#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.”

[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.

[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)

[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.'"

[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.

[hyunubear]

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.

[acaiasahi]

ty for the tag, sky! @bruh-changbin <3

rules: list your ten (10) top biases and answer the following questions.

[ 001. ] — hamada asahi.

[ 002. ] — oh junseok.

[ 003. ] — ahn seongmin.

[ 004. ] — hwang intak.

[ 005. ] — kim yonghee.

[ 006. ] — kwak jiseok.

[ 007. ] — yoon keeho.

[ 008. ] — yang jungwon.

[ 009. ] — hanni pham / phạm ngọc hân.

[ 010. ] — huh yunjin.

between 1 and 4, who would you rather kiss?

— bro ur literally gonna make me choose between asahi AND intak??? ur literally crazy bc i'm abt to choose both n no one can stop me!!!

between 2 and 7, who would be your best friend?

— keeho... 110%. i'm so sure bc this man has a lot of my mannerisms n he's also js so naturally funny (like me... duh?) also, i feel like if i were to meet this man... we'd be like this 🤞🏽 there's naur way we aren't bffs in another universe!!! /j

between 5 and 10, who has the better voice?

— yonghee i love u... but yunjin takes the mf cake!!! my gf was fr an opera singer, i alr know this girly has the best breath control AND her range is absolutely unbelievable... like she's so effortless with her notes, it's insane.

between 1 and 8, who's the funniest?

— saurry wonie... asahi is just natural funny and he's such a weird lil guy that i can't help but giggle whenever he does smth silly!!!

between 6 and 9, who would you date?

— kwak. mf. jiseok. that man is like... beyond me, he's so perfect in every way... like atp, we're alr living tgt AND have a dog tgt... like i'm alr on one knee n ready to propose to him /j

between 9 and 10, who would you do a collab with?

— ERRR no, i'm not choosing!!! GIVE THEM BOTH TO MEEEE WE'LL MAKE THE BEST MUSICCCC!!!!

between 4 and 8, who is the better dancer?

— intak. i'm sorry won, he's so technical w his moves and js looks really comfortable in his body AND he grew up dancing under his dad so this man alr knows all the technical stuff for dance. won's an amazing dancer too but my dancer eyes are easily drawn to intak.

between 3 and 5, who would you most likely marry?

— that... is such... a... hard... question... erm... i'm gonna have to go with seongmin. there's literally no specific reason, just... seongmin.

between 1 and 7, who would you nurse back to health?

— don't make me choose pls... bc it's gonna have to be keeho.

between 2 and 3, who has the better smile?

— literally both of them being the smiliest boys in their group... i'm gonna thrOW UP?!?!??? they both have great smiles... i'm not gonna choose 😭

between 6 and 8, who would you vacation with?

— jiseok again... saurry. he's js so funny n silly, i would have a rly good time w him if we were to travel :<

tagging: @i-luvsang @tranquilpetrichor @beepjeongie @tyungun @astrozuya @wyynn @luvyoonbot @kyufilms @seung-scrittore + anyone who'd like to join! <3

[acechudro]

On Gender Euphoria, Anime Girls, and Fashion as a Non-Binary Person from South Carolina

When I was around seven or eight I would go swimming in the local pool fully clothed. I remember sitting on the side of the pool, waiting for the life guard to end "adult swim" so that I could get back into the deep end and resume my training to reach the dark depths at the bottom of the pool where all the dead leaves were.

The whistle blew, and I was back in business.

“You still have your clothes on!” another kid pointed out. They must have thought I’d forgotten.

“I know,” I said, comfortable in my own skin, comfortable in my gender presentation.

What was the big deal with that particular outfit? Why did I love it so much that I also wore it swimming? Back then, I didn’t have words. I just knew that a girl’s style bathing suite didn’t feel right and going in just shorts no t-shirt was off limits. And that that outfit was like magic. Wearing that t-shirt and shorts from the boys section made me feel like who I enjoyed being.

