work out, instead it just looked like the girl pouted. Luda sighed and tried it a few more times, but ended up settling for a wink – something she was comfortable with.

Like last week, this week of practise was fun, though she wasn't sure whether she was more or less worried than before. Practise had gone well, but there was always the fear that that just wasn't enough. If everyone did well – and from what she could tell while practising, they did – it took more than just that to survive. The girl had never been very competitive, so her mindset came as a surprise, but it also made her realise how much she really wanted this. How could a whim of a decision lead to so much passion? All she knew was, that she'd constantly have to better herself to survive and as the semi-finale approached, there weren't many chances left to show this. The girl didn't like the reality, but she really didn't want to be eliminated this week, even if she wouldn't win, she just wanted to go on one week further.

As they stood at the ready in their pretty, glittery outfits, which Luda very much adored, her hands fidgeted more than she could keep track of. Luckily, as the first team to perform (again), they were ushered on stage fast and as she put on what by now might as well be her trademark smile, she started to feel a rush going through her veins. She felt so excited, she barely noticed the melting heat. As they walked, she saw a person holding a sign with her name and the girl happily waved at the person. They introduced themselves as practised and quickly got into their starting positions.

Ooh, you already know All night, all night Alright, we’re gonna laugh and party ‘Cause we hot & sweet baby

Sana started the song and Luda's first lines followed after. She sang well, as she did previously and also concentrated on moving prettily. She twirled her arms, before clapping her hands over her head and stepped forward. Being in the centre was a nice feeling, now where she wasn't as nervous on stage anymore. Her voice was clear as always and she enjoyed her time in the spotlight, before walking to the side and smirking at the audience. Her dancing ability really got better, even after skipping it last week and she was happy it showed. Of course she was far from perfection, but baby steps.

If we get it on if we fall in love If this wild kissing continues

Somi starts to rap and Doyeon joins her, as they are both centre, and while it's a short note, Luda's next made it into her favourites.

Oh

She wasn't that much of a party-goer, but already felt like she was having the night of her life.  Feminine moves suited her and she felt like her voice fit the song as well. The song seemed to fit her well she thought, and she hoped audience and judges would agree. She delivered her lines as well as she did when she didn't have to dance, glad she'd practised how to breath while dancing. Surely her moves weren't as sharp as Doyeon's for example, showing she still had much to learn. But for someone with a vocal focus, she wasn't half bad at all. At least with a concept like this – if they'd made her do Before The Dawn again this week, she'd probably be very lacking still.

Even though she doesn't have a lot of ad-libs this time, she does enjoy the ones she has. And whenever she wasn't singing she was smiling, sometimes smirking when she saw fit. Compared to before, looking at cameras and audiences was a lot easier.

Mysteriously, I’m being pulled into you Oh tonight

Sana's, Yongsun's and Luda's lines smoothly followed one after the other, as the group walked in a circle, each in centre for their lines. She brings her hands over her head, crossing them, before quickly pulling them to the sides and down. Their dresses must have glittered prettily in the sunlight, as they moved. She ad-libs behind Yongsun's lines.

In love, nothing's decided Let’s just go with the flow honey

As Luda supports Yongsun's voice, they both stand centre. The move where they had to lift one leg had seemed a bit funny at first, though she came to like it. A quick shift and Doyeon and Sana were centre, before changing back to Yongsun and Luda. Now Yongsun was supporting Luda's lines. And as before, their voices fit together well. For the dance break Doyeon, Somi and Sana were centre, which Luda didn't mind at all and her next lines followed soon after.

When we’re together, it’s like we’re drunk We’re flying above the sunset

On Hey hey

Luda was now standing all the way to the right as she began singing once again. She gazed directly at the camera and bent forward, the others following suit. She moved elegantly and as the vocal part wasn't very difficult, it allowed her to smirk a little, before she turned her back to the audience.

It was time for her next ad-lib and as the song got more intense, the crowd cheered.

In love, nothing’s decided Let’s just go with the flow honey Drinking in the fever of the night

Now everyone was backing her vocals, while Sana stood centre of their “v” formation. During the whole performance she'd tried to look fresh and like she was having fun – which wasn't very difficult because she earnestly was excited. Rather than worrying whether she'd had enough centre or outstanding parts, she'd done her best not to drown next to such talented team members. She'd gazed at the cameras here and there and didn't make any mistakes. Her vocals were still obviously better than her dancing, but even that had improved a lot compared to how she started out.

As the song came to an end they turned their backs to the audience again, but turned their heads, so their side profile was visible. Luda tried to not make her heavy breathing too obvious and while she'd really enjoyed the performance, she was also a bit glad that it was over.

Now they'd have to wait for all other performances and the girl tried to ignore the nearing elimination. Five teams, that meant at least five of them would have to go. While she's been all smiley when they left the stage and voiced how she thought everyone had done great, now where they were waiting, she was earnestly worried. She could only hope to not be eliminated. But her overall fast progress and her hard work had to account for something as well, didn't it?

Of course one could never know the stunts MNET would surprise them with. Maybe they weren't only ranked inside their groups, but also group against group. Maybe those ranking 1st would all be exempt from eliminations, while the group ranked last could all be sent home. She shook her head, no, they wouldn't pull something like that.

The lowest ranking from each group would go home, they'd said and she'd done her best to survive once more. Hopefully her best was good enough.

[danielxrk]

 ✞ MGA SEASON 4  - ROUND 5 - TEAM F ONE NIGHT

           ⊰  one lonely day - h.a.m/bts ( why so lonely/just one day )  ⊱ ( line distribution )                          ⊰  featuring: @rkmyg, @rkchungha  @rkmg @rkkyungri ⊱                                              ⊰  #4050 ; kang daniel  ;  ( *✞  ) ⊱

⊰  ———– EPISODE FOUR  ⊱

this round, daniel doesn’t know what to expect. one plus side of performing so late in the show is that there’s little time to wait for the results. they settle into their seats following their performance and then watch as the judges retreat from the stage to collaborate on the winners and losers of this round, and whose journey will end today.

ultimately, daniel feels peace. contrary to last week, where he felt so harshly out of his element, this week is something he can take pride in– the best side of himself he could show off on such a large stage, without any mistakes, and with a team whose company he enjoyed and whose talents he believed in. he also believed in their combined strength, and for just a moment, he dreams of a positive result: praise from the ceo judges and general public alike for their performance today, but he doesn’t let himself linger on it for too long.

if it’s the end of the road for him, he’ll be okay with it. really, sparks of ideas for future performances aside, he doesn’t have anything better to show than what he showed tonight, so he waits, calmly, teammates beside him. he doesn’t feel nervous, and yet his leg bounces in anticipation regardless. 

the first team safe is sungwoon and jinsoul’s team, and daniel lets out a sigh of relief on behalf of his friends– with sungwoon as leader, especially. daniel’s reason for joining this show in the first place lives to fight another week, and really, that’s what matters; that’s daniel’s truest stake in this.

and yet, with each team announced after that– third place, and then second, daniel’s heart plummets a little further in his chest, until he feels sufficiently downtrodden. one of the safe ranks seemed feasible, but first place is surely too optimistic. does that mean they didn’t like it? if his skills aren’t enough in a band concept of all things, then he certainly doesn’t belong here. apologies to his teammates are already on his lips as the screen shows the two first place prospects. it’s all he can do to hope it’s him eliminated this time, instead of his teammates.

but then the screen shows yongsun, and the judges say team h– that’s them. daniel gapes, unbelieving, and then someone on his team shrieks and they pile into a group hug. his eyes sting of their own volition, before he can really fully process what’s happening, and he hides his face in the huddle of their bodies and the mass of congratulations pouring from lips. he just stays quiet and soaks it in, smile stuck on his face and eyes blurry with tears of validation.

the judges liked them. first place, with the song and concept daniel suggested, off the back of his bass-playing, and the one talent he really had confidence in, and this win is affirmation of that fact. the excitable beating of his heart says maybe i do belong here after all for the first time.

daniel still hasn’t gotten a hold of himself by the time sungwoon finds him and pulls him into a crushing hug. daniel, emotional and vulnerable, clutches onto the older male’s shirt in the hug, knowing he’s powerless to hide his tears as they pull away. (thankfully, sungwoon doesn’t say anything; he just looks proud, and it’s a feeling daniel doesn’t want to forget.)

⊰  ———– PRACTICE  ⊱

daniel approaches the following week with a new confidence, ultimately foreign to him on the show thus far. his typically reserved, quiet nature bubbles with a new excitement– extra smiles that reach his eyes, and it’s quite an offset to the rest of his team, more subdued and downtrodden than he is. it’s clear to him early on that he’ll need to help maintain the balance of their team atmosphere with his newfound cheery disposition, and for once, he isn’t intimidated by the pressure, and thinks he might be cut out for it.

still, he’s happy to see chungha again, even among a sea of other entirely unfamiliar faces, and he greets her with a hug before they all introduce themselves. up until now, he’s only seen kyungri through the backstage tv screen aside from their performances from the second round, and there’s something intimidating about her beauty up close. he didn’t know girls actually looked like that in real life.

what he still doesn’t believe he’s cut out for, however, is the role of leader, and with the no repeat leader rule, he and mingyu are the only options. neither of them are eager to take on the position, and daniel personally still feels far too inexperienced, even with the win of last episode propelling him forward with more faith in himself than ever before. “rock paper scissors?” he offers with a grin, though they ultimately take it to a vote instead, and mingyu becomes their leader after all.

maybe next time, daniel will find the strength to lead a team without fear of bearing the responsibility of their success or failures– if there is a next time, that is. nothing is guaranteed. 

next comes song choice, and they all take to their devices to look up songs and come up with ideas. daniel fumbles around aimlessly, with little knowledge of kpop songs to go off of, but he is excited for the mashup round; he’s wanted to try one since the competition started, though he always imagined his chance coming as a solo round, and not a situation where any questionable song combinations he came up with would be inflicted upon teammates, as well. still, he looks up popular songs, and tries to layer melodies from other songs on top of them in his mind.

eventually, they settle on their two songs of choice, and daniel’s just relieved that he actually knows h.a.m’s song.

daniel offers to help make the mashup, though he doesn’t have any experience with the programs to do so– only the mashups he’s done for fun with his voice and guitar. he figures it’s the ear and the creativity that matters, and that much he does have. luckily, he’s not alone; yoongi went to school for music production, and has lots of experience with mixing, so the two of them combine forces and get to work on the mashup as soon as possible.

their powers combined prove effective, with yoongi doing most of the grunt work, and daniel pitching his ideas and lending his ear. he sings under his breath, and to yoongi, so they can place each part of the song in its best position, and blend the background instrumentals together. even as yoongi grows frustrated, and daniel can sense his tension beside him, he stays calm, mellow, and level-headed, and tries to offset the older male’s annoyance. he wants to reassure him– tell him it’s okay and that they’re doing well, but maybe it’s better not to draw attention to yoongi’s dwindling patience. instead, he tries to put a positive spin on it, eventually saying, “ i think it’s kinda cool…honestly i wanted to do something like this the whole show so i’m glad we get to do it together,” and even if he says it to try and ease tension, it’s not like he doesn’t mean it. “so thanks for helping me, yoongi hyung. i definitely couldn’t make something like this by myself,” and he grins.

