#just like coups hehehehe

[02shuuu]

patiently waiting for someone to write a svt lovely runner au 🙇‍♀️

[got-into-worm-by-mistake]

Insinuation 2.5 Live Reactions

(This is me, writing reactions as I read, because why the fuck not. They're not complete, mature thoughts taken after I sit back and evaluate what I've read. Consider them as such)

I mean, I can guess that 2.1 to 2.4 is about setting up the point where Taylor is willing to convince herself to join the villains, rob a bank, etc, and fine, fine, but I do feel like those four could have been 2? I mean, with 1.6 million words, you expect some filler, and technically even the filler builds out the world and the characters, etc, but still.

If you looked at Brockton Bay as a patchwork of stellar and squalor, upper class and lower class with no middle ground, then downtown was one of the nice areas.

Okay but that's... not how you can actually look at Brockton Bay? Even the Bay can't be quite that starkly stratified? The modern American economy couldn't function in a city that extremely divided economically. And sure, Brockton Bay sucks, but capitalism is still a thing there.

both Grue and Hellhound had lived in different cities prior to teaming up and setting roots in Brockton Bay.

But don't both of Grue's parents live in the Bay with his sister? Or is that just her being wrong?

Grue had poked fun at Regent rather than treat him like a leader,

People do poke at their leaders sometimes though, Taylor? Like, that's a whole genre of person, the kind of person who pokes fun at their leader and gets away with it for one reason or another.

  Information, it seemed, was a major factor when dealing with capes.

Puzzle Bosses atop Puzzle Bosses.

Which is, incidentally, why so many fanfics are capable of believably beating various baddies earlier, I imagine. Because all it really takes is getting the right knowledge a little easier.

As I thought on it, though, the notion that I might actually consider taking Tattletale up on her offer of a meeting nagged at me.  The more I thought on it, the scarier the idea got, and the more it seemed to make sense.

Careful Taylor. This will be the first rationalization of many...

If I got anything worth sharing, I could turn around and give it to Armsmaster so he could use it against them.  Just going by what Armsmaster had said about these guys and the scarcity of information on them, it would be a pretty major coup for the good guys.

Didn't you just get pissy about Armsy stealing credit from you?

Then again, she still thinks heroing is in her future and so I suppose this makes sense for her to think, since she has no other in to hand info over to a Hero/the PRT/etc

 That said, I suspected that when it came out that I was a hero and not a villain, they would count it as such regardless.

Hehehehe

Foreknowledge of how it goes leads to certain humor. Though, honestly, I wonder if anyone expected her not become a villain, when this was all that was out? Feels like it's pretty well hinted at, but maybe I just know what to look for.

The Central Library looked almost more like a museum or art gallery than anything else, with tall ceilings, pillars and massive pieces of artwork hung to frame the hallways between the major sections of the building. 

I honestly hate libraries that do this. Seems like a waste of money better spent being a fucking library. The central library in the city I went to Middle and High School in did this when they built a new location for the main branch. Absolute eyesore. Just be a library.

#KyliaEditorializes

It was fast enough that I couldn’t imagine Tattletale taking the time to check and double check every aspect of her message the way I had mine.

Knowing her (as I don't actually), she probably expected you'd ask for proof, or at least considered the possibility.

G R and me will meet you at the same spot we crossed paths last night, k? Don’t have to get gussied up if you catch my drift. Rest of us will be in casual wear.

Asking her to meet unmasked? I mean, I know you don't have nefarious intent, but is Taylor going to be that stupid?

it was hard to imagine her threatening me with one breath just a sentence after she’d offered to meet me in a way that made her totally vulnerable.

And you. While Outnumbering you.

I just had no idea what I would be getting into.

*looks back at the summary of Worm* You really, really don't

There was an outside possibility I could get killed, but somehow that didn’t concern me as much as it maybe should have.

Because you're borderline suicidal and desperately need like... well, I'd say therapy but even therapy wouldn't be enough right now. You need a lot of shit, really.

Startled, I looked up.  A middle aged woman in a red jacket stood just behind me.  As I met her eyes she asked, “Are you done?”  She gestured at the computer, where the screensaver was still scrolling.

I wonder if Taylor would have accepted if she hadn't been jostled like this? Certainly could be an interesting divergence moment, though where it gets taken remains open.

2.5 definitely feels like it fully needs to be here, which is good. Again, I'm not saying 2.1 and 2.3 and 2.4 are filler, but they did feel a little less... necessary. This? This one feels necessary.

[vonlipvig]

Hello jules, it's me again Suzerain and not for broadcast anonymous enjoyer. I was on chapter 2 of Sordland and boy oh boy I'm fucking the economy. Jesus christ, i vetoed the tourism and green act. Form the Anti-Corruption Police with Nia but I'm having a hard time choosing who to send the Police with The Old Guard or the Oligarchs? Mhh.. choices, choices. Amirite? Also the protest have turn into violent to peaceful. Let's hope i make the right decision on funding the Justice instead of Interior because boy i don't wanna be fucking coup by Bald man and General Valken, i also funded Education, Law Enforcement and Military. Jesus fuck, Why the fuck is military bloody expensive?! I'm not make of ATM machine that can print money. General Bald man and General Valken, but i won't don't want to be coup so here's your budget i swear to Nur and Dastnurist if i got coup using my given budget I'm gonna defunding the hell out of you people next game. I decided not to fund Health since I'm gonna privatize it. Shocking isn't it?! Me a democratic socialist privatizing healthcare?! Bruh Marx and Lenin is fucking spitting on my shadows I'm doomed and traitor to revolution. They gonna dragged my poor reactionary and anti-revolutionary arse to labour or reeducation camp. I also let the Red Youth to attend the funeral of Bernard Circas and spoke his poems. Truly inspiring also. I tricked Walter Tusk on giving me incentives. I demanded higher "gift" from him and it makes me rich like yes... Thank you, you fucking idiot of a foolish moron capitalist pig. Thanks to your money I'm gonna lobby the assembly in my favour. And you can't do jackshit about it. Also guess who successfully told Rizia to fuck off on Gasom investment (Sorry King Toras, i love you and crown princess Vina but i was a red youth member so yeah down with the fucking foreign interest and ownership.) I also managed to calm down the protest and general strike outside Gasom like wow. People I have come here today to make an announcement that i managed to pursue the bitch Gasom company and Former President Alphonso to provide you guys with better housing, healthcare, education and infrastructure to support you guys. I promised this as former red youth member. I also tax the hell out of big corporations and lowered the taxes on small and medium business i was on -8 GB alright. After that i managed to just decrease it by just 1GB one FUCKING GOVERNMENT BUDGET Holy shit. Symon please help me girl. My dude, my man, my bro. Help me fixing the economy. I don't wanna fucking triggered the trade war on between United Contana and Arcasia. I also invested on a foreign company. Symon Holl, please I'm begging you. Help me balance the fucking government budget. Everytime i close my eyes the budget numbers is all i see. I'm developing trauma by just organizing the GB on Sordland. Anyway that's my report on my first playthrough of Sordland on mobile beta version. Watch me jules, crash and burn the economy and society of Sordland... while my sanity is also deteriorating to the ground I think a cold water for this.

YOU CAN DO IT, ANON, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF [buys the first ticket out of sordland] YOU GOT THIS!

ooh baby, you're on that -7GB red line, that's dangerous territory lmao that trade war is breathing down your neck. don't worry, i've got just the solution for you: a couple prayers to saint symon and wealth and prosperity should be coming your way, i swear it on the divine god.

