#the short would still be memorable and heartwarming but it also sets up an idea that can be further explored or clarified

[juniemunie]

ok im not sure if i can put this into right words which is why i took so long to respond but i see it a little like this:

a friend told me that GOTNF to them was like a promise to the audience that they wouldnt go with "a bunch of cheap, annoying, marketable tropes and cliches" and yea they're right.... and then THW happened

they wanted to try the whole "what if we gave toothless his independence? what if the dragons had to leave? how would hiccup handle being separated with toothless? how would berk feel and handle themselves living without the dragons?" the whole shebang but twisted everything about it it to end up like... *gestures to all of THW* that.

THE SHIT (GOLD) YOU FIND IN THE OCEAN (YOUTUBE COMMENT’S SECTION)

[thecrazyanimegirl]

Winter anime 2020

And it’s time for another one of these lists. They kinda keep growing in number and it’s scary, but here it is! This season there were some continuation and some anime that got new seasons (ahiru no sora, chihayafuru, isekai quartet,  kaibukichou sherlock, iruma-kun, radiant, nnt) but here are the new anime we started ^^

{ Winter ‘18 }  { Spring ‘18 }  { Summer ‘18 }  { Fall ‘18 }  { Winter ‘19 } { Spring ‘19 }  { Summer ‘19 }  { Fall ‘19 }

BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.

This is a typical isekai with a game-like action and plot. It doesn’t have any deeper meaning, but okay for relaxing. Basically, if you want to take your brain out for a walk - watch this!

Darwin’s game

The manga is better. It always is, but here especially so. It has a really good concept - a battle to the death game in real life, but not as good execution with the anime adaptation, they skipped some of the really important parts. Don’t let that discourage you tho! It has a good character development and nice action scenes, which makes it quite good! And move on to the manga later ^^

Dorohedoro

A very interesting anime! Weird, but good! Not surprising tho, it’s mappa. The world in which the story is placed is, although very dark, refreshing and unusually good. The characters are unique, lovable, but weird... like really weird. The animation is a bit different, but it has it’s charm. Also, it has it’s fair share of blood and gruesome scenes, so skip it if you don’t like that. We loved it though! One of the favorites ^^

Hands off the motion pictures club! 

Soft. Just goddamn soft. The animation is a bit different and simplistic, but it fits the characters so well. This slice of life pulls you into the imaginative and colorful world of three high school girls who share the love for animation, and the viewer follows their process of getting inspired for plots for their anime and working on creating it. There is not much action going on, but it always leaves you with a positive feeling after watching it.

ID:Invaded

Yes. Watch it please. Awesome detective/ mystery story. The idea of entering a criminal subconscious (aka the id) is a unique and it gives new possibilities for detectives to find clues. The plot is very intriguing and keeps you on your toes. Its confusing at the beginning, but the story connects better after a few episodes and it makes you want to watch more. The characters are intriguing and their conversations well paced. (also great voice actors and music *-*) It has some darker scenes, murder and suicide mention, just thought I should mention that, but it’s an extremely good anime, so would definitely recommend!

If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die  

As you can see from the title, this is about a girl fangirling over her favorite idol and that’s it, that’s the plot. But, it’s somehow soft, nicely animated and the story is just enough for an episode a week. It shows both the idol and the fan side of the idol culture, especially the less famous groups. Overall, it’s not an anime that will knock you off your feet, but it’s a solid comedy with relatable characters ^^

Infinite Dendogram  

Generic entering-a-game anime. The point of the anime is that every persons possibilities are endless and everyone has the potential to develop into a strong person. Like we said, nothing new. It’s old, but cute concept. 

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun 

And we’re pretty sure most people already know about this one! It’s playful, colorful, cute as heck, the main girl gets a bit annoying, but it’s hella good! The story balances comedy with a school setting and a darker side involving yokai and evil things that lurk in the shadows, making it interesting to watch. The animation is pleasant to the eyes and the characters are great, what’s more to want ^^

Kyokou Suiri

The plot of this anime is more focused on logical and critical thinking rather than on action, though it may seem otherwise from the synopsis. The relationships between the main characters are kind of weird, but in a good way and their interactions are always interesting. We were pleasantly surprised to see the main female character to have a crush on a guy and still maintain her IQ level. Overall, it’s a good anime, it has good voice actors (Mamo-chan <3), but don’t expect to be kept on the edge of your seat.

Magia Record: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica Gaiden  

If you watched Madoka, I’m sure you’ve heard about this release. We were happy that they kept the same dementia animation style, especially of witches. It kinda has a more positive vibe than the original but it still keeps some of the original darkness. There are a lot of new magical girls and more plot and action. It’s pretty good, but the original is better (we love them darkness).

Natsunagu! 

A very cute five minute anime about a girl searching for her friend who suddenly stopped answering her texts. The animation is cute and you have nothing to lose if you watch it.

Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga 

It’s about japanese warlords and historical figures, who are resurrected as dogs. Even though they’ve kept their personalities, they can’t say no to dogs drives (pet me hooman!). It’s cute, but not a lot of plot.

Pet

It has a very interesting idea of entering peoples subconscious and changing it, manipulating their memories in order to control them. But the executions of that idea is... meh, at best. The characters aren’t lovable or memorable, you don’t feel a connection to them. It’s one of those anime that at the end you say ‘It could have been so good’. But yeah, it wasn’t.

Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It 

The title says it all. Comedy, slice of life (but not really, the sample is not representable). You really start rooting for the main couple and they are funny at proving their love. It’s also educational, it does mention and explain some principles. It’s quite funny ngl. 

Smile Down the Runway

A heartwarming anime about a guy who wants to be a designer and a girl who is too short, but still wants to be a model. It’s a story about perseverance, hard work and pushing towards your dreams. Positive and emotional, and you find yourself cheering for the main characters. Perfect if you want a slow paced anime that includes character development. 

Somali and the Forest Spirit 

It’s heartwarming, has very clear animation and great voices. The concept is really interesting, the accent is on understanding others different than you and showing love and support. Basically, lots of emotions, it doesn’t have action or a complicated plot, but as a soft story, it’s pretty good. 

The Case Files of Jewler Richard

This show is so filled with emotions and softness, it’s amazing! It’s mostly peoples stories - problems and difficulties they overcome on their own or with help of the people close to them, which also have some connection to a jewel. The plot focuses more on the main characters in the later episodes. But the art is very pleasing and the main characters have good chemistry. Of course, it’s not for those who don’t like a bit more of a slow paced story, mostly based on storytelling and human interactions. But it’s still good ^^

Watched but got to lazy to properly review: Ishuzoku Reviewers (sometimes you just have to admire that someone had the imagination to come up with some of the episodes), Sorcerous Stabber Orphen (not terrible, not that good either)

[meegeemee26]

Going Home...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DISCLAIMER : I wrote this story, forgetting that the Prefect/MC doesn’t wield magic. But after seeing the other characters overblot, I wonder what if the prefect themselves overblot? Just... take this HC as if the MC had magic, just that they unlocked this “magic” based of the stress they have been holding in because of a decision that have to make. Cliche, I guess, but I wanna write this for a bit of angst and writing this idea before I go cram homework and revision for the rest of the day. 

Also, I have not seen the EN translations after Chapter 4, so I’m not too sure about how MC would interact with them, but I’ll try my best! 

Hope you enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Screams of horror and panic filled Night Raven College as students of the many dorms ran around, scatter-brained. There were trees set ablaze, buildings collapsing at every corner students turned , and a storm swirling in once a clear blue sky. The staff members were trying to calm students in the chaos, evacuating as many as they could. However, a red-head managed to slip past, running around in a frenzy, heading straight to the courtyard.

“OI! Where’s the Prefect?! I can’t find them!” Ace panted under his breath as he saw Deuce and Jack looking around, lost and confused as well. They did not know either, till the other dorm leaders and members gathered. “Have you seen the prefect?! Someone just went into Overblot!” Kalim exclaimed.“Where could they be? They should have rushed in by now to help us out...” Trey questioned as well. 

Before the group of students waved their magic pens to attack the overblotted student, a certain cat crawled in. But... he was crawling, panting and exhausted. Not panicking, not screaming, not jumping... he just needed some aid. 

“The prefect... is who you’re looking at right now...” Grim muttered before passing out. 

“Looking at right now...,” Riddle, confused by the statement, furrowed his eyebrows in frustration at Grim before a ball of fire came, dispersing the group in multiple directions. Followed by a mini hurricane and a large wave of water, Leona was groaning about how much his clothes were soiled before Floyd gasped in shock, 

“Ebi-chan?” 

Everyone just stood where there were for a good while, trying to comprehend what and how the ever friendly, witty and kind Ramshackle Head would be able to break out like this.  Stress? Anxiety? What could be ? 

“ I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE!” A distressed scream rang through the thunder as another lighting blot came shooting down.  

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

“Prefect, please take a sit. A year has passed since you arrived... How did you like it here?” Headmaster Crowley asked as he poured a glass of water in front of me.

“It has been great!” 

Great? Great alone could not define what I have experienced in here. In Twisted Wonderland, in Night Raven College. Learning magic? A school based off movie villians? I won’t say this was what I dreamt off, but spending a year here has been so much better than what I have on the other side. 

“You and your stupid fantasies! What are you, a child?” 

Back at the other universe, I was bullied and mocked, for being a “child” - Liking Disney animated Movies, singing Love is an Open Door”by myself like a mad person, and to top it off, carrying Disney-themed merchandise anytime I could. Living in any animated movie would be a dream for me. People would laugh and give me the funny stares whenever I walked down the corridor. People would shove me into the toilets for being immature, looking down on me, thinking that “I won’t change from this immature, childish, naive state.”.... It definitely hurt, no joke there... So I usually head home, head lowered as my body sinks into the mattress of my bed. 

As the bullying got worse, and my father started to work overtime, while my mother was working overseas, I have hit the bottom of bottom, probably deeper than the deep blue sea itself. I sometimes stare at the ceiling, wondering where I could find an Ursala - sign a contract in exchange to get away from this shit hole. Maybe a genie too - One : No more mockery, no more being shoved into a corner. Two : Just, living the perfect life of singing happily and conquering lands. and keep the last wish when I need it most. Letting my pillow soak up my tears, I whispered...

“I wish I could leave this behind...” before going back to wailing and drifting off into a slumber. 

Little did I know that I woke up in a coffin, to be brought into Twisted Wonderland and its Night Raven college, a place inspired by Disney Villians. Even if Ace and Grim were a handful at the beginning, the rest of the year in the school has truly been a chaotic, memorable one. The friends I have made, the dorm leaders I have helped overcome their overblot, and the chaos I get tossed into, I would not trade them for the world. Who knew being a little twisted would be so good? 

“Sorry if I’m being rude, but... why did you ask me to come up here to your office alone?”

“Yes, about that. I thought this piece of news would be more personal to you. It’s not bad news, I assure you. In fact, it is splendid news!” 

“What could it be?” I asked, trying to figure out what he was going to ask. 

“I found a way for you to get home! Back to your universe! Oh, the ever-kindhearted professor has spent countless hours building this mirror.” He stood up as he pulled a piece of red cloth to reveal a mirror. It was like the one at the dorm-sorting ceremony, but it showed my room, my school, my neighbourhood. 

“Pretty neat, isn’t it-” 

“No... No... I can’t...,” My gaze met the floor and my hands balled into fits. As my fingernails sunk into my skin, I could feel my heart pounding. That SAME feeling of fear and anger rose, and as I brought my knees up to my chest, I felt panic, wondering life back there. 

I can’t bring my friends there, I can’t help in battles that don’t involve magic, I can’t think of another day spending in that hell hole ! I...I- I’m just nothing over there! Nothing but a walking target, anticipating another attack that I know I can’t avoid!

“Prefect... Do you want some time to think it over?” Ah crap, the Headmaster noticed. This should not concern him at all. It’s mine to deal with ,right? After all, he was the one to build this for me out of his good will...

“Yes, please. I’ll take my leave now. Thank you for your present...” I got up, and left. Grim pounced onto me the moment my foot stepped out of the office. “So? So? What was it about?” He demanded an answer before I replied with a small, bitter smile, “Oh, it’s nothing. Come on... I’m tired. Let’s head back to the dorm...”

I can’t let anyone know, until I feel it is right. I still have time to think about it, anyway... 

“Hey! Wanna eat lunch later?”

“Sorry, I have extra revision to do...”

“Wanna go for a carpet ride later?”

“Ah, sorry. Not feeling it...” 

Offer after offer, I had to turn them down. Grim would go instead as I needed more time to decide. Later on, Headmaster came in to tell me that the mirror could not hold for long. In a week or so, the portal may close. 

Stay... or leave? 

Stay in this wonderful world... or leave it behind? 

Stay... or leave? 

Stay in this wonderful world... or leave and go back and start anew? 

Little did I know the last thing I saw before passing out was Grim backing away from me and the sound of a shattered mirror behind me. 

.... “I don’t want to leave...” 

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

“.... They’re breathing... Get... Ramsha...dorm!”

“..I thought they could not... magic...” 

“Magic asi... they are...WAIT-”

“Ow... my head..” I woke up, only to be greeted by the familiar sight of their bedroom ceiling, and a vase of flowers beside me.“What happe-”

“GUYS THE PREFECT IS AWAKE!” Three voices shouted, followed by a stampede, and ten people trying to squeeze through the door. Amused, I sat up with the remaining energy they have, and gave the biggest smile they could. After being bombarded by questions like “Are you alright?!” and being fed with heartwarming dishes, the tears of comfort and love came out one by one. I could not bring these back to the other side right? 

“I have been keeping this away from you. But,... I am given the choice to go back to where I came from...” I trailed off before Jade cut me short and that everyone knows about everything. The mirror, my life back at the other side... everything. 

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry that....I’m sorry that I- I hurt all of you! I’m sorry...” Words could not form the remorse, guilt I felt till I felt like I was being assaulted by a ball of familiar fluff, followed by my hands being held in comfort. 

“You know you could have just told us right?” Leona rubbed it in , only to have everyone shoot death glares at him. “IT WAS HARD TO EXPLAIN ALRIGHT?! I CAN’T JUST... JUST ABANDON YOU ALL!” I choked between my words before Grim came off. 

“He’s right. Without you, all of us won’t be here. You’re the one who helped us with our overblot, now let us help you...” Before I could refuse, Grim did not let me speak further. I could only mutter a ‘thank you’ before drowning myself in my tears again. “Well, who knew human emotion could be such a weakness?” “Spare me from your Book of Weaknesses, Azul.” 

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

“Sorry for bothering you Headmaster. But I would like to stay here in Night Raven College, even in Twisted Wonderland. Please!” I bowed, with my face to the ground, closing my eyes, hoping for the best. I just hope that he is not too angry with me, after all of the effort put into making the mirror for me to head home. Please...

“....Alright. After all, if another overblot incident were to take place, who else could we turn to?” He agreed! Thank God... He walked over to the mirror, casted a spell for it to be completely shut down. I am staying here, for now, till I’m ready to go back... 

[hardnoctlife]

My Thoughts on FFVIIR

It’s been a few days since I finished FFVIIR, and I wanted to put my thoughts on the game into words, but I gotta get a few housekeeping things out of the way.

1.       These are all MY opinions. I understand and respect that others may have different opinions from me, however, that does not make this an open invitation for argument in the comments, bashing, etc. I have no problem blocking anyone who wants to be an asshole. Just be nice, please.

2.       I grew up playing FFVII and all of its spin-offs. FFVII was my first RPG, and ultimately what got me into playing video games. Nostalgia is a -huge- part of why I enjoyed FFVIIR so much, and therefore I am openly biased towards the game. I’m interested to hear the thoughts of people not familiar with the original, because they’re seeing the story with a fresh set of eyes.

3.       With that being said, I’ve already noticed drama surrounding FFVIIR fans who -have- played the original vs. those who haven’t, or those who haven’t played Crisis Core, etc. I am firmly of the belief that this is a great game for new and old fans and won’t tolerate any condescending attitudes in either direction. Video games are supposed to be fun, so let’s just all agree to enjoy the thing TOGETHER, shall we?

Alright, now that those things are out of the way, onto my thoughts. **MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD**

I’m going to be breaking this up into sections, because there is just too much to dissect! Let’s start with the characters.

“The Good Guys”

Cloud: Still my favorite character of all time, even more so after playing the remake. And of course, he is gorgeous. I could stare into his eyes all day. I know there has been a lot of controversy over getting new voice actors for the remake, but I feel like his VA did a great job. They nailed his personality of “broody asshole with a heart of gold”, and I think the remake had reasonable and believable character development when it came to Cloud’s interactions with the other party members. His dynamic with Tifa, Aerith, and Barrett was also spot on. I think it was a good move on Squeenix’s part to keep him pretty much the same, because he’s such an iconic character for the entire Final Fantasy series, so no complaints on my part!

Jessie: Okay, so, I hated Jessie at first. She was too flirty and all over Cloud for my liking, and I felt this strange disconnect between the “I used to be an actress but now I’m fighting for the planet” part of her backstory. Yes, she was still spunky in the original, but they didn’t draw it out nearly as much (I assume because she was killed off early). I -do- appreciate that the developer’s felt the need to give her more depth and show more interactions between her and Cloud and everyone else, but I also thought it detracted from Cloud’s relationships with Tifa and Aerith to an extent, especially the whole scene where she was asking him to come back to her place with him (yikes). And, true to Squeenix form, they killed off her character, even while letting Biggs and Wedge live (they both died in the original). So, in that sense, I didn’t really care that much for her, although her final scene with Cloud was very moving and redeemed her in some ways for me. So, yay for more screen time, but c’mon Squeenix, why do you gotta use your female characters this way?!

Biggs & Wedge: I loved the updates to their character models, and like with Jessie, I appreciate they tried to give them more depth and dialogue to make their involvement more significant. It did throw me for a loop when they both ended up living instead of dying when the Sector 7 plate fell. I was delighted to discover they survived (until I found out Jessie died and they didn’t). At times, I felt like their exalted importance detracted from other characters, especially at the end in Shinra HQ where Wedge shows up to warn everyone and Avalanche comes in to try and rescue Cloud & the gang, only to imply that he dies -there- instead. To me, it felt like an unnecessary moment to add in, but hey, there are only so many characters in the remake that people get to see, so why not give the Avalanche crew a more important role? I’m interested to see if this means that they’ll be returning in the next installments as they may be ‘fated’ to survive.

Barrett: What a glow up! Barrett looked good, he sounded good, his character was solid and true to the original. I have to say my favorite thing to see was how the banter and dialogue shifted between him and Cloud as you progressed through the remake. They went from basically hating on each other to complimenting each other and being buddy-buddy, and it was truly heartwarming. I even enjoyed using Barrett in battle (more on the fighting system later), which was refreshing. It was a good move on Squeenix’s part to show his softer side by including more scenes with Marlene, and he’s an excellent foil to Cloud’s character, which I feel was consistent for both games.

Tifa: My lady, the love of my life, my HERO. Tifa was -amazing- for me. Also, her VA was probably my favorite of the bunch. The updates to her outfit were much needed, yet she still retained her sexy allure, even if it was a little awkward to hear all the male NPC’s talking about how hot she was all the time. Other than Cloud, she was my favorite party member to use in battle—what a total badass!—and the scenes with her and Cloud made me squeal with delight. I was grateful for the extra attention put into their relationship, and how it was made clear that she was just as important and strong as the male characters.

Aerith: First, the positives. They expanded Aerith’s fighting range, which was appreciated, because in the original I only used her as healer. Her personality shone through a bit more, as she was even ore outgoing than I remembered her being (and even cursed a few times!), and I loved all of her interactions with Tifa and Cloud (my favorite trio/love triangle). Her backstory was pretty well communicated regarding the Ancients and her relationship with Shinra. On the flip side of things, I found her party banter annoying as hell and her voice grating at times (it reminded me of a high school girl), and I’m not sure how I feel about her interactions with the Whispers and what that implies for future installments. There was some hinting at the end of the remake that Aerith may not die like she did in the original (at least that was my interpretation), and I’m not sure whether I like that possibility or not, mainly because Aerith’s death is one of the most memorable scenes of FFVII, and that would change the entire plot. For better or for worse, who’s to say?

Red XIII: I loved all of the scenes with Red! His voice fit him really well, and they showed a lot of character development with him and the group in a short amount of time. I was sad you couldn’t control him in your party, but I’m hoping that will change in the next installment. I’m excited to see his backstory in Cosmo Canyon when we finally get to that point in the remake.

Chadley: This kid was annoying and weird, and I wasn’t sure exactly what his deal was, but he was definitely shady AF. Not sure why he was entirely necessary if he was simply a way to upgrade your materia, but hey, I’ll take that assess materia from ya buddy if it means new stuff for me to use. 

Johnny: Johnny grew on me. Was he also annoying and weird too? Yes. But he reminded me of a Prompto-Gladio lovechild and turned out to be a sweetheart, so I say he can stay, Squeenix.

“The Bad Guys”

Shinra executives: Not much to say here for me other than great job in bringing this diabolic group to life. Yep, still hate every one of ‘em. They stayed pretty much true to their original selves, and all of them matched what I remembered of them, right down to the dialogue. I thought it was an interesting choice to see Sephiroth kill President Shinra (in the original you just find him dead at his desk, impaled on Sephiroth’s sword), but I’m not complaining. That guy was a grade A asshole.

The Turks: Love, love, love how they portrayed each of these guys, and showed how they are also unwilling participants in all of Shinra’s shit. They definitely made them more likeable from the get-go and I felt a lot of callbacks to Advent Children. Reno cursing and being sassy was probably one of my favorite things out of the entire game. He had -so- many great lines, even if they weren’t direct translations of the Japanese. I’m hoping they will include more of the Turks in future installments (like Cissnei in Crisis Core) and continue fleshing out their story arcs.

Rosche: Okay, unpopular opinion, but I did not like this guy at all. I’m not sure what the hype is about him all over my social media. Could be the mullet, which is an automatic ‘no’ for me (Gladio from FFXV being the only exception), but he seemed like an irritating and very pointless addition to the game. His sole purpose appeared to be to prepare you for escaping Shinra and fighting from Cloud’s motorcycle towards the end, but I felt like he could have been taken out of the story entirely without missing anything. I didn’t hate as many of the newer characters (like Leslie) as much as I did him, but I guess he and I just didn’t vibe. I’m assuming he’ll return later on, so maybe my opinion will change. (I sure hope so.)

Leslie: Okay, at first, I was like, “who is this knock-off Noctis wannabe?” but I really enjoyed the backstory and depth they gave this seemingly minor character. I see that Squeenix is trying to provide new things for older fans to take interest in, and in this case, I felt he was a nice touch. (Edit: I was told that Leslie, Kyrie, and some of the other new NPCs were featured in an audio book?! Which I had no idea even existed, so...the more you know!)

Don Corneo: Even slimier and creepier in HD! Honestly, hats off to Squeenix for translating what was possibly the most cringy and controversial part of the original in a ‘tasteful’ way in regard to all of Wall Market. This guy was definitely a worthy villain in the remake.

Rufus: Holy hell. I never ever in my life thought I’d be saying this, but wow, is Rufus hotter than I remember. Thank you, Squeenix for giving me another foxy bad boy to drool over. He was also, for me, the hardest and most frustrating boss battle (even more so than Sephiroth), but it was totally worth dying to watch all the cut scenes with him over again. Can’t wait to see more of him in the next installment.

Hojo: God, I hate this guy. I know you’re -supposed- to, but he is such a creep. Hearing his dialogue in the remake was even worse than reading it in the original. Gotta say, dealing with his four wards in Shinra HQ was my least favorite part of the game by far, but I know he will get his comeuppance later down the road. All the dialogue was just as shocking as I remember, so, yeah. Good job?!

Sephiroth: Alright, anyone else feel like they made Sephiroth EXTRA SEXUAL in this remake?! You too? Oh, good, good, same bro. Now, it could just be me projecting, but anytime he came on the screen…panties were dropping y’all. Of course, I’m not one to complain about Sephiroth content. On the contrary, I lap it up like I just walked through the desert and found an oasis, BUT, I will say this…you barely see Sephiroth at all at this point in the original. As a reminder, the remake only covered the first 4-6 hours of the original game, and I get you can’t really do a remake without at least SHOWING Sephiroth for the people who have been waiting to see him in HD, but with that being said, he was VERY involved. I love Sephiroth, he’s a great villain, but they are definitely changing things with him, so I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

My one criticism? His voice was my least favorite out of the main characters. Not saying the VA didn’t do a great job, but it didn’t sound deep enough to be as intimidating. I prefer the VA who voiced him in Advent Children, but I’m sure it will grow on me in time.

Gameplay

Battle system: When the remake’s demo was released, I remember a lot of people were complaining about how ‘difficult’ the new battle system was, but I absolutely love it. It’s just the perfect balance of turn-based and real-time, with plenty of options for customization. If you want more real time, you can set your short cuts, and if you want more turn-based, you also have that option. My only real complaint was that item use is also tied to the ATB bar, but overtime I figured out when to heal myself in a timely fashion (after dying more than a handful of times). Button mashers won’t enjoy this battle system because it requires a little more strategy, but I think the point was to create an updated version of the original fighting style that would appeal to both old and new players, and it definitely delivered. Seeing the classic limit breaks used and being able to run around during battle was so much fun for me, and I about died when I saw Cloud strike his OG victory pose in Wall Market’s coliseum. Also, the transition between running through Midgar and entering battle was SO incredibly smooth and seamless that at times you didn’t notice the shift. Phenomenal.

o   Boss Battles: As much as I enjoyed the battle system of remake, some of the bosses felt unnecessarily hard and/or tedious (I’m looking at you, Hell House). Making use of the assess materia early on definitely helped me out, but I legit got bored at times, especially that damn giant robot you fight with only Barrett and Aerith when escaping Shinra HQ. This is really just a minor complaint, but there were a couple bosses where I died several times (*cough* Rufus *cough*) before I figured out the secret to defeating them, while others were super easy or just not that interesting. Meh. For context, I played on “normal” mode, but it truly felt hard in certain scenarios. (That could just have been me trying to get used to the new fighting style.)

o   Materia: speaking of materia, I did notice some new materia in the game, which was neat, and although I didn’t care for Chadley (dude, where are your parents?) it was nice to have a way to develop and earn new materia throughout. I found it somewhat strange that summon materia was just a thing you could get so early on instead of having to work for it, but I was excited to use it. Shiva and Ifrit were definitely my favorite summons (which hasn’t changed from the original for me). My one big question: where is the freaking ‘all’ materia?! I know they kinda split ‘all’ up into many different types of materia, and you do have ‘pray’ for healing your entire party, but man, that was so versatile in the original so that was a hard adjustment for me not to have use of it.

o   Weapons: I think it’s cool that they developed an upgrade system to make use of your weapons long term, giving them their own abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Made me think of FFX where you used the spheres to upgrade your characters. Also? I loved being able to see materia in my weapons when I switched them out. That was a really neat touch. 

Music: And here I thought they couldn’t make the music of the original game any more epic, but they definitely outdid themselves in the remake. I enjoyed hearing all the remixes and ways they wove the classic themes into different parts of the games. I think my favorite was when you’re going through sector 5 with Aerith and have to control the giant robotic hands. The music in that section SLAPPED. The in-game jukebox was also a nice way to honor the old school classics. Hearing Aerith’s theme for the first time just about made me cry, and listening to One-Winged Angel fighting Sephiroth? Nothing could beat that moment musically for me.

Side quests: I’m not sure about anyone else, but I really didn’t care for the side quests. They weren’t very fun for the most part, and considering how linear the game is, they felt more like chores that needed to be completed because I had to, and not because I wanted to. The only exception was Wall Market, but all-in-all, most of them didn’t add much to the story, unlike in FFXV where I could go down a rabbit hole of sidequests for hours and hours.

Graphics: This is clearly stating the obvious, as anyone with eyes will tell you, the game is nothing short of gorgeous. I cannot tell you how many screencaps I took of just Cloud. It was definitely a world that I wanted to run around in for hours (and did) and will do so again and again just to look at all the little details. My favorite thing to do is watch comparison videos of the original and remake openings side-by-side. How crazy is it that technology has come this far!

Playtime: My biggest critique of this game is that it was too damn short. Stretching the first 4-6 hours of the original into 40 was definitely impressive, but considering I waited 20+ years for the remake, it was pretty disappointing to finish the game in less than a week. Like most people, I’m wondering just how long they plan on stretching this out, how many installments there will be, and when the second part will be released. Hopefully not another ten years, but it -is- Squeenix we’re talking about...

Storyline

Most people who played will tell you that most of the remake stayed very true to the original, even lifting some of the exact dialogue and scenes. The nostalgia hit me so hard in parts that I was literally in tears. The first time I watched the opening in the demo, I cried. That’s the power this game has over many people, including myself.

In other ways, the remake improved on parts of the story or re-imagined them. We always knew it wasn’t going to be a copy and paste of the original story, which I’m sincerely grateful for. I would seriously hope that after 20+ years they would have thought of ways to improve or polish FFVII and make it new and exciting for returning fans and people just picking it up.

My pros regarding the updates in the story:

- They fleshed out many background characters and added in new ones. Most of the core group spent more time interacting, and the party banter felt natural and progressed realistically as the game went on.

- New mini-games and side quests expanded on the slums and made the areas larger and more interactive, yet they still kept the nostalgia of iconic locales.

- Plenty of fuel to fan shipping fires with emotionally charged scenes and pretty boys abounding (Cloti and Clerith especially).

- All of Wall Market was brilliantly done. I was wondering how they’d update it for the new generation, and it was seriously the best part of the game for me (and had me laughing the entire time).

-  Hinting that Zack is alive and/or Aerith may live is something I’m listing as a pro, only because I would love to see these characters used to their full potential, however, this is also a con for me, and I’ll explain why.

My cons:

Whispers: If you played the original, you probably had the same reaction as I did when the ‘Whispers’ showed up. “Wtf are these dementor-looking things?” At first, I thought they might be something similar to what we saw in Advent Children, and that they were ‘remnants’ or parts of Sephiroth, or somehow his minions, or even souls from the Lifestream, etc. When I found out they were actually supposed to be ‘protectors of fate’ or whatever, I rolled my eyes, especially when Barret was ‘killed’ by Sephiroth and then miraculously brought back to life. It felt very ‘deus ex machina’ to me in the sense that ‘everything has to go a certain way because we said so.’ While it makes sense, I really wasn’t buying it, but I’m assuming that we will learn more about them in the second installment. 

The Ending: The whole final boss battle of the remake was surprising, because it felt almost exactly like the final boss bottle of the original game, right down to the cutscene where Cloud is thrown through space and faces off against Sephiroth one-on-one. Before you defeat the ‘harbinger of fate’ (anyone else get KH heartless vibes?) and fight Sephiroth as the final boss, Aerith goes on her long spiel about ‘fate’ and ‘destiny’ and ‘this will change us,’ and it’s laid on so thick that it’s almost like they were setting us up for an alternate timeline, which is entirely possible, but that’s all speculation at this point. Regardless, they made it clear that whatever is coming next is going to be -very- different from the original, or possibly is going to be another timeline of the story, especially since Zack was shown alive and well. One criticism I heard from someone who hadn’t played the original game was that they treated Sephiroth and Zack like people you were supposed to know, and I can agree with that. They didn’t spend -any- time explaining their significance, backstory, or why people were so afraid of Sephiroth other than showing you little flashbacks into Cloud’s deranged memories, so in that sense, the ending might have fallen flat for those who don’t know exactly what Sephiroth represents or who he is, or why he stole Jenova from Hojo’s lab, etc, etc. Plus, throwing in Zack at the end is something that anyone who played the original game or Crisis Core would get, but new fans would also not understand the significance of. Personally, I screamed when I saw Zack because I was so happy , but I can see why that ending would be very unsatisfying and/or confusing for some.

Overall: 9/10

No, it doesn’t get a 10/10 for me, even as someone who absolutely loves Final Fantasy VII, but hey, no game is perfect. It’s honestly hard to live up to the hype this game has created since it was officially announced, and all things considered, Squeenix -did- live up to it. I will still be eagerly awaiting part two, playing the shit out of this game and squeezing the most I can out of it until I get to experience more.

I’d love to hear what other people thought (so long as the discourse is respectful of course). If you read this far, thanks for listening to my ramblings!

[v-le]

Kmusic: JTBC’s 슈퍼밴드(Superband) Review

Foreword: SUPERBAND WAS AMAZING AND IT WAS EVERYTHING I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED IN MY LIFE. yup

--

After binge-watching this entire program, I knew I had to write something about it. This show literally took my breath away, this show filled all my senses with overwhelming excitement, appreciation, and respect for every single participant, and the music, THE MUSIC, that came out of this show will forever be some of the most amazing songs I have ever heard in my life. But above all else, this show filled a void, an emptiness, a traumatizing, painful longing in my heart that has been needing some intense healing for a while now.

With all the things that have happened with my singer, Superband coming into my life and being the show it was, with all those amazing artists doing what they did, it was a literal blessing and I just……. I just cant believe they did THAT. They did it and it was AMAZING.

First off, whoever thought to make an audition program for MUSICIANS, SINGER-SONGWRITERS, ARTISTS, PRODUCERS, and just instrument-playing people AND VOCALISTS…….. you are a fucking genius and I am so glad that this idea never died in the shadows and was allowed to come to life on the screens.

