#ss 04

[newestcool]

Balenciaga s/s 2004 rtw Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière  Newest Cool

[matsiwrld]

heatherette ss 04

[jtl-fics]

what time is it?! SHOW TIME

let’s check on the foxhole bake show

WIP Wednesday 12-27-23 (Closed) | Foxhole Bake AU

"It's for the outside." Andrew says as Prue looks at the assortment of fresh fruit that Andrew had on his station.

"For the decoration?" Paul Hollywood asks and Andrew's lip seems to curl up on it's own in disgust before he lets out a long and gusty sigh.

"Yes, for the decoration." he says as if it pains him to call it that.

[carbone14]

Après leur arrivée à la gare de Klagenfurt, le Führer et Himmler passent en revue la compagnie d'honneur de la Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler – Autriche – 5 avril 1938

©Bundesarchiv - Bild 183-H04436

[yutadori]

god revenge is so awesome

[blxxditout]

Day 3: Are there any killers in the fog that he fears the most and why?

Day 4: How did he react when he learned her basically immortal (ie dies on hook but wakes up at the campfire)

From your secret Santa who again sorry for the lateness!

DAY THREE

What makes a killer 'scary' is not that they do what they do, why. It's not something that he stops to think about often while being pursued in his trials, but among the many that he's participated in thus far, he has taken notice that some take a lot of pride and joy in the art of killing. It's not an act, because calling it that makes it sound simple. The more complex it is, the more torturous it is, the scarier the killer. Because they are no longer simply a killer, but someone who lives for the continuous torture, someone who thrives off of it.

The Doctor, in his regards, is one of the crueler hunters amongst them in the fog because of this. He will find you, but he won't kill you straight away.

The more prolonged death is, the more he fears for when it will arrive, adding to the building madness already brought from trials spent with Herman. For him, it starts to get really bad when he starts to see the hallucinations, he can't trust what's in front of him or what's beside him. He'll see the electric killer in most cases, but sometimes, there is another amongst the figments of his scattered mind. The image of his late lover appears before him like a ghost, observing him with those kind eyes, and it nearly gets him every time. It's not real, it's not, but he can't help it. He'll go to the apparition, just for her to vanish within his arms. Frustration overflows from the well inside, and he cries out.

Snapping out of it does not cure him of despair, and there isn't any which way to get accustomed or used to it. There is only screaming, and then there is pain. The worst part might be hearing the killer laugh. While this is a job to some, a chore at the very least, to him it is a game. It is something that he is all too enthused to participate in to experiment on the lab rats that the Entity provides. When he is released from the scrutiny of the Doctor, he is neither relieved to be sent back to the campfire or prepared to take him on again. Let alone another trial.

While he will never admit it to any of the others, he is shaken up so terribly bad. The effects of the previous trial still seem to linger, and the static mumbling in his head persists even as he tries to force them to go away. At unrest and unease, he struggles with finding a way to acclimate to his previous state. He can't decide if he wants to be left alone or sit in the company of another until he's settled down. Even when he does, eventually, the bitterness doesn't ever fade.

DAY FOUR

With his first death, he thought that he might finally be able to see Selene again. That he'd go to heaven or to wherever she was to be with her. He'd hoped to find her in their shared bed, awaking to the early morning sunrise as they'd get on with their day or sleep in. He believed that the nightmare was over, but when he found that it was not, he could not have been more distraught. Immortality was what his lady had wanted, what she had killed him over in her sacrifice, but for him to take it in her stead? There was no end to this nightmare. A burning anger filled his veins, curled his fists into balls as he desperately tried to search for a way out.

Either returned to the campfire or set somewhere anew, he ran. He ran until he could not do so any longer, and after that? He cried. He fell to his knees and sobbed besides himself. To be immortal and tortured for as long as time deemed it necessary? That was hell. Hell that he could not fathom that he deserved.

