#sorry i’ve just been thinking about this a lot and then the title track came on and i just.

[drivemysoul]

i don’t know if this is me overthinking, but the “halsey’s face” image reminds me of two things:

1) elizabeth short, also known as the black dahlia.

2) l'inconnue de la seine, the unknown woman of the seine, who is more commonly recognised as resusci annie, the face of cpr mannequins.

(i’m, for obvious reasons, not including elizabeth short’s pictures, though the page here immediately reminded me of her autopsy pictures)

both are women who were immortalised after death, regarded as being beautiful — the woman of the seine is called “the most kissed face in the world.” and, in elizabeth short’s case, her deceased face has become a prominent part of dark and macabre culture, plastered on t-shirts, art prints, makeup looks, tattoos, and even printed and sold as wearable masks.

nothing is known about the woman of the seine, she’s never been identified. she was found dead in the seine river with no clear evidence of injury. it’s speculated that she drowned herself. she was between sixteen and twenty years old. her death mask, which the cpr mannequins are based on, was displayed in galleries and museums, both in an attempt to identify her, and so people could look at how beautiful and seemingly peaceful she was.

for elizabeth short, she was an aspiring actress. her life was difficult from a young age, from being abandoned by her father while he started a new family, health issues, moving frequently, and being arrested for underage drinking. after her death, her mother was contacted and told that elizabeth had won a beauty contest. she gave the information that was asked of her, and then reporters told her that her daughter had been murdered. the media then nicknamed her the black dahlia, inspired by the 1946 film the blue dahlia, in which a cheating wife is murdered. she was reported as a sex fiend, and papers attempted to blame her for her own death — because god forbid a women exists without being blamed for a man’s actions.

the halsey’s face picture has haunted me since i first saw it, precisely because it reminds me of these two women and the way they’ve been treated posthumously — two women, who had suffered and died, but were immortalised for their beauty in death. in combination with the title track, i lean towards the parallel potentially being intentional.

i might be reading too much into this, and i probably am, but i haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. and if it was intentional, it’s poignant and effective.

[thetomorrowshow]

Whumptober 7 - only for emergencies

title: in which gem is the only one with normal eyes

fandom: hermitcraft smp

cw: blood and injuries, mild gore, mild cannibalism (idk if it really counts as cannibalism tho...)

~

“Oh, we’ll be out of here pretty quick!” Scar declared confidently. “Xisuma won’t rest until he finds us.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Pearl questioned. Gem elbowed her.

Scar just waved her off. “If he doesn’t, then I have a back-up plan. But only for emergencies, I’m sure it’ll never come to that!”

They were stuck in here, in this concrete room, a sink and a bucket in the corner. The door was heavy and locked; the only comfort they had were three ragged blankets, which they had each dragged to separate spots in the room, marking their claim for somewhere to rest.

Gem had never been kidnapped before. Not officially, by someone who wasn’t a Hermit. But there was a first time for everything!

“I’m sorry, guys,” Pearl said after a long moment, the little feelers on her head twitching. “I shouldn’t have gone out in public with y’all.”

“Don’t say that,” Gem reprimanded, smacking Pearl on the arm.

“It wouldn’t have been the same without you!” insisted Scar.

“I just . . . if I hadn’t, then maybe—”

“Then we wouldn’t have gotten to go on this fun field trip!”

Scar grinned. “I love fun field trips. Don’t you, Pearl?”

Pearl rolled her eyes, but at least she was smiling. “Whatever.”

“My mom packed me cookies for this field trip,” Scar stage-whispered to Gem. “But I’m willing to trade.”

“My mom just gave me money to buy food.”

“Oh, that’s way better! Now my sandwich looks boring.”

“What kind of sandwich?”

“Classic peanut butter. But I’ve also—”

“I didn’t think I was kidnapped with children,” Pearl said drily. “Do you two mind?”

Scar grimaced. “I think we made the bus driver mad.”

“We? That was all—”

“I wish the torture would start, already.”

-

They came for Pearl a couple of hours later, by Gem’s watch.

They’d been out on the Hub for a game of lazer tag, of all things. It was supposed to be Gem, Pearl, and Impulse, but Impulse had dropped out last second, and Scar had happened to have a coupon to the lazer tag place, so the three of them went instead.

There was another group in the arena with them, college-age kids, and they all managed to have a good time together. They had seemed like nice kids.

Gem would never stop berating herself for not paying much attention to the way one of them kept staring at Pearl’s antennae. People noticed her—it wasn’t normal at all for an alien to be found on a public world. They usually kept to themselves, as far as Gem knew.

She’d never met one other than Pearl, at any rate, nor had she known anyone who had. In fact, many people didn’t believe they even existed. The Hermitcraft server was split on the issue, with certain people like Ren and Keralis sure of their existence, and others like Cleo and Mumbo fairly dubious.

Pearl had shown up near the beginning of Season 8, and that had put a definitive end to that casual debate.

Gem had honestly forgotten how uncommon aliens were. When you lived with one like Pearl for as long as she had, it became normal. When Pearl had asked about lazer tag, she hadn’t hesitated to find a place where they could go play. She hadn’t even thought about Pearl’s less common features.

“We should’ve seen this coming,” Gem said now, fiddling with the band of her watch. She’d noticed the way that kid was looking at Pearl, but she hadn’t thought anything of it. How could she have ignored it?

Scar shrugged. “Yeah. I forgot that aliens aren’t a thing.”

“Me too.”

“Are you keeping track of how long she’s gone?”

Gem nodded. “Forty minutes, now. How long do you think until Doc and Xisuma find us?”

“Well, they took us to another world,” Scar said contemplatively. “Last time someone got kidnapped, it was . . . Grian, I think? And that only lasted a couple of days, Xisuma tracked him down fast.”

“Do people get kidnapped a lot on Hermitcraft?”

“Usually one per season, at least! Didn’t you notice when I got kidnapped last season?”

“You—what?”

Scar waved nonchalantly. “Yes, yes, I missed a Boatem company meeting for it! I was gone for . . . a week? Maybe less.”

Now that he mentioned it, she did vaguely remember hearing that Scar spent an extended period of time off-world. She didn’t know that he’d been kidnapped, though.

“So it took Xisuma a week to find you?” she said, skipping over Scar’s kidnapping for now.

“Oh, no. Xisuma didn’t find me, I broke out. I mostly stuck around so long because I needed a vacation.”

“So . . . he might not find us within the week?”

“He will! He usually figures it out, at least.”

Gem groaned in frustration, buried her face in her knees. “I hope Pearl doesn't mind waiting.”

She was really trying not to think about Pearl, about what they might have been doing to her. Pearl was strong, that was for sure, but Gem had never seen her in a situation like this. Were they experimenting on her? Observing her?

There was surely some black market out there for aliens. Would it come to that? Were they just showing Pearl to potential buyers?

Were they hurting her?

She couldn’t let herself think about it. Hopefully, Pearl would be returned to them. It was silly to think she wouldn’t be—they were presumably using Gem and Scar as leverage to get Pearl to do what they wanted. As long as the two of them were still here and fine, Pearl was likely also still here somewhere, and not auctioned off to some highest bidder.

That was what was important. Pearl was here, and they were here, and Xisuma was going to get them out of there.

-

If Gem hadn’t been told, she probably wouldn’t have guessed that Pearl was an alien.

There were plenty of hybrids on Hermitcraft—avian, blaze, dog—, so Gem would have willingly believed that Pearl was some kind of bug hybrid. It wasn’t too far-fetched. She had antennae, and spines on her arms, she could crawl up walls.

The only thing that gave her pause was her eyes.

Pearl’s eyes reflected a galaxy. They spun with stars and planets and darkness, and Gem once spent all day comparing an image of their galaxy to the one in Pearl’s eyes and had found nothing similar in them. She wondered sometimes if the galaxy changed, if there was any way to map what her eyes displayed.

She wondered what Pearl saw.

Her eyes were the most beautiful things Gem had ever seen, and now, as she gently brushed Pearl’s hair back from her forehead, she wished she would open those eyes.

“Why are they keeping us around?” Scar murmured, tucking his blanket around Pearl. They only had the one thin blanket each, but Scar just buttoned up his shirt to protect against the cold.

“I don’t know, but I’m not complaining.”

Pearl groaned, shifted just slightly in Gem’s arms. “It’s because of me,” she said, not opening her eyes.

“Hm?”

“I get energy. From people. They want me to be . . . healthy.”

“Oh,” Scar said. “You’re an extrovert?”

Pearl snorted, finally opened her eyes. Yep, those stars still spun. “I draw energy from people,” she clarified. “It’s how I stay alive, being near others. They keep you here so that I can eat your delicious energy.”

“Yum,” Gem said.

“Yum yum,” Pearl confirmed. Her antennae wiggled. “I absorb it through my antennae.”

Pearl already looked a little healthier than she had when they first threw her back in the cell, and sure enough, Gem was feeling a bit sleepy.

She hadn’t looked too roughed-up, thankfully. A couple of bandages on her inner elbows and hands, a woozy look on her face. Just some tests run, probably. She’d been gone for about six hours.

But this was only the first day. What would happen tomorrow?

“Maybe we should break ourselves out,” Gem suggested. “It can’t be that hard, right? How many guards were there, Pearl?”

Pearl shrugged, her eyes slipping closed again.

Scar tugged on his sleeves. “We should wait,” he said. “I mean, Xisuma’s going to find us any day!”

Gem bit her tongue. She didn’t like to sit around and wait. She liked to get to the action, do things herself, make a push when others weren’t expecting it.

But Scar felt like they should wait, and they weren’t hurting Pearl too badly. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to wait.

Gem clenched her fist and just pulled Pearl closer.

-

“You know the drill, up against the wall.”

Every day, three people entered the room.

Scar and Gem would scoot to the back of the cell, sitting on the floor with their hands above their heads, pressed to the wall. One man would stand close to them, a stun gun trained on them. The other two would haul Pearl up by her arms and leave, the third backing up behind them. The third man always locked the door.

Gem could easily take out three men. No problem.

Every day, three people entered the room. Four went out.

This was the seventh day, and she was getting really sick of waiting.

“I’m gonna go for it tomorrow,” she told Scar. Scar shook his head rapidly, hiding a yawn.

“No—no, we should wait,” he insisted. “It’s only been a week, Xisuma’s—”

“You said to wait a week,” Gem countered. “I waited a week. Nobody’s found us.”

“We don’t have any weapons!”

“All of the guards have swords and stun guns. I’m GeminiSlay, I can take one down with my bare hands, then take his weapon!”

“I—look, I have a plan if it gets bad,” Scar said, wringing his hands. “But it isn’t bad, yet, and we just have to wait a little longer.”

Gem sighed. Sure, it wasn’t too bad so far, but Pearl was still suffering.

She now had dark bruises trailing up the insides of her arms, the evidence of many blood draws or IVs. Clinical stitched-up lines marked her arms and bare feet, and Gem was sure that she’d been cut open and stitched back up in more places than that, but she held her clothes closed (her shirt had been sliced down the back for easy removal) and shook her head whenever Gem asked if she wanted help with wounds.

She didn’t really talk much, not anymore. She just rested against their shoulders and slept. Gem and Scar usually fell asleep quickly, her drain on their energy pulling them down as well.

Maybe it wasn’t as bad as it could be, but it was still bad. They had spent days here, leaning on one another, their energy dwindling more and more as Pearl required more from them. They only got fed once a day, and the sink in the corner of the room provided water but there was nothing to drink with, and cupping their hands barely got anything.

Plus, Gem had a base to be building. She didn’t have weeks to spend locked up in here.

“I’m going to attack,” Gem decided. Scar grimaced, buried his face into his knees. “Tomorrow, when they come to get Pearl. If you want to help, you can.”

Scar didn’t respond.

So Gem just settled in with her singular blanket and started planning.

-

It went perfectly.

Until it didn’t.

Gem launched herself at the first guard through the door, wresting his stun gun from his grip. She turned it on him, holding down the trigger until he was writhing on the ground. Then she hit the following guard in the face with the hilt of the gun—and she aimed for the third one—

But it wasn’t right.

There wasn’t just a third guard.

A fourth guard followed in, then a fifth.

Coming straight for her.

Before Gem knew what was happening, she was down, electricity burning through her spasming body. She gasped—her vision went red, flashing, the only sound that echoed through her ears was a distant screaming—

Then it ended, and Gem took in a ragged breath, the world returning under layers of static.

“No more standing, for this one,” a too-loud voice growled. Gem wrenched open her eyes, looked up—

A blurry guard was holding a club over her leg—

He swung, landed with a deafening crack, and Gem screamed and screamed and screamed.

She couldn’t breathe past the pain for far too long. Long enough that black spots floated in front of her eyes, long enough that her chest strained with the lack of oxygen. She gritted her teeth hard enough that one of them gave under the strain, but after several swelling moments, she managed to draw in a breath.

“Okay, can you hear me? Gem, Gem, how many fingers am I holding up?”

She blinked several times, but couldn’t quite keep her eyes open. It hurt so much, sickening pulses spreading out from her left leg, and then it hurt even worse and fire flashed through her brain—

“It’s me, it’s okay, I’m just—I think it’s broken, and we should probably set it but I don’t know how to do that—can you look at me, Gem?”

“Hurts,” she managed, tears squeezing out of her closed eyes.

“I know, I know . . . oh, Gem, oh, this is bad—this is so bad—”

Gem swallowed, then finally forced her eyes open.

Scar was there, leaning over her, hands fluttering as he tried to decide what to do first. Eventually, he just kneeled beside her head, pulling her into his lap. Gem couldn’t restrain a small noise in the back of her throat as even that movement shifted her leg a tiny bit, but she leaned into Scar, desperate for any comfort that might help ease the pain. He wiped her forehead with his sleeve, brushing back strands of hair.

“Oh, geez. I’m sorry, Gem. This is pretty bad, huh? I’ve got you, don’t worry.”

“I’m worrying,” she choked out. Scar chuckled nervously.

“Yeah. Yeah, me too.”

-

Gem slept most of that day, but by the evening, she was more-or-less conscious and able to think through the pain. Her leg was definitely broken, but they didn’t dare set it, not without a doctor present.

She and Scar didn’t talk. Scar sat in the back corner and picked at his nails, glancing around anxiously every once in a while. Gem rested on the ground, trying not to so much as twitch her leg.

When Pearl was thrown back in, though, they were silent for a different reason.

One of her antennae was missing.

It was cut off, messy stitches closing the wound, and Gem could do nothing but gape as Pearl lay in a slumped heap on the floor, her singular antenna barely twitching.

“Oh, Pearl,” Scar said at long last, breaking the silence and diving to Pearl’s side. “Oh, Pearl. I’m so sorry.”

Pearl’s shoulders trembled in a move so foreign that Gem had never seen it before, couldn’t reconcile it with her Pearl—

She was crying. Gem saw it, briefly, as Scar lifted her into his lap—Pearl’s eyes leaked sparkling tears, each one like a miniature star rolling down her cheek.

Then Pearl’s face was hidden in Scar’s chest, and Gem almost believed that she had imagined it. Pearl didn’t cry—all the time that they’ve been here, she’d smiled and laughed almost like it was any other day (albeit more tired and with a few more winces).

If Pearl was crying, that meant things were really bad.

“They—” Pearl choked out, voice muffled by Scar’s shirt.

“Sh, sh,” he hushed. “We’ve got you.���

“They—they’re mapping my eyes,” she cried. “They can’t—they’ll find—they’ll find my home!”

Gem had never asked Pearl where she came from, how she found herself on Hermitcraft, and she never shared that information voluntarily.

Maybe it was to protect her past.

Maybe it was to protect her family.

“Scar,” Gem whispered. When he looked up, she tried to convey to him that this was serious, far too serious to wait any longer. She nodded her head toward Pearl, then toward her own leg.

Scar’s face fell. He bit his lip, glanced between Pearl and Gem.

After a moment, he nodded to himself, coming to some sort of decision.

“I’ll get us out of here,” Scar murmured, gently stroking Pearl’s hair. “I’ve got it, don’t you worry about a thing.”

-

When the guards came in the next morning, Scar didn’t move from his spot against the left wall of the room, swathed in the darkest shadows that the cell had.

“Against the back wall,” the one with the stun gun commanded, aiming it at him.

Scar smiled, just visible in the darkness. It was a smile that would be considered friendly, jovial, if the person didn’t know Scar.

Gem knew Scar. She recognized that smile from a million miles away. It was the smile he wore when he was about to close a shady deal, when someone played right into his hands, when he was in games of death.

It was hungry.

“Move!”

“No, thank you,” said Scar cordially. “I think you’ll move, actually. Right back out of here, if you want to live.”

Gem blinked, surprised at his level threats. She hugged Pearl a bit tighter, her friend limp in her arms.

The guard snorted. “Yeah, right. You have until the count of three to get against that wall.”

Scar sighed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said regretfully.

“One.”

“Y’know, it’s always count of three. Why not count of five? Or six?”

“Two.”

“Just wondering! Gem, you might want to close your eyes.”

“Three.”

The guard strode toward Scar, gun out, finger on the trigger.

Gem did not close her eyes. Pearl didn’t look, face still buried in Gem’s shoulder, but Gem watched. She wasn’t afraid of a little bloodshed, and she had no clue what Scar was planning.

Did he really think that he could take the guards on his own, when Gem had failed so definitively just the day before? What did he have that she didn’t?

Suddenly, Scar’s eyes shone from the shadows.

And they shone blue.

Scar leapt at the guard, fangs—since when did he have fangs?—bared in a snarl, and Gem barely had time to blink before Scar’s teeth were ripping into the guard’s throat, tearing it out entirely with frankly impressive jaw strength.

The other two men shouted—one guard got out his own stun gun and hit Scar with a bolt of electricity, but Scar took it in stride without so much as a flinch. His skin rippled, fading blue to match his eyes, and as Gem watched, leathery blue wings burst from his back, shredding his shirt.

The guards barely had a chance to scream before Scar was on top of them, slashing through their flesh with his sharp teeth and black claws (sprouting from his fingertips, still growing longer and longer). He destroyed them in a matter of seconds, blood and viscera flying everywhere, spraying across Gem’s face. She choked, wiped off her eyes, then noticed, with a sense of growing horror, that Scar had stopped to—to eat one of the bodies, digging a hole into his chest and pulling out fistfuls of flesh with reckless abandon.

