#this group of ten has a funny range

[lunarskips-fr]

Color Wheel Challenge pt 10

[LEAF - MOSS]

[thepixelelf]

Mission Possible

genres: elementary teachers au, fluff pairing: reader x seungkwan words: 1.2k warnings: none! notes: a short fic for seungkwan day!! I'm slightly late because I am me, but an anon requested early education kwannie and I thought that was so cute!! hopefully this lives up to their idea 😊

One of Mr Boo's students sees his brand new engagement ring.

Mr Boo's fourth grade class has been on a group mission ever since their orchestra field trip.

Their mission — and they did choose to accept it: get Mr Boo (the funniest and most glaringly obviously single teacher at Greenfield elementary school) together with you (the new music teacher Mr Boo's students always catch him smiling at while you're not looking).

Future president ten-year-old Kim Sujeong is at the head of the operation. She was behind most of the class's best efforts, including but not limited to running allllllll the way across the school from the music room to his classroom and telling him you had fallen and died and that he needed to come help! or else you might, er, die harder. Despite the flimsiness of Sujeong's story, Mr Boo had gone running full-speed down the halls to you (whom he found perfectly fine and not dead, just wide-eyed at his sudden — and out of breath — appearance in the music room with Sujeong beaming behind him when you were certain she was supposed to be in the bathroom), so she counted that as a success.

Now, future marine biologist Kim Sujeong — she’s still between that, president, or interior designer — is in a fit, arms crossed as she watches the kids of Greenfield elementary run around the playground. She huffs. Can’t the rest of the fourth graders take this seriously? Will they let the mission go? Just like that?

Recess is great, sure, but this is no time for play!

This morning, though Sujeong didn’t notice until a couple minutes before the first recess bell rang, Mr Boo showed up with a shiny silver ring on his finger. His left ring finger.

Sujeong huffs again.

“Are you okay there, Sujeong?”

On supervision duty today, you sit down on the park bench next to Sujeong, slightly concerned. She looks up at you, uncrosses her arms, and whimpers out your name. “Are you devastrated?” she asks you on the verge of tears.

“Devastated?” You point at yourself. “Me?”

Tears brim at the corners of Sujeong’s eyes, and her bottom lip quivers. “Mr Boo!” she cries out. “He’s getting married!”

You blink.

For a few seconds, you say nothing, just staring at Sujeong, and she thinks — oh, heartbreak! — you must have already given up on Mr Boo, must’ve heard about it already and cried before recess started, and, oh! What a cruel man Mr Boo is, to do this to you!

“Oh, sweetheart,” you say, smiling and gently taking Sujeong’s hands in yours. What a strong person you are, she thinks, to smile through such pain… You smooth down her hair, which, although her mum had done it in pretty braids today, has gone a bit wild in the wind. “Mr Boo getting married doesn’t make me sad.”

Sujeong sniffles. “Why not?”

You chuckle slightly, but Sujeong doesn’t know what’s so funny. “I’m happy for him. It’s not every day you find someone willing to marry you. I bet he loves that person very much.”

“But…” Sujeong pouts, breath a little shaky. “I thought… he loved…”

Your left hand comes down from her hair to hold her hands again. “Hm?”

Dropping her head, Sujeong is about to mumble “you”, but instead, she gasps at the sight of your ring finger.

Which sports a silver ring she’s never seen on you before.

“Not you too!” she squeaks, utterly betrayed.

“Ah— Sujeong, it’s not—”

“They’re not better than Mr Boo, are they? I know he’s a meanie because he’s getting married but— but, you’re doing it too! You’re getting married and he’s going to be sad because he loves you! He does! I saw! He looks at you like the boys in the movies! And he talks about you all the time — even when it’s math time! You’re the music teacher! There’s no music in math!” Sujeong is starting to lose her breath, using it all up, but she can’t stop. “So you can’t marry someone else because Mr Boo loves you! He— he shouldn’t marry someone else either, but that’s why we have to stop him! I can take you to him right now. We can show him how sad you are, because you are devastrated—”

“Devastated, sweetheart,” you say, then shake your head because that’s really not important right now. “I mean, I’m not devastated. I’m very happy.” Smiling, you hold up your hand and show her your engagement ring. “I’m going to marry someone I love, and so is Mr Boo. It’s a good thing. We’re both happy.”

Sujeong looks up at you through wet eyelashes, taking in deep breaths. She pouts, but doesn’t say anything.

You sigh, still smiling. “So be happy for us, okay?” You lift her chin with one finger, your other hand giving her smaller one a soft squeeze. “Don’t worry about our boring grown-up problems, and go play with your friends while it’s still recess. You know it’s social studies after, right?”

Sujeong lets out a little gasp. That’s right — there must be only a couple minutes left of recess, and she needs to gather up her classmates for an emergency meeting.

New mission: find out how to break an engagement.

Two of them.

Future president marine biologist interior designer divorce lawyer Kim Sujeong has her work cut out for her.

⭒

Once all the students have been picked up and all his prep work for tomorrow gets finished, Seungkwan packs his things and heads to the music classroom. The door is open, but he raps his knuckles against it and leans against the door frame when you look up from your desk and smile at him.

“Ready to go?” He smiles back.

“Just a second, Mr Boo.”

You throw your things in the backseat of the car before getting in to the passenger seat next to Seungkwan.

“Sujeong seemed pretty put out with me today,” he says as he starts the engine, a slight smile teasing at his lips. He lifts his left hand and wiggles his fingers at you, the silver ring glinting in the sunlight. “Didn’t like my choice of accessory, maybe?”

You snort. “Yeah, that tie is pretty ugly.”

Affronted, Seungkwan gasps and puts a hand over his heart — and pink, star-patterned tie. “You love this ugly tie.”

“I do,” you admit with a sigh. “I really do.”

He likes it when you smile at him like that. You’re tired from the day, but you still laugh with him. It’s a beautiful feeling.

“Sometimes I feel like we should just tell everyone,” you say, staring at the ring on Seungkwan’s finger.

He chuckles. “You’re the one who said you wanted to hide it.”

“Yeah, from the faculty while I’m still new — I could already tell they wouldn’t want a couple working at the same school just from the interview.” (Seungkwan thinks that the rings are a dead giveaway, but you seemed so excited to wear them this morning that he hadn't said anything, and he's not going to now.) “I didn’t think the kids would get so invested, though" you continue. "Sujeong’s mad at you for ruining her OTP, by the way.”

“Just me? You’ve got a ring too, y’know.”

“Yeah, but Sujeong likes me more.” You stick out your tongue at him.

Seungkwan scoffs in disbelief. He reaches over the gear shift and grabs your hand, linking your fingers together. “Whatever. Sujeong will have it all figured out by next year.”

You raise an eyebrow, but give his hand a squeeze anyway. “She will?”

“Well, it’ll be pretty obvious when you have my last name.”

It’s your turn to scoff. “As if. You’re taking my last name.”

Seungkwan doesn’t argue, he just pulls your hand up in his and presses his lips to your knuckles.

“I don't mind the sound of that.”

[the-hinky-panda]

June Bug Series: Chapter 1

Title: June Bug

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Goodie Carangi x OFC!Reader (June)

Summary: You're a business owner that's trying to fly under the radar in Tulsa but that's going to be extremely difficult when you fall for Goodie.

You’re stuck in a rut. A boring, dull, exasperating rut. It’s your third time in the same week coming out to the barn to spend time grooming your ten year old mare, Ruby. It was something you did whenever you needed to get out from behind your desk, out of the four walls of your home. You’re usually not this frequent a visitor to Fennario Ranch and your presence has finally piqued your friend’s interest. 

“If you keep showing up to groom that horse, you’re going to brush her until she’s bald.” 

You stop mid stroke and run a hand over the horse’s coat. “That can happen?” 

Margaret chuckles. “God, no. It was a joke.” 

“Oh.” You go back to brushing Ruby’s flank. “That wasn’t funny.” 

“It was a little funny.” Margaret sits on a tack trunk. “I’m not used to seeing you out here so much in one week. You’re getting dangerously close to running into Cal at some point.” 

“I’m not too worried. Your staff always gives me a heads up when he pulls in.” 

“So you can go hide?” 

“So I can avoid confrontation.” 

“Considering how often you’ve been here this week, maybe some confrontation would be good for you.” 

You flash her a grin over Ruby’s withers. “You just want me to run him off because he’s bugging you now. Wait, aren’t you seeing someone? That guy from New York?” 

Margaret gives you a side eye. “Define ‘seeing.’” 

“Call it whatever you want. He can do your dirty work for you. In fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing Cal have his ass handed to him by some mobster from New York City.” 