(also same, i hate when i need to give the military money. can't you guys just make do? give thanks i'm not decreasing your budget at least except when i do hehehehe)

AND OOH YES THE GASOM STORYLINE so so good! getting to address the people outside and calm their fears with actual results is soooo satisfying (especially because you got to get those out of alphonso lmao), great job there (also i love that story cause we get ALPHANGER. there's some closeted, possibly homophobic AND homosexual explanation there, i'm sure of it. love those bitchass capitalists).

poor rizia, tho. oh well, you'll cross that bridge when you get to it (literally! i still have to try a rizia run after a sordland run to see how all those choices affect you there!).

YOU GOT IT ANON, A MORGNA WES CORE!

[anxietywriter]

Gilded Cage

Hehehehe corruption prompts. Like actual corruption, get your head out the gutter. Of course this is based off the idea of someone saying knowledge is power only to be countered with, "no. Power is power" because it makes brain go brr.

Gotta love the classic political corruption that happens in the fantasy worlds. Love the tyrant kings and their circle of knights that funnel power and resources to both themselves and the elite, forcing the general population to live with next to nothing and hopefully eventually revolt teehee. Or perhaps one of the elites rise up and stage a coup against the king? Gahhh can you tell I love this?

The rigged elections in a dystopian world and maybe there is some suspicion or theories about votes being rigged, but actual information about it somehow gets leaked to the general public and it spreads like wildfire. Cue the manhunt for the person that leaked the information and the damage control and the forming rebellions.

Using political corruption and loopholes to keep a community in poverty/near poverty. Like the denizens try to get legislation passed that will improve the community but it never gets passed. Probably because it wasn't profitable or because it would hurt a big company/power. Then them trying to just do stuff like garden or make little community cabinets and always getting shut down. It's nothing super sinister it's just that no matter what they do and how hard they try, nothing ever actually changes.

The press/media skewing stories. Preferably about the protagonist(s). Perhaps any small mistake gets blown out of proportion while their good deeds go ignored. Things to make it so the public perceives them poorly. Accidentally breaking something for example gets skewed into being a careless act that shows no respect for locals and is completely tactless.

That bribe money folks. Just the entire system being based on who is the highest bidder gets the policies that benefits them the most. And everyone else can rot, because who cares if they're not the ones lining the elites' pockets. Or alternatively... Those who accept bribes doing a complete U-turn because it was never about morality to them. Whether they turn from being good to evil or evil to good, it doesn't matter to them as long as that particular side pays up. Kind of like a mercenary.

Using animals as spies! Kind of a cool concept and would work in theory if said animal had proper training and maybe a tracker on them. And given that said animal doesn't run into any deadly obstacles or isn't caught. Anyways, using them to either expose corruption or used by corrupt companies to steal their rival's secrets.

[diamonddaze01]

contractual obligations

pairing: csc x f!reader | wc: 1.7k au: rival ceos, suggestive | warnings: none a/n: based on eunha’s @svtiddiess ask for my 101 drabble prompt game! // surprise i’m also turning this into a series bc i can heheheh (i am a slut for coups in a suit)

The conference room is tense, charged with the weight of years of rivalry. Seungcheol leans back in his chair, his fingers drumming against the polished wood of the table, eyes focused on you like a hawk. His posture is casual, but there’s a sharpness to his presence—his shoulders squared, his chin slightly lifted in that challenging, arrogant way you’ve always known. He’s not smiling, but there's something about his gaze that feels like a challenge. It’s a look you’ve become all too familiar with—a look that’s made you want to prove him wrong countless times over the years.

You’ve been in the corporate world long enough to know that every move matters—every word, every decision. The stakes today? High enough to change the entire balance of power between your companies. The air crackles with a tension that’s almost palpable, as if the room itself knows what’s at stake. You both lead competing tech conglomerates, giants in the industry, and for the past few years, it's been a constant battle for market dominance. But it’s not just business. No, it’s personal. You and Seungcheol go way back—back to university, back to the days when his arrogance rubbed you the wrong way, and you refused to let him get away with anything. Over the years, your rivalry evolved from petty arguments in class to fierce corporate wars, but the history between you two? It’s always there, lurking just beneath the surface.

Today’s meeting is supposed to be a discussion of a potential merger. Your company has made an offer, and while Seungcheol’s company seems interested, everyone knows it’s just a power play. The terms you’ve proposed have ruffled his feathers. You’re not here for collaboration; you're here to win. The glance you exchange with him speaks volumes—this isn’t just a business negotiation anymore. It's another battleground in your long-running war.

“Honestly,” Seungcheol starts, his voice smooth but carrying an edge, “I didn’t expect you to bring such a weak proposal to the table. Did you forget who you’re dealing with?” His words are a direct shot, aimed to provoke. His gaze lingers on the stack of papers in front of you, his eyes sharp, as though daring you to challenge him. He knows your company is doing well, but he's banking on you not being able to match his vision.

You glance up at him, your smile tight, but filled with all the quiet confidence you’ve perfected over the years. “Careful, Seungcheol,” you say, leaning forward, your voice low but cutting. Your fingers graze the edge of the table as you push yourself closer, and the air around you seems to thicken. “Why don’t you say that to my face?”

He leans forward as well, his lips curling into that infuriating smirk. “I was waiting for you to offer, darling,” he taunts, his eyes flickering to your lips as he speaks, his body language relaxed, but there's a subtle tension in his shoulders, a coiled readiness. “But now that you’ve made your move…”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself,” you snap, eyes flashing. “You’re not the only one who knows how to play the game.”

The tension in the room rises, thickening with every exchanged glance. Every word is a chess move, every gesture a challenge. You and Seungcheol have been like this for as long as you can remember—two people fighting for dominance in the boardroom, constantly testing each other, testing the limits of each other's patience. The room feels smaller now, suffocating, as if the air itself is charged with the history between you both.

You think back to college—those late nights after finals, when the stress of everything would hit you both at once. There were times when your arguments would escalate so quickly, fueled by frustration and alcohol, that you’d both end up drunk and tangled in each other’s sheets by the end of the night. The first time it happened, it was a blur—too many shots, too many harsh words. You’d fought over everything, your careers, your egos, and yet somehow, it had all led to a kiss, desperate and full of anger. It wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t even a conscious decision—it was just... there. A moment of release, a way to escape the tension you’d built up over years of rivalry.

The next morning? Business as usual. You’d wake up, both pretending it didn’t happen, both burying it under layers of professionalism and polite indifference. No words, no acknowledgment—just another argument waiting to happen.

It happened more times than you’d care to admit. Every time, you’d both get too drunk, argue too fiercely, and fall into bed with each other. But then, just like that, you’d go back to being business enemies the next day, like nothing had ever changed. It was a cycle. A dangerous one.

But today, it feels different. The air is charged with something heavier, something you both can’t ignore anymore. There’s something in the way his gaze lingers on you now—something unspoken, something that hasn't been there before.

You stand up slowly, your heels clicking against the floor with precision as you walk toward him, each step purposeful, controlled. The sharp sound of your footsteps seems to echo in the silence of the room, heightening the anticipation. Your eyes lock with his, and you see the subtle shift in his expression—his jaw tightens, and his fingers curl ever so slightly against the table. The smirk falters, just for a second, like he can sense the shift in the air, but he doesn’t move. He’s waiting for you to make the next move, and he’s damn good at that—waiting, studying, calculating.