What I found so poignant about this show from the get-go was how GOOD THESE AUDITIONS WERE… these people came in being REALLYYYYY good at (presumably) one thing like the guitar, or singing, or the violin. These people each had their specialty, they were exceptional music-making people. No one was quite mediocre or “rookie”, each person had some pretty credible expertise or experiences with music, and that in itself, the fact that we got to start off with these sorts of contestants, is something ive never seen before.

I don’t want to compare to other singing shows or the Produce series or whatever else countless audition programs Korea has been churning out over the past years, but since Superband began with this concept, it was already a show that I knew I would LOVE. For the 2 times ive watched Produce, I was always so perturbed by these prepubescent pretty boys frolicking around on stage, barely being able to even pull off a simple note. I just thought so many of them were so TALENTLESS…. But who am I to judge.

I think it really just comes down to preference, and even though I knew very well that idols and k-pop are not even things I enjoy anymore, I forced myself through programs like Produce. But now, with Superband, I felt so HAPPY and glad to be watching and discovering such talented musicians…THIS IS WHAT I WANTED ALL ALONG.

Even with the very first audition with Ha Hyunsang… OMFG UGHhHhh THAT BOI IS SO FLUFFY but so good at the same time… I feel like each time I see him, I ACTUALLY just want to give him a hug :’-(( the emotional depth in his singing is beyond describable and im SO PROUD TO HAVE WATCHED HIM GROW !!!!!!

That’s another thing I really really realllyyyyyyy loved from this show........ it was the process of watching these people develop, mature, change, grow with show. Some contestants went through some major growing pains, but it was so heartwarming to watch them improve, not that they were even bad to begin with. And the reversals!! Or the expansions?? The turnarounds?? The CONMEN!!!

AHHhhHHhhh okay im still very obsessed with the infinite amount of talent some dudes had, but before I get to that, let me continue on with those stellar auditions, aka the three genius guitarists, too ;_______; they. Are. So. Amazing. I love them a lot. I think I completely fell for them. And I hate myself. I hate to admit it a lot because I used to ALWAYS shit on dudes younger than me, I disliked basically every contestant on produce that was younger than ‘99, I thought they were all useless young children… but 김영소, 이강호, & 임형빈, were a completely different story. I LOVE THEM!!! I always had a bias toward a man that could play the guitar well… but these guys holy moly, they blew me away… they are so exceptional at what they do and the fact that theyre still so YOUNG… good lord…..my poor heart was so conflicted but ultimately so happy to have discovered them.

To watch these guys be thrown into that first 1:1 perf, and literally tearing up the stage and setting the bar VERY HIGH from the very beginning of the competition… phew… my goodness…. The talent with these kids… o my…. Okay yeah, nope im never gonna get over it. The ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ stage will always be an iconic one from this program, and we all know it. Who knew a pure acoustic, musical performance, no vocals included stage would be so amazing…. I LOVE THEM!! Have I mentioned that yet?

Going back to the reversals/scamming thing... I guess this goes with watching some people grow……. I want to give a holy and blessed shoutout to probably my favorite contestant out of this entire show: 신광일….. he was such a dark horse. In fact, I don’t even remember his audition tbh because he was THAT not-memorable in the beginning LOL (or also.. I believe they never showed his audition to begin with)… but he quickly caught my eye as the eps went on because he came out of nowhere and whipped out all (or maybe not even all…) his skills like secret weapons, stage after stage.. he came in as a vocalist, picked up the bass for two the performances after that (all while still singing, too), although having never played the bass formally... and then once joining hands with Juhyeok and Yechan, he just miraculously becomes the drummer, because they ultimately decided that they needed percussion in their songs. So from thereon after, since ‘Hold Back The River’, Gwang-il, to me, was literally GOD(신) Gwang-il, as he played the drums and SANG TOO…..and may I add, hes not even that old?????? HES FRKING ONLY 2 YEARS OLDER THAN ME WTF;__; the boy got all these crazy blisters while perfecting the drums, but he didn’t let anything stop him and he was sucH A SOLID BAND MEMBER ALL THROUGHOUT, AHHHHHH MVP GOES TO SHIN GWANG-IL, YALL….(also I just found out that hes a trainee from Mystic Story, aka Yoon Jong shin’s agency aka the agency that I’ve been following for many many MANYYYY years now bc a lot of my favorite artists have come out of it…. Wow what is this fate)

And special recognition goes to Im Hyung-bin aka one of the 18 yr old genius guitarists bc he … oh my…. He frking became the pianist and singer by the end of the show…. Omfg… yall.. HE is also another infinitely talented soul. AND HES EXTRA FRKING YOUNG…

Besides these two though, there were many many many manyyyyy other people as well that took up multiple instruments throughout the show, or even began singing, or just did EVERYTHING….I was so mindblown by this, im still honestly not over it at all.

Because like, is this normal?? Isn’t that so unprofessional?? Its already so crazy that this show already starts us off with NON-amateur musicians and artists. But then some of these dudes have never done any other things formally before they got thrown into it; they came into this show “specializing” in something completely different, yet they jump onto the stage and do what they needed to, HELLA FRKING WELL…… so many of these dudes, you wouldn’t know that was his first time playing the bass, playing the drums, first time playing that piano, or first time being on the keyboard AND being a vocal, you wouldn’t know any of that unless they mentioned it, unless you watched the show and saw their story.

Because they all pulled it off THAT well.. these people that did these things for the first time ever while being on Superband, they executed their roles so well and showcased such wonderfully exhilarating talent…. IM SO BLESSED TO HAVE DISCOVERED SUCH AMAZING ARTISTS….

That was one of the biggest feats of Superband for me. The limitless talent that came out of it. I LOVE watching people like this. Their passion for music fuels such undeniable skill and fervor, and when they step onto that stage, they are literally unstoppable. They made music that stopped my time, stopped my heart, in the moment, but literally MOVED me...i applaud these people so much. I really do.

Thinking back to it now, the number of stages that came out of this show was like…. Countless…. Like… A LOT…. Since episode 1, each stage was very well-produced and I truly enjoyed watching each one from the start. This show was just so jampacked overall, although I admit that sometimes it was arduous due to the GRIND that these people were on, presenting stage after stage after stage, and then listening to LOTS of feedback from almost each judge over and over and over, but it was still nothing short of musical masterpieces out there. I really appreciate how STUFFED, how FILLED TO THE BRIM, this show was with dynamic, enjoyable, exceptional performances (and words of valuable opinions & evaluations, too)

I can re-watch many of them, every day, for days on end. I loved it. And can we just talk about how impressive these dudes are for pulling off something new, for taking on a brand-new challenge with a brand-new set of members, time and time again, stage after stage, week after week, until we came down to the 6 solid bands in the last 3 episodes? They constantly had to work with new people, match their music preferences, fill spaces in their music where they didn’t exactly have someone they may have needed. They had to compensate, compromise, and ultimately DELIVER, at the end of it all. Multiple times. I don’t even remember how many rounds they did… was it 4? I think they had 4 rounds of eliminations before they settled into their official bands. But still... its crazy impressive to think about how driven and flexible a lot of these artists were, to be creating, producing & then performing despite all the different teams they were getting put into week after week.

ANDDDDDD, despite all the odds up against them like the time crunch, the new collab of members each time, the potential lack of a missing instrument or sound, SO many of these teams still came out with self-written and self-produced songs!!!!!!! I mean, even for the cover songs alone, many were already re-arranging everything & basically turning them into new tracks. BUT WITH THOSE SELF COMPOSED SONGS??????????? Some teams literally started from scratch each time, but busted out some amazing tunes and lyrics and executed very very very impressive stages and IM JUST AKFJAKJFKJBSN how…. Are they….. so…. Talented…… I still ask myself each time.

By far, the combo that took my heart and kept it for good….. LUCY ;_______;. I never expected to like Juhyeok’s voice tbh, it was a little TOO weird for me in the beginning… but watching him perform with Yechan and Gwang-il and Wonsang really brought to life his vocal potential for me… that team is literally a combination made in heaven, they have all the right pieces to make ARTWORK… their signature sound was so prominent from the very beginning and i was SO HAPPY when I saw that they stuck to the same exact members once the finale came around.

Before the winner was announced, I told myself very honestly that I didn’t even care who won because the two teams left over, Hoppipolla & Lucy, were already my two all-time favorite combinations of artists from the entire show, and I was already MORE than satisfied with all the wonderful music and stages that everyone had delivered up until that point anyway. But even with that, I was still thoroughly shocked when they announced Hoppipolla as the winning band LOL I gasped aloud. I thought that Lucy at least had a chance. Or like I guess, in my heart, I assumed that Lucy actually won.. LOL but they didn’t.

And in terms of the finale in general, I really would also like to address how I purposely tried really hard to avoid any spoilers and rewatching of performances on youtube before actually finishing the entire series. I tried like reallyyyyy hard, because I wanted to watch the program as thoroughly as possible without spoilers. I HATE SPOILERS. But oh the irony. It was in all in vain anyway.

Once I finally DID finish all 14 episodes, when trying to look for more information/reactions/articles/videos (initially searching in English), I actually struggled SO HARD LMAOOOO bc there was like NOTHING OUT THERE……..i should have known better; this show was definitely NOT catered to the intl. audience (yet?), especially because its in its first season still. There were probably like 2 articles max in English about Superband & it was just about its upcoming premier. Nothing about winners nor results nor anything else i was wary of, anyway. LOLLL THE INTL COMMUNITY DOESN’T CARE; or at least the intl population that DOES care about Superband, is probably reallyyyyyy small……a reddit thread I found was the most substantial discussion I could find, comprised of a few comments max.

And so that brings me to how I always see a lot of comments begging for English subs and everything, but honestly…….. all I have to say to yall is: LEARN KOREAN IF YOU REALLY WANT TO WATCH THE SHOW THAT BADLY !!!

If after all these years, I could pick up Korean to an extent where I can watch things raw, im sure others can do the same as long as they put their mind to it. Ive been really appreciating how far my skills have taken me LOL not trying to be THAT person, but I just know that if I COULDN’T read or listen & comprehend or type in Korean like I can now, I would be missing out on a WORLD of amazing stuff. E.g. superband. And if anything, I would like to think that this show helped me practice my vocab skills a lot more. Listening to the judges’ evals after each stage was really enjoyable: I learned plenty of valuable words out of THEIR words.

This show was phenomenal in that all the contestants had total musical freedom. It was soOOOOO refreshing to watch. They got to choose all their music & their teammates in a fair manner (maybe not so much their competition), but seeing them take their passions & what THEY wanted to do with music and laying that all out onto the stage, was so compelling!!! This freedom allowed for countless, ICONIC AF transformations and growth journeys for soooo many of the artists too!!!! I really realllyyyyyyyy loved watching some of them stepping WAYYYY outside of their comfort zones / the image that they originally came in with (e.g. HONG ISAAC HAAAAHAHHA, Jisang, Hyunsang!!), and also watching alllllll those multitalented “scam characters”!!! HAHAHA, without this program being as open as it was, it would’ve been impossible to be able to see such a myriad of sides to so many different people. I appreciate, I really do.

And I really really realllyyyy enjoyed watching all the behind the scenes of each performance as well!! Of course, its normal to give viewers some background story before each stage, but in Superband, we got to see some very raw sides of music-making….. these dudes literally lived like hobos in the recording studios, all disheveled and sleep-deprived human beans, but ceaselessly making music because that’s what they love. I liked watching teams try out a lot of different songs & styles as they searched for THE right one. And then we got to see the final result on stage after the countless discussions and trials behind the scenes. And these processes repeated for months on end. All the contestants are so commendable in this right. The grind was real, and the show didn’t try to hide that. I enjoyed this very realistic approach !!

At this point, after drowning myself in this show for a few days straight… (those episodes are LONGGGGG, close to two hrs each) ive literally spent every night, and basically day, too, watching all the cuts that jtbc uploaded on youtube over and over and oVERRRRR….. ive also been watching some Superband concert clips, from when the entire final 6 bands went on a domestic tour and performed together for several concerts!!

THAT OPENING STAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLESS THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAUGHT IT ON CAMERA BECAUSE IT IS LITERALLY SUCH A PIECE OF MUSICAL HEAVEN, omfg the energy on that stage IS SOMETHING ELSE… IF I WERE THERE IN PERSON I PROBABLY WOULDVE CRIED INSTANTLY……. lee juhyeok, kevin oh, chae bohoon, im hyeongbin, kim youngso, ha hyunsang, lee chansol, and kim woosung, all the guitarists/ vocalists lined up in the front… (hearing each vocalist sing a line each made my HEART HURT....I LOVE THEM SM) then the bassists, lee jonghoon, kim hyungwoo, kim hajin, jo wonsang, clustered up AND HAVIN A TIME all by themselves, and the three epic electric guitarists, yang jiwan, kim junhyeob, and Zairo, literally held SUCH stage presence… on the drums: kang kyungyoon all the way to the right, and red haired hwang minjae in the middle, and the super in-sync, traditional drum banging bois, choi youngjin, shin gwang-il, a-il, & jung gwanghyun, all 4 of them bouncing up and down in the back like intense oompa loompas LOL THEY LOOKED SO CUTE, and the string bois!!!!! Shin yechan & benji on the violin next to hong jinho on the cello; yechan and benji started off sitting down but as the song goes on they literally WENT AT IT HAHAHA as expected of two of the most high-energy musicians. On the piano, lee na-woo, the classic icon himself starting off the entire intro, and next to him hong isaac the transformation legend himself on the keyboard + his super distinctive voice!!!!!! And of course, d-pole with his much-expected little music break in the middle….. in fact many of them got ICONIC solo time: kang kyungyoon’s drumming part, kim hyungwoo’s super duper solid bass, minjae’s powerful beats, kim hajin’s LOUD ass bass, lee jonghoon’s legendary slap finger bass playing, jo wonsang’s super ting-y, classic bass section, and yang jiwan’s loud ASS ELEC GUITAR TOO, omg they were all so cute, pointing to each member & hyping them up as it was their few seconds to shine….AND THOSE COLLECTIVE VOICES???? HEARING ALL THE VOCALISTS SING TOGETHER ONE BY ONE… OH my gosh it was soooooo GOOOODDDDDDD.... just watching all those dudes literally have THE TIME OF THEIR LIFE on stage (literally an ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME), the energy was off the charts… I loveeeeee seeing them so happy, making eye contact with each other, jumping up & down, rocking out, laughing with each other, all while playing their instrument, so fervently, all 27 people on the stage, connected by one song…. Theres SO MUCH OVERFLOW of talent in one freaking place, that song sounded SO MASSIVE just thru the video I cant imagine….. if I were actually there omfg… that’s an actual BAND Like A HUGE FRKING BAND… AHHHHHHHHHH a really legendary stage.. the finest of finest……I can literally watch this opening on repeat without getting bored because I just loveeeee the concept of all of them being together like that :”)))

After watching member after member, team after team get eliminated, seeing them like this on one stage with such happy expressions and making a beautiful piece of music like that o MANNNNNN…. This show…… has really done something to me…

I appreciate every contestant SO MUCH and I wish I could watch everyone be together FOREVER….because knowing how artistically talented each person is on their own, to watch them join together is like the avengers times 72737446352 or something, its just talent & skill plus talent & skill stacked onto even more skill & talents and just an INFINITE amount of potential AND THAT…IS LITERALLY.. THE POWER…. OF A BAND………and of great ass music.

This show was GENIUS TO combine so many musicians from so many different backgrounds…but watching them work together to make pure art, that is so frking rewarding and heartwarming and I feel so blessed to have witnessed it all.

The genres and potential were literally limitless……I think this is what encompassed Superband for me, this is what made me enjoy it SO damn much…. I think ive finally run out of things to say… this piece of text is quite a mess, not very polished….. but I was hasty in recording my thoughts & emotions before they left me, so I tried my best.

My biggest regret with this show is that I didn’t watch it sooner. (what is really ironic is that it took me FOREVER to start the first ep, despite having tonssss of time on my hands... I had it open on one of my tabs for the longest time, but I lowkey grudgingly, eventually, forced myself to finally start it LOL..(thank god I rly did tho) I watched it 2 months after the finale, which is… kinda late? If I had watched it while it was airing, all while I was still in korea, I feel like I would’ve been EVEN MORE in love, even more fervent and passionate about everything. Digging thru old vids & watching things from contestants before they came out onto the show, seeing the artists they were, I could’ve easily gone and seen them myself probably… goddamnit I probably could’ve gone to the superband finale live show, if I had known.. I COULDVE VOTED IN REAL TIME... not that I could’ve brought myself to do it anyway, probably lol….. but basically, if I had known of this show WHILE I was there with them… I don’t know, I could’ve been a lot more active as a fan, I feel like..

Now im back to my original roots: crying in front of my laptop screen and tap-tapping away at my keyboard as a I rant to no one but myself. Being in korea made my appreciation for all kinds of artists, all my beloved ones, EVERYONE, a lot more tangible.. but being back in America… it all becomes hidden into the depths of my heart, once again…

PHEW……I think now is a good time to mention my favorite stages… as I mentioned before, the Lucy AND pre-Lucy lineup will always hold a really special place in my heart so basically all my faves include their stages LOL

‘Swim’ cover by LUCY(신예찬, 이주혁, 신광일, 조원상)

‘Hold Back The River’ cover by 신예찬, 이주혁, 신광일

‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ cover by 조원상, 김영소, 이강호, 임형빈

‘누구 없소’ cover by 케빈오, 박찬영, 신광일, 강경윤

‘선잠’ by LUCY

'Castle on the Hill’ cover by 아일, 하현상, 노마드, 홍진호

‘1000x’ cover by 아일, 하현상, 홍진호, 김형우

‘One More Light’ cover by HOPPIPOLLA(아일, 하현상, 홍진호, 김영소)

‘Cry Bird’ cover by LUCY

‘Viva La Vida’ cover by 하현상, 홍진호, 김영소

‘Flare’ by LUCY

‘Find You Again’ by People on the Bridge(이찬솔, 임형빈, 김준협, 강경윤,  김형우)

My favorite funny moments:

“이게 무슨 짓이야!!?” - mellow kitchen (the stealing of the 3 kiddo guitarists)

“okay let’s be honest, you can’t even hear the bass” - shin hyunbin 2k19

울보 팀

Hyunsang’s fam: 아일 the mom, 홍진호 the dad, 김형우 the hyung

“idk if im allowed to say this but it looked like zombie movie” - yoon jongshin, as they all gathered around the cello man

“I thought to myself, isn’t that cello expensive tho..” - yoon jongshin as youngso slapped & tapped jinho’s cello for percussion

Ah-il’s iconic castle on the hill pose

Zairo’s luck with member choosing lmao

HONG ISAK’S DANCING in ‘Time of My Life’ LOLLL IT GETS ME LAUGHING EACH TIMEEE (& all his nicknames, like eungalchi lmaooo)

Benji’s “YO-RO-BOON HAM-KAY HEY-YO” during ‘Woo-ing’

Gwanghyun’s “do-doom-tak”

Gwanghyun calling Gwang-il’s drum skills equivalent to that of a middle school band’s LOLLLL

**I watched Mone’s radio appearance on Arirang Radio where Benji is the host, and they were an absolute MESS LMAOOOOOO THEY WERE HONESTLY ALL REALLY FUNNY THOUGH.. they kept roasting the crap out of each other and laughing their asses off and man… it was gr8 time and it was really cute to discover that Hong Isaac is now a part of one of Benji’s radio shows too!

One important question I have for this show though: where tf did all the females go? Why was there no female presence at all in this show, I have no clue…… :/

At the end of the day, this show reminded me once again, how to feel happy and excited because of music. how to let great music fill my life with undeniable joy. Being able to look forward to listening to these songs every day, definitely had lifted a small part of me that has been down for all too long. I really appreciate, I am very grateful for, I just… im so thankful to have discovered this show & all its wonderful masterpieces & the beautifully, magically, PASSIONATE artists behind it all………. I needed this in my life at this point in time, I really did. 

Thank you for coming to be, Superband.

[troutfishinginmusic]

An album guide to Fuck

Fuck started with a limitation. If you can get past the giggly name, there’s a lot to take in. Off-kilter and slightly unsettling, Fuck is a band that falls between transgressive and heartwarming. In its brief moment of prominence in the Matador stable, the band was seen by critics as a quirky cousin to Pavement. This is selling the band short. A trip through the band’s discography shows one of the American underground’s most unheralded acts. As I go through all of Fuck’s albums I feel like I’m missing out on some kind of big in-joke. But, since there’s so little about the band out there, I wanted to try sum up its discography anyway. All these albums are pretty hard to find, luckily they’re all on Spotify.

Pretty…Slow (1996)

It’s amazing how fully formed Fuck sounds on its debut. The production is a bit shabby, but most of the songs still hold the same vaguely creepy aurora. Opener “Wrongy Wrong” doesn’t say much explicitly, but creates an atmosphere of unease that’s unique to the band. While the louder songs are performed competently, the slower songs (like “I Am Your King,” “From Heaven” and closer “Shotgun (H) Ours”) are where Fuck really shines. As the band went on, the noisier moments would be reined in a bit. Depending on your preference, this might be a downside. Pretty…Slow  is a strong debut from a band that knew exactly what it wanted to be from the start.

Baby Loves a Funny Bunny (1996)

Listening to this makes you realize what Matador saw in the band. Things sound a bit more focused, while retaining the same strangeness of the previous album. “Love Me 2” and “Tired” are great examples noisy lo-fi guitar rock. The midsection of the album shows the band improving on affecting folk/country songs about misfits even further. “Part of Me” might be one of Fuck’s best songs, showcasing its talent for heart-breaking slow-burners. The back half of the album is more mixed. “Rococo” is a relatively straightforward rock song (in sound at least), while “Like You” sounds like a Nirvana outtake. “Loosened Mind” is a quirky song that employs a lot of atypical instruments (triangles?) to create something more detailed and psychedelic than usual. “Crush a Butterfly,” another great slow song, is followed by “Whimper and Cry.” What might set off red flags at first blush is actually, as far as I can tell, a song about S&M in a surprisingly sincere way. Other aspects of the album have aged worse (example: The usage of the word “retard” on one song). Baby Loves a Funny Bunny is strange album, but it ultimately made good on the promise of the band’s debut.

Pardon My French (1997)

Mass appeal? Filled with off-center bummer country, Pardon My French stands as a record that could’ve brought the band a larger audience. Strung together like overhearing a bunch of strange inside jokes that you want to understand. The songs are short and work best when taken as part of a whole. Some (like “Bestest Friend,” “Tether” and “For Lori”) could’ve found their way to alternative radio. Aspects of Pardon My French are just as affecting as more “ponderous” contemporaries like Smog and Cat Power. A great marijuana record (I hate to reducing any record to that), shifting from jokey to melancholy. French stands as a great “indie” album from the 90s. Yet it’s still a bit too scattered to be considered the band’s best work. There’s something preserved here, and throughout the Fuck’s discography, that was lost when the genre became more popular.

Conduct (1998)

There’s a certain darkness to this one. Some of the lighthearted nature of French is lost, which is surprising for a band called Fuck. Louder and a bit more unhinged, Conduct tries for something new and expands the band’s pallet a bit. It’s a fractured, drunken masterpiece that sounds more confident than French. There’s a loveliness to direct songs like “Drinking Artist,” “Laundry Shop,” “Never Comin’ Back,” “Get Over Him” and closer “Blind Beauty.” Even goofs like “Monkey Doll” and “Twist Off” are still pretty convincing. Melancholy folk/country is still where the band shines the best, though. Conduct is more like a collection of songs than a collection of interesting sketches. It’s possibly the band’s finest moment.

Cupid’s Cactus (2001)

This one loses some of the immediacy and memorability of Conduct. The opener “Glass Charms” dispels any potential sincerity with a faux-country accent part. Yet, after that point, the music of Cupid’s Cactus is even darker and slower moving than Conduct. A better point of comparison would be a more joke-y Low rather than Pavement. “Someday Aisle” is a gorgeous meditation that feels like a good companion to closing time at a bar. While Fuck was never bad at louder songs, the decision to focus on the slowcore side of its sound was a good idea. That said, the louder songs like “Awright” and “Never Alone” are still highlights and break things up a bit.

“Panties off” is a horribly depressing song about prostitution for drugs (I think), but gets across something the band has alluded to in more subtle ways on previous albums. The intention seems to be that sadness exists but there’s unintentional humor that’s impossible avoid even in the worst times. Some could read into this as mean-spirited or trivializing, but there’s something deeper and more complicated at work in these songs. This is something Fuck conveys better than say Ween.

Those Aren’t My Bongos (2003)

This might be the quintessential Fuck album. It gets its point across more clearly than the previous albums and sounds downright pretty. Those Aren’t My Bongos opens immediately questioning the audience’s uptight opinions on sex: “Does the penis offend you? Do the female charms alarm?” This might be the right disclaimer for every Fuck album. It seems like the band’s overarching goal is to create a sense of empathy and discuss the awkward parts of sex more openly. This is all done with a goofy lightheartedness to help balance the darker passages. The romantic acoustic strum of “Her Plastic Acupuncture Foot” was my introduction to the band. I’d argue it’s one of its best songs. How many bands can successfully weave a cartoon blowjob reference into something so romantic? Throughout the album some slight electronics are used as accents, working to vary the band’s sound a bit. Taking out individual moments on this one doesn’t really make sense; it definitely works better together. One that’s impossible not to mention, though, is the gorgeous “How to Say.” The song might be one of Fuck’s strangest considering how direct and sincere it is. TAMB is a patchwork of strange jokes and melancholy swirling together to make a truly unique statement. It rivals Conduct as the band’s best album.

The Band (2018)

It seemed like Fuck all but disappeared after Those Aren’t My Bongos. I was beyond shocked to see they were back together and had a new album out. This one sticks closer to albums like Pardon My French and Conduct, alternating between louder and softer songs. It’s also lighter and more jokey. “Cream Pie Patch” and “Thirsty Gnome” get closer to the balance struck on TAMB, reveling in sex jokes. It’s hard to call a Fuck album fun, but The Band definitely comes close. “Meet the Gibbons” for example is definitely sort of disturbing in its descriptions of mutilation, detracting from the fun vibe of the previous song (“Thirsty Gnome”). “Leave My Body” is a dreamy reverie of a song, leaning on the folk/country the band does so well. The back half of the album abandons the odder moments for the touching, slow-motion ballads Fuck excels at. The Band is a good example of a reunion record: A bit of a progression, a bit of a reminder. There’s something oddly comforting about that even for a band this deeply uncomfortable.

For a playlist of Fuck songs I put together click here.

[aiimaginesbts]

He Decided (M)

2018 Birthday Story for Taehyung!

Taehyung x Reader (ft. BTS) Genre: Japanese period AU, smut, angst & fluff Word count: 26,621 words

A/N: Credit for the banner art goes to SiChen Wang. Check out their awesome art here! Many thanks to Ana @dangitthatsalongname and my other awesome regular beta for beta-ing for me!

Japanese terms used are at the end of the story.

Disclaimer/Copyright

“I can’t believe he forgot this, of all things!”

The exasperated cry from my lady draws my attention away from my chore. Balancing the books that I’m carrying in one arm, I give the door to her room a cursory knock before pushing the already open door even wider. “What’s the matter?” I ask, poking my head inside without hesitation, knowing that she’s alone and I don’t need to give her the privacy that she and her husband always seem to need. Even though I’ve been her lady-in-waiting for as long as I can remember, the vexed expression that she wears, accompanied with a contradictory smile had only made its first appearance after she married Hoseok. Since then, I’ve seen it several times, each one making the corners of my mouth turn up involuntarily at the heartwarming sight. I suppose I’m a woman with simple needs; something so small can give me happiness.

“After going for days without sleep to finish the report for today’s council, can you guess what he forgot?” The answer is obvious, especially with her holding the bound pages up like that, but I know that she still expects an answer.

“The report?” I say, trying to keep a straight face and not burst into laughter.

“Yes!” She confirms needlessly, looking up at the ceiling as if she was beseeching God to remind her of the reason she married the warrior. Yet, when she glances at me, the grin on my face prompts an equally happy one from her, telling me that she already knows the answer.

“Should I deliver it to him?” Knowing the sensitive nature of the report, I’m aware that she would be reluctant to get another servant to send it to him.

“Would you? That would be such great help!”

The affirmation that I have her absolute trust isn’t necessary, but still makes my heart sing and my steps bounce with joy, although I keep a calm demeanour as I follow one of the castle maids towards the hall where the warlords are holding their council. It isn’t my first time here — which could also explain my lady’s impatience with Hoseok earlier — but being in the castle still makes me very nervous. My body shivers, catching the attention of the maid. “It is cold nowadays, is it not?” She says with a sidelong glance at me, perhaps trying to make conversation, or maybe she’s just being kind.

“Ah, yes,” I agree, even though I’m not exactly sure if the cold of the winter has managed to chase me all the way inside the castle. It is true that it’s freezing outside though, so I tug the layers of clothing tighter around me, earning an approving look from her as we continue down the hall. I can tell from the solemn knock that she gives after she stops that we’re interrupting an important meeting. It’s precisely because of its importance that I’m here, so I steel myself when a gentle voice orders us to enter. The maid slides the door open, revealing a group of people that I know to be powerful on the other side. Most of the men aren’t familiar to me, but I do recognise Hoseok’s direct superior, Lord Namjoon, from his visits to our home. The only woman in the room sitting next to him must be his wife, a warrior in her own right. From what I’ve heard, she’s contributing to the new strategies that is accelerating the Kim forces’ spread of power in the west. And of course, on Lord Namjoon’s other side is my harried master.

“Ah, my report!” Hoseok exclaims with relief, getting up and around the warlords to retrieve it from me.

“Yes, my lady noticed that you left it behind and requested that I bring it to you.” Stepping forward to give him the report, I can’t help but hand it over with a little chiding on her behalf. She worries about him all the time, even when he’s not on the battlefield. If he didn't make her so blissful, I would never have approved of him as her husband.

“I must apologise to her once I get back.” The scolding is not lost on him. Nor is the humble gratitude that I didn’t ask for; “I’m sorry for troubling you as well, but thank you for coming all the way here to deliver this to me.”

“You should really be thankful to your wife, Hoseok.” Whether Lord Namjoon is saying this because he truly believes it or because his own wife is there, I’m not entirely sure. Either way, I find it funny and a pity that I’m too star-struck by the powerful aura concentrated inside the room to giggle.

“As do we all,” a man I’ve never seen before drawls amusedly.

“As you should,” Lord Namjoon’s wife quips, but her lopsided grin is directed at the unknown man, not at her husband. “I never would have thought that you would openly say that you are thankful to your wife though, Lord Yoongi.”

Pale cheeks reddening at having been found out, Lord Yoongi clears his throat a little too loudly to be anything but a distraction. “Are we done here? Can we get a move on before the sun sets?”

“The sun is quite a ways from setting, Yoongi, even by dreary winter standards,” answers another unfamiliar man whose voice is so deep it sounds almost drowsy, yet the fine quality of it permeates my ears and soothes my soul. His is also one that tells me that he’s bored and seeking a diversion. Unfortunately it seems like he’s decided that I’m entertainment. “Is this your servant, Hoseok?”

“She is my wife’s attendant,” Hoseok clarifies as he takes his seat, ready to continue.

“Oh.” The one word, stretched to become several syllables long, accompanied with his intense gaze upon me makes me shift in place. Not knowing where to look, yet unsure if I can leave or not, I lower my eyes to the floor.

Thankfully, scrutiny towards me is cut short by the very same man who welcomed us into the room earlier. “That’s enough, Tae,” he warns him firmly. With his authority and informal way of talking, this must be Lord Seokjin. Which makes the leering man Lord Taehyung, his cousin. “This isn’t the time for you to go chasing women.”

He was trying to chase me? The realisation comes as a shock to me. Tilting my chin up ever so slightly, I risk another glance at Lord Taehyung. As one of the two leaders of the Kim forces, he commands a large army of his own, and lives in his own castle town not too far from this one. Watching him heave a heavy sigh as he stretches his back gives me the impression that he’s nothing but a cat transformed into a lazy, although undoubtedly handsome, man. However, Lord Seokjin soon gets him to straighten up, as well as stopping the rest from their chatter about wives, lamenting that he is forced to wait for the rebellions to settle before he can have his own wedding. Belatedly he realises that the maid and I are still there, standing awkwardly near the threshold listening to them jabber like old friends having a chat over drinks. “Oh, I am sorry for keeping you. Thank you for delivering the report,” he dismisses me with a warm smile, then flashes one to the maid as well. “And thank you as well, Kiyo. You may leave now.”

The encounter, brief as it was, gave me plenty to think and  talk about once I returned home. As soon as I asked my lady if she’d met Lord Taehyung before, I instantly became unsure if telling her that I saw him was a good idea. While informative, she’s also intrigued by my specific mention of Lord Taehyung, and no matter how much I try to talk about the others that I saw in the council, it doesn’t deter her from thinking that there’s something special about Lord Taehyung in my eyes. It’s frustrating, because that’s exactly what I’m trying to convince myself is untrue.

“I really only saw him just one time, but he is the sort that leaves an impression, isn’t he?” The book on her table lays open, forgotten, as she waits for my confirmation. Left with no choice, I murmur my assent. There’s no denying that Lord Taehyung is very memorable. While his face is soft, almost tender looking, it houses strong, striking features — thick brows above eyes that shine even when he seems disinterested, stately nose and plush lips that invite me to stare despite my brain screaming at me not to do so. One would think that I’ve never seen a handsome man before; that isn’t so, as I consider Hoseok a very attractive man as well. However, there’s something about Lord Taehyung that draws my attention like no man has done before.