WHAT IS GENDER EUPHORIA?

Not until about ten to fifteen years later would I begin to hear the term “gender euphoria” used to reference how certain clothes, haircuts, and even body modifications can make you feel that same thing I felt in my favorite outfit that summer. You feel great. You feel like you. And when you become more yourself, you feel amazing, you feel EUPHORIC!

Why do we feel this? I’m sure someone has a scientific answer. But I’d say it’s because we are being our true selves, the selves we came to this earth to be, the selves that have a place in the great divine dance, the great divine game. We’re no longer fighting the flow of life, and we’re not swimming upstream or forcing ourselves into a role that was never ours to play. Instead, when we honestly become the person our beings and our divine DNA ask us to be, we experience “oneness”. We are one with the universe, god, and the divine. We are divine. We are whole.

Maybe you’ve had that experience through meditation, prayer, plant medicine ceremonies, or psychedelics, and you know what I’m talking about. Being at one with the universe is highly euphoric, and it give the seeker a great depth of peace. Anxiety melts. Everything is right. Everything is in order. And “it” is all unfolding how it is suppose to unfold.

That summer, wearing my favorite outfit felt like magic. I felt like the hero of my story. I felt like my ideal me, and I felt at peace and complete.

It’s funny because recently another gender-non-conforming buddy from my hometown told me they used to do the same thing at the swimming pool. I didn’t know them back then, but knowing them now, it makes a lot of sense.

FASHION AS PROTECTION

In those days, I was lucky to have a lot of freedom from typical societal expectations. We were homeschooled, and my mom wanted to raise us like “free range chickens” she says.

No school meant no dress code and less time studying because you didn’t have to do “busy work” to fill the day or wait on other students to understand a concept before moving on to the next topic.

I could run around without a shirt or shoes, explore the woods around the neighborhood, and spend summer nights outside playing games and spying on the neighbors. My bothers and I got into everything, tried everything we could. Each day was a new adventure and we made the most of each one.

But at some point around seven years old, (which funnily enough is when developmental psychology claims a child can begin to choose their gender presentation), my parents began to place gender limits.

Suddenly I had to wear a shirt and I couldn’t wrestle with the neighbor boys. It just “wasn’t right”, my parents explained. I was still invited to go on hikes, but less and less would I be allowed to go on overnight camping trips. Again, it just wasn’t right, me being the only one in the group socialized as a girl sleeping near all those boys. Not long after, my mom presented me with a bra. Again, I didn’t understand it, but it was “just necessary” for some reason. I cried and cried. I hated it.

Here’s the thing. Before my parents began to socialize me as a separate entity from my brothers, as a girl, we all did the same thing.

We all learned to shave our faces with my dad. We all dressed up in glittering body suites and played ballerinas. We all saved up for camouflage and played army. We all played with my mom’s red lipstick as war paint. And my older brother dressed up as a bride and married a neighbor boy in a ceremony we held while rolling down a hill on skates and rollerblades. Dressing in what I would later come to know as “drag” was no big deal. We were absurdly creative and nothing was off limits.

Until we reached a certain age and social expectations set in.

Back then, my parents were trying to protect me with their ideas of what a girl should look like. Fashion is protection. If you present right, society will treat you right. And if you’re a girl, that means dressing the part so that one day a man will want you bad enough to ask your father to let him have you, and your father will give you over and all that preparation will come to a culmination and the girl will have her means of survival— marriage.

We lived in South Carolina, a placed referred to as the “buckle of the Bible Belt” due to its high concentration of churches and religious communities. And our community had a cult following of a man name Bob Jones with rules like no “interracial dating”, no physical contact between separate sexes, and parents must disown their child if the child came out as gay.

And things like getting a job as a non-conforming person? I doubt it was happening there back then.