“Then maybe you should make friends with him.” 

“What? And have him find out about our little business venture? If he’s really affiliated with the mob then we’ll have to pay a kick-up to him. I already brokered a zero kick-up fee to Kansas City. I don’t want to have to sweet talk my way out of another situation like that.” 

“Alright,” Margaret sips her coffee. “Don’t make friends with him but he does have a guy that works the casino floor that’s from New York as well. He’s your type too.” 

“My type,” you scoff. “And what exactly is that?” 

“Clean cut, good shape, dresses impeccably. He seems personable.” 

Okay, that is your type but you’re going to be damned to let Margaret know she hit the nail on the head. “Sounds boring.” 

Margaret sighs in exasperation. “God, June, come on. You need to get out and have some fun. Loosen the fuck up for a change.” 

You drop the brush back into the tack box and pick up a carrot, snapping it in half before giving it to Ruby. “I’ve been researching through the latest group of men and-” 

Margaret interrupts. “No. No work. Go by yourself. Do something wild and pick someone up.” 

“Oh yeah, a one night stand will solve everything.” 

“Maybe not everything but it’ll take the edge off. You know, let him do all the work for a change.” 

You nod in resignation at your friend and business partner. “Alright. Fine. What’s this guy’s name?” 

Margaret smiles at you. “Ask him yourself.” 

And that is how you end up spending the entire evening at the newly opened Bred 2 Buck Casino and Cabaret. The name kept popping up in your research as an upcoming hot spot in Tulsa and it was also the only place you were guaranteed to not run into your ex-husband. So you pulled out one of your many little black dresses, slipped into a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps and headed to Tulsa’s newest casino.

Some people go to museums to analyze the art, you go to establishments such as this to analyze the patrons. And there were a wide range from out of state high rollers playing black jack and craps to locals who would play $20 on the slots and then go listen to the live music while they sip on mid-shelf whiskey. After making a couple passes through the casino floor and losing fifty bucks on a slot machine just to fit in with the locals, you settle near the end of the bar where you can still hear the house band but the bass doesn’t rattle your martini glass. You’re content to sit in peace but a whiff of expensive cologne alerts you to someone taking the seat next to yours. 

Here we go. 

***

Goodie noticed you the moment you stepped onto the casino floor. You’re dressed in an elegantly cut black dress and expensive heels, your hair is in a sweeping updo with small white flowers tucked into the dark waves. You move around the floor in measured, graceful steps. When you pass behind him at one of the craps tables, he catches the scent of jasmine and cedarwood. Your eyes meet his briefly as you move past the table and he realizes that noticed isn’t a strong enough word. 

Colpo di fulmine. The thunderbolt. 

Fifty-five years old and it happens precisely as his mother predicted it would. No warning, no prelude, nothing. He’s already taken half a step away from the craps table he’s been monitoring to follow you before he comes to his senses. He keeps one eye on the table and one on you as you drift between the gaming tables. You take a seat at one of the slot machines and it strikes him as odd. You don’t seem to be a slots gambler, not with your sense of high style and grace. 

By the time the wannabe oil baron craps out and the pit boss starts to reset the table, you’ve left the casino floor and his heart sinks. He takes a shot and scans the bar and cabaret area and sees you sitting at the bar. The relief he feels is ridiculous but then the nerves return as he approaches you. He can see the small frown, the subtle downturn of your mouth, as he takes the seat at the very end of the bar and the bartender slides him a vodka and lime. 

“You don’t strike me as a slot player.” 

Your eyes scan his face and the frown straightens. “And what kind of player do I strike you as?” 

God, you’re stunning. And that is the proper word because he’s struggling to find his words, his breath. He is properly stunned. But words are his speciality. “Poker.” 

“Poker? Really?” You raise a finely arched eyebrow. “How’s that?” 

“You look like a woman who likes the challenge of reading a room, reading a person.” 

“And you figured this out just by sitting down next to me at the bar?” 

“No, I figured it out by watching you scope out the casino floor. All the craps games were too hot at the moment for you to jump in. Blackjack’s too simple to engage you. Roulette, same. But for the life of me, I can’t figure out why in the world you played the slot machine.” 

“Looks like I’m not the only one who enjoys watching people.” You finally give him a smile and his heart nearly stops. “As for the slot machine, what can I say? I was in the mood for something different tonight. New experience, so to speak.” 

“I get that,” he laughs. “If you can’t tell, I’m not exactly from around here.” 

“No kidding.” There’s a mischievous glint to your eye. “Let me guess, Jersey?” 

He puts a hand to his heart. “Ouch. You wound me.” 

That earns him a soft laugh from you as you pick up the speared olives from your martini. “My apologies. I may have never been to the east coast but a New York accent is very hard to mistake, especially here in Tulsa. But there seems to be an odd influx of youse guys.” 

“That’s not too bad,” he teases. “For someone who’s never been, you’d blend right in.” 

“Well, what can I say,” you look him directly in the eyes, “I like mafia movies.” 

He understands exactly what you’re implying but he’s not sure how to take it. Is this simple flirting? Digging for information? Were you sent by someone? No, it was exceedingly rare that women were sent to deal with family business. But with Chickie’s unstableness recently, he wouldn’t put anything past him. He chooses to proceed as if this were a regular conversation and see where it leads. “Oh yeah. What’s your favorite?” 

“I was an avid Sopranos fan. Never missed an episode.” 

Goodie scoffs. “Sopranos was shit.” 

You actually laugh. “You don't like it because it took place in Jersey.” 

“There was that.” He can feel his phone buzz in his pocket and he knows he has to get back to the casino floor. You notice the dull sound and motion to his suit jacket pocket. 

“It sounds like duty calls and I don’t know your name.” 

He takes out a business card and writes his name and number on the back of it. “To be fair, I don’t know yours either.” 

You take the offered card and narrow your eyes. “Goodie?” 

“It’s a nickname,” he shrugs. “My real name’s Dennis but no one calls me that.” 

That answer satisfies you enough that you return the information. June. Simple, elegant. It fits you. He puts your drink on his tab and heads back to the casino floor. Someone hit big at the blackjack table and needed to cash out their eight thousand dollar winnings. It was a young guy partying with his groomsmen before getting married the next morning. By the time he had handed over the money and saw the very happy groom-to-be out the door, you had already left the premises. Just as he was wondering if you would ever use his number, his phone buzzes again. Pulling it out and wondering what the issue is now, he sees it’s from you. 

The next free night you have, let’s do dinner.  -June

***

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[loukaiitis]

Evan Ramsey: 1997 Bethel Regional High School

Summary of the 1997 Bethel Regional High School shooting committed by Evan Ramsey. Note: this is for informational, educational purposes only. Post is below the cut.

Background:

Evan Ramsey was born on February 8th, 1981, in Anchorage, Alaska to Don and Carol Ramsey. When Evan was five years old, his father was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted kidnapping, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment at the Anchorage Times building. The incident occurred after Don Ramsey’s attempts to speak with government officials about his family’s poor living conditions were unsuccessful. This failure led Don on a campaign to slander government officials in hopes that they would be removed from office. One part of this campaign included a full-page advertisement against Senator Frank Murkowski, which was paid for by Don. The advertisement only ran for a short period of time before being redacted from future publications. On October 21st, 1986, Don Ramsey entered the Anchorage Times building with guns, grenades, and other hand weapons with the intent of killing Robert Atwood, the publisher he deemed responsible for the removal of his advertisement and a fire that caused extensive damage to the Ramsey’s apartment a few months prior. He was subdued by employees in the building and arrested. 

After her husband’s arrest, Evan’s mother spiraled into a severe case of alcoholism and began dating abusive men. As a result of neglect, Evan and his brothers were placed in the foster care system. The Ramsey brothers lived in ten foster homes in the span of two years, many of which ranged from unsuitable to violent. In one of these foster homes, Evan and his brother faced severe physical abuse from their foster parents. The biological son of these parents would also torture Evan and his brother; being attacked, urinated on, and sexually abused were common occurrences. After a school nurse noticed signs of physical abuse on Evan and his brother, the Department of Youth and Family Services was notified, and the boys were relocated to the home of Sue Hare. Evan described Sue as a positive role model for him. When he told her about the bullying he faced at school, she encouraged him to report the instances of bullying and to not retaliate. However, his problems in school persisted.

“Well I can tell you that the Superintenant Sue Hare has been the nicest person I’ve ever met cause she took both William and I in and didn’t get any money for it, and she like was a mother for William and me.“ - excerpt from Evan Ramsey’s suicide note written shortly before the shooting (1997)

Evan had been dealing with depression as early as the age of 10, and even attempted suicide (possibly multiple times) between the ages of 10-16.