Even while knowing that they'd just be brought back to life, that didn't ease anything for him about the trials, or the blood sport that him and the other survivors were thrust into without a word. If anything, it made him appreciate things more, to take more consideration into the life that he had cultivated over the years and how easy he's had it up until now. It makes him feel even worse about attempting to take that away before he met Selene. At least with knowing that he won't stay dead, he can make it up to the people who's lives end up getting lost during the trials he's in. He doesn't go into them selfishly, but not being able to save them hurts him.

[boujeesimss]

christmas morning lookbook ‧₊˚🎄✩ ₊˚🦌⊹♡

01. pajama set

02. sweater | knee socks | slippers

03. top | sweats | slippers

04. pajama set

*will update items when found, ss for the wait!

thank you cc creators <3 @serenity-cc @charonlee @miikocc @madlensims @caio-cc

[dawnoftime22]

glasses.

| T.S

Warnings: None!

Summary: Wearing your glasses frustrated you, and Taylor figures out why.

Word Count: 506

Category: Fluff

A/N: look who finally wrote a shorter fic for once... :')

| Started on 17/10/2024, 9:43 AM |

| Finished on 04/11/2024, 7:26 PM |

Main Masterlist | T.S Masterlist

“Sweetheart. You're silly.”

|——————————— ⸆⸉ ———————————|

The bedroom was dimly lit, and the sound of the fan humming to send gentle winds across your skin were all you could hear, aside from the tv show Taylor was watching.

"Glasses are stupid..." you murmur, your voice holding frustration. You've been cuddling with Taylor for the past few minutes, resting the side of your head against her.

Taylor looks down, blinking at you. "Why, baby?" she whispers with a chuckle, raising her eyebrow. "They help you see, you know," she adds, smiling softly.

You sigh softly, leaning more into her. "Yeah, but I can't...bury my face and be comfortable with you unless its, like, bedtime..." you murmured, your voice sounding oh, so defeated. Even the way it rested on the bridge of your nose felt uncomfortable.

Her features soften, but she resists to laugh, stifling it by pursing her lips.

"Sweetheart..." she starts, her arms gently pulling you closer. You melt into her, as if she was one of your plushies.

"Why don't you just get contacts?" she suggests, her mind wandering. But then she feels you tense slightly, hugging her further.

"Contacts are scary," you mumbled, pouting ever so slightly. This time, she couldn't resist at least a chuckle getting breathed out.

"Because they go in your eyes?" she whispers, leaning forward and tilting her head down ever so slightly, wanting to see your pout.

You nod gently, taking in a deep breath. "Yeah, and because some things happen to people who wear them," you whisper out, nearly hiding into her side the best you could.

She could understand it now, what you meant. But with her having gotten one herself before, she would at least want to urge you to, considering she was fine.

"Its not all the time though," she reassures, her hand soothingly going in a slow up and down motion on your arm.

You look up at her, pouting even deeper, possibly. "Still scary." You slump your shoulders, your glasses shining in even in the dim light.

She smiles softly at you, seeing how upset you were. "Here," she murmurs, her hand reaching up to your glasses.

"Just take it off..." She slips them off your ears carefully, then folded them, setting them at the side, where the nightstand was.

"But I can't see your gorgeous face," you mumbled. She blushes, but now giggled softly, her arms returning to wrap around you once more.

"Baby, shh...we're close enough, just kiss me all over or something if you want to be closer," she said, leaning in to sweetly kiss your cheek.

A smile replaces your pout now, and you return the kiss, but on her lips. "I love you," you breathed out against her lips.

Her smile turned even wider, and she kisses you back, with just as much affection.

"I love you, too," she whispers. You bury your face into her finally, cuddling closer. Her heart melts at the gesture, and she pulls you even more against her.

-------------------------

taglist <3 - join here! :]

@dmenby3100 @wandsmxmff @tia-thesimp @marvelwomen-simp @escapereality4music @fawnedolly @riaras-everthroner @lovelyy-moonlight @stevecore @midastouch013 @liloandstitchstan @maleahoswick @raven-ss @deadlymistletoe @bambisfawns @rorysrambles @natsxwife @orange15quote

[juyomiao]

FIREWORK - P. SUNGHOON

park sunghoon x idol!reader

★ synopsis newly debuted 5th gen girl group CUP!D from starship entertainment is under everyone's eyes as their debut song 'love dive' goes viral both domestically and internationally ; all is going well until the group's main vocalist, y/n, gets exposed for her old stan… hate account?

