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is-she-suffering · 1 year ago

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02/2003 - Black Velvet Magazine “Queen Adreena in Wonderland”

(Interview with Katie Jane Garside - Taken From Black Velvet 35 - Feb 2003)

By David Jackson

In Milton Keynes, roundabouts have names. While frantically searching for ‘Eagle Stone’, a giant illuminated mountain on the horizon grows ever closer, eventually turning out to be a snow dome. Only in Milton Keynes. In an idealistic reality, Milton Keynes Pitz would be a dark smoke filled rock venue, located somewhere deep underground, out of reach of daylight with filthy walls and sticky floors, perfectly recreating the image the venue’s name paints. The truth is much less romantic. Located in the Woughton Leisure Centre, the Pitz sits firmly alongside a swimming pool while sharing a corridor with the health club and sun bedroom. Doubling as a theatre it’s not unfair to say the Pitz is one of the country’s less charismatic venues.

The public perception of QUEEN ADREENA vocalist and spokeswoman, Katie Jane Garside is varied, never quite consistent yet always fascinating. Appearing somewhat removed yet mysterious, she stands unique. Following Katie into the depths of the Milton Keynes Pitz, we arrive at the band’s dressing room. Informing me that she’s in a good mood, Katie takes a seat while continuing to arrange a small bunch of flowers in a glass on the table.

Queen Adreena are on tour in promotion of ‘Drink Me’. As a successor to their highly acclaimed debut ‘Taxidermy’, in many ways the album sounds a comfortable follow up. Finally settled, Black Velvet proceeds to ask Katie how happy she is with the final product. “In a way it’s not for me to say,” she cautiously begins. “We went through a lot making it. You do with every record, but this one particularly was quite difficult. It was kind of a year of reckoning in a way, writing and recording it. A lot of things that sustained me prior to that all fell away. I have a real sense of vertigo, no ground under my feet. I can’t really say if I’m happy or not with the album. To be honest the day that I am will be the day I don’t do it anymore. “Being on a planet in the middle of infinity with six miles of water underneath you and then infinity above you it doesn’t give you much to hold onto,” referring to her youth, part of which was spent living on a boat. “On the flip side of that, there’s infinity but if you get on the wrong side of the coin you can get into free fall terror. That’s sort of how I feel about that record, it’s just a page in the diary.”

It was author Lewis Carroll in his book, Alice in Wonderland, who first penned the words ‘Drink Me’, written on a label attached to a bottle from which Alice drinks and is subsequently shrunk. Was it from this that the album took its name? “Yes, it’s not hard to get there. Know your own poison really, that’s all it is. I’ve always found the only useful thing to do with fear is to run headlong into it, and that’s the only way it transforms, otherwise it’s always over your shoulder in your blind spot, so you have to sort of wrestle it to the ground really. It’s about knowing your own poison… Drink me.”

Pausing for thought Katie continues. “It is just another page in the diary. A lot of the things I said were sustaining me fell away, all the things that were keeping me upright sort of fell away, during that part of my life, making the record, I think it’s reduced things to their baser elements. In a way ‘Taxidermy’ is tugging in a lot of different directions. For me ‘Taxidermy’ is quite existentialist where I’m observing and witnessing and ‘Drink Me’ I’m taking part. I do use sexuality and violence to sort of beat myself back into existence because I’ve felt perpendicular. I’ve found myself to be dangerously insular. That again is what I said about the only useful thing to do with fear is to run headlong into it, because I lived in a tree house for a long time, just lived above everything, not taking part and I want to be here. Well I have to be here, otherwise I might as well not be here. As a kid I could never come downstairs to my own birthday party. I wanna take part, I actually wanna be there now, but I’m sick of living outside of everything.”

One apparent difference between debut and follow up album is Queen Adreena’s frequent use of dark atmospheric vocals seems to made way for a general heavier rock feel to the record. “The subtler things have fallen,” begins Katie. “Like a boiling pot it has reduced down to its really basic elements; it’s very minimalist. We’re trying to break the shell of the seed so the plant can fucking grow. Like my own life, we always watch from the wings and we wanna play the main stage. I am using violence and friction to create a chemical reaction hopefully. The only thing I find to be true is fiction that creates combustion and therefore doesn’t mean it’s easy or painful but it’s a fountain of youth in a way. It’s the only thing that turns me on and drives me forward.”

With only one single lifted from album ‘Drink Me’ (so far), the unusual decision was taken to release non-album track ‘FM Doll’. Not the usual procedure of album promotion.

The title of the single itself is one of hidden truths, quickly revealing a dark sub-text to the song. “It’s actually called ‘Fuck Me Doll’ and is about female objectification. In a way I shouldn’t really talk about it cause we’re desperate to get it onto daytime radio.” Treading her ground carefully Katie continues. “I know because of the lyrical content it won’t get on there. It’s about child murder. Do you remember the JonBenet case in America? The child beauty queen who was supposing murdered by her mother and father It’s about that and the endemic infection in the female psyche.”

Despite the somewhat unusual decisions surround the single release, as ever it’s accompanied with a promotional video. Talk of which is immediately greeted with laughter. “Well it’s a performance video, but, it’s sexy, that’s it. The whole thing with this is that I’m trying to burn down the cross that I’ve nailed myself to. It’s always about that. The illness that endemic in the female psyche, it’s just the way of the world where you’re just valued as an object. I think there’s a lot of power inherent in the feminine. I’ve always known it, used it, abused it myself so I’m can’t really go down a militant route with it because there’s a lot of power and joy within it. But it’s also for someone that’s not strong enough to carry it. It turns people into victims. It’s a very peculiar state I think that we’re in at the moment in history in terms of female objectification because it’s all supposedly coming up roses, but women are more effected by it than they ever were and playing into that role. What I do is hold up a mirror up to people and break it really for them.”

The lyrical content of Queen Adreena is in places beautiful and consistently fascinating.