School Life:

Along with his ever-changing and abusive home life, Evan claimed to be frequently teased and bullied at school. He has stated that this was likely due to him being mixed– he was targeted by both white and Indigenous students, and he did not feel accepted by either group. Students nicknamed him Screech after a character from the television show Saved by the Bell. Former friends of Evan described him, along with the rest of their friend group, as outsiders. Despite being a target for physical and verbal bullying, Evan was described as an empathic and funny friend. 

Around two weeks before the shooting, students at Bethel Regional High School had heard of Evan’s plans to bring a gun to school. Reports claim that at least 15 people knew of his plans. In fact, some students encouraged these plans and helped him. Two of Evan’s friends, James Randall and Matthew Charles, helped Evan organize a “hitlist” of people who had bullied him. James also taught the inexperienced Ramsey how to load and shoot a gun. Instead of taking the threat seriously and reporting it, students planned to bring cameras to school to record the event.

Shooting:

On February 19th, 1997, Evan Ramsey concealed a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his pants and walked to his normal bus stop. He made small talk with others while waiting for the bus. After arriving at Bethel Regional High School, Evan entered the commons area and shot three students. Although the other two students survived their injuries, Fifteen-year-old Josh Palacios, who was shot in the abdomen, succumbed to his injuries shortly after. Art teacher Reyne Athanas and another teacher pleaded with Evan to stop three times. Instead of surrendering, Evan continued the shooting in the main lobby, where he fatally shot principal Ron Edwards twice. He returned to the commons with the intention of killing himself. After shooting one round at nearby police, he positioned the shotgun under his chin. However, Evan did not shoot. He abruptly decided to not kill himself and was quoted saying “I don't want to die” as he placed the gun on the ground and surrendered.

“I don’t know who came to the school that day, but it wasn’t my friend. It wasn’t Evan, and I think whoever that person was that came must have killed him too.” - a friend of Evan Ramsey, interviewed for “Bethel, 20 Years Later”

Evan wrote two notes prior to the shooting: 

“I have thought to myself, what kind of damage can a 12 gauge slug do to a human’s internal organs or their head? Well today I found out, and so did everyone else that is in school . . . No, I am not on drugs . . . ciggerettes, that’s all. I am not really depressed just that the fact that I want people, the world, or maybe just Bethel, to know how [expletive] and cruel the world is or can be. This school has got to get its [expletive] together ’cause there are too many deaths this past 2–3 years. Well I can tell you that the Superintenant Sue Hare has been the nicest person I’ve ever met cause she took both William and I in and didn’t get any money for it, and she like was a mother for William and me. But anyway I’m dead you guys are living, you should be happy.“

“Hey Every body!! I feel rejected, rejected, not so much alone, but rejected. I feel this way because the day-to-day treatment I get usually it’s positive but the negative is like a cut, it doesn’t go away really fast. I figure by the time you guys are reading this I’ll probably have done what I told EVERYONE I was going to do. Just hope 12 gauges don’t kick too hard but I do hope the shells hit more than 1 person because I am angry at more than 1 person. One of the Big [expletive] is Mr. Ron Edwards, he should be there, I was told this will be his Last year, but I know it WILL BE HIS LAST YEAR. The main reason that I did this is because I’m sick and tired of being treated this way everyday . . . By the way every one allways told me “Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover.’’ This saying is true because I was told that my teachers say that “He’s Such A Good Kid.’’ But they Say that About everyone. I don’t think I’m a good-Hearted person. LIFE SUCKS in its own way, so I killed a little and killed myself. Jail isn’t and wasn’t for me, ever”

Trial:

During the trial, the defense argued that Evan’s understanding of guns and murder were based on video games such as Doom. Specifically, he was under the impression that people could not die from a single gunshot wound. Because of this, the defense claimed he could not have foreseen or understood the effects of his actions. It was also argued that Evan was suicidal and never intended on killing anyone but himself, but one of the notes he wrote prior to the shooting implied otherwise. The letter also implied that Ron Edwards was a main target, leading to first-degree murder charges. The defense wanted to use Evan’s history of abuse in the foster care system as evidence, but this was opposed.

On December 2nd, 1998, Evan Ramsey was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and fifteen counts of second-degree assault. He was originally sentenced to 210 years, but this sentence was later changed to two 99-year sentences with the possibility of parole in 2066. James Randall and Matthew Charles were charged and sentenced as juveniles for their involvement in the shooting, but both have since been released.

Appeals and Recent News:

In 2002, Evan Ramsey attempted to appeal his case. The primary reason for the appeal was because Evan’s defense was not allowed to introduce past physical and sexual abuse as evidence. However, this appeal was denied.

In 2005, Evan Ramsey appealed his sentence, which led to the sentencing of 2 99-year sentences with the possibility of parole in 2066.

Although apathetic during the shooting and trial, Evan’s mindset towards the event has since changed. He stated in an interview that the death of his mother gave him perspective as to how drastically his actions changed the lives of others. He has stopped trying to appeal his sentence, as he realized it would only cause more pain to the families affected.

"I would tell them the situation they're in now is not half as bad as the situation they're going to be in if they do something similar to what I did. It will only get worse." - Evan Ramsey, when asked what he would tell potential school shooters (2001)

[a-moth-to-the-light]

Current Top Ten 2NE1 Songs

Okay, I mentioned "Gotta Be You" a little while ago, and I've been streaming 2NE1's discography nonstop since then. So now I have to impulse-write this one, because I forgot how much I love their music and I absolutely must screech about it!! I think EXID is my favorite second-gen group, actually, but 2NE1 is a very close second--they have the kind of star power that I'm completely in awe of. I got into 2NE1 in 2020, via Angelina from ktube, so I've never experienced a comeback from them (though let's just say Park Bom's "Do Re Mi Fa Sol" took over my life for a good while when it came out), but I've still made so many memories with their music over the past four years & have plenty to say about it!

1. Gotta Be You

One of those perfect pop songs--it's almost four minutes long (cue the cheering from fifth-gen stans!!), and each moment feels perfectly engineered to be a dopamine rush all on its own. It's bright and full of life, and even after four years of being a mainstay on my playlists, I still find myself obsessing over this one.

2. Fire

This could easily be my favorite debut ever, though I'd hate to overlook Lucy's "Flowering" like that! The 2NE1 ladies are SO commanding in this song, and it's crammed full of hooks that have stood the test of time. Even with its quilted-together approach to song structure, "Fire" is pretty much infinitely danceable & never feels jarring. It's a similar style of campy dance-pop to 4Minute's debut with "Hot Issue" (which I also love), but "Fire" is constructed so much more carefully--it has an incessant energy that "Hot Issue" doesn't, and it shows off 2NE1's capabilities so impressively!

3. Lonely

This is definitely the most obvious pick here--of course "Lonely" is in the top three. For newbies: before Blackpink's "Stay", there was 2NE1's "Lonely". This one is such an easy listen, a comforting ballad that never tests your patience. Its hook isn't a big final chorus that you have to wait for, it's the steady presence of the chorus throughout the song that's so simple, yet so satisfying. Though this may not be what you expect from a hit 2NE1 song, it's iconic in its own way.

4. Come Back Home - Unplugged Ver.

If you've ever heard me talk about Blackpink's "Whistle - Acoustic Ver", this should come as no surprise! These two songs occupy similar spaces in my mind. I love that we got this unplugged version, without the beat drop, because it really gives the sadness and longing of "Come Back Home" room to breathe. And the 2NE1 ladies really take advantage of that, too--their line deliveries are crammed with interesting details that really make this track special. Also, CL's rap over acoustic guitar is such a highlight.

5. It Hurts (I usually listen to the Japanese version!)

Yes, this is the third ballad in a row, sorry! This one took me a while to get, but now I'm wailing "YOU'RE NOT MINE ANYMORE !!!!!" right along with them. This whole song is one really slow build, so it took me a while to find the patience for it--but the payoff, with those big emotive high notes, is so worth it.

6. Scream

You really have to look past the second-gen cringe for this one, but I'm more than willing, because "Scream" has quite a bit of depth to it behind that grating post-chorus. This is the best use of Park Bom's vocals like, ever, I think--she sets the chorus on fire. And that bridge is heavenly; after CL's first "I fell in love", my heart melts.

7. Don't Cry (Park Bom solo)

This song saved a friendship for me once, funny enough. I know not everyone loves Park Bom's voice as much as I do--she doesn't have the range of abilities that a lot of other vocalists do, so I get it--but I find her performance here, paired with that fuzzy early-2010's production, just so wonderfully soothing.

8. Ugly

A once-in-a-generation kind of chorus, and 2NE1 have the vocals to back it up.