“You still think you can beat me at my own game?” Seungcheol asks, his voice dropping into something darker, more dangerous. His lips twitch, as if he's testing you, but there's an unspoken challenge hanging in the air.

“Not beat,” you murmur, voice barely above a whisper, the words slow and deliberate. “Outsmart.”

He looks at you, his gaze flickering from your lips to your eyes, and for a moment, you can almost see the walls he’s been building up between you start to crack. He doesn’t respond immediately, his lips curling into a grin that’s more of a challenge than a smile.

You stop in front of him, so close now that you can feel the heat radiating from his body, smell the faint trace of his cologne—a deep, earthy scent with hints of tobacco and cedarwood, warm and familiar, wrapping around you like a cloak. His body is a wall of muscle beneath the tailored suit, his breath steady but heavy as if he's trying to control the urge to lean in, to close the distance between you.

Your breath mingles with his, and for just a moment, the world outside the conference room seems to fade away. The tension between you two is palpable, so thick you could almost reach out and touch it. You lean in just a fraction, close enough to feel the warmth of his skin, the faintest brush of his hair against your cheek, but you stop, your lips hovering just shy of his. He stiffens, eyes widening as the distance between you seems to grow even though you're inches apart.

Your breath mingles with his, and for just a moment, the world outside the conference room seems to fade away. The tension between you two is palpable, so thick you could almost reach out and touch it. You lean in just a fraction, close enough to feel the warmth of his skin, the faintest brush of his hair against your cheek, but you stop, your lips hovering just shy of his. He stiffens, eyes widening as the distance between you seems to grow even though you're inches apart.

Without saying another word, you pull away slowly, your smirk teasing as you watch his eyes flicker with surprise, his lips parting to say something, but the words catch in his throat, his breath hitching as he watches you pull back. His eyes narrow with a flash of frustration.

“What—” He starts to speak, but you don’t let him finish.

He leans in, instinctively reaching for you, but you stay just out of reach, savoring the way his body tightens with the struggle for control. His gaze flickers with a wild, desperate heat, and you know exactly what he’s feeling—a challenge to his authority, his dominance, his carefully curated calm.

Without saying another word, Seungcheol reaches up and grabs your chin with a firm, almost possessive grip, his thumb brushing the delicate line of your jaw. He pulls you toward him, his lips pressing hard against yours in a kiss that’s rough, demanding, like he’s been waiting for this moment just as much as you.

Before you can fully process the move, he shifts, guiding you to straddle his lap, your knees settling on either side of his thighs. The sudden proximity is overwhelming—his chest presses against yours, his hands instinctively wrapping around your waist, pulling you flush against him. His breath is hot against your lips as he deepens the kiss, his mouth moving against yours with urgency, as though he’s been starved for this connection.

Your hands find their way to his shoulders, gripping him tightly as you kiss him back with just as much intensity, your body already responding to the heat of the moment. There’s no going back now—not with the tension between you both finally snapping, no more masks or barriers left. The years of rivalry, of suppressed desires, of everything that’s been left unsaid, all pour into this kiss. It's messy, it’s urgent, and it’s undeniable.

When you finally pull away, both of you breathless, his hands still on your hips, keeping you steady on his lap, the room feels quieter—almost like the world has momentarily stopped spinning. His lips hover near yours, and you can feel the pulse of his heartbeat beneath your fingertips.

“I—” He starts to speak, but you stop him, your lips brushing against his once more.

“Still think you can outsmart me?” you whisper, voice low and teasing, knowing full well that it’s no longer just about the game.

He smirks, his grip tightening around you, but the wild glint in his eyes says it all. “We’ll see, darling. We’ll see.”

send me an ask for my drabble game!

[firstseasonlisazemo]

Dungeon Crawling

Summary: The Department of Magic has a mission for Catarina. Things go wrong.

Rating: T - Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.

Explicit depictions of death and violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Words: 1000

Notes: Hehehehe death and suffering.

“Catarina!”

The sounds of frantic footsteps echoed like thunder somewhere above, the blood rushing to her ears sounding like heavy rain. The rise and fall of her chest burned like fire, and each breath felt weaker than the last. She felt warm, but also numbingly cold.

What the hell just happened?

Something about dark wizards and coups and doom flags, nothing that comes to mind at the moment. Catarina can admit she only understands about a third of all she hears in a good day, so she is not exactly sure what was the point of something so complex like the mission the Department of Magic put her through. It was probably important, since there is a lot of people here.

Her vision, by the time she sensed movement, had begun to blur. Figures rushed at her through the darkness and stopped to crowd around her. Why was it so dark in here, anyways? She tried turning her head, but found out that she could not. Why did her neck hurt so much?

“Catarina, you are going to be alright.”

She heard from the person closest to her, and her eyes drifted up to see a face. She recognized that face.

“Keith…” She mumbled meekly, and her lips pulled into a weak smile.

The person who had spoken to her had tears in his eyes. Why was he crying?

“Keith, keep her awake.” Another voice said, someone she probably knows but cannot remember who it was.

Catarina finally managed to turn her head. There was a whole group of people around her. They looked scared. She seemed to be sitting against something warm and wet, and it smelled rather strangely. Was it water? Why was it so warm on her back?

“Catarina, look at me.” She turned her head back to the first person that called her name, and his face got so close to hers, so much so that she could feel his warm breath on her cheeks. “You are so strong, Catarina. Do you know that?”

She could feel her eyes start getting heavy, and she is growing increasingly tired.

“Stay with us, Catarina.” He said, and she felt a slight pressure on her forehead. “You are strong. So, so strong.”

His voice cracked, she noticed. It made her sad. She wanted to console Keith, tell him something to cheer him up, say it is all her fault, like it always is, but she cannot find her voice to do it.

“Catarina, stay awake!”

What a strange voice. It sounded a little young, not unlike a little child, which was rather out of place in such a dark, dangerous place. She hopes he can find his way out.

Out? Catarina started to remember. There were monsters, she is pretty sure. She fell from a high-up ledge and twisted her ankle before that, though. She was not fast enough on a lame ankle to dodge all of them.

“Catarina, please…”

She turned her head up to see him. Tears spilt down his cheeks, now, and Keith looked terrified. His hair was wet with crimson and his face was dirty with dust and clay. He must have fought away the monsters, she concluded. It also stained his face, and the formerly clear coat that covered his shoulders. All he seemed to care about was her, though.

Her eyes felt really heavy, now. She wanted to sleep. She did not want to make him worry, though.

“Keith…” She managed to croak out.

Many words seemed to go through her head at that moment, a plethora of voices and feelings, but none seemed to bubble out. His hands, which were really warm, gripped hers. They trembled.

“Just a little while longer, sister, okay? You are doing so, so well.”

She is not exactly sure what he was talking about. What was she so good at, truly? All she realises to be doing is to lay there, quietly, struggling with her movements and breathing. Ah, so confusing! She is so tired, she wants to go to sleep.

Her eyes drifted downward, maybe Keith saw something she did not. However, when she saw herself, she is not sure how to react. Her entire tunic was stained in crimson, and it did not seem to be stopping. There were deep gashes in her middle, visible through the torn fabric of the ruined fabric. She could not even feel them. How merciful.

“I’m cold, Keith…” She suddenly realises.

Catarina could slowly feel herself slipping away. She did not want to go, though. Someone started crying, and it was not the person next to her, rather one of the figures too far for her to differentiate.