She opened her mouth to call to him, but no sound came out. Her lips trembled, her breath caught in her throat.

Was this creature still Scar? Blue and terrifying, wings flapping and long claws stuffed into a body, his pointed teeth dripping with blood. His hair was the same, his features still Scar’s (but for the eyes, piercing and ice-blue), the scars on his face unchanged.

Would he recognize her if she spoke to him? Or would he attack them, too?

How had Scar become this—this monster?

Another guard ran up to the cell, but instead of entering, they slammed the door shut, locking it.

That didn’t seem to do more than mildly annoy Scar and distract him from his meal. He growled animalistically, then scampered (and he moved oddly, launching himself from all-fours to flight in a couple of steps, his hands and feet pushing him along even as his wings carried him) to the door. Without warning, he stabbed his claws into the metal of the door and tore through it like it was nothing more than a leaf of paper.

Then he turned, his glowing eyes lighting on Gem and Pearl.

Gem couldn’t help it—she flinched away, pulling Pearl closer to herself. She didn’t know if Scar was a danger to her or not, but after what she just saw, she wasn’t prepared to be seen as a friend.

Oddly enough, Scar’s face twisted in regret. He offered a shrug—rather downplayed by the blood coating him. “Sorry,” he said, and his voice was entirely Scar’s (if with a bit of a lisp from the longer teeth). “I didn’t want—I didn’t want it to come to this.”

Gem wasn’t a squeamish person, but she still avoided looking down at the mutilated bodies. She couldn’t stand to think of literally eating a person—what had Scar become?

“I—I’ll explain later,” Scar said, as if he had heard her thoughts. “I’ll go find a communicator. And destroy their stuff.”

He dashed off down the hall.

Pearl moved against her, tipping her head back. “I’m tired,” she mumbled.

“I know,” Gem said, trying not to gag at the scent of blood that had begun to permeate the room. She swallowed, pushing down her fear. “We’re going home. Scar’s getting us home.”

That was all Pearl needed to hear. She fully slumped against Gem, dead asleep. Gem gently rubbed her back, buried her nose in her hair (carefully avoiding the stump of her antenna).

She hoped they got out of there quickly.

-

Pearl spent a lot more time resting than she ever had. Gem figured it was something similar to chronic fatigue, now that she was missing half of her main source of energy.

When she asked if it would grow back, Pearl had just shrugged.

“Only if I go back home.”

“Are you going to do that?”

“Probably not. It’s far away.”

Pearl still managed to create massive builds practically overnight, though, so Gem assumed it didn’t bother her too much.

Gem’s leg was still recovering, a month out from their week in captivity. It had been broken severely enough that she’d needed pins to hold the bones together, which put her at six weeks minimum in the cast. It limited her sparring and building abilities, but she did what she could on crutches to keep her skills from getting rusty.

She couldn’t spend all her time practicing, though, in order to let her body recover, so she ended up filling a lot of her time with meditation. Her impatience is what got her leg broken, after all, and she’d been beating herself up about it ever since.

Scar joined her, sometimes, at various points of interest across her base where she could look out over the valley and Pearl across the way. He would sit beside her in silence, oddly contemplative as he, too, stared at Pearl’s builds.

Gem understood, now, why Scar hadn’t wanted to act except in case of emergency. She wouldn’t want anyone to see her like that, either.

He had fully transformed back into something human (she wasn’t sure that he was human, though) by the time rescue arrived, and Cub had taken one look at the gore and taken Scar straight to his base on Hermitcraft, ignoring Xisuma’s insistence that he get checked over for injuries.

Now, as they sat on a hill, a couple of feet between them, Gem wondered what Cub knew.

Scar sighed beside her.

She wasn’t scared of him. She wondered if that was what he thought, that he kept sitting with her and sending her terribly guilty and forlorn looks because he expected to be faced with fear and disgust.

She wasn’t scared. It had been—well, it had been a shock, and she still hadn’t quite gotten the image of Scar eating a human body out of her head, but she wasn’t scared.

She just felt . . . awkward, bringing it up. Scar clearly hadn’t wanted them to see that part of him. He probably felt vulnerable, rejected. Why he kept hanging around her, she didn’t know, but she had to get rid of the barrier between them.

“How’s Scarland coming along?” she asked one day, kicking her good leg a little.

As simple as it sounded, that did it. That broke the ice, and Scar started rambling about something or other, and the next morning when she settled down to meditate, Scar was already there with blueprints in hand.

She stared at his fingers as he pointed out different aspects of his design, her mind’s eye momentarily seeing a blackened claw glistening with blood.

Well. If she ever needed help to murder someone, she knew who she was calling.

[yeonmuse]

MINI SERIES | YANG JUNGWON

CAN YOU HEAR MY HEART?

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 : Jungwon falls for an antisocial girl with a passion for music and a love for the stars.

GENRE, fluff, slow burn , smau

( 𝐁𝐚𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ) : I honestly have no idea where this came from I just thought of anti social Jungwon and Anti social reader coming together and this is where it got me

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𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 @jwonistic

Closer to your heart

Jungwon had started to get anxious, he knew that she said she had a few errands to run before coming in but he couldn’t help but worry. Was she okay? What if something happened? Maybe he should have just gone out and waited for her like last time. His thoughts were racing with endless scenarios of what could possibly happen that end up in her not showing up. Interrupting his endless whirlpool of thoughts was a soft knock on the door and the door slid open revealing yn looking all cozy, carrying a bag in her hand.

“I’m sorry that I took so long, the walk to the cafe took a lot longer than I thought.”

“As long as you’re okay, I was starting to worry if I needed to put up missing posters for you like they do for lost cats and dogs.” Jungwon smiles as his joke earns a laugh from her, he watches as she closes the door behind herself and makes her way over to him, placing the bag onto the table.

“I wasn’t sure what you would like so I had some help from Chaewon and Sunoo, well more so Sunoo.”

“Oh you’re friends with Sunoo?”

“More like Chaewon forced the two of us into a group together and I’ve grown attached.” Jungwon couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy knowing Sunoo had done something that it took two months for him to do, her cost to her.

“Waffles with vanilla ice cream, strawberries, chocolate and caramel, and i wasn’t sure if you liked strawberry or chocolate milk so i got one of each but.. since its cold or i thought it’d be nice to have something warm.” As yn finally looked up to meet his gaze Jungwon had already been staring at her as if she were the only thing in the world that seemed to matter.

“Jungwon?”

“Yes I'm sorry, I'll take chocolate if that’s alright.”

“I was actually hoping you’d say that since I honestly prefer strawberry milk.”

“Ah so you basically already had it pre decided that you would take the strawberry one.” He teases

“Chocolate milk is just not my taste.” She shrugs and slips her straw into the drink with a proud smile.

The two spent nearly 4 hours bouncing ideas off one another back and forth until they had a solid idea of what they wanted to portray with the soundtrack of this film. By the time they had completed some rough drafts and listened to over hundreds of sample tracks the sun had gone down.

“We were done a lot earlier than I thought we’d be, usually when I’ve worked with others it takes days just to find even one track that suits the required taste for the films.”

“Is this your way of titling me as the holder of the most superior music taste, I’ll gladly accept that title.”

“Ah will you? Well since no other has compared to your top tier music recommendations i'll gladly crown you with that title.” The two share a laugh before the room falls silent, the only sound filling the room being the sound of the tapping winds against the window.

“So what got you into music? Is it something you’ve always loved?” Jungwon breaks the silence, finally taking this as an opportunity to learn more about her, and for once she doesn't mind letting her guard down enough to do so.

“I’ve loved music since before I could even walk, talk or speak properly, my family loved music far before I was ever into the picture so it’s something I always grew up loving, music has been in my life for longer than I could remember. Since I was young I'd write music or make beats or harmonize with nearly anything. I think what really sparked it was when my mom brought me this little karaoke machine when I turned three.” Jungwon found himself falling in too deep, he stared at her in complete adoration as she talked. Basically spilling her childhood memories to him.

“I think after a while I had sung so much on that thing that she got sick of it. It was always the same song on repeat, hey ya by outkast almost 6 times a day she’d hear it before she got sick of it and hid the tape from me.” She laughs at the recalled memory.

“As I got older music just became an escape from all of the things in my life that I didn’t want to deal with, it became something I loved, something I appreciated more than life itself. At first I was scared that becoming a music major would lead to failure but my mom encouraged me to try.” Realizing that Jungwon had gone completely silent and just staring at her, she slightly panicked.

“I’m sorry did I say too much? Did you not want to know that much? Were you expecting a simple answer?”

“Nono I was listening, I like hearing you speak about it, it’s cute thinking about a younger you running around the house driving your parents insane with your little karaoke machine.” He chuckles “you light up when you talk about music, I can see it means a lot to you.”

“..what about you? Is there a particular reason you became a film major?”

“Ah my story may not be as cute but, I started enjoying films and cinematography really young. It wasn’t until I got older that I really started to appreciate the art of cinema. There's just something about a movie that you watch and it leaves this lingering mood or everlasting feeling that you can’t really get with anything else. Yes books are nice but to see it on a screen, for a director to have the talent to portray emotions and feeling with the simplest of aspects it just amazes me. Everyone works together to create something that can last a lifetime in your memory. I want to give people that feeling, to have them pulled into the world itself through film and make them feel something that lasts years, even if they forget for a while the memory will eventually return to them and they’ll experience those emotions all over again.” As Jungwon found her staring at him, her gaze was unreadable to him, he hated that.

“I guess im the one rambling on now right?” He laughs bringing his drink to his lips.

“No, I liked it, I guess I never really thought about movies that way but the way you talk about them makes me understand why people may love them so much.” She was completely gone. While watching him speak there was no denying nor covering up the compelled look of adoration she had been given him and he himself didn’t even realize. She was starting to like him.

“I know it’s getting late, it’s also getting colder out but..I want to talk to you more, the more you talk the more I get to know you it makes it harder for me to leave after I feel like we’ve gotten closer.” Jungwon suddenly blurts, making her feel butterflies swarm the pit of her stomach.

“If you’d rather go back to your dorm I understand, we’ve worked hard today”

“I’ll stay longer.” A comfortable silence fell between the two as they sat there staring at one another, the howl of the wind and the tapping of snowfall against the window being the only sound that broke the silence.

[jungwonie-bae]

*ੈ✩.a love story between us . ♪。·

Sunghoon x fem!reader , reader is working in high school, reader is referred as she

genre- fluff, love at first sight trope, strangers to lovers

word count- 4.1k 【4,113 words】

warnings- (this is not really a warning, but the season is winter) I’m so sorry, but more grammatical errors 😭 mentions of le sserafim’s yunjin , kissing, bold sunghoon, jealousy? , a little blood, cuddling? And not proofread‼️ And this is just a random ass fic sorry… and it doesn’t relate a lot to the first part, it’s just how they fall in love. Lots of grammar errors, I didn’t care to check over sorry。this was so rushed 😣

a/n- this is finally done!!! I’ve been so busy since school has started 😢 and sorry for the short chapters.. you can imagine the rest yourselves 😘

oh- and the title used to be “my coffee boy” but it’s not related to coffee in any way so I changed it.

.˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

7:02 am.

Today was the weekend, and the cafe was quiet. You’ve already cleaned and wiped all the tables, and started the coffee machines. Today was going to be another busy day. The cafe always opens at 7:30 sharp, so you had enough time to grab the new stack of cups, and get the register ready.

your only coworker, beomgyu, always came a bit late, but got to work right away. The bell rings as he walks in, and the two of you greet one another.

As you put on your apron, you scroll on your phone to play a calming playlist on Spotify. Beomgyu puts his apron on, and opens the window for the early morning breeze to flow through.

As the bell chimes, your boss walks in. He greets the both of you, and walks into his office. You run to the door, and turn the sign, the red ink “closed” written, was now turned into “open.”

You then go back into your place as the cashier. A few minutes later, your regular customers come in.

they are quick to go, ordering and paying quickly as well.

A bit later, a group of 3 guys walk in, chatting with one another happily. While they are ordering drinks, you feel someone’s gaze as you get their orders down. You look up, and- you feel like you’ve just seen the prettiest person in your life. Time seems to slow down.

you stare at him for a few seconds, before snapping out of it to tell beomgyu their orders. Turning back to them, (the person who is ordering for the group,) you almost forgot their name.

“and what’s your name?” You ask politely.

“sunghoon, s-u-n-g-h-o-o-n,” he says, the last part of the sentence a bit mumbled. You nod, and type his name down to print onto the sticker on the cup.

you smile at him, “your order is going to be ready in a few minutes. Is this a to go, or are you staying in?”

he looks over at his friends, and they all say their staying. You nod, and they go sit down. You smile to yourself, and hurriedly make their drinks. You put a little extra love into sunghoon’s, and cap it.

beomgyu finishes the other half of the drinks. “Order for sunghoon!” You shout. He comes up to you, and grabs the drinks quickly. While he brings it over to his table, his friends tease him about something. He smiles at their antics.

Heeseung whispers, “someone has a little crush. Let’s come back here tomorrow~” Jake nods at him, and grins. Sunghoon doesn’t notice the two.

meanwhile, you were busy hoping he will come back.

.˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

The next day, you see the familiar face once again. But today, he was alone. The name you learned from him yesterday, sunghoon, was pretty awkward trying to order his drink.

you can see he is shy, because he’s hiding his face into his scarf. Cute, you think. His order is a to-go, much to your disappointment. You make his drink as you and beomgyu switch places, now beomgyu being the cashier.

you call out sunghoons name, but this time, you write your number onto his cup. You draw a little smiley face next to your digits, and smile to yourself. I hope he texts me, you smile.

—

as sunghoon grabs his cup, he smiles at you, but stops in his tracks on his way out. She wrote her number. Wait.. she wrote her number!?! He stops himself from squealing since he was already grinning like an idiot. He was definitely going to text you later.

He hurried home to his dorm, and immediately told his friends. “See, I knew she was into you!” Jake playfully punched sunghoons arm, while wrapping his other around his shoulders.

sunghoon grins, but his smile drops soon after. “But.. how do I start the conversation..? I don’t have any experience in this..”

Jake slowly turns his head and looks at the sulking male beside him. “Are you for real..?” Sunghoon nods. “Dude! You’re an absolute loser for this! How have you not had any girlfriends with that face of yours?!?”

Sunghoon doesn’t know what to do. Will jake help him?

Sunghoon paces as jakes eyes follow him around. “I want to talk to her so bad, but I don’t know how to start a conversation. This might even be my first relationship!”

Jake rolls his eyes at sunghoon’s statement. He takes sunghoon’s cellphone and typed out your number. Sunghoon looks over at the bright screen.

Jake was texting you for him. “Are you sure about this..?” Sunghoon questions. Jake nods, eyes still glued to the little screen. “I’ve done this multiple times anyway. It works on every chick I’ve gotten.” Jake smirks.

Sunghoon decides to trust his best friend on this one, and hoping for the best. He thought you were really cute, and wanted to have something more with you. He wondered if you would ever feel the same.

—

Later, Jake shows sunghoon the texts. Jake started the conversation lightly, and you responded maybe 3-5 minutes later. He had asked when your shift was over, so you and sunghoon could meet up.

sunghoon was more than excited when you made a plan on his free day and a suitable time. He stressed on what to wear. It was a dinner date- not just a dinner- but a dinner in a fancy restaurant.

What if he underdressed? What if he made a wrong impression on you? What if he would scare you away? He’s only seen you about 8-10 times, yet he’s so worried.

you on the other hand, is just as worried as him. You had been to the restaurant and you had made the reservation, but you still didn’t know what to wear.

The hang out- date- was in 2 days. You video call your best friend, yunjin.

“I’m going on a date in 2 days with this really pretty boy and I don’t know what to wea-”

“okay, okay, slow down. I just picked up!” Yunjin exclaims. You sigh.

“In 2 days, im going on a date with a guy I really like. I have no idea what to wear.”

Yunjin nods. “I’ll be coming over in just a minute. Hold on.” She then hangs up on you. You were so nervous.

a few minutes later, knocking is heard from your front door. You run towards the sound and open the door. Yunjin lets herself in, and goes straight to your room. She rummages through your closet a little before huffing, and turning to you. You didn’t notice the big bag she had brung with her.

“We’ll have to try on a few different things.” Yunjin sighs. She unzips her bag, and pulls out a few pieces of clothing. She then lays them out on your bed for you to see, but one had already caught your eye.

It was a black long- sleeved square neck dress, and it was perfect for the occasion. “Can I try this one on?” You asked yunjin, while pointing your index finger to your desired article of clothing. She nods, “of course! Take your time. No rush girl.” She smiles supportingly. “Call me in if you need help.” She says.

you nod, and walk to the bathroom in your room. After you put the dress on, you look at yourself in the bathroom mirror. The dress hugs your body perfectly, at the right parts. You feel amazing, and pretty.

as you walk out of the bathroom, Yunjin cheers you on. “Oh my gosh. You look absolutely stunning. You’re definitely wearing this.” You blush at her compliments, and thank her.

“this is my first date… I don’t know how to make a good impression…” you sulk at your sudden realization, with your head down, almost like when a puppy is wronged.

“ don’t worry girl, I’ve got your back. Let’s practice being confident, okay?” She reassures you. You look up at her and nod. Yunjin was always trusted in these type of things. That’s why she had so many friends.

—

you and sunghoon have been texting non stop since you had given him your number. Sunghoon told you that his friend Jake had started the conversation because he was scared, and you laughed at that.

Every day, day through night, you both texted each other. You were both around the same ages, and had very common interests with each other. Almost like soulmates.

tomorrow was the date, and you both had planned everything out. You hoped it went exactly like planned, or else you would be doomed. It would’ve been really awkward if you had nothing to talk about.

you hung the dress up by your closet, and went to sleep- not before texting sunghoon goodnight, and a see you tomorrow! 🤍

you close your eyes and drifts off the dreamland. The exciting day awaits before you.