9. Falling in Love

Yeah, sue me, "Falling in Love" is in the top ten. This is trash, sure, but it's exactly my kind of trash. For being as annoying as it is, this song has some legitimately gorgeous vocal sections, too (what is this, an NCT song?). Like, Minzy's voice in the verses? Oh my god. And CL's first-verse rap may well be 2NE1's best--it's fast-paced but sooo catchy, it flows easily but has quite a bit of kick to it. In conclusion, I can see how people think this is an absolute abomination, but I've never had a bad time listening to it--and I listen to it a lot, believe it or not!

10. Please Don't Go (CL & Minzy)

After I heard the chorus once, I knew I'd never be able to stay away from this song. Be warned: the second-gen cringe is strong here, so this won't be for everyone, but CL & Minzy really perform the hell out of it--they bring "Please Don't Go" some clarity, and it ends up a really addictive pop anthem! And that final chorus, when the vocals (the HARMONIES!!!) get to take center stage?? This song is a gem, truly.

Honorable Mentions: You & I (Park Bom solo), Hate You, Missing You, I am the best (obligatory), I Love You, Hello Bitches (CL solo), Spring (Park Bom & Dara), Lovely (Minzy solo) (there's also a Tagalog version of this one, which is so cool!)

[lovecanbesostrange]

ouattober2023 Day 7: Fav Side Chara

Mulan (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

I think Once Upon A Time has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great characters everywhere. I may not be a fan of a lot of the way romances got handled, and I have opinions about the untapped potential left and right, but the characters we got to witness are pretty amazing. That's why even when I didn't care about the larger plot, I always had fun with this show. So many cool characters. But making me pick one who left an impact on me with not much screentime (well, at least I have 12 eps) and had me screaming for more - it's Mulan. Of course she does have the advantage of having one of the best animated Disney Princess movies.

Although that's a funny thing here. Where known fairytales got a little twist here and there, Mulan's backstory isn't really touched upon. She wears her armor, is a well-trained soldier/warrior and now travels a lot. It's like "we know you know the movie, let's get on". The one re-occuring thing we get is this fabulous moment when she takes off her helmet and people go "omg you're a girl" and she gets to correct them "woman". A+ Being viewed as a dude and if not getting underestimated is her thing.

An outstanding moment I love about Mulan? In 2x06 Tallahassee Emma tells her to cut down the beanstalk should she not be back within ten hours and also to do everything to get Snow back home to Storybrooke. It's the classic situation doing something dangerous while the clock is ticking. And usually a hero will be like "five more minutes", everything is very close. But we need moments of real tension to undercut the usual. And Mulan is so perfect for this. Because she will honor this agreement to the letter. She is one to ask to follow difficult orders. Snow actually does tackle her to the ground and yes, Emma arrives a few minutes late, then all is fine. But this is the cornerstone of Mulan as a character - give her a task, she will do it, with everything she has. It could even be something detriment to her own happiness or well-being. A character trait that can be a strength and a flaw at the same time. The range! We could have seen this later on if Mulan had stayed. She could have been a person to side with "the reasonable option" against the group of hope-loving heroes even.

That doesn't mean Mulan is uncaring. We got to witness how she fell in love with Aurora, we know she has a soft side. Sure, she protected Aurora, because she promised Philip to take care of her, but that situation became very personal. And omg that scene when Mulan gives Aurora her heart back... has any heart been placed back with such care? Such a sensual scene!

It's soul-crushing they kinda did this to Mulan twice. Robbing her of finding love, watching on as somebody under a Sleeping Curse gets True Love's Kiss, never experiencing that magic herself. But apart from that, when she gets her heart crushed (only figuratevily) in 3x03 Quite a Common Fairy and announces she'd join Robin Hood's band - I did hope she would. She could have been an excellent addition. Especially since the Merry Men could have used more to do (just like the dwarves). That would have been such a fun mix and overall a great way to eventually get Mulan to Storybrooke. That ep did make it clear that Robin would have a bigger role, attaching Mulan to him seemed logical.

I also like that Mulan's first instinct is to not trust people. She sees Neal, she recognized the style of clothing and she is suspicious (great contrast to Aurora's reaction). But Neal wins her over and boom, once Mulan is in your side, you can relax. Such a good partner for whatever errand you have to run. Which is why it makes sense that when Ruby asks if Mulan wants to join her on a search for werewolves, Mulan says yes. (Not like she has anything better to do.) Mulan craves a purpose. Imagine somebody would have introduced her to colorful textmarkers and color-coded itineraries. Belle showed her how useful information out of a book can be, they could have solved more situations together.

[zephyrstargame]

Character Spotlight - The Rage-Angel Rangers

note this might contradict some older lore, when in doubt newer posts overrule older ones lol

"Our ultimate attack is to make you say our name ten times fast!"

The Rage-Angel Rangers... A group loyal to a looming Angel, and supposedly very well known in the Rift's Edge area. Their goal is to be on lookout for cosmic anomalies, defiant rebels, and especially those from other worlds who wrong-warped into the Rift, and stamp em out with the power of tricks, traps, and attacks that align with the cosmic rhythms.

The members are:

Gimmick, the funny guy-- Often spacing out on the job, he's bad at making a plan and sticking to it. Sometimes, his only contribution to important group conversations are jokes about the situation. He's kind of a jerk and I think the others only keep him around because he's the only one that knows how to cook...

Oh Snap!, the group inventor-- a strategic type, they rarely ever lead in combat and prefer to stay behind designing puzzles, tools, and traps; most of the Rage-Angel Rangers' puzzle elements were designed by them. This may have inflated their ego a little bit. Little do they know, it's really only because the actual high quality stuff is expensive.........

Fifty-Fifty, the sly trickster-- She's quite the flirt, but always just out of reach. She also serves as the group's unlicensed therapist, but does so without considering her own mental health in order to seem like a strong, stoic type... everyone thinks she's so cool and pretty, but behind the persona, she's just insecure.

AL-999, AKA Alpha-- She's what you call a Biomaton, an engineered organism fused with machinery. Though she's a rookie member of the team, she has incredible potential and her abilities are unmatched. Oh Snap! claims to have found her lifeless body in a trash pile underneath Starlit Capital while rummaging around for scrap electronics.

and Galaxy Guardian, the leader-- despite their status, no one really knows much about them. GG (or Gigi, if you want to be cutesy with it) is quite distant from the rest of the team and often goes with their plans instead of giving orders themself. They only really step in when they're mad, and when Galaxy Guardian is mad, that means you screwed up big time... Some say that there used to be a sixth Rage-Angel Ranger who was so incompetent that GG blasted them on the spot with a death laser beam, but that's just a rumor-- and nobody is willing to confirm or deny it.

"Ha... You said 'Range-Angel Ragers.'"

[alan-in-the-outernet]

Yeah, there’s also the ‘Solitary Wellness Void’ which.. does NOT sound nice, like at all- sounds like the equivalent of solitary but ten times worse.

I think Destruction would end up there a lot- since they are so, so ANGRY.

It’s NOT fragile! It’s NOT HURT! It just wants its other half back, that’s ALL it wants.

And here it is, a God humiliated by these.. doctors. A God among many now as it has learned, the many others trapped here and humiliated as well.. It noticed how most of these former Gods seemed.. complacent?

A triangle in their ‘support group’ was ranting and raving about how this place wasn’t about ‘helping’ and ‘fixing’ you, it was about CHANGING you, they break you down and turn you into someone they see as fit for society, and then reincarnate you, into something weak and harmless, not even given a mind, it began screaming about its need to escape.

It feels.. weaker. Even weaker than it was in that damned cage. Just.. BEING in this place felt draining, like the very air around it was sucking out its energy.

This is bad.

(I’m just imagining Destruction sitting in a circle with a bunch of ex evil gods, with that jumpsuit they are all forced to wear, looking tired and pissed, while Bill is on the other side having a mental breakdown lol-)

( It's especially funny because it's like... kind of hard to make Destruction wear something. Not because of like. It fighting, which it would. But it's. Ever shifting. That's just part of it's form, you can't quite take that away. So- )

....At this point though... as angry and enraged as it is... it... just wants to be with it's other half... just. Hold them. Or something. Anything. It NEEDS to see it's other half... and it won't ever stop fighting... not until it does...

It lasted a thousand years in that cage... it won't let anything break it down, not until it sees it's other half...

Not until those energies are within range once again...

[eveandtheturtles]

Summer Surprise Part 4

Summary: Vacations are drawing to an end, time for the final shenanigans.

Warning: suggestive shit talking

Rating: M (or high T lol)

Ships: Donnie X Kara, Amelia X Leo X Peter, Raph X Mirka, Jennika X Cheryl, Mikey X Sprinkles.