☆ featuring enhypen , ive , cravity's seongmin hyeongjun and taeyoung

★ genre smau , idol au , fluff , crack , angst , enemies (?) to lovers

☆ warnings kys/kms jokes , death threats (joking)(most of the times) , my shitty humor , cyberbullying (nothing too heavy) , more specific warnings will be added to each chapter , fromis_9's hayoung as a placeholder for yn's pics

★ status discontinued :(

☆ taglist closed

★ note firework like the &team song not the katy perry song (ray told me to say this) ,, working on an smau makes u anxious ? why not start writing another one !! im taking care of myself i swear 🫶🏻 the group name i came up with might be ass but theres a specific joke i can make with it

MASTERLIST

(chapter titles might be subject to change as the fic goes on)

★ profiles [CUP!SS] / [cool men (real)] / [pick me girls]

01 ♡ wonception

02 ♡ gay son

03 ♡ apology letter with tears

04 ♡ #ynOUT

05 ♡ what are we

06 ♡ leash kid

07 ♡ like the stayc song

08 ♡ menstrual cup brand

09 ♡ quadratic equations

10 ♡ illiteracy

11 ♡ homie hopper allegations

12 ♡ first day at gay high school

13 ♡ reddit aita

[more to be added]

[todaysdocument]

Telegram from Foreign Minister Gabriel S. Valdes of Chile to Secretary of State William P. Rogers

Record Group 59: General Records of the Department of StateSeries: Subject-Numeric FilesFile Unit: SP 10 US

[written by hand in upper right corner "SP 10 US"]

[handwritten in left upper corner "43"]

Department of State TELEGRAM

UNCLASSIFIED 928

Page 01 2401132

85

ACTION ARA 17

INFO OCT 01, CPR 02, JPM 04, NSC 10, P 04, RSC 01, SS 20 USIA 12, SCI 05 NASA 04, RSR 01,/081 W

068484

R 2120082 JUL 69

FM GOVERNMENT OF CHILE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC

UNCLAS

OFFICIAL TRANSLATION

TO HIS EXCELLENCY WILLIAM P. ROGERS

DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE MARVELOUS FEAT ACCOMPLISHED BY THE BRAVE ASTRONAUTS TO WHOM WE WERE LINKED BY TELEVISION, WHICH TRANSMISSION WAS POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR DEPARTMENT'S GOOD OFFICES, I SEND YOUR EXCELLENCY MY MOST SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PRODIGIOUS ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUR GREAT NATION.

GABRIEL VALDES S.

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF CHILE

UNCLASSIFIED

[newestcool]

Comme des Garçons homme s/s 2004 rtw Creative Director Rei Kawakubo Newest Cool

[matsiwrld]

betsey johnson ss 04

[jtl-fics]

Hmmmm I'd love some Foxhole Bake AU for WIP Wednesday 👀

WIP Wednesday - 11/15/23 (Closed) | Foxhole Bake AU

The Camera showed all of the participants each with a bright smile "The contestants are all excited to be here for their first show stopper challenge!" the camera focused on Neil who was looking focused unlike the day before, "Some have everything to prove." then the camera cut to Andrew who was picking at his nails, "and some have nothing to prove at all." Noel continues to narrate.

"Though some of the joy might be a bit of schadenfreude since Baker Nicole is unable to continue on with the competition due to a medical emergency. We're not saying that she was in the direct path of the fumes of Neil Josten's bake the day before, but well..." the footage cuts to Nicole coughing and with tears in her eyes the day before.

"So we're wishing her a swift recovery and the fellow bakers are feeling a bit refreshed knowing that there will no longer be an elimination this week." Noel continued.

"A wedding cake!" Prue starts expression visibly bright, "It may just be 'cake' but it's a spectacle it's a centerpiece, it has to be big, it to be perfectly decorated, it, like any good marriage, must withstand the test of time." she explains looking at all of the bakers.