Talking about how the lyrics and music intertwine to make the final product, Katie Jane says “Crispin can get terribly upset with me. A song like ‘Silent Undoing’ I just wrote it at home. I’ve got a little wind organ I write stuff on. I’m not a musician, I can play a couple of notes very easily and there’s some chord buttons. For me I always write off an atmosphere. I’ve got six chord buttons and there must so however many combinations of those six chords so I can find that atmosphere that’s drilling in my head for that particular moment. Atmosphere’s everything. Everything that comes out I see in pictures. I’m just interpreting pictures, like snapshots but it’s always very vivid, it’s very much got a black line around it. In a way I have a hotline to the unconscious. Pity me, it’s not the best thing to have and I can’t turn it off. But that’s just intellectualising it. We always try to find clever words to make sense of what we can’t make sense of.” The live show is one forum where Queen Adreena leave the onlooker completely mesmerised. Talking of playing live, Katie Janes says “I’ll give you the most fantastic and obvious cliché. Things that are important to me are fucking, wine and playing music and that’s it really. This thing of reduction, it’s all been about getting out of the head and into the body so it beats the military drum and calls us to war, and let the war of the fucking psyche commence. Here we are, what else could I be doing that would be more fun?” With a notorious reputation for performance how important an element of your music do you feel performing is? “I’ve always known it’s a real privilege to take the stage, it’s a very highly charged thing to do cause it’s a very un-natural thing to do.”

Do you think so? “Yeah! Why would anyone want to stand up in front of hundreds, hopefully thousands of people and almost beg them to tear one to pieces? Or on the flip side, when you catch the right side of the wave you can run up the sides of buildings and stuff like that, you capture a certain pure essence of something and that’s when magic happens. You step into a different realm. You walk through a door that’s not open very often, but you know you have to walk the knife-edge and be willing to throw yourself off the cliff, and that’s why I mean it’s very un-natural. ”

Taking the stance that it’s un-natural to stand in front of thousands of people and perform, are there any particular messages you hope Queen Adreena convey to their audience? “You know I take absolutely no responsibility for how I’m received; it’s nothing to do with me. I have a profound sense of displacement, like I said before, witnessing rather that taking part. I’m desperate to take part. Maybe everybody feels that, but it’s really under the microscope in my case and I’m very very aware of it. I have absolutely no message. I write little stories and I put them like photographs around myself in order to believe that I exist, or challenge the idea that I exist at least and that’s the beginning and the end of it.”

Flicking through her copy of Black Velvet Katie spots a ‘My Vitriol’ interview and proceeds to reminisce about the band live and mentions her admiration of bassist Carolyn. Continuing to chat about music I ask if there is anything in the current climate of music that interests her. “I don’t listen. Things come my way and I’ll listen to them once, but the thing that really does it for me always is white noise and distortion. I’ll listen to a constant CD of the sea; I lived on a boat when I was a kid. But before that,” pointing into the corner of her dressing room, “even the noise of that fucking fan, I find it really… I find is so reassuring for some reason. The sound of any white noise, like a fan or running water. For me listening to that stuff is like looking in the mirror. There are so many different voices in there and frequencies and harmonics and they tell me what to sing. I don’t mean THEY the great THEY, or the spirits. Just within white noise. There’s just this whole spectrum of frequency and it is like anything, if you stare at it long enough you’ll find a reflection of yourself within it. There’s always a story waiting to be told in there. That’s what I love, the wind, the sea.”

And with that my time with Katie is over, feeling like seconds but transpiring to be minutes. With a gig in a sports theatre looming closer Queen Adreena seem as unsuited to play such a venue as much as the venue paints an unrealistic image of itself. The delicately spoken Katie Jane Garside is one of the most intelligently fascinating women in rock. Collecting up her bunch of flowers Katie proceeds to position them carefully one by one into her hair before returning to the rest of Queen Adreena. For a further insight into the band visit www.queenadreena.com We’re informed ‘Everything is not obvious… explore.’

#interviews #2003 #drink me

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hgghgfd · 1 year ago

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02/2003 - Black Velvet Magazine “Queen Adreena in Wonderland”

(Interview with Katie Jane Garside - Taken From Black Velvet 35 - Feb 2003)

By David Jackson

With only one single lifted from album ‘Drink Me’ (so far), the unusual decision was taken to release non-album track ‘FM Doll’. Not the usual procedure of album promotion.

“I didn’t want to look backwards. Making the record was kinda wrestling the thing to the ground,” describes Katie. “There was a great sense of relief. We’ve got a completely new rhythm section in effect now. I don’t want to sound like I’m doing my dirty washing, but we fired out old drummer after we did the album for the first time because it was not played very well. Then we went and recorded the whole thing in five days in a tiny demo studio. By the time we had the things in our hands it was, suffice to say, after finally getting the thing finished, we’d been writing like crazy and just thought there’s no point kinda eating yesterday’s dinner. FM Doll came out so quickly so natural and easily in a way. I feel like I kinda like parodying myself to such an extreme on that.” The title of the single itself is one of hidden truths, quickly revealing a dark sub-text to the song. “It’s actually called ‘Fuck Me Doll’ and is about female objectification. In a way I shouldn’t really talk about it cause we’re desperate to get it onto daytime radio.” Treading her ground carefully Katie continues. “I know because of the lyrical content it won’t get on there. It’s about child murder. Do you remember the JonBenet case in America? The child beauty queen who was supposing murdered by her mother and father It’s about that and the endemic infection in the female psyche.”

The lyrical content of Queen Adreena is in places beautiful and consistently fascinating.

“That’s very kind of you,” replies a visually pleased and smiling Katie. “It’s not difficult at all. It just insists on coming out my mouth. I’d rather somebody shouted louder than me to quiet my own noise really. I mean that’s what playing live does, it just shuts the head noise down for a while. There’s so much noise from every angle it gives me a day off really once it strikes up and gets loud. It’s maintenance for me, it helps with survival. You’ve gotta put all that shit somewhere otherwise it turns into cancer.” Talking about how the lyrics and music intertwine to make the final product, Katie Jane says “Crispin can get terribly upset with me. A song like ‘Silent Undoing’ I just wrote it at home. I’ve got a little wind organ I write stuff on. I’m not a musician, I can play a couple of notes very easily and there’s some chord buttons. For me I always write off an atmosphere. I’ve got six chord buttons and there must so however many combinations of those six chords so I can find that atmosphere that’s drilling in my head for that particular moment. Atmosphere’s everything. Everything that comes out I see in pictures. I’m just interpreting pictures, like snapshots but it’s always very vivid, it’s very much got a black line around it. In a way I have a hotline to the unconscious. Pity me, it’s not the best thing to have and I can’t turn it off. But that’s just intellectualising it. We always try to find clever words to make sense of what we can’t make sense of.” The live show is one forum where Queen Adreena leave the onlooker completely mesmerised. Talking of playing live, Katie Janes says “I’ll give you the most fantastic and obvious cliché. Things that are important to me are fucking, wine and playing music and that’s it really. This thing of reduction, it’s all been about getting out of the head and into the body so it beats the military drum and calls us to war, and let the war of the fucking psyche commence. Here we are, what else could I be doing that would be more fun?” With a notorious reputation for performance how important an element of your music do you feel performing is? “I’ve always known it’s a real privilege to take the stage, it’s a very highly charged thing to do cause it’s a very un-natural thing to do.”