—date day—

You woke up to your loud alarm ringing. You quickly turn it off and slowly open you eyes, your surroundings filling you. You get out of bed and stretch, and then go get ready. You smile giddily, remembering the events that would happen today.

As you put moisturizer on, you receive a notification. You grab your phone quickly, opening the app the notification came from. It was a text from sunghoon.

sunghoon: I’m excited for today ;)

sunghoon: I can’t wait to see you

you: 😊😊😊

you: me tooo

you blush at his texts and squeal. You get butterflies in your stomach.

The date is toward nighttime, so you have a lot of time to get ready. You put on your outfit, and do your makeup.

He was the one who had insisted on meeting up, so you grab your things and head out the door.

.˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

once you make it to the restaurant, he hasn’t arrived yet. So you wait at the front.

soon, a sleek black car pulls into the parking lot, and out comes the infamous sunghoon. You inaudibly gasp. He was dress in all black and his hair was done. Heat crawls up your face.

you pretend to be busy on your phone, so it wouldn’t seem as if you’ve been staring at him this whole time. His eyes search for you, and once they find you, he smiles. His eyes crinkle up and his dimple shows. He barely knows you, yet he’s smiling so big every time he sees you.

He walks over to you slowly. You look up from your phone, and smile at him. He stares at you intently. You rip your gaze away from him first.

you are so pretty today that he really couldn’t take his eyes off of you.

“hi,” he starts awkwardly. You nod your head and reciprocate his words.

“should we head inside now?” You ask. He snaps out of his daze, and goes in after you.

at the table, you start the conversation. It’s a bit awkward at first, but the two of you warm up to one another quickly. He talks about his hobbies, you talk about yours. But what you found most interesting, was that he was a ice skater. People had called him “the ice prince.”

it matched him so well, based on his personality and face. You listen to every word he said, because his voice was so addicting. You could listen to it forever.

time went by so fast, that’s it was already nighttime. You both had finished eating, and sunghoon paid for the bill. You insisted on paying or maybe splitting the bill, but he denied all of your requests.

The two you you decide to go on a late night walk together to spend more quality time. He held your hand, and even gave you his jacket to wear. He didn’t know where this boldness came from, but he just went along with it. You were so flustered with his actions.

he talked about literally everything to keep the conversation going. You talked about how life is stressful, to exciting, to all sorts of emotions.

when you arrived at a park, he sat you down. He crouched down in front you and took off your heels, then took off his shoes. “It must hurt, right?” He said softly. He looked up at you so enchantingly, that you almost got lost in his eyes.

You nod. Your lips fail to hide the smile that was trying to burst through. Sunghoon smiles too. “thanks hoon.” He blushes at the nickname, and picks up your shoes. He hold your hand again. A comfortable silence fills the air.

“I’ll walk you home.” The male next to you says. You smile at him and nod your head. The night passes so fast, you were pretty much disappointed.

he stands in front of you at your porch and holds both your hands in his. “Today was fun for me.” He confesses.

“ me too.” You agree. “Can we do this again?” He asks. He swings your arms side by side. Another date?

“of course! Just tell me when.” You smile politely at him. Silence fills the air once again. You make eye contact with him. Very slowly, you see him leaning in.

once he’s at a nose to nose length, he mumbles a small, may I? You nod almost immediately, and his lips crash onto yours. your lips mold so perfectly with his that he feels like he’s dreaming. You wrap your arms around his neck, and his automatically go around your waist. The two of you make out for a few seconds before pulling away for a breath of air.

“you’re my first kiss.” He shyly says. You’re shocked. “what? No way that possible. Me too!” You exclaim.

he smiles at you and kisses you once more. You kiss back quickly. When you pull away again, he pulls you into his embrace. “Thank you for this night.” He mumbles into your neck.

he kisses you one more time before you go into your home; not before returning your shoes. Then he shouts, “ Call me! And I’ll see you tomorrow!”

you blow a kiss at him, and walk inside your home. Tomorrow? What’s happening tomorrow? You’ll just wait and see.

—

Sunghoon is a blushing mess. He walks himself back to his car giddily. He’s still smiling on the way home too. He can’t wait to tell his friends.

when he enters his apartment, he shouts for his friends to come over. “So, how did it goo..?” Jake asks. Sunghoon looks over at him slowly. “It was amazing.”

Jake and heeseung high five Sunghoon. “Nice man!” The night is soon filled with laughter and loud talking.

“and then we kissed.” Sunghoon squeals. Heeseung gasps and hit sunghoon. “Dude when did you get the confidence?!?” sunghoon rubs his arm where heeseung had hit him.

“maybe it just comes up when I’m with her.” Sunghoon shrugs. The trio squeals together. “I’m gonna sleep so good tonight.” Sunghoon sighs.

You on the other hand, is calling and telling Yunjin about everything that happened.

“he kissed me! Can you believe that?!?” You exclaim happily. Yunjin gasps. “Girl, you are so lucky.” You nod.

“he said he was gonna see me tomorrow though.”

“he probably has something planned then!” Yunjin exclaims. “That’s so exciting. I’ll help you pick out your outfit. I’ll see you tomorrow too then?”

“yes of course!” You nod. The both of you, you and sunghoon, both ramble about everything that had happened today to your friends.

.˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

The next day, you wake up from an incoming call. You pick up tiredly.

“hello..?” You groggily say. “Oh I’m sorry did I wake you?” A familiar voice speaks.

you sit up immediately and look at the caller id. It was sunghoon. You clear your throat, “oh of course not! I was just doing something.” You lie. You cringe at yourself for waking up so late.

“oh, then can I pick you up later?” He asks out of the blue. You freeze. Is this what he meant by “see you tomorrow?” Oh gosh. You do want to see him again though. “Oh- oh yeah of course. I’ll go get ready then.” You try to sound as neutral as possible, but inside you were screaming.

sunghoon hums, then ends the call first. You hurriedly pick an outfit, brush your teeth, and fix your hair. You pick a pair of baggy jeans, and a cute brown puffer. You run to the kitchen the make toast.

A few minutes later, a knock is heard from your front door. You wipe the excess crumbs off of your mouth and walk slowly to the door. You look through the peep hole- and it’s sunghoon. You smile as you swing the door open.

he pulls you into his embrace and you immediately hug him back. “Hey pretty.” He smirks. You blush and look down. A hand comes to your chin and lifts your head back up.

“aren’t you gonna greet your handsome boyfriend?” He teases. Boyfriend!? Your flustered at the nickname he gave himself. “h-hi sunghoon.” You stutter. Your face is red and you are so so so embarrassed. “Come on, let’s go.” Sunghoon says. He knows that you were flustered by him, and he smiles to himself.

“Where are we going today?” You ask. Sunghoon smiles. “You’ll see when we get there. It’s a surprise.”

.˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

“an ice rink?!?” You exclaim. You look at sunghoon excitedly. “Yeah, you seemed most interested in the topic of ice skating when we were talking yesterday.” You nod.

“you sure are an observant person.” You mumble. Sunghoon leads you the the skates after paying to go in. You choose your sizes, and sit down on the benches.

“here, let me help you.” Sunghoon crouches down in front of you, and ties your laces. Heat crawls up your face once again. Sunghoon looks up at you and steals a quick peck.

“hey! I wasn’t ready for that!” You whine, slapping his arm playfully. He smirks down at you.

you both walk into the rink and then you suddenly confess, “I’m not good at ice skating.” Sunghoon smiles at you, “good. Then I’ll teach you.”

he hold your hands and starts off slowly, while you wobble about trying to keep your balance. You apologize for gripping his arms so tight.

—

later on, you had gotten the hang of gliding around. But when you were trying to catch up to sunghoon, someone had bumped into you. You fall of your butt, and you hiss in pain. You look up at the person who had bumped into you.

“oh my gosh, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I wasnt controlling my speed.” A rather handsome man says. “Im fine, don’t worry about it.” You smile.

sunghoon grit his teeth and skates over to you. He helps you up and asks worriedly, “ are you hurt anywhere?!?” And you just respond with “I’m okay”s and “I’m fine”s. Sunghoon glares at the male that had bumped into you. He was still standing there, feeling guilty of his mistake. Once he saw sunghoons glare, he quickly skated away.

Sunghoon turns back to you and looks you up and down for any cuts or bruises. until he looks at your hand. There’s a cut there with a drop of blood streaming down. His eye widen, and he quickly pulls you out of the rink.

he grabs his bag and grabs his first aid kit. You find him so cute that he was worried over a small cut that you didn’t even notice at all. You giggle to yourself at his actions. He looks up from your now bandaged finger with furrowed eyebrows, confused.

“why are you laughing?” He mumbles. “Your just so cute.” You giggle once again. Sunghoon smiles at that, and kisses your injured finger. “Now it’s all better.” He smiles.

“thank you hoon.” He blushed at the nickname you gave him once again. You peck his cheek in thanks. Now the both of you are blushing messes.

.˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

you invite sunghoon over to your house for dinner. He gives you little kisses every now and then while you cook, and back hugs you. You’re very grateful to finally have a boyfriend.

Once the food is ready, sunghoon helps set up the table. He pulls out your chair for you, and you sit down. He smiles at you from across the table.

after your dinner, he insists on washing the dishes. The two of you decide to watch a movie after, to spend more time together.

The night is filled with small talks and giggles from one another.

—

the next morning, you wake up with sunghoon next to you. His arms are tightly wrapped around your waist, his legs tangled with yours, and you are face to face with him. You inaudibly gasp, remembering the events prior.

he had taken a shower at your place, and slept over. He had borrowed a few of your oversized things that you didn’t wear at all. You think, nothing sexual had happened. You turn your head back to sunghoons, and take this chance to admire his sleeping features.

His eyes suddenly flutter open, and once he takes notes of his surroundings, he smiles. He stares back at you. “What are you looking at?” He groggily says. You giggle and hide your face into his neck.

“I gotta head to the grocery shop soon.” You mumble into his ear. He hums. “Then I’ll come with you.” you nod at his answer and then try to pry his arms off of your waist. He only hugs you tighter. “Just 5 more minutes?” He asks. You can’t say no to his cute doe eyes and his little pout.

5 minutes turns into 10, then turns into 25. You groan, and finally push his warm body off of you. Cool air hits your body, and you shiver. You run to the bathroom to get ready. While putting on an outfit, you process everything that has happened. You giggle to yourself.

you walk back into your room, and kiss sunghoons forehead. “I’ll make breakfast.” You whisper.

Sunghoon smiles to himself, and snuggles into your pillow, whiffing in your soft scent.

—

A bit later, sunghoon rises out of your bed. He walks to the kitchen to find you, but you weren’t there. Worried thoughts filled his head, until he heard your voice behind him. “Why are you just standing there? Go brush your teeth.” You slightly scold. He turns around at your voice, and runs up to you.

“I thought something happened to you.” He mumbles, while giving you a big bear hug. You smile to yourself. “Go get changed too, we’re gonna go shopping later.” You pat his back. He lifts his head from your shoulder, gives you a peck. and goes to the bathroom. you grimace at the morning breath, and head into your room to pick some clothes out for him.

Once you both finish eating, you grab your car keys. “Let’s go.” You say. Sunghoon takes hyoid keys from you. “I’m the one driving. You’re my passenger princess.” He winks.

You smile at him, and go out the door.

.˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

At the grocery store, sunghoon follows you around like a lost puppy. The cart screeches to a stop. You turn to face him. “You should go buy something.” You say. He stops in his tracks in front of you. He grumbles, and then falls into your embrace.

you wrap your arms around him to catch him. Was he tired? You pat his back a few times. “Let’s go home soon hmm?” you whisper. You feel him nod in your shoulder. You smile and pull away from him.

“I’ll just need a few things more and we’ll go home.” You hurry to get your items, and check out. Sunghoon chooses a few of his favorite snacks, and you both drive back to your place.

once you come home, you sit onto the couch. Sunghoon folllows your actions, and lies onto your lap. You play with his hair, and he sighs in contentment at your touch.

He soon falls asleep on your lap. You smile, and grab your phone to take a picture. After a few snaps, you go to sleep right after him, laying on the couch arm. He slightly wakes up at your movements, and crawls on top of you to lie on your chest. Your hand goes back up to his hair unconciously.

the two of you float into dreamland. You could not want anything more than this.

[the-himawari]

A3! Troupe Event Translation - Journey to the Colours (9/11)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Kumon: … (I caused so much worry for not only everyone in Summer troupe, but also nii-chan and Director…) (I’ll give it my absolute all in rehearsals from tomorrow on to make up for it!)

*bzz, bzz*

Kumon: Yamaguchi? Ah! I forgot to reply to him! Hello!?

Yamaguchi: “Hello? You haven’t replied since earlier. Did something happen?”

Kumon: Sorry! I was kinda all over the place… But don’t worry, I watched the last match of your high school life!

Yamaguchi: “I know because I saw you. I didn’t get a reaction back though.”

Kumon: I said I was sorry!

Yamaguchi: “So, how was it?”

Kumon: Eh? Erm, well… you were really cool out there! It was like the culmination of all the practice you put in for three years. There’s no way you wouldn’t look cool having the time of your life like that after everything you’ve done!

Yamaguchi: “Geez, what’re you talking about?”

Kumon: Also, I remembered the time I was part of the baseball team and it felt so nostalgic. I felt kinda sad and jealous seeing all of you playing in the game together. That fist bump you did at the end—you also did that in the past when we lost a game a long time ago, right?

Yamaguchi: “Ahh… right, I did do that, huh? It just came back to me.”

Kumon: Just now!? Geez, dude~. I thought you were encouraging me.

Yamaguchi: “…Well, to be honest, I wanted to play as a battery together with you until the very end, too.” “But it’s not like I won’t be able to play baseball with you anymore. Even now, we play catch and casual games together, don’t we?”

Kumon: —Yeah, that’s true! Let’s keep playing baseball together from here on out, ‘kay, Yamaguchi!

Yamaguchi: “You know it.”

Kazunari: …Kumopi looks happy.

Tenma: It looks like his fog has been lifted.

Muku: Yeah. I’m so glad.

Yuki: We’d be in trouble if our lead was a wishy-washy guy.

Misumi: I can’t wait for our rehearsals starting tomorrow~.

-pause-

Tenma: “Tch, another annoying guy is here.”

Muku: “Hmph. It doesn’t matter how many people come, they’re not match for us!”

Kumon: “I’ve been searching high and low for you! You can’t deceive people!”

Juza: Just now, you should keep your center of gravity a lil lower—.

Kumon: …Like this? Woah, it’s a lot easier to do now! Thanks, nii-chan!

Juza: It’s ‘cause you practiced. You’re movin’ better than before in general.

Kumon: Ehehe! Nii-chan complimented me~!

Muku: Good for you, Kyu-chan!

Banri: Kumon’s got good reflexes to begin with, so he’s quick to get the hang of it.

Izumi: That’s true. It’s great it looks like he’s able to focus now and get back on track.

-pause-

Kumon: Hmm…

Kazunari: What’s up, Kumopi?

Kumon: I’m trying to come up with a title for the show~. Director told me the title is gonna be finalized soon, so I should let her know if I have any good ideas.

Kazunari: Gotcha~. I gotta fix the flyer design soon too. So, you got any ideas?

Kumon: I’ve wracked my brain, but…

Kazunari: The Tale of The Wicked Heavenly Dragon Son Goku’s Adventure… Extreme West Quest… those titles would totes suit you, don’tcha think~!

Kumon: Well, I tried thinking of words that are phonetically similar, but nothing’s clicked yet~.

Kazunari: Phonetically similar, huh~… AH! In that case, how does this sound?

-pause-

Kumon: This happens every time, but we got the show in the blink of an eye, huh?

Tenma: When rehearsals got into full swing, it felt like we were just blasting through it.

Muku: Opening day is nerve wracking no matter how many times I experience it. Are you holding up, Kyu-chan?

Kumon: I feel nervous, but I’m also super psyched!

Kazunari: Kumopi’s so dependable~!

Yuki: You were ridiculously pale during your first leading show.

Misumi: Now he looks raring to go~!

Muku: You’ve grown a tremendous amount compared to back then.

Kumon: Ehehe.

Izumi: Everyone will be fine. Just perform as you did during rehearsals. Be careful not to injure yourselves, alright?

Kumon: Got it!

Tenma: It’s the overly eager guys like that who are the most at risk.

Yuki: Takes one to know one.

Tenma: No one asked!

Kumon: Ahaha!

Izumi: (A lively color that’s bright enough to blow away all their nerves—this is what you call Summer troupe…)

*flashback starts*

Izumi: …”Journey to the Colours”?*

Kumon: Yeah! Kazu-san came up with it!

Kazunari: I got it from Kumopi’s idea to use a phonetic equivalent~. Our costumes and the visuals for the world setting in our upcoming show are more colourful and vibrant than usual, aren’t they? I hope our play will also overflow with brilliance, just like Sanzo’s journey with his friends~!

Tsuzuru: …Great idea. Being highly saturated with colours suits Summer troupe.

Izumi: Yeah. Let’s go with that!

*flashback ends*

Izumi: (I’m glad we came up with a title that fits Summer troupe perfectly.) (May everyone in the Summer Troupe shine even more vividly on the stage on their opening day—.)

Manager: It’s almost showtime~!

Kumon: Group huddle, guys!

Kazunari: Okay~.

Kumon: Everyone, sorry for causing you so much worry this time! Since it was my second time playing the lead role, I thought that I had to work hard and show everyone my best side. But I know I ended up causing unnecessary trouble. I felt lost and depressed when I remembered my baseball team days… But I realized once again that the reason why I’m able to stand on stage with such confidence is because I have all of you. Because I'm with you guys, I feel like I can do anything. We’re definitely going to make this how a success! LET’S GO! TO TENJIKU!

Kazunari: YEAH!

Muku: Yeah!

Misumi: LET’S GO!

Yuki: He’s hyping us up like a baseball team, huh?

Tenma: It feels like we’re going to Nationals again.