A/N: Sprinkles is a name I borrowed from @madammuffins story 'And, Love' from their 'Love' series, which I highly recommend. Kara is 4'8". Mirka is Nonbinary they/them, Leo is poly.

Tagging: @leosgirl82 @raphsmuneca @thelaundrybitch @m1dnyt3-w0lf @sharpwindow @madammuffins @pheradream-15 @kikithedreamerwriter @fyreball66

This was second to last day of the vacation. Everyone was playing in the water. The boys were having a sort of a water volleyball game, except Mikey who was having his Under the Sea moment. Suddenly, Donnie felt a yank from around his hips.

"What the-." He looked down and saw, alarmed his shorts were gone. He looked up and saw an orange liginging yankin the shorts from Leo and Raph as well, swimming fast away.

"MIKEY!" All three yelled after the youngest who already made it to the shore and waved his spoils in the air.

"The fuck we do now?" Raph looked at the remaining two brothers.

Leo put his hands to his mouth to help himself sound louder. "Mikey!! This isn't funny."

Kara watched the scene amused. She was the only one for now at the beach, sunning on a recliner.

<What's happening?> Peter joined her sitting down on the recliner next to hers.

<Mikey stole their swim trunks.> She replied with a grin.

Peter snorted and looked at Leo, Donnie and Raph being taunted by Mikey, their clothing waved in the air.

Soon others joined the two observing the situation.

"Five bucks Raphalala is the first one out the water," Jennika said.

"I'll put ten to that," Mirka added. "He will not be covering up."

"C'mon. It gotta be Leo," Peter said shaking his head.

"Either way we're gonna see a dick I don't wanna see," Jennika grumbled.

"Or ass," Cheryl added, signing at the same time as she spoke. She was translating for Kara. "How long have they been there?" She frowned.

<About five minutes> Kara replied. <Donnie has a cute ass.>

"Good for you," Amelia snorted.

"Mikey, you gonna taunt them long?!" Sprinkles asked his bed mate.

"As long as it takes!" Mikey shouted back with a grin.

"He's gonna die," Amelia sighed, amused.

Finally, Raph dove under the water.

"Ope," Cheryl slurped her drink. "Here they come."

Raph suddenly broke through the surface like an angry whale, charging at the beach and aiming at Mikey. The orange turtle, wisely, took off and started running.

"Get back here you lil shit!!!" Raph yelled and started chasing him.

"Jesus fuck Mirka...." Peter's eyes grew wide. "How...?"

Mirka cackled, although a deep crimson blush spread down their cheeks, neck and chest. "Skills and lube."

<Mad respect,> Kara nodded, snickering.

"He does have decent ass though," Sprinkles noted and the group nodded.

"Raph caught Mikey." Amelia noted.

<RIP. I will drink to his grave,> Kara raised her drink up.

"Here, here," Jennika snorted.

Raph grabbed Mikey by the neck and kept him in a headlock until Mikey handed him the swim trunks.

Raph snatched his and put them on.

"Awww." Mirka pouted.

"You'll see more of that later," Cheryl reminded them.

"I know but free range is nice too," they replied and Peter almost choked on his drink, laughing.

"You want others'?" Mikey asked Raph but the red brute grinned.

"Nah."

Leo squinted at the beach. "Is he coming back?"

"Uuuuh, I don't think so...." Donnie watched nervously as Mikey and Raph dropped his and Leo's trunks on the beach and picked up a football and started playing.

"These assholes..." Leo grumbled. "Raph! C'mon man!!" He shouted.

Raph turned, grinned at them and made up yours gesture.

"Fucker," Leo hissed, imagining the Hashi punishment he was going to drag the red and orange brothers through.

"So, what are we doing now?" Donnie sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"We have to swim there," Leo sighed.

Donnie whined a little.

"Ooooh the dream team decided to move," Amelia alerted the others.

<Dearly beloved, get your ass rating boards ready,> Kara said.

Jennika chortled.

First to emerge was Leo who was trying to hide the goods and started yelling at Raph and Mikey. Donnie was right behind him, also trying to cover up.

"Damn," Sprinkled took a long sip of his drink.

"Okay, Donnie does have cute ass but Leo's nearly perfect," Cheryl noted.

"I hate to agree." Jennika squinted

Amelia and Peter high fived with Kara.

Leo and Donnie started putting up their swim trunks. Donnie unfortunately for himself tripped a little and fell over with a yelp. He got up, trying to brush off the sand.

"Hot daaaaaammn," Peter whistled.

Everyone stared at Kara.

"How the fuck-." Amelia looked from Donnie at Kara's tiny form. "How the fuck-!" She estimated the measurements with her hands then tried to somehow adjust that to the abdomen of Kara.

"Gorgeous did you go through some sort of magical vagina course or some shit?" Sprinkles looked at her and Kara just laughed and winked at everyone else with the largest grin.

<I am soooo gonna suck that tonight.>

"Please don't put the images in my brain...." Jenni winced.

----

The night was gorgeous. Like all the nights they spend there. Kara stared into the sky. She was tracing the the constellations, saving their glow in her memory.

She didn't miss though the vibrations in the wooden deck. Donnie's fingers traced her spine and she felt his kiss on her shoulder. She looked up at his face and smiled, leaning into him.

His arms tightened around her and they just stood there, enjoying the night.

----

"Why is there a banana in my drink?!" Jennika yelled.

Everyone was rushing in the morning of the final day. Packing, making sure nothing was broken or missing.

"Shit, that's mine!" Peter reached over.

Eventually they all managed to get into the boats and then onto the plane. "Ready to get back?" Peter shouted to the group.

"No!" A choir shouted back.

He chuckled. "Well, let's hope New York is ready."

[fcble]

SOCIAL SNAPSHOT ! [ 2/5 ]

Fable’s YouTube channel currently has 1.6 million subscribers and 639 videos. The channel was launched in late 2017, though no videos were uploaded until the spring of 2018, when the group’s lineup was finalized and slowly introduced to the public. The majority of their content is split into five main categories, most of them containing smaller sections.

ON THE RECORD is Fable’s main variety show. The seasons air sporadically, often centering around large events in their career. Currently, there are five seasons.

경천동지 / TAKE THE WORLD BY STORM — The first season, which followed the group from the end of their debut preparations to the beginning of their debut promotions, ran for eight episodes in almost real time, from July to August 2018. It’s often used as a baseline for demonstrating the group’s growth. Common sentiments are “It’s so nice to see that Haksu and Andrew don’t hate each other like this anymore” and “Remember when they used to be scared of Jaeseop?”. They tried very hard to be funny and it was very obvious.

LIVE IN ASIA — Taking a bit more of a relaxed approach to variety, their second season was filmed during their first Asia tour. The six episodes aired in September 2019, shortly after the tour concluded. They split into four pairs to complete an almost Amazing Race-style scavenger hunt around the cities they were visiting. The winning pair was Kiyoung and Andrew.

겨울방학 / WINTER BREAK — The third season showcased Fable’s first company-sponsored vacation. They stayed on Jeju Island for a week and a half, filming the ten episodes that aired from January to March 2021. Since filming took place during winter, they spent most of their time indoors, except for one rather sad visit to the beach.

AROUND THE WORLD — During Fable’s world tour, they brought back the format of the second season. Season four is comprised of seven episodes, released from September to October 2022. This time, they competed in two teams. Andrew is a two-time winner, accompanied by teammates Haksu and Intak. Other highlights of this season include Eunsu’s brief participation via FaceTime, and guest appearances by Mingeun and Andrew’s families.

축제 2023 — Aptly named for the current year, the most recent season has twelve episodes, aired inconsistently from April to August 2023. In celebration of Fable’s fifth anniversary, the season accompanied the release of their second full album and its repackage, featuring conceptually related trips around Korea.

BY ◯◯, also known as the BYLINE SERIES is the solo content of each of the Fable members. The videos range from vlogs to covers to whatever else is on their minds. The upload schedules are determined by the members themselves. In order of popularity, the smaller series are:

BY HAKSU — As arguably the most popular member, it makes sense for his videos to perform the best. Haksu was also the first to start uploading solo content in late 2019. He tends to release a lot of song covers with a few much-beloved vlogs sprinkled in between. Andrew can often be found playing a piano accompaniment in the background.

BY BYEONGHWI — In some alternate universe, Byeonghwi is a YouTuber instead of an idol. He has a knack for being engaging on camera—a skill that also serves him well in his current career—framing shots, and editing it all himself. As a result, he uploads about once a month. Each video is an event, as they show off the ordinary lives of himself and the rest of the group.