“Very good looking, and tall, too,” she continues, calling forth the mental image of the man in my mind. For months before this, I’d only heard about Lord Taehyung from her recounting of her visit to the castle. It was for the purpose of an unusual mission; to procure Lord Seokjin’s permission for her to marry Hoseok before he went to war. At first she was denied entry, which is unsurprising considering that she had no ties to the castle and came unannounced, but by a stroke of luck, Lord Taehyung happened to pass by. For some reason, her plea intrigued him enough to take her for an audience with Lord Seokjin. However, now that I’ve seen Lord Taehyung myself, I can’t help but imagine him. How he must have looked, walking beside my lady, thinking that his strides must have been long as I imagine his legs were. That amusement in his voice, refreshing in the stuffy castle as he watched her plead her case to Lord Seokjin. Knowing that he must have been every bit as handsome then as he was when I saw him earlier. Before I knew it, I’d started daydreaming about him right in the middle of our conversation.

This doesn’t go unnoticed by my lady, who’d clearly called my name several times before she manages to snap me out of my thoughts. “Is everything alright?” She asks, but she seems more tickled than concerned, which makes me blush. Clearly she’d caught me fantasising, and there’s hardly any question as to whom I’m thinking about.

“Ah, yes, it’s just...” I answer weakly then trail off, not having any excuse to give her. Thankfully she’s tactful enough to not continue embarrassing me, going on like nothing happened.

“I hear he’s a womaniser though.” Her next statement makes me wish that she’d tease me for daydreaming instead. The nagging at the back of my mind ever since my visit to the castle comes back in full force, watching her playful manner change into a solemn one. “Even though I’ve heard rumours, I didn’t really think much about them until the day I met him. Lord Seokjin told him off about it in my presence, so I suppose it’s really true.”

It didn’t escape my notice that Lord Seokjin had warned him about the circumstances in which he should pursue women, but I didn’t want to think about it. Even I know that I’m foolish for turning a blind eye to it, sighing as I come to terms with reality. Handsome and powerful he may be, but Lord Taehyung is just a man who concocts sweet lies to get women into bed with him. As attractive as he is, I wouldn’t want to get involved with any of that – not that I’ll ever see him again anyway. So perhaps I can hold on to that daydream after all. As long as that’s all it will be; an amazing fantasy of a kind, gorgeous man devoted to only me.

However, it looks like I’ve got to postpone fantasising for now, because those frantic steps I’m hearing approach can’t be anything good. Sure enough, not a minute later one of the maids knocks hurriedly, then slides the door open. “My lady! Master Hoseok is back, and he brought a guest with him!”

The mistress’ surprise at the announcement tells me that this is news to her, too. “Who is it?” She asks even as she hastens to get on her feet, readying herself to greet the guest.

“It is Lord Taehyung, my lady!”

What?

Regardless of my disbelief, he really is there in the guest room, already sitting and drinking tea with Hoseok like he spends every day here. Instantly I want to disappear, seeing him come to life proving to be too much for my sensibilities. Luckily my mistress turns back to me and with a smile, says, “I’ll see you later.” I give her a grateful bow, anxious to make myself scarce, but I’m not about to be let off so easily.

“Oh, you are that lady from before.” Taehyung leans forward, peering before I can make a clean retreat. It’s no use trying to hide behind the door now that he’s definitely seen me. “Why otu come and join us? Since I am getting to see the beautiful ladies that I’ve had the fortune of meeting in the castle here. That is, if your employers do not mind.”

“Of course not,” my lady smiles amicably as she gives her permission. I know she truly doesn’t mind me here. After all, we usually spend our teatimes and even meals together unless there are others present. Hoseok is used to my presence as well, but this time there’s a weariness in the way he beckons me forward, confusing me as to the reason behind his reluctance to having me here. “It delights me to have you visit, my lord. I must again thank you for your help back then.”

“My help? Oh, that.” Lord Taehyung looks confused for a moment, then recalls the assistance that he offered her several months earlier and waves away her grateful bow magnanimously. “Think nothing of it. Happy to see that everything worked well between you and Hoseok here.”

“Pardon me for asking, but what brings you here?” She had taken a seat with me sitting slightly behind her, and accepted the tea that I’d gone ahead and poured for her. “Not that I mind your visit! You are very welcome here.”

It turns out to be even worse than I thought. Lord Taehyung is going to stay the night, using Hoseok as an excuse. From the tired way Hoseok tries to explain that Lord Namjoon, who is staying in Lord Seokjin’s castle, knows about the logistics they’d planned for the war just as well as he does, I can tell that this isn’t the first time Lord Taehyung has waved the reasoning away. I suppose he isn’t keen on spending the night at the castle, though what he hopes to achieve from shifting his lodgings here, I don't have the faintest idea.

Or perhaps I do, but I’d rather pretend not to see it and keep the perfect image of him I have in my head. As it is, it’s easier and far more pleasant to listen to their amicable chatter about everything under the sun, from the goings on in our town all the way to his. Just as long as I don’t have to hear of his adventures involving women. I have a suspicion that as callous as he is, Lord Taehyung is still too polite to talk about it so blatantly in the company of other ladies, something that I have to be thankful for I suppose. However, that politeness doesn’t extend so far as to hold back on his obvious attempts towards me. I’m not the only one who notices, either.

“The flowers do bloom inside your house, Hoseok,” he says not so coyly. “Though it would be rude of me to disturb your wife, after you’ve shown me such hospitality.”

“I would be even happier if you do not entice any other ladies in my household, my lord.” Hoseok is definitely not one to beat around the bush, managing to be blunt while keeping his manners somewhat. “Married or otherwise.”

“Oh, I would never go for married women,” he clarifies with a deep laugh that I might have found pleasing if not for the subject matter. The way he treats it so lightly makes me sick. “Best not to go seeking trouble when it is not necessary in the least.”

Is he implying that it’s much easier for him to find single women to dally with? I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case, really, but from the grin he’s shooting me, I wonder if I’m meant to be awed of the fact that he doesn’t have affairs. If that is so, then I certainly am not. Thus it’s infuriating that my heart is somersaulting in my chest just by looking at him. One would think that living under the same roof as Hoseok would make me immune to charming, handsome men, but apparently not. Fearing for my own sanity, I try for a quick exit. “There are some chores that I need to tend to. If I may be excused...?” Despite phrasing it like I’m asking for permission, I’m already bracing my palms on the tatami, halfway through a bow even as I utter the words, ready to get up and out. There’s no such chore that requires my attention right at that moment, and there’s no doubt that both Hoseok and his wife know that as well. Thankfully my lady is quick to catch on, her startled reaction smoothly transitioning into an understanding one as she nods her assent.

“Go ahead.”

“Can it not wait?” Lord Taehyung attempts to stall my escape, seemingly crestfallen. It lends him a very sad look, like a wounded puppy, and it takes everything for me to steel myself against the instinct to take pity on him and sit down again.

“I am afraid that it cannot, my lord,” I say softly, lest my lie reveals itself through my voice.

“That is disappointing.” He is a master at expressing his emotions, but I remind myself that he is probably an expert at putting up an act. Just how many women have fallen for his charms, submitting to his will? My determination not to be one of them gives me the strength to bow and murmur an apology before leaving.

If I thought getting away from Lord Taehyung would help put my mind at ease, I’m soon proven to be very wrong. Despite not joining them for dinner and going out of my way to tackle every task I can find, it’s impossible to shut him out of my thoughts, even after going to great lengths to keep him out of my sight. As the day wears on and the inhabitants of the house give into the lulling powers of the night, I make my way towards the kitchen. Hopefully there’s something warm and comforting for me to eat that would finally calm me and put me to sleep.

However, I get the exact opposite of what I'm wishing for, as I get waylaid on my way to the back of the large house. Lord Taehyung seems to appear out of nowhere, and if I could think, I would have wondered if he'd been following me or if he'd been lying in wait all this time. But any thoughts I might have are drowned out by the deafening pounding of my heart as he moves swiftly to slap his palms against the wall next to my head, like a wild animal cornering its prey. I could swear that even the yelp I can't help letting out is music to his ears, from the way the startled sound chases the corners of his lips towards the ceiling. The glare that is supposed to tell him that I don't appreciate any of this — his popping out of thin air, dominantly caging me against the wall, him staying overnight here in the first place, even his stupidly handsome face — is probably lost under my shocked, wide eyes and goosebumps that is my body's way of notifying me that I secretly do love all of it.

There is no way he could know the mortifying feelings I'm starting to have for him, much less the thoughts that I would dearly love to convey to him, yet somehow there's no doubt that he is aware of everything. His confidence makes me believe he can read me like a book and that annoys me to no end. Almost as much as I'm annoyed at myself for not being impervious to his charms despite being fully aware that this man is not good news. "I did not expect to meet such a sweet young lady here," he says lazily, leaning down to try and meet my flitting eyes.

My defiant answer is weakened by settling my gaze on the floor. "Given that you had already known that I am under Lord Hoseok's employ at the castle earlier, one would think that it is unsurprising to find me here in his home."

"Mmm." He cocks his head playfully. "I meant that I would never have guessed such a pretty flower is hidden in my cousin's town but you are sassy too." Moving forward even more so that our faces are dangerously close, he whispers, "I like that."

It's clear that cutting straight to the point is a better solution than attempting to stop his flirting with my barely-there wit. "Is it not time for you to retire to your room, Lord Taehyung? What are you doing here?"

"It is," he hums agreeably. "But I find myself strangely cold and bereft of a companion, so I am hoping that you might perhaps help warm me up."

His implication couldn't be less subtle, but I doubt that a classier invitation would make the idea any more appealing to my sensibilities. My senses, on the other hand, jump into overdrive at the suggestion. Suddenly Lord Taehyung isn't just a treat for my eyes; my skin is heating up like he is scorching fire, his pleasant scent making me hyper aware that my tongue is dying to know what he tastes like. And he's so close I could just jerk a few inches forward to press against his luscious lips. Heart and head battle for the right to make the decision, so I quickly duck under his arm before my inner desire could take the reins. "I am awfully sorry, Lord Taehyung, but I believe that if that is what you are looking for, you would find yourself luckier if you had stayed in Lord Seokjin's castle."

In my haste to get away from him, I almost trip over my own feet walking backwards, but Lord Taehyung doesn't show any signs of pursuing. "I already consider myself the luckiest man in the world to be born as his cousin, since it gave me the opportunity to make your acquaintance."

He needs to know that is the farthest our destinies can stretch. For his own good, I tell myself, but it really is for my sake. Squashing any possibilities that we would ever be anything more is the only way to prevent me from hoping, which would definitely send me straight to his bed. "Oh, although I am uninterested in dalliances, as a servant I am honoured to be considered an acquaintance." With that, I hurry to my room, desperate to put as much distance as I can between us. The trip to the kitchen is completely forgotten, and by the time I remember I'm too scared to leave my futon, wary of the fact that if I venture out again, my feet would follow the path to his room, seeking the antidote to his spell that makes my body sing and yearn for him.

Even though I hardly got a wink of sleep, the next morning I'd taken over the chore of cleaning the floors from the maids. A mindless task like this is perfect for my sleep-deprived state, but my hazy brain still manages to turn to Lord Taehyung and my insane desire to give him exactly what he wants. In fact, I'm so focused on how easily he made me wet between the legs that only when the freezing air causes me to shiver do I realise that my kimono sleeves are untied. "Darn it," I mutter to myself, wondering if they became untied or if I never fastened them up in the first place. By now my frigid fingers are too stiff to bend, much less capable of putting the soggy sleeves out of the way.

My weary sigh as I tiredly contemplate the problem changes midway into a surprised, "Oh!" as arms that I wish weren’t this familiar to me reach from behind, gently tying my sleeves up. It's weird that Lord Taehyung's closeness, while exciting last night, is comforting now. Without meaning to, I relax into his arms as he finishes up one side and starts on the other, fancying myself of being in his embrace although I'm sure that's not what he meant it to be.

It ends all too soon for me, but the kind smile that he gives me as he moves away soothes me a little, and I smile back at him. "Do you do this often?"

I assume he's referring to cleaning the floors, not the frequency with which I melt into a man's arms so blissfully. As my lady's companion, my required tasks don't strictly overlap the maids', but after her marriage I've been finding myself doing chores like this more often to keep myself occupied and useful. "Sometimes, when I need to think."

"What could a pretty head like yours possibly need to think about?" Lord Taehyung has this way of showing interest, not just through his body language, but with curiosity infused in the lilt of his beguiling voice and inquisitiveness lighting up his eyes that makes one forget that he is a powerful lord having a banal chat with a woman far below his station. Perhaps this is the reason he could lure so many women without any promise for a future, as one would think these highborn ladies would expect. Being smitten with him hasn't kept me from noticing that despite his tantalising words, he has not uttered one real promise. True, I'm hardly better than a servant and thus undeserving of offers of marriage from a man such as Lord Taehyung, but I have a feeling that none of his past dalliances have received anything like that either. I suppose that calls for judgement on those women's sensibilities, yet I can't help but applaud the fact that he doesn't make false promises. Now if he could just stop his sultry gaze as we make barely un-flirty conversation, I could actually admire him for more than his feats on the battlefield.

However, the last thing I want is for him to know what the answer to his question would be; 'you'. So I blurt out, "Will you be staying here long?" It was beyond clumsy as far as changing the subjects go and perhaps even more embarrassing as it betrays my absurd wish that he remain here longer. I want to shove my foot in my mouth the second I hear it with my own ears.

Lord Taehyung, gentleman that he is, politely ignores my obvious attempt to avoid the question, although he doesn't hold back on the grin that grows on his face. He exhales, then adopts a more serious manner, as if full of remorse. "Alas, I need to head home after today's meeting. In fact, I believe Hoseok is waiting for me outside right now."

Even though his departure hardly comes as a surprise, now that it's actually happening it leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth. "I— I see. Please have a safe journey back home."

Those are the only words I could think of offering him before we part, and while part of me regrets that I couldn't say more, even after a few days I don't think I could think of anything else. One good thing that would come out of this is that at least there's no chance of seeing him again. He will move on to the next conquest that catches his attention and with time I will hopefully forget all about him. So far it isn't going so well, but later a discussion between Hoseok and his wife gives me something new to think about.

“We have been quelling the rebellions before they can go out of hand but at this rate, it can go on forever.” Hoseok sighs heavily as he complains to my mistress.

Her fingers thread through Hoseok’s locks lovingly as he lays down with his head in her lap, but her features are contorted into a frown. “This has been going on for a while, hasn’t it? Don’t you have any idea who’s been inciting these uprisings?”

“Of course we do.” He lets his eyelids flutter shut, thoroughly enjoying his wife’s touch. “But he’s an ally of Lord Seokjin. Been racking up on power and influence since Lord Seokjin gave him the responsibility of watching over the north for him. The bastard,” Hoseok spits out angrily, then glances over at me. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I don’t mind.” I really don’t mind whatever language he uses. Actually I’m happy that the married couple is comfortable enough to relax their speech around me and insist that I do the same with them. Although I only do so when we’re by ourselves, sometimes I wonder if there’s such a thing as being too relaxed. Trying to be more polite, I force myself to pay close attention to my sewing instead of their show of a blissful marriage. Normally I like watching the two of them but lately such display gives me a pang of loneliness. All I can do is hope that one day I’ll be able to enjoy such happiness, although it’s hard not to feel a little sad at the knowledge that it wouldn’t be with Lord Taehyung.

“Anyhow, we have received reports about suspicious activities surrounding the daimyo and have reason to believe that he’s been organising the rebellion while Lord Seokjin and Lord Taehyung were busy with their western campaign.” Reaching out for my lady’s free hand, he holds it to his heart, kneading the back of it softly with his thumb. Letting his frustrations out. “Taking action against him without concrete proof might not be wise, though. He could use his pull with the people to paint us as villains and more innocent lives would be involved. So that’s what we’re working on now, but it isn’t easy. He’s purposefully controlling everything behind the scenes so we can’t take offence and break the alliance.”

Unable to concentrate on the needle that’s shaking between my fingers, I look up at the pair. “Why don’t you send a spy to find the evidence that you need?”

“That’s a sound idea.” Hoseok sighs softly and I instinctively know that this is a suggestion that they’ve already considered, perhaps even executed. “But it’s hard to find someone trustworthy. Most people have a price on them, and it’ll be troublesome if the daimyo finds out that we’re onto him. Anyone that is recognisable is also out of the question, so that’s already most of us since we’ve fought alongside people from the north before. And on the off chance we manage to get someone suitable, there’s no guarantee that he’d agree to do it. It’s a dangerous job after all. If the daimyo really has betrayed us and the spy is discovered, we can’t keep him safe while he’s there.”

We lapse into silence following his reply, but that doesn’t mean that I’m letting it go. In fact, an idea springs to mind immediately, but realising the gravity of the situation, I remain quiet, at least outwardly, as I consider it. But after some time, I know that no matter how much longer I sit on the suggestion, I’m not going to change my mind. Nor will I regret it. Looking down, I see that my hands are shaking, not from frustration or nervousness, but from the strength of my resolve. “I’ll do it,” I finally declare out loud, the determination evident in my unwavering voice.

“Do what?” Distracted after being petted into a fatigued stupor, Hoseok asks me sleepily.

“Send me there. I’ll be your spy.”

“What?!” My mistress is immediately — and understandably — upset by this, and her husband’s head might have hit the tatami when she jerks up if he hadn’t sat up in shock as well.

“You can’t do it. It’s too dangerous.”

His objection is expected and completely reasonable. Even I know the risks, and that someone like Hoseok would never even think about sending a woman to find evidence, but— “I know it is. That’s why you should let me do it. No one would ever suspect that a woman would be sent as a spy. As a servant, I can easily fit in too, and maids clean the whole place, so I can use that as an excuse if I’m ever found somewhere suspicious. And even if—“ stopping for a bit before I choke, I look down, just for a moment to gulp and gather my dissipating courage. Although I have no intentions of backing out, that doesn’t mean that I feel no fear. All I’ve done in my life is serve my mistress as a companion after her family took me in. My life as a child up to the point my parents passed is a distant memory that is like water cupped in my palms; the more I try to hold on to it, the faster it slips through and becomes forgotten. “Even if I get caught, what is one life compared to the innocent blood that will be spilled as this goes on? I want this to end as quickly as possible. Please let me help.”

The frown doesn’t completely disappear from Hoseok’s face, but at least he doesn’t refuse me outright. Instead, he remains silent for a while, thinking it over. “Well, one of the reasons we’re suspicious of the daimyo is because he’s been having guests over. Not just any visitors, but strong daimyos, with influence over their own people. It’s becoming more and more often, with many people coming at once. While this is a sign of something big brewing, it also means that he would be short on help, so maybe we can sneak you in.”

“But—“ my mistress begins, distressed, then stops herself. “Are you sure about this? I won’t stop you if you really want to do it, but please think again carefully.”

The sight of her quivering lower lip makes me really guilty. We’ve been together for years and I’m aware that I’ve been blessed to be her companion. While the rules of society still apply, she always treats me like a friend, oftentimes even when others are around. I hate to leave her behind, on top of the terrifying thoughts that come with going to an unknown place to serve in an enemy’s house, but no amount of thinking will change my stance on this. “Consider this my way of repaying your kindness, my lady. Everything I have, all I am now is thanks to you. And my lord as well.” I give both of them a smile that is grateful, yet filled with sadness that I can’t explain. However, they both stare back at me solemnly.

“You don’t have to thank us for anything,” she insists with a pout, and Hoseok nods, but I don’t agree.

“I’ve always wanted to do my part in aiding Lord Seokjin and the other warlords. You have always given your all for the sake of the people. It’s the least I can do to help.”

Even though the debate goes back and forth in the same vein for a while, in the end the couple gives up on trying to change my mind. Having managed to persuade them, it still takes two days for Hoseok to convince Lord Seokjin to agree to the scheme and then to get everything settled. In the meantime, I prepare to leave. It isn’t so much packing that takes up the time, nor is it reassuring my lady that I’ll take care of myself, but it’s more of preparing myself mentally. In my years of service I’ve been pampered, really, compared to other servants, and I’ve never served anyone else. Even though Hoseok is accompanying me in my first leg of the journey to the next castle town, saying goodbye to my mistress is already enough to bring tears to my eyes. Still, I hold it in, telling myself that it isn’t going to be any easier from now on.

It takes a few hours on horseback to arrive at Lord Jimin’s house, but the journey passes by in a blink of an eye. Hoseok explains to me that Lord Jimin’s wife is the daughter of a wealthy merchant, a man in a good place to arrange for servants to be sent to a daimyo’s house. Even though it embarrassed me to have Hoseok refer to me as someone very precious to his wife, I honestly think both Lord Jimin and his wife would have treated me kindly either way. Having already received a letter from Lord Seokjin before our arrival, she’d already gotten in touch with her father, who’d agreed to help arrange my infiltration into the daimyo’s house as a maid. Although I don’t really have anything to contribute to the conversations between Lord Jimin and Hoseok, I pay close attention, keeping my ears open and trying to remember all I can. The tiniest detail may help me in my mission. I’ve gathered that Lord Jimin isn’t as involved with the wars as his best friend, Lord Taehyung, but both he and his wife are concerned about our ally daimyo who might have turned his back on us. Similar to my own mistress, the two also ask me to reconsider taking on such a dangerous task.

“But then, I heard that your wife is quite the courageous woman, Hoseok, so perhaps her companion is similar,” Lord Jimin remarks with a giggle that makes his intimidating aura disappear at once. Title and property aside, Lord Jimin is softer than most of the warlords I’ve met so far. One could even consider him cute, although I’m not sure if he’d appreciate being called that himself.

“Oh? Where did you hear that?” Even after months of being married, I see that Hoseok hasn’t lost any fervour for his wife. Just the mere mention of her piques his interest immediately.

“Tae told me that she stormed into his castle, demanding that you marry her before you go off to war.” Hoseok’s blush at the story is all the confirmation Lord Jimin needs to laugh uproariously, and even his wife and I can’t help grinning. Apparently that little tale has made its way here. It isn’t surprising, I suppose, since Lord Taehyung was the one who allowed her entry to the castle and brought her to Lord Seokjin. However, I find myself regarding Lord Jimin slightly differently now. He’s obviously close to Lord Taehyung, despite not being part of his men in the Kim forces’ campaigns. I wonder what he knows of Lord Taehyung, if his friend really is the womaniser I’ve heard him to be. If Lord Taehyung has ever seriously considered a woman romantically before. Not that I can ask, but I do still think about it to myself.

Hoseok’s departure the next day is slightly easier to take than leaving my home, but I still feel a little lonely regardless. However, there isn’t much time to brood over trivial things. The day after that has me already setting off for the north with yet another warlord. This one is a familiar face, although I’m not sure if I’ll be all right travelling with Lord Yoongi, who is far more frightening than Lord Taehyung and Lord Seokjin put together, even though the cousins far outrank him. Thankfully, Mr. Masaru is accompanying us, forming a barrier of sorts, but Lord Yoongi’s silence is still unnerving.

“He may look scary, but Lord Yoongi is as nice as they come.” The comment addressing my concern so precisely makes me jump, almost falling into the river we’re stopping by. Turning back, I see that Mr. Masaru has caught me gawking at Lord Yoongi from afar.

“Oh, no, I...” Out of habit, I begin to deny the obvious, then decide to drop the pretence. It’ll take a few days to get to our destination. Best to make friends with the one person I can approach. “Is he really, Mr. Masaru? If looks could kill, I think I would have dropped dead from my horse.”

My frankness earns a guffaw from Mr. Masaru. “I thought so too at first! Most people in the castle are of the same mind as well, but after a while I noticed that he genuinely cares for the people he looks after. You are lucky to have him going with you, although I am sure that the reason he was assigned this task is because of his commoner background.”

Before I can express my surprise at the unexpected tidbit, a grumpy voice interrupts us. “And here I thought my wife just wanted to tease me by forcing me to travel with yet another headstrong girl.”

For a second time in a few minutes, I narrowly avoid tripping into the river. Whirling back around, my heart shoots up my throat, registering that Lord Yoongi had joined us, and probably heard a good portion of our conversation. On the other hand, Mr. Masaru doesn’t seem as affected as I am, even though his cheeks are a little flushed at having been caught talking about his superior. “I thought it was Lord Taehyung who asked you to take her to the north, not his sister, Lord Yoongi.”

“Lord Taehyung is not around, and will not be for a while.” Lord Yoongi’s statement invites questions, but his tone makes it clear that he isn’t going to comment any further on it. I know I shouldn’t bother with Lord Taehyung, but I feel the intense curiosity burning inside me, dying to know more about him. Is he doing fine? Is he on a dangerous mission? Does he have enough support? However, expressing these thoughts would make me highly suspicious, and the last thing I want is for these men to question my intense interest about their lord. And once they catch a whiff of the reason behind my inquisitiveness, there’s a high probability that Lord Taehyung will learn of it eventually. That thought alone is mortifying enough to give me control over myself.

Instead I meekly try to follow Mr. Masaru’s lead, and try to make conversation with Lord Yoongi. “Are you married to Lord Taehyung’s sister, Lord Yoongi?”

“Yeah.” His answer is short, and makes it hard for me to say anything else afterwards. Mr. Masaru has gone to tend to the horses, but it seems rude for me to leave Lord Yoongi’s side, even though this awkward silence is more than I can bear. I wonder what Lord Taehyung’s sister is like. A woman who is able to get along with Lord Yoongi — I can’t even imagine such an amazing person. “It would have been better if our side was told about this earlier.”

Fully expecting Lord Yoongi, like everyone else, to tell me to reconsider taking on this mission, what he says instead throws me completely off balance and I gape like a silly fish for a few moments. “What do you mean?” In the end, that’s all I can think of asking, because I really can’t make a tail or head of his statement.

He sighs heavily in response, squatting next to me and glaring at the glistening water before him. This time it’s him who takes time to formulate a reply, gauging just how much is permissible to share with me. After all, while Lord Yoongi is part of the Kim forces, he reports to Lord Taehyung, and not Lord Seokjin, so he’d naturally have reservations about giving information to someone he doesn’t know, even if Hoseok had sent me. I’m not even sure how much interaction Lord Yoongi and Hoseok have had before, given that they live in different towns and probably only met during more important war councils. “If Lord Taehyung — I mean the people with him as well — knew about this before he went away, we may have been able to coordinate this better.”

Again, my heart beats just a bit faster at the mention of Lord Taehyung. “Is it really important that he knows about this before I go?”

Once again Lord Yoongi takes his time answering, but this time comes to the conclusion that he’s told me enough. “I suppose it doesn’t matter either way,” he mumbles, then finishes with another sigh, softer this time. “He will see to it that everything works out in the end.”

Slapping his palms on his knees, he stands up, clearly marking the end of our chat. But I can’t help blurting out, “Lord Taehyung will?”

Perhaps my high pitch betrayed my overzealousness, or Lord Yoongi is sharp enough to read the burning interest in my eyes, or maybe even both, because he inquires, “Do you know him?”

There’s nothing more I’d like to do than kick myself right now. “Everyone knows him, do they not? He is quite famous, after all,” I answer sheepishly, avoiding revealing the truth like a coward.

“Don’t be stupid,” Lord Yoongi snaps crossly, seeing through me at once. Even though I quickly turn my gaze to the water, I can feel his shrewd eyes on me, and blood rushes to my cheeks in embarrassment. While others may not comment on it even if they notice, Lord Yoongi clearly isn’t the type to accept an improper, evasive answer. He’s brash and doesn’t tolerate nonsense, unlike most noble people I know. Perhaps it’s his commoner background. Whatever it is, it’s refreshing, although combined with his surly attitude makes him hard to warm up to. “I mean have you met him before? Are you one of the girls racing to get into his bed?”

“No, I am not!” Multiple emotions build up inside me at the manner with which he phrased his question. Heavy disappointment at the confirmation of his womanising ways, helplessness at the scores of women wanting to be with him regardless of his reputation, indignation that Lord Yoongi thinks that I’m one of them, and self-loathing that a part of me actually considered joining them. Reeling my irrational emotions in, I clear my throat, lowering my pitch to a more reasonable register. “We have met before, but just in passing.”

He gives me a hard look, and it’s difficult to resist the urge to remain in my spot and not run away from his gaze. “Well, as long as it stays that way.” Even though his curt tone pains me, I try not to let it show. Lord Taehyung’s flirtatious ways may very well be a bother to Lord Yoongi, after all. Perhaps he doesn’t approve of his brother-in-law behaving that way, or Lord Taehyung’s dalliances get in the way of his work, putting burden on Lord Yoongi. It could be a myriad of reasons that I couldn’t even start to fathom, but it isn’t surprising that Lord Yoongi wants me to not get involved with Lord Taehyung. It’s probably best for me after all. Someone like Lord Taehyung wouldn’t possibly see someone like me as more than someone to entertain himself with for a short time, and if I give in, I’m going to be the only one left broken hearted in the end. Still, it leaves me feeling small and insignificant, surprisingly bringing tears to my eyes. I don’t know why I’m craving for Lord Yoongi’s approval, when it wouldn’t mean anything given that there really is nothing going on between me and Lord Taehyung. Unreasonable feelings crumple up my face, pulling with such force that I can’t help the pitiful look and I turn away. Better to munch down on my pride like this than suffer more embarrassment from Lord Yoongi seeing me upset over unrequited feelings for his lord. However, before I could leave, he makes me pause. “As he is now, he is more worthy of women who do not value themselves much.”

Once again in a short span of time I’m surprised. In a roundabout way, did he just say that Lord Taehyung is not worthy of me, a mere servant? Hardly able to believe that Lord Yoongi actually said that I’m too good for his superior, I turn around, but he has already gone the other way towards the horses. We push on soon after, taking advantage of the remaining daylight before settling down at an inn for the night. In the following days, I find him a little different. I’m not sure if it’s my biased view that makes him appear more approachable after the conversation we had, or if he’d actually opened up to me a bit, or if I’d been blind to this side of him before, but I can see what Mr. Masaru meant now. Lord Yoongi really is a kind person, even though he seems to have a hard time showing it. It must be this warm compassion behind his prickly exterior that attracted his wife. Even I’m starting to actually like him — although I don’t think I can see his tender personality while navigating his bluntness.

The weak heat of the winter sun is waning even further when we finally reach our destination. That’s what I was hoping, and although true in a sense, I’m not actually quite there yet. For my travelling companions, it is their last stop before turning back, to hand off the duty to the man responsible for bringing a group of women to serve in the ally daimyo’s house. While sad to part with them, part of me is glad to be in a group of females again. The man hardly associates with us except to inform us that we are already late and our arrival is expected. As far as I can tell, the other maids are ordinary folks. None of them show any signs of recognising Lord Yoongi, who is careful not to don quality fabrics that I normally see the warlords wear. Their admiration for his good looks are well-deserved, but upon informing them that he is a married merchant, they lose interest fairly quickly, and stop peppering me with questions.

The daimyo’s manor is not far, and we head towards it on foot immediately. While fatigued from the fiver-day journey, I’m quite glad to forgo the horses. While Mr. Masaru had secretly confided that Lord Yoongi made us move fairly slowly to let me adjust to riding, it’s still too much for me. Considering that I’d only started learning as Hoseok brought me to the neighbouring castle town, I think it’s quite an achievement, but I understand that we couldn’t just take our sweet time. Even though the sun has already greeted the western ground by the time we arrive, we’re put to work almost immediately. As per the reports that Hoseok relayed to me, there are a number of guests staying in the house, and even an idiot can tell that they’re not ordinary people. The newcomers begin by helping out in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes then moving to prepare the guest rooms. Of course, I don’t expect them to allow the new maids to actually prepare and serve the food. Not that it matters, because I’m not plotting to poison anyone, but it’s still nerve-wracking to see how well guarded the place is, with so many powerful men in the building. The urge to check over my shoulder is so overwhelming that it makes me tremble in the effort it takes to resist it. Every second I expect someone to grab my shoulder and restrain me after discovering I’m a spy.

However, the night passes without incident, even if it’s hardly calm. The next few days become a new changed lifestyle for me. Being told what to do and being responsible for it is completely different than wanting to do it yourself. The stark difference really illuminates my charmed life with Hoseok and his wife, who treat me like part of the family. Being worked to the bone makes me think hard to recall how servants are treated back home. While I’m sure they work harder than I do, surely they’re treated better than the servants who work here. Wringing a cleaning cloth in my hand one morning, I watch my surroundings as I entertain my thoughts. There’s definitely something going on here. Every day, so many meetings are held, but they’re careful to keep it quiet, containing discussions behind closed doors. For all the powerful men who go in and out of this place, all I can really see is underpaid servants going about their work. It’s truly maddening, because I’m ever conscious of the gravity of the situation. If the daimyo is really a traitor — and I’m becoming more and more convinced that he is —  and passes more unencumbered time with these men, it means that the threat of the next uprising grows ever closer. From the looks of it, this may be the biggest rebellion yet. Even though I want the Kim forces to come out victorious, I’d rather have as little bloodshed as possible. And to do that, I must put a halt to this attack before it can fully form.