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existentialmagazine · 2 years ago

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Review: Daphne Eckman’s new peppy indie-folk release ‘Jackson Pollock’ entangles a warm energy and cathartically empowering message of moving on

The upcoming singer-songwriter Daphne Eckman calls herself a “professional over-feeler”, and her intimate genre-blending of indie-rock and acoustic-folk makes for the perfect stage to unleash any array of heartfelt emotions. Based in Annapolis, Daphne has spent the last year touring with her five-piece band around the east coast of America, flavourfully filling rooms with a musical edge only possible through her multitude of weaving layers. Inspired by Phoebe Bridgers, Joni Mitchell, Pinegrove, Daphne’s sound is familiar and yet completely original too, and her newest offering ‘Jackson Pollock’ is sure to prove why she’s not someone to let pass by your radar.

Warm, peppy and a little bit intimate too, ‘Jackson Pollock’ spills through your earphones or speakers with a paired-back indie-folk feel that’ll whisk you away, energetic but minimal all at once. Led in by acoustic guitar strums and Daphne’s haunting vocals, the track right away paints an easy-going, slightly personal feel, almost as though you’re watching the main character of a movie read their diary aloud with a perceived level of privacy and confidence in how they choose to speak freely. Thudding drum beats weave into the sound amidst a slow finger-picked guitar riff, progressively building in intensity as things tumble along, all the while Daphne’s vocals airily glide through a higher, self-assured range unafraid to posses a dominant delivery you’ll get looped in your head right away. The chorus picks up with the addition of some intermittent male backing vocals amidst a grittier electric guitar undertone and later some unexpected but wonderfully fitting horns and claps that make for unique layers of instrumental sounds. Ebbing, flowing and evolving the entire way through, ‘Jackson Pollock’ is a lively concoction of sounds that wraps you inside of its patchwork of elements like you’re a part of its journey too, enchanted by Daphne’s open-hearted spilling of thoughts and feelings while not for a second letting the sound feel anything but vibrant.

Infused with a spirt of empowerment, ‘Jackson Pollock’ began for Daphne as a manifesto to an ex about refusing to tolerate being treated terribly, but shortly morphed into a chaotic unleashing of complete freedom and unfiltered honesty. Cathartic in its releasing of bottled-up emotions, Daphne sings ‘leaves change, maybe I should change too. On my way home I stepped on one, I heard a crack and I hoped it was you’, a very much brutally dark admission of the torment she’s been holding within, building up a hateful resentment for someone she once loved. Interlinking with her title, the rose-tinted glasses Daphne once wore slip off throughout ‘Jackson Pollock’, particularly within the line ‘I saw Jackson Pollock instead of a mess’ that reminds sometimes being swept-up in love can make you blissfully ignorant to the piling red flags that pass you by. As she spills out with all these thoughts, the painful admission that ‘I wish I was brave, I’d say it to your face’ shows the shell she was forced to sink into, still unable to speak freely about the hurt she’s been put through unless it’s indirectly. Promoting a message of finally garnering your courage and walking away from someone who doesn’t offer you the love you deserve, ‘Jackson Pollock’ is a completely mesmerising, almost poetic penning of a heart-wrenching journey that feels deeply personal.

Check out ‘Jackson Pollock’ here to enjoy Daphne’s glowing indie-folk sound and witty, cathartic lyricism that anyone who’s been in a toxic relationship can relate to.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Unknown

// This coverage was created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

#music #singlereview #daphneeckman

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xsandjenos · 6 years ago

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Dear Dream // Mark Lee

Summary: Mark is about to graduate from NCT Dream, but before he can he wants to have one last adventure with his members, and he takes Y/N along for the ride.

Word Count: 7858 words

Genre: Mark Lee x Reader, Multiple POVs

A/N: A big thanks to my sister, @peachesandmark for making the header photo for this pic! Go give her a follow. Also thanks to @cuddlejeongin for the constant encouragement and @jjaeminnie for giving me such helpful feedback. It’s greatly apperciated <3 I apologize in advance if this is boring or too long winded. I hope it’s alright. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything.

MARK

The blinding stage lights, shone on the boys, as they sang together for the last time. A green glow illuminating the faces of fans. Their cheers echoing in Mark’s ears, comforting him. The words to walk you home flew by, the boys struggled to sing the last verse holding back their tears. Mark, turned to his fellow band members with admiration. The moment was bittersweet, it was the end of an era. The end of the dreamies teasing, “Yo Dream” chants, looking to him for advice, and the end of his role as a leader. The lights began to dim and suddenly it was all over. Mark’s last performance with his brothers was gone in a flash.

“I can’t believe it’s really over Y/N. I wish I could be with them as seven just one last time,” Mark sighed letting his head drop face first into a pillow, sighing in disappointment.

“You can. Promotions are over for you, right? Why don’t you take them on a day trip or something. Spend time with them before you have to part ways for your schedules,” You advised, running your hands through his hair. Mark had invited you over to his dorm, he was desperate need of some comforting ever since the Dream Show ended.

Mark looked up at you, eyes wide, “Y/N! You’re a genius! Wow, I have the smartest girl/boyfriend in the world.”

You rolled your eyes, scoffing at his statement, “It’s not rocket science. Just talk to your management, convince them.”

Mark tugged on your sleeve, “Come with us,” he pleaded, pouting up at you.