So as much as I blamed my parents for the drama of being forced to put on a female costume whenever we went to something social, in retrospect, my parents were doing the only thing they knew how to do to keep me safe in that world— they used fashion as a form of protection.

But those skirts, dresses, and blouses had me feeing vulnerable and frustrated. And only when I could wear my soccer shorts and t-shirts or any of my other favorite outfits did I feel safe and at home.

THE “MIDDLE YEARS”

After eight years old, things got intense. Lots of crying and stress over clothing and gender roles.

This stuff gives me mixed feelings to write about. I still struggle to not feel angry or ashamed and I hate it when my mom sends me pictures from the days when we all had to dress “correctly” for society like the days we went to church. I have smiles in the pictures because we had to smile. And I had longish hair for more time than I wanted to because I was afraid to cut it as short as I wanted to (I would find the courage I later on).

I have shame thinking about my teenage years because I was so often afraid or shamed for my body or just being who I was. I’m ashamed that I “gave in” but being a kid, I didn’t really have a choice. So I fought it sometimes but had to keep quiet until I moved out. I disassociated and survived, disconnected, unable to be my dream self.

Obviously I still made friends and found ways to enjoy myself, but interactions with my parents felt strained and volatile, especially the interactions with my mom who was tasked with enforcing female socialization standards.

My mom doesn’t understand why I still feel hurt over being forced to wear girly clothing. I think I felt humiliated and punished by it. My freedom to be me was taken away and I was criticized for not fitting the female stereotype required in the area I grew up in. That weighs on you when you’re confronted with it multiple times a week for several years. You get scared to be seen because at any time you could be breaking some rule or hidden expectation without knowing it. My body always felt clenched and stressed, and my posture became that of someone hiding. There were moments of escape, but generally I felt a fear of being judged and my body internalized it.

I’m sure I was brave in a lot of ways, but looking back makes me cringe. And here I am looking back. Cringe.

Ok, back to the timeline.

EVERYONE LOVES ANIME GIRLS

Up until the age of eight, I wore whatever my brothers wore. We were a family of hand-me-downs and thrift stores, so I had the same jeans, the same hoodies, the same Umbro soccer shorts as my brothers. There were a few “little girls t shirts” too, but there were simple shirts that literally any body could have worn. Nothing too bad about that. No dysphoria.

My mom did force me to wear some extremely uncomfortable frilly dresses to church and painful sweaters that were too tight for my head, but “beauty is pain” she’d say and rules were rules. Girls had to wear long dressed and skirts to church. It wasn’t a matter of choice.

But if I wasn’t at church, I was learning to read at the kitchen table or playing games outside— all in my “normal clothes”.

But at age eight, it came time to socialize me as a girl and my mom had to look outside the house for female clothes. We went to department stores in looking for two or three female passing outfits. My mom felt pressure to not be judged by her child’s appearance, and the whole experience felt forced and humiliating.

First of all, nothing in the teen girls section was loose fitting enough for the religious rules. And the boy’s section was off-limits. So my mom eventually found the “petites” section which is what they call the “old ladies section”. This demographic was short enough to fit a kid and conservative enough to pass within the groups we belonged. So after lots of frustration and crying, we bought two colors of short kaki pants, and three button down shirts. They were OK…. Not too tight, not too girly, but not really what I wanted either. Just OK. And annoyingly cut for a woman.

Probably a year after that, my sweet grandma took me shopping and apart from the boys section being off-limits, I could pick whatever I wanted. I got some camouflage cargo pants which I wore every day till I outgrew them, and two polo shirts with surf writing on the back of the collars. Much better than the old lady clothes.

When I was thirteen, I began shopping for myself at the Goodwill thrift store. It was easy to get what I wanted at a price a thirteen-year-old could afford. I began picking out my own clothes and no one ever questioned it. My mom was busy with my brothers, so she’d gladly drop me off and let me do my thing. Plus she didn’t have to take me shopping anymore.