[carbone14]

Soldats SS sur le territoire de la Serbie – Invasion de la Yougoslavie – Campagne des Balkans – Yougoslavie – Avril 1941

[lalune9x]

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 400: Sunset (4)

"Your other self said the world would be better off if Sung Hyunje disappeared. What do you think about that?" "What do you think, Han Yoojin-gun?"

Chapter translation under the cut.

Story context: Yoojin met the dungeon version of Sung Hyunje in the preceding chapters and received a prophecy from the Star-Counting Bird about Sung Hyunje's fate.

---

[1:04:55 until sunset]

Three more attacks occurred within about twenty minutes. Almost all the nearby hunters had gathered, but there was still no sign of Noah or Song Taewon. I was starting to get worried. Both of them were experienced S-rank hunters, but there were also SS-rank hunters and monsters here. Although they couldn’t leave their designated areas, making escape easier, there was still a chance that something could have gone wrong.

However, with so little time left before sunset, I couldn’t afford to go searching for them.

"Leave it to us," Yerim insisted.

"Yeah, yeah! We’re really good at running away!" Yoon Yoon chimed in. The Newbie had mentioned in a message that those with teleportation or spatial movement abilities should be fine after sunset, but still...

"Make sure you’re back before sunset. If you’re not, I’ll come looking for you."

"You, Ajussi? That’s too dangerous!" Yerim protested.

"That’s why you need to come back on time. Promise me. Don’t go too far, and stick together. Don’t hesitate to use long-range teleportation if necessary."

The only reason I could send them off was because they had the benefit of long-range teleportation. I’m counting on you, Yoon Yoon.

"I promise. You should go back to the hotel and rest, Ajussi. Make sure you eat something for dinner too," Yerim urged.

"We’ll be back, Captain Kim! Little Kim, let’s check if there are any hamburgers left."

"They’re probably cold by now," Yerim commented as she and Yoon Yoon disappeared into thin air. The two of them seemed to get along quite well. Surely the "great person" Yerim mentioned earlier wasn’t Yoon Yoon from the future, right? Although Yoon Yoon did save countless people, I couldn’t picture him advising Yerim to study hard.

In case Noah or Song Taewon showed up late, I decided to leave a note at the Gangnam Station Exit 1. Of course, it wasn’t going to be in Korean.

"Do you know how to write in French, Sung Hyunje-ssi? I think we should leave a note for Noah in French."

How many hunters out there even knew French? Just writing down the hotel name and some directions should be enough.

"As for Song Taewon, well..."

"There’s a code we use," Sung Hyunje said.

"You have a code?"

Did that mean Sung Hyunje had dragged Director Song through enough trouble that they needed one? Anyway, we left notes in places both of them could find.

"Alright, let’s head to the hotel..." I said.

But the roads were in terrible condition. The motorcycle wasn’t an option.

"Yoohyun, you carry that guy," I said.

"I have two arms," Yoohyun argued.

"I know, but it’d be inconvenient for you. There might still be some hunters lurking around."

Reluctantly, Yoohyun picked up my pre-regression self. My other self, not used to being carried, awkwardly lowered his head in embarrassment. Seeing that made me feel a twinge of self-consciousness. I had gotten way too comfortable with being carried around. Maybe I should start feeling a little embarrassed too.

Although my other self had higher stats, he didn’t have any damage-nullifying items, so Yoohyun took the lead in front of us. Even an S-rank hunter was more vulnerable to attacks from behind. It also helped that Sung Hyunje had combat foresight.

But I wondered, would Grace recognize my other self as a contractor too? It seemed to recognize Yoohyun and Sung Hyunje as the same people.

"Unfortunately, I don’t have many answers," Sung Hyunje, who was holding me, spoke as he picked up on my thoughts.

"It’s been a while since we entered the dungeon. What have you been doing in that time? Where did you end up?"

"As I assumed," Sung Hyunje said with a hint of displeasure. "It seems I was unconscious for quite a while."