“What? No! This is supposed to be a time for you and the rest of the boys to be together one last time. That’s the point.”

“Please Y/N, I need you. Plus, what if there’s an emergency? Also you’re a videographer right? Document it, record the moments that’ll make this trip special. I don’t want producers following us with big flashy cameras and ring lights. I don’t want this to be some promotional marketing strategy. I want this to be for me, and the rest of Dream,” He reached for your hand giving it a gentle squeeze in an effort to reassure you. “Please?”

Mark couldn’t wait, after planning out this trip he had finally settled on the idea of going on a road trip. He planned on driving out to find an area far from Seoul where he could set up camp. He wanted to find a place that would provide shelter and solace, somewhere away from the cameras, and the busy city environment. He wanted this trip to feel as genuine as possible. He wanted it to be special, it was his way of saying goodbye.

JISUNG

At first, Jisung didn’t believe Mark’s idea, he assumed it was just another practical joke of sorts. The idea of going on a road trip in the midst of preparations for NCT 2019 seemed like a bad idea. Despite the younger boy’s worries he wanted to be able to have one last adventure with his hyung. He needed something to hold onto, he wasn’t ready for Mark’s departure, nobody was. The boy had looked up to Mark for years. He thought back to the days inside the recording studio, the times when he stumbled over words or phrases Mark was there to reassure him. He’d tell him not to worry about pronunciation and just let the rap flow. Who was going to be there when he’d get too caught up in his pronunciation to enjoy the process of recording a song? Who would tell him to just go with the music?

That night Jisung began packing for what Mark had dubbed, ‘The Dream Trip.’ He shook his head at the cheesy title. It was typical of Mark to come up with a lame name for their last escapade. Jisung began carefully arranging his clothes making sure there was enough room for Mark’s graduation present. He had made it with Chenle after filming their ‘ChenJi’ segment a couple weeks ago. It was a scrapbook that encompassed the all the moments they shared as NCT Dream. It contained everything, from their trainee days up until the final day of the Dream Show. Jisung began flipping through the album, nostalgia flooding his mind reminding him of the days when he was just a quiet trainee. He had grown so much since then, he gazed down at the photo with a smile. It was a photo of Mark hugging him, Jisung remembered that day vividly. The boys had pranked him, making him think he’d gotten into to trouble only to appear seconds later with a birthday cake.

“Whatcha got there?” Renjun hummed walking into the younger boy’s room. He bent over to peer at the album but Jisung slammed it shut. “What’s Jisung Park got that’s so special?” Renjun smirked, a mischievous look plastered on his face.

“Is it a diary?”

“No it’s not,” Jisung sighed.

“Then what is it?” Renjun pestered, reaching over with one arm while the used the other to capture the younger boy in a headlock. Renjun grabbed the book letting it fall onto a pile of Jisung’s clothes.

“Aww, Jisung, you have a secret diary,” He cooed as he ruffled Jisung’s hair.

“It’s not a diary. It’s a gift for Mark,” the boy admitted.

Renjun picked up the album flipping through the pages, a small smile flashed on his face. He looked down turning away from the boy so that Jisung couldn’t see the tears that were beginning to fall. He wiped them away with the back of his hand, “I’m going to miss him.” Renjun said looking down at the photo of the seven of them. He turned to the last page of the album where Jisung and Chenle had written a note to Mark.

“Can I write something in here too?” Renjun asked pointing at the blank spot on the last page of the photo album.

“Sure,” he replied, handing Renjun a pen. “What will you write?”

“You’ll see.”

Jisung stuffed the last of his things into the trunk of the van, he turned to see Y/N with a video camera. Mark had mentioned something along the lines of Y/N documenting their trip. He wondered what the footage would be used for, but he shrugged it off. He trusted Y/N and their abilities as a videographer. If anyone was going to be filming their roadtrip Y/N was the perfect person for the job. He waved at the camera, “Hello, and welcome to the Dream Trip,”

“Did Mark come up with that name?” Y/N snorted.

“Who else could have?” Jisung replied as he walked over to grab the rest of the supplies that were sitting on the sidewalk. “Do you know where Mark is?” He asked looking up at your camera.

“I think he’s still inside last minute packing,” Y/N replied pointing in the direction of the dormitory entrance.

“Mark?” Jisung called, his voice echoing down the corridor. He reached Mark’s room, the door was slightly open allowing for Jisung to step in. “Are you ready to go everyone’s-”

Mark ducked his head down and sniffled, he’d been crying. Jisung had never seen Mark like this before. It was a side of him he rarely saw. Mark was strong, he did his best not to cry especially, in front of fans or the rest of the members. He wanted to put up a strong front, but during times like these it was difficult to be lion-hearted.

Jisung plucked a tissue from the kleenex box on the bedside table. “Everything okay?” He asked as he sat down next to Mark.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” he replied, wiping his eyes.

Jisung rested a hand on Mark’s shoulder, “It’s okay to cry. I know it’s hard, you’ve been with us for a long time it’s only natural that you feel this way about graduating.”

Mark let out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief, “Ah, when did the maknae become so wise?”

“I learned from one of the best leaders,” Jisung replied with a shrug.

“Aw, Jisung.”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about Taeyong,” he teased. Mark sighed hitting Jisung with the pillow that was beside him.

“I’m joking!” Jisung laughed, using his arms as a shield from Mark’s pillow attack.

Mark stood up, bring the rest of his bags with him. “Let’s go on this Dream Trip, yeah?”

Jisung nodded, following Mark as he walked out the door.

CHENLE

“Jeno’s driving? No way,” Chenle said in surprise. His mouth hung open at the sight of Jeno clutching the keys to the van.

“We’re all gonna die,” Renjun announced.

Chenle was hesitant to get in the van. Jeno driving for a couple miles with studio lights flashing in his face, and the supervision of multiple producers as well as the director of We Go Up was drastically different than being the designated driver for a road trip. “At least if we die we’ll all be dying together.”

Jeno frowned at Chenle’s statement, “Have a little faith in me.”

“You’ve got this don’t worry,” Mark told Jeno, patting him on the back in hopes of bringing up his confidence. “Everyone, get in the car!” Mark whooped, hopping into the front seat.