Keith made no sounds of crying, or snivelling. If were not for the horror etched in his face and the tears running through the side of his face, if he was part of that unfocused mass on the corner of her sightline, she would not know that he was weeping. His forehead rested against her temple, and she could hear his breaths next to her ear. They sounded broken, like glass.

“Catarina, you are so strong…”

She did not like how his voice sounded so sad, she did not like when he was feeling down or lonely, ever since they were children. Lonely, she supposes that he would feel more of it in the coming days. She felt someone else grab her other hand, since the first was still in his. It felt warm, too.

“Keith…!”

Catarina heard her little brother gasp, if only lightly, like it got caught in his throat. Her hand started feeling much warmer. The face, hovering over hers, blurred along with the rest of it, she could not recognize any distinctive features any longer. The noises grew louder, more anxious, but also increasingly more distant.

The last thing she heard before her eyes finally drifted shut, was him.

“Catarina, you are going to be alright…”

Don’t cry. You’ll be alright. I’m with you. I love you.

*_*_*_*_*

My Next Life as a Villainess Masterlist

[theggning]

I would love to hear about what a shitty parent Dhurke is

Heheheh. I was intending to write a bigger thing on this... But heck, why not do a quicker little summary?

(Unmarked SoJ spoilers below cut.)

Now, some of this comes down to the writing in SoJ being kind of stupid. Particularly as it pertains to Apollo's hilarious shoehorned-in Khura'inese retcon backstory. People joke constantly about how silly it is, and it's really incongruent and dumb the more you think about it, but it's here, and in order to make it fit they had to write in some characters making really contrived, stupid choices. By whom I mostly mean Dhurke.

And the thing with Dhurke is, he means well. He's charming and a nice guy. He honestly never intends to hurt any of his kids, and when he's with them he appears to be a pleasant, loving father. He's deeply occupied with the whole "fugitive on the run from the government" and "rebel leader" thing, sure, but there's no indication he was neglectful or anything but the best dad he could be for Nahyuta under the circumstances. He even takes in the orphaned infant Apollo and raises him like his own son when he otherwise may have been lost in the chaos of the Khura'inese system after Ga'ran's takeover.

And then he performs a series of fucking stupid choices that land him up in the high ranks of the Ace Attorney Shit Parent Olympics.

= Nine years after the coup, fearing for Apollo's safety in the Defiant Dragons rebellion, Dhurke returns Apollo to America.

(checks notes)

I'm sorry, I'll be more specific, Dhurke "permanently abandons a 9-year-old alone in a foreign country."

Fucking what??

Like, the game skims over this really hard. Dhurke claims he did this because as an American, Khura'in's political troubles were none of Apollo's concern, and he thought he'd be safer returning to his home country. But remember, Apollo had absolutely no memories of living in America. He was raised in Khura'inese culture since he was an infant. He knows absolutely nothing about living in America and has no contacts, family, or connections there because he is a CHILD. Did he even speak English? Did he have any paperwork identifying him as a U.S. citizen? Did Dhurke even accompany Apollo to America? Because as a political fugitive, it's extremely unlikely he'd be able to leave the country, and certainly couldn't check in with any embassies stateside to try and explain the situation.

So one day out of the blue, Dhurke just packs Apollo's bags, sticks him on a plane with a one-way ticket to America, and goes "there, now he's safe." Meanwhile, Apollo is 9 years old, suddenly ripped away from his foster father and brother and shipped overseas, alone, to a place he's essentially never been with a culture he doesn't know, and absolutely nobody there to take care of him. We know he ended up at the Japanifornia Orphanage somehow, and that is quite honestly the best possible outcome for an unidentified, itinerant 9-year-old child getting blindly abandoned in the U.S.

Dhurke also says he intended to come back and get Apollo someday. He doesn't. But even if he tried... fucking how? He had absolutely no way of knowing where Apollo ended up or even if he was still alive. Even if Fugitive Dhurke had a way to get on a plane, where the hell would he even begin looking for him? And how did he intend to take him back to Khura'in like nothing ever happened? You can't just leave the country with a child you have no paperwork to show your relation to, Dhurke.

So, yeah, Dhurke never comes back for him and Apollo, correctly, decides he's been abandoned forever.

Apollo is rightfully pissed off and resentful at Dhurke for doing this to him, which I think is really interesting. Good for him! Until the plot demands he swallow his rage and realize that Dhurke Tried, I Guess, and then he's robbed of any explanation or closure and Apollo gets to bring all this up to his therapist eventually.

This is honestly the worst Shit Parenting Move Dhurke makes by a long shot. And the game tries to claim it was for a good reason, but the sheer scale and irresponsibility of abandoning your kid in a foreign country is honestly hard to top on the YIKESometer.

= Dhurke's big "thing" in this game is promising his sons he will always protect them. Thus, he yeets Apollo to America to protect him from the danger of the rebellion... but apparently doesn't see fit to do the same for Nahyuta?

The game sort of implies this is because Nahyuta is from Khura'in and Apollo isn't. Dhurke sort of indicates that the rebellion shouldn't involve Apollo because he's American-- but it's okay for his Khura'inese son, Nahyuta, to stick around and live in an active warzone. Like it's somehow his "duty" to fight with the Defiant Dragons? Even though he's also a child? And he's the goddamn prince of the toppled regime? So he's probably a huge target? And as son of the murdered queen he could be a massively important voice on either side of the conflict, so it's very likely Ga'ran will be seeking to use him for her own ends?

I'm not saying shipping both Nahyuta and Apollo to America was a good idea either but, you know, Nahyuta is a prince. He could have been taken into America seeking asylum, meaning he and Apollo would have been treated as royal refugees and not random lost children. And they would have at least been together.

But no, Dhurke ditches his adopted son in another country to "protect him," but not the one with the political target on his head. Surprise surprise, Nahyuta ends up in Ga'ran's clutches, psychologically poisoned against Dhurke and the rebel cause and forced to become her puppet and an instrument of her murderous wrath.

Scoreboard: Making decisions that cause horrific trauma for your children - 2 Dhurke Sahdmadhi - 0

= So, you're Dhurke. 13 years after the coup everybody blames on you, you find out that your beloved murdered wife Amara didn't really die! She's been hiding in the palace all this time, a prisoner of her despotic sister. You bust her out. You go on the run together. It's all very dashing and romantic. You're a wanted rebel freedom fighter, she's an escaped political prisoner, the government is desperately searching for you and there's no telling what will happen if you're caught.

This is an incredibly bad time to knock up your wife.

Look, I'm sorry, Dhurke and Amara have a very dramatic romance, and it's not like we know how Khura’inese birth control works. Accidents can happen even if you're careful. But come the fuck on, Dhurke, you and Amara are on the run and in constant mortal danger. I don't care how secure your lodgings were or how safe you thought it was. You keep it in your goddamn pants, or at least wrap it before you tap it. It is absolutely fucking stupid to get her pregnant and bring ANOTHER child into this situation. Because the ABSOLUTE LAST THING you need in your underground secret rebellion is a loud, vulnerable, squalling royal baby to become a massive liability.

And surprise! Immediately after Rayfa is born, she and Amara are captured by the government. Dhurke and Nahyuta (something something duty bound, this isn't too dangerous for him to be here, etc, etc) are forced to flee, and Rayfa instantly becomes a political pawn. Ga'ran uses her to force Amara to her bidding, and using her to blackmail Nahyuta is what drags him under the government's thumb in the first place. Rayfa unwittingly spends her entire life as a tool used to manipulate her mother and brother, and she is in constant, serious danger because of who her real father is (a dumbass who can't keep it in his pants.)