(he likes to think yoongi wouldn’t be able to do it without him, either, and that that’s what the stiff pat on his shoulder means, even if it’s wishful thinking.)

they finish the mashup the first day, and mingyu takes on the brunt of line division while chungha works on the majority of choreography. daniel focuses on learning it early, glad chungha hasn’t tired of helping him just yet, because he needs her assistance yet again. at least she got a break from him for a round, and he likes to think he’s a better dancer than the last time she saw him.

and yet, as if to prove otherwise, eventually in their rehearsal, he totally knocks his chair– a key point in the choreography– over, proving one of chungha’s early comments about expecting him to fall over in the chair right. she sighs, and tells him to reset, and he obeys faithfully, frown on his features. chungha puts her hands on his shoulders and pushes him down into the chair herself.

“i’m sorry noona,” he apologizes, disappointed in himself, but he knows the real way to make it up to her is to commit himself to hard work on the choreography, learning it quickly, and getting it right as soon as possible.

when he needs a break from running over the dance moves, he switches his attention to learning his lyrics– his part largely making up the singing parts of bts’s original song, and one verse of h.a.m’s song. while chungha and kyungri (rightfully) still earn more vocal parts than daniel, the parts he sings are important parts of the songs, so he wants to execute them well. he asks chungha, in all of her former training expertise, for advice on how to sing his parts to the best of his ability, just because she’s the most familiar and easiest to bother with his concerns.

afterwards, he gathers his bravery and approaches kyungri, the best vocalist in their group, and practices with her as well, eager for any tips she’d offer him to improve his technique, and to just practice with her in general, many of his parts preceding or following her own. chungha joins them later, and they run through the chorus part, perfecting the timing.

daniel can only keep up his routine of late practice nights, early work shifts, and skipping class for so long, and this week proves the end of it. he doesn’t have the heart to ask for help covering his shifts at work anymore, and he’s afraid of having to make up too much class, so he slowly but surely adheres to something closer to his usual schedule, just cutting himself short on a few hours of sleep in favor of making up practice.

still, he arrives at the nova building as quickly as he can for their rehearsals, and he finds that he learns everything quickly this time around, too. once he commits all of the choreography to memory, he doesn’t struggle with it too much. it’s– dare he say– quite simple, and he’s sure with the remaining practice days to polish it off, he’ll be able to do it. (even yoongi, with all of his awkward glory, pitches in to offer daniel pointers and help him, and he accepts it graciously.)

his vocal parts aren’t too difficult or out of his range once he gets the hang of them, too. he feels the slightest tinge of pride, but doesn’t let himself get too comfortable.

he does take a break for a moment, though, after he finishes his snack, courtesy of mingyu. he takes a seat next to their leader, and looks at him expectantly. “so, which rap part is your favorite?” he asks him. mingyu names the rap in why so lonely, and daniel nods in understanding. “i can rap that,” daniel decides, though he’s only joking; still, he sounds quite serious.

he manages about the first line, then playfully raps in gibberish at approximately the right rhythm, occasionally managing an actual lyric of the song here and there. he really just wants to make the team laugh, even at his own expense, and he thinks he succeeds. mingyu takes pity on him, and takes a few minutes to teach daniel the actual rap. he picks it up rather quickly, and recites it to mingyu successfully later with a proud grin. 

“you do it better,” daniel assures him.

it’s back to dance practice then, shockingly, with minimal blunders this time. he only kicks the chair a couple times by accident, and then is a beat too early or too late a few other times, though he runs through the choreography smoothly often, as well. he knows the moves now, so he practices by himself, graduated from the constant supervision of chungha or yoongi, though they still offer their advice, whether he asks for it or not.

he notices chungha off on her own, looking particularly distant. he doesn’t ask her if anything is wrong, though maybe he should. “chungha noona,” he calls to her instead, getting her attention with a smile from his spot on his chair. “thank you for always helping me. i wouldn’t be here without you.” he’s not just saying it to cheer her up if anything’s worrying her; he means it. chungha, leader of the first team daniel was on, pulling him aside for a mentality check, enduring his collapse at the end of the first day. he’ll always owe her for whipping him into shape and preparing him for the rest of this competition, as far as daniel is concerned. he flashes her another smile, then gets back to practice.

by the end of the day, chungha offers to buy him dinner for a job well done. he accepts, but takes in the sight of their practice room, and yoongi still running himself ragged, and approaches him, however hesitantly. “yoongi hyung,” he begins. “you’re doing really great. really! you’re working so hard. please take a break and come eat with us, okay?” 

⊰  ———– EPISODE FIVE  ⊱

filming day arrives, and it’s a scene familiar to daniel by now. he joins his team backstage, and then they wait for their turn, once again near the tail end of performances. daniel’s eager to watch them all this time, and to see which songs they chose, and how they blend together.

he watches the performances with interest, nerves only growing and settling in the pit of his stomach about halfway through the performances, and he holds onto chungha’s hand backstage the entire time, both to settle his own nerves and just in case chungha feels any anxiety too and it helps. by now, he’s half convinced of her invincibility, but maybe chungha is subject to human concepts such as pre-performance nerves, too. it’s a comforting gesture for daniel, at the very least, so he’ll take it.

the other performances pass too quickly, and then its their turn to take the stage, and daniel releases chungha’s hand, offering all of his teammates an encouraging smile and a “we’ve got this! let’s do this,” before they step underneath the spotlights.

“we’re your dream! hello, we are one night!” they introduce the team in unison, and daniel looks out at the audience with a smile, once again fighting to not let the sizable audience cause him to fear. they all introduce themselves individually, and then they take their positions– all sitting down in their chairs, the central points of the choreography.

the familiar reggae chime of the instrumental begins in the background, and daniel opens up the song with some simple adlibs.

yeah, yeah

then it’s mingyu’s voice in english, and the relaxed strum of the guitar echoes in the backtrack as the girls take over, singing forlornly about their empty, loveless relationship, and the hopes they had for it versus their lonely reality. 

yoongi launches into a wistful rap of love, and for the story they tell on stage, it’s directed at kyungri, and he chases after her briefly in the choreography, though she doesn’t pay him any mind, too absorbed in her own relationship and its struggle to notice the male and his feelings for her. 

the return to their chairs for the chorus, and dance to just one day’s choreo, all crossing their legs and raising their arms in synch.

just one day

daniel sings the very first line of the chorus, and then repeats it as it weaves in between chungha and kyungri’s lines as they sing of the love they want, beg for better communication, and confess to how suffocated they feel. they dance with the chairs, standing, sitting, facing each other and sitting again, continuing to tell the story of the girls stuck in their relationships while the boys chase after them with so much love to give.

(baby why? i’m so lonely) i hope i can be with you for just one day

his line echoes chungha’s words– dances with her momentarily, though she doesn’t even look at him. it’s the same for the next part, though this time, daniel sings in response to kyungri. the rappers each chime in with a line too, and the chorus ends, ushering in another verse by kyungri, and a brief respite from the chairs for her and mingyu for more partner choreo.

daniel sings the next verse, however, dancing with chungha, and mingyu and kyungri sit in the chairs once again, dancing simple choreo with them.

it’ll be alright, mind control but you always go against my expectation out of control, full of nitpicking

this part, for him, is expressing frustration at the lack of notice from the girls, as well as empathizing with their plight, trying to say it’ll be okay, but still feeling annoyance that they won’t accept his love.

mingyu begins to rap shortly afterwards, and ushers them into another chorus, the same as the first.

just one day

yoongi raps once again, talking about all of the things he would do with one of the girls if given just one day, followed by mingyu, taking the original rap from h.a.m’s song– his favorite. it’s a scalding take on the partner’s apathy, assuring him there will be no next time, and in daniel’s mind, it’s a warning for the girls’ boyfriends for not appreciating them as they near the end of the song.

everyone stands up from their chairs, and they smack their butts as an homage to the h.a.m music video, and then they toss rose petals into the air for the bridge. like the previous choruses, daniel opens it up, chungha sings a word right after him, but this time, yoongi takes the rest of the melody.

just one day

daniel sings the melody of the title’s part in the chorus, while kyungri harmonizes at a higher pitch over it, chungha echoes them, and yoongi continues the bridge strongly.

if only we can be together

daniel harmonizes with yoongi for the last line of the bridge, this time, daniel taking the higher pitch. thankfully, where in the original bts song, a high note is here, in their mashup, daniel doesn’t have to stretch his vocal capabilities. instead, it transitions back into h.a.m’s wellknown chorus, and chungha’s voice as she laments over her loneliness and confusion. 

the girls sing of their pain without interjection from the boys for a few lines, but then they enter in again– just one day with them, they swear, and it’ll turn everything around for the girls. 

daniel is privileged enough to get the last singing line to close out the song, and it’s a sizable one. he makes sure to get a good enough breath to sustain his voice until the end, and he sings, with chungha and kyungri echoing him again.

just one day, if i can be with you just one day if only we can be together

can you please stay with me? mingyu poses in the end, in his chair in the center of their formation while daniel and chungha’s chairs face turned toward each other ever so slightly, chungha’s hand in daniel’s, and the same for yoongi and kyungri on his other side.

they hold the position for a few moments, then stand up and bow, and run off stage to await their results of this round. (and daniel feels the least confident he has all week.)