There I discovered that my wardrobe fit into three separate categories: “normal clothes” , outfits I saw boys wear, and outfits I’d seen anime girls wear. I also found camisole undershirts that were popular back then and they flattened my chest, it was nice.

No one questioned my “normal clothes” because, well, they looked normal on me. Androgynous and different from popular culture, but normal on me. Plus being homeschooled, well most of us didn’t have cool clothes so it was normal to be abnormal.

The boy outfits I rarely wore out of my house or the woods, only for occasions like hiking trips, the skate park, or my short bout with the Civil Air Patrol (I wanted to join the air force back then lol, free army uniforms, a sense of belonging, adventures, air planes, and travel duh).

And the anime girl? I mean, if you have to present as a girl, that’s the best way to do it. Tight zip-up shirts, flare pants, hair up with little pieces falling around the face. Everyone loves anime girls.

Wearing girl outfits was always far more exhausting than the “normal clothes”. Why? Because being around people is a show, an act in society, and I felt forced to play a girl way too much. It got old fast.

If I didn’t have to be around people, I’d just hang out in my room or in the woods, alone often, away from rules and social codes. I could be whoever I wanted to be.

And the church outfits? Those became an act too. They had to be long skirts, so I found long hippy clothes at head shops and also made some. People complimented them because they’d never seen clothes like that before in those circle in South Carolina. 

I also had this really cool pineapple outfit that we had custom made because stores didn't sell clothing that was long and loose for church. It was a long straight “jumper” style dress made from green pineapple fabric, then a white collared shirt underneath, and this hand bag I found that was actually just a pineapple. I kind of wish I still had it for those moments I want to "cross dress", but honestly I'm not sure I'd be ready to wear it again, as I had to to cross dress so often as a kid.

CROSS-DRESSING

Whenever I wear an article of clothing that is “very” gendered, I feel like I’m cross dressing. And back then, I felt like I was cross-dressing a lot. I was cross-dressing in my church clothes, cross-dressing in my “teenage anime girl” clothes, and also cross-dressing when I’d wear two sports bras to flatten my chest under a t-shirt and those cargo shorts the boys would wear back then.

It was weird having to cross-dress so much, and as we didn’t talk about things in the family, my survival technique was mainly centered on dissociation and smiling. Just get through it so you can return home, take off the costume and spend your time on more important stuff like making art and movies, building forts in the woods, and figuring out how to run an electric scooter through the under ground tunnel below our house.

By that point, I knew clothing was costuming. And being a Leo sun, wearing costumes came naturally. But it was also exhausting. I have a Piscis moon, which means that more than anything I crave a deep connection and understanding with the collective. I just wanted to wear something that wasn’t too colorful, not too tight or body focused, and would let me exist without having to pretend to be a “man” or “woman”. I felt tired of the game at times.

Cross-dressing is fun when you get to choose to do it, but it can be exhausting when your survival depends on it.

HIGH SCHOOL RULES

In my high school years, I finally went to school and learned a new set of social codes. It was a religious school run by the same cult entity Bob Jones. And the dress code was very rigid and binary. Girls had to have long hair, long skirts, loose tops, high necklines, and for special occasions, tights and hoes on their legs. All from the women’s section of course.

Boys had to have an extremely short haircut, shave their faces, wear button up shirts, dress slacks, and for special occasions, ties and suite coats. We were not allowed to wear graphics on the clothes, or have references to punk, emo, or rock and roll. And when skinny jeans became a trend, the one boy who wore them was called a fag and the administration quickly outlawed the fashion.

What’s funny is that even in this world of entirely un-cool clothing, there were still social signifiers in that fashion bubble that let people know exactly how cool you were, which group and social class you belonged too, etc. I’m proud to say people started wearing colorful hippy skirts after my first year there. I was so weird people thought I was cool.

Anyway, art, fashion, imagination, and movie nights were my survival.