Unlike Misty, the game does give mild lip service to questioning Dhurke's shitty parenting choices and the effects they've had on his kids (mostly via Apollo's anger at him... which, like I said, is quickly dismissed.) But like Misty, the game mostly lionizes him as a heroic figure, a good man who meant well and did his best under the circumstances. There's a lot of focus on Dhurke's promise to always protect his children, and he's portrayed as never really faltering in this promise. And I think he really means it, and really intends to. But regardless of his good intentions, Dhurke spends the latter half of his life repeatedly fucking his kids up, whether straight up abandoning them or leaving (or conceiving) them vulnerable to the violent rebellion that drives his every move.

So you see, it's really hard to rank Dhurke in the AA Shit Parent Olympics. When he had the chance to be one, he wasn't a bad dad. He's not malicious or cruel at all. He's not abusive like Blaise Debeste, he's not doing some dumb grand revenge plot like Manfred von Karma. His circumstances are extreme and dramatic and largely out of his control, and he genuinely seemed to be trying his best in spite of that. But the sheer scope and stakes of Dhurke's awful parenting choices really throw him into a high tier all the same.

So the moral of the story, kids, is

please don't abandon your children alone in a foreign country for any reason, and

if you're sexually active, always use protection, and especially if you're a wanted fugitive being hunted by a cruel despotic regime.

[jonnnysuh]

rating seventeen on their dodgeball skills

A/N: in honour of a significant follower milestone I present this post as a mark of my gratitude ❣️I never really thought I’d go back to tumblr in such a huge way, but this blog has given me some confidence, new friends, and all of you ❣️ I hope I can create more stuff for you guys soon.

Series Masterlist

—S COUPS 9.6/10 Takes it PERSONALLY when somebody aims for him. Points at his prey and hits them square on the chest.

—JEONGHAN 6/10 somehow always has a ball???? By the end of the game there’s 25 different balls in rotation bc of him. Explains to the ref that he “”technically”” wasn’t hit…. the ball hit his clothes not him

—JOSHUA 2.2/10 stands idly by just watching the chaos. Everyone forgets he’s there so he’s usually the last one standing 🕴🏼

—JUN 6.5/10 collects the balls and hands them to people like S Coups or Wonwoo. Starts cussing when Seungkwan almost hits him on the face

—HOSHI 1.5/10 has begged the ref to overlook him getting hit like 12 times. Doesn’t know how to throw the ball so he rolls it gently like a 5 year old bowling for the first time

—WONWOO 10/10 you cannot hit Wonwoo. Mans is RUNNING, JUMPING, THRIVING, LITERALLY ONE SECOND AWAY FROM DOING A BACKFLIP. He is whipping the balls with ANGER (who hurt u bro)

—WOOZI 5/10 catches a ball once but it was by accident. Hides behind bigger members. Trash talks the other team from the sidelines when he’s out

—DK 10/10 is WEIRDLY good at this game. In his free time he’s stuffing balls under his shirt pretending to be pregnant 🤰

—MINGYU ItsNotHisFault/10 gets ambushed by everybody including his team mates. Is held down in place and used as a human shield

—THE8 8/10 is dodging the balls left and right,,, living his Matrix FANTASY. Will not stop giggling like “heheheh”

—SEUNGKWAN 9.7/10 is the last one picked for his team but is willing to DIVEEEE for these balls bro. Every time he dodges a hit, he clutches his chest like it’s a near death experience

—VERNON -4/10 lays on the floor like a starfish bc he’s accepted defeat. Sprains both of his pinky fingers tying his shoes and is out for the entire game

—DINO 3.7/10 does stretches for 15 minutes. Is wearing a matching sweatband and wristbands set. First one out bc he gets hit in the no-no area

[memento-morri-writes]

Hi, Morri! Happy Blorbo Blursday!

Do you have any twist villain (or, conversely, twist hero) characters? If so, tell me about them!

(Is this just me trying to get you to talk more about Lavinia...maybe so)

hehehehe, thank you Joy!!

Lavinia is definitely a twist villain!! She masquerades as a rather basic, minor noble from an isolated location in Oryn. She befriends Fallon by making Fallon feel like the center of attention and keeps suspicion away from herself by rarely talking about herself.

In truth, she's the child of two people who were exiled for supporting Victor Pelle's attempted coup. (Background on that whole thing here.) She was trained from a young age to serve as a spy and eventual assassin. Her parents were more dedicated to their cause than raising their daughter, and because of that, she's constantly seeking the approval and praise of others, namely Victor Pelle himself.

She's a talented actress and liar, and skilled with several weapons, as well as knowledgeable in poisons. But her preferred method of attack is the dagger. Close and personal, and subtle if done right.

She also has a rivalry / flirtationship with Victor's son, Sebastian. Both of them are eager to be the best, and have aspirations of one day leading the rebels to victory over Anvia and taking back Oryn. Sebastian is sometimes jealous of the fact that Lavinia seems to get just as much, if not more, attention from his father as he does.

Victor is very manipulative, and he knows Lavinia's desire for approval, and he's used it to take her under his wing and train her into exactly what he needs: an assassin and spy.

Lavinia volunteered for the mission to kill Fallon, and was chosen because she's the most talented spy among the rebels. Sebastian also volunteered, but he has a tendency to act rashly based on his emotions (hmmm, something he shares with his cousin....) that would make him a risk in the plan.

Lavinia has trained herself to act logically at all time, and to find the path that will lead to the successful completion of her mission. If that's impossible, she'll aim to escape alive so that she can try again or report back to the rebels. Emotions get in the way, so she keeps herself emotionally detached from her targets. But she's a skilled actress, like I mentioned, so she's able to convince others that she genuinely cares for them, like she does to Fallon.

[abbacchiosbelt]

people misinterpreting characters is one of my biggest pet peeves ever. I really liked how you brought light to the fact that DIO is not as deep as the fandom makes him seen and Bruno is not a gold hearted ’mom’.

what other characters do you think are heavely misinterpreted? I’d like to hear your opinions. some characters that are heavely put ooc by the fandom (in my opinion) are Jotaro, Giorno, Johnny and Gyro.

Yeah, while everyone is free to their own interpretations, those are two that just really personally bother me. I don’t like to straight-up accuse someone on being wrong, but at the very least, I think the ‘mama Bruno’ interpretation is wrong and bad, lmao.

As for the other characters you mentioned? Hmm. Here are my opinions - as always, y’all are allowed to agree/disagree/have your own thoughts on them.

Jotaro - I don’t like seeing him interpreted as an uncaring piece of shit. Now, he does act like a shithead at the beginning of part 3 - calling your mom a ‘bitch’ is a shit move and he deserves to be called out for that. Just because he does good things doesn’t excuse his poor behavior. That being said, I think he’s a pretty complex character. He’s only 18 (after the retcon) when Part 3 takes place. Not only is he tasked with traveling cross-country to save his mom, but he’s forced to take on the Joestar family burden without even really knowing about it. He has to deal with three of his friends dying brutally and is forced to kill an ancient vampire that killed his great-great-grandfather. He also thinks for a brief moment that Joseph was killed by Dio - that’s a lot for a teenager. There’s no doubt in my mind that Jotaro suffers some form of PTSD.