Unfortunately, the discreet leaders aren’t my only obstacle to completing my mission. With the warlords busy preparing for something imminent, most of them are bringing their men with them, with the closest ones brought to the meetings. Even though as a spy I intend to remain as unnoticeable as possible, as my luck would have it, one of the warlords’ right-hand man has taken it upon himself to scope out the women around, and it seems like I’m the unlucky victim. His daily visits are bad enough, but his attempts at flirting are really something else. While Lord Taehyung is skilled at the art of wooing a woman, Lord Genta is an oaf, clumsy in his attempts to attract my attention without noticing that his domineering attitude disgusts me. Given his size, I have no doubt that he’s all brawn and no brain. How did this man manage to climb all this way to his current status is beyond me. Yet, all I can do is refuse him gently, as quietly as possible so I don’t raise a ruckus and call attention to myself. The last thing I need is to be recognisable, or, God forbid, memorable. My polite rebuffs aren’t effective though. If anything, it just spurs him on, giving him the impression that I’m playing hard to get in my own flirtatious way, enjoying the challenge. In the meantime, the only challenge I care about is obtaining that proof, and I have no idea how to do it. Within the second week of my infiltration, I’ve become more daring and reckless, despite Lord Genta’s advances. After some practice, I learn to inconspicuously watch for the activities around the huge manor and estimating how long I would safely have for searching a room. Or at least brief enough to appear innocent should I be caught in one. Still, mere estimations aren’t good enough to take such a risk in my book, until the day I’m tasked with serving tea at one of their meetings. Jubilated that I’ve finally been allowed inside during one of these, I’m on high alert, moving to do my job as slowly as I possibly can without appearing weirdly inept. Not much can be gleaned, as expected, but those precious few minutes allow me to overhear of another upcoming council. Most importantly, even though the men are on a tea break, I manage to hear talk of recruiting another daimyo to their cause. That’s when it all crashes down on me, like a force of a dam suddenly broken, a heavy barrage of water hitting me and waking me up. I have no more time to lose, no more room to wait until it’s completely safe to make my move. It will never be risk-free. The time to act is now, before yet another daimyo and his men are added to their numbers, bringing them closer to their goal, and people to danger they shouldn’t even be a part of. While I have more than enough reason to suspect their motives in my book, even I know that it isn’t quite enough to bring back as evidence. Not everyone is going to believe the words of a servant, even with Hoseok to vouch for me. With my mind made up, it becomes even harder to remain calm, making me fear being careless even more. The opportunity presents itself as early as the following afternoon. Most of the cleaning in the hallway is done, so it’s just me around. I saw the daimyo heading off to the western side of the humongous house, and wherever he goes, his followers will follow. This is my chance. My steps into his room are quick, without hesitation, but I can’t hear my own thoughts over the thunderous beating of my heart, louder than any storm I’ve ever gone through. Sunlight streams into the spacious room, muted by the screens over the doors, but it provides me with more than enough light to search by. I look frantically around the room, hoping that something incriminating will jump out at me. And miraculously, it does. So careless — or perhaps confident — is the daimyo that he has left a piece of paper on his writing table. I can see black markings upon the parchment; he most probably left it to dry. Praying that he has made an error in judgement and that it’ll work out in my favour, I approach slowly, as if it’s a wild, feral animal ready to attack at the slightest provocation. The intricate letters almost make no sense in my panic. Frantic breaths fill the room, and I have to force myself to calm down. Wiping sweat off my brow before it can drop onto the paper, I start reading it. A letter addressed to another powerful figure in the north, persuading him to rise against the Kim forces. Silently muttering words of thanks to my mistress’ family for allowing me to learn to read with her, I start rolling the letter up. Footsteps thud close by, getting closer, and I freeze. Even though the smart thing to do would be to use the cleaning cloth I’d brought with me to pretend to clean the room, I can’t bring myself to move, can’t get into the back-up plans I’d made for myself. All I can do is stare wide-eyed with dread at the door leading into the room from the hallway, almost resigning myself to being found. However, whoever it is walks past the room in wide strides, full of purpose. In a hurry perhaps, I conclude after my sense of reason kicks back in. My fingers are shaking, but I make them work to roll the letter and tuck it up my sleeve, cursing inwardly as I almost bump against the ink stone in my haste. Only then do I realise that I didn’t even expect to be this lucky. Lord Yoongi has instructed me to identify a soldier on our side within the daimyo’s ranks if I find something suspicious, but I’m not sure if I have the time to do that. This letter is crucial proof, but it will soon be missed. I need to make my escape now. The consequences of staying are too terrifying to even think of. They will surely interrogate the servants to find the missing letter, and others may be tortured for information, as I’m surely not going to give myself up. Hopefully when they notice a maid missing, they will immediately — and rightfully — assume that I’m the perpetrator. So I leave. With some money Lord Yoongi has given me in case of emergencies that I quickly swipe from the servants’ quarters, the letter and the clothes on my back. I don’t dare carry any more. The money and letter I can easily conceal, but a bundle would be too noticeable. I didn’t bring anything of value with me anyway, so it’s no real loss. However, having money doesn’t mean a thing when I have no clue who to trust. I can’t simply stroll up to someone and offer to buy a horse. Staying at an inn in town is out of the question — in fact, remaining in this town is too dangerous. Somehow I’m going to have to make it to the next settlement by foot. At least my rear won’t be sore from horse-riding this time. The idea is daunting as I have no clue how far the nearest one is, or the direction it’s in, even, but I see no other option. Resigned to my fate while at the same time dreading the long, arduous journey to come, I manage to exit the town without any problems. Now is where the troubles will start. No matter how much I tell myself that I can take sleeping on the ground under the stars, I can’t convince myself that I would survive the trip. Getting lost is the least of my worries. I really, really hope that I will not come across any bandits. A woman travelling on her own would get into trouble if spotted by almost anyone, really. The best I can hope for is to find a village very soon, and send a missive to Lord Yoongi from there. While still unsure if I want to actually see anyone, I stumble upon a field full of soldiers. Unable to stop my curiosity, I edge closer, having the advantage of height from up the small hill overlooking the sprawling land. In no time I can make out the man leading the drill. There’s no mistaking that burly form. Well, since I’ve barely left the town and Lord Genta is here, these are most definitely the daimyo’s army. I’ve never seen one gathered like this. Countless men litter the field, which stretches out farther than I care for. Fear strikes my heart at the view. From the thought that many of these men may not know that they’re being misled by a traitor, or that they may be facing off with some of the people I know, care for, and love. The best I can wish for is that Lord Seokjin and Lord Taehyung’s army outnumber them; a weak prayer of a servant who doesn’t know any better. Still I find myself watching, unable to tear my eyes away, just like a sick person latches onto scenes of gory absurdity. There must be at least a thousand men here, although in my state I feel like there are tens of thousands. However, many of them are clad in incomplete armour made of mismatched pieces. They move clumsily, awkwardly, and after a while it all clicks. These are farmers, recruited, maybe even forced, to serve their lord. Before my outrage can even build inside me, Lord Genta turns around. My streak of luck has run out, it seems, because he looks up and sees me immediately. He must have recognised me on sight, just as I knew it was him. It’s unfortunate, not an honour, especially when he shouts, “What brings you here?” There’s no slimy words of endearment, no shine in his dark eyes. He looks at me with suspicion, and I know I’m in deep trouble. After giving some instructions to a man standing next to him, he makes his way up the slope towards me. “I am on an errand to deliver a message for the daimyo, my lord.” Hopefully my loud answer masks the crunching of the ground underneath my feet, but I can’t seem to make myself move back beyond a mere few inches. In the meantime, Lord Genta gets closer and closer with each step. “Oh? Is it for me?” Uncertainty colours his tone now, torn between believing me as his brain works to dispute my weak lie. “Let me see it.” Once he reaches me, he’s going to find out that there is no such thing. Worse still, he might even discover the letter that I’ve stolen. Terror finally jerks my legs into action, enabling me to sprint in the opposite direction before he’s halfway up the hill. I can hear him shouting for me, but there’s no way that I’d heed his call. Frantically searching for a way out in this vast, unknown land, I seek refuge in the forest not too far ahead. Truthfully I hardly even think about the decision to dive in between the trees. I just want to get myself to safety and at the moment, Lord Genta and his men trump wild animals in terms of danger. But I’m not used to being on the run, much less venturing within the woods. My speed drops considerably almost after I pass the first tree. Rich foliage sprinkled with snow overhead acts as a barrier to the late afternoon sun, cutting the light by more than half for me. More than once I almost trip over a root or some growth underfoot, and soon I’m panting from exertion. Surely I’ve given myself some distance from them by now? Exhausted and out of breath, I allow myself a respite, collapsing to the ground against a tree trunk. Tears well up unbidden, overcome by the whole ordeal, but even though I’m alone I refuse to let them fall. While waiting for my breathing to return to normal, I try to think of my next plan. Nothing comes to mind but I force myself to think of my meagre choices regardless. I refuse to think of this as hopeless. I can make through this somehow. Somehow. The road to that never materialised, because my miserable musings are interrupted by shouts. I don’t know how sounds carry in the forest, but they seem to be from nearby. Feeling my whole body seize up with trepidation, I will myself up to stand and flee again. Where to, I don’t know. As far as I can from the voices, I suppose. Whether it’s the forest, or my exhaustion, or the amount of men Lord Genta has sent to chase after me, something is making it seem like they’re everywhere. No matter how many turns I make, it feels like they’re right behind me, gaining on me. Like a hunted prey I elicit small, desperate whines under my breath, tears now streaming down my face, making it even harder to fumble my way through the trees. At one point I stumble and my hands reflexively fly out to find some support to stop me from falling. All it gets me is a palm scratched on the rough tree bark, but I only allow myself a soft hiss of pain that is almost masked by the sound of my knees meeting the ground. It hurts. It hurts so much — my feet, my legs, my hands, my lungs, my eyes — everything is in pain, but I force myself up. Wheezing, I continue this seemingly pointless effort to escape, until someone is literally above me. I hear a voice that is undoubtedly Lord Genta’s speak to one of his men and immediately flatten myself against the side of the elevated ground, hoping against hope that they didn’t see or hear me. I didn’t realise that they’re already this close! Unable to believe my tragic luck, I lean forward slightly, intending to peek up to see if I can gauge their distance from me. However, I’ve barely moved when an arm comes out of nowhere and seizes me by the waist from behind. My startled yelp is muffled by a hand to my mouth. Immediately I begin to struggle, but not for long, because my assailant swiftly turns my head around so I can see his face. Lord Taehyung?! Eyes boggling in shock take in his nod, reassuring me that I’m all right, then touches a long finger to his lips; a simple signal to remain quiet without making so much as a peep. Once I’ve gotten over the surprise just a tiny bit, I nod in return, and he relaxes his hold on me to tilt his head, attempting to do what I was planning to do. Telling myself to ignore his arms around me, I turn my attention skywards as well, straining my ears to listen in on the conversation happening between my pursuers. “No one has yet to even catch a glimpse of her, my lord,” the underling is reporting to Lord Genta, and I feel relief that lasts for a split second. Lord Genta’s loud grunt is clear as day, and tells me that he isn’t happy with what he is hearing. However, he doesn’t say anything else, and the man, sensing his leader’s inability to come up with a counter plan, continues, “the sun will set very soon, and it will be too dark to conduct a search.” The tips of my fingers start to claw their way in, trying to grip Lord Taehyung’s arms over the armour that he’s wearing, willing Lord Genta to give up on finding me. Sensing my unease, Lord Taehyung holds me more securely. His protective embrace is calming, stopping my silent crying. White puffs come out in bursts in the cold winter air in time with my heartbeat, both sounding deafening in my ears, and I’m deathly afraid that the men right above me would hear them. Forever passes, it feels like to me, but finally Lord Genta relents with an impatient exhale. “Fine, call off the search and head back.” The other man’s “Yes, sir!” is full of relief. I can make out his footsteps moving swiftly away, no doubt racing off to tell the others the news. Lord Genta remains in his spot for a while, huffing angrily, but even he eventually leaves, his steps pounding the ground as if punishing it for my failed capture. Even though we’re in the clear, when I show signs of moving, Lord Taehyung tightens his grip on me, preventing my escape from his arms. “Wait to make sure that they are really gone,” he whispers when I look at him in confusion. Left with no other option, I relent. However, with the tension Lord Genta has instilled in me gone, it only makes room for heightened awareness of Lord Taehyung’s close proximity to me. His soft breaths warm the top of my head, and the smell of him; sweat mixed with some perfume, permeates my nose, relieving and tempting me at the same time. An urge to turn around and press my lips to his materialises again, this time stronger than ever before. The racing of my heart this time is much more welcome, although I know it can do nothing good for me. Too long and too shortly after, he judges that the men must have left completely, and shifts his grip to my shoulders to turn me around and run his worried eyes from top to bottom. “Are you alright?” “Y—Yes, I’m fine.” Finally regaining my senses, I assure him and shake myself away. The more distance I can put between us, the better, even though my heart aches for his kindness and my body longs for his warmth. Distracting him from his confusion of my sudden jerking away from him, I ask, “Why are you here?” “I could ask the same thing of you,” he returns with a hard look that makes me wither. I suppose my appearance in this region surprised him. How did he find me, anyway? However, before I can ask him one of the many questions popping up in my head, or even think about answering his, he says, “Never mind that, you can explain to me later. For now we need to seek shelter for the night. Come on, I saw a good place not too far from here.” Surrendering my trust in him fully, I follow him without question. Not that there’s much choice, considering he’d reached out and grabbed my hand in his. It’s hard to find my footing when I’m so focused on the gentle touch of his rough hand, calloused from swordplay. Still I manage to keep up with him, ignoring my screaming legs until we finally reach an opening in the wall of solid earth. “Oh,” I gasp softly, not expecting this, but I obey his gesture to enter regardless. Even though I have to bend down to fit into the low entrance, further inside the cave widens enough for even Lord Taehyung to stand. It isn’t very large, but it’s enough to fit several men inside, and certainly big enough for the two of us to stretch out comfortably. Now that I’m more confident about my safety, all the tension leaves me in a rush and I lean back against the wall of the cave, then slide down to the ground, uncaring of the uneven bumps brushing against my back. Grinning as he watches me, Lord Taehyung then plops down next to me. “I stumbled upon this place while I was looking for you earlier. It was not easy, since your footsteps left no marks behind, and I am not skilled enough to track you like a hunter could,” he sighs, then becomes pensive. “I suppose it is a good thing that the snow is not heavy enough to cover the ground, or the enemies would have been able to find you easily.” “Thank you.” I bet that I’m going to be relying on him a lot more in the next few days, and it’s best to be courteous towards him. Not that I’ve ever had any intention to do otherwise, but I have to admit that I’m a little weary of the reappearance of his flirty side. Perhaps it was the tense situation we were in, but he hasn’t been laying it on thick like he was the last time I saw him. All in all, I’m grateful for it, not just because I don’t appreciate being treated like one of the girls he wants to draw into bed, but also because I’m not sure that I’d be able to stave his advances if he does. At this point it’s useless to pretend that I don’t have feelings for him. He acknowledges my reply with a nod, but doesn’t continue, and silence fills the contained space. I’d expected him to grill me for details behind my presence here in the north. Now that he hasn’t said anything about it, it makes me hesitant about asking him the same thing. Eventually I give in to my curiosity. It’s just too quiet and my impatience is reaching its peak. “How did you know that those men were searching for me in the forest?” I begin from another angle, hoping that it would mask the fact that I haven’t answered him yet. It’s also one of the questions that are frontmost in my mind. Did he see me running before going in? Because it would be impossible to tell what happened beyond the trees. “I saw you at the training field earlier.” Really? I certainly didn’t see him. Was he hiding, watching the enemy army train? But it was an open space, with no space to hide. “Where were you hiding?” My confusion draws a self-satisfied smirk from him. “I was among the men training under that Lord Genta person.” “You infiltrated the enemy army?!” My mouth falls open at that. One of the two leaders of Kim forces, sneaking into enemy ranks himself? I definitely didn’t expect that, and it raises my admiration for him. I’m sure other warlords would delegate that sort of menial, dangerous job to one of his subordinates. Yet he just nods nonchalantly, like it’s a given. So this was what Lord Yoongi meant by it would have been better if they’d known about my plans beforehand. If they did, Lord Taehyung and I could have coordinated to help and protect each other. I’m lucky that he saw me when he did, otherwise I would have a hard time escaping and making it all the way home on my own. “The problem has become so serious that I want to take a look for myself. It is fortunate that I did not personally participate in Jin’s campaign to gain the northern territories,” he explains. “If there is something wrong with my administration, taxes are too high, for example, that is making the people dissatisfied... if I could fix something that they are all unhappy about, I would. I could understand if the daimyo was able to rally the people so easily because they are not happy under my rule, but when I came here, I found that was not the case.” As he recalls his discovery, Lord Taehyung’s expression darkens. “Most of the army is made up of farmers who were forced to fight for the daimyo’s cause. They do not even know how to wield a weapon properly, and they have no idea a large portion of the hefty taxes imposed upon them goes into the daimyo’s pocket. Now they are being led to their deaths for the sake of someone else’s greed. Well, not if I can help it,” he growls angrily, and I don’t think that it’s the cold that’s making the hairs on my arms stand up. Lord Taehyung is a kind lord, but it would not do good to get on his bad side, that much is clear. That explains the awkward movements in the men’s mismatched armour that I saw in the field earlier. While I can see where his rage is coming from, it awes me to the point where I’m speechless. Beyond his friendly personality and insanely good looks, I’ve only seen his flirtatious, easygoing side. Of course I know that he is a good person as well as an amazing leader, but that’s only through his achievements and words from others. Seeing the weight that he puts on his people, his concern for their well-being, watching him become this furious over injustice towards them, makes me fall for him all over again. Not in a way that makes me abandon all reason and give him the opportunity to break my heart, although it’s more likely to happen now. Suddenly his womanising ways aren’t all that defines him. I suppose it’s more meaningful to me that he genuinely cares for his people than the amount of women he has spent time with. After some time he realises that I’m not about to spill the details of my presence here without a push. He doesn’t notice that it’s due to my inability to say anything in the face of his wrath, but as before, I think it’s best for me that he doesn’t know how I feel about him. “Well, I joined the army under a disguise, and I managed to break away after they started chasing after you. Now, will you tell me why you are here?” It’s inevitable that I have to tell him, but still his question makes me gulp. However, I did not volunteer myself for this lightly, and thus my conviction helps me relay to him the reason behind my espionage despite being wary of his anger. As expected, he isn’t exactly happy about it, even though he patiently waits until I’m finished before commenting. “You don’t think that someone more suited could have done it instead of you?” Lord Taehyung has always managed to rile me up, but this time his sharp, rhetorical question rubs me the wrong way for an entirely different reason. “I was told that it is hard to find someone suitable for the job,” I bristle. “Besides, I believe that everyone has a right to fight for what they believe is right. Regardless of my station, or my gender,” gritting my words out, I look at him squarely in the eye, “I can take action to help the cause I support if I so choose.” My outburst leaves him temporarily speechless, just like his did to me right before this. Then he sighs, his wide eyes relaxing to a tired look, his body slumping against the wall. “Be that as it may, I cannot believe that Hoseok would let you do something this dangerous,” he grumbles. “I would not be here if he had gotten his way,” I admit with a wry smile. “But I insisted, and in the end he and his wife had to give in. Oh! That reminds me.” Rummaging among the folds of my kimono, I fish out the letter that I’ve gone through countless trials to steal away. “Here,” I hand it to him without saying anything else. I’m pretty sure that it’s self-explanatory. Shooting me a quizzical look, he reaches out to take it from me, but he unexpectedly swipes my hand with it. As he places the letter on the ground, the scratch I’d gotten while running away from Lord Genta and his men earlier is revealed. We both stare at it, and I marvel at the fact that I’d already forgotten about it. While it’s nothing serious, now that I remember it, the area feels tingly and I know that the nasty cut would sting before it heals. Lord Taehyung clicks his tongue at it, giving me an insane urge to giggle, especially when he doesn’t say anything else except to produce a water skin from his belt to wash it. I’m not very sure if he’s irritated by me or the cut, but his grumpy expression is unexpectedly cute. It disarms me, almost distracting me from the jolt of pain when the cold liquid washes over my palm. When I hiss at the sharp contact, he glances up at me, as if making sure that I can handle the pain, so I bite my lower lip to stop myself from making any more noise. It’s just a little cut, damn it. Nothing to fuss about. After he’s satisfied that it’s clean, he glances down, patting himself all over. “No clean cloth,” he mutters. That prompts me to look down at myself too, eager to help. “It isn’t the cleanest, but...” lifting the bottom outer folds of my kimono up, I tear one of the inner layers into a long strip. “It’s better than nothing.” Lifting my head up, wanting to hand him the cloth, I see that he has shifted his gaze to the side. This causes laughter to bubble up to the surface, and I have to forcefully push it down so it doesn’t escape. So he’s polite to women after all. I don’t know why his flirtatious ways led me to believe the opposite, but I’m glad that I’ve judged him wrongly. I carefully straighten my kimono, then clear my throat to get his attention. “Can you help me, please?” Giving the cloth to him, I let him wrap it around my hand; a makeshift bandage to hopefully keep my cut from being infected. With that out of the way, he retrieves the paper and rolls it out so he can read it. As he goes through it, his expression shifts from curious to surprise, then become thoughtful. “How did you get this?” After finishing, he looks up from the letter towards me, all hostility gone, and I know I’ve done well. This fact is confirmed by his impressed gaze when I explain to him that I’d sneaked into the daimyo’s room after overhearing their conversation during their meeting. “You have guts,” he says with a nod of approval. “This is more than enough proof that these men are plotting a rebellion against us, and I have heard from the people how they have been treated cruelly and forced to fight against their will. We can end our alliance with the daimyo without any doubt.” “I am glad to hear that.” Breathing a sigh of relief, I finally start to relax, only to be reminded of the dismal state of our lodgings. Even though the cave is sheltered from the wind, it’s still a winter night, and temperatures have plummeted with the absence of the sun. I have no idea how I endured it before, but now with my head unencumbered by dangers to my life and surviving the next few days, I’m finding it hard to ignore the cold. However, after seeing him amazed by my achievement, for some reason I’m really reluctant to show him any signs of weakness. Especially given his first reaction to my trip here. I want to show him that I am capable of doing missions that no one would normally entrust a woman with. Easier said than done, though. It’s impossible to think, much less fall asleep when I’m freezing to death and before long a shiver gets the better of me, taking over my whole body. A loud sigh emanates from my side, and I look up to see that Lord Taehyung has been watching me all along. “Just how long are you going to keep that up, huh?” I guess he can guess how cold I am. Not that it’s hard to tell. “I have no idea what you are talking about, my lord.” Even when I know I’m defeated, I can’t stop being as stubborn as a mule. “Ideally, I would start a fire, but it would be dangerous to look for wood in the dark. Who knows what is out there, and it would be easy to get lost. So—“ he shuffles on his rear until his arm touches mine, then throws it around my shoulders. “This will have to do for tonight.” Immediately I feel warmer, although it’s the heat from his body or from the hot flush brought by his touch, I’m not sure. Every part of me is grateful for the close contact, yet my prideful tongue still lashes out, “I did not say that I was cold.” “Then I am the one who cannot stand the chill. Will you be so kind as to keep me warm?” His face is so close as he stares down at me, lopsided grin making butterflies flutter in my stomach. Unable to argue or even utter another word, I nod, my eyes quickly skittering away from his hypnotising ones. With my permission, he tightens his hold on me, and when I rest my head against his shoulder, he doesn’t protest. Fatigue coupled with being in his comfortable embrace puts me at ease. The very scent that had excited me earlier is now reassuring, the warmth enveloping me in a cocoon that I would never want to leave. “Thank you,” I murmur as I begin to lose the battle against drowsiness. My only answer is a soft hum from my side and a gentle squeeze of my shoulder. I’m not sure if he’s too tired to answer, but I’m thankful that he’s allowing me to convey my gratitude without giving me a hard time about it. Feeling happier than I can remember, sleep claims me at last.