"What? But why...?" I began, then stopped as a thought struck me. The dungeon version of Sung Hyunje... That version of him was likely linked to this Sung Hyunje, just like how me and my other self were strongly connected. However, unlike me, the pre-regression Sung Hyunje wasn’t in a normal state.

Bound by the chains of the Crescent Moon, possessing a power so overwhelming that even Young Chaos had been taken aback. Could the current Sung Hyunje have lost consciousness under the weight of that other self? If two identical people existed, and one was vastly stronger... could one end up absorbing or merging with the other?

"Does my partner know something?" Sung Hyunje asked.

"Well, uh… kind of."

"I saw Song Taewon’s grave.”

So, he was there. Sung Hyunje leaped gracefully over a collapsed building. Moving as if gravity didn’t apply to him, he weaved us effortlessly through the rubble.

"The guild building was a wreck, too," he remarked.

"...Did you go inside?" I asked.

"The area was sealed off, wasn’t it?" he replied, his golden eyes looking down at me. The way he looked at me made it clear he already had a pretty good idea of what had happened.

"You must’ve met me there," he said.

"You were pretty insufferable."

Sung Hyunje laughed. "Should I apologize?"

"Your hospitality was terrible, but I’ll let it slide this time."

"To make up for it, I’ll extend you an invitation. You’ll be my first guest, Han Yoojin-gun."

"At your new house? Did the move go well? Not that you had much to bring over."

Since everything had been destroyed… poor fish.

"You probably already figured it out, but this is what I wanted to tell you. All of this," I said.

"I don’t know what you mean," Sung Hyunje replied shamelessly. "As I’m still waiting."

As if he didn’t already know. But maybe this was his way of being considerate. 

I called out to Yoohyun, who was up ahead. "We’ll stop by the supermarket! You go ahead and make sure it’s safe at the hotel!"

"But, hyung..."

"Anything else you need besides ingredients for the seaweed soup?"

My other self in Yoohyun’s arms shook his head, still looking embarrassed. He kept acting like that, so now I was starting to feel embarrassed too. This situation would probably look hilarious to anyone watching.

With Yoohyun and my past self heading to the hotel first, I entered the nearest supermarket with Sung Hyunje. We smashed the locked glass door and stepped into the empty store.

"You’ve never pushed a shopping cart before, have you? Careful, you might get information overload again."

"You think I’ve never bought groceries before?"

Sung Hyunje took the shopping cart I pulled out and pushed it forward. He looked out of place yet somehow also like he was filming a commercial.

"If you’ve ever done groceries, it was probably at a department store, with a VVIP attendant pushing the cart. I can imagine that."

"This might be my first time," he admitted.

"In any world," I added.

He didn’t even have friends or a lover... I should probably be a bit nicer to him. Honestly, who wouldn’t develop a bad personality after being dragged around like that? Even a saint would have their limits.

"Seaweed soup is best with beef. I also like the kind with rice cakes. There was a lady who ran a side dish shop that made amazing beef and rice cake seaweed soup. Do you think she might be the same one who works at the Breaker Guild?"

I grabbed an umbrella to use as a walking stick and headed for the butcher section first. The lights were out, so I was worried the meat might’ve spoiled, but the chill was still seeping out from the coolers. After all, this dungeon hadn’t formed that long ago. Even without power, the fridge would stay cold for a while as long as the door hadn’t been opened.

I picked out the best Korean beef for soup, since it was all free. Maybe I should grab some for grilling too.

"Since it’s all free, even Director Song will eat it, right? Though raw beef might be pushing it."

With so many mouths to feed, all with big appetites, I loaded up the cart with top-grade beef cuts. I wondered if the gas and electricity were still working at the hotel. With Yoohyun and Sung Hyunje there, cooking it shouldn’t be a problem. I also grabbed some lettuce for wraps, garlic since Yerim likes it, mushrooms, and… is there no kimchi here? Also cola—actually no, every hotel room has drinks. While they’re usually not free, right now they would be.