He gets married, has a child, and then is forced into another dangerous situation thanks to his misfortune of being born into the Joestar family. It could be argued that he didn’t have to go to Morioh, but who else is there? Joseph is too old. Kakyoin and Avdol are dead, and Polnareff isn’t around at the time - so it has to be him. Now, I am not excusing the way he treated his wife and daughter at all. That’s all on Jotaro and his poor communication skills. I don’t think for one second he wanted to leave them like he did, but... It happened, and he couldn’t fix it.

One thing I don’t like is people saying we should forgive Jotaro for what he did to Jolyne. We can empathize with his situation, but it’s up to Jolyne to forgive him - it’s unfair for us as the audience to say she should have been more understanding. She was a child abandoned by her father - Jotaro could have handled things differently, and I think that there’s enough unsaid context to imply that he does regret how he handled things. A bad father can still love his child. I don’t think Jotaro is a bad person at heart. He’s incredibly selfless, but that selflessness also led to hurting the people closest to him. TL;DR - Jotaro is pretty complex and there’s a lot to his character, but people tend to focus on one aspect of him.

Giorno - I love Giorno and think he was very underrated before Vento Aureo was animated. I think he’s still fairly underrated compared to the first 4 protagonists, simply because he expresses things in a much different manner. Giorno acts as a protagonist in theory, but he is not a good person and that’s what I love about him. It’s made extremely clear (some people miss this despite it being explicitly said by Koichi) that he’s a mix of Dio and Jonathan. The ruthlessness of Dio runs through his blood, but so does the kindness of Jonathan. 

Giorno is not boring. He is a calculating, cold, manipulative person. He is also an ambitious, caring, and highly-observant individual. Giorno is trained to hide his emotions, as per his abusive upbringing. Giorno’s smarts and capacity for observation are a core part of his character. He is quiet because of these traits, but I don’t think that makes him boring. I think it makes Giorno interesting and complex. A teenager joining the mafia and attempting a coup to take it over is... not exactly a normal thing. It’s what makes Giorno so scary. You know what he’s going to do next because he’ll tell you, but you won’t be able to stop him. And if you’re in his path? He doesn’t mind taking care of you. If you’re loyal, though, he’ll extend a gilded chain - the chain that makes him so intriguing to others, and the reason people are so eager to follow him.

Johnny - I know I just said I loved Giorno,  but I also really love Johnny. I don’t have as many thoughts as I really haven’t seen any conflicting popular interpretations of his character, but I’m sure they’re out there. To me, Johnny is very important. He’s outward with his depression, his self-hatred, his fear, his cowardice - it’s a big change from the previous protagonists. Despite this, he overcomes and finds his strength. I guess one thing I disagree with is the notion that Johnny is ‘whiny’ or ‘weak.’ I won’t spoil too much, but just like the other main JoJos, I think Johnny is a very complex character that Araki clearly crafted with care.

Gyro - I feel similarly about Gyro as I do with Johnny - I haven’t seen too many confliciting interpretations of him. I do think Gyro is more ruthless than some people paint him as. He’s not nice - he even says it! That doesn’t mean he can’t be silly or absurd. There’s a lot of facets to Gyro’s personality that make him the perfect companion for Johnny. (Or BF, hehehehe)

[queenofbaws]

fic to not write: Zexion/Luxord "Kingdom of Spades"?

For the “Fic I won’t write” game...

I have to be super, super real with you. I have nothing funny to write for this because honestly and genuinely, I know within my heart of hearts and soul of souls that--with me being who I am--this would be SUCH a serious fic, and SO on-brand for me:

Luxord and Zexion get into a game of poker. The stakes? Both of them suspect the other has a REAL juicy piece of information they’re looking for (Blackmail against other members??? Rumors about something Xemnas is planning??? Confirmation of someone else plotting a coup???) They want that. Winner gets the info, loser has to nurse their wounded ego. Seems fair, right?

They both go into it positive that they’re going to win--Zexion’s the strategist, the schemer, he has no tells, he’s got this down-pat; Luxord’s the gambler, the expert, he knows how to bend the rules without them breaking, of course he’ll be the victor. Shit gets. HEATED. Real fast.

WHO WILL WIN??? WHO GETS THEIR INFO???

Probably I’d end it ambiguously so there’d be no resolution, and I’d try to be crafty by just replying to comments like “hehehehe well who do YOU think won? ;P”

[treason-and-plot]

REPLIES TO ROY AND VIOLET PART 2

@rillensora

Awww

@rillensora

There are so many different ways this interaction could have gone, and this was definitely one of the better outcomes.

@dandylion240

I'm holding my breath for the real Roy to come out and say something to bust her bubble.

@parystrange

I'm bothered by this exchange and it leaves me wondering if he's going to try to take the children away or something.

As @ktarsims says below, Roy is very invested in making sure his kids are okay. He said he knows Violet will be a good parent to his kids here. It would not serve him in any way to be mean or nasty to Violet. Being friendly to her is only going to be to his advantage. Also she makes Sonia happy, and if Sonia’s happy then life is much easier for Roy. 

@ktarsims

It's interesting to see here how pleasant Roy can be when he wants to be. He's obviously very invested in making sure the kids are okay, and keeping things amenable so that there's no strife to worry the kids in the new arrangement. Which doesn't mean for even a moment that he's not still an asshole. He just knows how to turn on the charm when it's what's required to get what he wants.

@hyperkaos

Apparently I'm reading this differently. They both have game faces on, Roy is all pretense. He's puts on a sympathy face FFS, "here I'm going to pretend I hope things are going well, do you hate the kids/do they hate you yet?" And she is not the self-dep type, but to appease for now, she will. She'll eventually make it clear "Look idiot I love these little kids, don't think for a moment your tactics are going to get over on me." She's a challenge -not a threat- to Roy.

Heheheh yessssss, but I wouldn’t say Roy is all pretense. 99% maybe ;=). Seriously, he has a bit of internal conflict happening- his head tells him it’s best for everyone that Violet is getting on with the kids and bonding with them, but of course his heart and his ego hurt to know that there is an usurper to his throne. Even if he is responsible for orchestrating the coup d'état himself, lmboooo! He looked at Violet with pity because he needed to convince himself that his kids would never love her as much as they love him, and nobody would love them as much as he does either. And you perfectly summed up the fact that she is a challenge to Roy. She is a challenge because she knows about Claire, and because she called him ‘an evil, manipulative, Machiavellian arsehole’ and Roy being Roy has to prove her wrong. Because he loves a challenge, but also because he likes Violet and it bothers him when people he likes don’t like him back. It’s a thorn in his side. Violet is willing to let her guard down slightly for the sake of household harmony, but she still doesn’t trust him. And yes, she totally thinks he’s an idiot too, lololol! 

@miraakles

Ahhh!! That's refreshing! Roy supporting and getting along with Sonia's new lover is just, yes! However, i'm realizing that no one has once mentioned housekeeper, who Roy seems to be hiding like she's a dirty little secret... *cackles & grabs popcorn*

I'm happy you approve! 🙂😙 And as mentioned in the previous post,  the reason Roy is not bringing up Saoirse is because he’s being considerate and understanding of his kids’ feelings. They have a lot of pretty overwhelming stuff to process right now. He will bring up Saoirse when the time is right, but now is not that time.

@shhhushhh

I like your Bridgeport in this exact moment (I'm referring to this post the the last few ones in Anita/JoJo house). Surely the kiddos has grown up, but what a growth in all the adults!! ❤ Maybe I'm wrong and naive but I read this as a honest conversation between two people who realized they have to find a way for a healthy communication for the sake of there mutual loved ones.