Chenle was tired, they’d been passing by multiple trees and buildings yet they all looked the same. It felt as if they were going nowhere, they were stuck in a continuous loop. He let out a yawn, which caught the attention of Y/N.

“Is everything okay back there?”

“Yeah, I just don’t know what to do. Everything looks the same, and it feels like we’re going nowhere,” Chenle explained.

“Oh, I see..why don’t you tell the viewers what we’re doing today?” Y/N told him, zooming in on Chenle’s face.

“Well...We’re going on a road trip to celebrate Mark’s graduation from Dream!” Chenle smiled at the camera.

Renjun’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of Chenle’s enthusiastic explanation of their road trip. He’d been sleeping for a majority of the car ride, he rubbed his eyes still adjusting to the current scenario .

“Renjun! Do you have anything to add?” Y/N asked, pointing the camera in Renjun’s direction.

Renjun could only let out a groan shielding his face from the camera with his arm. He shifted in his seat, so he could rest his head comfortably and proceeded to close his eyes.

“I guess not.” Y/N giggled, turning off the camera.

“Goodnight Injunnie,” Chenle said softly, patting the other boy’s head. Renjun had made the wise decision of sitting near the window, away from Jisung who slept with his limbs sprawled out, his long legs hitting the back of Haechan’s seat. Chenle looked down at his hoodie, fumbling with the cotton strings. “I’m bored,” he announced, dragging out the last syllable like a whiny child. Mark turned to look at Chenle, “Want to play a game?”

Chenle’s eyes lit up at the word game, he’d been sitting in the back of the van twiddling his thumbs for what felt like hours. At this point, he was up for any game Mark could come up with. “What do you have in mind?”

“Spot the Car? You have to find as many different cars as you can, and call them out when you spot them.

Chenle clapped his hands together in excitement, “Sounds easy enough.” He began peering out the window, eyes wide open in search of any passing vehicles. “Ooh! A Sedan!”

“I see a land Rover!” Mark said, pointing out the window.

“Sports Car!”

“Convertible!”

“Hatchback!”

“Coupe!” The two shouted in unison. “I saw it first!” Chenle hollered, causing Renjun to jolt awake once again, Chenle had forgotten that his two seatmates were sleeping next peacefully on either side of him, or at least they were.

“Nooo, I saw it pass by me,” Mark argued.

“I called it!”

Mark laughed giving into Chenle’s eagerness, “Okay, you get the point.”

“Yes!”

They had been driving for about an hour and according to Mark the site that he had planned for them to camp at was all the way in Busan, which took about two hours and forty-two minutes to reach. At first Chenle was impatient, he was eager to get from Point A to Point B, but as the drive continued he began to take in surroundings, and enjoy the view of from the car window. He had began to find simple ways to preoccupy himself. Chenle would make out objects using the clouds like he did once when he was little. So far he had seen a dragon, the Eiffel Tower, and Moomin, Renjun’s favorite character. He was about to find another white cloud when the van suddenly came to a halt, Jeno had parked near a convenience store.

“Pit Stop!” Mark announced.

Everyone began to hop out of the car, one by one. They raced towards Ministop, they had been driving for a while and didn’t think to bring anything along to fill them up other than bottled water. The boys were starved and ready to raid the aisles of the store.

Chenle walked towards the store, quickening his pace so that he was falling in step with Mark.

“Hey, Mark,” Chenle tapped on the older boy’s shoulder, “Thanks for keeping me company while everyone else was asleep.”

Mark broke into a grin, “Anytime Chenle. What are big brothers for, right?”

“Yeah,” Chenle smiled back.

JAEMIN

Jaemin didn’t mind that they were buying their lunch from a convenience store, in fact he actually liked them alot. They reminded him of the days of his youth when he would go get soda after school. It was the reward he gave himself after hours of pouring over math equations, and English assignments. Places like these always gave off a nostalgic atmosphere to him. It was like travelling back in time. He wandered around the aisles looking for something to snack on. Y/N followed behind him with their camera making sure to document every detail of the road trip which in this case, included Jaemin’s road trip snack choices.

Jaemin hummed, analyzing the array of chips before him, “What should I pick Y/N?” He turned towards the camera.

You looked at the selection of snacks until something caught your eye, “Oh, those Honey Butter Chips look good, also Kokkalon. Mark told me in Canada Kokkalon are called Bugles.”

Jaemin grabbed both options holding them up in front of him, “Hm..let’s just get both!” He said adding to the stash of snacks in his cart. “There’s one last thing I need before we leave, microwave tteokbokki! Follow me and I’ll teach you how to make it.” Jaemin said to the camera as if he were on a Food Network show.

“First we need cheese,” He explained grabbing a pack of cheese from the fridge. On his way towards the microwave he grabbed the nearest package of tteokbokki. He set the contents down on the counter next to the microwave spreading out the ingredients. “First we pour up to this line,” He told the camera as he pointed at the bottom of the bowl. “And then..” Jaemin struggled to open the sauce packet.

“Need help there Nana?” Y/N asked holding a hand out for the sauce packet.

“No, I’ve got this,” He said waving your hand away gently. He bit down on the packet tearing it open. “Got it!” he smiled, carefully pouring the sauce into the bowl.

“Now we add the cheese!” He said clapping his hands, “It makes it less spicy.”

You tilted your head, confused, ”Jaemin, aren’t you lactose intolerant?”

“I’m willing to suffer for good food,” he replied as he added the cheese to his tteokbokki, and placed it in the microwave.

“Okayyy but, don’t blame me when you’re spending one hour in an outhouse later.”

“Can I try?” Haechan asked opening his mouth so that Jaemin could feed him.

“Sure, you can have the last piece,” He said as used the disposable chopsticks to feed Haechan the last rice cake. Haechan chewed on the tteokbokki happily, “Good idea, adding the cheese,” He said as he made a thumbs up motion towards Jaemin.

You rolled your eyes at the two boys next you, “I still can’t believe you ate all of that Nana.”

“I have no regrets,” He replied.

You brought out your camera filming the empty tteokbokki bowl. You panned the camera over to Jaemin, “So how would you rate this Ministop tteokbokki?”

“Five stars!” He giggled.