I also grabbed a small bag of rice. Red bean rice would be nice, but it takes too long to soak the beans. At least seaweed soaks quickly. I picked the most expensive one and grabbed some seasonings, just in case the hotel didn’t have any.

"The seafood tank’s still working. Putting abalone in beef soup might be overkill, though. Should I grill it instead? How about a lobster? Director Song likes sashimi, right? But slicing fish for sashimi might be too hard."

"I can easily handle the sashimi."

"Seriously, is there anything you can’t do? Anyway, it’s all free!"

When else would I have the chance to feed Director Song such expensive food? I took out a fresh lobster, then another one. Yerim liked things like this too, though she preferred meat. Noah also liked sashimi, surprisingly. I grabbed some abalone, shrimp, and fish—wait, never mind the fish. I took some vinegar, soy sauce, and wasabi too.

The hotel probably had plenty of fruit for dessert. They likely had meat too, but you never knew the quality. Might as well feed them the best Korean beef while I had the chance. Do they label it properly here?

There was a sudden shout. 

"Thieves in the supermarket! Wait, Han Yoojin? Have you resorted to theft now—"

Bang! A bullet whizzed by, narrowly missing the head of a babbling hunter. Not because I missed, but because he dodged well. Guess he’s of a higher rank.

"You little—"

The hunter who had been cursing stopped in his tracks when he saw the man pushing the shopping cart. The guild leader of Sesung casually pulled a pair of kitchen scissors from a display rack and tossed it at the hunter. Thunk. Thud. Correction, must be a low-rank hunter. Even if an S-Rank throws it, those are still just kitchen scissors.

"My reputation was pretty bad," I said, rifling through the snack aisle. "As you probably guessed, I regressed to the past. I used to be thirty years old!"

"So it’s true," he mused.

"What do you mean, ‘so it’s true’? And you, Sung Hyunje-ssi, you disappeared before the regression. Claimed you were raising sheep in the Alps."

"And Song Taewon-ssi died."

"Yes. You said you saw his grave? It was something you forced into place."

"Was it because of me?" he asked.

"No idea. There must be a connection, but your other self wouldn’t tell me the details. And as for you, you were apparently just waiting for the day the Crescent Moon would take you."

"I see," he said, as if we were talking about someone else entirely. I tossed a snack bag into the cart and looked at him.

"Your other self said the world would be better off if Sung Hyunje disappeared. What do you think about that?"

"What do you think, Han Yoojin-gun?"

"Well..."

No matter who asked, my answer would always be the same. Whether it was Sung Hyunje or anyone else.

"I’m tired of losing people, and I’m not the type to give up easily. ‘Oh, I guess I can’t help it. Let’s part ways here. See you in the afterlife~?’ I don’t think I can say that."

"Even if I say I’m giving up?"

"Then I’d curse at you. What about your S-Rank dignity? Even an F-Rank is fighting hard, so who do you think you are, giving up? If you’re going to do that, hand over your rank to me. Now that I think about it, I’m getting angry. If I collapse first, then you can give up!"

If you’re living well, bragging about being high-rank, then live up to it. I can't stand to see you giving up before I do, if only because it pisses me off.

"Besides, you made me a promise. That you would stay as you are. Your pre-regression self didn’t promise me that, so whatever. But you did. Since we’ve already gotten to this point, you have to see it through with me to the end."

"I wouldn’t dare throw the first stone, out of fear of Han Yoojin-gun."

What stones—oh, does he mean Baduk? The more I looked at his relaxed smile, the more I was reminded of the Sung Hyunje in the collapsed building. I really didn’t want to see him like that again. Tangled up like he’d been caught in a spiderweb… It didn’t suit him at all.

But how could we stop the Crescent Moon? It made sense why the pre-regression Seong Hyunje had lost hope after losing Song Taewon. Was there any escape other than death?

"Was my situation really that pitiful?" Sung Hyunje asked.

"The only person who can kill Sung Hyunje is Director Song Taewon," I replied. I didn’t bring up what had been said about me. It was too vague a prophecy, and I honestly couldn’t see how I could play a part in it. "That’s why you once said you would treat him well. An older version of you from some other world."