[mulansays]

Hello, my dear readers! 

So, I’ve been a little missing in action this week, haven’t I? Well, I can’t say much on the topic without losing my job... Let’s just say, there may or may not be a debut in the works for a few of the kids at the company I work for. This means I’m spread out fairly thin and working at weird hours of the night on minimal sleep, so please be patient with me as I try and balance my job and this blog!

Enough about me. It’s been almost a week since the MGA’s episode four, and boy do I have some things to say.

Let’s start with Team A as usual. I had mixed feelings about this team, mostly because I’ve never tried to hide my disliking of a certain member here. While he turned me off of the group, I still do especially enjoy the rest of the members! In the last episode, we really got to see Jinhee shine as a dancer and leader, but with this performance, I realized that her vocal ability is really average… I guess it’s okay because she’s such an extraordinary dancer. I was shocked with her wig though; was she trying to be Hannah Montana or something? It was kind of lame. If you’re going to go for pink hair, commit to it like Junmyeon and Jonghyun did instead of doing some odd wig show. I’ll be honest, a lot of this team didn’t leave an impression on me, which is sad because last week I mentioned how amazed I was by Jeno and Hyunjin’s dancing. There was nothing special about the choreography. I have to say though, Hyunjin articulates very maturely for such a young kid. His speech inspired me, and if he were to grow older and join an idol group, that’s some leader-worthy pep talks right there. He also pulled off a tough rap decently, so I think I like this kid. I was relieved when Jeno was eliminated rather than him (sorry, Lee Jeno!) I thought Jonghyun should have been the one to go home instead, but I’m not exactly going to she tears over the decision.

Team B was… such a mess. While Guanlin was cute with his heavy accent, he impressed me with how much his pronunciation while rapping had improved. It wasn’t perfect, but it was certainly better than before (and maybe even better than my Korean had been within the first few months of moving here).  Kim Bora really deserved the leader title here, and I hate this whole “leaders can’t be repeated” because obviously, if you appoint someone who’s unfit to lead, your team is screwed. God, my blood has never boiled more than when I saw Junhoe’s attitude. Being a group leader is no joke, but he treated it as if it didn’t matter? I wanted to slap him and send him off the show. When you’re an idol, you can’t act like that, especially in the public eye. There’s a fine line between being mysterious and being a dick, and he crossed that by miles. I’m happy Bora whipped him into shape, but even then, to me it felt like he was trying to have all the spotlight. Besides that, I felt bad for Donghyun and I hope his foot is okay. He really can’t dance though, so thank God they did an easier choreography (yet he still managed to mess that up but whatever). Oh, I almost forgot to mention Wonwoo LOL! Seriously, he got no screen time and he has negative stage presence, so can you blame me? I was hoping for him to get eliminated this week, but then this team ranked 3rd… I was disappointed. I don’t think that weak performance deserved to rank that high. The song choice was fun though.

Team C… Okay, this is going to sound real bitchy, but like, has anyone else noticed how weirdly Yoongi talks? It stuns me every time, and I know it’s not his fault, but sometimes I just want to plug my ears when he opens his mouth. I was pleasantly surprised, though, to see him evolve from an awkward guy begging Hyuna for help, to a proper leader. Though, she carried him through it like a baby, but still, he was standing on his own two legs by the end. Speaking of Hyuna, can she just stick to rapping instead of mediocre singing? I know people were freaking out about it but she’s really just… LOL. I’m really glad Minhyung got eliminated this week. Compared to the rest of his team, he’s so lacking, and I hate using age as an excuse, but he was too young and immature to be in the competition. There are others around the same age, but they have mental maturity, whereas this kid runs out when he gets frustrated? He would never last long in the industry with that mindset. I hope he fixes that before trying again. Other than that, you know I just have to comment on Kim Doyeon. She looks like a natural on stage, and she really has it all: a pretty face, perfect proportions, charisma, vocal ability, and she’s a good dancer. Share that, please, Doyeon? As for Moon Bin, I think he deserved more screen time. Maybe he’s just boring, I don’t know, but I was sad. He has a lovely voice and stage presence. MNET, do the kid some justice!

You guys probably know that one of my least favourite contestants was in Team D. Yes, I’m talking about Minatozaki Sana, and this episode really didn’t give her a redemption arc in my heart. She still has an attitude about losing out to someone else on her team and doesn’t even try to hide it. It just makes the whole team atmosphere feel awkward when she sulks, and it made me uncomfortable to watch. Even when Haknyeon tried to cheer up (so sweet, by the way, and was he flirting a little or am I imagining things?) she was so… I don’t want to dislike her. Sana is a good dancer, but she just feels really fake and bratty. Pfft, and MNET tried to edit Yerim to have that personality but they edit Sana so you feel bad for her. I won’t be fooled though. This team also had another case of poor leadership. Jungkook had the title, but he treated it exactly like that—as if it was only a title and didn’t hold any responsibility. I’m pretty sure I said this last time, too, but he has no stage presence whatsoever! As a dancer, that’s so vital, and it’s probably the biggest flaw to have. I wasn’t surprised to see him eliminated. Oh, and Choi Youngjae… He’s such a good vocalist, but he can’t dance, so I wonder why the team chose such a dance-centered song. On a happier note, Longguo’s cat is so cute. Him and Haknyeon being cat ladies made me smile because it’s so relatable and their friendship is adorable. I really like Joo Haknyeon. He’s a flower, quite fitting with the concept. Not only was he a sweetheart to every contestant on the team, but he also gave his best. Even though his nose bled, he kept practicing by himself to make sure his performance was perfect. I’m amazed.

I don’t really have much to say about Team E. They barely had any screen time. There wasn’t anything memorable from these participants (whether scandalous or not), despite the fact that they chose such a powerful song. Maybe that’s where they went wrong. Choi Yoojung danced and rapped well, Kyungri held her own while dancing and singing. Lee Luda was really naive at the beginning, thinking the dance would be easy. At least she wasn’t the worst dancer in the group though—I think she’s rather average, enough to blend in. Plus, she doesn’t need to dance when she can sing like a goddess. Taehyung was really lacking. He was an okay leader, but all he can do is rap. His dancing was atrocious; why did he agree to such a hard choreography anyways? Personally, I think he should have been eliminated instead of Juyeon, because out of everyone, Juyeon was the most well balanced in every aspect. I’m sad to see him go, and I wish him the best of luck.

Can we just talk about Team F’s introduction? Ha Sungwoon called himself “bananappa” and that made me cringe so hard. Was he on crack? LOL kidding, but seriously. That’s so weird. His nickname aside, I think he made a really good leader. The thing with Sungwoon is that he really supplied a positive atmosphere with the group. Watching their interactions, you could see they were genuinely happy and friendly, whether they were practicing or not. It was quite refreshing, really, which I guess is why they gave themselves the name “Fresh and Fruity” or whatever it was. I’d like to see this group of people debut together, in all honesty. They have a good balance: Sungwoon as the main vocal and leader, Mingyu as the main rapper, Jinsoul and Yerim as lead vocals and dancers. It’s also a perfect ratio of females to males, so they could be kind of like the co-ed group KARD? Anyways, there’s not much to say about them because they were so good and I really enjoyed the performance (another story within a choreography, Sungwoon seems to be good at that). I definitely think they could have been third place; I don’t know what’s wrong with the CEO’s. The dance to Shine isn’t all that hard. Rather than being a good dancer, you just need charisma to pull off the trendy moves in the chorus, and everyone in this team (especially Jinsoul) have enough. Shout out to Yerim, though, who MNET decided not to evil edit this time, instead cutting her out completely. We see you and your hard work. All in all, I thought this team was doomed since Lee Minhyuk pulled out of the competition last minute (you’re really going to let your group members down? Okay), but they did well.

Buckle in for the wild ride that Team G will take you on. I really wasn’t ready. So, there’s an obvious elephant in the room: Lee Sungyeol. In my last post, I talked about how I thought he was too old to be an idol now, and I still stand by it. If anything, this episode only solidified my opinion. Really, what kind of an aspiring idol has a fucking kid? And he so shamelessly showed it off on television for the whole nation to see. Has anyone ever seen an idol that’s freshly debuted, have a toddler? It’s insane! If you have one, at least try to hide it. Already, his age sets him apart from everyone else, along with his lack of skill (Sungyeol is an average singer at best, he can’t dance, and he barely has stage presence). But like, dude, you really want to pursue a career as an idol when you have a kid to take care of? You’ll have no time for the kid, will barely see them, and idols don’t exactly make the most money unless you hit it big, which he definitely can’t do. You need a steady, reliable source of income or else your kid will suffer. Kick him out of the show already!

Now, we’ll tackle the next problem of this team: Kim Chungha. I was really rooting for her, but she’s not much different from Sungyeol. She so blatantly exposed her relationship with Koo Junhoe, as if she wanted to brag? I know she was crying and all, but at least call a female friend and vent! Or if it’s a male, let it be someone who’s not a contestant! Or vent away from the cameras—this is ridiculous. I’ve never been so speechless. And all this after seeing Junhoe’s slacking off makes me wonder, was he late because he was fucking Chungha in the bathroom or something? LOL! They both lost my support. Soojin was my favourite leader out of this episode; she showed dedication to helping Sicheng with his vocals, while still keeping it light and fun. She can dance and sing as well, which we all know I love a woman with many talents. Sicheng was a really good dancer as usual, and Somi too (both their vocals are still lacking though so I hope they work on that). The performance was good overall, so I’m okay with them ranking second. By them, I mean Sicheng, Somi, and Soojin: the three S’s. The other two are such a big NO from me.