Jaemin rested his head on Haechan’s shoulder occasionally looking over to see his progress in caring for his Nintendog, Coco. He turned to see how the how the other members were preoccupying themselves, Jisung had went back to sleep while Chenle and Renjun were in a heated debate on what flavor of Pepero was better. Jaemin let out a soft chuckle, those two were always up to something. The car was silent except for the quiet buzz of the radio, he hummed along to the radio’s top fifty. Three songs later EXO’s Growl came on. He watched as Jeno turned up the volume with his free hand, his lips curling into a smile. Music had a way of taking Jaemin back in time, he always associated songs with a certain moment in his life. He sang along to Growl, thinking back to the first time they performed the song as trainees. They were small and wore coordinated gray outfits, he remembered the itchy schoolboy themed stage attire. He smiled to himself, they were so young back then. If he could tell his younger self where he is now in life he was sure he wouldn’t believe it. They had grown so much since then it was unbelievable. The chorus came on and everyone joined in singing the lines at the top of their lungs.

After an hour and forty-two minutes of driving later they had finally reached the site in Busan where they would be camping. It was quite remote, it was far away from the nearby towns the only thing that stood out in the expanse of the grassy field was an outhouse in the distance. This was nothing like the rooftop glamping Mark had done with the rest of NCT’s foreign members. He remembered the night Mark came to visit after filming the glamping segment for ‘Hot & Young in Seoul’ He had told Jaemin how fun it was and that he and the rest of Dream should go camping too one day.

That day had finally come, the members decided on splitting up into groups in order to efficiently set up camp. There were two tents, Jeno and Haechan were in charge of setting up one while Mark and Jaemin set up the other. Meanwhile, Y/N, Chenle, and Jisung were given the job of unloading the van.

Jaemin poured over the instructions, confused as to how he was going to go about setting up the tent. He started by doing what he thought was best and connected the tent poles like a puzzle. They boy struggled to fit the pieces together it looked simple enough, so why couldn’t he manage to attach two measly poles together. He sighed, and looked around for Mark. He jumped at sensation of being tapped on his shoulder, he turned to see Mark who looked down at the tent poles. “First things first, we need to lay the tarp down.”

Jaemin nodded, grabbing the corners of the tarp and laying it down on the ground as if he were making his own bed back at the dorms. He looked up at Mark who was wiping the dirt from laying down the tarp onto his denim jeans. Mark was a natural leader, he had a knack for giving instructions like how he had just now with the tent. He wondered what it would be like without Mark being there to lead them. Jaemin had always relied on the older boy’s opinion, especially in the recording studio. Whenever he’d finish his rap he’d ask for Mark’s input. He thought highly of the boy, he was an artist and had the knowhow that was needed to give off the right vibe when reciting a rap. Jaemin hadn't realized he was getting lost in his own thoughts until he jumped at the snap of Mark’s fingers.

“Jaemin, are you okay?” concern clearly written on Mark’s face.

“Yeah..I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“What it will be like without you in the recording studio,” Jaemin admitted. Mark frowned, he sat down on a rock motion for Jaemin to sit on the other one nearby. Jaemin complied, settling on the stone with his hands resting on his knees. He fiddled with the buttons on his shirt while waiting for Mark to fill the silence between them.

“This isn’t the end, you know that right?” Mark told him, placing a hand on Jaemin’s shoulder.

“I know, but feels like it is.”

“I’ll always be here for you, and if you’re worried about recording sessions don’t be. I can still give you pointers, all you have to is give me a call. Honestly, you’ve come so far Jaemin, I know you’ll be okay when I graduate.”

“I just wish we had more time,” Jaemin replied, wiping the stray tear that had fallen from his eyes. “I missed out on so much because of my injury.”

“Hey, it’s okay. What matters is that we were able to share the stage together this year, okay?” Mark reassured him, pulling Jaemin into a hug.

It didn’t feel like it now, but Jaemin knew everything would be alright. Mark would still be around. He’d still be the same person who he looked to for advice, and loved to joke around with, the only difference was that he’d be a phone call away rather than in the next room. Mark graduating wasn’t a ‘goodbye’, but a ‘see you later’.

HAECHAN

Haechan grinned in satisfaction at his and Jeno’s handywork. They had finished setting up the tent in just under twenty minutes. He hummed happily, skipping over to Y/N, who was unloading a cooler.

“Need a hand?” Haechan asked, taking out the remaining sleeping bags from the trunk of the van.

“Thanks,” Y/N smiled, their eyes fell to Mark who was struggling to put together the second tent. Y/N giggled at the sight of Mark’s confused expression as he stared down at the instructions, scratching his head, unsure of the next step to take.

“Mark why are you so slow?” He teased “Jeno and I finished a long time ago.” Mark didn’t hear the boy, he was too engrossed in completing the tent to pay any mind to Haechan’s teasing.

Haechan began arranging the sleeping bags inside the tent he’d completed, he was proud of his work. It had been awhile since he the last time he went camping. He enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere the camp provided. It was something he rarely relished in due to his busy schedules. He sang sweet melodies as he fluffed the pillows, placing them on top of the sleeping bags.

“Haechannn, are you here?” Chenle asked, his head poking through the tent entrance. He was holding what looked like a book in his other hand, Haechan turned towards the younger boy, taking a peek at the book.

“What’s that?”

“It’s what I came here to talk to you about. You’re the only one who hasn’t written a message in the photo album for Mark,” Chenle handed him the album, “Here, return to me when you’re done. And don’t let Mark see you with it!”

“Of course I’m not gonna let him see me with it,” Haechan snorted, taking the photo album from Chenle. Haechan flipped to the back page to see what the other had written, he wanted to get an idea of what to write, but he was stumped. The rest of them had written such sweet sentiments, talking about how they were sad to see him leave, but they were proud of him nonetheless. Haechan was at a loss, he had known this was coming, everyone did. It’s how NCT Dream’s system worked. They had known that information from the beginning, it was no surprise that Mark had to leave. There was a point when Haechan did feel sad about Mark’s graduation. It was when the realization first hit, he was sitting on the hardwood floors of the 127 Dorm talking to Mark about everything, family, friends, life, until the subject of NCT Dream came up.

“I’m going to be twenty this year,” Mark blurted out.

“Wow, a real adult!” Haechan laughed.

“You know what that means right?”