However, I wake up shivering, missing the heat that had been there with me throughout the night. All that greets me is the hard floor of the cave where I’m lying down, curled on my side. Getting up, I can feel every bit of my body protesting against the poor conditions they’ve been forced to rest in, but I ignore the pain to glance around the small space. Lord Taehyung has gone, leaving me in this miserable state. For a few moments I wonder if I’d dreamt the whole thing, but footsteps from right outside put me on full alert. Wary of enemies finding my hideout, I crawl towards the mouth of the cave slowly, making as little noise as possible. It turns out that there was no need to worry, because I find that it’s just Lord Taehyung. Standing next to the nearest tree with a horse tied to it, his sharp ears hear my approach before I can even make it out, readying himself with a smile. I couldn’t ask for a better morning — unless it’s one where I wake up in a futon with him right next to me. That is a silly notion, I tell myself. “Did you just wake up?” He asks, quite cheerfully after spending the night in a cramped ice box, as he retrieves a bag tied to the horse. “Yes.” It’s the truth. So is the fact that I missed him, and almost panicked when I saw that he wasn’t there, but I see no need to divulge in the truth too much. “Where did you go?” “To the town. I debated the wisdom of risking someone missing me yesterday and recognising me when I retrieved my horse from the stables, but fortunately I went early enough that I did not bump into anyone I had met here before.” He pulls out something small from the bag and hands it to me. “Here. You must be starving by now.” It’s a sweet bun, soft and freshly made. The warmth seeps into my numb fingers, making me feel alive again. I almost don’t want to eat it, wanting to savour the sensation it’s giving to my other senses. Its smell wafts up against my face as I lift it up, and it makes me take a deep breath and hum happily. Finally, I give in and take a bite. It is heaven. “Thank you,” I say as I smile up at Lord Taehyung. His grin only grows bigger at the words of gratitude. “I have never seen anyone as beautiful or delighted in the morning.” His compliment, after a night of more serious conversation, is unexpected, thus succeeding in making me blush. “Why do you talk to women that way?” In trying to get past my embarrassment, my question comes out harsher than I meant it to. “I prefer the way you conversed and behaved last night, when you were actually sincere and not flirting just for the fun of it.” I didn’t throw this directly to his face, coward that I am, taking advantage of his busying over readying the ride for the journey. But it certainly gains his attention quick. “I am always sincere,” he tells me almost off-handedly, leading me to question his honesty. He shrugs, as if able to sense my doubt but doesn’t particularly care whether I believe him or not. “However, it is not often that I find the reason nor the desire to talk to a woman like I did last night.” “What do you mean?” Instead of answering me, he asks me to step forward so he can boost me up and onto the mount. He then climbs behind me, reaching out from either side to grab the reins. I’m not sure I like this arrangement, just because I don’t know if my heart can survive it for long, but I have no room to complain. I’m lucky that he’s here for me as it is. At least, that’s what I think until he says, “I mean that you have a penchant for making people very angry at you.” “What?!” My outrage, however, is lost to his jovial laughter as he urges the horse forward. The initial urge is to argue it out, then maybe sulk, but I know that in the end I’ll just give in. It’s just a joke anyway; I know that much. So with a shake of my head and an indignant huff, I decide to let it go. After that we ride silently for a while. At first I’m glad for the quietude. It’s hard to think of anything else but his chest brushing against my back, and how close his lips must be to my head, but gradually I get used to it, even though it’s impossible to ignore it completely. But even that soon becomes boring. The horse’s hooves beat a steady, rhythmic tattoo on the ground that I can mimic in my sleep, and even the wind slapping my face has ceased to become refreshing, now only painful. Suppressing a sigh, my mind starts wandering into towns where there are people, more things to see than just endless flat lands, and perhaps a hot meal. The sweet bun seems ages ago, and I wonder when we will arrive to a village or a town, or if we will be stopping anytime soon. However, I’m reluctant to voice these things out loud, in case Lord Taehyung thinks I belong in the comfort of a safe home, unsuitable for these kind of things. I’m not sure exactly when it is that I notice that he’d picked up a lock of my hair, twirling it around his index finger. From the satisfied smirk that forms on his face when I jump tells me that it has been a while before I noticed. Rather than making me angry though, the gesture makes me flustered and hot inside. In an attempt to mask my giddiness, I frown up at him. “Just what do you think you are doing?” “Just testing if I really do prefer to treat you like I treat other women,” he answers, mysteriously. It’s surprisingly honest, not the glib remark that I was expecting, and I can only shoot him a confused look. “I find it easier to be this way — flirtatious, as you called it. I could hardly speak of war with sheltered women, and it would break my heart to see their beautiful faces torn with horror and worry. Banal conversations like the weather can only fill up so much time.” Just what he was doing with those women in the times that he spends with them, I’m sure I’d rather not know. “I prefer things to be simple and fun when possible, and no woman ever made me feel differently. Besides, women like to be showered with compliments and gifts, do they not?” No one can deny that. “I suppose they do, but I would rather talk of more important things than my supposed beauty, which I doubt is really an honest compliment,” I counter, reaching up to pull my hair away from him. It’s like even the strands have gained their own sense, sending pleasant shivers down my spine from his touch. “And that is why I could talk to you the way I did last night. The way I am now.” His honesty this time is clear; perhaps too clear. Eyes locked onto mine, he stares at me pensively, as if I’m a wonder that he has to figure out. I feel like he’s peering deep into my soul, and I’m afraid of what he may find there. That he may discover that despite my questioning his sincerity, it’s my rebuffs that are dishonest, a front to protect doomed affections towards him. Yet escaping his gaze is like prying myself out of bed on a rainy morning; a necessity that I’m extremely reluctant to do. Even though it’s too late not to be awkward, I finally break free from the spell, muttering, “is there something on my face?” “No.” He doesn’t deny that he’s been staring, or embarrass me by pointing out that I’ve been doing the same. Instead, he kindly changes the subject. “There is a small town not too far from here. We will stop there for the night, and continue tomorrow.” True to his word, we soon arrive at the town, where he procures us one room each. The night passes without incident, and we resume our journey in the morning. Lord Taehyung rides the horse at a good pace; not too slowly but quick enough to cover a lot of ground. If we keep going at this speed, we may arrive in his town in a little more than a week. Even though I’ve made this journey before, I have no clue if we’re using the same path that Lord Yoongi guided me through, or if we’re going back through a different way entirely. While the journey with Lord Yoongi was brisk and tiring, changing horses and mostly catching sleep on the move, Lord Taehyung and I are stopping for rest every night. It makes for a far better journey, giving me the opportunity to experience other villages and towns, something that I wasn’t able to do on my way to the north. When I voiced my concern that we should rush home with the news, he reassures me that although the traitorous daimyo is aware there was a spy within their midst, it would still take some time for him to prepare for an attack, while the Kim forces have been getting ready for such a possibility for quite some time now. Our proof would enable us to move against him more quickly, but we will most likely beat him  to the punch regardless of whether we take a few nights off or not. “We will be there tomorrow,” he promises a few days later as he’s extracting a promise from me to stay in one spot while he looks for a place to stay tonight. “It’s too dark to go on now, and I’m exhausted.” I know better than to argue, even though I’m aware that all these stops are for my sake. He knows that I can handle a more unforgiving journey — I’ve told him countless times throughout this week — but still goes out of his way to make me comfortable, employing a different tactic quite quickly; saying that it’s him that needs a rest instead of me. With his acknowledgement that I’m capable of a more brisk pace, his consideration for me regardless touches me in ways that can’t be good for me. The least I can do is be a more agreeable companion for him, striking conversations throughout the ride, and making things as easy for him as I can. So I promise him that I will wait for him, despite thinking that a village as small as this would probably not have an inn where we can spend the night. Perhaps we’ll push through tonight after all. There isn’t much for me to do by the side of the road but take the scenery in. Other than small wooden houses that mostly look empty, there isn’t much for me to see, either. Thus an old woman, bent at the waist, catches my attention immediately as she comes into my view. Even with a cane in the hand, walking has become too tiresome for her, and she shuffles her way to the side of the road to sit on the ground. I watch her for a while, debating whether to approach her or not, and finally my inquisitive, worrisome nature wins. What danger can an old woman like her pose to me anyhow? She tilts her head up to look at me, the movement sluggish, taking the little energy that she has left. “Do you need some help, grandmother?” I inquire with a gentle smile. “Ah, what a kind child,” she croaks, with a friendly smile of her own. “Do not mind this old lady. Just feeling a bit winded after a visit to my friend’s.” “Then are you heading home?” I crouch down next to her, bringing myself to her eye level to better converse with her. “That I am. Just taking a breather,” she cackles, amused with her lack of strength to finish the trip in one go. “Not for too long, though, or my husband would worry. All he does nowadays.” I glance up at the sky, then back to the old woman. The age of the day is painted on her, weak but vibrant hues of the late sun colouring her in warm tones and set her wrinkles in dark browns. I wouldn’t be surprised if her husband is already worrying about her, and I don’t know how far her home is, or if she will be able to walk again anytime soon. Still, the village is a small one. How long will it take for a young person like me to go and return, really? Perhaps I may make it back even before Lord Taehyung, if he finds trouble looking for temporary lodgings for us, which I highly suspect that he might. “Climb on my back, grandmother. I will take you home in a heartbeat,” I offer the lady. Surprised by my suggestion, she politely declines at first, but I insist. It isn’t hard to convince her, which confirms my suspicion that even she is concerned about the lateness of the hour. For her size and age, her weight is quite manageable, although I’m not sure if I’ll start feeling it more the more I walk with her on my back. But it turns out that I have nothing to worry about. I’ve barely taken a few steps when Lord Taehyung appears from between the houses and sees me right away. His handsome features pull together in a frown at the sight of me carrying the old woman as he approaches us, pulling his mount along. “What are you up to now?” He sounds more curious than irritated despite his expression, so I don’t feel hesitant to answer. Explaining the situation to him, I ask him to allow me to see my promise to completion. “Of course,” he says obligingly. “Here, let me help.” With some maneuvering, he manages to get the old woman off my back and onto the horse. With everything settled, we set off once more in the direction of her house, with Lord Taehyung leading the horse by the reins and me walking along beside him. It has been a long journey, and even with the frequent rests that he says are for his sake, it gradually wears on me. Yet I don’t mind it at all. In fact, right now my heart is buoyant, my lips stretched into a joyful smile. The days I’ve spent with him are like an extended dream that I never want to see end. Although at first I’m self-conscious about being the only woman he feels comfortable enough talking to without flirting, yet too afraid to ask him why, it allows me to get comfortable with him fairly quickly. Even though letting my guard down around him is sure to hurt me in the end, talking to him, laughing without restraint, discussing anything and everything under the sun has become as natural as breathing, and I’m no longer as prickly as I was with him in the beginning. Only by being different with me than he is with other women can I see that he is so much more than just a womaniser. Lord Taehyung is every bit the amazing leader that people say he is. His concern for regions under his control is genuine, the effort put behind every movement have sound reasoning behind them. It’s saddening to come to the conclusion that he has never felt love for a woman like he cares for the people he feels responsible for, but on the other hand, I’m secretly, selfishly glad that he has never felt that way. “So, did you find a place for us to spend the night?” I ask, trying not to let my happiness show so much. It’s heartwarming to see his kindness towards the old woman, but it’ll probably be the last time I’ll have the chance to feel like this. Best prepare myself for what’s going to come tomorrow. With a soft sigh, he shakes his head no. “It is not exactly surprising. I doubt people normally stop at a small village such as this. I suppose we will have to ride on. If you need to sleep, I will make sure you stay on the horse. Unless you want to sleep on the ground, under the stars?” He asks me a little teasingly, half joking. Before I can answer him, the old lady interrupts us from above; “You and your husband are more than welcome to spend the night with us, if you don’t object to our small shack of a home.” “Oh, no, he’s not—“ my reflexive reply is to deny that Lord Taehyung is my husband, although the notion thrills me to no end, but he cuts me off in the middle of my denial. “Would you really put up with us, grandmother?” “Of course! My husband would be delighted to have you.” She goes on to chatter about their son who had married and moved out of the village, and how lonely they’ve been since, but I hardly heard a word of it. Instead, I shoot Lord Taehyung a puzzled look, to which he replies with just a shrug and an infuriating grin that leaves me more inquisitive than ever. But he still leans sideways to hear me whisper. “This does not seem wise, Lord Taehyung.” Looking sideways and up to make sure the old woman does not hear us talk, I share with him my opinion on the matter. “Tsk, tsk.” He wags a finger at me playfully. “Is that any way to address your husband?” My eyes fly away from the grandmother to stare at him with horror. What does he expect me to call him then? Taehyung? No! “Call me Tae,” he whispers gleefully, savouring the sight of my jaw dropping at the idea. There is no way I’m calling him that! Since I’m left with no choice, I go along with the act. True to her word, her husband beams upon learning that they have guests for the night. Their hospitality trumps my experience in every inn we’ve stayed at so far, making me miss home, where I know my mistress and Hoseok are waiting. Under the grandmother’s instructions, I prepare dinner for the four of us, all the while ignoring Lord Taehyung’s clever ploys to get me to say his name, each one trickier than the last. Instead of being annoyed at him, however, I’m left biting the inside of my cheeks, trying not to laugh at his antics. The amusement ends when we are sitting down for dinner though. Sitting next to him makes it impossible to dodge his affectionate gestures. From the smiles of the elderly couple watching us as they eat, I’m sure it’s all perfectly natural; every playful word whispered into my ear like a butterfly kiss, all the little touches on my arm and the small of my back like leaves as they fall to earth. Yet the lightest of contacts send thrills down my back, every warm smile giving me a taste of heaven, words of love showing me what bliss truly is. In those few hours, I’d be the happiest woman on earth, if not for the nagging voice telling me that it’s all an act. It’s both a relief and a pity to retire for the night. Even though I’m glad that there’s now no reason for us to pretend to be newlyweds on our honeymoon, knowing that we won’t be this close again already has me feeling bereft. Still, the sight of the single futon laid out for us has my pulse racing. What are we supposed to do now? I chew my lower lip nervously, then chance a glance at Lord Taehyung. “Go ahead and take the bed, my lord. I will find another spot.” For me, it’s only right to do so. I’m just an attendant, while he is a lord. I don’t know if he has experienced hardships in the past, perhaps during battles, but at the moment it’s only right for me to give him priority, especially when things like comfort is concerned. Besides, it’s good for me to keep the difference in station between us clear, now more than ever. The past week has made me too comfortable with him — surely the earth will frown at me upon our return if I continue being delusional like this, and the heavens punish me for my insolence. I need to remember who I am. And that is someone who would never be anything more than entertainment to someone like Lord Taehyung. He, however, thinks the opposite. “What man would I be if I do that? You’re the one who should sleep on the futon. And I thought I told you not to call me that.” That last comment I can pretend not to hear, but his appalled look at my suggestion tells me that there’s no persuading him to go with it. It hurts that I know him enough to be aware of how obstinate he can be. Even more that I find everything about him endearing now, even his goofy grin. Given the stops that we’ve taken on this trip, I wouldn’t be surprised if he dives into his work right after he arrives; endless war councils and planning to end the long rebellion once and for all. I want him to get as much rest as possible while he still can, not just for my sake, but for everyone relying on his leadership and protection. That’s what I tell myself as I put out another idea; “What if we share it instead?” His open mouthed shock is comical, and I would have laughed if I wasn’t so embarrassed by my own proposition. “Just for tonight, so both of us can get a good rest.” After several moments of opening and closing his mouth, his beautiful eyes shrink to their normal size, and he regains his cheek. “I will, if you stop being so formal with me. You’re the closest woman to me. It doesn’t make sense to be so stiff. And call me Tae.” The butterflies fluttering in my stomach are now going absolutely nuts, like they’ve been set on fire. Sure enough, being told those words only makes me fall deeper for him, and does nothing to assuage my worries that I will never be able to get over him once we go our separate ways. “But there is no one to hear us now. There is no need to pretend.” “What if I don’t want to pretend?” Tomorrow you will not have to put up with this anymore, I tell my poor palpitating heart, once again excited by what must surely be another joke, funny to him but cruel for me. Taking a deep breath, I push it aside yet again. “Let’s just get some sleep, Tae,” I give in reluctantly, walking over to the futon and climbing in. Silence follows, perhaps due to his surprise at my obliging invitation, but I purposefully lay on my side, turning the other way so I can’t see him. As it is, it’s hard enough to pretend that I’m calm. After a moment, I hear him shuffling against the floor, every movement hypersensitive to my ears, my anticipation mounting until I can hardly hear anything over my own heartbeat by the time he settles in next to me. “I can’t promise to behave, with you so close to me all night.” His voice seems so close to my ear, his breath blowing right against my cheek, that I can’t stop myself from gasping. Flustered, I shift right around to face him, intending to tell him off, but when I do, I find him on his back, staring at the ceiling. Not leaning over me, whispering in my ear like I imagined in my head. My jumpy reaction causes him to look at me quizzically. “Is something wrong?” The genuine concern in his question chases away any doubt I have that he may be playing a trick on me. “No, nothing,” I say breathily, settling on my back as well, folding my hands over the blanket. Neither of us say anything for a while, and I begin to think that he’d fallen asleep. It has been a long journey after all. I’m also exhausted, but sharing a bed with him is making me think of things that should never cross my mind. Things that make my body so hot, craving for his touch, that make my mind whirl with confused notions and emotions, that make my heart ache with love that can never be. “I never thought that such a simple life would feel so nice.” The silence is suddenly broken with Tae’s musing, so soft that it might just be to himself. But it’s the start of a long conversation that I didn’t expect. When asked what he means by that, he explains that it was the first time he felt something resembling a marriage; the idea of having someone dear to him waiting for him when he comes home, doing the chores together, sitting down to a home cooked meal and ending the night together. I cover the pangs of longing he gives me by chuckling over it, pointing out that he hardly helped with the cooking, to which he counters that he would find something else he could help with. “You’ve done a lot of great things and fought for a better life for so many people. I think it’s noble for you to sacrifice your time and effort, risking your life so other people can have happy, prosperous lives. If a simple life like this is what you want, I hope that one day you can have it too,” I whisper softly, my wish sincere even though it breaks me to accept the unavoidable reality. To hammer the truth more deeply into myself, I turn my head to face him as I say it, willing my eyes not to water and my smile not to waver. I don’t know if I did a good job of it. In the dark that I’ve gotten used to, his eyes are large as he stares at me, unmoving but I know that he’d heard me. Then his gaze changes into something that is familiar but I haven’t quite seen before. “Can I kiss you?” The whispered words are low, husky, breathtaking, yet it’s the first time he sounds unsure of himself. Not the cocky man who is sure that he’d get what he wants, or that he wouldn’t care if he doesn’t. He actually sounds afraid. Of what, I’m not sure. A rejection from me wouldn’t be the first; I’ve rebuffed him plenty of times when we first truly exchanged words in Hoseok’s home. However, things have changed now. At least for me. Refusing him is nowhere as easy as it was then. Stubborn reasonings from back then have become soft and weak, like the flutter of butterfly wings. Now I want to say yes. Heartbreak be damned. I know I’m going to cry because of him later, kiss or not. Might as well get my tears’ worth. So I nod, holding my breath without realising it. He inches closer, and even though we were already close enough that just a small movement would have caused us to touch each other, it seems like an eternity for him to reach me now. His lips have never looked so soft, the moonlight gracing them makes them look alluring, the strength of my longing so scary that I close my eyes, afraid of the depth of my feelings for this man. However, not being able to see only makes things worse. Not knowing just when he will finally make contact, when the moment I’ve fantasised so many times to myself will occur, makes me so anxious that I start trembling. Large hands wrap themselves around me, making me jump at first, but as they lower down my back I release the breath I’ve been holding. The sensual touch relaxes me, yet excites me at the same time, although that may be because his lips press against mine at long last. His kiss is ten times better than I could have ever imagined. No, a hundred times better. No, a thousand. There’s just no way that anything my mind could have conjured could rival the miracle that is happening now. The initial touch is gentle, lasting forever, as if drinking in a moment that has always been a dream, never wanting it to end. Then a warm palm cups my cheek, and he deepens the kiss, tilting his head to claim me as his own. His tongue caresses my lower lip, coaxing it open and I don’t resist, giving him access. It meets my own, sliding over my tongue much like his other hand wanders up and down my body. I’m in over my head, the kiss drawing a helpless, needy whine from me, my inexperience overwhelming me in the face of the amazing Taehyung, but his breath sounds shaky too. Our lips hardly part, chasing air only to search for each other again, and the rest of my body is rapidly awakening towards him. My hips are already straining forward shamelessly, and I’m ready to beg for more, but before I can string the words together, he pulls his head back. His embrace envelops me, so tight that I can’t breathe. “Go to sleep, quickly.” His hoarse order befuddles me, but I’m too busy catching my breath to ask for an explanation. But he provides one anyway. “Please, go to sleep. Otherwise I really won’t be able to control myself.” It’s like someone had thrown ice cold water over my head. Even though every part of me screams for more, my eyes water in anguish. This is as far as it goes. I’m ready to give him everything, but he’s decided to be kind to me. If we’d continued, I would never recover. I could never want to be with another man. It might be too late even now. He already has my heart and soul, but he has decided to spare my dignity. I don’t know whether to thank him or to hit his chest. Why did he have to be noble now? If he’d taken me, I might have been able to muster the guts to hate him later. As it is now, I’ll only be able to hate myself. Come morning, I’m unsure how I ever fell asleep, or just how much sleep I actually managed to get. I feel numb to everything, my eyes can barely stay open, the words of gratitude I give to the elderly couple on top of Taehyung’s low and empty, like an animated dead person. While it fills me with guilt after being treated so kindly yesterday, my dazed condition protects me from the awkwardness and pining that have only become stronger than ever last night. After he helped me climb atop the horse and follows up behind me, we set off on the last leg of our journey. It might be my imagination, but he’s avoiding touching me more than necessary. Even though my back brushes against his chest every time we move, I’ve never felt such distance between us. We don’t talk at all, not like before, but I think nothing of it. It’s not that I need to work out my own thoughts in my head. The end of our interaction is near, that’s clear to me. I just stare ahead blankly, my gaze as empty as my mind, the very life sucked out of my soul, and there’s nothing I can do about it. In a way it’s lucky for me that Taehyung decides that it’s best to go straight to Lord Seokjin’s castle to discuss their next move. That means that he can send me straight home, but he leaves right after, taking Hoseok with him. My mistress is over the moon to see me, beyond relieved to have me return safe and sound. I manage to remain composed, thanking Taehyung for his help and protection, while he assures me that it’s nothing, that he enjoyed my companionship. Both of us behaving as stiff and formal as we did at the beginning of the trip. But as soon as the men are out of sight, my lady’s enthusiastic embrace causes me to burst into tears. She assures me that I’m fine now, that I’m safe, that she’d missed me. Now that I’m home, the full brunt of the ordeals I’ve gone through hits me, the dangers, pain of being away from the people I love, missing home and being treated with kindness and respect. And I’ve regained all that, in exchange for Taehyung. I tell myself that the comfort of Hoseok and his wife will make that all better, that everything will return to how it was once more, but I can’t deny that the tears that I shed are also for him. It’s not the first time I cry over him either. I know it’s terribly stupid of me, but I can’t stop myself. Logic doesn’t soothe the heartbreak. It doesn’t make it easier to endure the quiet nights and lonely days, no matter how hectic my life becomes. I find myself thinking about Taehyung often, unable to concentrate on much else even when tackling other tasks. In the end I start picking up my needle and thread again, without even bothering to convince myself that I can forget him. The handkerchief that I embroider perhaps isn’t the most manly of cloths, decorated with flowers of spring, each stitch filled with happiness of my memories with him and hopes that will never see reality. News that Hoseok brings home are never enough to assuage my worries. Somewhere on our way home, Taehyung had managed to send a message ahead, giving Lord Seokjin time to take the appropriate measures. By the time we’d arrived, the warlords and vassals allied with the Kim forces had already gathered in the castle town, and in mere days Hoseok has declared that they are ready to squash the daimyo before he can do any more damage. Is this how the mistress feels every time Hoseok goes off to war? I always thought I understood her far-off stares into nowhere, her nervous fidgeting that grew as days passed, the concern that darkened her face when her husband was away from home, but it’s nothing like experiencing it for myself. Of course, Hoseok is dear to me as well, while Taehyung isn’t supposed to mean anything to me, but watching the former gather the little necessities into his small pack makes me wonder if the man that I love is doing the same at Lord Seokjin’s castle at this exact moment. It doesn’t take long before I’m drifting inside my thoughts again, losing myself until Hoseok’s sharp calling of my name snaps me out of my daydreams. “Are you all right?” He frowns when he ascertains that he finally has my attention, and I realise that he has been repeating my name several times before I noticed. I nod furiously, embarrassed to be caught thinking so deeply about Taehyung, even though there’s no way Hoseok would know that. The tilt of his head is an indication that the gears in his brain are working though, but he doesn’t share his thoughts with me. Instead, he brandishes a piece of paper at me. “Can you do me a favour and pass this to Lord Taehyung?” I gawk at the letter like Hoseok’s arm has sprouted flower branches, horrified and mesmerised at the same time. This miracle is too good to happen to me. Even though seeing Taehyung will just make it more painful for me, it’s not like it’ll make it harder for me to move on from him. That’s already impossible for me to do. “At the castle?” I ask stupidly, looking up from the letter to Hoseok. He seems to have doubts about sending me there, even though I’ve completed harder tasks before. “Yes,” he confirms huffily. “Make sure you pass it to him personally, and wait for his reply.” Personally? My heart jumps at the idea. “I will see to it that he gets this,” I mutter demurely, concealing my eagerness as much as I can. The streets of the prosperous castle town are filled with people, and absolutely packed at the busy marketplace, but I breeze along my path, my feet floating on air, so idiotically happy I am at the prospect of seeing Taehyung again. A pass from Hoseok to help me gain access into the castle is rendered useless just a few steps from the building, where I bump into Lord Namjoon. “On an errand for Hoseok?” Being Hoseok’s direct superior, Lord Namjoon had recognised his talents from early on. The right hand man to Lord Seokjin had supported Hoseok, guiding him all the way as the latter gained recognition, along with some land as rewards for his outstanding feats in battle. Lord Namjoon is a familiar face, a confidence boost that I need to enter the intimidating castle to meet my unrequited love. I answer the affirmative, explaining the matter, and he helpfully offers to bring me to Taehyung. “He’s in his room, I expect,” Lord Namjoon guesses, then confirms with one of Lord Seokjin’s assistants that we happen to pass by. With Lord Namjoon by my side, going to Taehyung’s room doesn’t seem as intimate an act as it would feel if I’d gone by myself. It’s less intimidating, yet still feels very proper and formal, and I take comfort in both these things. However, right after knocking on his door and hearing Taehyung’s, “One moment!” Lord Namjoon excuses himself, informing me that Lord Seokjin is expecting to talk to him before a war council. Surprised and flustered, I barely manage to stop myself from begging him to stay. With dismay, I express my gratitude with a bow, then watch him march off in the direction we came from. He’s still in sight when the door slides open to reveal the person I’ve longed to see since I’ve been home. Taehyung appears as handsome as ever, yet the air around him is not like the light-hearted, devil-may-care that I’ve associated him with upon our first meetings. He’s more serious now, steely determination in his eyes; it’s the Taehyung that I’ve learnt to recognise during our trip when he’s talking about the things that are important to him. It reminds me that he’s getting ready for a pivotal move that may change the course of the country. While I stiffen at the sight of him, upon seeing me, his posture relaxes visibly. Of course, that doesn’t explain my unexpected visit, and he’s understandably confused and surprised by my appearance right outside his door. “Oh, it’s you. Why are you here? Not that I’m complaining.” In just a few sentences, he reminds me of the course of our entire interaction with each other. The casual familiarity in his speech that we’ve gained towards the end of our journey home and his flirtatious manners towards me on the first day we met, albeit toned down a notch. Shaking my head with a smile, I explain, “I’m here to give this to you. Lord Namjoon kindly led me here,” as I hand over the letter from Hoseok to him, I address his curiosity that is clear from the way he peers down the corridor, wondering who brought me to his door. With his eyebrows raised, Taehyung plucks the letter from my hand, proceeding to open and read it. Unsure of the level of confidentiality that the letter commands, my eyes stray away from the sheaf of paper as he reads it. He remains silent for a long time, much longer than it would take to read a letter, and after a while I glance at him, wondering if something is wrong. He’s still staring at the paper, his expression a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. Chewing my lower lip, I consider my options. To me, it seems like he has finished reading the missive, but is unsure what to make of it. That is surprising, as I consider Hoseok to be someone who is pretty straightforward. However, I can’t wait here forever, as much as I dearly want to. Just standing here and admiring Taehyung is something that I’d be more than happy to do for the rest of my life. So after a little longer than necessary, I clear my throat. “I’m supposed to wait for your reply,” I tell him hesitantly, loath to receive it and part from him. The simple sentence jerks him from the letter to stare at me. As if it somehow answers his unspoken question, his face clears into a gentle smile that takes my breath away. “Tell Hoseok, ‘Thank you’.” “Oh.” His reply is cryptic. After being so perplexed, that’s all he has to say? Before, I just assumed that Hoseok had news to tell him regarding the impending attack, but now I’m not so sure, and the curiosity is killing me. What is written on that piece of parchment? But it’s highly inappropriate to ask, so my thumbs battle each other as I stand there, debating on what to do. I’m not ready to leave just yet. The handkerchief that I’d finished is burning a hole near my chest where I’d kept it. Upon finishing it, I’d been carrying it around with me, like a charm that reminds me of the short but sweet memories I’ve shared with Taehyung. But I never intended to give it to him. So I don’t know what possessed me to make me fish it out and thrust it towards him. “Is this for me?” Fool that I am, I only start panicking after he’d already taken the handkerchief from me. “I—it doesn’t mean anything!” Continuing to admire the colourful stitches sewn into the piece of white cloth, he hums softly, “So it means nothing?” “No, it’s not that,” I correct him, a little deflated. It’s no use trying to lie my way out of it now. I’m honestly happy that I found the courage and opportunity to give it to him, even though it opens the window for him to reject me outright. Perhaps that would help me forget him. “During our travels, it was so cold and dreary. Now you’re about to go out there again, for who knows how long, and for something even more dangerous. I merely wish that this little token will serve as a reminder that you carry the hopes of so many. Times are hard now, but with everyone wishing for your success and safe return, spring will soon come.” I press my lips together, feeling a little foolish once I’m out of things to say. The emotions and prayers that I’ve poured into that small fabric didn’t come out as well as I’d thought in my head. Failing to be inarticulate, it all sounds clumsy and stupid, and I lower my head in embarrassment. Just as I considered taking my leave, Taehyung grabs my hand, pulling me into his embrace. Without a word, he kisses me, and I immediately respond, like we never stopped kissing that night at the village. “I’ll come back, without a doubt,” he whispers his promise to me like a secret that I should hold as tenderly as he’s cupping my face right at that moment. I nod, believing in him completely. “I’ve made my decision.” But before I can ask him what he means, a voice calls out to us. “Lord Taehyung, the council is about to start. Jin is calling for you urgently,” a handsome young man interrupts. He glances at me curiously, but otherwise pretends that he didn’t see what happened between me and Taehyung. Given that he’s just a few paces away, he must have witnessed the kiss without us noticing. However tactful he may be, his flexing muscles tell me that he might drag Taehyung to the council if he has to. Taehyung seems to be aware of this as well. “Just a moment, Jungkook,” he placates the man before turning back to me. “Look forward to my return.” The mysterious request is accompanied by his thumb brushing against my lips, as if sealing a sacred promise. He then releases me from his hold, and with a last, forlorn look, walks away to join Lord Jungkook. That is the last I’d see of Taehyung for a while. Days pass after that, with Hoseok leaving as well to join the force to squash the head of the revolt. This time I wait with my mistress, both of us continuing our daily routines as best as we can while keeping our ears out for any news that comes by. It takes a little more than a month, but Hoseok eventually returns with the news that they’ve succeeded in ending the uprising and capturing the daimyos involved. The fighting may have been done and over with for now, but there is still so much to take care of. Most important is reassigning permanent men to overlook the fiefs that have lost their daimyos. There’s also the matter of supervising these new leaders to ensure that things such as rebellions and injustice wouldn’t repeat themselves. I’m satisfied with the assurance that Taehyung is safe and sound, residing in Lord Seokjin’s castle again while they figure everything out.  Even though I often wonder how he’s faring, I expect that I wouldn’t see him again anytime soon. So when I’m suddenly called for and open the door to find him on the other side, I don’t know how to react. The air in the room is heavier than a humid day in the middle of summer. Belatedly I notice that Hoseok and his wife are there too. The warrior barely spares me a glance before he resumes staring gravely at Taehyung. My lady offers me a small smile that doesn’t quite cover the concerned look upon her face, while Taehyung’s attempt at a grin comes out more like a grimace. Nevertheless, he brazenly pats the spot next to him. No one else seems to object, so I warily take the spot, face-to-face with my employers. What could this possibly be about? Hoseok, just like everyone else at the castle, were impressed and more than happy with what I brought back from the mission. My mistress is just glad to have me back with her, safe from harm. “May I ask what this is about?” Usually I’m more casual than this, but that’s only when it’s just the three of us. I’m unsure whether Taehyung’s presence counts as being allowed to be more lax in my speech, regardless of my feelings towards him. “Lord Taehyung has come here with a request,” Hoseok answers my hesitant question in a serious manner that is very unlike his cheerful personality that I’m more used to. “He has come to ask for your hand.” My jaw slacks, but otherwise fails to do anything else. Yes, I’ve imagined him reciprocating my feelings, marrying him even, but I’ve been careful not to confuse my fantasies with reality. However, it seems that somehow my dreams have chased my waking moments, turning the world upside down. I can’t even look at Taehyung, afraid that he’d disappear in a puff of smoke right next to me, or worse, I’m afraid that I might make a fool of myself. Hoseok waits for me to say something, but after several seconds it’s clear that my flabbergasted reaction would not proceed any further. So he gives Taehyung his answer instead; “I am sorry, but I cannot do that.” “What?” This is clearly not the reply that Taehyung was expecting, given his indignant exclamation. “I thought I had your support for sure when you asked her to bring me that missive!” That memory, not so recent but still fresh in my mind, jostles me from my dazed state. As I’d thought, there was something peculiar about that letter after all. I look at Taehyung and Hoseok in turn, wishing that someone would talk about the contents of that mysterious letter, but Hoseok only shakes his head. “That is not what I meant. She is my wife’s attendant, so only my wife has the right to relieve her from duty for any reason. And that includes marrying her off. I have no say in the matter.” A rush of appreciation fills me upon hearing Hoseok’s words. Even though he’s one of the dearest people to me, my lady and I have been together for years, since I was barely an adult. It isn’t a stretch to say that my world revolves around her, until Taehyung arrived. Only when he stated it did I realise that having him make the decision to let me go or not would have been intimate in a way that feels uncomfortable for me. Of course, as head of the house, he has every right to have the final say without even consulting his wife, but leaving the decision solely to her gives me the impression that he respects me too. That he understands that the bond between me and his wife is more than just that of a lady and her attendant. I know that she will take my wishes and well-being into account, and even on the off chance that she selfishly refuses to let me go, I can come to terms with serving her forever. That’s how much she means to me. All the attention turns to her, but she doesn’t falter. “I would like to discuss this with her. If you men could kindly leave us for a while,” she says sternly, with the authority of the lady of the household. Both men heed her at once, even her husband, who doesn’t seem to mind being chased out by his own wife. Once the door slides shut, she turns to me, the old curiosity from her days before marriage burning bright in her eyes. “It hasn’t escaped my notice that you changed after coming back home. I’ve been dying to ask, but I held myself back. Now I just can’t anymore. Just what happened between the two of you?” Her behaviour isn’t shocking, but I’m still overwhelmed with the current situation so it takes a while before I can figure out what to say in my head. Then I finally let it all out, the things that happened during the journey back — from my escape into the forest to the last night at the small village — in detail. Before this, I only reported what was necessary, sharing observations, but this time I divulge my experiences with Taehyung. This is something that I can tell only her. She listens rapturously, yet still respectfully, hardly interrupting with any noises, although her expressions speak volumes. At the end of it all, I chew on my lip, unsure if concluding it would be wise, even though it’s already obvious. “I’m afraid of what I feel,” I confess. Sensing the frailty of my emotions, she reaches out to take me into her arms. This isn’t the first time that we’ve taken comfort in each other, but it has been a long time since we’ve done it. Now I realise just how much I need her unconditional support, her reassuring warmth. “The society is harsh and unforgiving. If you choose to accept him, there will be talk. There may be backlash over a servant being with a noble. You’ve seen how Hoseok is. I expect that Taehyung would be much the same, or worse, organising campaigns and governing over his lands,” she warns me as she tenderly strokes my hair, understanding my emotions without needing me to vocalise it. “But I don’t want you to ever be afraid of what you feel. No matter who you are, in this house everyone has a right to their own emotions and wishes. I want you to be happy, not miserable by hiding your feelings.” Nodding the best that I can while being pressed against her chest, I blink back my tears. These are all things that I’ve considered myself, every time convincing myself that I’m deluded; that I shouldn’t have to think of it at all because there’s no way Taehyung would feel the same way about me. Now that I’ve been proven wrong, the world is crashing around me, as he pulls me up to heaven. It’s blissful, but also bittersweet. To have my one dream come true, but with consequences that I didn’t think I’d have to bear. “I love him. I didn’t think it would ever come to anything, nor do I think that it’s right for me to feel this way about him, but I can’t help it. I don’t know how, but I fell in love with him.” “It seems that he doesn’t think that way,” she protests with laughter in her voice. “Regardless of your station, I think that Lord Taehyung is serious about you. Coming here to ask for your hand is proof of his determination. I’m sure that like you, he has considered everything and is ready for this.” She takes me by the shoulder, pulling me back so she can look me in the eye. “The question is; are you?” There is no doubt what I want in my heart of hearts, and my mistress has just calmed some of my worries. Not that they have all disappeared; if this truly isn’t a dream, then the hardest road is still ahead. My fears are still there, but I’m not alone in agonising over them anymore. This isn’t just a make-believe scenario in my head that fills my imagination in the day and my dreams at night. I’m not the only one wanting this. Taehyung actually came here to ask for the same thing. Taehyung! I would never in a million years have thought that he’d take me seriously, at least not romantically, but here we are. “I’m ready.” “Then you have our support. Always,” my lady promises me with a reassuring pat on my shoulder. “I expect that after this fiasco is settled, Hoseok would want to return to his fief, so I will be going with him. But you can always write to us should anything happen, and I will come for you immediately.” “Thank you,” I whisper, the words hoarse from resisting the urge to bawl my eyes out. It’s still just between us, nothing officially concluded yet, but I still feel like she has consented to letting me go. And the man who is vying for me is waiting just on the other side of the door. With everything settled between us, she calls the men back in. They resume their places, bursting with curiosity over the final verdict. It would have been amusing, if my future wasn’t about to take a momentous turn. “So?” Hoseok asks his wife unceremoniously, clearly eager to know the outcome of our talk. “Well, I have always known that I would agree to whatever she wishes, so long as she is protected and cherished,” she says, looking at me warmly, then at Taehyung, making it clear that she wishes for me to be taken care of. “I expect that she will need to talk it through with Lord Taehyung before she makes her decision, though.” With that, she pushes herself up, then grabs her husband by the arm. The unexpected movement surprises him enough that he allows himself to be jerked up without resistance. “Hoseok and I are heading out, so take your time. You can let us know about it later,” she says calmly, but I catch her swift wink before she drags a befuddled and indignant Hoseok out with her. “What are we going out for? Isn’t it rude to leave while we have a guest?” He demands an explanation as the door closes behind them, telling me that they had no such plans for an outing prior to this. “He is taking her away from me. That is the height of rudeness on his part,” she responds with a little snap, but I don’t hear the rest of it as her next words fade with their footsteps away from the room. Left alone with Taehyung, the following silence threatens to engulf us. I want to see what he’s making out of this, but at the same time I’m overwhelmed by sudden shyness. “I’m not sure if she likes me or hates me,” Taehyung remarks regarding my mistress, breaking the silence. It teases a giggle out of me, and once again he relaxes me with ease, something that he has gotten a grasp of in the week we’ve gotten close to each other. Yet the issue at hand is serious enough that I sober up almost immediately. “What is in the letter that Hoseok sent?” My curiosity just can’t take the mystery any more.

“It was blank.”

“What?” That just doesn’t make any sense. Why would he ask me to pass Taehyung a blank piece of paper?

“It’s so that I could see you before we went off to the north,” he clarifies.