"I am treating him well," he said.

Sure you are. We pushed the cart through the checkout without bothering to bag anything. There was too much stuff, so we just wheeled the cart out of the market. The sound of the wheels rolling was oddly cheerful.

"Stop trying to mess around with me. I’ve already been hurt enough," I said.

I gave Sung Hyunje a filtered version of what had happened before the regression.

"I was sincere, you know," he said.

"And I said I don’t need it."

"Even so, it’s not good for the two of you to stay close."

Chains clinked as they lashed out, skewering a hunter who had been sneaking up on us. I thought we’d wiped out most of them, but there were still a few trickling in. I guess it would take a while for mid-rank hunters to reach us on foot.

"Aren’t you already pushing your pre-regression self away, insisting that he’s different from you?" he continued.

"What? No, I’m not."

"It’s instinctual. If you’re the same person, you feel like your place is being threatened. There’s only room for one Han Yoojin."

Two can’t fit in the same spot. If they try, they’ll have to split that spot—either evenly or unevenly. That’s what Sung Hyunje meant.

"To protect Han Yoojin, you need to create a completely new place for one of you. Even if you can live on your own, it’s better to keep your places separate."

"…You’re not just making excuses to take me away, are you? Actually, earlier, you seemed awfully eager to take the other me with you. Are you saying one is enough for you, no matter which it is? You might end up with another business partner."

"I only have one partner," he said.

You sure talk smoothly.

"But I’ll admit, I do want to nurture him. It’s no longer possible with my current partner, so I confess I’m a little excited."

He really does have a hobby of raising people, doesn’t he? Considering Sung Hyunje’s personality, my pre-regression self would definitely spark his curiosity. It’s not every day you get the chance to nurture the same person in a completely different way. Especially someone who already rejected him. Though my other self had turned him down too.

"Oh, the lights are on at the hotel," I observed.

In the increasingly dark street, I could see the lights shining through the lobby’s glass doors. Maybe the Newbie had managed to get the power on. If the others returned safely, it looked like we could spend the night comfortably.

[sgiandubh]

When clueless, silence is golden

I was just browsing around while looking for something completely different and stumbled upon this quintessential Mordorian POV:

Disclosing a username is crass and I usually never do this, unless really necessary and relevant. So spare me the ad hominem argument you usually fumble around with, Disgruntled Tumblrettes. Yet, for all its intellectual paucity, this is interesting dissection material, since clearly this person hasn't got the slightest idea of what she is so confidently talking about.

First scenario at play: The Tasting Alliance, 'a company no one has ever heard of', booked and paid for the suite.

Not necessarily booked, nor necessarily paid, madam. In the real business world you are so clueless about, these arrangements are seldom - if ever - monetized. It's rather all about barter.

That company no one ever heard about - except, perhaps, #silly and totally irrelevant Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2023/04/13/the-tasting-alliance-and-reserve-bar-are-set-to-launch-top-shelf/?sh=b45f7085f6f1) - is the parent company of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), largely acknowledged as at least one of, if not the world's leading spirits award contest. Google is your friend, you should try it some time:

The operative info here is that this evaluation comes from the Beverage Trade Network, a professional portal for spirit dealers. Having determined this, Tasting Alliance's IG number of followers is completely irrelevant, since we are talking about two very different targets, here. Its real leverage and weight on the global market does not really need the boost of an aggressive social media presence and the kind of events it hosts are not your favorite junior hockey league or elementary school cake and bake sale.

Let's look a bit further. It takes one click to get on the Tasting Alliance's website (https://thetastingalliance.com/). Granted, not all the information you need to understand its business model is right there and I had to go dig a bit (not without some help - merci encore!) to even get a grip on how these wheels are really turning.

The way they sell themselves is sober and confident. And completely disinterested in social media impact, to be honest:

So, in lieu of glitz and sequined bras, we have a success story in its own right, which started in Frisco in 1980, then continued in 2000, with the addition of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Further expansion followed in 2018, with the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition and 2019, when Dias Blue set a firm foot on the emerging Asian market, with the Singapore World Spirits Competition.