I can’t dwell too much on Team H. Not only am I exhausted and sleep deprived, but my heart broke with this team (I think you guys know why). Yongsun seemed to be a really good leader. She’s very funny and likable, not afraid to make a joke out of her weakness in dancing. Plus, she’s one of the best female vocalists on this show. Her and Daniel dancing together was hilarious, I have to admit. They have good chemistry as, like, the Beagle Line of a group. I was also surprised that everyone on this team can play instruments? It’s a coincidence you don’t really expect, and the fact that they utilized this surprise is so surreal to me. I don’t know why. I think it’s because I have a thing for bassists and Kang Daniel plays the bass (what fate is this)? And the bass line for Deja Vu is so sensual—control yourself, Naomi! Can you imagine my reaction to Hyunjung and Daniel acting all cute and flustered together like some puppy love? I almost cried. Almost. Maybe if I learn to play an instrument he will love me too? No hard feelings though, Hyunjung. You’re too talented for me to hate, and you’re pretty. If you make Kang Daniel smile and I get to see that smile, that’s all that matters. Anyways lol that hug and his blush. Wow, the kids on the MGA’s are really acting wild, aren’t they? I hope they all clean up their acts, or at least make it less obvious, by the time they become idols. Overall, this team’s performance was good and faintly reminiscent of H.A.M, so I believe they deserve their title as first ranked for this week. It was something new, something unexpected, something covertly sexy that I really enjoyed (rest in peace to Minho, though, who got no screen time despite killing the rap, the dance, and being super attractive).

I guess that’s all for now, guys! I’ll try not to be as late with my next post, though I can’t make any promises with how hectic work is at the moment. This was also fairly rushed, but I hope it was worthwhile! If not… Well, then, feel free to exit my blog. To those that enjoyed my thoughts, feel free to follow me on twitter @naomiwj and send in your reactions, opinions, and/or fangirl with me !!!

Thanks for reading, fellow netizens! See you next week!

♕ Naomi Wang ♕

[thisisnot-chris]

No story is perfect.

Never in a million years would I have thought my life's journey would turn out the way it has these past 29 years.

I remember growing up imagining what my life would be like after high school - wanted to be a meteorologist, thought I'd graduate college, have a wife and kids, you know... a "traditional American life".

Fast forward about a decade after high school - college wasn't for me in the long run, figured out I'm gay, and am now working in the music business - concert venue by day, producer by night.

Didn't see that coming.

Now obviously this didn't just happen out of nowhere - it came after years of working on a craft I never imagined I'd put my time into, putting myself out there after being a super shy little punk for so long, learning so many lessons the hard way, and connecting with so many people I never thought I'd meet. Through it all, I discovered what my life's passion is - to create genuine and authentic music listeners can feeling intense emotion from while bringing people together through it.

It's funny to look back on this because I HATED doing music related things when I was a young kid, from piano lessons, to choir practice, to playing the alto sax. But all it took was one moment to change my perspective on it and end up devoting my life to it.

That moment was during my junior year of high school.

An old friend that just transferred to my class from another school caught my attention when I discovered he was practicing guitar after school in an empty classroom while I was waiting for the school bus to pick me up and take me home. I wish it took longer for the bus to come because he was INCREDIBLE and I wanted to sit and listen endlessly. Imagine being 16 and playing Metallica's "Master of Puppets" spot on; that's what he could do alongside so many other songs. Pantera? Megadeth? Ozzy? Van Halen? Slayer? He could take it all on. (Fun side fact - I got to perform Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Ozzy's "Crazy Train" with him for our high school graduation and I WAS THE SINGER - definitely not a rock vocalist when I look back on it but it's a memory I still cherish today).

So that moment and hanging around him shortly after convinced me to try out the guitar.

And then a couple years later, it led me to try songwriting.

And finally during my freshman year of college, it led me to electronic music production (Thanks to Skrillex's music blowing up at the time).

Not what I expected but it got me somewhere thanks to my old friend.

Unfortunately he is no longer with us today; hearing that news back in my junior year of college crushed me. The impact he made on me is something I wish I could thank him for today. I ended up carrying the impact through an alias I made years ago.

  That alias is Full Metal Jackson, or as a lot of people have come to know the name as now, FMJ.

It was conceived in 2013 as an ode to him and combines two things he loved in the name - his favorite movie "Full Metal Jacket" and his Jackson guitar.

Since that year, I spent endless hours on learning music production and songwriting (alongside learning music theory and aural skills from college at the time) so I could take my best shot at writing music I liked and could then share. That early music would range from dubstep, electro house, progressive house, future house, tech house, tropical house, big room, future bass, jungle terror, drum & bass, trance, moombahton, and other various styles.

  While the skills for writing/producing music consistently built, the real challenge at the time was the matter of sharing it with others; even just a few people.

Of course I'm still gonna make music because I like it but I strive for something with music I share - if one person can get something positive out of what I wrote and shared, I'll be satisfied. If it took my old friend to just play guitar in an empty classroom to impact me that much, imagine what could happen if it was me playing the music for someone else.

But still, sharing music (or more specifically electronic dance music) in my small hometown of Neenah, WI... well, no one in that town was really into that kind of music (or at least who I knew and associated with at the time). Nothing wrong with that but I felt stuck from it. As 2016 hit, I stopped publicly sharing music for about 2 years because of this stuck feeling.

Around that same time though, a long period of self discovery began. Who was I and what did I want to do with my life? During it all, I met so many different people, travelled to different places (even out as far as Toronto, Canada), and found out there was more out there for me.

2018 comes and I got convinced to check out concerts that I didn't even know were happening in this state (thanks to my close friend Spookybro who I met when working at this e-commerce company selling toothbrushes in Neenah). I got to meet even MORE people but this time they had similar interests and love in the music I was so enveloped in for the longest time. Next thing you know, I start playing some small shows that summer and then shared music again publicly for the first time in years that September (the song was called "Number One", which I wrote for two good friends that got married that same month). More opportunities then came when I moved to Madison, such as playing opening slots for all kinds of international touring acts ranging from Downlink to Eptic to Tisoki (even got to perform with him for a B2B on stage); more music came from it that I still love today and I was able to share it with more people and see positive impacts made on some. There was even one song called "Snake Jazz" I released that (I felt) got a significant amount of attention in the underground scene; it even got support from names I've come to love like ATliens, Blanke, Eliminate, Crankdat, and more. Obviously it's not like I became some superstar making hundreds of thousands of dollars while being signed to some major label or agency from any of these opportunities and experiences, which that's not what I'm after, but it was still crazy when looking back on it.

That's where life led me with music.

Never thought that would happen.

Yes, there were tons of rough times, low points, and challenges during it all. Friends were lost. Relationships were put on the line. Periods of intense stress, anxiety, even depression set in.  It even came close to a point of ending my life from a struggle I faced I've shared about too often during that all, but it and nothing else ended up stopping me in the long run.

And from everything I've gained from that entire period, I wouldn't change it ever.

But during 2020, I came to a point where I asked myself an important question - is this what I want to do with music and my life in the long run?

...

So while the pandemic took the world by storm, an opportunity came for me to find out what I was meant to put out there.

And after writing music for over 11 years now...

I finally found my sound.

This opportunity let me take everything I have come to love throughout my life, such as different kinds of music (Porter Robinson/Virtual Self, Illenium, Seven Lions, RL Grime, Skeler, The Prodigy, The Crystal Method, Pendulum, Linkin Park, etc), to different kinds of shows/games/toys (Pokemon, Bionicle, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Death Note, Halo, Portal, etc), to nature/outdoor settings (sunsets, cityscapes, skyscrapers, etc), even to different colors (blue, orange, purple, pink), and combine concepts based on them all in various ways to make a sonic identity that is truly me. It may not be the most innovative identity at this point, but it is 100% me. Not to mention I'm always one to try different things and experiment, seeing if something new can come forth and grow exponentially from where this starts.

Which it all starts tomorrow, July 14th, 2021.

And while I'm beyond scared to reveal it all, I'm excited nonetheless.

Funnily enough, I originally planned on launching this project in September 2021 but an opportunity was given to me (thanks to my friend Synymata) pushing up the launch date; now from it though, the project's debut release will be on a well-known EDM record label I am happy to be a part of now. Guess it ironically ties into the name of the project a bit.

But knowing this is the point I'm at currently from looking back years ago is insane to me and I can't wait to see what could come from it.

As I said before, I'm not trying to be some superstar but I'm obviously gonna try and take it as far as I can. Even if there's days or even weeks where nothing productive comes from my sessions, I can't let it stop because I'll never know what could happen from it without trying. Maybe something unbelievably crazy will happen. Maybe it will take me to cities and countries I never imagined to see with my own eyes. Maybe it will connect with new people I end up calling life long friends. Maybe I'll meet the love of my life along it all.

  Or maybe none of this will happen.

I honestly don't know.

But I'm never gonna know unless I try.

That's the mentality that changed my life for the better within the past few years than if I didn't approach matters like that.

  And it has and/or could for those reading this too with that mentality depending on the situation.

Yes, mistakes were still made; lessons were learned. And they continue to be made and learned from. The same can apply to anyone reading this.

But it's all part of the journey.

It's not perfect.

It's inconsistent.

  It's not a smooth straight line - it's rough, jagged, and curves in many different directions.

It's broken.

But, for me at least, I wouldn't have it any other way. All the memories made; the realest and most genuine people I've come to call friends; the family I am fortunate to have; the lessons learned; the skills gained; the experiences; the happiness, sadness, anger, confusion, ALL the emotions and feelings that came from them. All of it was worth it.