I focused on good grades and the fun of finally having a live audience. I made crazy outfits, tried public speaking, made friends with other “unsocialized” kids, and sang the Canadian national anthem in the shower with my new bestie after Physical Education class.

There was so much injustice inside that world, it just wasn’t worth fighting openly. I rebelled in secret ways and smiled at the administration.

BOY OR GIRL?

I finished high school in my third year as a hybrid student: half the time homeschooled, half the time in a community college. I could wear whatever I wanted that last year.

Strangers at the community college asked if I was a witch. The neighbor who rode to class with me asked why I had to dress so weird. My mom said I looked like a lesbian so I avoided seeing her in the mornings before class. I dressed really cool, and I know other people thought so and sometimes said so. But annoyingly, people love to point out what's different. I liked fashion. I wanted to be me. And I wanted to fit in… but those things didn’t seem to go together. I would make these awesome outfits but then be afraid of being seen.

Time passed.

In college there was no real dress code and I settled on a mostly black wardrobe influenced by what I’d seen Europeans wear in the fashion blogs I followed. Easy enough.

I discovered H&M and got myself a cool fake leather jacket there. I had black skinny jeans and a collection of simple t-shirts under which I wore flattening sports bras. All good.

One time I wore a skirt to class and everyone said it was like the kilt Kanye West had worn on tour. This time, my peers understood I was cross-dressing.

As college was ending, I sold my things and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. I would leave South Carolina for good and travel until I found a place that felt like home. There I could develop into my true self away from the eyes of former friends and family.

Of course, moving locations didn’t really fix anything.

But something did happen pretty early on into my travels that changed my trajectory. I “fell in love” with a queer man who would later tell me he was born with three chromosomes, XXY, meaning he was actually both male and female. Intersex. And that as a teenager he was forced to choose between becoming a male or female, as being neither was not a choice back then.

People have always asked me if I was a boy or girl, and I would usually say, “I don’t know”. In this case, when he asked me and I said “I don’t know”, he then asked me if I was trans. I didn’t know what that was. I just thought that some people changed their bodies to become one of two genders and that was called trans. I panicked.

No, that isn’t me! I’m not currently changing my body.

Later, I would become curious and go to Reddit to learn all about top surgery, hormone replacement therapy, and the experience of transitioning to a different gender. I felt called to it and read everything I could. I did my best to pass as a boy for the next several years, or at least, not pass as a girl, and I did want top surgery, but I didn’t feel comfortable fully transition to a man. I just wanted to be less woman.

INTUITION

I changed my name a year or two later upon returning to the US because I wanted something less gendered. I would later change it two more times trying to settle on what felt right, doubting myself, and then trying again.

I eventually began to understand that being Non-Binary is also a gender, and that some people just don’t identify as male or female. And that yes, this is trans too. I read that trans just means you don’t identify with the gender assigned at birth. It doesn’t mean you have to become a man or a women. My experience began to make a little more sense.

I learned there were more people out there like me. That you could choose a new name that felt better, and choose clothes that made you feel good, and that neither identifying as what society calls male nor female is actually pretty cool. Gender euphoria is a good thing, not a guilty pleasure. And feeling at home in and embracing your experience connects you to the divine, despite everything I’d been raised to believe.

I learned that I was normal, and that there was a long history of non-binary, trans, and queer people holding honored roles in society before the Catholic Church tried to wipe them out (this happened around the same time they went killing the powerful women known as witches, and during the colonization of America and other continents).

I’m becoming braver. I’m still scared of people seeing me but I also enjoy having an audience, so, I force myself to be seen and heard and to make steady eye contact. I am becoming braver and happier and more myself. It’s scary but the changes make my life better so I keep going, finding oneness with the world. Finding allies helps and I can’t wait till interactions with my family aren’t so uncomfortable. I’m trying to be good about explaining to them what they need to know and being patient while they digest something they’ve never heard of.