“You can drink!” Haechan said, avoiding the real answer. They both knew what Mark turning twenty years-old really meant, but not one of them said it aloud. Saying it aloud made it feel real, as if it was happening at this very moment. Silence filled the room, the only sound to be heard was the buzz of the air conditioner.

It means you’re graduating from NCT Dream.

Haechan had accepted the fact, Mark was graduating, and nothing was going to change that. Sure, he felt sad before, but the only sadness he felt now was for the fans, nctzens. He knew they were hurting, they had been alongside them since debut, supporting them every step of the way. It was only natural for them to be saddened by the news. They had shared three years with Mark. They watched him grow from one of the maknaes of 127 to the leader of NCT Dream. They witnessed his capabilities improve as Mark Lee, the ‘Debut King.’ Being in three units at once was a difficult task to bear yet Mark managed his role perfectly. He’d change from a 127 Stage to U, to Dream without complaint, and put on the best performance possible, giving every stage his all.

Haechan would watch as Mark sat in the living room of the 127 Dorm spending hours on end writing lyrics for raps that could be used in songs for NCT Dream. Haechan admired Mark’s determined spirit and constant hard work. Haechan never said it aloud, but Mark was one of his role models. He was like an older brother to him. They had grown up together from kids in a practice room singing ‘Billionaire’ to singing that very song onstage.

After pondering the thought for what felt like ages, Haechan finally knew what to write about. He hastily scribbled down his thoughts, the rushed writing racing against the paper. He didn’t want to forget a single sentence.

JENO

Being in charge of collecting firewood wasn’t the worst job in the world, he could be in Mark’s shoes, struggling to put together a tent that he and Haechan had finished in a matter of minutes. Jeno giggled to himself, he always thought Mark could do anything and everything. He could sing, rap, dance, compose lyrics, but he couldn’t put up a tent for the life of him. He walked over to him, leaving his task of collecting firewood behind.

“Need some help there, Mark?”

Mark groaned, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.”

“What happened to Jaemin?”

“Chenle, and Jisung needed him for something so I let him go.”

Jeno nodded, crouching down to look at the half assembled tent. He scanned the instructions for a moment then picked up the two poles. He connected them together with ease, leaving Mark stunned, his jaw hanging open. “I can take it from here hyung,” Jeno teased. The two spent the next twenty minutes building the tent together, Mark had a much easier time now that Jeno was there to instruct him.

“Finished.” Jeno said as he adjusted his glasses.

“All thanks to you,” Mark replied, patting the raven haired boy on the back. Mark was like everyone’s older brother. He had a way of making feel appreciated, he knew how to make people feel better about themselves. Jeno admired his hyung’s kind spirit. As someone who didn’t have much confidence, he was glad that Mark was there to reassure him from time to time. Whenever Jeno had his doubts after going onstage Mark was there to congratulate him, telling him how good of job he’d done. Despite Mark’s constant consolations he was still doubtful. He never felt like he was as entertaining as the rest of his members. He wasn’t as fun as they were, they were always so lively and witty. His members had so much to offer, but what about him? A sigh escaped his lips, as he looked down at his surroundings in search of any good firewood.

“Something on your mind?”

“There’s always something on my mind,” Jeno smiled, his eyes crinkling into a pair of crescent moons.

“I wish I was like you,” Jeno mumbled quietly.

“What?! Why?” The statement took the other boy by surprise. Mark almost dropped all his firewood at Jeno’s sudden confession.

“I don't know, I feel like I’m boring. I don’t have as much to offer as the rest of you. I’m not witty or a moodmaker like Haechan.”

“Jeno, have confidence,” Mark told him, picking up a piece of wood,”You’re fine just the way you are. You have your own charms, have more confidence in yourself. Heck, you can even build a tent like a pro,” Mark laughed.

“I guess you're right,” Jeno’s voice trailed.

“I am right.”

Thanks to Mark and Jeno they were able to have a bonfire, the group huddled around the orange flames, roasting marshmallows over the fire, an essential part of any camping trip. Jeno brought his guitar, undoing the clasps and removing the acoustic from its case.

He began to strum the chords for ‘Walk You Home,’ waiting to see if anyone would notice his song choice. Haechan joined in first, and eventually everyone else caught on too. Clapping their hands to the beat with wide smiles plastered on their faces.

Good night, good bye, see you tomorrow, oh yeah yeah

In a few hours, it’ll be the long-awaited weekend

I’ll pick you up so sleep in

And let’s meet at that place at 2 pm

RENJUN

The glow of the bonfire lit up the dark surroundings, the light of the fire hit Renjun’s porcelain skin giving it a golden hue. Renjun was by himself, everyone else had hit the hay, exhausted from the long drive. The boy looked up at the night sky, it was a beautiful night, he could clearly see the constellations scattered across the expanse of the sky. The bright stars twinkled above him, he was able to make out the Little and Big Dipper as well as the Ursa Major. Space was a vast place full of wonder and opportunity. There was so much to explore, so many undiscovered things were hidden in the sky. He wondered how many possible alien species there were up there. People always thought Renjun was odd, even as a child. He was different because he was curious, he always questioned things. Renjun loved alien conspiracies, the idea of life outside of earth was a fascinating concept. People always discouraged this behavior, but not Mark. He encouraged the boy’s ideas. He’d often listen to Renjun’s theories, and ghost stories. There was a time he truly thought there was a paranormal presence in his dorm. Mark was the second person he had told this story to, after Jaemin. He had left a bottle on the staircase of his bed, but it suddenly disappeared. He later found it under the bed, leaving Renjun spooked and unable to sleep that night. A few weeks later, Jisung admitted that he knocked the bottle of the bed, which debunked his theory that it was a ghost.

“Still awake, huh” Mark said, taking a seat on the log next to Renjun. He had a pen and notebook in his grasp, meaning he was planning on writing song lyrics.

“Yeah,” Renjun replied, his gaze still fixated on the stars above him.

“There’s Cassiopeia,” Mark said pointing at the constellation that was lightyears away.

“How’d you know that?”

“How else? You taught me remember?” Mark replied, looking up at the sky. “You’re a good teacher.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ll make a good leader.”