Crazy how unexpected moments whether in high school or at some e-commerce job you're working at can change it all for the better in the long run; they basically shaped my story into something why better than I could’ve imagined.

So if you're reading this and feel your story isn't what you had in mind so far - your story isn't over til' you say it is. You'll never know what it could be unless to give something a shot. Getting that new job, going on that trip you've dreamed of, finally asking that crush out; you never know unless you give it a shot. Of course everyone's life is different and situations aren't all relatable, heck you may not take on the opportunity once it appears and that could be better for your story too!

Regardless, whenever an opportunity comes, you'll know what will be best to do.

In the end, the story will continue til' you say so. And I feel it is best to keep telling that story for as long as you truly can.

Hey, like I said, no story is perfect. Ever.

But the best stories aren't all "happily ever after fairytales".

The best I feel are the ones that you get something positive out of.

They TEACH you; INSPIRE you; make you FEEL; CHANGE you for the BETTER.

They give you this indescribable feeling that lingers over you that you can't seem to shake off at first and it may even feel scary at times but after it subsides, you know something good happened to you from it.

Those are the stories that define you.

And what more could you want than to share them alongside that indescribable feeling and so many other emotions with someone else in this life.

In this journey.

This saga.

That's what this new project is all about.

And you're all welcome to be a part of it.

This Broken Saga.

[black-arcana]

KRYPTERIA – AND THEN SHE CAME

Interview with AND THEN SHE CAME

Interview conducted Feb. 28, 2021 by Dan Locke

AND THEN SHE CAME Ji-In Cho (lead vocals), Olli Singer (guitars), Frank Stumvoll (bass guitar) und S.C. Kuschnerus (drums).

Ji-In, you are German-Korean. What is your upbringing?

JI-IN: Hello Dan, thanks for having us. My parents are both from Korea. They met in Germany where they married and started a family. I was therefore raised in a Korean manner in a German environment. You can imagine that this did not make for an easy upbringing or childhood. But it gave me the benefit of getting to know both cultures and maybe even the opportunity to combine what’s best of them.

How did you discover music?

JI-IN: I don’t remember a specific moment in my life. I remember our home as a home of music. My parents liked to sing or play guitar or piano and I remember dancing a lot to their favorite music. I am also told that I was singing all day long to songs I heard on the radio or tunes that I made up myself. So I guess that was the time where music became my inspiration.

How did you start to write music?

JI-IN: I wrote my first song when I was six years old. I always loved animals and I couldn’t understand why my father went fishing. When he came back with his haul I was very sad and refused to eat the fish. So I wrote my first song about not hurting fish.

Describe your music.

JI-IN: Well, I definitely didn’t write any more fish songs (laughs). On a more serious note, I can’t sit down and plan my songwriting ahead of time. Instead, I am more the spontaneous type who gives in to impulses, emotions, and inspirations from all around me. I try to channel those ideas, pictures, tunes, and feelings into my songwriting.

What was your first performance like?

JI-IN: If you mean my very first performance in my life, I played Maria, the mother of Jesus, in elementary school. I remember my first stage fright. After it was over I was very proud and I knew that I wanted to be on stage again.

What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?

JI-IN: It was called “I go fishing”. And no, I did not record it back then as a young girl but today I wish I had. It would be a nice memory to share with my future grandkids.

You started off in Become One a German Boy/Girl pop band, and then you were cast onto the German reality television show “Fame Academy”. Tell me about the time on the show?

JI-IN: Right after my studies at the Cologne University for Music and Dance where I was trained as a classical musician I suddenly got tossed into the pop business. As a participant in the German television show ‚Fame Academy,’ I endured three competitive months of singing, dancing, and acting. Every week we had to prepare live acts for the elimination show that was recorded and broadcasted from a studio set every Saturday night. In the end, I won the competition together with five colleagues of mine. We formed the band Become One and went on tour for a year. This is how I received my very first recording contract with a major label. It was a very stressful and emotional time in which I learned a lot about the reality of the music business.

You have appeared with the likes of Phil Collins, Sarah Connor, B3 and Ricky Martin. Did any of these artists give you any words of wisdom about the music business?

JI-IN: There were so many things to learn and to experience during the show. The personal time with the visiting stars was too brief for any chitchat or personal talk, though. However, I did spend some time with Lionel Richie during a show event that featured all ‚Fame Academy‘ winners from many participating countries. He said to me then that we should never give up if we really feel the need to be an artist. I think about his words every once in a while and to me they still ring true.

Let’s turn our focus to And Then She Came now. Guys, describe the band’s music.

KUSCH: It’s hard-driving drums, heavy guitars and intense singing galore. It’s Rock, it’s Metal, there are quite a few alternative vibes but also some pretty catchy hooks involved, too. Lyrically we tend to steer clear of your traditional boy-meets-girl topics, but rather go for a more sociopolitical approach. Let’s say there’s not a whole lot of stand-by-your-man stuff with this band.

How does the songwriting process work between the four of you?

KUSCH: Well, everybody chimes in with different creative ideas as we are lucky to have four very imaginative musicians in this band who all write and arrange. We try not to limit ourselves and instead toy around with all our combined influences and delusions. But apart from that, there is no clear-cut recipe as to how we create our songs. In Shecameville there’s a new adventure every day (laughs).

Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association?

FRANK: We do. All four of us are members of GEMA which basically is the German equivalent to your ASCAP.

What makes a good songwriter?

JI-IN: In my opinion, there is no strict recipe. I know there are some songwriters who have fixed methods and procedures but that approach does not work for me. I have to feel free in the creative process and do not like to be limited in any way. In the end, the only thing that matters is the outcome. I think a good songwriter is able to somehow touch the listeners with his or her music.

KUSCH: I agree in the sense that a good songwriter knows how to connect with his or her core audience first and foremost. So even though the songs may not be all that good you’re obviously still doing something right and are considered successful at your craft. Now, a great or even transcendent songwriter is able to touch people beyond any genre confines. That’s when the likelihood we deem it ‚good‘ music increases significantly. But you can’t underestimate the importance of the performance itself and also whether a given song gets a chance to be heard. If „Bohemian Rhapsody“ hadn’t been a hit, would it be a lesser song? I don’t think so. There are probably thousands of gems out there that never got a proper forum.

You used to be in the band Krypteria. Why did you change up the band?

KUSCH: In 2012, following a killer Asian tour, Ji-In was about to become a Mom so we unanimously decided to put Krypteria on hold for an indefinite time. Then one day our bass player Frank was asked to create the soundtrack for a German-American movie. But instead of taking on this task all by himself, he brought in Ji-In, Olli, and myself. The creative process took on a life of its own, and all of a sudden we found ourselves working on songs for a full-fledged Rock album. Now, even though And Then She Came started out as just a movie soundtrack project, we just had to go on. Why? Well, I guess we’re just unable to get rid of each other even after all those years, aren’t we?

How did you first establish your band back in 2004?

KUSCH: The three original guys in Krypteria first had a band together in the Nineties and despite not working together all the time we never quite lost contact. So when the idea of starting something new came up in 2004 all we needed was an outstanding vocalist. Preferably a vocalist with a knack for energetic performances while not showing any signs of lead singers’ disease. Ji-In, who we had met during a studio session a year prior to that, fit that bill just perfectly so we asked her if she was interested in jumping aboard, and fortunately, she was. Then Olli was brought into the fold in early 2010 so the four of us have been working together for more than a decade now albeit under two different names.

Krypteria’s single “Liberatio” was used as part of a charity campaign to aid the Tsunami victims in Southeast Asia. What is the musical difference between Krypteria and And Then She Came?

JI-IN: And Then She Came is much rougher and it’s more about the synergy of organic rock instruments and electronic elements. We like to think that we still have good melodies, though. That’s really important to each of us.

KUSCH: The main difference between Krypteria and And Then She Came might indeed be the edgier and less theatrical touch that is particularly evident in the arrangements and our individual performances. I guess thanks to said more organic approach we were able to again turn it up a good notch in terms of sonic intensity, depth, and the overall vibe right off the bat compared to our prior releases.

What else did you change compared to your time with Krypteria?

JI-IN: We consciously made the choice to release our albums by ourselves. Yes, it may be tough sometimes because of the extra work and responsibility this kind of independence and freedom entails. Especially for a lot of stuff that, at least on the surface, has little to do with making music. That said, it’s a tremendous opportunity to shape our future as a band as we see fit. And as Kusch likes to say, if we screw up, then at least we’ll die by our own sword.

How did you come up with the name?

JI-IN: Actually, we chose And Then She Came because we wanted people to think, to find their own interpretation as far as the meaning of the name is concerned. Just as there is never only one point of view or one universal truth, there are many possible interpretations for this name. Sometimes it’s very funny how just one headline can lead to different background stories in one’s head. Even with all the information out there you still have to come to your own conclusion. That’s why we found And Then She Came as a name very interesting. For instance, I naturally think about the name in a totally different way than some men do (winks).

Do you think that your old fans will follow your new band?

JI-IN: I really hope our fans from back then continue to find us and are happy that we are back even though it’s with a different kind of music. And I really, really hope that they like our new sounds and songs.

Tell me about your debut album?

OLLI: You could call it the beginning of our creative rollercoaster ride. It felt like all the unused creative energy was suddenly breaking through. This and the fact that ATSC actually started as a studio film score project is probably the reason for the enormous amount of different colors in our music. Now, after the release of our second album „Kaosystematic“ and being in the middle of the process of writing new material for our third album, I can clearly say that starting this journey is the best thing we have ever done so far.

How was it to work with Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz and guitarist Jen Majura of Evanescence?

KUSCH: Well, we’ve known Alissa for a number of years now, and not only is she a killer performer, but she is an amazing soul as well. See, she’s a pro’s pro. She’s a warrior, she has to be. But as a friend, she is super sweet and she doesn’t mind going that extra mile. When we asked her if she was interested in adding that signature beast mode intensity of hers to our song „Five Billion Lies“ she didn’t even blink. Now, Jen, we have known for way over ten years, and it’s always great meeting her at a festival, a show, or a music fair. She’s such a sweetheart and an awesome guitarist, and we’re so proud of her for hitting it big with Evanescence. Her guitar solo on our song „Spit It Out“ is nothing short of spectacular. It’s amazing musicianship, creative cleverness and a fistful of good-natured cheekiness all rolled into one. Beautiful!