BY MINGEUN — If there’s one thing Mingeun’s going to do, it’s cover a song better than the original artist, at least according to the comment sections on his few videos with their comment sections enabled. Most of his videos are vocal or dance—sometimes both—covers of kpop songs he likes, indie pop songs Andrew introduced to him, and whatever else he’s listening to at the moment. He has a few very popular covers, though most are not.

BY YEJUN — When it comes to Andrew’s individual videos, they’re almost indistinguishable from any of his livestreams. They all take place at night, and his nights are almost indistinguishable from each other as well. He goes to the twenty-four hour convenience store, he tries to write music, he stares up at the few visible stars in the sky—all captured in 480p.

BY KIYOUNG — Judging solely from Kiyoung’s videos, it’s very difficult to tell that his job is being an idol. Sure, the other members make brief appearances in his vlogs here and there, but most of them show off more of his life outside of work. Most of his friends aren’t idols, and their faces are carefully blurred out or hidden in each of his videos, making it look like he shares his meals with a bunch of apparitions.

BY INTAK — For a music producer, Intak makes videos with extremely poor audio. His are always ASMR-esque, but with a shitty phone microphone instead of a more professional one. He shows off his music production process, speaking as little as possible. He tends to leave it to the editors to write evocative captions for his accompanying visuals.

BY JAESEOP — Jaeseop’s videos come once every few months, usually immediately before or after promotions. It’s become a running joke that an upload from him means a comeback is right around the corner. Almost everything he shows off in his videos was previously seen in the more frequent uploads of the other members. When it comes to putting together his own solo content, he does not have a single original thought in his head.

BY EUNSU — A now defunct series. For a few months between when he started the series and when he left the group, he interacted the most with fans. He would give requested advice to fans based on his limited knowledge from his lived experiences. The comment section of his videos would often correct him, or argue that he should not be listened to.

LEGEND OF FABLE is another one of the group’s reality shows, produced in conjunction with Mnet. Its six episode run spanned from February 12, 2020 to March 18, 2020. Very loosely inspired by the Joseon era story The Tale of Cho Ung, the members played the roles of eight princes vying for power. Fitting in with their concept, their various activities somehow managed to extol Confucian values in the twenty-first century. The result of the casual competition was indecisive, leaving it up to the fans and viewers to debate who would have made the best theoretical ruler of Korea.

A second season was rumored to somehow follow Kim Manjung’s The Nine Cloud Dream and assumed to air some time in 2021. There have been no updates since then.

OFF THE RECORD is the overarching playlist for all of their behind the scenes content. This includes:

PLAY-BLE — Most of the behind the scenes content is within this series. Everything from MV filming to concept film shootings to recording studio behinds can be found here.

AIR-BLE — Extra broadcast videos is the second of the behind content categories. This is mostly just compilations of moments where someone turned a camera on backstage at a music show. It also includes a bit of extra content from their concerts, tours, fansigns, and other live performances.

STAGE-BLE — The more fun performances are also considered behind the scenes content. Normal dance practices, themed dance practices, live practices, part switch versions, etc. are all grouped together. The most popular of these is a Goblin (2016)-themed dance practice of their 2020 song, 꽃처럼.

The last category of content is all of their music videos. On very rare occasions, they’ll film music videos for their b-sides. It’s much more likely for them to release live or other similar performance versions. Their most-viewed video remains their 2020 breakout hit, 가자, sitting at 74 million views.

[babieken]

rant time!

kpop reaction content isn't exactly new (at least as far as I know) but it does seem to have kind of boomed in the last... two-three years I think. I remember there being only a handful of relevant kpop reaction content creators on youtube, some more popular that the others, but still there weren't a ton of them around. and I guess it makes sense because kpop itself has gotten much more popular and widely known outside of just [REDACTED] and among a wider age range I'd say.

but nowadays if you look up “X group - Y title track reaction” you will find tens, if not hundreds of reaction videos (especially if its a well known group) ranging from channels with hundreds of thousand subs to small account with a couple of hundred views on their reaction videos. and I just find that so weird.

like... especially for channels that do reactions as their main (and only) content, I find it extremely difficult to believe that after a certain point there is any authenticity behind these reactions. these big reaction channels are out there reacting to damn near every relevant kpop group's comebacks (and there are a LOT of them) and every single reaction is generally positive and often very enthusiastic.

aside from the fact that logically and statistically it's impossible for someone to like every title track being released, even if they're all objectively good (which they're not), because no one likes every genre and every style of music, there is basically no creativity involved in creating this type of content which makes it very dull both for the creator and the consumer after a while.

on top of that, this type of content has created a really toxic environment around expressing opinions and criticism toward kpop groups and kpop music. I just came across a video from one of these bigger (while also being newer) creators talking about how she's not happy with the content she's been making for the past year. she said that it's extremely overwhelming trying to keep up with every comeback when everyone expects you to react to their fave's CB and after a while sitting and reacting to music videos becomes repetitive especially when you're not even allowed to truly be yourself and express your opinions. she said she can't even talk about having a bias in a group because she would get tons of hate comments and dms about ppl bashing her for not having a different bias. I can't imagine how people would react to a reaction video creator saying she doesn't like a comeback or even a certain element in the song/mv.

I used to love kpop reaction videos back when I had just discovered them and they were not as big. like I genuinely get the appeal. seeing someone who's not a teenage girl (which is what stereotypically the general public thinks kpop stans are) is pretty validating. and back then there were like 'vocal coach reacts' or 'producer reacts' etc. seeing the reaction of "experts" analyzing different parts of a song/mv was really interesting for someone like me with zero knowledge of any of the technical stuff. and I also understand that they do contribute to promoting groups and comebacks to a certain degree. but it has just gone too far, in my opinion.

idk maybe I’ve just gotten old and lost the will to enjoy the small things that used to bring me joy but I genuinely don't enjoy reaction videos anymore. most of those older 'exerpts' (except for two I think) aren't active anymore (I'm guessing at least to some degree bc stans didn't want to hear that their fave was not that legendary of a vocalist or their fave song wasn't as layered and complex as they thought it was) and instead there are just random people reacting to kpop and some of them you can just tell that all their reactions are completely faked out. Youtubers are jumping on this trend bc it’s easy (in terms of not having any kind of real substance) and gets u good views if you’re a little charming and funny.

TL;DR : everything is fake and authenticity is dead. kdjfdjf I'm mostly joking but in the end, as per usual with my rants of this kind, I don't have a specific point or a solution. I'm just starting a conversation. so if any of you have something to add or just want to chat about this send me an ask!! (plz don't reply in the comments because I want this to be on my dash so everyone else can read too.)

[threebooksoneplot]

Three Books One Plot and ✨You✨

Now that our first season has drawn to a close we wanted to share some fun stats with you guys! This is information that was actually cut from our finale for time but, since we're so excited about it, we still wanted to share it with you all. It's been a hell of a year and, like we mentioned in our finale, we never expected for anyone besides us and a small group of friends/acquaintances to care so much about this silly project. But a lot of you cared. More than we thought would.

In fact, we had listeners from 50 countries over the course of the past year. This is what our top ten looks like, at a glance:

Shout out to anyone listening from any of these countries, and extra shout out to anyone listening from any other place in the world, too. (All 40 other countries.) As far as the US goes we weren't too shocked by our top five (California, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas are also the top five most populated states) but we were excited to see listeners in forty-five states plus DC. So, to our friends in Alabama, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming... we'll get you guys next season. 😉

(more information and fun statistics under the cut!)

What was doubly shocking to us was the idea that not only would we have such a broad reach but that we would chart anywhere. Over the last year we have charted on the book charts of eleven different countries, including the United States. Which is fucking bonkers.

Beyond that, we had some more funky statistics we wanted to share! We truly did give you non-Spotify listeners the short end of the stick sometimes but hey, don't blame us. Blame the apps you listen to and like, maybe bully them on Twitter into providing polls and questions like Spotify does. If that doesn't work, you can always join in on our polls here on Tumblr during the interim between episodes. Next season we'll also be encouraging you guys to answer our episode questions in our ask box here, too. Anything to get more hilarious gems from you since you guys are like, really fucking funny.

But as far as platforms go, here's our breakdown:

If you listen on a different app like Pocket Casts or any other podcast platform, please let us know! We'd love to know how you guys are tuning in.

Not to direct our full attention back toward Spotify for a moment (like we love to do) but here were some fun Spotify-centric stats that are worth mentioning. Mainly because the age statistics make us laugh.