-pause-

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “Going on a journey with someone you don’t get along with is hell…”

Goku [Kumon]: “Ehh? You think so? Travelling is fun no matter who you’re with!” “Ah, it says they’re holding a festival right now. I wanna go!”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “Listen, Goku. This is an ascetic journey to Tenjiku in order to study sutras. It is not a sightseeing trip.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Since I’ve come all the way here, I’d like to stop by a town a little further south.” “I heard there’s a popular sweets shop. They have fluffy pao cakes.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “No festivals and no sweets shops. There will be too many women. It’s dangerous. I’d much rather pass through the mountain range over there where we’re bound not to meet anyone.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “If a regular human like our master climbed such a steep mountain, he would freeze to death.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “…That’s enough. I will head to the temple lodging where we are staying today by myself.”

Goku [Kumon]: “That’s too dangerous! Master, if you travel alone, you’ll get gobbled up by demons in no time.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “*Sigh*…”

Goku [Kumon]: “Since everyone wants to go somewhere different, why don’t we take turns and visit all of them in order?”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “What a pain.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “I’m absolutely against going to a festival or sweets shop.”

Goku [Kumon]: “Now, now. You might have fun if you go! Let’s go, let’s go!”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “My sweets shop will be first on the list then. I heard there’s a huge line, so we have to go early tomorrow morning.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “*Sigh*… good grief. I am not the least bit interested. But I suppose I must…”

-pause-

*jumps down*

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Older brother, is that human…?”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “There’s no mistaking it. He’s the spitting image of Genjo Sanzo’s portrait.”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “I wonder if Sanzo will be tasty…”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “They say eating him will prolong your lifespan, but I wonder about the taste. Well, we’ll know once we devour him.”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “I can’t wait!”

*dream starts*

Gojo in his previous life [Misumi]: “Enough already. This is different than what you’ve been saying up until now.”

Hakkai in his previous life [Yuki]: “I can’t go along with your selfish whims anymore, Goku.”

Goku in his previous life [Kumon]: “Eh~? But it’s more fun this way.”

Gojo in his previous life [Misumi]: “I heard you were going to create a world with only women, so I went along with your plan.”

Hakkai in his previous life [Yuki]: “And I jumped on board because you said that all the food in the world would become extremely spicy gourmet food I love if I went along with you.” “I’m done here~!”

Gojo in his previous life [Misumi]: “I’m out too.”

*walks away*

Goku in his previous life [Kumon]: “What the hell… I can’t help it, you know? I changed my mind.”

Heaven’s voice: “Goku… you have manipulated those around you at your own fickle whims and you have thrown the world in to chaos.” “You cannot return to heaven until you repent.”

Goku [Kumon]: “HUH!? Why!? No way! I just did what I thought was fun! I’m not doing anything wrong!”

*dreams ends*

Goku [Kumon]: “*Yaaawn*…”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “You look sleepy.”

Goku [Kumon]: “I had a weird dream.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “It’s just before dawn. Anyone would be sleepy. You said there’d be a wait, but this is one hell of a line. Where is the store?”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “There’s still 5 hours before the store opens, but look at this queue…”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “This isn't even the worst. When it’s bad, there are people who pull two all-nighters.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Did you say two? You mean there are people who will stand in line here for two days straight?”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “How dreadful… Will we have to endure this for two whole days…?”

Goku [Kumon]: “I’m tired.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “Goku. You’re the one who originally said you would go everywhere the others wanted to go, remember?”

Gojo [Misumi]: “You said we might have fun if we went.”

Goku [Kumon]: “Well this isn’t fun! It’s boring. I wanna go somewhere else!”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “How selfish…”

Girl A: “Excuse me. Can we take a picture together?”

Girl B: “Are you a celebrity, mister? You look so cool!”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Err… n-no, I’m…”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “And as usual, he’s unnecessarily popular with the ladies~.”

Goku [Kumon]: “Hey, hey. Can I head to the next place already?”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “You threw in the towel way too fast. You’ve only been in line for a few minutes.”

Goku [Kumon]: “I’m at my limit! See ya~.”

*runs off*

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “Wait, Goku. Simply acting on your own like that—.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Master, anything you say to Goku will go in one ear and out the other.”

Girl C: “Please take a selfie with me!”

Girl D: “What’s this line for? Is it to take selfies with that guy? I’ll get in line too!”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Would you look at that~. A new line has formed in front of Gojo.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “S-sorry… I’ll just… head back to the temple first…”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “And now Gojo…”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “You guys sure lack grit~. If you just wait a little longer, you’ll be able to eat an exquisite pao cake full of cream.” “The cream in the pao cakes are threefold: they contain honey, condensed milk, and chocolate.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “That’s… going to be too sweet for me, don’t you think? I’ll just get a drink.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Once you enter the store, there’s a sign that says you have to order one pao cake per person.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “…My apologies, but I am going to head back to the temple first.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Huh~! Even you, Master~?”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “If our palates don’t match, then we won’t be able to share a meal together…”

-pause-

*door opens*

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “Phew… yes, the temple really is the most relaxing place of all.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “You are right about that… there’s not a single woman here…”

Goku [Kumon]: “So, what should we do? Baseball? Soccer? BBQ?”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “What are you thinking in a place like this? This is a spot where one calmly faces their own selves.”

Goku [Kumon]: “Aww, that’s boring.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “You should read one of the scriptures too.”

Goku [Kumon]: “You’re just saying that because you like scriptures.” “There’s no point just reading books like that. We gotta get out and see the great wide world!” “Come on, let’s all go play together!”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “You’re going to receive bad karma if you speak about scriptures like that—.”

Heaven’s voice: “You know too little of the outside world. While it is impressive that you're so diligent about studying, you are simply clinging to your books.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “—Please leave me be and go on your own. I will stay here.”

Goku [Kumon]: “Eh~! What about you then, Gojo?”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Of course I am going to say with Master. As a disciple, that’s only natural.”

Goku [Kumon]: “I know it’s because you won't get caught up by women here! Ugh, whatever. I’m going alone then. You guys are lame!”

*runs off*

Gojo [Misumi]: “How dare he talks to Master that way? Good grief.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “What in the world was that voice earlier…”

Gojo [Misumi]: “What is the matter?”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “ …Oh, no. It’s nothing.”

-pause-

Goku [Kumon]: “I really don’t see eye to eye with those guys, huh~? Festivals are definitely more fun.”

*shoots*

Goku [Kumon]: “Ah, you ladies are amazing at shooting the targets. Here, have some juice.”

Lady A: “Thanks!”

Lady B: “Do you wanna try shooting too?”

Goku [Kumon]: “Don’t mind if I do! Target practice is a staple at festivals, after all~.”

*shoots*

Lady A: “Hey, you’re a pro at this!”

Goku [Kumon]: “Is there anything you want? Which one should I aim for?”

Lady A: “If you’re asking, then that plushie over there!”

Goku [Kumon]: “A plushie, huh?”

*shoots*

Lady B: “Amazing! You hit it right on the mark!”

Goku [Kumon]: “Here you go.”

Lady A: “Thanks! Shall I treat you to something as thanks?”

Goku [Kumon]: “If you insist, let’s go to karaoke.”

Lady B: “Are you by yourself? Did you not come here with friends?”

Goku [Kumon]: “No worries, no worries! I don’t get along with them at all~. Let’s hang out ‘til morning~.”

-pause-

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Welcome. Table for one? Do you have any companions—.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “For one.”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “…Please take a seat over here.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “I finally made it into the store~. I’ll have the special, fluffy, three-layered pao cake, please!”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Coming right up.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Gojo and the others should’ve came too. Too bad, so sad~.”

-pause-

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Apologies for the wait. Here’s a special, fluffy, three-layered pao cake. Please enjoy it while it’s hot.” (I didn’t expect Sanzo to be absent, but the less obstacles the better. Now quickly, with one bite of the poisoned pao cake…)

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Don’t mind if I do—.”

Ginkaku [Muku]: (Nice. With that, it’ll be one down for the count.)

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Ah! Hold on, I forgot something important. I have to take a pic and post it to inste.”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “—“

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Mmm, which angle… ah, this might come out well. I think this angle is more aesthetic…”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Dear customer, please dig in alread— Ah, no. Shall we take the picture together?”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “I’m good. Hmm. The position of the fork and knife are a bit off…

Ginkaku [Muku]: (Oh my god. Hurry up and eat it…)

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Wait a minute?”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “—” (Did he figure out who I am?)

Hakkai [Yuki]: “The pao cake on the table next to me is adorable! It looks tasty~. Which menu item is that?”

Customer beside him: “This one? It’s the deluxe, fluffy-wuffy, four-layered pao cake.” “I’ve always wanted to try it, so I rode on horseback for four days straight…”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “It was worth coming, wasn’t it~!”

Customer beside him: “Totally! Ah, would you like to try a bite?”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Are you sure!? Alright, I’ll share some of mine too.”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Um—”

Customer beside him: “Thanks so much! I also wanted to try the special one, but I didn’t think I could finish everything myself.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “The best part of eating desserts is when everyone shares a bit of their own, after all~.”

Customer beside him: “I feel you~. Alright, let’s eat!”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Ah, hold on—"

Customer beside him: “Urk—"

*collapses*

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Eh!? Are you okay!?”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Tch.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Wait, are you… a demon!?”

*transforms*

Ginkaku [Muku]: “I guess the jig is up. It's a bit of a hassle, but I suppose I’ll silence him with brute force.”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “How dare you interrupt our happy dessert time… I'll teach you that grudges over food are terrifying.”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Hmph. Shut it, piggy. I’ll turn you into char siu in no time!”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “HA!? Don’t get carried away just because you look a little cute.”

*swords clash*

Ginkaku [Muku]: “—Geh. This char siu is surprisingly good…”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “DON’T CALL ME CHAR SIU!”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “If that’s the case… AH! IT’S THE MIRACLE, FWUFFY, SEVEN-LAYER PAO CAKE ON THE SECRET MENU!”

Hakkai [Yuki]: “Huh, what’d you say? Where?”

Ginkaku [Muku]: “Take this!’

*slashes*

Hakkai [Yuki]: “—Urgh.”

*falls*

-pause-

Gojo [Misumi]: “Why don’t you take a rest, Master?”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “There’s no need to concern yourself with me.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Or would you like to go to the festival that Goku was talking about? Although, I have chronic hay fever so I’d have to stay back—”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “Festival…”

Heaven’s voice: “You should travel to Tenjiku in the west. Go see more of the outside world.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “No, I’m okay as well.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “I see! If you say so! Very well then.”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Hello~? Somebody?”

Gojo [Misumi]: “—. It sounds like there’s a woman’s voice outside.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “…”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Master? Master? Right, when Master starts reading scriptures, he doesn’t register the sounds around him…”

-pause-

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “You there~. Save me~.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Um, me? …Err, you see… Ah. Oh, no, the pain! I SudDenlY GoT an UpSeT StoMaCH…!”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Then you there, monk~. Please save me from my misery~.”

Gojo [Misumi]: (? She gave up just like that…?)

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Oh, monk~.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Master, please be careful! I suspect she is no ordinary woman!”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Tch. How did you know?”

Gojo [Misumi]: “I have never once met a woman who does not approach me!”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Aren’t you embarrassed saying that yourself…?”

Gojo [Misumi]: “It’s the truth, so what do you want me to do! Just to be clear, I’m not bragging or anything!”

*transforms*

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Well, whatever. It was the right call to station one of us here. It seems Ginkaku got the short end of the stick.”

Gojo [Misumi]: “Master, please run!”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Not on my watch!”

*slashes*

Gojo [Misumi]: “Geh—”

*falls*

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Hmph. Child’s play.”

Heaven’s voice: “Books are not everything.”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “…I…”

Kinkaku [Tenma]: “Now then, how should I cook Sanzo?”

Gojo [Misumi]: “MASTER!”

Sanzo [Kazunari]: “—!!”

---

*The original Japanese title is a play on words. Original: "最遊記" (saiyuki: Journey to the West). Summer troupe's play: "彩遊記" (saiyuki: the '彩' kanji being read 'sai' and meaning colourful, brilliant)

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[loonarii]

My Top 15 K-Pop Songs of 2023

I genuinely don't know how, but somehow we have made it to December 10 2023, exactly 1 year after my top songs of 2022 post which I've decided to make a permanent thing on this blog. This year I was a lot more organized with formulating this list - I created a spotify playlist in January, and any kpop songs I cared about this year I added to it in chronological order. This list includes songs released between 2022/12/10 and 2023/12/10, and is entirely based on my personal opinion - feel free to let me know ur top songs of the year in the comments and rbs <33

(15) BYOB (bring your own best friend) (English Ver.) - Billlie

I just know some eyebrows are being raised but HEAR ME OUT, this song just speaks to me. It’s not a club banger, it's not an anthemic stadium hit, but it is something for the girlies, and I love it.

(14) Girls' Capitalism - TripleS LOVElution

What a hilarious concept for a song, TripleS is too good. Is this song literally just ‘Generation’ the sequel? Yes! I don’t care!! It’s really good!!!

(13) Standing Next To You - Jungkook (BTS)

Now I’m not an army, and none of Jungkook’s previous singles really spoke to me, they were catchy of course but not for me. This song, on the other hand, is artistry. His passion for what he does is so obvious in this song, I am severely impressed.

(12) Spicy - aespa

Aespa just KNOWS how to do a concept. So many other groups would feel stagnant with the futuristic concept, but aespa keep reinventing themselves perfectly while retaining a sound that is so distinctly them. Spicy is peak girl pop; Ningning you outdid yourself on this one.

(11) Drama - aespa

Can aespa release a bad title track??? Drama would probably be higher if it came out earlier, but based on the month I’ve been listening to it, this is an absolute punch up for aespa. Our stint in the real world was fun and all, but we’re in kwangya again and it feels fucking good. Aespa, keep doing what you’re doing, and I’ll keep streaming.

(10) Fast Forward - JEON SOMI

People didn’t like this song this year, but I fucking loved it and this is my list. As a UK resident and 80s music enjoyer, this spoke to me on a molecular level. I know it's trashy, I know it's been done before, I don't care. Fast Forward is amazing.

(9)  In Bloom - ZEROBASEONE

Category is: Boy Group Kpop (but it's actually good). Pure excellence, this is how to sample a classic song, this is how to debut, this is how to break the mold of boy groups and do it with actually good music (cough cough boynextdoor cough cough). Imagine if they kept this energy for their first comeback. Imagine lol

(8) Cherry Talk - TripleS +(KR)ystal Eyes

People (including tripleS stans) loooveee to shit on this song but it’s literally their best song since Generation, and I will stand by that. This is extremely LOONA coded, if you don’t like it, that must suck for you. BOOM CHERRY TALK CHERRY CHERRY TALK.

(7) Cool With You - NewJeans

They’re literally too good. I have no words.

(6) ETA - NewJeans

NewJeans said this year that being consistent hitmakers is easy actually, this song is fucking excellent. Controversially, I love the production, it's so funky and subversive. I got this song from day dot, if you get it you get it, if you don’t you don’t, and if you don’t I feel sorry for you xx

(5) Attitude - fromis_9

This is fromis_9’s second time showing up very high on my yearly roundups, I’m thinking I need to pay more attention to them. This song is the shit I live for in kpop, its SO HIGH QUALITY. Not a second wasted in this song, just pure goodness throughout. Fromis’s ability to be so extremely on trend never ceases to amaze me. This song is really fucking good, and the whole album is too good as well. Fromis_9, you have my attention. (that actually wasn’t on purpose lol)

(4) Air Force One - ODD EYE CIRCLE

Utter euphoria. That’s what this song feels like. LOONA had a rough 2022, and orbits were feeling it. We were boycotting and fighting for the girls to be free of that fucking company, and when we won, we were happy of course, but mostly exhausted. Then Odd Eye Circle dropped ‘Air Force One’. This song feels like a second wind, it builds up and up from the first second, tension rising, exhaustion fading and then ‘ready set and GO’ and its ANTHEMIC. You can exhale now, the work is done, LOONA is fucking back.

(3) OMG - NewJeans

Oh look, more NewJeans. The audacity to release one of the best songs of the year on January 2nd is crazy. ‘OMG’ is so effortlessly catchy, it’s ridiculous. It’s full to the brim of hooks and creative melodies, this is pop music at its best. It’s serotonin in a song, and the ability and self assurance of the members in their skills is palpable, and oozes from the seams of the track. In a somewhat forgettable year of Kpop, NewJeans were constantly reinventing and redefining what a hit is, and OMG is the physical form of that. Congratulations NewJeans, nobody is doing it like you.

(2) Sugarcoat (NATTY Solo) - KISS OF LIFE

I am being deadly serious when I say this song altered something in my brain. I struggle to comprehend how much I love this song, and I’m struggling even more to express that in words. I found Kiss of Love’s other debut songs to be quite fun, but this song eclipses anything they have ever and will ever release. Natty is such a powerhouse, I am in awe of her skill. If you haven’t heard this song, which is upsettingly likely as while this song had a moment on TikTok earlier this year, it was still a quite niche trend that didn’t last long, PLEASE go and listen, this was the best song released in 2023. But, this list doesn’t just include 2023. It also includes that tiny window after December 10 when literally no one releases music. No one except…

(1) Ditto - NewJeans

Ditto is one of those songs where you listen to it for the first time and you’re left a little bit speechless at the end. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget this song, or how it makes me feel. Ditto has changed the kpop industry forever, and it will go down in history as a defining moment of the genre. It’s melancholic and nostalgic and heartfelt, it's laughing through your tears, it’s hugging your best friend before you go your separate paths in life. I still get a little tug on my heart whenever Hyein’s beautiful intro vocals come in, and I think I always will. NewJeans, you’ve released a lot of amazing music this year, but thank you especially for this one, I’ll love it forever.

[arnold-layne]

Hiya, NeverLove anon here.