I doubt an explanatory drawing is needed as to the why of this expansion choice: it's all about baijiu, the old/new Chinese sorghum spirit and the everlasting love of the Far East for anything fermented. Lao-lao, the unspeakable Laotian homemade rice whisky, comes immediately to the mind of this blogger: the last bottle I saw, somewhere along the unexploded ordnance ridden Route 13, had a plump snake inside, as a naïve Viagra of sorts. Took a mouthful and thought I was going to die - but when spending the night in a longhouse with the Tai Lü people, you can't afford a faux-pas, can you? /end of travel memories intermezzo

By all my estimations, The Tasting Alliance is very profitable business. Let's unpack ( for current fees, see source: https://callingallcontestants.com/contest/2023-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition/):

Considering the 500 USD fee /entry (550, in 2023) in the competition and the fact that in 2022 there were approximately 5000 entries in the Frisco spirits' competition, we have a very rough turnover estimation of 500x5000= 2.5 million USD. That figure is just for one of the spirits competitions, mind you, and does not take into account what the winners probably pay for the right to mention their medals on their bottles (I am yet to see them on the SS gin bottles, btw), nor the multiple sidekick profit (e-shop sales, consulting and/or other distribution deals, etc). So, at the end of the day, I would comfortably multiply that base by 4, assuming a similar scale for all the other events they organize, which takes the yearly turnover at around 10 million USD and keeping in mind this is very probably a conservative estimation. I also assume costs are negligible, taking into account the discretion with which major players traditionally operate on that particular niche. Real expenses are probably limited to the activity of a handful of offices, sparingly and intelligently staffed. Advertisement is probably bartered and social media, well... you just saw the effort, haven't you?

But then there's the brand's real power on that market and this is the right time to talk about influence and impact. Perhaps this recent (2021) Men's Journal article will help us see better: https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/inside-the-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition

With a bit of luck, this could happen:

Sounds familiar? Of course and I bet that was S's strategy. If you imagined him doing the same exhausting booze tour every year (groping on top and seriously cringe on the sides), I think you might want to reconsider. I told you Sassenach Summer was a sandbox for more serious things to come and until now I have no reasons to change my mind. He did it for a reason and, mind you, that reason is not that the booze did or does not sell. It does. Restaurants start to feature it. Podcasts are being produced. The press starts to mention it (that recent New York Times article is evidence enough). This is not Lucky Luciano dealing in bootleg alcohol during the Prohibition and making obscene money over a fortnight. This is a serious business project that was delayed by COVID. That's all. And it takes time and patience and consistence. We know he has all those aplenty.

We also have the totally inane take on production costs for that podcast. It suddenly made me remember again my media expert past. It is with complete and educated confidence that I tell you: a potential 5K USD extra cost for renting that damn suite for the day is peanuts, even for a two-minute clip (let alone, in reality, a podcast interview, and I stand corrected if wrong), if such costs are covered by The Tasting Alliance. But my money is on a barter with The Shutters on the Beach, which would be, again, common business practice.

Second scenario: 'Shutters comped the room for free promo (...) for an actor most people haven't heard of.' You can throw timelines down my throat as many times as you wish and tell me he already stayed there several times and yell and screech, but here is what I think. Shutters didn't comp that suite for S, an actor most people haven't heard of, a decent, hard working start-up entrepreneur. If so (I doubt it), it would be logical to think Shutters comped that suite for The Tasting Alliance, which has a long documented history of partnerships with hotels that host their competitions:

So Shutters might have comped that room for a major player of the alcohol lobby world, happy that S, a returning client, picked them out of several possible options, because it was convenient. I don't believe for a second he stayed there.

This guy knows what he's doing and C's gin success completely depends and I bet will rely on that relentless networking effort. If anything, the Keepers of the Quaich recent development is only confirmation of all the above. But that's another story - very soon on this page.

IYKYK. The rest is uneducated cackle. But Mordor people were never the brightest bulbs in the fandom's chandelier, were they?