Despite everything I’d been brain washed to believe, I have always known who I am. And lead by my intuition, I’m on an adventure to become more and more that person. Not only do I owe this to myself, but I owe it to the world as a whole. This is my contribution and the universe is on my side.

I know who I am, at least on a basic level. And that knowledge grows as I keep going. I’m not an outsider, I’m actually an integral part of It All and I can become one with the world by being me, not who I think they want me to be.

My gender non-confirming buddy tells me they’ve always known me as someone living outside the gender binary. Which tells me that I am my own harshest critic, as I still struggle with judging my past self for not being “myself” enough. And I still struggle with feeling proud of myself. It’s scary to leave behind the comfortable confines of shame and guilt. But I’ve always been brave and I’m becoming braver. I’m learning to become proud of myself for being me, and this whole process is slow but they say you gotta enjoy the process because it actually never ends. There is no “final result” until we die. So I try to let go of my grip on the outcome and instead find fulfillment knowing that I’m on the right track.

[papriakter240]

Douyin live broadcast, who is making money?

1. The live broadcast is a big hit and they are making crazy money

On October 7, Internet celebrity Ling Dale (Luha) revealed during a live broadcast that she "earned 5 million yuan a month and 35 million yuan in 7 months of selling goods." This triggered a lot of heated discussion among netizens. During the live broadcast, Ling Dale also revealed that he had purchased a mansion worth 11 million yuan, a luxury car worth 2.77 million yuan, and an office building worth more HE Tuber than 6 million yuan. According to the platform, Lingdale currently has 6.79 million fans on Douyin. In September, there were a total of 21 live broadcasts, with sales of approximately 25-50 million yuan.

The myth of wealth creation in the live broadcast industry has actually been circulating for a long time. Many big anchors have made a lot of money in the live broadcast wave, and they have also attracted groups of followers to flock to the track.

From Taobao Live's Li Jiaqi, Douyin's Luo Yonghao, Crazy Little Yang, Oriental Selection, to celebrity anchors such as Dong Jie who is now popular on Xiaohongshu Live, the success stories in the live broadcast track are really dazzling. It even gives people the illusion that the live streaming industry is full of gold, and you can catch it right away.

In 2018, Crazy Little Yang joined Douyin and mainly created funny content. Overall, the content and form of Crazy Young Brother Yang have been constantly changing in recent years, but the core has always been "funny". Crazy Little Brother Yang’s funny content attracted a large number of fans to stay, and he also achieved a live broadcast career.

In November 2022, the account Crazy Little Yang became Douyin’s first super account with a total number of fans exceeding 100 million. The strong accumulation of fans has accelerated the development of live broadcasts.

At the same time, Xiao Yang’s brother Zhang Qingyang revealed in his circle of friends that he spent more than 100 million yuan to purchase a property in Hefei to be used as the headquarters building of the Three Sheep Group. According to local media reports in Hefei, in 2022, Sanyang Network’s total transaction volume on the Douyin platform was nearly 6 billion yuan, with operating income of 860 million yuan and paid tax of 200 million yuan. In the first quarter of 2023, the company's revenue reached 350 million yuan, an increase of 60 times compared with the same period in 2022.

“The money is crazy” is the first impression many people have when they mention live broadcasts and anchors. But is this really the case? otherwise.

2. Only a few anchors are “making wealth”

The income gap between the top anchors and the tail anchors is very big, and only a few people really make "crazy money", while most people actually earn a meager salary.

According to the "China Online Performance (Live Broadcast and Short Video) Industry Development Report (2022-2023)" jointly compiled by the China Performance Industry Association and others, as of the end of 2022, a total of more than 150 million anchor accounts have been opened in my country's online performance (live broadcast) industry. Among the anchors whose main source of income is live broadcasting, 95.2% have a monthly income of less than 5,000 yuan, and only 0.4% have a monthly income of more than 100,000 yuan.