If you’re still up for translating one of their songs I would appreciate it if you could do either track 1 or six from their Sex metal album. No pressure intended. I’ve slowly started listening to more Russian music and it’s been really interesting so far! Do you have any Russian rock or metal bands you recommend?

sorry this took me so long! i'll go with Лисий-кисий because i like that song too. so the title is a little bit hard to crack because officially the word кисий doesn't exist in russian. but it means something along the lines of 'cat-like'. Лисий-кисий thus can be translated as 'foxy - cat-like' (it's about a girl's gaze)

first goes the chorus:

Oh i like her foxy-cat-like gaze so much Look at me again Like this, foxy-cat-like Oh i like her foxy-cat-like gaze so much Look at me again. Hey, hey, again

chorus again

The devil's in the details, in the stuffy hall There's chemistry of young bodies You came here without a boyfriend Seems like he gifted you to me Closer-farther, let's play Until your hair is on my bedsheets I know, too cheeky That's what you like

Your boy calls, you don't answer Tell me I have hallucinations You look at me so bravely Kitty, don't snort so much You know you'll go with me Anticipating an adventure My fingers go up your skirt Don't mind me, it's just a joke

chorus

Good morning, you have 7 missed calls Let's make up a legend for you That you hung at the friend's You'll have to tell him that with courage This wasn't cheating You just decided to take your revenge on him Let's do it again and I'll call the taxi

Don't open your soul to me I don't want to listen to this I saw how bright were your eyes When you betrayed your feelings You fed your demons You needed it Don't mind it, it's just a joke Single-use joke

chorus

chorus

oh boy do i have recommendations for russian music for you! i've only started listening to it like a couple months ago (avoided it all that time thinking it was bad, yes i was very stupid), so i don't have many but i do want to give you some

Green Apelsin - great folkish music with acoustic guitar, texts are folk-related and love songs. i personally like the album Северный ветер (The north wind)

Эпидемия (Epidemic) - amazing power metal band! their songs usually border on fantasy, as it is with power metal bands. my fave songs are Всадник из льда (Ice rider), Письмо ведьмаку (A letter to a witcher) and Рожденный для битвы (Born for battle)

СЛОТ (Slot) - hard rock with insane female vocals. Check out their songs Круги на воде (Circles on water), Бой! (Fight!) and Мертвые звезды (Dead stars).

Нуки (Nuki) - solo project of SLOT vocalist. Страна (Country), Бойся (Be afraid) and Пищевая цепочка (Food chain) are very good! Obligatory mentions:

Король и шут (King and Jester) - probably the most famous band in the country. initially punk-rock, then they branched into several genres, including acoustic ballads and metal. i couldn't really get into it, but my boyfriend is a huge fan. there was a biopic recently which rejuvenated the fame of the band, idk if it's available in english tho

Ария (Love song) - an old heavy metal band that existed since the 80s. think russian iron maiden

Кино (Movie)- another incredibly popular rock band from 80s-90s. released some of the biggest hits in russian music, my first song i learned on guitar was Кино song even though i don't particularly like it. inactive since death of its founder, Victor Tsoi. there are legends that he's not dead, which gave birth to a famous saying Цой жив! ("Tsoi is alive!") ok this is all i can now offer but i'll keep looking and maybe make a list when i collect enough! russian music is definitely underappreciated on worldwide scene (we all know why) and that's very unfair, a lot of it is very good. ive sought a moment to talk about it for a long time, thank you for giving me an opportunity! hope you enjoy it!

[dunkzillla]

New Tricks for an Old Dog (9/10)

William Regal x Wheeler Yuta, Chuck Taylor x Wheeler Yuta

I’m so sorry this chapter took a little longer to get out! I ended up getting sick and I didn’t want to put out a half hearted attempt at anything while I was in pain med induced delirium! I hope that you enjoy this anyway, we’re so nearly at the end! Thank you for all your love and support!

Title: New Tricks for an Old Dog

Pairings: William Regal/Wheeler Yuta, Chuck Taylor/Wheeler Yuta

Ratings/Warnings: Language, Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating, Derogatory statements/langue about Sex Work.

Word Count: 4,087

Summary: A painful conversation, a bag of McDonald’s, and a happy ending.

Parts: ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT

“Wheeler, I’ll ask again, who the hell was that?” Chuck asks again, and for the first time in a very long time, Wheeler sees the anger etched into Chuck’s features. Chuck hasn’t been angry in a long time, not since he got laid off from his job, and never, ever has he been angry at Wheeler.

“Could you just sit down please? So we can talk?”

Chuck dumps the laundry bag he’s brought with him at the end of the bed and sits down into the chair Regal was just occupying in such a heavy way that the feet scrape loudly against the floor.

“You’ve been cheating on me, that’s what this is, isn’t it?” Chuck accuses, arms crossing against his chest.

Wheeler feels sick to his stomach, and this time it’s not because of the pain medication he’s on or the horrible hospital food he’d eaten for lunch this afternoon. His face hurts, his wrist hurts, his body hurts, and his mind is a little fuzzy thanks to the concussion. Chuck confronting him about Regal is the very last thing he wanted at this moment in time, even though he knew it was going to happen sooner or later. But he can’t make himself wish Regal didn’t come. Because seeing the man made him feel a million times better than he did when he woke up this morning, the first thought of waking consciousness being that he’s missing work, and that he couldn’t afford the hospital bills with no insurance.

“Yes… but not, not in the way you’re thinking.”

Chuck scoffs at him, “Yeah? What’s the excuse then, Wheeler? You slipped and fell?”

It’s cruel, given the circumstances, but Wheeler feels that he does deserve it in some way. He has been cheating on Chuck. Chuck has a right to be upset.

“I’ve been… I was an escort. I didn’t work at a gas station, it never existed. I was on the street, selling myself so we could afford to live.”

Wheeler can feel Chuck looking at him but he can’t meet his eyes, he’s looking down at the bottom of the bed, where he can see his feet sticking up under the blanket.

“You’re joking with me. Wheeler, tell me you’re joking.”

Wheeler feels that thick feeling in his throat, the tell tale sign that he’s about to cry, and he shakes his head, trying to stave it away.

“I’m sorry. I know I should have told you, but it was, it was really good money, Chuck. Money that we desperately needed. Sometimes I made more at night than I did in a week at Starbucks.” Wheeler tells him, still looking down at the end of the bed because he can’t bear to look at Chuck, who’s face must be twisted with horror and disgust.

“How long? How many men?”

Wheeler swallows, fiddling it’s the end of the bandage on his wrist. It’s burned from the milk, apparently, that spilled all over him when he passed out. It’s sore and itchy and all he wants to do is rip the bandage off and scratch at it with all his might.

“Nearly a year, but I can’t tell you how many… I never kept track,” Wheeler says, feeling disgusted in himself in a way that he never has before. “Six months ago I met Regal. He came to see me one night, and he paid more than any other man ever has. He kept coming back, I became his personal escort. I attended a charity event as his date. He paid me a lot of money Chuck. Money that kept us with a roof over our head and a tiny bit of food in the fridge.”

“You didn’t need to cheat on me to do that, Wheeler.”

“Maybe not, but I was desperate, Chuck. Do you actually know how much debt we’re in? How much it costs for you to sit in the apartment all day running up the electric bill?”

“We’re not that bad off that you had to sell your fucking body, Wheeler!”

“Yes we are!” Wheeler raises his voice, instantly regretting it as his head throbs. He rubs at his eyes with his uninjured hand, feeling them damp with tears and sore from exhaustion. “Why do you think I’m in here, Chuckie? Without me working two jobs we can’t make rent, let alone any other bills and food. I’m overworked. I’m exhausted, I’m malnourished, because I don’t have the time or money to eat. I eat what I can at work. But it’s not enough. Working the street gave me the kind of disposable income that meant I could pay the rent, the bills and buy food. Regal fed me every single day, so much that I actually started putting weight on.”

“If he’s so great, how did you end up here? You didn’t suck his dick right? So he stopped feeding you?”

The words are cruel and callous but Wheeler understands that Chuck is hurt and lashing out, so he takes each blow as he picks at his fingers.

“A few months ago Regal told me that he has feelings for me. He asked me to stay with him, he told me he’d take care of me.” Wheeler says quietly, and there’s a heavy feeling in his chest as he remembers that night. How wonderful the night was until Wheeler ruined it all.

“Oh, did he now?”

“And I said no, Chuck. I said no because I knew what I was doing was wrong, and that it wasn’t fair to you. I said no because I have feelings for him too and I realised it had gone too far, so I left. I stopped escorting and I was going to look for something else, something better. I’d got a good chunk of money left from what he’d given me so I knew we’d be okay. Then we had the flood, and you spent the last of it on your set up so I had to get another job. The restaurant is real, Chuckie I promise you. The day I told you I got let go from the gas station is the day I stopped seeing him. Today is the first day I’ve seen him since then.”

Wheeler finally looks at Chuck, who’s got his head buried in his hands trying to make sense of everything that he’s being told.

“You love that old man?”

Wheeler doesn’t think he’s let himself utter the word love about Regal. Regal told him he loved him the night that he left, and Wheeler knows the feeling he’s got inside of him definitely is love, he’s just, not said it before. Not to himself and not to Regal.

“Yeah, I do. I’m sorry.”

“Do you love me?”

“Yes.” Wheeler answers instantly. It’s automatic. He does love Chuck. He does. He did, he always has. It’s just. William Regal is the light in his life that he so desperately needs, that he’s so desperately been searching for. He always used to see the way his father’s face lit up when he came home from work, and his mother was at the stove or helping Wheeler with his homework at the kitchen table, he’d look at her and drop everything, his briefcase and suit jacket and just embrace her, kissing her and telling her how much he’d missed her, how happy he was to be home. Wheeler’s always been searching for that feeling, and maybe he thought he found it with Chuck at the beginning of their relationship. When Chuck would get home from his stuffy office job and collapse on the couch, telling Wheeler about his bad day and saying how great it was to finally be home.

He realises now that that was just normal coming home from work talk. That as soon as Chuck started playing his video games for work that feeling went away, Wheeler was the one coming home wanting to talk about his bad day and curl into Chuck but Chuck couldn’t look away from his games long enough to hold Wheeler in his arms and make him feel better. So Wheeler lost that feeling that his father clearly had about his mother. But seeing Regal. That really did feel like that feeling. Every time he saw the Rolls Royce on the side of the curb it was like there were thousands of butterflies in his stomach, erupting into a frenzy at just the mere thought of getting into the car and seeing Regal. That’s the feeling he’s been chasing, the one he doesn’t get with Chuck.

“I do. Chuck I do love you, but, the way I feel about him is… it’s completely different.”

“Yeah, it’s to do with the size of his bank account.”

“No, no it’s not. I couldn’t care less about the size of his bank account. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. He cares about me, he cares about my day and my health and he listens when I talk —“

“I do all of that!”

“You don’t,” Wheeler’s voice cracks on the words, and he feels tears start to run down his cheeks. He’s never, ever wanted to have to confront Chuck about his failings as a boyfriend. He’s gone above and beyond just to let him live his dream, the life he wants, he never wanted this to happen. “You sit on your PlayStation more than eighteen hours a day. When I come home from work most of the time you barely spare me a glance, and when you do you’re usually trying to start something, when I’m tired and don’t have time. You eat every single bit of food I can afford and you never, ever save anything for me, you don’t make me anything or get me anything if you order food. You complain about me being skinny and tell me to eat but you don’t do anything to actively take care of me, Chuck. I pay the bills. I take care of the apartment. I work. I do everything, everything, just to let you live out this crazy dream of playing video games for a living. I resorted to selling myself, because you didn’t see that winning barely two hundred dollars a month isn’t enough to keep a roof over our heads!” Wheeler feels his head throb as he gets worked up, as he thinks about how he’s been living for the past year.

“You should have come to me before you decided to get fucked by other men for money, Wheeler! I would have sorted something, gotten a job or —“

“No you wouldn’t.” Wheeler almost whimpers, rubbing furiously at his eyes. “When the apartment flooded and I begged you not to use the money I’d made to buy your set up, I told you to get a job and pay for it yourself and what did you do? You spent the money! That’s why I had to take the job at the restaurant. The money you used was my last bit left over from Regal and I was trying to ration it until I could get a better paying job than Starbucks. I asked you to get a job and you didn’t.”

“I think if you’d have told me you were having thoughts of being a whore for money I would have gotten a job, Wheeler.”

Wheeler shakes his head. Chuck doesn’t see it, does see that he basically gave up his own life for Chuck to have his.

“I love William, Chuck. And I don’t care whether he’s got a massive bank account or not, I’ll work until the day I die to make my own money because I’m not looking for a pay day, I'm looking for someone who loves me more than anything in the world. And I’m not saying you don’t love me, but William… he… he would do anything for me. And I mean anything, whether it had monetary value or not. He will go to the ends of the earth to make sure I know he loves me.”

“So you’re leaving me, huh?”

“Chuck, I’m sorry, I love you I —“

“Honestly Wheeler I’d say I can’t believe it but Trent and Orange warned me about you, and I guess I was too stupid to see it.”

Wheeler nearly gives himself another concussion with how quick he whips his head to look at Chuck when those words come out of his mouth.

“Excuse me?”

“They always said you were looking to be a kept boy. I mean, you had nothing when you came to this city, and they always said you made a beeline for me cos’ I look like a big dumb bear who’ll fall for anything. I took care of you, I looked after the little lost kid who was sleeping on the floor of a friend's apartment. I helped you when you had no one else, Wheeler. And they always said you’d leave me when you could but I always told them they were wrong, that you loved me. I should have listened to them.”

Wheeler feels something inside of him crumble and crack. He’s always known Trent didn’t like him, there was just something about him that made Trent pick at him whenever they were around each other, especially if there was beer involved. Orange wasn’t much of a talker, and he’s generally a laid back guy who didn’t make Wheeler feel like there was any animosity at all. So to know that both of them have been talking behind his back, telling Chuck that he’s looking to be a kept boy, that, that really hurts.

“Chuck, this is not about —“

“You say you love me but you’re leaving me for a man who has all the money in the world to give you what you want, you whored yourself —“

“Don’t you dare! I know you’re angry and I know you’re upset and you have every right to be but do not make this out to be something it’s not. I never, ever looked at you as someone to take care of me like that. I did not and do not want to be kept by anyone. I fell in love with you the day I met you, you were this big, loveable goof who made my cheeks hurt from smiling and my stomach cramp from laughing. I wanted to build a life with you, we started to build that life, I worked, you worked, we managed to buy our apartment, we were creating something special, Chuck. I have never, ever asked you to take care of me. I gave my quality of life for yours, because I loved you so goddamn much, I loved you so much that seeing your face when you talked about getting accepted into tournaments and winning money made having to cram myself into footwells of cars in the middle of the night sucking random dick for twenty dollars worth it. I did absolutely everything and anything I could to give you your dream life. It has damn near killed me. You can be angry at me for cheating on you and falling in love with someone else, that’s fine, but don’t you, or your stupid, enabling little friends, ever, ever accuse me of wanting to be yours or anyone’s kept boy.” Wheeler spits the last words, they taste horrible and dirty in his mouth.

“Wheeler—“

“Just, go, Chuck. Please just go.” He says, exhausted and hurt, both physically and emotionally.

A voice that Wheeler wasn’t expecting speaks instead of Chuck, the door to the room opening.

“This lowlife causing trouble, kid?”

Jon Moxley is standing in the doorway, an overfull bag of McDonald’s stuffed under his arm. He’s staring at Chuck with a hard look on his face, the hand on the door handle is white from how hard he’s clenching it.

“Mox, what—“

“This someone you fucked for a box of twinkies?”

“That how much you think he’s worth, Chuckles? Doesn’t surprise me, considering you’ve melted your brain away playing a goddamn kids game.”

“It’s not—“

“I don’t give a shit. Get outta here. And if you show your face again I ain’t letting you walk away with it intact, got it?”

There’s a moment of hesitation before Chuck is pushing his way past Mox and leaving, his tall frame disappearing out of the door and down the hall. It’s not the end of it, Wheeler knows that, there’s still a million more things he could say, that Chuck could say, but they won’t change anything, so it’s enough for now. It’s about as much as Wheeler can take right now, anyway.

“What are you doing here?” Wheeler asks as Mox dumps the McDonald’s bag into Wheeler’s lap and slumps down into the chair next to the bed.

“His lordship needed someone to bring his car here seeing as Bryan drove him over. Thought I’d bring you some real food while I did, I know this place gives out slop and calls it high quality food.” Mox says, his hands shoved into his pockets and his whole body relaxed and loose in the chair.

“Thank you,” Wheeler says, and he opens the bag, finding it crammed with boxes of fries and burgers. He takes out a pack of fries and a cheeseburger before handing the bag to Mox.

“I brought it for you, kid.”

“I’ve been eating a wheat cracker and out of date sandwiches for months, I won’t be able to eat all this. Eat with me?”

Mox makes a face before reaching for the bag. He digs into the fries like a man with no food manners at all. It makes Wheeler smile, because the first thing he thinks is that Regal must tell him off all the time, he can practically hear it in his head. Wheeler unwraps the burger and takes a small bite. It tastes heavenly. He hasn’t eaten McDonalds in so long.

“I’m sorry, for how I treated you.” Mox says. It’s quiet and around a mouthful of fries, but Wheeler hears it.

“You don’t—“

“Nah, I do. It wasn’t fair. I’m very protective of the old man, found him in a bad way when we first met and me, Bry and Claudio don’t want anything to happen to him to get him back that way. And I saw a lot of guys take him for his money, he’s a soft touch and he’ll just hand it out like he’s candy. I don’t wanna see him taken advantage of,” Mox says as he munches down fries.

“But I didn’t listen to him when he told me you weren’t like that. Shouldn’t have called you a whore, either. I had… my own stuff with em’ once upon a time but I shouldn’t have taken that out on you.” Mox says. Wheeler takes another bite of his burger, savouring the taste and not wanting to get full up too quick by eating too fast.

“Thank you, but I understand. I’m glad he’s got people like you and Bryan to look after him. He is generous, way too generous, but it’s a big reason why I love him.”

Mox shoves half the burger into his mouth. “You really love im’?”

“Yeah, yeah I do.” Wheeler says. Just because he hadn’t said it or really thought about that word concerning Regal before now doesn’t make it not true. He does love him. He loves the man so, so much. “And I want to be with him, in any way he’ll have me. I promise I’m not trying to take advantage of him. I'm not looking for his money. I know it’s probably empty words from someone who was paid to be with him but… I really, really love him.”

“You walked out on it when you knew it was getting rough. He told me you wouldn’t let him give you anymore money. I know, kid. I’ve just been a stubborn ass.” Mox sighs, finishing off his food and tossing the wrappers into the paper bag. Yuta takes another bite of his burger and chews on a couple of fries. His stomach’s already starting to get full but he knows that he’s not going to be wondering where his next meal comes from, and that makes him feel so, so much better.