“I see.” The pieces slowly fall in their places, and I feel grateful towards Hoseok for giving me that opportunity. “But Hoseok aside, this isn’t a joke, is it?” It’s a silly question, but I can’t calm down without asking it. This is too good to be true, and I can’t believe that it’s happening. “Of course it isn’t.” Another man might have been affronted by it, but Taehyung understandably answers without any anger. “I wouldn’t go this far for such a prank. And I would never do something that cruel to you.” Yes, whatever reputation he carries, being mean-spirited isn’t one of them. “It’s just so surreal. I just can’t grasp on why this is happening.” “Isn’t it obvious? It’s because I love you.” While he utters the words without hesitation, the intensity of his eyes are desperate for an answer, pinning me into place. He has never said this to anyone before, has he? My breath catches at the possibility. “All my life I’ve found women to be only good for short-term companionship. I never cared for any of them, even when they didn’t have any faults that I could point out. My happiness has always been the people’s smiles; that’s all I lived for. I always thought that was all I needed.” Capturing my hand in his, he stares down at it, his avoidance of my gaze an unexpected show of his vulnerability. “At first I assumed you were the same. More of a challenge, but just another woman. But you’re so much more than that. I don’t know when I began to see you as someone else entirely. My life was constant until you came and shook everything up. In a sea of people, you alone stand out, in my sight, and after we parted, in my memories. That night—“ he sighs with longing at the memories of our last night together, squeezing my hand, “I barely got to touch you, but in the morning, I realised that you’re what I want to wake up to every day. For the first time, I was anxious to return home from war, because I knew you’d be waiting for me. And now I’ve come to take you away.” My breath catches at the strength behind his proposal. This time he isn’t going to take no for an answer. Not that I’m planning to do such a thing. This isn’t like the careless invitations to get me to bed. Taehyung is determined to bring me back with him, to make me his. “This still feels like a dream to me. I’d fallen for you almost immediately, but I didn’t want to be just another passing fancy. I want to be loved, but it was too much to ask for. You have no idea how hard it was not to give in to you. Yet I don’t want to get hurt.” The tears I’ve been holding back earlier with my lady, or perhaps even longer than that, well up in my eyes and finally burst forth. Clamping my hand over my mouth, I try to collect myself, and he hugs me fiercely. “Please don’t cry. For an amazing woman like you, love is hardly too much to ask for. You deserve the world, and I promise that I’ll give you everything within my power. I will do everything I can so you never feel sad again.” He pulls back just enough to gaze down at me, wiping my tears away with his thumb. My laughter bubbles forth in between chokes and sobs. “I’m not crying because I’m sad,” I clarify. “Even though I’m still worried about what others will think, I’m still deliriously happy, but I don’t know why they won’t stop.” “I don’t care about other people, and neither should you. Even if things become difficult, I’ll make it work. So don’t worry.” There’s no doubt in my mind that he intends to eradicate all obstacles, and I nod, believing in him wholeheartedly. He stares at me without saying anything else, watching me try to settle down. But before my sobs subside, he leans down, licking my dampened cheeks. At first I jump in surprise, then giggle at the ticklish effect of his tongue. It doesn’t last long though, as he moves to capture my lips instead. “Mmm!” My muffled cry turns into soft hums as my painful ache is soothed by his kiss. It can never remain tender for long, though, as far as my experience with Taehyung goes, and soon he has pulled me sideways into his lap, crushing me in his embrace like he needs to keep me as close to him as possible. This time I’m experiencing what it’s like when he refuses to stop. His hands roam all over my body, cupping my jaw and pressing against the nape of my neck, drawing me deeper into the kiss, sliding down my arms as if to hold every part of my body to him, caressing my thighs, riling me up so I want more. “I love you,” I pant out when he finally lets me up for air, and he closes his eyes, savouring my response to his confession. Then he moves like a man possessed, lowering me to the floor. When he leans over me, he fills my entire view, an accurate representation of the way I see the world right now. All I can see, all I can think about, is him. He looms over me, somehow intimidating, yet this is where I want to be. He has torn down all my defences, just like he tears my kimono open, leaving me exposed in every sense of the word. This is who he is. A powerful warlord, defeating adversaries, overcoming obstacles to take everything for himself, and now I want him to conquer me too. “Taehyung.” Cool air brushes against my skin, causing me to shiver, and I’m unable to muster the courage to tell him what I need beyond whispering his name. Still he doesn’t need me to guide him — he can bring me pleasure that I can’t even imagine ever feeling. Lightly biting on my lower lip as he pulls away like he loathes leaving my mouth alone, he nuzzles at my neck, angling his head so he can suck on the sensitive column. It makes me tilt my head up, wanting to give him access, but he doesn’t remain there long. Like a mind reader, he envelops my body with his lips and hands, sending the chill away as he lights flames from his caresses. A sharp intake of breath makes my chest feel like it’s collapsing upon itself, jolted by his mouth making contact with it, but it quickly recovers. In fact, my back arches as he takes my nipple in, pushing myself against him. He sucks the nub greedily, while his fingers toy with the other one, teasing both into rock hard peaks. I tug at his kimono, half delirious from the heady sensation, half longing to divest him of his clothes. Humming happily at my positive reception to his advances, he switches to my other nipple, smothering it with licks meant to tease and suction meant to drive me crazy. His free hand works at his obi, impatiently tugging at it to free himself from the layers of fabric to join my state of nakedness. Progressing downwards, he peppers kisses all over my stomach, but when he reaches the top of my thighs, his lips peck a spot that has me crying out, jerking violently almost out of his grasp. That felt amazing. Like a bolt of lightning had hit me, I can’t help my response. But instead of continuing, Taehyung rises up to come face-to-face with me again. His eyes have darkened even though it’s still bright outside, the beautiful orbs filled with an intensity that consumes me. “I want to make you mine,” he growls, making my insides clench with excitement. “I’ve decided that you’re the only woman I want. The last woman I’ll ever be with.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting his solemn vow seep into me. That’s all the reassurance I need. That’s all I desire. “Then take me.” My invitation is seized with ravenous hunger. His fierce kiss threatens to suck out everything that I have, and I want to give it all to him. Prying my legs apart, he opens me to stroke a clean line along my slit, made messy by the juices that’s leaking out of me. At the end he makes contact with that tiny bundle of nerves, once again striking me with that stimulating touch that causes me to mewl with pleasure. “You like that, don’t you.” His question calls for no answer, but I moan in affirmative anyway. There’s no helping it, even if I wanted to stop myself. And I don’t. Every passing moment he takes it up a notch, making me more aroused than I thought I could ever be the second before that, plunging his fingers into my soppy pussy to prepare me for what’s to come. The heel of his palm grazes against my clit each time he pumps his fingers in and out of me, making me lose more of my sanity with every stroke. The pleasure builds inside me, and my back arches off the floor in an attempt to take it all. He takes the opportunity to slip an arm around my waist, holding me protectively, possessively against him as he unravels me with an urgency that threatens to tear my body to ribbons. “Taehyung!!” Angling his hand so that his thumb can press against my clit is the limit of what I can take. My legs pin his hand as my walls clamp around his fingers in my orgasmic bliss, but he persists, digging his digits in so that mortifying squelching sounds fill the room. They don’t bother me though, mostly because I can barely make sense of anything in the aftermath of my explosion. Taehyung’s breaths are also shaky with suppressed need, barely able to hold himself in check as he ruins me. His movements are almost jerky, roughly pulling his fingers out of me just to shove them in my mouth. As I taste myself, he yanks my legs open once more so he can settle between them. The head of his rock-hard cock presses against my entrance for hardly a second before it pushes into me, making me gasp loudly around his fingers. My extreme state of arousal allows him to slide all the way inside me with ease. He’d barely moved, but already he’s out of breath. “You make me feel like a young boy touching a woman for the first time.” The words seem like a complaint, but he presses his forehead against mine tenderly as he says them. However, the moan that escapes me as a response gets him moving again. He starts slow, but deep, every languid stroke punctuated by an insistent push against my furthest depths. The ardent thrusts are better than anything I’ve felt before, yet the pace calms him down, until he can control himself so he can throw me off balance again. Eventually his speed increases, transforming my guttural moans into frantic cries, causing my fists around the kimono still wrapped around his shoulder to yank it down so I can sink my nails into his back. He isn’t faring much better, vehement thrusts not the only indication of his growing desperation. Imprints of his fingers sprinkle the sides of my waist and my back, to match the marks he’s making by sucking away at my neck and breasts. He’s relentless, almost violent, overwhelming me with everything that he has in his own aroused state of mind, pushing me towards the precipice of another high as he follows closely behind me. My legs tighten around his waist as I cry out his name once more. It’s the only thing my brain can think of saying as I tumble off the edge, wailing and shaking uncontrollably, my hips bucking against him, driving him to let himself go. With a strained groan, he gives in to his desires, roughly hooking my legs under his arms to pull them up, all the way to the sides of my head. He leans forward, bending me in half, and rams himself in as deeply as he can, then forces his cock in even more. Shoving himself in, relaxing for the briefest of moments so he can thrust in again, he fills my belly with his essence, his hands holding me in place by the shoulders to ensure that I receive every last drop. His sheer intensity and potent craving for me makes me whimper helplessly. Attention lavished on my ear, he nips it between his teeth, then swipes it with his tongue, leaving my mouth be, as if he wants to drink in my whines and moans unimpeded. Taehyung recovers before I do, at least physically, his breaths steadying while I still pant in the aftermath. Yet his gaze doesn’t lose any of the passion it had from before, making it harder for me to come down from heaven. It doesn’t help that he refuses to let me go, leaving us connected, only pulling back enough to lean on his arm and rake his eyes all over my body. I’ve never felt so beautiful, so enticing. What a difference from when I first got to know him, when I was sure that he’d use me and just toss me aside. He gently presses the tip of his finger to my heated skin, tracing an invisible path that connects all the bruises left from him sucking my flesh, staring at them possessively before meeting my eyes. “I will come back for you before the last trace of me disappears,” he promises. “Once I do, I will declare to the world that we are one.”

Did you enjoy this story? If yes, check out the accompanying birthday stories!

[1] He Left (Hoseok) [2] He Stole (Yoongi) [3] He Lied (Jungkook) [4] He Shot (Namjoon) [5] He Fell (Jimin) [6] He Loved (Seokjin)  [7] He Decided (Taehyung) 

Daimyo: Japanese feudal lord Tatami: Flooring mat in Japanese-style rooms Futon: Traditional Japanese bedding Kimono: Traditional Japanese clothing Obi: Sash worn with komono

#jin smut #bts smut #networkbangtan #armiesnet #bangtan bookclub #bts writing squad #noonanet #hyunglinenetwork #jin angst #jin fluff #jin scenarios#jungkook scenarios #namjoon scenarios #bts angst #bts fluff #2018 bts birthday stories #he loved

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My top 10 Powerpuff Girls episodes

(PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WAS WRITTEN BACK IN NOVEMBER SO SOME OF THIS IS A LITTLE OUTDATED SO WE’RE NEARLY INTO FEBRUARY...ABOUT TIME I FINISH THIS DAMN REVIEW!) For some reason, @princess-peachie‘s love for PPG made me want to do this too haha!  Can you believe that The Powerpuff Girls -one of the greatest Cartoon Network shows- has turned twenty? I know it's a little late but I get such great fond memories watching this as a little kid. The Powerpuff Girls was a spunky, energetic, entertaining, action packed, heartwarming and funny show. I indulged myself into watching this whenever I could and I always looked forward to it. It didn't matter if I saw the same episodes repeated again and again, The Powerpuff Girls would never shy away on putting a smile on my face. I LOVED this cartoon, it’s pretty special to me because it came out on the 18th November 1998 (my 10th birthday),  at the time, we didn’t have access to Cartoon Network so I wasn’t aware of this show until early next year. My first glimpse of the Powerpuff Girls was a mention and a brief clip shown of the girls flying and staring at the camera during a line up of Cartoons showing at the time. I actually got curious straight away and had no idea whenever I’d get the time to finally watch it.

Finally one evening after 2 Stupid Dogs finished, The Powerpuff Girls was announced next and this finally gave me a chance to watch it in peace. I was alone in the living room and I quietly sat there like ...well a kid, waiting, I was excited, I would finally get to watch this show after trying to. 

Unlike most Cartoon Network shows in which it took me a while to get into such as Ed, Edd n Eddy, I already found myself smiling to myself and even quietly laughing. If I can remember correctly, the first episodes I got to watch fully for the first time were “Fuzzy Logic” and “Tough Love”. I don’t know why but somehow I knew I was really going to enjoy this show more than I’d expect. The Powerpuff Girls isn’t JUST your average typical cutesy show starring three female leads. It has more than that, it had action, it had a great stories, it had great adventure, it had great voice acting, speed, pizzazz and most of all…IT was actually very funny! Craig McCracken had come a long way since making these characters onto a small card he drew, to his own animated shorts to then one of the most iconic and important shows Cartoon Network had ever put onto their channel.

I loved it more for what it produced, I really liked how it pulls your audience in thinking it’s a cutesy girly show with all rainbows and giggles, but really, it’s a cartoon that captivates the audience with it’s humor, voice acting, soundtrack, atmosphere and even the sneaky pop cultural references and of course: adult humor. I would constantly tape the show whenever I could and when it came to those memorable ones, I KNEW I’d enjoy them again after more than one watch. There was something about this show that really appealed to me and sometimes I couldn’t quite lay a finger on it. When I first watched this show, I was glad I had instantly become a fan because this was one of those shows that I got into and enjoyed before anyone else did in the household. I’m glad it wasn’t just a girly girl’s show. I was happy that the main heroes were unique in appearence and seemed all sweet innocent looking kids which do nothing other than fighting crime, play around and act like little kids. I think what grabbed male audience’s attention more were the villains and I can see why. They were all funny, engaging and their use of dialogue and voice acting were terrific. All well done to a tee!

When you’ve got voice talents such as Tom Kane, Jennifer Hale, Cathy Cavadini, EG Daily, Tara Strong, Roger Jackson, Jim Cummings, Tom Kenny, not forgetting the late Chuck McCann and even occasional to major and minor voice appearances from Kevin Michael Richardson, Rob Paulsen, Kath Soucie, Jeff Bennet and  even Mark Hamill, WHERE can you go wrong? With a good cartoon, comes a good cast of voice artists.

Craig McCracken put his heart into this show and I am glad to have grown  up with this masterpiece. The Powerpuff Girls is no doubt one of my favorite animated shows of all time and I will continue to watch them again and again and never get tired at watching the many episodes that are so dear to my heart. Craig really knew how to create a masterpiece and one that would go onto become a cultural phenomenon. He really knew how to create great characters young, old, male and female, and yet have the main lead cast all female that would appeal to both girls and boys is quite a milestone in cartoon history.

In honor of this series, I will be counting down my top ten greatest Powerpuff Girls episodes. I will however not be including the movie, the Christmas special or the Dance Pantsed Special, also I am only focusing on the original 90s show and not the 2016 reboot. WARNING: Spoilers ahead.

With that being said here are what I consider the greatest episodes.

10 - The Bare Facts This was one of the first episodes I ever got to record onto vhs, I remember so well on Christmas eve and I couldn't wait. I would constantly watch it played back again and again and you can see why.

Most episodes focus on the girls fighting crime and succeeding, but here, all the action is unseen...at first.

Sometimes when sibling characters argue in animation, it can be degrading, unpleasant and makes you want to lose interest in the characters all together, but here, it's done right, to a point where the arguing isn't degrading or stale and actually pretty funny. Also I love how clueless the Mayor is about everything, especially the scene about "the note", this scene always had me laughing as a kid.

Throughout this episode, the setting is all in the Mayor's point of view, complete with various styles of the girls versions of the story on how it all happened, done with an art style shift for each girl. This idea is hilarious and I love how they constantly jump in with different story telling patterns as follows: Blossom tells it mostly focusing on her (all about her, nobody else), complete with a light red tinted scene.

Bubbles tells it in a rather light hearted but adorably accurate way, complete with crayon drawing scenes.

And Buttercup tells it in a rather shadowy olive-green scene, mostly focusing on the action and not the details like Blossom did.

The Mayor however is oblivious to what has happened and is only wondering why the girls were laughing earlier.

I will NOT spoil the ending for this episode for those who haven't seen it, although I really could have done without the narrator's little puns to go with the moment. Again, the episode title just may give you some ideas.

Overall, this episode was great and was even nominated for an emmy with it's brother episode "Bubblevicious".

KEY MOMENT FOR ME: The "pretty clouds" scene. Seriously cracks me up!

9. Just Another Manic Mojo 

I can't think of any episode focusing on Mojo Jojo to be as brilliant as this one, sure "Child Fearing" was hilarious, "Monkey See, Doggy Do" is a classic and "Mr Mojo's Rising" is one that shouldn't be ignored. But if I had to pick any of the Mojo Jojo themed episodes, it would be this one. Just imagine, a day in the life of a villain: Waking up miserable, going through so much hell each day and reading the news to such goody-goody acts.

Watching this episode back to back constantly, I never got tired of it and I knew it almost word for word at some point.

The first half of this episode focuses on Mojo getting up, regular routines such as showering, doing his teeth, ceasing the day and readying up for breakfast...until he discovers drama in the kitchen...ONE EGG LEFT! I just love the little ramble he does here, over a single egg, what follows is an ingenious rollercoaster of comedy gold. Whenever Mojo's onscreen, you can't help but laugh, with his hilariously bad Japanese accent and repetitive Speed Racer-esque sentences, you can see why he was a fan favorite.

What follows the events is the girls accidentally having their ball crash through their window and what do they do? They ask for it back (well, better than busting in through the roof and looking for it, eh?).

I would probably give it away if I were to describe what follows afterward, but if you really want a laugh, then this episode is the one for you. Of all the episodes where the girls drive Mojo insane, this has got to be the funniest.

KEY MOMENT FOR ME: Just Mojo Jojo, he's absolutely hilarious in this episode, the girls being a runner-up too for not keeping still. Also one word: "curses".

8. Supper Villain This episode is hilarious on many levels, most of the story  is done for laughs and the setup is well...average...averagely brilliant. It's great to hear Kath Soucie on the Powerpuff Girls again (true fans should know that Soucie started off voicing Bubbles in the two pilots via What a Cartoon before Tara stepped in for the role).

The repetitive dialogue is great, played out for laughs and builds up for even more laughs, mixed with great voice acting.

The story? Harold Smith spends his life working at a mustard factory, bored with his life, he longs for something more, with a dark secret. But when his beloved wife Marianne invites the neighbors over for dinner, Harold is vulnerable and finally breaks free and shows his true colors.

His outfit reveal (obviously home made) is enough to make anybody laugh off of your seat. With his newly found identity, Harold reveals his first villainy. From here, we get some hilariously unforgettable gags, and one of the best scenes that eventually became an Internet meme:  "Eat your pea, Professor!". No matter how many times I watch it, the dinner scene is just classic. Being a comedic show with guests at dinner, I'm pretty sure you can figure out what happens next. 

Key moment for me: "Eat your pea Professor!" No doubt about it. 

8. Jewel of the Aisle I'd like to point out here that this episode aired right as Kelloggs released a Powerpuff Girls themed cereal. Sadly it was limited and has since discontinued, so good luck on throwing your pennies onto ebay to grab a box. Now, this episode never really gets talked about enough, maybe because the main villain here is a nameless crook who you never really see again. The story's premise is simple, the girls fail to track down a thief who had just stolen a priceless diamond from the jewelry store. Unable to locate him, they retire for the night, swearing they will meet again. The crook however, hiding in a cereal factory accidentally drops his prize into one of the boxes, which then ends up in the local supermarket.

When the crook fails to find his precious gem, he's down to one box -which ends up in the hands of the Professor. The crook follows him home stealthily only to his horror to find out that Professor Utonium is the father of the Powerpuff Girls. Upon his spying, he notices a commercial (with terrifically shifted fluent animation that almost feels Disney or Warner Bros. esque) and comes up with a cunning plan...dressing up as  "Lucky Captain Rabbit King", the cereal's mascot, I'll leave it up to you on what cereal brands they were parodying here.

While these cereals weren't so big here in Europe, heck, I only ever remember eating Lucky Charms in my own youth a lot until they went up in price later on.  I still got the reference easily thanks to the internet. This still didn't stop me from getting laugh, gag after gag.

Think of this episode as a Yogi Bear cartoon, but instead of stealing a "pic-a-nic" basket or a pie cooling off on the window sill (or a plate of hog jowls if you're thinking Ren and Stimpy), you've got a box of cereal with a hidden unknown prize not included in most boxes. The comedy in this episode is hilarious, for example, how much cereal did the girls go through and not notice a diamond? Also, the classic usage of oblivion and determination is brilliant, it's like watching classic golden age cartoons of the 40s and 50s again. The crook taking on a role parodying the Trix Rabbit is just so funny to watch, no matter what he does, he is being outsmarted by three adorable kindergartners. I love how the girls just play along with the gag and constantly kick him out,. My favorite part would have to be when the crook disguises himself as a monster outside off the front window complete with a Townsville scenery. YOU know you're going to laugh out loud when an idiot pulls this gag out of his hat and fails to succeed.

On a spoiler's note, I felt a little sorry for the crook when he broke down, forgetting about the jewel and focusing on the cereal, I don't know, maybe it's when Bubbles (who is honestly the sweetest little living being on two legs in cartoons) actually gives in and offers t it to him. While most stories like these do tend to have a happy ending for the determined victim, we don't get that here, which is why this episode works. Again, while I've probably spoiled most of the plot, it's too simple anyway. With that being said, "Ridiculous Lucky Captain Rabbit King, Lucky Captain Rabbit King Nuggets are for the youth!". Okay, I'm actually craving junky cereal now, especially imported from USA!  Key moment for me: The comedy in this episode. 

7. Telephonies This is another classic episode, the comedy and timing is perfect, the plot is great and gives us a look into the lives of the villains when they are chilling out and not plotting evil schemes. When something is funny, it has to have speed at exactly the right time, otherwise the joke falls flat and loses it's cool, that's if you can pinpoint that in your head and understand where I'm going with this.

When the Gang Green Gang start making crank calls throughout Townsville, they are lacking in great ways to pull them off. So, after calling the Mayor with Grubber impersonating Ms Bellum, making him leave to "cut the ribbon for the new mall, declaring it open", giving them the free run of the Powerpuff Hotline. What we get is a  rather "interesting" insight of the villains at home doing their own thing as the girls burst in and constantly beat the living hell out of them, only to learn that they were NOT even committing any crimes. Here, we learn that Mojo Jojo is more sophisticated than you think (yet we see him in Manic Mojo actually buying eggs at the supermarket), he listens to classical music and reads the paper and even takes naps in an armchair. Also, what can be more funnier than the "evilest of all evil" ("Him") working out in complete aerobic equipment? That is just friggin hilarious, I also love how polite he is when the girls break in, but the one that gave me the most laughs out of the villains was Fuzzy Lumpkins. Nobody likes having their privacy invaded, especially when you're taking a relaxing bath, the delivery here from the girls was priceless, especially when Bubbles ended it. I love how the violence and beating up here is played more for laughs and not action itself.

Another thing that still cracks me up in this episode is that these villains are all pretty close friends and even keep in touch by landline, that's right, even down in the depths of hell, HIM has his own phone to make calls. When's the last time you've seen cartoon villains in conversation over a phone? Brilliant!

The ending too is pretty funny and I like how the girls don't believe the Mayor after three cock-ups in one day.

Key moment for me: As I said, Bubbles' delivery to Fuzzy was "tell it like is is funny",  BUT the true comedic gem in this episode personally is Professor Utonium. The running gag with him still at the receiver on hold is fantastic. I will forgive the fact that near the end, you see him outside the girls door but I guess that adds to the comedy. 

6. The Powerpuff Girls Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever. That's right, that is the actual name of the episode and by god it's a mouthful. Now THIS episode just gets better and better every single time with each watch, whose genius idea was it to create an episode where the girls play pretend? In this case, literally playing The Powerpuff Girls. This includes them playing various roles for other citizens in Townsville and as all kids do when playing together, arguing on who gets to be who? 

Honestly, this episode's premise is spectacular. I love how the girls hardly even use superpowers at all, not to mention the unforgettable one liner from Buttercup while playing as a monster. Also, it was nice to actually see the girls here get more comedy than they usually do. For most of the part in the series in general, the comedy is thrown around depending on the characters, story and situation, but here, the girls really do steal the show. 

I'm pretty sure a lot of us as kids can relate, with our friends or siblings role-playing as our favourite characters from cartoons, but as each other, that's unique. 

PPG Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever is definitely one of the funniest episodes of season 2, so next time you're having a bad day and it's raining, not up for walking the dog, cos it's rai-, okay, enough spoilers. Go watch this one next time you want to see a lead female cast of kindergartners at their funniest. 

Key moment for me: The Mayor. You'll have to watch it so not to spoil it.

  5. I See A Funny Cartoon In Your Future Seasonal rot is painful, especially cartoons that were so highly well received by critics and fans alike. After the Powerpuff Girls movie, the show followed the upgraded animated style which kind of watered down the true charm of the first four seasons, as well as lacking in great ideas for stories, most of seasons five and six were...mediocre with sour pickles on top.  Luckily, this one made me laugh. A hell of a lot!

The entire story is told like episodes of Jay Ward's Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, complete with cheesy but hilarious and witty puns, fourth wall breaking and running gags. We also have the main one off villain here voiced by the late June Foray (voice of Rocky and Natasha Fatale). I like how she and her goosey sidekick are drawn to mimic the style of Jay Ward's characters and the little commercial near the end of the episode spoofing the Nicotine Patch. It's such a shame this episode wasn't traditionally animated, for I would have really liked to have seen some lush fluid animation to boot up this episode more. Interestingly, I never saw the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons as a kid, since they weren't very big in England, but  I got into the franchise when I watched the movie on VHS non-stop and loved it (it's a guilty pleasure haha), so you can see why this episode gave me loads of laughs. 

  Also note that sadly, June Foray passed away in July 2017, leaving a legacy of cartoon voices behind and fond memories. Since her passing, Mrs Strong herself went on to provide the voice of Rocky for the new Rocky and Bullwinkle series, keeping the spirit alive as always. Good one Tara! Great work. And I mean it!  KEY MOMENT FOR ME:  The voodoo dolls. Seriously, I quote this a lot haha! Also, just the whole episode being a tribute to Rocky and Bullwinkle.

4. Meet The Beat-Alls Okay, this is definitely getting close to what a WatchMojo list would look like, no? WELL I'm gonna jab this list and have it up before you can say "Ringo Starr's a Powerpuff Girl!", but how can I NOT make a top 10 Powerpuff eps. list and NOT include this episode, and I quote @UmbraMagna, "This episode is absolutely fantastic!", never have truer words been spoken? Telephonies made way with great laughs, but that was more focused on the Gang Green Gang, here this episode focuses on Him, Mojo, Princess Morbucks and Fuzzy in what is probably the funniest Beatles parody I've ever seen.

  Craig McCracken himself has always been a huge fan of the Beatles, so when season 3 was ending soon it ended with the sister episode to Moral Decay and you know what? It saved the season finale. Every second, there's a reference to...well, the Beatles. Sure, "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" of The Simpsons was fun and had lots of references to the band and other acts, but an entire episode where it's nothing but Beatles second after second, how can you go wrong? 

From the Abbey Road walk, to the musical style, to the Yoko Ono reference, to just everything about it, it's one episode that will have you laughing after a Hard Day's Night. EG Daily (voice of Buttercup) has stated during a Comic-Kaze guest panel that this was one of her favorite episodes. 

Show creator Craig McCracken himself even listed this episode as one of his top ten favourite episodes of all time. There is one little nitpick, but I guess it doesn't matter, since it still makes way for great comedy and I like how a SINGLE rock actually defeats the girls (back when cartoons weren't very pc, just the way I like'em). Whether you like the Beatles or not, Meet the Beat-Alls is a great episode with the villains at their best. Key moment for me: The whole episode, brilliant! 

3. See Me, Feel Me, Gnomey. NOTE: WATCH THIS EPISODE WITH CAUTION! CONTAINS FLASHING IMAGES!  I LOVE THIS EPISODE! Remember what I said about seasons five and six suffering from seasonal rot and mediocre episodes? Well, here's one that I probably consider one of the best of them during the Chris Savino era. The entire episode is much longer since the intro is cut short to make way for what comes next. An unbelievable half hour of a pure masterpiece. 

For many, being a  great voice actor means they have to know how to sing and here, we have a lot of it. It really gave the voice actors' chance to show off their singing voices a great workout and boy, did they nail it right out the park? While it's not the most comedic, it's still epic, fun and unforgettable. This episode was like an evil apocalypse, not even fighting on who gets to defeat the girls or who gets to cause destruction or rob banks. It's a real shame they never released this as a true soundtrack, it's so beautiful. 

It's got an Andrew Lloyd Webber and Pink Flloyd's "The Wall" feel to it. I really wish this was the episode's true finale, since it's been debated and rumored to, unfortunately the true finale (not counting the specials) was that of What's the Big Idea, a complete let down, since both McCracken and Savino agreed that the show had run it's course, even though Cartoon Network did ask for a seventh season. If only...sadly, we can't have everything. 

The Gnome -the main villain of this episode- was quite interesting, exchanging peace to Townsville for the girls' superpowers, yet making everyone bow down to him. Sadly, this episode was banned from airing in the USA, some say it was because of the message of communism, but the true reason for the ban was for the red and white blinking lights that flashed during the Gnome's spell. It's too bad this was never edited for safety so the US audience could experience it at the time but luckily, it was included in the complete tenth AND twentieth anniversary box set, just proceed with caution, I'm saying this for your own safety. I love the Gnome's setting, in a large rose where he lives in peace, I forgot to mention that he was voiced by the legendary Jess Harnell and boy, was he a perfect choice? Have you ever heard Jess sing OUTSIDE of cartoons? Why don't voice artists get more love? Seriously.

Speaking of which, Tara Strong and EG Daily (who only just recently released a song "Impeachable" (parodying Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful") together for charity) really got to show off their vocal talents here more.  Also not to leave her out since I love all three of these amazing talents, Cathy too has a remarkable singing voice! God bless these ladies!  In conclusion, See Me, Feel Me Gnomey is a fantastic episode, mixed with action, drama, music and sheer brilliance from start to finish. Key moment for me: The whole episode. I can't pick one moment. I really loved the harmonizing from Strong and Daily during Cavadini's singing solo in "You Wanna Make Us Feel Real Good". Seriously, once these three sing, it just seems unreal, yet magical.

2. The Rowdyruff Boys Okay!  I'm pretty sure a lot of fans saw this one coming, I mean it's one of IMDB's highest rated episodes, as well as another one of Craig McCracken's favorites. This episode not only marked the debut of the titled characters of the same name, but was the first of many half hour episodes and of all of them, this one was at it's best.   While not the MOST comedic and the boys at the time didn't have as much personality as they did in their later appearances, this episode still left a huge impact on the fans, in a good way. The action in this episode is some of the best I have seen during the McCracken era (something the later episodes lacked), probably along with Stuck Up, Up and Away and Bubblevicious. Tired from constantly being defeated day after day and thrown into jail, Mojo Jojo comes up with the perfect plan to get rid of the girls by creating a trio of kids of his own. Instead of the sweet ingredients for the perfect little girls, Mojo gathers up several ingredients to create the not so perfect little boys. I love how the idea was a reference to the little rhyme "What Are Little Boys/Girls Made of?". 

There's some pretty funny but questionable moments, such as...why would the prison serve escargot? I love how the caterer actually smiles in response. Also, why is the Talking Dog suddenly a prison guard? Oh what the hey? It still makes for hilarious gags such as having his tail snatched to finish the ingredients. What I don't get though is Mojo's breath as he flushed the ingredients down the toilet...then again, maybe it was because of when the girls were born causing the chemical reaction to still have an affect which in return passes on to others, in this case, the Rowdyruff Boys. Interestingly, the boys named themselves, while the Professor named his girls. What made this episode great was the voice acting, Roger L Jackson as Mojo yet again was perfect, as well as providing the voice of Butch, Buttercup's counterpart. Cathy, Elizabeth and Tara's energy in this episode were spot on and we even get to hear the legendary Rob Paulsen as Brick and Boomer. 

When the two teams meet face to face, they start a huge brawl, the action as I said is amazing, some of the best in any episode, it's like the teams have lept right off the screen.

There is a little problem I have with this episode and...well...it's the whole counterpart vs counterpart thing. I mean...is it really that hard to tell the difference between a little boy and girl with the same hair color? Especially when they use the same chunks of animation for each member fighting against each other, take  the cartwheel scene for example.  Other than that, the animation in this episode was terrific.

This was also one of the first episodes in which the girls were defeated and nearly for good. But with the Disney-esque tears of life trope, they are revived in seconds. I can forgive this trope here but NOT in Pokemon: The First Movie.  Shamed and crestfallen by their defeat, the girls decide to leave Townsville, only to be given a pep talk by Ms Bellum. 

And what we get after a little subtle adult joke followed by a defeat from the girls...without the violence, in Sara Bellum's words, "try being nice".  I just love how the boys are distracted by the girls as they are standing looking pretty...well, pretty. Pretty as any little girl could be, I laugh my head off every time in this scene, it's both cute and funny, especially with the flirtatious "come hither" eyelashes and sassy “Hey boys!” expressions on the girls that aren't usually seen. You'd expect this kind of thing on a more mature character, one with an hour glass shaped figure and heels. But alas, being kids, the boys can't stand the thought of ...cooties and somehow, this kills them. Literally. No, seriously, they actually die, in a rather humorous way after a long battle with the girls. What makes this scene great is that there's no dialogue, not until the boys scream at the top of their lungs. 

I may have spoiled it a little but hey, visualizing it in your head isn't the same as watching it and believe me, it is a really funny scene. Think of it has a "distracted by the sexy" trope but toned down. Also, what I said earlier about the counterpart trope, I'll make this an exception since it was clearly obvious that it was going to happen. 

This episode is a fan favorite, unfortunately, it did have a reputation of inspiring fanart and fan-fictions and McCracken himself actually poked fun at this scenario in The City of Clipsville. This episode was not afraid of almost killing off the main characters and three children in fact, but then again, there was so much edge in this show, there was nothing like it at the time. The mix of action, humor and drama is perfect. It's too bad the follow-ups with the boys didn't get the same impact as this one. In conclusion, The Rowdyruff Boys is incredible and really shows that girls are tougher than they look. Take Buttercup's quote "It takes more than a couple of cheap shots to make us cry!". Inspiring. 

Key moment for me:  The boys' defeat...by cooties. Hilarious. After nearly an entire episode of nothing but non-stop action, violence and a huge brawl in Townsville, we get a comedic flirt scene. 

NOW before I finally get to number one, here are some honorable mentions. 

Him Riddle Diddle - I love the suspense and how it already started with peril, it felt like some kind of action movie. HIM sets the girls up on a riddle-fest or else the Professor will -in Him's words - pay. I could have had it on this list but...the one bit that bothered me was Buttercup piloting a helicopter...umm...when did she learn to...okay, Uh-Oh Dynamo, they are controlling a large robotic being of themselves but a helicopter? I don't know, maybe it was all done for comedy but yeah, it's still a great episode. What makes this episode great is that it builds up with suspense, from one riddle after another, still filling comedy in the cracks and gaps of course. Also when you have Him as the main villain, he's always coming up with something unique, yet nasty. I won't spoil the ending but it is hilarious, I love the girls' reactions after working their butts off to save their father ONLY to...well see for yourself.

  Superfriends - @KarToonComics has already kind of gone on about this episode and I have to agree with her on what she said. I have had lonely problems growing up and found it hard to make friends and socialize.  Also, I've personally lost friends due to someone else cutting in the way and excluding me by taking over them and. I don't like to go into it, but we have all had that experience. 