What is your favorite video of all time you have created?

FRANK: My favorite ATSC video is our 2018 tour movie „As The Lights Go Down“ in its entirety. It brings back great memories of a fun tour.

KUSCH: Good call! Aside from that for me, it’s a close call between “As The Battle Rages On“, “Sick Of You“ and “Public Enemy #1“. That said I like the respective messages behind „Perfect As You Are“, both the video and the tour version.

OLLI: Definitely “Perfect As You Are“. Actually, we did two videos for this song. It was an extremely demanding shoot, cause I literally switched positions constantly. Between performing and directing there was no minute of rest. But it was absolutely worth it. I really enjoyed Ji-In’s playfulness in her role as ‚Korean Marylin Monroe‘. Yet the second version is my favorite. It takes the original message of the song and projects it onto the ATSC team as a family. It is still heartwarming for me to see our crew’s performance in front of the camera during the whole video. We love you guys!

What are your feelings about streaming music?

FRANK: While streaming is very convenient and fast, for us musicians there is no significant advantage in my opinion. Granted, your work is available to more potential listeners, but the net is being flooded with new digital content ever since streaming took over, so making a name for yourself is even more difficult than it used to be. Also, the artists merely receive breadcrumbs for creating the fuel these platforms run on. You simply cannot support yourself through streaming. That’s why all the bands have to make their money on the road. It’s a vicious cycle. The author and performer should get a fair share of the profits when their music is being streamed, similar to what we had in the past with mechanical releases. The only winner in this so far is the big media companies.

If you couldn’t do music what would you like to be doing?

KUSCH: Too scary! So in true Rock musician’s spirit, I’d probably choose denial and stick with something along the lines of ‚damn the torpedoes‘ or ‚the best is yet to come instead.

Digital vs. vinyl?

FRANK: That’s a good question. It depends on your preferences and maybe your age. Back in the days I really liked listening to one side of vinyl on constant repeat while closely studying the sleeve. It made me feel like I was a part of it. Digital made everything easy, you can carry the whole world of music and movies on your cell phone. But can you really develop a deeper connection to the work a musician put so much time and dedication into? Maybe that’s why vinyl has been making a steady comeback recently?

What is the mental health situation of the World?

OLLI: Over the years we met a lot of people all over the world. And with many of them, we became close friends. It is heartbreaking how they all tell the same. Egoism seems to be overtaking everywhere. And this started already long before the pandemic. There are so many challenges for us as a species in order to build a better and safer future. For us, for our children, and for our planet and its entire ecosystem. But unfortunately, people always find reasons why they themselves don’t have to act. Ultimately this egoism leads to most of our problems we as human beings have to deal with these days.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what does that song mean to you?

OLLI: “Where Do We Go From Here?“ from our first album. Not only because it was the first song we ever played in front of an audience. But also because it sounds like a good headline for every single day of the last year.

KUSCH: In times of turmoil it can’t hurt to put on „What a wonderful world“ or John Lennon’s „Imagine“. With so much deception, aggression, and us-against-them in the world right now a healthy dose of positivity is what we need. And even if you don’t agree with everything Lennon said or did you really must be an all-out asshole to not share the hope that someday the world actually will live as one.

Do you feel the Covid-19 virus is going to affect the music business in the future?

FRANK: No doubt about it, as it is currently killing the whole industry. All touring activities unexpectedly got frozen, and there’s no telling when we will be allowed to return to our every day’s work. Nobody knows what will happen and who will still be in business when it finally starts to return to some sort of normalcy. But there will be a very different musical landscape for all of us, I fear. More like a “new normal” similar to what transpired after the 9/11 attacks.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

OLLI: Learning. A lot about myself and my very own abilities to stay strong in order to be there for my family. It has been a tough year and it still is. But love and hope keeps me going. My thoughts are with the people who lost a loved one. But in the end I am sure that we can come out stronger than we have been before. For sure that will be the case with ATSC. Somehow we are growing together even more. But I guess that is what artists are like. Make them eat shit and they deal with it in their own ways. Nonetheless it’s a tough fight for our and our families’ existence. I can already say that this is obvious when you listen to our new material.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

FRANK: I’ve been running a lot lately, more than ever before actually.

OLLI: Not a new one. But I had much more time for my biggest passion besides the music. I am an outdoor guy. I even live between lakes, forests and mountains. So whenever I can, I just grab my backpack and vanish into the wilderness for a couple of days. You can’t find me at home, in a tourbus or in a studio? Try looking somewhere in the wilderness. But maybe you wanna bring a thermal imaging camera. Stealth as stealth can be!

KUSCH: For me it’s more and more long walks in nature, minus the vanishing. Also I had the chance to follow the NFL season more closely than I had been able to recently. Plus, the lockdowns we’ve had over here allowed me to work on some old gear I still had sitting around. And while this is all nice I can’t wait to go on the road, meet people and enjoy the overall experience again. I really miss it.

95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and use their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?

OLLI: I am a huge movie addict. So streaming platforms became a good alternative to me. Especially since I am spending a lot of time on the road. Carrying a DVD collection wherever I go wouldn’t be realistic at all. But to be honest I don’t have a favorite channel. Each one has its strengths. And yes, I have subscribed to probably every one of the known platforms (laughs).

How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?

KUSCH: Well, doing an interview with UnRated sure is one excellent opportunity to reconnect.

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

KUSCH: Do we really need less incentive to get out of the house and interact with actual human beings? Or even more technology for that matter? Take Autotune or what CGI does to movies. What was created as tools to support the arts is now dominating them. For example, given the choice between 1982’s ‚The Thing‘ and what was supposed to be its prequel from 2011 I’ll pick Carpenter’s movie any day. Same with real-life concerts in actual venues with actual people on, behind, and in front of the stage.

How do you stay healthy while touring?

FRANK: Living on a tour bus and in venues for weeks at a time is obviously very different compared to being home. You need to get ready way before you go on tour and there surely are many ways to prepare.

My personal one is I run every other day. Now once a tour has started there’s always a big party happening on the bus after the shows with great loud music and you get your booze for the night. Come to think of it, maybe this is my personal way to stay not-so healthy while touring (laughs).

Is pay-to-play still a thing? Now pay-to-play also means things like playlist on the internet?

KUSCH: Well, I don’t know about the internet but in the touring business it is. That said, in Europe, it’s more that you pay your share of production, transportation or catering costs, things you actually benefit from. So it’s not like you dole out cash just to be allowed to perform in a support slot. At least we never had to.

Any new music coming up in the new year?

FRANK: Due to the situation surrounding the pandemic everything’s in limbo. But as soon as scheduling any concerts and tours make sense again, our third album will be out right away, be it this year or early in 2022. This band is never short on inspiration, after all within the first three years of our existence we’ve released two studio albums, a live album, a live DVD, and a tour movie. So naturally, we are writing all the time, exchanging ideas. If this Covid thing lingers on any longer we may end up with a total of 500 new songs. Good luck to us trying to decide which of these will make the record (laughs).

Anything you would like to say in closing?

KUSCH: Enjoy life cause it might well be the only one you have. And stay safe and sane out there cause we want our friends and fans to be healthy, so we will get to see you on tour at some point. For those of you who haven’t listened to And The She Came go and give our music a shot, you might actually dig it. And come and see us live if you can, but make sure to stick around after the show cause we’d love to get to know you better. And bring a friend or twenty (laughs).

JI-IN: Yes, we can’t wait to get out and meet you guys, and feed off your energy on stage. In the meantime take good care of yourself everybody!

[fymonsta-x]

Monsta X Is the Hip Hop-Loving K-Pop Group Already Charting on Billboard

If you haven't heard of K-pop group Monsta X yet, get prepared to be blown away — because they're blowing up stateside right under your nose. The seven-member K-Pop group, made up of rappers Jooheon and IM and vocalists Wonho, Kihyun, Shownu, Minhyuk and Hyungwon has already made an impressive impact via Billboard's prestigious World chart, where their first full-length, The Clan, Pt. 2.5 debuted at Number 1.. Yet despite this success, lead vocalist Kihyun says, "It’s hard to say what the reason [for our success] is, but I really appreciate their love.”

In this vein, IM adds, “I can’t be sure we‘ve made such a strong impact overseas yet,” he says cautiously — a statement that Minhyuk also agrees with. It’s Hyungwon, the spindly vocalist (and ex-model) who squares up to it assertively — “I venture to say it’s because of our strong performance,” he opines, and he’s probably not far off the mark. After all, Monsta X, to put it simply, go hard.

Perhaps this is thanks to the fact that the group were created with a fighting spirit, each member battling their way through the reality survival show NO.MERCY, which pitted 12 trainees from their label Starship Entertainment against each other in a grueling elimination process. The truth is few other current K-Pop groups continually make as much as noise as Monsta X, with their signature aggressive style - a combination of hip hop, EDM and straight-up pop - from the cranking beats of Hero to their latest, Beautiful, which oscillates between sensuous and spiky.

But there’s another side to the group, one that breezes through sweet, 90s tinged RnB and Bieber-esque mid-tempo pop on their album tracks, but Monsta X have always preferred to subtly showcase it by creating self-cam versions or low-key special clips of slower album tracks for their fandom (called MONBEBE) on YouTube.

Naturally, these seven energetic artists had plenty more to talk about — from dancing in their sleep to making music videos — and we were happy to get to know them even more before their seven date US tour kicks off in July.

Teen Vogue: Although you've released a lot of music in two years, The Clan Part 2.5 is your first full (also known as a “regular”) album. Does that make this comeback more meaningful or weightier?