Mox talks to him while Wheeler eats, managing to finish the burger and only leave a handful of fries, which, once he sees Mox eyeing them he offers them to him and they disappear.

Mox is in the middle of telling him about his boyfriend Eddie’s three am drunken antics when Regal comes back into his room, his eyes widening a little at seeing Mox sitting in the chair.

“Jonathon, what are you doing here? If you’ve been harassing—“

“Ah don’t fret, old man. I brought you your car like you asked, and got the kid some McDonalds cos’ I heard he’s malnourished.”

“Thank you, Jon, for bringing my car, though Wheeler needs real food, not your American fast food, to build up strength.”

Mox rolls his eyes, “Yeah yeah, Swiss is already working on some stuff. But look at him. Brighter already!”

“What happened with Mr Taylor?” Regal steps further into the room, and Mox stands up to give him the chair.

“He was being a huge asshole so I told him to take a hike.” Mox grumbles.

Regal looks at Wheeler and takes his hand, which is still a little greasy from the fries. “Are you okay?”

Wheeler nods. “It wasn’t easy, he said some really horrible things. Like apparently his friends always thought I was trying to make myself his kept boy and he’s completely disgusted by me but. I said what I needed to.”

“Trying to make yourself a kept boy? You worked two jobs to —“

“I know, I know,” Wheeler says, squeezing Regal’s hand to calm down the anger that’s so clearly threatening to boil up. They don’t need to do that right now, he just needs him, by his side, making him feel like he’s walking on air. “It’s over now. I’m yours now, William, if you’ll have me.”

“Always, darling, always.”

“Okay gross I’m leaving. Old man, your car’s on the top floor of the parking lot, like the fourth row down on the end.” Mox says, passing Regal the keys to his car. He takes them with one hand, the other is still cradled in Wheeler’s on the bed.

“Thank you, Jonathon. I appreciate it, I really do.” He says, and Wheeler knows he means more than just dropping off his car for him.

“Ah don’t, it’s nothing. I’ll see you back at home. Take care of yourself, kid.”

Wheeler smiles. Mox has some misplaced anger at escorts, and misplaced fears about what Wheeler is really like, but he’s trying to make up for that, and he’s thankful for it, and glad that he’s so fiercely protective of Regal. “Thank you.”

Mox gives them a wave before he’s ducking out of the room and down the hall. The room falls silent for a moment, both of them watching Mox disappear before Regal turns back to him.

“Oh darling. I can’t believe you’re mine.”

Wheeler squeezes his hand again, lifting his injured one up to run through the short hair at the side of Regal’s hair. “I’m sorry I left before. I really thought I could fix everything, that Chuck… might change.”

“My love, I understand, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. It was selfish of me to ask you to stay like that when we hadn’t even spoken about our feelings for each other, and you were still with Chuck, no matter how rotten he is. That was selfish of me and I’m sorry. But we can put that behind us now, Wheeler. And if you are mine, I’d really like to start building our future.”

“I am yours, and I’d really like that too.” Wheeler says, and he does, he really likes it, he really, really likes it and he wants nothing more than to just be with Regal.

Regal kisses his palm. “May I kiss you, darling?

Wheeler feels all his insides warm and his heart tries to burst through his chest. He’s missed this feeling so much. Missed the feeling of waiting to be kissed by Regal, missed the feeling of being kissed by Regal. Missed being loved by him, and now he gets it back. He can have Regal.

“Forever William. You can kiss me forever.” He whispers.

[writingmochi]

hi lissie! i'm the same anon who asked abt your sign-off and your minisode 3 thoughts, i'll be 🌻 if that's okay~ i'm glad to hear your thoughts on the album!

i haven't really thought about whether or not concept photos should reflect the album sound, but i do think in minisode 3's case it definitely shaped my expectations! the photos and concept trailer had a whole magical realism with a touch of sad longing vibe going on... i'll definitely check out the woodz and onf songs you linked to (i already love love love black swan). and i do love your approach to listening broadly, not just different kinds of kpop but also different genres outside it! it's a good way to build your taste and figure out what kind of music works for you. like this year i've been trying to listen to more female artists bc i noticed that my spotify artists tend to skew male.

i also read your other txt album reviews and i breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when you said tinnitus felt stagnant / droning... other fans are always raving about how it's one of their best b-sides but to me the song just sounds too static for me to feel the same. and i guess that goes w the theme of wanting to be a rock but i personally don't find that compelling to listen to? farewell neverland and blue spring were also my faves on temptation and freefall, i think i just like acoustic / acoustic-esque songs haha.

i'm actually curious about your thoughts on tdc: eternity and tdc: magic! personally eternity is my fave txt album sound-wise so i'd love to know what your faves there are too~

-🌻

lissie: welcome 🌻 anon! sorry for the late reply cause i’ve been drowning with deadlines (it’s my exam week so…) but i have time now to answer you!

i, for one, believe that visual and audio should match in some way. there’s a few reasons as to why i usually ranked comebacks so low if the visual teasers doesn’t match up with what the title track (at least) sounds like because they came packaged together. most kpop comebacks usually revolve more around the performance and visual rather than sound nowadays and i’ve seen a lot more reviews saying that kpop albums sounds more like a compilation as it’s not cohesive enough. so that’s why i cherish tdc: magic and eternity so much.

that’s why i was hoping for the magical, fantasy sound you mentioned on your previous ask to be in this comeback and not just deja vu! and of course, do check them out. i’ve been trying to get people to know more about onf cause their discography is top-notch. their producer is the same as the one who produced 2016-2020 loona songs (monotree). woodz also has a unique trajectory in his career from being in uniq, to soloist, to x1, to then focus on soloist. i love that he, txt, and dreamcatcher are the pioneers of the pop rock sound within kpop idols. and yeah, listening to expanding your music taste palette also helps in your kpop experience, like, you can actually appreciate more on songs fans usually know as “noise music” cause you’ll know the specific genres it’ll be.

ah yes tinnitus. i forgot to mention the killa in your last ask so i’m doing it here. i think people like tinnitus and the killa so much because of the performance aspect. txt is not known as the mature/sexy boys compared to, let’s say, enhypen (even though i hate that thought so much cause i feel icky towards the impact of it now). so when they have those types of performances, of course, it’ll pop off. sex sells everywhere, including kpop acts and writings fics. so that’s why they've become the more known b-sides recently and that’s why i said that the killa is trying to be tinnitus in a way that trust fund baby wants to be anti-romantic. sure, tinnitus is catchy af but i still think that it is too droning if listened to by itself outside of seeing the performance. my reviews are coming from the musical aspect, not the performance.

yes! i love acoustic sound so much. plus i think when it comes to farewell, neverland like the song itself is so cohesive and it matches the neverland concept so much.

ooh i, for one, think that both magic and eternity really embody each of their concepts both visually and sonically. i like tdc: magic (other than it's a full album rather than an ep) because it is just full of fun sonic experimentations. almost all the songs sound different yet still create a cohesiveness, especially between the run from new rules to can we just leave the monster alive?; but also with the concept. imo, it is a timeless album imo (tho having angel or devil as the last track makes it lacking in compare to new rules as a perfect opening track. i would love to make leave the monster alive as the outro track for the album)

as for tdc: eternity, i like it more because of the music and it does well in combining more of the fantastical side to make an album solely to tell about a dissolution of friendship from growing up. most of the songs there are part of playlists i made (i do like drama, but i like the slow-down version from the eternity concept trailer which i have put the soundcloud audio of below vv). can you see me is so cool, i can sing along to puma from the start, fairy of shampoo is so twinkly, i can play maze in the mirror on my guitar and basically can make a cover for it (if yall want), and eternally: best stage performance from their concert (i've been able to see it twice and i love both iterations) and such a dynamic song

will be posting your second ask next!

[vitaminwaterreviews]

fromis_9 - Unlock My World

I don’t really know what I was expecting from this album. Actually, seeing as I don’t know any other fromis_9 music, I kind of just assumed that they were a generic bubblegum group like any other. And this album sounded very much like a bubblegum girl group’s first foray into darker concepts. The album as a whole felt dark and empty, and while that vibe can be a lot of fun for a song or two, it gets really repetitive and boring after the first few songs.

The middle songs were all completely interchangeable, and pretty much all filler. You could’ve cut half of this album out and ended up with a more pleasant listening experience as an EP, but it feels like they added half of an album worth of filler just to call it a studio album. That said, if you’re more into this type of sound, then I’m sure you’d rate this album much higher. That’s kind of how Twicetagram is to me; a lot of the songs sound similar, but I happen to like that sound, so I really like that album. Average rating is 7.2 which … Yeah, I guess that’s alright. I think individually, these songs are better than as a whole. Like, if any one of these came on shuffle, then I’d enjoy them way more than I did listening to them as an album. I’ll probably add a couple of them and then forget that the rest exist.

- I know the title track, nothing else. I’ve heard great things about this album though, and I don’t even know any other fromis_9 stuff, so I’m excited!

Attitude

Okay, I like the soundscape

What even is that synth?

Woahh this synth is even cooler

Mmm I think I like this, the chorus was nice

The song isn’t doing anything super innovative but I’m a fan of this style of staccato synth stuff

Oh yes, is this the bridge? This is so good

9/10

#menow

I don’t actually know if I’ve ever seen the MV for this, let’s find out

Wait what is this aspect ratio

Wow look it’s an airplane

And here’s the song

Damn they really highlighting the fact that they lost a member lol

The synths here are super sad

Haha this is cute

Hey look it’s the airplane again

7/10, I like it, it’s not too special as far as title tracks go

Wishlist

Mm this is cute

Oh it’s all english

Nice

It is funny how you just don’t recognize that until you look at the lyrics lol

At least, that’s the sentiment I’ve seen from a lot of people, self included

The album is very minimalistic so far

Drums, bass, vocals, and some light flourishes

7/10 but I could grow to love it

In The Mirror

Mhm, keeping it kind of dark and minimal

Although this bass is Deep

Love love love the voice doubling oh my god

7/10

Don’t Care

Welp, clearly we’re going girl crush for all the songs on this album

A much more funky bass, do you Hear that?

Yeah I just dunno. A lot of these songs sound good, but they don’t like go anywhere

Like I appreciate the sound of this song, it just doesn’t do much

Maybe I’m just not in the mood, I dunno

8/10

Prom Night

Mhm, more of the same

Haha you can tell that this album is kind of just filler because every unpromoted song is between 1.2m and 800k streams, very tight distribution, nothing stands out

Okay this part is nice at least, with the distorted vocals

I do appreciate the synths throughout the album though. They do cool things, the songs just aren’t interesting

I’m kind of getting “how can I breathe now now now” vibes

Even the bridges feel predictable, that’s how you know it’s meh

7/10

Bring It On

Mkay, weird plucks or something

And that whistle, alright

But this bass has been used on every song on this album lmao

Idek what the plucks are supposed to be doing, they’re kind of just there

6/10, sorry I’m starting to get boredd by this album

What I Want

7/10

My Night Routine

Oh, this guitar is nice, a change of pace maybe?

I mean same general vibe, but the guitar at least does something

And it’s boring again already haha

6/10

Eye Contact

Mkay, a bit dancier

But it’s still like … idk how to explain it, kind of dark and empty

Maybe it’s the type of background synths that they’re using?

Either way, the vocals here sound kind of Cherry Bullet and I like that

8/10, nice song to end the album with at least

[heartkyeom]

hi how can I help you- OH MY GOD YOU’RE BLEEDING au

lee seokmin x gender neutral reader

warnings: as mentioned in the title, short mention of blood!

notes: first piece on the blog AHH so exciting! but anyways I’ve been thinking about this for a while, pls let me know if you’d like to see this as a full fic or oneshot!!

weekdays were typically very very slow at the local bookstore seokmin works at, especially in the wintertime

since the store was so small, there were only a few employees working on staff (minus the weekends since those were the busiest days)

seokmin’s shift partner seungkwan left early since he won a spontaneous game of rock paper scissors between the two of them

needless to say, seokmin was not happy about doing all the daily closing tasks on his own

despite what people thought, there was a lot of work to keep an indie bookstore up and running- and it was far easier with someone by his side

but alas he was alone tonight, so he started on those tasks a bit earlier to avoid staying too late after closing

he was busy putting away some new shipments in the back room when he heard the front doorbell chime

he glanced at the digital clock in the back— 10 minutes till closing— and sighed to himself

he got the occasional last minute customer but he was hoping tonight wouldn’t bring anyone in

he set his things down and hurried out to the front to help

he greeted the customer before he could see them, a costly mistake

his eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he saw you, your bleeding leg uncovered

he scrambled to help you take your coat off and roll up your pant leg more

you insisted you could do it yourself but he refused every time, batting your hand away

he grabbed a chair for you to sit and you watched him scramble around the store, clearly in a little bit over his head

he stopped in his tracks, mumbling that he’s gonna find the first aid kit before he scurried off to the back

you heard lots of things falling which made you stifle a laugh, this poor guy was so worried about you that the store was practically falling apart

he came back soon enough and sat at your feet, assessing your left leg closely

his eyes were still so wide with concern, it was kinda cute

you told him it was ok to touch you, his eyes were still cautious but he went ahead and started to clean your cut

the longer you sat down, you felt better but this stranger was clearly very invested

he said “sorry it might sting” in a singsong voice, but the dull ache of the hydrogen peroxide didn’t hurt much when he was so sweet about it

his touches were quite delicate, you didn’t expect this from someone who could’ve easily refused to help

after a few more minutes of silence, he asked what happened and you both naturally fell into conversation

you were just trying to make it home from work, but the ice had other plans

you fell so hard that you were convinced something went wrong, and once you saw the blood seeping through your pants it was obvious you needed help

you just kept stumbling until you found a bookstore nearby and now he was caught up with everything

you learned his name was seokmin, you introduced yourself too and you swore his smile got a little brighter once you said your name

he was quite pretty, you really tried to put it in the back of your mind but how could you ignore it?

despite cleaning your cut intently, he still clung onto every word you said- inserting the right reactions at the right time, laughing at your jokes, it added to how beautiful he already was

seokmin placed a bandage on your shin and he almost forgot he had to close the store

so he asked you to wait a few more minutes as he closed the shop

he was very apologetic but you insisted it was alright, you could wait for someone who took his time to help you

he made sure you were comfortable once again, helping you put your coat on and making sure that you could walk properly before you both left

he opened the door for you, smiling at you with a quick nod of his head

he locked the door and faced you once again, asking if there was anything else he could do for you

you asked if you could bring him a thank you gift as an apology for making him stay late after closing

he agreed and sent you on your way with a smile, but not before asking for your number <3

[itsivyberry]

no longer his

Mako x f!nonbender!reader

Part 2 of number 1 supporter

request: could you please do a part two of number 1 supporter please. like what happens with Korra added to the picture? 🥺👉👈 (i absolutely loved it btw! great job!!! ❤️❤️❤️) [ @xxspqcebunsxx ]

a/n: thank you so much!!! I’m so glad you wanted another part, I’m so sorry it took so long! enjoy <3

warnings: heartbreak, Korra being a home wrecker and not my favorite person 😬 Mako also being a bitch, Bolin being the best ever. Some major descriptions of physical pain due to strong emotions ig

summary: Korra coming to Republic City not only ruffled many citizens, but also jeopardized Mako and Y/N’s relationship.

word count: 1276

song recs: it’s not the same anymore - rex orange county, another love - tom odell

gif credit: @bolin-hits-rockbottom

Korra coming to Republic City wasn’t all that bad, really. Bolin had already become fast friends with her before he knew her title.

Y/N and Mako were doing just fine, for the most part. Y/N continued to watch the pro-bending matches and practices. The only difference was that Korra began to watch with her, mesmerized by the swift movements of the brothers.

Korra hit it off well with Y/N. Neither of them had any issues, but Y/N made it obvious which one of the brothers was taken. Bolin was very forward with the avatar, making advances to get closer with her. Y/N was rooting him on, while Mako wasn’t the biggest fan of her. Y/N couldn’t quite pinpoint why Mako was such a jerk to her, especially since Korra was so nice to all of them and thanked them profusely for being her first friends in the city. His mood had decreased significantly since she first showed up before one of his matches, and it was taking a toll on Y/N’s attitudes as well.

~.•*✰

When Bolin began to show Korra how to bend during a match, Y/N could notice that she was almost trying to impress Mako with her bending skills. Y/N began to grow extremely insecure, her non-bending suddenly becoming something she was ashamed of. There was never any issues with her not being able to bend, especially when hanging out with Mako and Bolin, but now Korra was suddenly making her very self conscious about herself.

These feelings started piling up. Y/N felt sick whenever she went to pro-bending matches, worried that Mako would suddenly decide to take an interest in her instead of his beloved girlfriend.

It wasn’t long ago when Y/N thought Mako was going to propose, and now some random girl from the Southern Water Tribe showed up, introduced herself as the Avatar, and put a wall between the lovers.

Korra was also leading on Bolin, which made Y/N’s dislike for her grow tremendously. She had been hanging out with him, making advances with him, and accepting every date he threw in her direction, yet still disregarded his attraction to her and used him to get closer to Mako.

Y/N saw right through this, and would often confide in her old friend, Lu, from school that lived in Republic City.

“Maybe the Avatar just wants to be close with an earth bender and a fire bender.” Lu had tried to tell Y/N.

“No, I’m telling you. Bolin really likes her but she’s after Mako. I don’t know why she isn’t understanding that I’ve been with him for a very long time and that he won’t leave me for her.” But oh, how Y/N was so incredibly wrong in that moment.

Not only did Korra manage to break Bolin’s heart, but she soon enough ripped Mako and Y/N’s relationship to pieces when Bolin was on his way to get her flowers.

~•.*✰

“She’ll love these, Bo! They are gorgeous. Don’t you think so, Pabu?” Y/N gushed, picking a flower from the bouquet and lifting it up to the fire ferret who was sitting on her shoulder to smell. Pabu took a big whiff, squeaking and nodding in approval.