The girls meet Robin, their new next door neighbor and befriend her, it's really satisfying to actually see the girls being kids, having fun and playing together for once. 

I shut this one off the list though,  because...well, some of the later episodes, I can't stand the sharpness in Bubbles' accent, it's noticeable especially in her Ls. It's like she's getting a bit of a Spanish brogue in there (which probably makes sense since she can speak the language), but I just find it really distracting. 

Also, while I really liked Robyn, she somewhat looks similar to one of the other kindergartners in school. Watch Stuck Up, Up And Away and see for yourself. Her friendship with the girls was cute, I really like how they all bonded together like all little kids, but of course, being superheroes, the girls didn't always get enough time to meet their new friend, their next door neighbor in fact. That's pretty sad, you can tell the girls themselves could feel it inside them that they wish the hotline would once not ring and they could do their own thing but Townsville seems to have problems every single time. 

Robin and the girls walk to school together the following week when a limousine pulls up carrying Princess Morbucks as a passenger. She offers the girls a lift in the car IF they let her be a Powerpuff Girl, the girls' decline the offer (by the way, I love Blossom's expression during Princess's little bribe). 

I can't really go on more without totally spoiling the episode so see for yourself what happens from here. It's a great episode, also a BONUS for Robin's hilarious one liner and of course the entire sequence set to the song Signal in the Sky by The Apples in Stereo, damn, why couldn't we have more episodes like that, that'd be just brilliant. I'd have loved to have seen a cameo appearance of Bis, or Dressy Bessy. 

Helter Shelter - I don't know why but I wish this episode was longer, then again with a premise as stupid yet funny as this one, it would probably lose the comedy after a while.

Bubbles loves animals, we all know that. In fact, she loves them so much, she has a habit of bringing them in the house. 

The following afternoon, Bubbles brings in a baby sperm whale into the house and the results of trying to hide it from the Professor are hilarious. I love the way the girls panic and all the hiding spots aren't very well hidden for a large mammal such as a whale calf. 

The dialogue and gags are some of the stupidest yet funniest in any episode, yet they somehow add up nicely. I also love the running gag of the Professor yelling out Bubbles' name, he kind of reminds me of Dave Seville in Alvin and the Chipmunks. . 

You'll have to watch the whole episode to find out what happens but I can't say if it will make you laugh or not. 

Equal Fights - This was a great episode, in fact I felt it could have been longer, but then it would probably drag on and go nowhere. The girls become sexist to all males after meeting and releasing Femme Fatale, a master thief, bank robber and also bit of a hypocrite. 

While Grey Delisle did a fantastic performance with her role here, I felt that Femme Fatale was one of the more forgettable minor villains.

If this were a double length episode, I would have liked to have seen more of a backstory on why she's a misandrist. 

Also I felt the character was eye-candy and fan-service material, from her slender figure to her skin-tight outfit. Also, I love how precocious the girls themselves are on a brief history lesson about Susan B. Anthony. 

The morals were great but personally, this along with a similar episode Members Only just didn't quite make the cut for me.  I did love the references to the Justice League though. 

Child Fearing - I love the Mojo Jojo themed episodes, especially where he's with the girls throughout and they make each other's lives a living hell. Unfortunately, some were a fluke and hit and miss while others like Slumbering with the Enemy and this one; Child Fearing are great.

Late for science presentation in a rather clumsy fashion, the Professor hires a babysitter to look after the girls. There's a wonderful reference to a certain N64 game here, I don't want to spoil it in case you may haven't seen it. But it's a great laugh if you know your games.  I also love the little smirk the girls give each other when they know they are alone and the Professor forgot to ring for a sitter.

Anyway, the Mayor is too busy to sit for the girls because he's playing video-games, so the girls get an unexpected visit from their arch-enemy Mojo Jojo and the results are pure hilarity, one after the other. 

The girls aren't stupid, without a simple huddle or plan, they immediately decide to take advantage of all this and become incredibly obnoxious, mischievous and bratty as any little kid can be. I usually hate obnoxious characters but it's played here perfectly. 

It's impossible not to laugh at Mojo here, but also feel sorry for him at the same time. It's a real shame there weren't anymore episodes that had this kind of comedy, because this one is absolutely hilarious from start to finish. Also, the TV scene is absolutely brilliant, the highlight of the episode. 

Buttercrush - This was one of the many episodes that immediately got me into the show. Already silently into it that is lol. Anyway, this was an episode I felt went on just too quickly, but if it was extended, it would drag on. 

The Gang Green Gang reek havoc at a playground and when the girls show up, the gang's leader Ace throws drops to his knees and does a pathetic routine of guilt. Reluctant, Blossom (being the leader of the girls) agrees, but Buttercup begins developing a crush on Ace, after a tip of his shades, a soft thank you and a wink of charm, Buttercup believes she has just met Mr Right. 

Interestingly, Buttercup barely has any dialogue in this episode, heck she only has one or two lines top and tail (if giggling counts). This episode was not afraid to tackle the precocious crush issues, here we have a kindergartner falling for a teenager. It's amazing what the writers got away with in this show.

 Buttercup would sneak out every night to visit the gang, I don't know HOW she managed to avoid the Professor checking in on her or anything. 

This is one of the few Buttercup themed episodes that was actually good, if not the best one. Although I put it in the honorable mentions because...well...Buttercup's crush didn't last long, in a way it's a good thing otherwise her sisters would have been history, but makes you wonder how much love suddenly poured out of her own heart. 

Overall, it's a wonderful episode and deserved a mention. 

Cat Man Do - I was SO close to putting this one in the top 10, I saw this episode a lot on Cartoon Network when I was a kid, seriously, they repeated this one again and again yet it never bothered me. 

I guess I put it here because...well...the origin of the cat is unknown and who was his master? We never see or hear from him again (minus a brief cameo). 

While I haven't found of thought up any theories, that doesn't stop this episode from being a classic. I did feel like the heist scene with the Professor went on a bit too long for a ten minute short. Also, if I were to pick a moment that had me roaring with laughter (not just this episode, but the entire show) every single time, it would be the "We can keep Kitty" scene. The reactions of the girls are priceless and I love how they suddenly lighten up in seconds. Comedy like this in cartoons is rare now, especially with such speed. Also a bonus for the cat himself being voiced by Mark Hamill. 

Bought and Scold - Of all the Princess Morbucks themed episodes, this has to be one of the best. Here, she buys all of Townsville and makes crime legal, making the girls' and other citizens' lives miserable. This even leads to everybody's belongings becoming property of the Morbucks household and the villains get to do what they want. Most of all, the Mayor gave the key to the city to Princess, causing her to take over Townsville.

 That is until the girls think up a plan to get all they had stolen from them back in a rather hilarious twist. I also love when Morbucks finally snaps and eventually agrees to make crime illegal again, the girls just go off to do what they do best. Seriously, how can you not love the dialogue free scene with the Gangreen Gang, also Blossom's little smug expression when she shows Ace the legal and illegal papers is just brilliant. 

As satisfying as it is to see a happy ending again, I can't help but feel bad for Princess here, yeah she's rotten and spoiled but maybe she was raised like that. In fact, you never see or hear of her mother in this show and her father comes off as a bit abusive as seen here with the newspaper, obviously not giving his own daughter a chance to speak. That's why I left it out here. 

Super Zeroes - Kids will be kids! Whether they play make believe, go on adventures with their toys or are influenced by cartoons and comics. Which is pretty much what inspires the girls to create their own alter-egos here. Well, sort of. 

The girls are sad because they don't feel like "better" superheroes. They don't have an interesting backstory, nor are they dark and tormented, nor do they even have interesting costumes.  So they decide create their own alter egos complete with new costumes. 

Don't question where or how they got these outfits or maintained the little abilities, I guess that adds to the comedy. I love how when a monster does hit Townsville, the girls go their own way in their own fashion, very slowly and the results are hilarious! I love how Buttercup's alter-ego "Mange" only goes out at night, kind of a not to Batman. I love how Bubbles' alter-ego resembles My Melody and other Sanrio esque characters while Blossom's got a Wonderwoman vibe to it. I can't really give the episode away without spoiling the plot truthfully but I guess the moral is to be yourself and stick up for it. Which is exactly what the girls did at the end. Only a little spoiler. The moment that really makes this episode is the fact that the girls take so long to fight, you'll have to see it for yourself to get the laughs.

Mime for a Change- Season 1 of the Powerpuff Girls was terrific, there were so many memorable and great episodes and one that particularly comes to mind when you think "Craig McCracken" is this one. I used to watch this episode a lot back in the day and loved the concept of it. I'm not too keen on clowns but Rainbow is just the average friendly harmless kind of person who does his job. She he sounds pretty obnoxious and irritating but he doesn't have many speaking roles. His villain alter ego was pretty unique power-wise, but the question I'm pretty sure we're all asking is...was the bleach radioactive? Was there Chemical X in it? Guess we'll never know, but in a way, that's what adds to the charm. Either way, the bleach seeps out not only the color on Rainbow, but his cheerful personality too. His good kind heart and light sense of humor has gone sour and his love for bright colors has switched to black and white. 

Upon realizing what he can do, Rainbow or in this case, Mr Mime can now takeover Townsville by draining all the color right out of it. Not only that, but also affecting those cheerful moods of the citizens of Townsville, also they can hardly speak due to the power of mime. It's really clever. We also discover in this episode that Bubbles loves to draw and colour, especially with crayons like most little girls her age. Upon discovering the black and white atmosphere, she goes on a rampage scraping wax of colour with every crayon she has. Seriously, it's like her box of crayons never ends or run out! Ah cartoon logic. 

I have to admit, Tara Strong's performance for Bubbles here during her little panic is pure gold, just listen to those vocals! Keep in mind that she was only 25 at the time. Mega talent! 

Her sisters soon take action and look for the suspect. When they finally find Mr Mime, they make chase until they are at a dead end and are ambushed by him. Why couldn't the girls just fly away? Bubbles meanwhile, thinking she had proudly saved the day all by herself wonders where her sisters went and when she discovers them depressed, colorless and mute, she sobs but brightens up immediately remembering she had a crayon but to no avail, it doesn't work. Realizing that her crayons aren't magical, Bubbles thinks up the next best thing...of all 90s cliches in cartoons, she and her sisters save the day...with ROCK MUSIC! Yeah, it's cheesy and all but also a beautiful message. A message of love. Love Makes the World go round is one of the few times the girls ever actually did a musical number and oh my god was this one memorable? I wish there was an extended version of it and an official release, but I guess we'd have to make do with the hidden track on the Heroes and Villains CD. Just listen to that chorus. This is the song that Cavadini, Strong and Daily all used to warm up their performances and vocals whenever they were together in the studio.

I put this episode in the honorable mentions because of the ending, it was a bit hypocritical, one minute the girls are singing and putting a smile on everyone's faces, the next thing, they send Rainbow to jail when it wasn't his fault. Of course, he may have been forgiven later on. But who knows? Overall, this was a memorable episode. KEY MOMENT: Seeing the girls hug, it was adorable! 

Ice Sore - Blossom discovers that she has a power that her sisters don't have, causing her to show it off. I put it in the honorable mentions because it deserved it, I felt that Ms Keane making all her class go outside in the frying heat to be a bit irresponsible though. 

A Made Up Story - Phyliss Diller's performence as the villain was great and the comedy in this one a bit slow but did have some hilarious moments, plus that ending! It feels like what would happen if Stephen King’s Carrie was turned into a comedy. 

Tough Love - One of the first episodes I ever saw and caused me to fall in love with the show as so as I watched it. The concept is dark, creepy and yet unique. When I saw those girls get beat up, punched, kicked, beaten up (heck even by adults), I couldn't believe it. I knew this was the cartoon I waited for, all my life. 

Bubblevicious - While not a favorite of mine, I still had to put it here in the honorable mentions list, because, well Strong's performance as Bubbles was absolutely brilliant. Hearing her growl that epic drawn out "haaardcoore" was the cherry on top of Bubbles' character and we see a more stronger side to her. Fed up with being treated like a baby, she does things her way, something even Buttercup probably wouldn't do. My problem though was the way she treated the Talking Dog, threatening to hurt him, a bit hypocritical for Bubbles' taste since she loves animals. This episode was Craig McCracken's all time favourite and you can see why it was nominated for an emmy. 

Speed Demon - I gave this episode a mention for the creepy-factor and I mean real creepy. Sometimes I don't know if I'm watching a creepypasta or an episode of the Powerpuff Girls. The show is usually full of action, bit of drama but going as low as this is unusual, this was another dark episode. Everyone chanting "your fault" to the girls  is like the equivalent "They're all gonna laugh at you" from Carrie. Can you just imagine travelling so fast that you went fifty years into the future? The concept of this episode is both creepy, unsettling and disturbing. 

Knock It Off - Again, an episode that isn't often talked about. This double length episode is one of the darkest in my honest opinion. Dick Hardly is one of the nastiest, sadistic and cruelest one time villains I have ever seen. Cloning the girls with a full vile of Chemical X and shipping them all over the world just sounds like yet another creepy pasta. 

Also, have you seen how deformed these clones looked? Enough to disturb any audience. The scene where the Professor discovers the base and suddenly freaks out at all the hideous deformed clones is probably how anyone would react if this happened in real life. Also, seeing the girls die onscreen was heart wrenching, of course, if this show ended now, it would have been one sad finale.

 Did I forget to mention that Dick Hardly's monster form was just terrifying! Those tentacles on his chest just really seemed off.  On the funny side, I love how it’s like the writers were trying to push it on how many times the girls say “Dick”. Also, what was that nerd doing with his PPG doll? 

The Boys are Back in Town - The sequel to The Rowdyruff Boys, this half hour romp sees the girls meeting their match for the second time. The girls learn that the boys were brought back to life from HIM and had given them a cootie vaccination, so they are now strong against the girls. I left it off the top ten list because...well, again, the counterpart battle technique just got stale and I found that the boys personality resulted in some rather gross and painfully vulgar scenes. It's like they were trying to compete with Nickelodeon's 90s shows. 

Also just a side note and personal opinion: I do prefer the boys' hairdos here. Also the scene where the girls discover the weakness was hilarious. A bonus for Blossom’s cheeky little one liner. 

Beat Your Greens  - This was a classic episode. I remember watching it a lot as a kid. The moral is simple: eat your vegetables. 

This was the time when Craig McCracken was still at high stakes on the show and this was only it's second season. A time when morals weren't  always the key of the show. Also Buttercup's brief pep talk/speech to one of the kids was great and really motivating. Also I love the little Star Wars reference. 

Curses - I left this one out because this trope has been done before in other shows including Spongebob Squarepants and Arthur. But that doesn't stop the episode from being funny. The villain was hilarious, a literal talking potty-mouth who basically just talks gibberish as if he's swearing and every time the girls swore, it was bleeped out with various sound effects and the results are hilarious. I think the funniest moment was when the girls flipped out on the Mayor all over a pickle jar complete with swearwords and their mouths washed out with soap. Overall, this was a funny episode but sadly, when a trope has been done to death, is there really any high stakes for it to be in a top ten list? 

And the number one greatest Powerpuff Girls episode is...

1. The Powerpuff Girls Rule! I am counting this one as an episode! Argument invalid! WHERE do I begin? This was all drawn and animated on Flash and released as the 10th anniversary special and you know what? It's absolutely brilliant. Everything is thrown at you in seconds, the humor, the pacing, unpredictable moments, the voice actors returned again and are just as great and the best part? Craig McCracken came back to write this masterpiece!

Not only was this special a breath of fresh air for the fans, but it felt like a new revival for the Powerpuff Girls done right! Sadly, this was Craig's last involvement with the Powerpuff Girls...when you think about it though, it’s not the same without Craig McCracken as writer and director, so you can see why there are lots more funnies here compared to seasons five and six. 

Originally, this was planned to be an hour long but instead was reduced to a full length episode, which is why everyone suffers from motormouth syndrome throughout!

I love all the little callbacks to the classic episodes, including the villains and nearly every second had me laughing with tears streaming down my cheeks! THAT'S the true essence and formula of The Powerpuff Girls. Try watching this special with a straight face if you are a die hard fan of this show, seriously! It's impossible!

Ten years before, the reviews poured in calling this cartoon "gut-bustingly funny", well, this really shows! It's like the show had won back the brilliance when Craig came back and I really wish there was more!

The plot is so ridiculous yet hilarious and I quote the PPG wikia: The key to the world is sent to Townsville, and The Mayor has the responsibility of keeping watch of it. However, he misplaces it, and all the villains of Townsville break free from prison to search for the key, each one of them wanting to obtain it and rule the world, especially Mojo Jojo. The Powerpuff Girls must find the key and return it to The Mayor, before the villains get to it.

Everything about this episode is absolutely fantastic. I will forgive the little reference to a certain 2000s meme thrown in, although it wasn't really needed, but who can complain, right? It was bound to happen since every decade, cartoons tend to have that trend that will blend in with show's plots.

The moment all the motor-mouthed dialogue starts, it's impossible not to sit back with an enormous smile on your face. This was like a true love-letter to everyone who worked on the show, filled with crazy gags and some of the funniest build up on the show, complete with crazy references and everyone filling in on tickling the funny-bone.

The moment Blossom does her impression of Mojo Jojo (COMPLETE with camera angles, close ups and a shot of the entire planet earth) is hilarious! Her sass and smug attitude here just makes it!

I love how cartoony and slapstick this special was, although a little out of character, I don't care, I find it rather hilarious! There's surprise after surprise, after surprise! I've never seen The Powerpuff Girls go beyond the mark of full-on craziness!

I will admit, the motor-mouthing did feel a little forced and rushed but the plot still made up for it with all it's glory! I can't give anymore away without spoiling the entire cartoon so go watch this special when you can!  

The Powerpuff Girls Rule! is -in my opinion- the greatest episode of all time. Now ten years old, it makes us all wonder what is in store for the twentieth anniversary. With the reboot having mixed reception and the merchandise still selling, we can only dream on having another special just as fresh and funny as this one.

"Key" moment for me (okay, that pun was lame): The whole episode was filled to the brim with timeless and hilarious moments but if I were to pick one, it would have to be Mojo singing a Jimmy Hart version of Part of Your World. Honestly, the funniest thing ever done on the show, period! Kudos Craig McCracken! You can’t spell slaughter without laughter and this episode did just that almost! A new meaning for the term: gut-bustingly funny! 

And with that, ends my top 10 greatest PPG episode list! What are your favorite episodes of all time? Which ones make you laugh the most? I'd love to read and/or hear your opinions! :) With that being said, after twenty years, this show still holds up and I will always enjoy it again and again whenever I have a bad day. If you really want to see every classic episode again, then go buy the complete dvd set, it’s just been re-released as a twentieth anniversary box set!  Thanks for reading and thank you to @crackmccraigen for this masterpiece! 

[raviport]

8 Ideas To Make Your Child's Lockdown Birthday Celebration Unique

8 Ideas To Make Your Child's Lockdown Birthday Celebration Unique — pinknblu

Most of the parents feel that their kids are missing out on so many things from the earlier normal world! No meeting the friends, no crowded birthday parties, no vacations!

But rest assured, evolution and adaption is the key to the growth of humankind!

To keep our loved ones safe, we need to adapt to changes and still make every celebration as enjoyable as possible. Even if it means celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions indoors during this Covid-19 lockdown!

Not being able to have a birthday party is the worst nightmare for every kid and can dampen their excitement, however, you can still treat our littles ones with surprises and gifts. We have assembled some ideas for celebrating a lockdown birthday that will set everyone in the party mood!

1. ONLINE BIRTHDAY PARTY 

Arranging a full-blown birthday party online can be a good idea for kids for whom celebrating it with their friends or classmates is most important. Each invitee can be sent an online invitation card to join in on zoom for a celebration. Decorate the house like usual, get a birthday cake of kid's choice, cut the cake on the set time while everyone sings happy birthday! Let the virtual invitees dance to the music played at the host's house. The virtual disco dance will be the highlight and the peak of this virtual birthday party. If the kid loves socializing, have a few zoom meet-ups lined up for different social groups such as one for grandparents and family, one for friends one for classmates, so that the little one gets a chance to interact personally with everyone.

You can also send birthday favours online and all the friends can open them together to feel the birthday excitement in real!

2. VIRTUAL ENTERTAINERS

With new innovative ideas coming up each day to adjust to the changing scenarios, virtual professional entertainers are gaining pace for virtual parties. These professional entertainers organize online fun games and shows to entertain their young audience on zoom meets that are enjoyable just like a real in-person party. Magician, clowns, puppet artists, creative art sessions, story sessions and many other entertainment options can be selected as per your child's interest for the virtual birthday party. All friends can join remotely on the zoom call and have a virtual birthday fest!

3. BIRTHDAY MESSAGES FROM FRIENDS

The technology savvy generation Z is all in for communicating over video calls. So ask their close friends, classmates and other family members to record a video with birthday wishes and personal messages for the birthday kid. Combine the videos to make a short film to play for your child after cutting their birthday cake or in the morning at the breakfast table. The heartwarming messages in these times will surely cheer up their birthday spirit! You may choose any way to celebrate the birthday, but a message film from the loved ones wishing happy birthday gives an unmatchable sense of euphoria and will make their hearts long to meet them up as soon as this pandemic is over. It the best possible way to connect emotionally with the near & dear ones while being distant on your child’s birthday.

4. AN IN-HOUSE THEME PARTY 

Create a theme party for your kid. You can choose any character or theme that they love and make the whole birthday around that theme. You can wear theme-based outfits, use the theme for cake, decorations, cupcakes, cutlery and other lists of things that make your child feel closer to their favourite character/theme. Most of the items can be procured online, and therefore there is no need to risk yourself by going out to shop. If the delivery of cakes is available in your area get a customized cake, or even better start baking with millions of cake recipes available online!

If you are good at crafting and DIYs, then design a photo booth on the same theme to click crazy photos to make a memorable album of this unique birthday celebration.

5. PRESENT TREASURE HUNT 

Gifting by way of a treasure hunt is an innovative idea for pre-teenage groups who love surprises. Hide the gifts at different places in the house and share clues after a fixed time gap to keep the little one occupied and super excited till all the surprises are revealed. A treasure hunt can also be organized on a zoom virtual meet. The friends can help to solve the clues, while you will only have to follow your kids with the laptop so the friends can watch their friend chases the treasure. But what it is worth, your child will beam with a smile for being able to play a fun game with friends, and the surprise gifts will be the cherry on the cake!

6. A SIT-DOWN PARTY

For slightly calmer kids who love solitude, a sit-down party or the child who want to do something different in the form of a sober affair than a frivolous birthday party, this can be an inviting idea. Let your child participate in everything from DIY decorations, baking a cake together, following a round of board games, and finally ending the day with their favourite takeaway dinner at home. This would make them feel super special by all the undivided attention they get and having everything happening in the house on that day. You can join their grandparents and other extended families on zoom during dinner, and also order the same food menu at their place so it really feels like an actual birthday dinner!

7. A MOVIE NIGHT

With all ideas successfully executed through the day, end the day with an exciting family movie night to give a perfect finish to a lockdown birthday. Choose a movie of your child's choice to make this birthday memorable and remove all inhibitions about a lockdown birthday. Popcorns and a family group hug position while watching a movie on the birthday night will bring smiles and comfort for everyone in such dire times! If other parents permit, a movie night on zoom is also possible where each kid watches the movie at their home only with a shared screen, they can interact, laugh and talk to each other while watching the movie and feel connected.

8. GAME DAY

Wouldn't it become a special birthday if your child gets a day different from a monotonous routine? Let your child take a break from studies, if possible, and plan an exciting day with loads of fun games based on their age, that they can enjoy at home. If you have a joint family with many kids, the more, the merrier it is! There are loads of game ideas that can be executed at home for a fun-filled energy busting birthday that will leave big smiles on your child's face. Read our blog ......... on ideas for fun games to play at home for your child during the lockdown and create a trail of surprise party games on your child's birthday, with a birthday reward after each game. Your child will miss playing around with friends on his birthday a little lesser than usual.

The most important thing is that with social distancing in place we should try to make the celebration as close to the the normal. Decorate the house, get balloons, order gifts online, and let your child feel special by doing things his way, as that’s the leats we can do to keep their birthday spark alive in the current state.

Click pictures and create albums, because when this is over these memories will remind us how we managed to smile and keep our little ones happy during the pandemic years!

Download our app to use “Moments” feature to store and share your memories with friends and families!

You can also share your ideas about how you celebrated your child’s birthday during the lockdown and show the silver lining to other parents!

For much more than just parenting download our app

check out our other blogs at PinkNBlu

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #197 - The Lion King

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes, #123.

Format: DVD

1) Circle of Life.

Very few films have such iconic first frames as The Lion King does, and there are three key reasons for that.

First of all: the visuals are wildly unique. That very first visual of the sun rising is visceral and memorable, not to mention just absolutely beautiful. The following images of the animals of the Pride Lands also stand out, because they are filled with such character and life as well as something else which isn’t often seen in animated films: realism. Think about the film’s of the Disney Renaissance before The Lion King: The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. All are beautifully animated and feature great animal characters, but they are largely cartoon characters. They’re anthropomorphic, which the animals in The Lion King will be. But these first animals we see aren’t. They’re realistic, natural. In some ways it’s like we’re watching an animated nature documentary. And it does well to set up the visuals of the film.

Secondly: the opening number sets up a clear sense of place among the Pride Lands. We very quickly understand the hierarchy of things, how the lions are actually kings, who’s important, who are just subjects, relationships between characters like Mufasa and Rafiki, all without any dialogue. The fact the film can do this all so elegantly speaks greatly to its craft.

Thirdly: the music. Holy cow the music here is absolutely incredible. It is grand, moving, and a perfect first song for the film. It not only represents the talents of both composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice - who create a soundtrack with one iconic song after the next - but also Hans Zimmer. Hans Zimmer’s score in this film isn’t discussed much among lay people (we talk about it in film classes), which is a shame because it is as important if not more so than the work done by the previously mentioned musicians. Zimmer has only won one Oscar in his entire life and it is for this film. His score and work with the wildly talented Lebo M is perfectly married with this song, so much so the animators even recognized it.:

The original opening to the film was supposed to have been a quiet dialogue-heavy sequence. When composer Hans Zimmer prepared his interpretation of Circle of Life, he made an extended version so he would have some flexibility as to what to cut for the film. The animators were so impressed with the work that they decided to change the beginning into the currently seen sequence so they could use the entire work that Zimmer prepared.

So yeah, that’s why “Circle of Life” works so well as an opening.

2) Jeremy Irons as Scar.

Scar is a delightfully evil villain in the best sense. He makes your skin crawl for a number of reasons. You understand he’s a cowardly piece of dirt, but he’s also intimidating. That’s because the animators and Irons are able to convey Scar’s intellect grandly. You understand how intelligent he is, how his power is in manipulation, and THAT’S what’s scary. Irons makes the part in much the same way James Woods makes Hades or Jonathan Pryce makes Jafar. He is one of many MANY examples of how this movie is perfectly cast.

3) I touched upon this briefly in note #1, but there are very few big budget American animated films which are animated as beautifully as The Lion King. The filmmakers take a number of brief moments to really just show off the majesty of the Pride Lands, to show off nature, which ties directly into the theme of the circle of life. Nature has an order to things, a balance, and this film shows that in the most beautiful and perfect way imaginable here and there.

4) This theme of the circle of life is perfectly explained by Mufasa to his young child Simba early in the film. The reason that scene works and why so many simple lines of dialogue are strong in the memories of children who grew up on this film is because they’re simple but not stupid. Important concepts like the order of nature are explained to young Simba while also not talking down to him (and thereby not talking down to the audience). It is simple elegance at its finest.

5) The Morning Report.

So I’m watching the DVD copy of this film which was released in 2004 I believe, which features this addition to the film. “The Morning Report” was a song which I believe was originally considered for the original release but then cut, before finding new life in the successful Broadway production of The Lion King. Although I grew up with the film including “The Morning Report”, I honestly prefer the version without it. The song is fun but doesn’t really feel necessary and I imagine it was cut from the original film for a reason. It also shortens the gap between songs by falling between “Circle of Life” and “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” which kind of messes up the pacing for me. I like the song on its own and its not enough to ruin the film by ANY means, but I prefer this movie without “The Morning Report”.

6) I know Scar is completely evil and despicable, but there are moments where I relate to him. Case in point:

Simba: “You’re so weird!”

Scar: “You have no idea.”

7) Okay, quick question: ARE SIMBA AND NALA RELATED!? Because there’s only two lions in the whole pride and they’re both related to Simba. So who’s Nala’s dad? Is there an answer for this I don’t know?

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

8) You know how there are things you say and then you understand why you say them?

Zazu: “The sooner we get to the watering hole, the sooner we can leave.”

I have been saying for years, “The sooner we ________, the sooner we can leave,” and I was wondering where that came from. Now I know!

9) “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”

Disney Renaissance films traditionally had a big show stopping number in them to dial up the fun. The Little Mermaid hand “Under the Sea”, Beauty and the Beast had “Be Our Guest”, Aladdin had “Friend Like Me”, and The Lion King has “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”. The song is pure fun, with a song that infects the audience with its energy and an animation style to match. But more than being a piece of entertainment, it sets up a clear juxtaposition for Simba by the film’s end. Consider the responsible leader he is when he takes his place on Pride Rock against who he is during this song and you can see just how far he’s journeyed.

10) Simba as a character.

Honestly, the most interesting thing about Simba is the journey he goes on in 90 short minutes. You see him go from irresponsible kid to guilt ridden adult trying (and maybe failing) to deal with trauma, to a responsible leader. And it’s all so organic that you’re never taken out of the moment. It’s not like, “What, suddenly he’s this now?” I think that’s due to an excellent blend between the writing, animation, and voice over work.

Simba’s dialogue is done by two actors: Jonathan Taylor Thomas as cub Simba and Matthew Broderick as adult Simba. Both play exactly what they need to in the part, with Taylor Thomas able to portray both the cub’s more carefree nature and later grief. Broderick on the other hand is able to portray adult Simba’s grief/heartache, attempts at carefreeness, and eventual responsibility all really well. As mentioned above, it all feels right. Never jarring, never off putting, it just freaking works.

11) There are a number of scenes in this film which have a crazy good sense of place, and the elephant graveyard is one of them. As soon as you enter this territory you KNOW you’re not supposed to be there. It’s dark, forbidding, threatening, and just has a real sense of fear/dread to it. It’s freaking great.

12) Shenzi, Banzai and Ed.

This trio is another strong example of excellent casting in the film. Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings all are able to be individually funny, evil, dangerous, and stupid at the same time. As a set, though, they compliment each other nicely. No one outshines the other, they’re a great trio that just help support each other.

13) The scene between Mufasa and Simba after the elephant graveyard is amazing.

From the moment Simba’s tiny paw is seen in Mufasa’s larger one, you understand clearly a big fear of the lion’s. He’s afraid he will never be as great a man as his father, with many of his actions compensating for this idea (going to the graveyard, for example). Both Simba and Mufasa are portrayed with heartwarming honesty in this scene. Mufasa’s anger subsides quickly and you understand (even before he says it) that his anger comes from a place of fear and concern for his son. It’s a scene which - more than anything else - gets you deeply invested in their relationship. Which makes the upcoming plot turn all the more heartbreaking.

This is also a good place to talk about James Earl Jones as Mufasa. Known primarily for his voice over work as Darth Vader, Jones is as amazing here but for different reasons. He is able to give Mufasa so much depth in his performance. The voice of the king can be threatening, angry, patient, wise, afraid, heartbroken, desperate, and kind, with no element lessening the other. And Jones just is excellent in all facets, which might be why he’s reprising the part in the 2019 reimagined version directed by Jon Favreu.

14) Remember how I said Scar can be relatable? Well, I think we’ve all had this moment:

15) Be Prepared.

Okay, I’m a sucker for a good villain song and “Be Prepared” is wonderfully dark/evil. I have to remind myself it’s still Elton John and Tim Rice, it’s still the guys who did “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” because it’s just got such a different character to it. The song is amazing from a storytelling standpoint because if it wasn’t clear what Scar’s motivations/goals were before, they sure are now. Like with “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”, there’s this wonderfully fun animation style to it which pushes the boundaries of reality. It’s just wonderfully villainous and I love it.

15.1) In the song “Be Prepared”, Jeremy Irons actually threw out his voice after the line, “YOU WON’T GET A SNIFF WITHOUT ME!” So the filmmakers had Jim Cummings (legendary voice over actor who plays Ed in this film) sing the rest of the song. If you’re a fan of Anastasia, Cummings sang “In The Dark of the Night” and if you listen you can definitely hear that it’s him but otherwise he does a good job of masking his voice.

16) Wildebeest Stampede.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

The reason the stampede scene works as well as it does is because it is so freaking epic. The scale of it, the music, the tension is just crazy high. Through the marriage of all aspects of cinema (acting, writing, visuals, sound) the audience is just on the edge of their seats. And the way Mufasa just jumps into the fray and throws Simba to safety just shows an incredible amount of personal stakes for him. It’s amazing from beginning to end.

17) Excuse me while I have a good cry.

Okay, this never used to get to me. Never. When I was a kid, it didn’t effect me AT ALL. But now?

Simba [upon finding Mufasa’s body]: “Dad come on, you gotta get up…we gotta go home.”