Minhyuk: The fact that it is ‘The First Regular Album’ made me feel pressure so I worried a lot, but MONBEBE enjoyed it so much that I felt satisfied and comfortable.

Kihyun: Who can’t be nervous with that title! I felt like I had to make it perfect, and do my best.

Shownu: To be honest, same here. I was nervous and felt pressure but I think I have a stronger love for this album since it’s the first regular one.

Wonho: I’m happy I can show you the songs I produced. I always feel a tense atmosphere when I have a [new] stage, but I had a greater desire to meet MONBEBE again.

Hyungwon: I wanted to do it well, because it’s our first regular album, but I was more feeling ready to meet fans and show them our new performance than experiencing pressure.

Jooheon: Hmm… the first regular means a lot, you know! But I didn’t feel it as a [heavily, because] we have MONBEBE and they support us a lot.

IM: I didn’t feel any stress! But we did put so much effort into it and prepared a lot for it, so that makes this album more meaningful.

TV: When you’re stressed, which member helps you the most? And who is least likely to want to expose their emotions and just get on with things instead?

Shownu: When we are together, everyone is helpful to each other.

Wonho: All seven members are of service to the team and without that we wouldn’t be here.

Minhyuk: I think IM is really helpful, he always listens to what I’m saying. Shownu sometimes hides his feeling but I think that’s because he feels more responsibility as a team leader.

IM: Every member helps me to feel better. And the answer to the second question is Wonho! He’s always keyed up before a stage which makes me really want to be helpful.

TV: Right before a comeback, when you're rehearsing hard, are there any members who can't stop even in their sleep? Is there sleep-singing or dance moves?

Wonho: I think everyone did!

Kihyun: When you practice dancing again and again, it feels like you’re dancing even in your sleep. Most of us can understand what it feels like.

Minhyuk: We talked in our sleep since we were nervous.

TV: Idol groups celebrate time periods post-debut, such as 100 days since debut or 1000 days. You recently celebrated 700 days; from this period what sticks out the most in your memories?

Kihyun: I always remember the stage where we made our debut and our concerts. Everything I've done for the first time remains in my memory.

Jooheon: All the memories we shared with MONBEBE. Those memories help me grow and become a better person.

IM: The solo concert [last July in Seoul]. I reminded myself of the importance of the stage from that experience.

TV: You've done both intense storyline/concept music videos like "All In" and just straight up performance — which format do you prefer, and why?

Shownu: I like a music video which is a combination. If they have an extended storyline, it’s even better.

Wonho: [Something like] "All In." I still find it so interesting.

Kihyun: The best music video for me is "Beautiful," which is both, where you can take advantage of the dramatization and performance.

Minhyuk: Each approach has merits and faults, but I prefer the format of "All In." The main reason is I can see my face well. Ha!

TV: What's the one Monsta X song you never get bored of performing, and why that song in particular?

Shownu: "Fighter." I feel like as the song progresses, the tension builds.

Hyungwon: "White Sugar," "Honestly," and "White Love."

Jooheon: Every single song. They’re all good!

TV: Your title tracks have a similar vibe, but why do the album tracks run so broadly in style from from pop to R&B to a gospel feel on songs such as "Need U" or "Amen"?

Kihyun: We want to show that we can do these kinds of genres, and also that we can do it well.

Minhyuk: Although most of them are based around hip hop, I think I can improve my music by challenging and presenting various genres.

IM: All the members of the group are different [in their music tastes], and they want to show various vibes of music.

TV: Finally, for 24 hours, if you can have one skill or attribute that you've always wished for, but you have to give up something you like about yourself or you’re good at. What do you acquire, and what do you exchange for it?

Wonho: I want to have a skill where I don’t need to sleep. I want to make music and work all night long.

Kihyun: I want to have the ability to teleport to go travel all over the world. Instead, I will give up eating food.

Minhyuk: I imagine having the ability to make everyone love me! And I don’t want to give up anything, ha!

Hyungwon: I'd like to have a muscular body like Shownu and Wonho. I can give up my height for that.

Shownu: I want that I can't fall asleep. I will give up my face (looks) instead.

Jooheon: The ability to run fast, like in the movie Jumper.

IM: The ability to make money. And I’m going to give up perspiring for one day.

Source: Teen Vogue

[inchancesreallifebmoc]

Jhype fic

SORRY FOR THE SHIT QUALITY I WROTE THIS ON MOBILE

p>*Author note ayyye this is my first boy band fic type thing hope it doesn’t suck also jons still on the show in this because I love Jon and wish he could have stayed longer

*Requested by @beahippie23

*Pairing jhype and y/n

*Warning… ummm steamy make out I suppose nothing to serious

*Summary youre Nicks niece and are alway around all the boys because your uncle got you a job on the show and you hit it off with jhype

*Its Thursday and I’m a shaking scatter brained mess “y/n !” I hear loudly behind me I turn you see my uncle nick with an ear to ear smile he walks up to me “Chill out your doing a great job you look so nervous I know Thursday’s are always anxiety filled but there’s really nothing to worry about your not the one performing.” He says with a laugh “ I know uncle Nick I just want the show to go well and I’m always anxious about the boys you know that.” I tell him “Well relax there’s nothing to worry about. I gotta get going to hair sweetie but we’ll talk after the show I was talking to some of the producers and think I’ll have some good news for you.” He says and stalks off towards hair and makeup I hope the good new is a promotion I really do I mean don’t get me wrong I like what I do but I need something more serious your probably lost lemme explain I work on set of abcs newest show boy band my uncle Nick is Nick Carter like Backstreet Boys Nick Carter he’s an architect on the show and knew I’d been hoping to go into the field of production and tv development so he pulled some strings and got me a job on the show right now I’m not really doing anything related to production I’m pretty much just in charge of the talent as in I make sure all the boys who are contestants are doing what they should be where they should be when they should and as young straight girl it’s pretty much the best yet most frustrating job although all the boys are quite respectful it’s hard to keep them all on track sometimes and it’s even harder to keep my mind on track be there’s one boy who is kind of driving me insane his name is jhype and he makes my job very difficult because I struggle to form proper sentences around let alone be professional he’s just to damn beautiful and sweet and talented

********************* “Okay boys you’re up first get in your places.” I tell Chance Devin and Drew it’s about 3 minutes until we go live and I need to get these three on stage because they start the opening number tonight the boys do as I ask and head toward the stage “So happy I’m not out first tonight.” I hear as someone comes up next to me I look to my right and see it’s Jhype my heart starts to race he looks amazing tonight he’s wearing a tuxedo and his hair is pushed back and you can see those wonderful eyes of his “Yeah I can’t imagine the pressure you guys feel up there.” I say to him “It’s hard but so amazing at the same time I love getting to perform I just feel inadequate compared to the others you know.” He says quietly looking down seeming a little embarrassed having had admitted that “You’re amazing Jhype don’t think that way.” I say quickly wanting to reassure him “I keep telling him that but my boy won’t listen.” Michael says coming to stand beside Jhype taking his place I hear the music begin and Chance starts singing and then I quickly gesture for the boys to go on stage they take my direction and go.

****************

It’s getting towards the end of the show and I’m a nervous wreck I’m biting my nails and just staring at the two boys who are in front of the architects the two boys that are up for elimination Jhype is in the bottom two and I’m losing my mind I’m praying he stays even though Jon is a wonderful talented contestant “And the boy America has saved is..” Rita says then takes a long pause and opens up the envelope she’s holding “The boy staying in the competition is Jhype.” She says and smiles at Jhype I take an audible sigh of relief and Thank God