“Thanks, Y/N. And thank you, Pabu. Let’s go give these to her! I’m so nervous, but so excited!” Bolin exclaimed, practically vibrating with anxiousness about the girl he really and truly fell for.

As they walked throughout the city to the bending arena, they spoke on and on about anything and everything. Y/N had always gotten along with Bolin famously, which helped boost her and Mako’s relationship.

They reached the arena, and curled around the back near the large patio that overlooks the water and Air Temple Island. The sun had set almost half an hour ago, leaving a gorgeous array of oranges, yellows, and reds in the sky that reflected off the calm water’s surface. City lights were twinkling throughout the sky, and stars began to appear faintly.

“It’s a perfect night to do this. Wish me luck, Y/N/N!” Bolin turned, controlling his breathing and still shaking with anticipation.

Y/N passed Pabu onto his shoulders and adjusted the bouquet. “Good luck, you’ll do amazing. Just tell her how you feel and give her the bouquet!”

“Oh, please walk a bit further with me! You can hide behind one of the pillars, I’m just too nervous!” Bolin gasped out, out of breath from the nerves. Y/N begrudgingly agreed, eager to get upstairs and visit Mako.

She walked slowly along the edge of the railing, keeping an eye on Bolin as he walked.

But, something had stopped him in his tracks. His face grew immensely disappointed, angry, sad, and a whole jumble of emotions Y/N couldn’t name. Tears welled up in his eyes, the dim light on the walls making his eyes glisten. Bolin glanced over at her, his bottom lip trembling.

She hesitantly peeking out from behind the pillar, and was frozen just as much as he was.

There, right in front of the beautiful scenery, was Korra, macking her very own dearest Mako. A small puff of air escaped her lungs as she took a larger step towards the scene, dropped her arms & shoulders in defeat.

The very thing Y/N didn’t think would happen had came true. Her boyfriend, her love, her future, had cheated on her, with the very girl he had absolutely no previous interest of even being friends with.

Bolin blinked, and tears dropped to the marble ground. Y/N was crying now too, as she suddenly watched her future crash and burn. The two ahead of them broke apart, a smile growing on both of their faces.

That was, until Korra had looked behind Mako and saw the two people she was avoiding. Bolin, crying and holding a now messy bouquet that had been ruined by the wind, and Y/N, who was crying watching Korra help Mako cheat on her.

Korra never had any issues with Y/N. She’d always looked up to the girl, who had always gave so much love wherever she went and was never discouraged from people who made fun of her lack of bending abilities. But now, she had ruined any chance of being friends with her after she ruined the beautiful relationship of Mako and Y/N.

Mako was confused, and turned around to meet the eyes of his devastated brother and heartbroken girlfriend.

“Oh, no, no, no-!” Mako said, panic and realization setting in as he reached for his girlfriend. “This isn’t what it looks like!”

He was now running towards her, the tears streaming down her face more visible as he got closer. He stopped in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

“I saw everything. This,” Y/N motioned between the two of them, “is over. Don’t ever speak to me again.” She turned and left, crossing her arms over her stomach to try to alleviate some of the pain that was reverberating through her chest.

“Bolin, please!” Mako’s voice cracked, turning to his brother to reason. Bolin angrily threw the bouquet at his feet, more tears falling on the slick ground.

“How could you?” Bolin asked quietly, furrowing his brows at Mako. He quickly turned and followed Y/N, catching up with her to comfort her.

Mako watched, defeated and absolutely broken, as his brother and girlfr- ex girlfriend walked away from him in tears and sorrow.

There was no recovering from this, and he soon realized he lost the love of his life and his very best friend, along with his last remaining family member that he loved so dearly.

And it was all because of the damned Avatar.

~•.*✰

a/n: okay so I really don’t like Korra like at all, I’m sorry if you do but I really don’t like her 😃 she’s my least favorite character in the atla universe so it was only fit that I wrote a literal hate fanfic about her. anyways Mako is a bitch in this but I love Bolin so I hope you enjoyed 🙄 also thank you for requesting, it meant a lot that you wanted more about a small silly little blurb I wrote from a separate request!! love you all <33

[shining-magically]

so I’ve wondered this since the trailer came out years and years ago and Chloe defended the movie - was the red shoes teaser written by the same team that made the movie? were they forced to market it like that, was that based on an earlier draft, etc?? not sure if you know but you seem like the leading expert!

Sorry, this is gonna be an absolute novel because you know I’m an animation fan and the history and production of Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs is SO interesting and insane. Like, Tangled levels of insane. Thanks for calling me an expert, no one else was gonna do it so I just kind of took up the helm lol.

Here’s the low-down... The timeline of the movie’s production is an absolute mess and kind of an extremely wild ride. It was in production for ten years, went through a lot of different crew members, and went through at least two other major versions of the story before landing on the final version.

Since there’s not a ton of info on the movie’s production, a lot of this is pieced together from different interviews and context clues, and also a lot of what I’ve read and what I am quoting has been translated from Korean, sometimes pretty roughly. But yeah.

Here’s the story of why the Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs teasers and poster were so, so bad and fatshame-y and the actual movie was so, so good and body-positive. (With pictures and production artwork!)

(This is a beast of a post so I’m putting it under a cut.)

All right, so. After its conception originally as a short story by the South Korean studio Locus Creative in 2009-2010-ish, Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs was being worked on and was set to come out in Summer 2017, as evidenced by this poster at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, featuring a different logo and very different character designs for most of the dwarfs.

In early-mid 2016, the first teaser (in which we see Snow White undress and then two dwarfs recoil in horror at her fatness when she takes her magic shoes off) was released, after the film had kind of been slowly chugging along for 6 or so years. (I am having such trouble pinpointing when the second teaser was released (in which one of the dwarfs basically attacks Snow while she is sleeping to steal her shoes), but I believe it was around the same time.) The teasers didn’t get that much traction because this was a small film from a small indie studio in South Korea.

None of the final actors had been cast yet. At this point in the production, the story was different, one of the many versions that the movie went through. As in the final movie, the dwarfs were actually cursed knights/princes and Snow White switched back and forth between two body types due to her magic shoes, but in this version, the dwarfs needed to steal the shoes from her in order to break their curse (rather than needing “a kiss from the most beautiful woman in the world” like in the final movie).

The weird thing is, I believe they had JUST changed the movie’s story when the teaser came out. I’m almost positive it was released more as a proof of concept than as an actual trailer for the movie. They had just recently combined two separate characters (seen above), a typical pretty, skinny princess character (Snow White) and a cute chubby girl character (’Bonnie’), into one single character that switches back and forth between the two appearances when she wears the magic shoes (also they had just dropped literally half of the movie taking place in the real world, with a magic mirror portal, it was a whole thing). 

They didn’t have the details of this aspect of the new story hammered out yet, and the first pass at presenting Snow’s magically changing body type, was, yeah, not good and super offensive. This was a really inexperienced indie studio making their first film on a low budget, so even the animation and voice acting wasn’t great. I think they just wanted to get SOMETHING out there because it had been 6 years and they wanted to have something to show for it.

But here’s the thing. Despite how the teasers make it seem, this was always supposed to be a movie about body positivity, letting go of appearance-based prejudices, and loving yourself and others for who you are and for who they are, which we see in the final film.

I like to think of our film as a kindhearted one. Our intentions are nice.

- Director Sung-ho Hong

It’s important to keep in mind that this movie was made in South Korea by a 99% Korean crew, and, as I understand it anyway, in Korean culture, ‘fatshaming’ is not really a thing that is seen as overtly offensive. Also, children’s media there seems to have more adult things in it than in the US, which probably accounts for the more risque parts of the teasers. That said, I really believe that at this point in the timeline, the movie was on-track to be bad (or at least not very good) when it was released, and it would have ended up bad IF a few key players hadn’t signed on (which I’ll get to in a moment).

Interestingly, the movie’s producer, Sujin Hwang, said in a 2017 interview:

“[Both teasers] were solely produced to induce curiosity. They’re completely irrelevant to the actual story.”

- Producer Sujin Hwang

I think what she was trying to convey was that neither one is a scene in the actual movie, because while the teasers didn’t reflect the revamped story as it existed in summer 2017 (the time of the interview), they DID reflect the earlier version of the story where the dwarfs wanted her shoes, which is what the story was at the time they were made.

Now that we’re in post-teaser 2016, HERE’S where things start to turn around. After the teasers were released, my guy Disney veteran and native Korean Jin Kim joined the project. He and Red Shoes director Sung-ho Hong had been buddies for about eight years and Sung-ho had been trying to get Jin to come to Seoul and work with him at Locus for a long time, and he finally succeeded.

Jin and his twenty years of Disney experience as an animator and senior designer on films like Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Moana, had a HUGE HUGE HUGE influence on the movie. He redesigned almost all the characters, oversaw all the visual development from the moment he signed on, and heavily (HEAVILY) supervised the animation, literally going frame-by-frame through preliminary animations and drawing over them, teaching the inexperienced animators at Locus everything he knew. (Literally almost everyone except him either only had TV experience or had no professional experience because they just gotten out of school.)

From an outsider’s perspective, it really seems as though Jin joining the project (and his gargantuan effort) made the quality SKYROCKET. Not just in character design and animation, but also in things like effects animation, story, etc. After he joined, Locus really started pushing HARD to make a good, high-quality movie, and his influence and experience from being a prominent figure at Disney was absolutely key. The studio also began to really study Disney films and other well-made animated films from other studios to really try and pinpoint what the DNA of a good animated movie really is.

I don’t have any solid evidence, but I’m pretty sure that Tony Bancroft (an animator and the co-director of Mulan) then joined the project because he’s good friends with Jin Kim. He is only credited as the voice director (the movie was recorded in English and the characters were animated to the English dialogue), but I am SURE that he probably also had a pretty big influence on the movie, because like... How could he not? I really really think there was more to his role than his title would have you believe, even though there’s almost no info out there about it.

So now the movie goes through a gigantic metamorphosis. Character designs, visual development, and animation quality are all rapidly improving, the story is tightening, and the themes of the movie (which, again, were always the same and intended to be positive) are being presented in a more sincere way. The movie is becoming the sweet, self-love-encouraging and body-positive movie that was eventually released.

I’m putting a gif from the credits of the final movie here. As we move into 2017, when the giant eruption of backlash occurred, please keep in mind that the story was finalized at this point and that THIS was the movie people were so mad about:

Chloe Grace Moretz accepted the role of Snow White immediately after she read the script and she recorded her lines (I think) in early-ish 2017. Her co-star Sam Claflin also immediately accepted the role of the romantic interest, Merlin, after reading the script and recorded his lines in (I believe) July 2017.

In the summer of 2017, the story and script were more or less the same as in the final movie. Promotional images from that time show that most of dwarfs had been completely redesigned by this point and didn’t have their teaser designs anymore.

They also released a few screenshots that look exactly like the final film. The movie was advertised as coming out in ‘2018′ at this point. Here’s a promo image from 2017 that is MUCH more tactfully worded than the infamous Cannes poster:

So now we’re in summer 2017. The Cannes Film Festival. The movie’s script and story have been basically nailed down, animation is underway, and the Korean film company Finecut is beginning to market and sell the movie to worldwide audiences. They are planning on showing some footage to potential buyers at the festival, and they make a poster to advertise the film there.

Unfortunately, it’s THIS POSTER:

Now here’s where there are some unknowns. By this point, the movie is basically in its final form, which is an adorable, body-positive story about loving people for who they are, loving yourself for who YOU are, and that provides commentary on society’s standards of beauty and how they affect how people are treated/viewed. So why this poster??? All I can really tell is that someone (I think Finecut) really, REALLY messed up and either horribly mistranslated the tagline, or didn’t do enough research to know that this kind of thing is REALLY NOT OKAY in western culture.

The above picture is shared and the internet backlash begins, fueled by tweets from prominent body-positivity activists like Tess Holliday. Even Chloe Grace Moretz speaks out against it, because she of all people KNOWS that that’s not what the movie is about. The internet then finds the old teasers from before the movie was revamped and it makes things worse. Producer Sujin Hwang profusely apologizes and says that that is NOT the message of the movie. Locus pulls the advertising campaign, and takes down the two old teasers.

“Our film, a family comedy, carries a message designed to challenge social prejudices related to standards of physical beauty in society by emphasizing the importance of inner beauty.”

- Producer Sujin Hwang

Voice director Tony Bancroft also tried to explain the situation:

“The truth is the film has a body-positive message as its core theme–it’s the opposite of what reports are saying. The problem is one poorly translated movie poster that has been taken dramatically out of context.” 

- Voice Director Tony Bancroft

And then... There was nothing for a while. The movie didn’t come out in 2018 and was delayed. From what I can tell, I DON’T believe this delay was related to the Cannes backlash. I think it was mostly due to Locus’s limited budget and resources, because as we know, animation is difficult, time-consuming, expensive, and easy to do badly but hard to do well. Also, probably with Jin Kim and Tony Bancroft’s influence, they REALLY wanted to make sure to do a good job with the animation because they now had a great story and they really wanted the movie to be a quality, worldwide hit that would kind of put South Korean feature animation on the map. Just take a look at how nice the final animation was:

The movie was released in South Korea on July 25th, 2019. Unfortunately, the damage was done in the English-speaking markets and it was not released to an English-speaking audience until June 22, 2020, when it was released digitally in the UK. At the time of this post, there is no set US release date, but the distribution rights were recently bought by Lionsgate and the MPAA gave the film an official PG rating.

So who’s to blame? There’s no good answer. You could blame Locus for making those old teasers. You could blame Finecut for the competely tonedeaf Cannes poster. You could even blame cancel culture for raging against the movie based on one poster and two old teaser trailers without researching what the movie was actually about.

All I know is, it’s a damn shame.

[theamberwizard]

i’ve been thinking about black widow and the red room recently, as one does, and i’ve got a lot of thoughts about the effects of the red room on widows who’ve escaped. couple things, just before i begin: i would recommend having watched black widow before this because there are implied (?) spoilers, i use way too fancy language while i write and i don’t have an editor cause this is mainly to catch her off guard, so, uh, whoops sorry

trigger warnings: TW: child abuse TW: restricted eating/starving yourself TW: dehumanization TW: death of a child

so yeah, enjoy my list of 10 personal headcanons about how the red room fucks you up on all the levels.

1) black widows cannot sleep in. like, they wake up at 5:00 am every day. it’s not a physical thing, at least not as far as they know, because they can negate that by just going to bed two hours or less before 5:00 am just from their lack of sleep. if, however, they go to sleep at a fairly normal hour they will, like clockwork, wake up at 5:00. this stems from them doing it every single day of their life since they got indoctrinated in the red room. if they didn’t wake up at 5:00 am ready for more training or missions, for any reason, they would be tortured. sometimes physically, sometimes mentally. eventually, all the widows would get that message. they still can’t shake it. because of that, natasha will often refuse to go to sleep at a normal hour, trying to force her body into submission, trying to rid herself of the painful memories that accompanied sleep and waking up afterwards. only clint knows why, because each day in that vent, natasha would snap up at 4:00 am. she had to explain to him that she just wasn’t accustomed to budapest time, and that actually, it was 5:00 am in russia.

2) for months after escaping the red room, widows practically cannot eat. in the red room, they were fed mushy messes of meals, filled with only the necessary nutrients that they absolutely had to have to survive. most widows can only get down one meal, maybe even a snack if they push it, until they throw it all up. they have to slowly eat slightly more each day for weeks until they can get down a normal intake of food. even then, it’s hard to push that, and every widow relapses into throwing up in those early stages. however, this isn’t normally a problem for most widows until a couple weeks into their life with freedom. that’s about the time that they make an acquaintance, who will eventually pluck up the courage to ask them why every time said friend will eat near the widow, the widow will lean over and whisper: “careful, that’s your whole ration today and i don’t want to do extra training.”

3) each “class” of widows had an extra mentor teacher in their early red room years. this was an older widow, someone who’d been falling behind in her recent missions, and with a look that the red room deemed “motherly”. their sole purpose was to be the person each widow got attached too, the parental figure. they were nice, they were helpful, they taught many different basic techniques. then, one day, the red room would have another older widow, (one already introduced to the children as the metaphorical “bad cop” of this scenario) come in and inform the mentor that she had failed her latest mission and proceed to, in front of thirty eleven year-olds, shoot the mentor. the mentor widow would not die that day- the red room refused to waste such a weapon- but the class of up incoming widows would be informed that she had. the official purpose of this exercise was to demonstrate to both the trainees and the trainer the consequences of failing a mission. the unofficial purpose? that would be the last psychological effects the mentor’s “death” would have upon the class, making them learn what happened to attachments in the red room. the day natasha’s class experienced this was the day she cut off all contact with her sister. the day yelena experiences this is the day she first another widow- because yelena killed that mentor with her own bare hands before the informant ever finished the announcement.

4) towards the start of the red room’s history, there were several attacks on the red room. the first ever attack was from a local police station who had been getting complaints of loud wailing, and, upon further investigation, realized what they were dealing with. they brought several other police and militia groups from nearby towns. the immediate action that was taken was to throw the littlest girls they had at the attackers. it stopped the police in their tracks, obviously, because you really don’t expect to come across thirty little girls while searching through a building of highly trained assassins. the red room then sent their fully trained widows and killed everyone. including the girls. the red room then found that footage from their cameras (because of fucking course they have cameras) and then showed it to the next batch of widows, just to show them how disposable they were.

5) yelena and natasha almost caused a whole fucking mutiny within the red room just because of their names. in the red room, you see, widows do not get names. they instead are bestowed with numbers, and even those are a twisted class ranking. they all wore little name tags with the numbers on them until came natasha and yelena came in. yelena, having just seen her mother get shot, complied almost immediately and was addressed as number 42. on the other side of that coin you have natasha, who had already been in the red room and remembered every gruesome detail, and went “fuck you my name is natalia.” upon hearing of this (word gets around fast in the red room. every girl must know they are being listened to at all times, and no secrets can be kept from the red room,) yelena too announced her name to the class.