There are a few interesting undercurrents and a bit of tip-toeing but basically, yeah, you are right. That is what is happening in a nutshell. And I felt happy and optimistic after the scene, so there’s that too ;=) 

@kscriba

"rich motherfucker" everything you write is golden

@unbridledsims

This is quite nice. Laughed when Roy tried to decipher RMF.

@sweetnovember77

Lol. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.

@simcatcher

I like that these 2 are breaking the ice... I like that very much actually

@skyburned

This is a nice moment. It's an awkward situation. Divorces and new partners are usually messy, sometimes ghastly, and this trio has a really complicated history. Roy did a good thing. It feels like it was hard for him not for a bad reason but just because it naturally would be. Violet surprised me, not sure why.  I'll have to remember RMF!

Thank you for your lovely comment! Yes, it is a very awkward situation of course, but I feel that everyone is really trying their best for the sake of the children. Violet is on totally unfamiliar turf, and I think she is coping admirably. She is suspicious of Roy but willing to accede to his charm because hostility between them is only going to make an awkward situation intolerable. 

@mysimsloveaffair

Rich Motherfucker! 😂😂😂

[ishikawayukis]

wait that's wild that it's the same words. i guess that makes learning it easier for native english speakers like me lol but is there a reason you don't talk about liking things in spanish with other people? also, who is your svt bias? i've been trying to tell from your blog and im not sure since your about says 97z your tags say maybe wonu or cheol. también, voy a mudarse este fin de semana así no podré hablar contigo por unos cuantos días (is this sentence right?) enjoy your volleyball!!

no reason i just don't know almost anyone irl that likes kpop and if i talk about it with other people i just say oh yeah that's my fave LMAO and with the spanish speaking friends that i have here we use the terms in english so yeah

HEHEHEHE my biases are coups and hosh 💕 love that is a mystery not gonna lie

and yes it's almost right! it should me "mudarme" instead of mudarse since mudarse is talking about others rather than yourself, and "así que" not just así! but it's really really good! hope everything goes out great!

[kateofthecanals]

I just love how GRRM got to write one episode for season 1 and added that non-book scene with Sandor & Sansa where he gives her THAT look... if you know what I mean ;) That's probably the farthest the series ever went with SanSan and all because the episode was written by GRRM himself. Things like this give me hope for the book SanSan. Because no one ships Sandor & Sansa more than GRRM!

Look what look oh you mean THIS LOOK

heheheh… Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty telling that GRRM would write in a non-book-canon moment between Sandor & Sansa, and in true GRRM fashion, it requires a little reading between the lines…

- For starters, this is at the very beginning of episode 8, which picks up right where episode 7 left off… with the coup in the throne room… where Sandor was doing this:

Soooo, in the brief space between this and his encounter with Sansa, he had deliberately sheathed his sword and discarded his helm…. no doubt to present himself in a less-threatening manner when he came upon Sansa…

- Which was obviously his objective. He looks pleasantly surprised to see her, yet he insists that Cersei sent him for her…. But did she?? Or did he know that, since the Starks were being rounded up in the Red Keep, he would have to get to her before someone else/worse did first, and therefore seek her out on his own? Or did he volunteer to find the Stark Girl for Cersei? Either way, I’m convinced that he went looking for her himself, and made an effort to not frighten her too much.

There is some precedence for this in the books, after all… with Sandor deliberately hunting down Sansa’s BFF, Jeyne Poole, and planting her in Sansa’s room (ALIVE) where she would be safe… Something Cersei was kind of annoyed to find out about later.

So yeah, I see you, George!!!

[violin-and-schoolwork]

Seventeen Interview (Naver)

Q1) Please introduce yourselves!

Seventeen: Hello, this is Seventeen with our comeback and second album. We worked hard to show our growth and change. Please show the album lots of love and attention!

Q2) Please introduce your album, [Teen, Age]

S. Coups: We received a lot of love from our fans these past two years, I think we’ve experienced many different things and grew, so I think we became very powerful. To portray that, we tried to create a different feel from before, but as we composed our songs, our clear feelings kept naturally creeping in. It’s different from before and we tried to show our growth. Hoshi: Seventeen’s unique healthy energy is the point. Creating the energy in the practice room in our performance is very important. Even as we made the choreography for ‘Clap’, we did yell, so I think it’s important to create that energy together. Also, we think it completes itself as fans send us love. I think the want of going through both tough times and good times together was captured. (Claps his hands and laughs)

Q3) There is a lot of visual contrast from ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’. Tell us about this concept.

S. Coups: We believe that we grew a lot in these two years through our experiences and the love of our fans. To show that, we trued a different feel and it seems like the freshness naturally creeps in. So it’s different from before as we’re trying to show our natural, maturing selves.

Hoshi: Seventeen’s healthy energy is the point. The performance we create in the practice room has very important energy. We did yell as we came up with the performance for ‘Clap’ so I think the developing energy there us important. I think it’ll become complete with the love it receives from fans. No matter how painful or sad something is, I think it shows our feelings of wanting to go together to overcome these obstacles. (Claps his hands and laughs)

Q4)  What do you think leaves the biggest impact in this album?

Joshua: I think the individual flair that the members have shown leaves the biggest impact. We prepared the songs with many different combinations of members so please give them lots of love.

Mingyu: It shows Seventeen’s growth. This year, we showed Seventeen’s changes and growth in one year through ‘2017 Seventeen Project’ , and this album truly shows the results. I’m glad to show the new, reborn Seventeen as we endured these events.

Vernon: All the songs are good. The end. We are all very proud and satisfied.

Q5) What was on your mind the most as you prepared the album?

Seungkwan: Since it’s Seventeen’s second album, we pondered a lot on what to show. We wanted an energy-filled stage that only Seventeen could do and we thought a lot as we worked to improve the album’s overall quality.

Woozi: I think it’s maturing through music. We’re always trying new things and experimenting, so this album holds a lot of growth.

Dokyeom: All the members thought a lot as we prepared the second album. We debated a lot on what music our fans would like us to approach them with, there were lots of songs and we thought which ones would be most Seventeen-like and have performances we could do well~ We always try hard to show improved music with each album! We prepared energy-filled stages that we and our fans could enjoy, so please look forward to that!

Q6) Since the album was filmed for four versions, did anything unusual happen?

Wonwoo: There were a lot of episodes... Since everyone enjoyed the mood by playing ‘The Rose of Sharon has bloomed’ and ball games as we took photos, it felt like we weren’t filming at all.

The8: I feel like we filmed it very joyfully. Among them, we filmed the summer version in the Phillippines, which had a beach where we could swim with each other and that was very nice.

Dino: This album especially had four different versions so it felt like I was experiencing the four seasons as we took the jacket pictures! It was very fascinating and you can look forward to them!

Q7) What is the title song ‘Clap’ like?

Woozi: Clap is a very exciting song which anyone can enjoy while clapping their hands. No matter how frusturating things can be, I think we can overcome anything joyfully with each other. Please listen while clapping your hands! (smiles)

Q8) Is there a special reason as to why you chose ‘Clap’ as your title song?

Woozi: We talked a lot on what Seventeen’s image is like now and it seemed like ‘Clap’ was the answer. We joke amongst ourselves about how our title somg ‘Clap’ is ‘fresh storm’ and ‘fresh energy’. (laughs) With ourselves maturing, we infused a different type of energy than before, the fresh, clear feeling of Seventeen just flows naturally into it. So I believe that a song that shows our true colors came out.