The income from live broadcasting mainly comes from pit fees and commissions. The pit fee is similar to advertising revenue. It is a fixed amount paid for a product, usually ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan; while the commission is a CPS model that extracts a certain percentage of commission based on the transaction volume. The commission rate of the top KOL Usually it can reach 20-30%, and the commission rate can be as high as 30%-50% in special categories. After the brand owner and the MCN determine the pit fee and commission, the platform collects the service fee from the commission, and the remaining part of the MCN and the anchor continue to share the commission.

According to statistics, there are currently 150 million anchor practitioners in our country. It is not difficult to draw a conclusion: the myth of wealth creation through live broadcast only happens to a very small number of people, while most people have become important but small supporting roles in this wave.

When it comes to live streaming, both content output and supply chain capabilities are very important parts. First of all, the anchor must have the ability to continuously output high-quality content (video + live broadcast) in order to attract fans to stay and convert, but for most creators, this is also full of challenges.

In particular, Douyin’s recommendation mechanism “pampers' ' users' favorite content. It has set up multiple volume-increasing links such as cold start pool-primary traffic pool-intermediate traffic pool-advanced traffic pool. Only in the previous links can it be gradually put into a larger traffic pool if it is recognized by users. This determines that creators with unstable content output capabilities or basically no content capabilities will fall behind in the early stage, and the gap will become wider and wider. In the end, they will not be able to eat in the live broadcast trend, or they will withdraw, or they will be far-fetched. Survive.

Moreover, even anchors who initially have certain advantages in content creation often encounter creative bottlenecks. Once fans get tired of watching a certain style of content, they may gradually lose interest and become fans.

In 2018, "Duo He Maomao Sister" became popular with the phrase "I'm so happy, I feel like my life has reached its peak" and attracted 20 million followers in three months. Starting in 2021, Sister Maomao suffered a massive loss of followers. In order to ensure the quality of updates, Sister Maomao stopped accepting advertisements from January to May and concentrated on researching content to retain fans. However, for a long time, the effect was not good.

In 2021, Zhang became famous for his clever shooting techniques, video details, brainwashing BGM and rural life themes. According to previous statistics from Bohu Finance, Zhang’s first video was posted online on October 4 of that year. By December 7, a total of 43 videos had been posted, with a cumulative number of fans of 14.21 million.

However, the heat goes away just as quickly as it comes. In June 2022, Mr. Zhang started his first live broadcast to bring goods, but the results were not good. In Mr. Zhang’s words, “It cannot be said that the data is not good, it should be said that the data is very poor.” What cannot be ignored is that since then, Zhang’s popularity has gone forever and he has never returned to his peak.

There are few creators who can continue to output content that users like like Crazy Little Yang, turning the live broadcast room into a "sketch show scene".

Secondly, live streaming has very high requirements on the supply chain, but at the same time, only big anchors have the ability to build their own supply chain, and small and medium-sized anchors themselves do not have the advantages.

Some anchors started by relying on content traffic and then built a supply chain, which has a bargaining advantage; others entered the market with their original supply chain. For small and medium-sized anchors who "start from scratch", it is extremely difficult to build their own supply chain.

As a new business format, the opportunities brought by live broadcast are accidental. The traditional value creation chain is destroyed, and wealth accumulation does not increase linearly, but suddenly explodes at a certain point. And such opportunities are not "evenly distributed", not everyone can benefit from them, and the opportunities are very random. There are many people who can seize the advantages of the right time, place, people and so on to make wealth in live broadcast, but when viewed in the overall environment, the proportion is not large.

The results presented are actually the same as those in most industries. In both cases, the leading players occupy a large share of the market, while the remaining small and medium-sized players "secure a corner" of the small market.

Reference sources:

New broadcast site: Luha earned 35 million in 7 months, did the live broadcast save the "copycat internet celebrity"?

New Consumer Daily: The crazy business experience of “Crazy Little Brother Yang”