6) this was met with blanching from every child in that class, because how on earth can you be called by a word? no, they thought, we are numbers, we are weapons, we are not people and we cannot have our own words, for we are not worthy. but secretly, internally, they wished for a name. slowly, they began piecing syllables together until they formed a coherent name, and for the first time in the red room’s long history, they didn’t have weapons. not anymore. they have two full classes of human little girls. the red room officials heard of this, obviously, and took to the only method they had now. violence. the classes were rid of the named girls, yet natasha and yelena were kept alive. they were kept alive to be ostracized, to be the girl the others pointed at and said “she’s the reason all my friends died.” they were kept alive so they could watch the carnage they had unwittingly caused just by saying their own names. and the worst part? well, the worst part was when the teachers accounted for those kills, and made them top of the class. yelena will never forget the day the teachers stood her and her sister up in front of all the widows-in-traning and told them what a good job they had done, how those tactics were sure to help them graduate. i mean, you’re practically a shoo-in if they rest of your class was killed by your school.

7) the red room could never fully stop the names, and so they decided to make a system, and the names would be the highest reward. they told the young, impressionable girls that while maybe outsiders such as natasha and yelena got names at birth, you had to earn them here. if you are to become a spy, you will take on the name of you very first official alias. if, instead, you become an assassin, you will take on the name of your very first official kill. of course, in reality, the widows couldn’t actually address each other with their new earned names, and instead used “team leader” or other such titles. but it became a small comfort for them, thinking of themselves in third person, with their very own names. in some small part they weren’t fully weapons anymore, no, they were people again. natasha took on the name natalia, because in her mind that life in ohio had been her first mission, even if she hadn’t known it. yelena took on yelena as well, but in her mind that little girl in ohio who was sitting in the backseat, caring only about which song they played, that girl had to have been yelena’s first true kill.

8) the names system worked well in the red room, but when you escaped it caused some serious problems. most would have to announce themselves to the russian government, saying they had been flying under the radar their whole life and never became registered. then, they’d give a non-russian name, and their whole ruse would fall apart. unfortunately, this was the least of their problems, because many a widow would someday meet a relative of their very first kill, and when they introduced themselves as the person they had killed all those years ago, the families and friends would often figure them out.

9) one of the biggest parts of the red room’s brainwashing was their little catchphrases they used. ironically, a lot of them were eerily close to boy scout mottos- “be prepared,” an iconic scout motto, versus “there is no safety, only preparedness,” the most frequently used phrase within the red room. when widows then escaped, the most small phrase could set them off. some unknowing widows even adopted little boys in their new lives, who often became boy scouts. the ensuing misery is something you can imagine yourself.

10) after clint helped natasha to escape, she immediately died her hair blond.  clint asked why, of course, and she didn’t tell him. (what, you thought i’d have another cute clintasha moment? never.) this was partly because she hadn’t admitted it to herself, though, because natasha couldn’t remember her sister without remembering all the suffering that came with her.

11) when the widows were smaller, more susceptible to the conditioning, the red room would stage infiltrations. older widows, ones who were closer to retirement, would come in in different uniforms, sometimes the uniforms of UN officers or local police, sometimes different organizations, all different types. the most recent uniforms made yelena sick looking at them, because each time the older widows would pretend to be the avengers there would also be one pretending to be her sister. each time she saw the fake natasha she wanted to break that widow’s neck because that’s not how my sister tilts her head, you’re doing it all wrong. you should be doing it like this, you shouldn’t be doing it at all, i should be doing this, i know my sister. each time those exact thoughts went into her head, and each time all she really wanted was for her sister to be there, for natasha to do her little head tilt upon seeing yelena and take her hand and say “you’re safe now, i promise,” and for natasha to be telling the truth. the only problem was that deep down inside herself yelena knew that this could never actually happen while yelena was still in the red room, because while yelena was still in the red room she knew that she would look at natasha telling her she was safe and tell her in return that there was no safety, only preparedness, and then murder her sister in cold blood.

[fa-headhoncho]

Untitled TFATWS Fic: Part 1

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Prompt/Background: After turning yourself in to the government following the events of CA:TWS, they lock you up for the crimes you committed during your time at Hydra. Spending years there until Captain America got you on parole during the blip to help fight Thanos. Now, after doing community service acts and helping the broken society, when they give the new Captain America the shield, you’re thrown back into a life you didn’t want.

Word Count: 1871 (ahaha, yea)

Reader: Female

Warning: parole officers might be triggering??? idk

Author’s Note: I’ve decided to end my 141 part Wattpad Sebastian Stan imagine book and post on Tumblr instead :’), a happy day. Also, I’M SORRY THAT I LIKE SLOW BURN SERIES OK? Schedule for this series is every Thursday. ALSO IF YOU HAVE TITLE IDEAS FOR THIS SERIES, LMK! PLEASE

Masterlist

Part 2  Part 3  Part 4

=====

The sound of your heels echoed throughout the dimly lit room as you make your way through the exhibit. The walls take you back in time, reading how Captain America came to be and all his past accomplishments. They even updated from the last time you were here, documenting the events on the Blip.

You didn’t even know where you were going, absently letting your emotions and feet lead to where it felt you needed to be.

“For a former spy, you’re not really good at sneaking up on someone.” Rhodes’ voice greets you once you open up the curtain to a different area. A small smile sneaks its way across your face seeing the two men in front of you.

“Bit out of practice.” You spit back, walking towards them. “It’s nice to see you again, Rhodie.” You open your arms out to him and he gladly takes the hug. “Hopefully life’s been treatin’ you well.”

“For the most part,” He chuckles out while pulling away from the embrace. You move on to the other man, him happily wrapping his arms around your waist as you wrap yours around his shoulders.

Sam lets out a breath into the crook of your neck before pulling back. “You doing okay?” You ask, looking at his face for any sign of emotion. He nods but there was something in his eye that told otherwise.

You open your mouth to push him for the real answer but Rhodes cuts you off, “Well, I have to get going. It was good seeing you, (Y/L/N), hopefully, we work together soon. Remember what I said, Sam.” With that, he leaves the room to leave you and Sam alone.

The room fills with silence as the two of you turn to the iconic suit and shield in front of you. You try to watch Sam from the corner of your eye but he just stands with his back straight and his eyes forward.

“You know, I’m sure Steve would understand.” You decide to say, clasping your hands in front of you. “I didn’t become as close as you did, but from my time with him during the Blip, he tried his best to help everyone. He had a lot of responsibilities and issues of his own along with having a whole country looking up to him... 

“It was a lot… he opened to me about it one night before… you know.” You admit which makes him finally look at you. “He told me what he was going to do and all I could do is support him… I asked him what he was going to do with the mantle and he said give it to you.” Turning your head, you make eye contact with him. “I asked him if he was sure.”

He lets out a snort at that, shaking his head at you. “Really gotta do me like that?” He wipes his hand across his face then stuffs his hand in his pockets as he turns to face you. “I thought we were having a nice bonding moment and then you had to drop me like that?”

You can’t help the giggle that escapes your lips at his whining. “I’m being serious, Sam, stop.” You hit him on the shoulder. “He said there was no doubt in his mind that you do what needed to be done with the shield. He trusted you and your judgment, Falcon.” You emphasize his hero name which he just rolls his eyes at you.

“Yea, I’m sure he did.” He smiles and then changes the subject, “How’s parole treatin’ ya, still got the collar on?” He gestures to your ankle causing you to lift your dress pant leg, flashing the electric bracelet around your ankle. He lets out a hearty chuckle at it. “Still can’t believe that they have you on a leash.”

“Price you gotta pay for freedom.” You shrug and drop the cloth. There’s a beat of silence between the two of you, both of you taking a glance back at the exhibit and the shield.

“Have you talked with Bucky recently?”

“No, I was going to ask you.” Your heart sinks at the realization. “We’ve been texting a bit but I haven’t seen him since I spent the weekend with him a couple of weeks ago.” You shyly admit and look down at your feet.

“Weekend, huh?”

“Shut it, Sam.” You knock your foot against his. “We didn’t do anything, he doesn’t like me like that. Plus, he wouldn’t even let me spend the night. I had to go to a hotel, he sleeps on the floor, Sam! I’m worried about him.” It took weeks for you to convince him to let you come over and you finally knew why when you step into his apartment. It made your heart sink, it looked like if a Hydra cell got a remodel. “He has two chairs and a tv.”

“Living modestly I see.” He snorts out, covering up whatever he was actually thinking. It’s now your turn to roll your eyes at him, frustrated that he isn’t willing to talk about this. “Hey, he’s still figuring stuff out, okay? He just got all his memories back and he’s still working on living with his past. You should know better than I do to give him time.” His tone is soft as he lightly scolds you. You hang your head at his words, knowing he’s right.

It took some time for you to come to terms with your past when you turned yourself in after Hydra and SHIELD fell. You took accountability for your actions during your years at Hydra and spent a few years in jail before Steve took action to help you get on parole. That didn’t mean you weren’t fully recovered.

“When are you joining me on the field, anyway?” Sam changes the topic noticing how you went silent and your eyes looked past him. “I could use you on some of my recon missions.” 

A large smile forms on your face at the mention of your parole. “A couple more check-ins and I’m good, I think.” You excitedly inform, “They actually want to talk to me about something, and then it’s the last three months. Saving the world made my good behavior skyrocket.”

“I’m sure it did.” He smiles, “Well, let me know what happens. I’m heading down to Louisiana soon and my sisters want to meet you. She heard about your work with the soup kitchens in New York and she wanted some insight.”

“Really? Give her my number, you know I’d be happy to talk with her. I’ve been thinking about trying to get my officer to convince the big guys to expand my tracking radar so I reach out more.” You start to ramble about the ideas you’ve been having for more community service actions. During the blip, Steve got you into volunteer work and it sparked something inside of you. He said it might give you a new purpose and he couldn’t have been more right.

The two of you spend the rest of the day together, catching up on everything that’s been going on. You didn’t realize how much you missed his snarky comments and banter until he smothered you in it, “making up for lost time”, he said. He continues the bullying by texting back and forth for the next few days.

It was nice to have a friend after everything that happened over the last few years. Steve and Nat were gone so the friendships you built up during the blip were just a memory now. Yea, Bucky and you were friends but it was a bit more complicated than that.

It’s a few weeks after that and they’ve already named some prick the new Captain America. You were frustrated at Sam but you realized that he couldn’t have known that this was going to happen. Especially since when you reached out to him and he was more furious than you were. Bucky was a whole other story. When the press conference aired, he immediately called you and went off about Sam. You couldn’t offer answers so you just told him to talk to him about it. This didn’t involve you.

Now, you were sat at some random government office in DC. You were beyond nervous, leg bouncing and fingers tapping. Kevin, your sweet parole officer, had called you in for an emergency meeting. He didn’t mention anything about the content of it but he assured you not to worry. It didn’t help, though, your mind was scrambling trying to think of anything you could’ve done to break your parole or anywhere you could’ve gone that went outside your tracking radar.

“(Y/L/N)?” The familiar voice echoes through the lobby makes your head snap up. Kevin, your knight in a cashmere sweater, stands there with his hands in his pants pockets. He nods his head, gesturing for you to follow him.

He leads you down a long hallway, stopping at the end of it and holding the door open for you. You send him a grateful smile before entering the office. It was very different from his usual office. The tall windows lined the wall from floor to ceiling, making the already large room feel even more spacious. It was a bit unsettling compared to his close-knit office space located in an old house on the outskirts of DC.

Kevin moves you two to the large conference table on the other side of the room, having you sit before he does. He takes the chair at the head of the table, sighing as he opens the folder and takes a few papers out.

“Sign these.” He slides them over to you but you furrow your eyebrows in response.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re being released.” He announces, leaning back in his chair with a tight-lipped smile on his face. Your jaw drops and your heart picks up but you can’t help but question it. You quickly compose yourself and look down at the papers.

“Isn’t it a bit too early?” You ask while briefly scanning the papers. “I still have two months left, not that I’m not grateful but where is this coming from?” This was happening too suddenly, Kevin was good with warning you about the activities that go on behind the scenes of your parole and he didn’t even mention the thought of an early release.

The brunette man lets out a sigh, running his hair through his long hair. He then leans his elbows on the table with his head propped up on his palms, he opens his mouth to answer but is cut off by the office door opening.

The new Captain America and his sidekick come waltzing in, a few of his goons following as well. He didn’t need the uniform or shield for you to recognize him since his face has been plastered on every channel since they came forward with him. He’s all everyone could talk about.

“He released you.” You barely hear Kevin as your mind goes into spirals. What the hell did this guy want? Why is he even here? What the hell did he want with you?

[aerimomo-mellon]

NCT U react to s/o cooking.

note* NCT U Members Lineup for their Title Track "Make A Wish"

Genre~ fluff ☁

Paring~ NCT U x reader

A/N~ I wrote this from what I know about them and that's it so have fun!

request's are open! you can write it on "have a promise? ask away!"

시작..

Taeyong

Just loves the idea of you cooking for him. The outcome doesn’t matter cause he is just so happy that you’re working so hard just to cook for him.

While you’re cooking he constantly checks on you, hugs you from behind and whispers sweet nothings in your ear.

When the food it ready and you’re done plating you call him and he rushes to the table. Gives you a quick peck and digs in. The moment the food is inside his mouth he can’t even tell you in words how good it was to him. “ wahhh… mmmmm” he let’s out stuffing more food in his mouth.

“ babe you’re perfect!!” He says as he finishes and hugs you. “Sorry I should have left you some to try but I was so into it, I’ll order you food soon…”

You give him a smile “ glad to hear that you liked my cooking..”

Doyoung

He likes it very much that you’re cooking but isn’t so sure if he is going to like it or not.

While you’re cooking he won’t check on you that often cause he would be too busy praying 🙏🏻 for good food. Of course he loves you dearly and knows you very well but he doesn’t want to make you sad therefore he prays for good acting skills as well.

Once you’re done you call him to the table and he looks at the plate which didn’t have the best visuals for sure and so he took a small bite chewing it thoroughly and once he was done. “Actually far better than I expected honey.. I like it!”

“ what do you mean than you expected?” You say as you teasingly rolled your eyes. And that whole session turned into you chasing him and having tickle fights. “Hey the food!!”

Jaehyun

The fact that you were cooking meat was enough to make him all happy and excited.

This guy lives for meat loves it too much. The one to be constantly checking on you too. He joyfully skips to the kitchen and gives you a peck on the cheek and leaves with a “hwaitting!!”

Your done with your meal and he comes to join you. The sight of it making his mouth water already, “wahhhhhhhhhh what are you?” He says sarcastically. “Your savior from heaven…” you reply giggling..

He quickly grabs a seat and says a quick prayer, “ thank you for this wonderful priority right beside me who made this delicious food for me and help her make more!” And he digs in. “Wow so good baby it’s so good!!” He says with wide eyes. “You sure it’s good? Or you’re just in love with meat..”

Lucas

Oh dear Lucas and his love for food. No really this man probably thinks food is something he loves after his girlfriend and parents.

While you’re cooking he doesn’t have to check on you cause he is with you the whole time. Asks if he can help but you don’t let him even so he repeats the questions until you let him cut the kimchi for the kimchi stew. Tries his best but ends up bending the knife, apologizes afterwards and sits down quietly.

Once you're done preparing the meal all his mouth says is “I love you, I love you my baby, ohhh thank you my babyyy” and you laugh at his Korean accent and think it’s super cute.

He takes a sip of the stew and says “ oh may gadddd you’re amazing baby!!!!” And gets up opens the kitchen window and shouts so the whole neighborhood can hear “my girlfriend can cook the BeSt kimchi stew!!!!!!!!!” In his poor accent. “Babe that’s enough stop…” you say cringing to his statement covering your face.

Xiao Jun

Is not into you cooking for some reason but will let you anyway. Just because you begged 🥺

While you’re cooking he won’t be there with you cause he went out to find his Lao Gan Ma sauce. He can’t eat without that sauce so he went early morning to find it. Your phone rings “ hey baby, uhh I can’t find it at the store so I’m going to see Kun maybe he has it. I’ll be a little late” he says and hangs up.

finally brings the sauce from Kun and sets it on the table. "babe your late and I cooked lunch but it's already dinner time" you say patiently. "sorry hehe, I'll still eat it though" he says with a made up smile.

Takes a bite with his sauce "hey, I don't think the sauce matches with this dish baby" he says chewing slowly. "well yeah that's what I've been trying to tell you this is an Italian pasta!"

Jaemin

you knew your boyfriend loved honey Tteokbokki so you decided to surprise him with it after he came from practice..

The ingredient list had a lot of ingredients so you decided to get the ones you did not have at the moment. Once you got all your needed ingredients you came home and started to cook. As much as you were having trouble with it you still wanted to make your tired boy happy.

There was the sound of the door passcode and he entered the room. “Mmmm baby what did you cook?” He says smiling and coming to hug you. You gave him a peck and he kissed back once it broke he looked at you with so much love “ you made something for me?” He says smile showing his pretty teeth. “Yup! Guess what it is?” You say curious for his answer. “Umm ramen? Tteokbokki?”

“ close but not precise hehe” you say opening the lid of the pan he said with wide eyes 👀 “ this is honey tteokbokki right?” He says. “ yup, I tried very hard but I don’t know if it’s good or not hehe sorry” you say scratching the back of you head. He takes a pair of chopsticks and eats one rice cake from the teokbokki. “ wow this is not bad but little bit sweeter than usual but it’s like you so I’ll eat it” he says hugging you tightly. “I love you nana” you say as he presses another sweet peck.

Shotaro

Since he loves sweets you asked him if you could bake something for him. He wanted you to bake brownies and so you did…

He isn’t the best at cooking and he doesn’t know a lot of baking too so he couldn’t help but encouraged you through the process of making it. Maybe plays you some songs or even raps for you if you ask for it. Loves seeing you bake or cook so he spends his time staring at you.

When you ask him to help you get the brownies out of the oven he freaks out but won’t show it and do as you say. “Be careful!” You say as he slowly takes it out. “See? It wasn’t a big deal actually…” he says as you role your eyes at him. After you let it cool you cut the brownies in cubes and put it in a container and sent it to him since he went for practice just before you kept in to freeze.

Your phone rings “ babyyyy!!!! Why did you send it here I don’t get to have them in peace now the others are devouring it all!!” He says in a desperate manner. “ chill out I’ve got extra in the house, come home soon!” You say and hang up.

끝..<3

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