Yeah, even thinking about it gets me teary eyed. I think it’s because of some personal stuff I’ve gone through the older I get, but just the raw honesty of the scene gets me. Especially the way Simba nestles under Mufasa’s paw because to him that place is safe? And he just lays close to his dad and…

18) Scar goes from fun Disney villain to someone who you’re actively rooting against (as you are against the best villains) when he decides to murder his own brother and make his nephew feel like it’s his fault even though he plans to kill him anyway. That’s like, next level evil. Suffice to say I’m cheering on Scar’s demise at the end.

19) Timon and Pumbaa.

The film’s ultimate scene stealers, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are great in their respective parts as the meerkat and warthog. They just bring a smile to your face whenever they appear on screen. Pumbaa is charmingly innocent and Timon is likably deviant as a trickster. They play off each other well like a classic comedy duo and are just great to watch.

20) Hakuna Matata.

One of the key reasons the song works so well in the story is because it is a welcome shift in tone from Mufasa’s death and Simba’s exile in a way which still feels organic. The number is charming, light, infectious, fun, and just a genuinely feel good song. A great anthem for anyone who stresses too much about the little things. Maybe not so much for people who could stress more about the big things, but there’s a middle ground.

21) I always wanted more of teenage Simba, who we really only get to spend like 3 seconds with. I don’t know, there’s something about that 1/2 mane which I like. But then again, I’m a fan of awkward middle child movies and tv show stuff. That’s probably a factor.

22) I love it when Disney gets meta.

Scar: “Sing something with a little bounce in it.”

(GIF originally posted by @thedailyprophet)

Scar: “NO! Anything but that!”

22.1) My mother and brother saw the Broadway version in New York in 2014 or 2015 (I can’t remember which). According to them, Zazu sang “Let it Go” instead and got the same reaction out of Scar. I dig it.

23) This is a brief but great scene that lets the audience understand Simba is NOT where he belongs, no matter how great Timon & Pumbaa are.

Simba [about stars]: “Somebody once told me that the great kings of the past are up there…”

[Timon and Pumbaa break out laughing at Simba.]

24) Okay, let’s talk about this.

According to IMDb:

There have been rumors that when Simba collapses on the cliff after talking with Timon and Pumbaa about stars, the dust that flies off the cliff forms the letters SEX. In fact it forms the letters SFX, the abbreviation of the special-effects team that worked on that portion of the film. For all subsequent releases more flowers and dust were added to the scene to avoid controversy.

25) I love how it takes Simba no time at all to recognize Nala, he recognizes her that well. It just takes her beating him in a fight.

26) In some moments, I’m Timon.

Timon: “Let me get this straight! You know her, she knows you, but she wants to eat him. And everyone’s okay with this? DID I MISS SOMETHING!?”

27) Can You Feel The Love Tonight.

Apparently at one point Disney was going to have Timon and Pumbaa sing the whole song as a gag, while at another they’d cut it entirely. Elton John campaigned that the song be featured as is, as he considered it a love song in the grand Disney tradition. Well this apparently a brilliant decision because it won the film as Oscar for Best Original Song. The song is such a sweet and beautiful piece which really just pulls at your heart strings, allowing you to actually feel the love in the air. I just love it.

28) This moment always makes me smile. Rafiki’s unbridled joy is just so infectious.

Rafiki: “Asante sana, squash banana…”

29) Remember that I said Simba’s biggest fear was not being as great a lion/king as his father was?

Rafiki: “You see: he lives in you.”

Rafiki’s words and then Simba’s communication with his father’s ghost both feed directly into this fear.

Simba has greatness in him and that greatness is represented by his father. His father’s memory lives on in him and he can do great things in that memory. The visuals of the scene where Simba communes with his father’s ghost continues the film’s streak of excellent visuals and is iconic to this day.

30) One of the wisest lines I have heard in a movie ever.

Rafiki: “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it you can either run from it OR learn from it.”

31) Nathan Lane improvised this line and the filmmakers just rolled with it. Meanwhile I still laugh my butt off every time we get this far.

32) This line really shows that Scar sees being king much as the immature cub Simba did (in “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King”), but that’s a much scarier reality than it is fantasy.

Scar: “I’m the king, I can do whatever I want.”

33) I would like to point out that Scar is such a freaking coward. He cowers so quickly before Simba when he returns then tries to manipulate him. He tries to sneak away from the fight before blaming the hyenas for everything. He tries to appease Simba before double-crossing him and being thrown to the hyenas (literally). It’s this cowardice, this double crossing, which leads to Scar’s death and I couldn’t be happier about it.

34) This all takes place during a skirmish between our heroes and villains, a scene which is a really great climax for a lot of reasons. It definitely has some seriousness and epic-ness to it, while also infusing it with classic cartoonish fun. It’s just got some wonderful action to it.

35) Simba’s ascension to the top of Pride Rock feels 100% earned. In the ninety minutes of the movie we’ve seen the journey he’s gone on since birth and we understand that this is not only his place but also that he’s earned this place. A truly fitting ending.

The Lion King is an iconic classic of not only animation but cinema in general. It’s wonderful sense of epic storytelling blends perfectly with characters, actors, music, and animation. It tells the story it needs in an elegant and emotional fashion, providing cinema with one of its most heartbreaking deaths ever while also giving us some of Disney’s best humor. All in all, it’s just a great film everyone should see.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Anime vs. Real Life: The Spirit of Anohana Still Lives on in the Town of Chichibu

As I’m still waiting for some of the great summer anime titles like The God of High School and Rent-a-Girlfriend to put out a few more real-life locations for me to really dive into, I thought it would be a good idea again to take a look back at one of my older casual pilgrimages, which I never got around to posting. To this day, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day still counts as one of the greats of its genre, having left a substantial emotional impact on many fans, myself included. But that’s not all, the nine-year-old anime also left a huge mark on its real-life setting by putting the quiet rural town of Chichibu in Saitama on the map for tourists, and even for an unprecedented amount of non-Japanese anime fans. So in this installment of Anime vs. Real Life, take a virtual stroll through the quiet town of Chichibu with me, as we run down some of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day's most notable real-world locations!

    The best way to get to Chichibu from Tokyo is via the Seibu Chichibu Line, which connects Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station directly to the Seibu Chichibu Station, which is pictured above here (even though it got a bit of face-lift since). The Chichibu Limited Express gets you from Ikebukuro to Chichibu within a swift hour and a half, making this such an attractive day trip for anime fans who have a day to spare in Tokyo. And as soon as you come through the ticket gate, you’ll know for sure that your in Menma’s town, as you’ll soon notice her smiling face on many of the products sold in the station’s gift shop, or the Super Peace Busters’ themed drinks at the café in the large food court. 

    Using the station as a starting point, I made a short 15-minute walk up to Hitsujiyama Park, where I had a great view of the city. The park is mainly famous for its colorful field of Shibazakura flowers, which also got a brief nod in the show. However, for fans of the anime, the fence on which Poppo sits during the catchy opening has to be one of the most iconic spots of the show, so recreating the shot was obviously a must! 

    From there it’s a bit of a walk back to the city’s commercial district along Bamba Street, but in the end, it didn’t take me more than 20 minutes. If you’re looking for a faster way to get around the city, I also saw rental bikes at Seibu Chichibu Station. 

    Walking through the city, it’s apparent how huge of an influence the show had and still has on the town, as you still find Anohana-branded stuff literally everywhere, ranging from water bottles to banners. The majority of the themed collaborations are from Anohana, but also the two anime films The Anthem of the Heart and Her Blue Sky, are both set in the town of Chichibu, all of which were written by the prolific screenwriter and director Mari Okada, who was born here.

      At the end of Bamba Street lies the serene Chichibu Shrine. But while the time-honored shrine with its elaborate wooden carvings is certainly worth a visit all on its own, it’s not really an important location for the anime, as all that happens here was Yukiatsu simply running past Jintan. The much more relevant temple is only another short walk away, but first things first. 

        Because if you head one street East of the shrine, you’ll end up at the train tracks again, which the characters of the show walk past quite frequently. However, it was mainly rather painful scenes that took place here, one of which was when we as the viewers first got confirmation as to what was really going on with Menma. The view of Mount Buko in the back is not bad, though. 

    That advertisement in the back must have surely paid off after all those years of anime fans passing by. 

          From the spot along the tracks, which is close to Chichibu Station — not to be confused with Seibu Chichibu Station — it’s another 15-minute walk to the quaint, but iconic Jorin Temple. The temple is so pivotal for the show, since it’s not only where the gang used to hang out during their younger days, but also where they are slowly reconnecting again after all those years apart. 

    The little temple is located a bit off the beaten path and was naturally dealing with declining visitor numbers, but the frequent anime visitors have really breathed new life into the place. And you can see that based on the many recent Anohana-themed ema (wooden wishing plaques) hung there.

      And I’m happy to report, that the cutout of the boy holding the temple name is still alive and well. 

      I’ll keep my wish for myself for now. 

        Right behind the temple is Keyaki Park, where you’ll find the exact same bench on which Jintan was sitting during the third episode.

          And last but not least, certainly the most memorable and iconic real-life locations of the show are the two Chichibu bridges right next to each other, which cross the Arakawa River. The bridge is the jumping-off point for many of the show's events, and also prominently featured in the show’s opening. Menma is walking across the solely pedestrian Kyuchichibu Bridge here. 

    Right next to it is the very recognizable cable-stayed Chichibu Bridge, which was constructed 35 years ago in 1985. 

    And in between those two bridges, you’ll even spot the pillars of another bridge that once stood here.

    From Chichibu Bridge it’s a quite hefty 50-minute walk back to Seibu Chichibu Station, but luckily for me, I was staying nearby anyway, and only had to track ten minutes to the nearby Onohara Station. Conversely, you could also use that station to take you back to the city center. The one major location I missed was the Ryusei Rocket scaffold, which you’ll surely remember from the finale of the show, but is unfortunately quite far out of town. However, most of Anohana’s locations are easily doable within a day trip, and even though the anime was a real tear-jerker, it was really heartwarming to see the love and passion that Chichibu still has for this masterpiece. 

You can watch Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day both subbed and dubbed right here on Crunchyroll!

    What are some of the saddest anime you have ever watched? Let us know in the comments!

      Wilhelm is an anime tourist, who loves to search for and uncover the real-world spots he sees in anime. You can talk with him on Twitter @Surwill or on Instagram wilhelm_donko.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features! 

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[lindyhunt]

The Psychology Behind Viral Marketing Videos

In 2007, brothers Chip and Death Heath accomplished something that even the Coen brothers would tip their caps to -- their book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die climbed to the top of both The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

Made to Stick achieved astronomical success because it taught readers a model for making ideas “sticky”, or, in other words, making ideas digestible, memorable, and compelling. And by analyzing countless amounts of “sticky” ideas, like JFK’s “Man on the Moon” speech and even some conspiracy theories, the Heath Brothers noticed that a “sticky” idea usually follows six principles:

Simple: its core message must be easy to grasp.

Unexpected: it should break cliche and evoke enough curiosity to grab someone’s attention and hold it.

Concrete: it should be vividly painted in people’s minds.

Credible: it should be supported by evidence.

Emotional: it should have a purpose and relate to people.

Story-driven: it should tell a story that inspires people to act.

At their core, viral videos are sticky ideas in action. They compete against an endless supply of videos all screaming for attention, but they can slice through the clutter, resonate emotionally with viewers, and are actually considered valuable pieces of content.

The Heath Brothers recommend following as many of their "Made to Stick" principles as possible when devising your idea. Below, we’ve analyzed five marketing videos that follow most of these principles and succeeded in capturing viral attention.

1. Monday.com | What using monday.com feels like

"Made to Stick" Elements: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, and Emotional

Simple

In just 30 seconds, Monday.com cuts right to the chase and provides a high-level description of their project management tool.

Unexpected

After fleshing out each section of their product, Monday.com surprises you with a pleasant dose of comedic relief from their feature overviews. For example, after they introduce their product, they cut to an oddly satisfying bubble wrap-popping, oreo-splitting montage of what it feels like to use their product. Then, after they describe their product’s board, they zoom in on an employee winking at you and transition into a hilarious quip about how their product works on your phone because it’s 2018.

Concrete

By showing, not telling, what it feels like to use Monday.com with a hilarious montage, and how to use their project management tool, its features and benefits bake right into your memory.

Emotional

Monday.com leans on comedy to trigger an emotional response from their viewers.

2. Johnnie Walker | Dear Brother

“Made to Stick” Elements: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Emotional, and Story-Driven

Simple

Johnnie Walker’s “Dear Brother” is only 90 seconds long and follows the story of two brothers exploring what viewers initially assume must be their childhood home.

Unexpected

At the end of the video, your heart nearly shatters when you find out one of the brothers has actually passed away and the other one was actually reminiscing about him.

Concrete

By setting the story in the rugged mountains and streaming creeks of Scotland and voicing over the video with a beautiful poem that aligns with the plot, Johnnie Walker makes you feel like you’re strolling along side the brothers.

Emotional

“Dear Brother” begins as a heartwarming video about two brothers reminiscing about their past, but when you learn that one of the brothers has already passed away, you start to feel sad. At the same time, though, you also feel touched because the other brother realizes that even though his brother isn’t with him physically, he’ll always be with him spiritually.

Story-driven

“Dear Brother’s” twist ending turns the story from being about roaming the place of your past to being about keeping your loved ones’ memories alive, which really packs a final emotional punch.

3. NERD Skincare | Your Relationship With Acne

“Made to Stick” Elements: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, and Emotional

Simple

Despite an airtime of almost five minutes and an onslaught of gags and jokes, NERD Skincare stays laser-focused on a single, straightforward message throughout the entire video: the idea that their treatment arms your body’s good bacteria to kill off your body’s acne bacteria.

Unexpected

Instead of filming actors and actresses with flawless skin happily splashing water on their face, NERD Skincare shatters the conventions of most acne treatment ads. First, they hook you with a visceral metaphor for your face (the hot and cramped arcade), then deeply relate to your problems by describing realistic scenarios of how acne can sabotage your life, and continuously weave a strong thread of humor and edge throughout the entire video.

Concrete

By including clever metaphors, funny and unexpectedly realistic examples, and an actual demonstration of their product in action, NERD Skincare can sear their video’s message into your memory and prompt you to act.

Credible

NERD Skincare actually proved their brand’s credibility by putting acne bacteria on their founder’s face and demonstrating how their product quickly got rid of it.

Emotional

With a hilarious joke at almost every turn of this video, “Your Relationship With Acne” resonated with viewers through humor.

4. HP Sprocket | Little Moments

“Made to Stick” Elements: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Emotional, and Story-Driven

Simple

“Little Moments” is a short and relatable story about a father’s attempt to connect with his teenage daughter and his reluctant acceptance that she’s growing up.

Unexpected

At the end of the video, the daughter has rejected each of her father’s attempts at connection, and it clearly weighs heavily on him, prompting him to lay down on her bed. But that’s when he sees all the photos they’ve taken together over the years taped above her bed, making him realize that she’ll always love him, no matter how she’s acting right now.

Concrete

By filming familiar scenes of home life and close-up shots of the father experiencing vivid feelings of emotion, HP Sprocket can place you in this heartwarming story and make you feel the same way the father feels at the end of the video.

Emotional

The father’s growing disappointment and sadness each time he fails to connect with his daughter makes you feel bad for him. But when you can see the pure happiness and joy on his face after he finds his daughter’s pictures, you genuinely feel touched by the moment.

Story-driven

In a nutshell, great stories are about the journey of overcoming adversity and how that journey changes people. “Little Moments” recounts a father who so desperately wants to connect with his teenage daughter but ultimately can’t make it happen. But when he sees his daughter’s pictures, he realizes that she’s always had a connection with him -- he just didn’t know it.

5. Death Wish Coffee | Storm’s a-Brewin’

“Made to Stick” Elements: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, and Emotional

Simple

By using a ship full of vikings as a metaphor for their fiercely caffeinated coffee, Death Wish Coffee effectively expressed the strength of their product in only 30 seconds.

Unexpected

“Storm’s a-Brewin’” started out as a Game of Thrones-esque story about a group of vikings who were ready to die as heroes, but when you find out it’s an advertisement for a highly-caffeinated coffee brand, it’s actually a really funny and pleasant surprise.

Concrete

Death Wish Coffee’s use of ragged vikings and an incredibly realistic CGI ocean makes you feel like you’re actually rowing the boat with them -- on your way toward a noble death. And when you get to the end of the video, these vivid details solidify the strength of their coffee.

Emotional

The vikings' passionate commitment to dying with honor grabs your attention. And the realization that they’re a metaphor for caffeine makes you laugh and realize how strong Death Wish Coffee’s product is.

Following Made to Stick’s Model Could Lead to Your Viral Success

Making a viral video will be one of the hardest things to cross off your marketing bucket list. And even if you follow the six Made to Stick principles to a tee, there’s still no guarantee you’ll achieve viral success. But one thing you can expect by following this model is that your story will stick in people’s minds -- and their hearts.

[touristguidebuzz]

Una Vez Más! Our Vow Renewal in Mexico

Wedding Vow Renewal in Mexico

Five years ago, we made the decision to return to the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar Resort, located in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. When it came time to make the reservations for the trip, we thought about doing something extra special for this milestone moment. We wanted to include our boys and we wanted to do something big and memorable.

That’s when the idea to have a vow renewal ceremony was hatched.

We know vow renewals are a thing, but we haven’t met anyone whose done a vow renewal – so we didn’t know what the ceremony entailed. Or even where to begin?

We had a great experience getting married at the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar, so we reached out to the resort to see if they hosted such events and what options were available. We were happy to learn they host vow renewals ceremonies all the time, so we didn’t have to worry about the details.

The more we bounced around the idea, the more we liked it. Doing a small ceremony on the beach was the perfect compliment to our family vacation and it allowed our boys to be involved.

About our Vow Renewal in Mexico

The planning process is easy. It’s similar to when we planned our wedding, so it felt familiar (it was also quite nostalgic!). The Iberostar Paraiso del Mar uses its wedding packages and revises them for the vow renewal ceremony. We decided that we wanted our ceremony to be short, simple and elegant.

The first step in the process is to choose your wedding package. We went with the Star Package, which is the most basic option. For our ceremony, we chose the beach location, instead of the gazebo location (which is more private and surrounding by water and trees). When we were married 10 years ago we chose the gazebo option because we wanted the privacy. The downside for the beach option is that there are lots of half naked people watching you.

We decided to do the ceremony at 5:00 PM because we didn’t want it to be too hot and we hoped for a nice sunset. It’s also a better time for photos.

This is what’s included in the ‘Star Package’:

On-site wedding specialist

Minister, judge or priest

Witnesses (if required)

Setup of wedding venue (canopy, chairs and table with white linen)

Cava toast after the ceremony

Bride’s fresh floral bouquet and matching groom’s boutonnière

Traditional white frosting cake decorated with fresh flowers

Wedding dinner in a specialty restaurant (one hour and a half)

This applies for the first 10 people. There’s an additional charge of $20 per person after that.

Planning our Vow Renewal in Mexico

Mireya was assigned as our wedding coordinator. All of our communication pre-trip was via email. She was very helpful with our planning and made us feel like we were in good hands.

When we arrived, we met with our coordinator a couple days before the ceremony and confirmed the plans for the ceremony. The meeting was less than one hour.

There are plenty of options available, like runners, bows, tiki torches, mariachi band, violinist and more. You can customize your ceremony to meet your expectations. Most requests can be accommodated.

You’ll also need to pick songs for the ceremony. A high-tech sound system is available and there’s a person dedicated to managing the mic and music. They had our songs pre-loaded and the coordinator made sure the right songs were played at the right time.

We opted for white linens and a simple décor. The standard flower options included gerber daisies or lilies. We chose white lilies for our flowers. You can see the set-up in the photos below.

The resort has an on-site photographer, Adventure Photos. We met with them and went over our simple needs. The photographer came out for about 30 minutes and we selected about 20 photos. They gave us the original files (some are included in this post) and we also had a nice hard-copy photo album created.

The ceremony was perfect. It was exactly what we hoped for.

Related – Resort Review: Iberostar Paraíso del Mar, Mexico

One of the reasons we chose the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar for our wedding (10 years ago) was because they only do one wedding per day. That was important to us because we didn’t want to feel rushed and we didn’t want to compete with another wedding for time and attention.

While planning our vow renewal, we felt like the resort still follows this practice of only one ceremony a day (wedding or vow renewal). But, if this is important to you, it’s best to confirm with the resort directly.

Sand Ceremony with our boys

An option that was offered to us by our wedding coordinator was a Sand Ceremony. We were each given a bottle with a different colour sand (we had light blue, white, green and tan).

After we renewed our vows, we each poured a little sand in a little jar. The result was a colourful swirl of sand that was contributed by each of us (see photo below). It’s meant to represent our family bond.

This was a really nice way to involve our boys and it gave us something to take home to remember the day. The jar is now sitting on our fireplace mantle in the living room.

The unexpected surprise

Something we didn’t expect, and was a nice surprise, was that the minister was the SAME person who married us 10 years ago! What are the odds of that?

When we were introduced to the minister Cameron immediately recognized him.

We asked him, “how long have you been doing ceremonies at this resort?”

His response was, “about 10 years now”.

“You married us 10 years ago!” was our response.

He was thrilled to learn he would be marrying us a second time. He was also happy to see that our union had produced two cute boys, too. We could tell that this moment was special for him too.

The vow renewal speech he prepared was incredibly heartwarming. If we’re being honest, we actually loved those words more than our actual wedding vows!

At the end of the ceremony the adults had champagne and the boys had fresh lemonade. The lemonade was a big hit for them, especially Connor!

Braydon was so excited to wear a tie. He wanted to wear this outfit every day.

Our clothing was purchased at home and we brought it with us. Nicole’s dress is from BHLDN, the boys clothes are from The Children’s Place, and Cameron’s shorts and shirt is from Quiksilver.

Brotherly love.

Who says you can’t make Sand Angels?

Braydon didn’t make it. He fell asleep and needed to be carried back to the room.

This is what our bed looked like when we returned to our room after dinner. We appreciated the small details the hotel provided. We had a nice welcome package, an oceanfront view, champagne upon arrival and stuffies for our boys.

It was clear that the staff wanted to make our visit special. They were successful.

Final Thoughts

We had a fun vow renewal ceremony and would recommend the experience. The planning process was easy and the hotel did a great job executing the plan. We didn’t have to worry about anything, which gave us more time to enjoy our family vacation. If you’re considering a vow renewal, do it! You won’t regret it.

We’re thankful for the memories that were created on this trip. It required a little more planning and money, but it was so worth it. We will cherish these memories and look back on this experience with big smiles.

We wrote a review about this all-inclusive resort from our visit 5 years ago – read the post here. We also made a short video about the resort – watch it here.

We will do another update soon that has recent photos. We were impressed by how well the resort is maintained. It looks exactly the same way it did 10 years ago.

More info about the resort can be found here.

Una Vez Más! Our Vow Renewal in Mexico is a post from: Traveling Canucks

Related posts:

Photos of the Iberostar Cancun Resort in Mexico

50 Photos from our Summer Adventures

Starting 2018 with Sun, Sand and Family

First impressions and observations from our trip to Aruba

[rkbahuja]

From Tales to Talkies, the Terribly Tiny community isn’t so tiny anymore. What started with incredibly enticing stories narrated in just 140 characters has now grown to memorable short films that touch all the right chords. Helming this transformation in storytelling are Chintan Ruparel and Anuj Gosalia, the Co – Founders of Terribly Tiny Tales and Terribly Tiny Talkies.

On a rainy evening, I caught up with Chintan, who had just returned from the edit of one of their Father’s Day films. As the office bustled with energy, we sat down for a freewheeling chat about all things Talkies. As Chintan passionately spoke about films, the journey that it has been for TTT, the various film formats they are experimenting with and more, I couldn’t help but feel amazed and inspired. With such hearts and minds involved in the art of filmmaking, we can surely look forward to a revolution in cinema, one that has already begun.

Here are excerpts from our conversation.

Chintan Ruparel

What prompted the expansion from Tales to Talkies?

Anuj (Gosalia, Co-Founder) and I always wanted to expand storytelling to different formats, and films were such a tempting segment to explore! Anuj loves cinema, he also ran a blog called Popcorn Friday where he reviewed films. Coming from an advertising background, I’ve seen films happening in front of me. You think of an idea, a story and then see it happen in front of you, you see the magic on the sets and it just sweeps you off your feet. With writing, it’s just the paper and you; you are everything. But when it comes to films, there are so many people involved; to control that, bring that to the table, have a shared vision and also make money out of something like films is a huge challenge. So we thought of dabbling with films, short films to begin with. The challenge was to adapt the 140 characters (from Tales) to something like film. Because, what is terribly tiny when it comes to film – is it 10 sec, 50 sec, 1 minute or 10 minutes? There was nothing to define it. So we thought of starting with five minutes.

We contacted all our friends in the advertising industry, film industry, writing community etc., as we knew quite a lot of them who were very talented. But they were not really able to do what they liked or make films the way they wanted to. They were all frustrated in their work and had expressed an interest in working with us if we were to expand to film. So we called four filmmakers and I was the fifth, because if I had to give feedback to a filmmaker, I had to know how to make a film. So I made my first film with the first edition of Talkies. We made five films of five minutes each on the theme of love. The first edition premiered at Matterden where we had a full house of people. It was a great sign and that encouraged us to make more films.

The challenge was to adapt the 140 characters (from Tales) to something like film

You started off with a 5-minute bracket and now have 10, even 15 min films, what determines the stories you’d like to back as a platform?

One is the honesty in storytelling. The idea should be close to the maker in some way and should be something that he or she really wants to make. Apart from that, it should be an idea that hasn’t been done before, or hasn’t been said in this way. It should be fresh. The last and the most important thing is that it should be engaging. Initially, we began with 5-minutes but we realized that a lot of filmmakers suffered as a result because they felt that if one more shot or one more sequence could have been included, it would have added to the overall telling of the story. So, we decided to relax ourselves on time and told them to keep it under 15 – 20 minutes, with 7 – 10 minutes being ideal. But if the film is engaging enough and needs more time, we will not let length kill an idea.

Chintan Ruparel with Anuj Gosalia (Left)

A large number of your films are very red-letter day/occasion specific, what is the thought behind this approach?

Our films are designed for social media and not necessarily designed for virality in terms of the content. These red-letter days are a good time when people want to share stuff. The Internet is bombarded with content, so much is being thrown at you on a red-letter day. So we didn’t want to be those people who curate or collate or distribute content that is designed on virality. We wanted to keep it occasion specific. Other content creators go the whole viral route, they are designed in a way to make people laugh, they create sketches and so on, but we were never those people. We wanted to tell a story that has value. That was a tough call but that is what defines us.

We have a Terribly Tiny community that looks forwards to these films on all occasions.

Our films are not necessarily designed for virality in terms of the content

Which brings me to your recent Father’s Day films. What was the thought that went into these heartwarming stories?

The relationship between fathers and children is very special. It’s a given that mothers do more – give more, express more etc. But there is something so amazing about these species called ‘Fathers’. They apparently don’t do enough and while there is a whole patriarchal side to them, if you leave that aside, they are sweethearts who need to be celebrated. We have all had those special moments with our dads while growing up.

What we also realized is that the relationship between a father and son is more strained than that between a father and daughter. These films will mostly touch upon that and how fathers are awkward in expressing what their feeling. They don’t say a lot of things but do feel them.

So, we’re releasing two films this time, because in addition to passion and love, we need to take on meaningful brand collaborations that add to our portfolio and also generate revenue to fund the other films that are produced solely by us. We’re doing one film with Ola Cabs called ‘Rear View’. It’s about two fathers colliding – a passenger who is a single father and a driver, who is an expectant father. The conversation they have and how that changes the course of their lives in one day and how they end up touching more lives around them because of that, is what the film is all about.

The other film is called ‘Aamad’ which means ‘invitation’. It is the story about a son who returns home after many years, in his 30s, and finds his father on the deathbed. Their relationship was strained in the past and what efforts the son makes to mend things with his dad and whether he can make up or not forms the crux of the story.

When it comes to these movies, what is the making process, how do they come together?

We’re currently doing three kinds of films. One is for our YouTube audience, proprietary films that are not backed by brands, films that we want to put out regardless of brand or no brand. These films define what Talkies is all about. And people look forward to these films and we make it a point to surprise and delight them in some way.

The other is branded content which keeps money coming into the bank, but we aim to collaborate in the right way. Several brands want to do ad films with us, but once you go down that route, it’s hard to come back. So we stick to collaborating with brands that are interested in telling meaningful stories. It has been very good so far but budgets are still a challenge because brands don’t see the returns in this, what such a film can do for their brand. It’s a fairly new way of telling stories for them. So we’re taking one step at a time.

The third is the film festival route. This year, we’ve already commissioned a few films, one is ready and the other is going on floors next week, which are purely for film festivals. We wanted to test ourselves against the best out there. So we will not be in a hurry to release these films because they may give us a new audience, a new reputation and open more doors with VOD platforms.

We’re launching a fourth kind, which is contest-based. This Friendship’s Day we’re opening up Talkies to college campuses. We’re asking students to make films (under 5-minutes) on friendship and submit them. We’ll choose the best and put them online under TTT Campus. A lot of these kids aspire to make films and we’re fairly known in that (student/youth) community. So it’s worth exploring.

We co-incubate, co-create, creatively produce, platform the film, promote it and oversee the creative process

While making proprietary films, solely backed by TTT, do you’ll approach filmmakers or does it work both ways?

We get a lot of queries and I have script readings everyday. Thankfully, we now have Sharanya Rajgopal on board. She is a fantastic writer and has worked on several feature films earlier. Sharanya is the Chief Writer here and anything that come to us, first goes to her. When any script comes to us, we first assess if it is the kind of film we’re looking at, if the scale is right, it is not going over budget and so on. A lot of writers send us their scripts, so we see if they want to make their first film or are they fine with us giving it to somebody else to direct. We prefer writer-directors because they’re more in control of their craft.

From this year onwards, we’re having more emphasis on the script and Sharanya is the best gatekeeper for that. She’s also creative producer, so both of us work very closely. We sit with filmmakers and try to understand what they want to make. Sometimes we call filmmakers whose work we like and ask if they’d like to attempt any of the upcoming red-letter day films. From there on, it’s a collaborative effort. But we don’t get into production. We are like the studio, we co-incubate, co-create, more importantly creatively produce, platform the film, promote it and oversee the creative process. We outsource production depending on the film and the maker.

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Is it a conscious decision to stay away from production?

Yes. Even if it’s writing, we call ourselves ‘enablers’ as a platform. We want to enable more storytellers. If we get into production, there is another round of headaches; permissions, taxes, several risks. We may get into it in the future, but as of now this model gives us scope to do more. Unless the team expands and we feel a dire need to have a production of our own, we would rather outsource it.

People don’t understand how to treat sex in India

Coming to your audience, while the younger crowd is hooked on to TTT, your target is not restricted to them alone, Khujli being a successful example. Is it important to target this new demographic that includes our parents?

With platforms like AIB and TVF, you may not or cannot necessarily watch that content with your parents. But we want our films to be enjoyed by everyone. We’re okay with going edgy like in Khujli as long as the story and content is good. It was a conscious decision to make a film like that because people don’t understand how to treat sex in India. Sex and humor haven’t gone well together, and you have films like Masti and other very bad films being made. So, to have that right balance of a good story with good performers and then make it well and make sure it reaches the right audience was a challenge but we enjoy such challenges. We wanted to move on to different genres and experiment with different kinds of films. One of the films that we’re making this year is a horror film. Again, horror is not a genre that is explored well in India. We’re doing a horror film for Raksha Bandhan (smiles). It’s a very different take on a brother-sister relationship, and we can’t wait for it!

With so many players in the short film segment, what does it take to keep it sustainable?

Not many people know this, but for one entire year, we didn’t make films at all. After making around 13 films; five films in the first edition for Valentines Day 2015, five more films on Mother’s Day in the same year, and then three films on Independence Day, we realized that we’d put in a fair amount of money, but it was not coming back! We realized that passion is one thing, but economics is a completely different ball game. And these films consumed most of my time, so we needed to have some returns on investment. After a lull year in 2016, we are back in 2017 doing more films. We’re making a comeback of sorts. Economics was a huge reason why we stopped films for a year. Also, there is a way to smartly package content and deliver it well. With so many VOD platforms coming up, there is potential to sell content and recover or even make money.

Our ‘Backspace’ videos are a new way of telling a story in a video

Going forward would you’ll be open to exploring other formats like features, web series et all? If so, will it be in a similar space to the content you’ll are exploring now?

A lot of people ask us if we would do feature films and I say why not?! We don’t want to rule out anything. We’re already experimenting with various formats. As I mentioned, with TTT Campus we’ll be exploring student short films though it’s a risk because they don’t know how to package films and do QC but it is a new format for us. Another thing we’re really proud of is called ‘Backspace’ videos, which you can see on our Facebook and Instagram account. These videos are executed on the basis of WhatsApp chats that people have. Because a lot of times, you type something but erase it and send something else. That psychology of hesitation, how our minds work, is a very interesting concept that can be explored around various themes. It is a new way of telling a story in a video. Some of these videos are backed by brands and we’re getting a phenomenal response.

We’re trying to crack new formats and are open to things. The moment we find a story that we feel is different from what’s out there, and we need put our hearts and money in it, we’ll make it happen.

Revolutionizing storytelling with each tiny step: Chintan Ruparel on TTT From Tales to Talkies, the Terribly Tiny community isn’t so tiny anymore. What started with incredibly enticing stories narrated in just 140 characters has now grown to memorable short films that touch all the right chords.