Hoshi: It portrayed Seventeen well so we chose it! You may know from listening but it makes you clap the moment you hear it. Hehe

Q9) Emotional points of the title song?

Mingyu and Dokyeom: We wrote the lyrics with parts of everyday life in it and it should be fun when you listen.

Vernon: Watch how we’ve matured. It truly is a song only Seventeen can pull off and we’re going to show that side of us continually.

Q10) Seventeen always has stages to look forward to and with these upcoming stages, what do you plan to show?

Dino: I believe it’ll be an addicting stage. It has a choreography that’s simple so that anyone can fall along, that part will stay in your memory, and since it’ll be thrilling, you should be able to watch it happily.

Hoshi: We plan to show a stage where everyone can clap along.

Q11) Within the members, which song do you like the best in this album?

Dokyeom: Wearing a Hat - Even though all the songs in this album are amazing~ I like ‘Wearing a Hat’ the best. Hehe, it follows the story of ‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ and has follow ups to the song and choreography, with this weather you can plug your earphones it and listen as you walk and muse about how it’s a sad song. Hehehehe, listen to it a lot, heehee!

Dino: Clap - I think it’s ‘Clap’, no matter how you think about it. We put in a lot of effort as we prepared and we went through a lot with this song so I think that’s why I feel so attatched to it.

S. Coups: Wearing a Hat - ‘Wearing a Hat’ seems to be the last song of this project so I feel more drawn to it.

Mingyu: Clap - Of course, all the songs are good but if I were to choose one, I think the title song ‘Clap’ is the best.

Joshua: All - They’re all so good, I can’t just pick one!

The8: All - They’re all very very good! But I suppose if I were to choose, ‘Wearing a Hat’ seems pretty good.

Wonwoo: Clap and Wearing a Hat - The performance and choreography came out so well while we practiced so I think I cherish it so much more. Obviously, all the songs are very good!

Hoshi: Clap - All the songs came out nicely but I think the title song ‘Clap’ fits Seventeen’s mood so well.

Seungkwan: Clap - Of course it’s Clap! It’s been a while since I first heard the guide and got excoted. I really want to convey the energy and refreshing feeling through this song ‘Clap’.

Jeonghan: Pinwheel - Like always, all the songs were very nice but I keep on finding myself listening to ‘Pinwheel’.

Jun: They’re all so nice that it’s difficult for me to pick one!

Vernon: I made a song with Joshua called ‘Rocket’ and since I put so much personal effort into it, I feel very attatched.

Woozi! I think they all are so nice, I can’t pick one.

Q12) You were all very determined for the world tour <DIAMOND EDGE>, what does it feel like to have finished it?

Seungkwan: It felt shortly short and longly long. I was relieved to be able to finish without any major injuries to me or the members and I was very thankful to be able to meet foriegn Carats.

Jun: With this world tour, it was nice to meet Carats from far away and I feel determined to work even harder.

Jeonghan: Since we were able to finish without any major problems, that was very nice and it was also nice to meet Carats from many places. Next time we meet, we’ll come cooler than before so wait for us!

Q13) If there was an episode you remember from the world tour, please tell.

Wonwoo: With each concert, we filmed our new selves with the Going Camera and I remember getting excited with S. Coups about the fans’ cheers.

Jun: I remember the waving lightsticks as the fans sang along to our songs with each concert.

Dino: We were all supposed to say greetings with our last song remaining but the other members forgot and went to the next stage so I remember glancing at S. Coups as we gave our greetings. (laughs)

Q14) As you toured, did you feel any inspiration for the new album?

S. Coups: We felt so much heartfelt energy and strength so I was able to feel ‘Happiness’ through this time.

Woozi: We always write during tour and we always feel lots of inspiration.

Q15) It’s already November and there isn’t much time left for ‘The Age of Seventeen’, is there a specific goal you want to achieve with these upcoming performances?

Mingyu: There isn’t much of 2017 left but I think I’ve made many pleasant memories with many fans up till now. I want to make this the best year with the remaining time in 2017 without getting hurt.

The8: My goal is Seventeen and showing how much more I can mature.

S. Coups: We thought a lot about how we can show ourselves to our fans throughout 2017 and I think we were able to show ourselves as Seveteen throughout this year. I want to finish the year with Carats without any trouble.

Wonwoo: I’m not one to focus too much on legacy so I just want to finish the upcoming performance and 2017 happily and healthily with everyone else.

Seungkwan: We promoted our album and even had a world tour, I think we achieved much in 2017. The waiting period must have felt very long since we were on tour but I feel like our fans will understand! We were able to tell about Seventeen and meet Carats so it was a good time. We poured all of ourselves into this album so I want to make Carats happy with the rest of the year.

Jeonghan: I want to perform happily and make happy memories with Carats with the remainder of 2017!

Hoshi: I want to finish this year happily and healthily with our fans again.

Woozi: I want everyone to be healthy and not hurt and to finish 2017 joyfully with Carats.

Jun: I want to tell more people about Seventeen.

Q16) What can we look forward to with these upcoming stages?

Jeonghan: In order to tell you that, you’ll have to wait! Hehe, we worked so hard to the point that we’re probably more excited! We await a lot of love~

The8: I plan to show Seventeen’s growth with these performances.

Joshua: It’ll be safe to say to anticipate our matured appearances in this album. We’ll show you Seventeen’s energy as you listen to the song.

Q17) A quick word to the fans who have been awaiting you all!

S. Coups: We prepared this album for all of you. Thank you so much for waiting and we’ll show you our cooler selves.

Dino: We think an awful lot about our Carats! We always say this but don’t forget that we exist because of Carats! We”ll work very hard for you guys so you can be proud Seventeen fans! We’ll show you all! Love you! (heart)

Mingyu: I want to thank all the fans that have waited so much for this album and we really felt your impact so I think that’s what keeps us going. I love you.

Joshua: To the Carats that always shower us with love, I’ll work hard to repay that favor~

Hoshi: To the Carats that have been awaiting us~ I’m always thankful and we’ll work hard to return the gesture. Lets make great memories with this second album! Everyone be happy and healthy!

Seungkwan! I’m always so very thankful. I’ve always wanted to see and now tha album is on sale. We prepared everything, from one to ten, very hard. Carats, are you ready? Even though the weather may be cold, lets burn it up with Carats’ strong passion!

Jeonghan: Thank you to the Carats who are always thinking about Seventeen and since winter is coming up and it’s becoming colder, make sure to dress warmly so you don’t catch a cold! We’ll show you our cool selves as much as we worked on this album! Hehe

Woozi: To the Carats that always believed in us! Since Carats are here, we were able to work even harder. We proudly came back with this album!! Legs go forward and believe in each other! Fighting!!

Wonwoo: We’re coming back right after finishing the world tour so thank you for all the heartfelt love and wishes and we promise to return the favor with great songs.

The8: Thank you always~ Always wait for us and we’ll be great people and artists~ Lets work hard together ^^

Jun: To our lovely Carats~~ Wait just a little bit. We’ll make you happy with our cooler selves!!

Dokyeom: Our Carats must have waited a lot!! We worked really hard on the album~ We’ll work to be singers that can touch your feelings and give you strength!! Thank you always for all the love! We promise to be idols that return that love! I love you Carats!!

Vernon: I’m always so thankful. Keep looking out for us, we’ll make you happy.

Interview from Seventeen’s Twitter

Translations by: Me (@violin-and-schoolwork) (dabs into oblivion)