********************

It’s later that same night I’m in my room at the hotel I just finished getting ready for bed and am about to go to sleep when I get a text from uncle Nick he wants to see me in the lobby I head downstairs excited to see what he had to say “Hey uncle Nick” I say approaching him as he sits on a comfy chair in the hotel lobby. “Hey y/n” he says with a smile I sit down across from him “Well I have some news for you I was talking to some of the producers earlier and we’ve decided that if your up to it you can join the production team not making any big decisions yet but we need a consultant on well teen girls that’s our demographic and most of the people who work in the show are middle aged men so I think you see where your perspective could come in handy” he tells me this and I smile so wide it hurts my face “Oh my God uncle Nick that’s amazing I’d be more than happy to.” I say “Well the only reason I said if your up to it is because we also want you to keep your current job all the boys seem to respond well to having you around and taking direction from you so we don’t wanna throw off the energy back stage or change it up because everything is working out well right now” “I know it’ll be difficult but I’m so excited and I really do want to do both I think I’ll be able to manage it.” I respond to him “Okay great I’ll let the production team know tomorrow well I’m gonna head to sleep kid see you tomorrow” and with that he walked off towards the elevator just then the front door of the hotel opened and in walked Jhype he looks so adorable I wanna go up and congratulate him but I’m really nervous so I just sit and hope he doesn’t notice me “Y/n ” he says and smiles as he walks to where I’m sitting so much for hoping he wouldn’t notice “Hey Jhype so happy your gonna be staying.” I say and grin he laughs and says “Yeah me to it was rough tonight I was scared then I thought about what you said and I was hoping America would see whatever it is that you do and keep me here thankfully they did. You know I never really tell you but I appreciate everything you do for all of us it can’t be easy to wrangle us all in and do everything else you do and your doing a hell of a job y/n.” I’m taken back by his words and don’t quite know how to respond “Thanks J that means a lot.” I tell him “I was so worried you’d not make it tonight I’m really happy that you don’t have to go home.” “I’m happy to I really want to be in this band and I constantly feel like I gotta prove that cause people don’t take me serious as a vocalist I gotta up my game next week to stay here.” He says and my heart sinks he really deserves to be here he works twice as hard as the other boys I’ve noticed that the last 3 weeks “You work harder than anyone here J you’ll see the benefits of all that work.” I say with a yawn I’m exhausted and I’m really starting to feel it “I really hope so y/n that’s really nice of you to say I won’t keep you up much longer you seem tired.” He says “No I’m fine we can talk if you want.” I say not wanting this to end I love talking to him but then I release another yawn and he laughs “You’re cute when you’re tired.” He says then stands up “How about I walk you to your room.” He tells me and extends his hand to me I’m in shock from his compliment and don’t even respond I just get up and take his hand it’s big and warm and it’s feels wonderful to hold we walk towards the elevator “You know I really like talking to you y/n you always make me feel more comfortable and actually kinda confident it’s hard being on the show especially since I’ve gotten so close to the boys every elimination hurts worst and it’s hard to compete with the guys when they’re all so talented.” He says as we reach my room “We’ll I guess this is good night” he says letting go of my hand and looking down then he places a hand on the back of his neck “You could come in if you want.” I say and don’t know where the words are coming from I just know I don’t want this to end I wanna keep holding his hand and hearing his voice “You sure ?” He asks but looks up at me and smiles “Yeah I am ” I say as I open the door I walk towards the bed and he follows me I take a seat and look at him taking in his messy hair and bright eyes and adorable sweats he’s wearing he just stands in front of me smiling “You could have a seat” I say with a laugh as I remove the hoodie I’m wearing and immediately regret it I’m now super aware of the fact this all I’m in is a thin tank top and that I’m not wearing a bra Jhype takes a seat beside me on the bed and kicks off his shoes “I have to tell you something you’re really beautiful y/n and your smart and great at your job and ambitious and I really like talking to you I guess what I trying to say is I like you and was wondering if you’d like to go out tomorrow night like on a date with me .” He says and blushes and looks down I can tell it took a lot for him to say all that I blush I can’t believe he seems so interested in me we have short conversations all the time that I treasure but I never thought he thunk anything of it or that he paid me any attention but I guess he does and he has I can’t help myself I lean forward and press my lips to his beautiful mouth it’s soft and his lips are full and it’s wonderful we continue pecking each other’s lips for a while then jhype puts his hands on my waist and I slide one of mine in his hair and one on the back of his neck and he deepens the kiss his tongue slips in my mouth and starts to explore and we continue on for a few minutes and it’s wonderful so so wonderful better than I expected I feel so alive feeling his lips against mine he pulls back and smiles at me “I take that as a yes” he says and laughs I just kiss him again it’s intoxicating it’s addictive dear God this boys mouth is like no other mouth I’ve kissed before Jhype quickly pulls away and says come here as he tugs at my waist he scoots up on the bed with his back against the headboard I get in his lap and put my legs on either side of him and his hands slip back to my waist and we resume our kiss it’s getting more intense and I’m still wanting more it’s like Jhype can read my mind he tugs the bottom of my tank top and pulls his lips away from mine to look at me asking permission I nod yes and he pulls it over my head and puts it on the bed he takes in my chest his face lights up “You’re so beautiful” is all he says then he reaches up and caresses my right boob then starts to nead it and kisses me again I tug a his shirt and we brake long enough for him to take it off and I admire his toned chest and beautiful collar bones and begin to kiss them then I work my way to his neck and start sucking slightly when I come across a spot that makes him a moaning mess then I go back to kissing his mouth as he’s still working my boob we continue for a few minutes and it’s the most exhilarating experience I’ve ever had it scares me how much I want him normally I don’t do these kinds of things but I can’t help it “y/n” Says as he pulls away from me and I look at his face “Jhype” I say trying not to pant “I really into this but don’t want things to happen right this minute I want you to be sure.” He says and looks from my face to my bare chest then back at my face “God your so beautiful ” “I’m really into this to but you’re right let’s cool down. I tell him and get off his lap and scoot under the covers he gets up and I’m about to say goodbye when he surprises me and turns out the light then comes to lay beside me “Is it okay if I stay?” “Of course.” I say leaning into his chest i say then I lay my face against his chest and he pulls me closer to him our bare torsos are pressed against each other I feel so comfortable so safe so warm it’s one of the happiest moments I’ve had I can hear his heart beating in my ear and his breath going in and out “Goodnight y/n” he whispers and pulls me even closer which I didn’t know was possible and soon after that I drifted into sweet peaceful sleep

[jinhogwarts]

Thoughts on the concept songs performances

ok so it usually takes me a while to process the performances, and also I wanted to rewatch them again while writing this, so a bit late but I wanted to share my thoughts on the performances~ Feel free to let me know if you agree/disagree with me, but remember that everyone’s entitled to their own opinion ^^

ok so overall I really loved all of the songs and I think that all of the boys did really really well! Oh and I didn’t watch the full episode btw, only the performances uploaded to youtube ^^

Oh Little Girl - except for Jihoon and Jinyoung, all of them are in my top11, so I’m already a bit biased towards them. The song itself was cute, the performance was adorable and I really love them so much ;-; Can we just talk for a second about how beautiful Minki is? Because I’m having flashbacks to 2012 when Nu’est debuted and I thought he was one of the most beautiful humans I have ever seen (so much that I never bothered getting to know the other members until now lmfao oops). My precious Sewoon and Gunhee did so well on this performance, I love them both so much and I hope at least one of them ends in the final group ;;;;; Also, sidenote, I had no idea Jihoon was a rapper???? I’m not sure if I’m completely out of the loop and he’s been a rapper all along or if he only took this position for this song, but he’s actually kinda good?? I feel so confused. (btw did Hyungseob even have any lines at all? lmfao he basically did nothing other than being cute oh gosh but he’s still so adorable) Never - ok so let me start by saying that I’m a Universe (Pentagon’s fandom) so this was the song I was most excited for, mostly because HuiDawn wrote and produced it lol. And it really didn’t disappoint me at all! It’s such a good song and the boys did it justice! Jaehwan is such a good vocalist, I really hope he can make it to the final group because he’ll be such a great addition to the group! His voice really reminded me of Hui in some parts, or maybe I imagined it because I know he wrote it lol but either way he was really good and from what I’ve heard he got a lot of praise from Triple H on his highnote? which makes me super happy ;-; The performance in general was just amazing, and Woojin did so well considering how much he was suffering before they performed, and I just hope he’s doing better now ;; It saddens me that he had to perform in his condition but I understand why he did, and he was great considering everything! I’m proud of him <3 Knock - oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god. Performance wise, it was probably the best one. The vampire-ish concept, the mood, their clothes and make up, everything. The song in itself is good too. All in all it was a really deserved win and I can’t wait to see them on mcd next week!!!! Daniel pretty much stole the whole performance, even though Yungguk was the center it didn’t really seem like it lol. But maybe that’s also because I’m biased towards Daniel since he’s one of my favorites? (also it’s funny that he basically got this song as a penalty but in the end it worked for the best for him l o l) And Kenta. JFC why does this boy not have more popularity are people blind or something??????? Yes I’m biased af because now that Jung Jung is out of the show Kenta is my no.1 but still ??????????????? da fuck. how. why. LOOK AT HIM LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL AND CHARISMATIC HE IS AND HE’S DOING SO WELL AND I JUST LOVE HIM SO MUCH I’M SO EMOTIONAL tbh I could talk about each and every one of them so I’ll try to do it short - Dongho was so amazing jfc his vocals are perfect in this song and just. wow. Haknyeon was really good, from what I saw on twitter he was really struggling and Dongho helped him a lot? And he was really good in the end! Youngmin was amazing and I hope this really helps him silence the antis because he doesn’t deserve this kavfndpjadovni Seonho did really really well on this too wow I was really bitter about him this entire time because he’s not as good as some of the others who are less popular than him and I still don’t think he’s ready to debut, but he improved so so so so so so so much and I’m proud of him! And as for Youngguk - ok so I just realized now that he looks like a tiny wearwolf and now I need an AU of this lol ok bye (no but really he’s so precious and even though Daniel totally stole the show on this one he was still really good as a center!) Show Time - ok so as far as the song goes, this one was probably my favorite, and the performance in general I think was probably my second favorite after Knock! I just love these cute and bright concepts and I think that everyone fit it so well!  I really hope Samuel finally gets the recognition he deserves, because this boy is seriously amazing and it saddens me how much Koreans are sleeping on him. From what I’ve seen he did pretty well on the on-site voting so let’s hope he did even better at the online votes! Also... Jisung what. How. Wow. I love this man so much and I’m a bit confused because when did he turn into a rapper he wasn’t a rapper before but he’s so good????? also his chemistry with Sanggyun (who I’m really warming up to, I’m not a fan of ToppDogg but he’s so precious I can’t help it) and just ;;;;;;;;; I really hope Jisung ends up in the final group because I LOVE HIM SO SO SO MUCH also I just realized that before the dance break Jisung was dancing the girls’ pick me lol he’s so adorable I can’t And baby Woojin looked so mature in this like ??? he’s still a baby but idk he grew up so much on this show I’m a proud mother ;; I know you know - THE UNDERDOGS!!! ok so personally this was my least favorite song, but the performance was good and the boys all did so well and I’m really sad that they got such a low score :( They deserved way more than that ;; And I’m really worried for some of them now, especially Taedong, Donghan and Yehyun (who I have a soft spot for because he’s from Snuper’s company and they’re my underrated babies) and just ;;;;; I hope they’ll get more votes on the online voting, but I’m kinda preparing myself for at least half of them to be eliminated.. ;; But can we talk about HYUNBIN’S RAP OH MY GOD the boy did such a huge mistake not taking the rap position last mission vafkdnjpvadoi I mean I loved him in downpour and it’s good he’s trying new things but why did it take so long to hear him do actual rap because he’s really good at that and wow?????? (sidenote, Moonbok’s hair looked PERFECT I’m jealous lol and it’s such a big improvement from the horrible braids he had last time, and the highlights at the tips wow whoever did his hair this time did such a good job!) ok so! This was longer than I expected tbh but hopefully you enjoyed reading :) I’m always down to talking about produce so hmu if you wanna talk! I’m not emotionally ready for the next elimination and I’m REALLY not prepared for the last episode ;; I’m excited to see who the final group will be but I’m so stressed about it kavfdnjpnovdis