Shoutout to any young-young Gen X-ers that listen and aren't in the 45-59 age range. You guys are the true champions and we adore the fact that your peers just do not fuck with us. Also, in the unlikely chance that any of the less than one percent of Boomers (affectionate) that listen to us also happen to follow us on here, please message us so we can give you the key to a city or something. Because we love you. Sorry that supercentenarian Edward kept being weird and rude about your generation. He sucks for that.

To conclude this fun and informative little wrap-up post I wanted to give the biggest, loudest, and most inappropriate shout out to all our sexy listeners who gave Three Books One Plot a rating or a review!

On Apple Podcasts, we received 8 reviews and 17 ratings, giving us an average of 4.6 stars!

On Spotify, we received 63 ratings, giving us a 4.9 star average!

This fall will bring a new season with a new book, new characters, and new guests. But don't worry, there'll be just as many jokes, bits, ill-advised drinking game rules, and sex tape titles that make G rejoice and Shannon sigh in half-reluctant compliance as before.

We wanted to give a super-special thanks to all of you who have tuned in, and we're so excited to see you guys again for Season Two in September!

[demonsfate]

LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE.

name: abaddon, but only azazel knows him by that name. most call him devil, but some will call him devil jin or, more affectionately, dj

eye color: bright red, gold post purification.

hair style/color: raven spiky hair, ends split since it's a lil messy, bangs hang down his face but are parted in the middle.

height: 6'0"

clothing style: gothic - like, usually prefers to wear black, even if it's just casual tees. he loves wearing suits & big jackets because he thinks they make him resemble a king. he loves leather, too. to adorn his look, sometimes he'll wear a necklace.

best physical feature: eyes & lips. but he does have an 8-pack ...

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE.

your fears: "is it weird to say i can't think of anything? i suppose the only fear i have as of current is failing jin and the people i care about."

your guilty pleasure: "why would i feel ... okay, i do sometimes smell humans, and get hungry ... i really like smelling them because of that, but i'll never eat somebody again, i swear."

your ambitions for the future: “before, i wanted to conquer the world, and eventually eradicate humanity. now? i think i just want to live with jin. i know i'll never make up for my actions, but i hope to make amends as much as i can."

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS.

your first thoughts waking up: “i wonder what jin will do today, and what i'll do when he gives me my time of the day. it feels like i can do so much yet so little at the same time...”

what you think about most: "i spend a lot of time thinking about the past. yes, it's something i've accepted, but it's still something that creeps up on me at times. a habit i need to get over.”

what you think about before bed: "excited to find out what i'll learn about humans and living tomorrow."

what you think your best quality is: "my strength. i think i'm capable of using it for good.”

WHAT’S BETTER?

single or group dates: “every date's a group date when you share your body with someone.”

to be loved or respected: “hm... loved.”

beauty or brains: “can i say strength?”

dogs or cats:  “i don't know... cats climb me, but dogs bark at me, both of which annoy me. can i say neither?”

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU…

lie:  “aside from fighting, lying used to be what i was best at. i try to refrain from it now.”

believe in yourself: “absolutely.”

believe in love: “i do now.”

want someone: “yes.”

LAYER SIX: EVER BEEN…

been on stage: “what kind of stage? i used to give many speeches as the zaibatsu leader.”

done drugs: “weed, i guess.”

changed who you were to fit in: “does pretending to be someone else for the benefit of a plan counts?”

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES.

favorite color: “black and red!”

favorite animal: “i'm still not very interested in animals. Birds are somewhat fascinating, though.”

favorite movie: “jin and i watched riki-oh recently and it was funny."

favorite game: “super mario bros. 3 has been quite entertaining."

LAYER EIGHT: AGE.

day your next birthday will be: “august 5th.”

how old will you be: “23, i guess.”

age you lost your virginity: “hmm...” ( depends on verse, but usually 21/22)

does age matter: “sometimes. usually i prefer someone within my age range. obviously, i don't want them 80, and i don't want them to be children either, yuck.”

LAYER NINE: IN A PERSON.

best personality: "i like confident people who are strong and can put up a good fight. high spirited people who are ready to take on the world are to be admired."

best eye color: “it doesn't matter much to me.”

best hair color: “this also doesn't matter much, but i prefer darker hair colors over lighter.”

best thing to do with a partner: "bowling! or volleyball! or eating together! or sparring! or gaming! there are a lot of fun things to do with a partner. i might even find more fun things to do soon!”

LAYER TEN: FINISH THE SENTENCE.

i love: “relaxing in bed with a nice sandwich after a long, busy day.”

i feel: “grateful.”

i hide: “nothing, not anymore.”

i miss: “the zaibatsu's wealth.”

i wish: “things could've been different from the start.”

TAGGED BY: i did this a while ago lol. but i realized a lot of the information was outdated and has been changed since then. though, i also answered this as pre-purified devil, as this was an old thing before tek8 was released. it was still outdated tho. answered this as purified devil bc... even if dj was like That for a while, he is purified in current / main verse, so...

TAGGING: since it's been a while since i filled this, i'll try to tag new ppl i think haven't done it yet. @rockstarsoldier @ourladyoflight @littledancingphoenix @bravesung @bittcnneck

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #607

Top Ten Cameos from Once Upon a Studio

This week was the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney. Not the dude – as well as being dead for a little bit, he was actually born in 1901 so we missed his centenary around about the time we were all watching The Fellowship of the Ring – no, I’m talking about the company he founded with his brother all the way back on October 16th 1923 (sidebar: I always thought it was a bit weird that him and his brother founded the company, but they decided only to name it after Walt; turns out it was originally called “Disney Brothers”, which I guess makes more sense). Anyway, all that’s unnecessary preamble to say that this is as good a week as any to do a big old Disney animation-themed Top Ten.

I was going to do something about Fantasia, but then in one of those last-minute Abby-cuts-Jed’s-tie moments that I’m so fond of – and with a bit of a Homer-esque face slap at missing the obvious connection – it occurred to me that Disney themselves had already handed me the perfect vehicle to celebrate their milestone in the rather charming little short, Once Upon a Studio. The plot of this film sees the various Disney animated characters gather together for a group photo, and as such is a veritable who’s who of Disney history for film nerds such as me. That’s why I’ve decided to pick out my favourite – and perhaps most surprising – cameos.

There’s a lot going on in this little film, which barely runs to thirteen minutes even with acres of credits; the various gags they work in starring different characters, and how those characters interact, is rather joyous and often pretty funny, even if the film itself is incredibly slight and more than a touch hagiographic. But little things, from Encanto’s Luisa carrying the cows from Home on the Range, to Rapunzel smacking Kaa around the head with a frying pan, to Wish’s Asha holding hands with Snow White – Disney’s most recent Princess holding hands with its first ever – add up to a really lovely little watch if you’ve been watching Disney all your life.

And so here we have a very personal list of surprising pop-ups, nostalgic hat-tips, and really just some pretty cool slices of Disney history. See you in 2123.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit: the original Disney mascot, Oswald languished in obscurity for years, a pub quiz trivia fact for animation historians. He had a minor resurgence in the Epic Mickey videogames, but has been welcomed back into the fold for the centenary with his own brand-new short. Seeing him stood alongside Mickey Mouse in the closing moments might not be revelatory, but it is a wonderful encapsulation of Disney’s long history.

Pete’s Dragon: this is a personal one, which is why it ranks so high, but Pete’s Dragon was one of the films I kept asking to be rented from the video store when I was a little kid. The moment early on when Pete and the Dragon soar overhead as the camera runs through the studio is therefore delightful, but also sets up the fact that this film is definitely going to have some Disney deep cuts.

Dodger: watching Venelope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph careen around corners in her candy car with Dodger from Oliver and Company howling along in the seat beside her, string of sausages around his neck, is another one of those “oh, they’re really going to be picking the obscure characters” moments; whilst Oliver and Dodger are both pretty cool, I do wonder how many kids just flat-out won’t recognise Billy Joel’s crowning cinematic achievement.

Ichabod: y’know, from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – or, rather, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, the two-hander “package” film Disney released in 1949 that featured adaptations of both Sleepy Hollow and The Wind in the Willows. Or maybe you don’t as it’s largely forgotten. Toad himself riding on Aladdin’s Carpet is one thing, but the nice bit of business with Ichabod nearly getting his head knocked off by Goofy’s stepladder is much funnier. IYKYK.

Chernabog: this is the demonic, er, demon who leads an army of ghouls and various other nasties in the none-more-metal conclusion to Fantasia, “Night on Bald Mountain”. And here he is again, the supreme edgelord of the underworld, absolutely terrifying all the pups from One Hundred and One Dalmatans.

Cri-Kee: the little cricket from Mulan is probably both rather obscure and also relatively popular – it’s not like Mulan is some little-know flick from the fifties. But it’s nice to see him represented; his cameo here is a bit blink-and-you’ll-miss-him – he’s very small, after all – and also nicely integrated into Disney’s lore, as he’s having a conversation with Encanto’s Antonio, who, of course, can speak to animals.

Aladar: I think this one’s quite surprising if only because no one ever talks about Disney’s Dinosaur. I mean, there is perhaps a good reason for that; it’s definitely one of the weaker films, although it was incredibly ambitious and experimental (also it’s not as bad as, say, Chicken Little and that annoying little bugger is here too). Anyway, there he is: right at the end – and I’ve tried in general to steer clear of people who only pop up in the final group shot – but the sheer fact that he’s made it into this film at all is something of a triumph.

Wayne and Lanny: who, you might reasonably ask, are Wayne and Lanny? I confess I did have to look up their names, but they are the elves from Disney’s Christmas shorts, Prep & Landing. I mean, they’re not exactly household names (at least in this house), but come on – Disney genuinely stuck two characters from a couple of Christmas-themed TV specials in this thing! How much deeper do you want them to cut?!

George: okay, this one’s at the bottom because again it’s just a bloke stood at the back in the final group shot, and also because I’m not 100% certain it’s the right dude. But I’m pretty sure that we can see George, the main character from the absolutely majestic 2012 short film Paperman – right there, at the back. He’s distinctive because of his thin frame, pointy nose, and the fact that he’s in black and white. It’s a shame his girlfriend Meg isn’t there with him, mind. But again – this is just one of their shorts, albeit a phenomenally good one! Even though it won the Oscar, how many people really, truly think about Paperman on a regular basis? Well, apart from me.

Robin Williams: this one’s special – and, yes, it’s not a character. I think we could all assume the Genie would be here somehow. Other characters have used archive voices when it’s not possible to record new lines from their original artist (pretty sure that’s actually Cliff Edwards’ recording from Pinocchio when we hear Jiminy Cricket singing When You Wish Upon a Star); others have had their voice performers replaced over the years (Jim Cummings might be iconic now as Winnie the Pooh, but even he wasn’t the original voice of the character). With the Genie, there’s even precedent as Dan Castellaneta played the character in both The Return of Jafar and subsequent TV series. But that’s not what Disney did here. No, it appears that they’ve gone back to the vault and found some unused and – as far as I’m aware – previously unheard outtakes or alternate lines that Williams recorded back in 1991 or 1992 for the role, and therefore given us a short snippet of a brand-new Robin Williams performance. What more could you wish for?

So, yes, quite the star-studded ensemble and a fantastic slice of Disney history. And I didn’t even get round to those weird living planes, cars, and trees.

EDITED TO ADD: so it's come to my attention that obviously that's not Pete on the Dragon's back (the Dragon who of course is called Elliot). It's Cody from The Rescuers Down Under. See, this is what happens when you recognise a character but haven't seen a film for over thirty years. I just assumed there must be a bit in the film where live-action Pete got animated, or something. Anyway, I'm leaving it in the paragraph above for integrity's sake, because I don't like re-editing these things after the fact.

[staghunters]

Got tagged by @monstrousgourmandizingcats to share my last, current, and future books to read. Thank you so much!

First up, I got Babel on my own tbr and indeed heard mixed things about it. In theory it would appeal to me as well, so we'll see if I can join you in your frustration. Convenience Store Woman was a great read for me. I don't think for the reasons that the lil blurps on the cover say. I didn't find it exactly "funny" or "hilarious", more slightly bleak but ultimately hopeful (ish?). Would love to hear what you thought of it.

ANYWAY ONTO MY OWN STUFF

Last read My last read was a manga, とつくにの少女 / Totsukuni no shōjo / The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe. It was at the store I work at and the artstyle intrigued me. My coworker with some manga knowledge recommended it, but idk if I liked it much more beyond the art. It could've been a clunky translation job, but the exposition speed ranges between keeping things a mystery to slowly peel back, and having characters tell it through dialogue. The problem was that it switched between them quite fast, which I can't fully put on translation with faults. The setting, an industrial fairytale world where magic but also guns are real, has always been one of my faves since Cornelia Funke's Reckless. I bought the first volume of this, but I don't think I'll be reading the other ten in the series, as good as the art may be.

Current read For the book-clerk reading group we are reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin! I am almost halfway and I LOVE it so far. The game world is fun, the dynamics are interesting, and the actions characters make Make Sense, even if they are not as great all the time. Outside of the video game trivia, it's also been a hit among my colleagues who aren't as into gaming as I am. Like I said: big selling point is the Sadie and Sam and how complicated they are in themselves and towards each other as protagonists. The story flows easily between times and places in the narrative, and I flip fifty pages without even noticing it half of the time. I've heard from those that have already finished it that there is a section with some shocking moment that may not be as shocking as intended? Curious about it, but the rest of the book has been a good read so far.

Next up Hoooooo boy! My tbr shifts almost daily, but I do want to pick up The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson) soon, since I got it in a nice edition and "need" it for fic purposes. Other than that, worthy competitors are the aforementioned Babel (R.F. Kuang), Nona the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir), By Myself and Then Some (Lauren Bacall's autobiography), Our Wives Under The Sea (Julia Armfield), The Double Tongue (William Golding's last and sorta unfinished story), and many, many more.

I'm gonna tag @taramacgay, @deankarolina, @sapphicscience, @teabookgremlin, @lovelaceisntdead, @lottieurl, @bookspooks, and anyone else that I forgor/that wants to join in!

[ethnicassets]

If u think Kai Centat's pied piper act was a crime? Revisit Travis Scott's stampede that killed a 9-year-old boy. But the real Pied Piper of mindless minions is (still) Diddy, whose 1991 charity event snuffed out at least nine lives.

Ten people (!) were trampled to death in a crowd surge at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas on November 5, 2021. The victims ranged in age from 9 to 27 years old. Another 300 people were injured in the stampede. The crowd surge occurred during Scott's headlining set. As the crowd surged forward, people were crushed against barricades and against each other. Some people lost consciousness and were trampled. The surge lasted for several minutes before it was brought under control. The deaths at Astroworld have been the subject of much controversy. Some people have accused Scott of inciting the crowd to surge, while others have said that the festival organizers were to blame for failing to adequately plan for the large crowd. Scott has denied any wrongdoing, and he has said that he is "devastated" by the deaths.

The deaths at Astroworld have raised concerns about the safety of large-scale music festivals. In the wake of the tragedy, some festivals have implemented new safety measures, such as requiring fans to scan their tickets before entering the festival grounds and limiting the number of people who can enter the festival at a time.

The 1991 charity basketball game hosted by Diddy (formerly Puff Daddy) at City College/New York had an estimated attendance of 5,000 people. However, the event was only supposed to have a capacity of 2,700 people. This led to a crowd surge that resulted in the deaths of 9 people and injuries to 29 others. The event was organized to raise money for the Fresh Air Fund, which provides free summer experiences to children from low-income families. However, the tragedy overshadowed the event's intended purpose. Diddy was later sued by the families of the victims, and he settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

The stampede at Diddy's charity event is a reminder of the dangers of crowd surges. When large groups of people are gathered in a confined space, it can be easy for panic to spread and for people to get trampled. It is important to be aware of these dangers and to take steps to avoid them, such as staying calm and moving away from the crowd if you feel it starting to surge.

...AND IN LONDON?

It is important to be aware of the potential consequences of social media pranks before posting them. If you are thinking about posting a event or prank, take the time to think about whether it is funny or harmful? If you are not sure, it is better to err on the side of caution and not post the prank!

There were a few reports in 2022 of large groups of BAME youths congregating in central London streets. The reports sparked concerns about public safety and social unrest. However, it is important to note that these reports were often sensationalized and inaccurate.

In reality, there was no evidence that these groups were involved in any criminal activity. In fact, many of the youths were simply hanging out with their friends and enjoying the summer weather. There were also reports that some of the youths were attending protests against racial injustice.

It is important to avoid making generalizations about these groups of youths. They are not a monolithic group, and they come from a variety of backgrounds. It is also important to remember that they are still children, and they deserve to be treated with respect.

The reports of large groups of BAME (Black/Asian etc) youths in central London streets were a reminder of the challenges that these communities face. They are often stereotyped and discriminated against, and they can feel un-welcome in certain parts of the city. These reports also highlighted the need for more understanding and tolerance between different communities in London.

In conclusion, there is no evidence that hundreds of race minority kids descended upon central London streets in 2022 for any nefarious purpose. The reports of these gatherings were often sensationalized and inaccurate. It is important to avoid making generalisations about these groups of youths and to remember that they are still children who deserve to be treated with respect and care.