The thought had been bothering Renjun for months, it kept him up at night, leaving him tossing and turning. He was drowning in self-doubt, unsure if he could live up to the expectations that came with being a leader. He was the oldest NCT Dream member after Mark, it was fitting that he’d be the next one to lead Dream. Stepping into the role meant he was stepping into someone else’s shadow, he had big shoes to fill, and Renjun wasn’t sure if he could do it. He’d never lead a group before, not even in school when teachers assigned group projects. He’d be a follower, quietly listening to the instructions of another student.

Although he was a follower, Renjun had the the bold personality of a leader. He was outspoken, and talked with confidence. Like the time he told the hosts of Weekly Idol that the only reason he is ‘pure’ is because it is the image SM wanted him to maintain. He spoke without fear, Renjun didn’t care if he was judged by others that didn’t matter, but he did care about being judged by those he cared about. He wanted to be good enough for his brothers. He wanted them to see that he would be an efficient leader in his own way. He didn’t want to be exactly like Mark, he wanted to lead Dream as his genuine self, Huang Renjun. He could only hope that by leading his own way he wouldn’t be disappointing his members or nctzens.

“You’ll be a great leader.” Mark reassured him.

“I’m not like you, Mark. I can’t lead the way you do.” He mumbled, slumping his shoulders and burying his hands in his hair.

“Who said you have to lead like me?” Mark questioned. He looked at Renjun his bright personality and dimmed, the pressure of possibly being Dream’s next leader was taking a toll on the boy.

“I’m afraid. I want to be a good leader, but I can’t do things like you do. We’re different people. People know you as the leader of Dream, I can’t live up to everything you’ve done. I don’t know what I’m going to do when you leave. They need you, I need you,” Renjun sobbed.

Mark walked over to his friend, enveloping him in a hug. He sat down next to him, “Don’t worry. You’re going to be an amazing leader. You’re incredibly talented, you can sing, and dance so well. Remember when you filled in for Haechan and sang his high note, I was in shock. You’re not alone Renjun, the others are going to support you in your role. I know you can do it.”

Renjun’s solemn face slowly curved into a smile, “This is what I mean, you’re a natural born leader, with your stupid motivational speech and all.”

“And you are too, a natural born leader,” Mark shot back with a laugh.

Y/N

Your eyes felt like they were going to burn you’d been staring at your laptop screen for hours you wanted to finish this video for the boys, you wanted to leave them something that would help keep this trip etched in their memory forever. You groaned at the feeling of someone’s body weight on top of you. Mark had entered the van, flopping onto you nestling his head on your shoulder. You decided to work and sleep inside the van, putting the back seats down so you could lay comfortably. Mark pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, playing with stray strands of your hair, brushing them out of your face and smoothening them out. Mark’s touch was relaxing, it put you at ease. “Take a break, babe,” he whispered, placing a kiss on your shoulder.

You shook your head, you were determined to finish editing the video before they had to depart and head back to Seoul. Mark sat up staring at out the car window, “This trip was a good idea,” he hummed, a small smile forming on his lips. “Thanks for coming up with this, and for coming with me.”

“Of course, I’m happy to document this trip for you,” you smiled back. You sat up, scooching over to Mark closing the gap between the two of you. You weren’t sure if it was the way the moonlight hit his skin, but Mark looked beautiful he always did. Mark Lee with his big round eyes, and soft lips that you could kiss for hours. You were proud of your boyfriend, he had accomplished so much in the three years he had spent with his members. He struggled at times, but through those hurdles he was able to improve as a person and you admired him for that. He had a good head on his shoulders, always looking out for people whether it be his brothers or you. You were happy to have met someone as incredible as him. You stared at his dark eyes, pushing his glasses up higher on the bridge of of his nose. You giggled, as they slid back down.

“What’re you doing?” Mark chuckled, wrapping his arms around your torso, pulling you closer to him.

“Thinking about how much I love you.” Your gaze fell from his eyes to his lips. You closed the gap, melding your lips with his, you could feel him hum softly against your mouth pulling back for air. He broke into a goofy grin before leaning in to reconnect his lips with yours.

“I love you too.”

The blinding rays of the morning sun greeted you, awakening you from your slumber. You didn’t get the chance to finish making the final edits to your video the night before, you were too tired from the long drive to concentrate on finalizing the video. You were disappointed in yourself, you needed to finish this video. You wriggled out of Mark’s grasp leaving him to cuddle a pillow instead. You sat up resting against the interior of the van your eyes glued to Adobe Premiere.

“Good Morning,” Mark greeted, his voice still raspy from just waking up.

“Morning,” you replied in a monotone voice, your fingers dancing across the keyboard, as you cut clips, and inserted effects.

“No kiss?” He said, pouting.

“I have to finish this.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then. Good luck,” he said as he pressed a quick kiss to your lips. “I’m going to get breakfast.”

“Mhmm.”

That was the thing about Mark, he knew when you needed your space. He was respectful among many other things. You looked out the window to see him helping Jaemin. They were preparing breakfast. You smiled looking at the other boys seated on a log chatting with each other. You had grown close to the rest of Dream when you started dating Mark, they were kind and welcomed you instantly. They treated you like a sibling, and didn’t hesitate to protect you or lend a hand if you asked.

Mark returned not much later, sliding the van door open and placing a plate of toast and fruit next to you, along with a bottle of water. “I’m happy you’re working hard but don’t forget to eat,” he advised. You bit back a smile, he sounded like a mom, but you were glad he cared.

By the end of the day you had finally finished exporting the video. You hopped out of the van the moment the ‘export complete’ notification popped up on your screen. You couldn’t wait to show the boys the final result of all the footage you had collected.

“I finished it!” You announced, running to the boys who were seated around the bonfire.

“That’s my girl/boy,” Mark exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

You blushed at his statement, setting the computer down on a box of supplies, and hitting the play button.

A video montage of the trip appeared, clips of Jisung packing for the trip popped up, the video transitioned to everyone getting in the car with Jeno at the wheel. You edited Jaemin’s tteokbokki tutorial into the video too. Clips flashed one after the other, the boys laughing, playing, singing around the fire, and the one clip of Haechan’s marshmallow catching on fire was included too. At the end of the video a slideshow of photos appeared, but that wasn’t all. Earlier that week you asked Mark to make a video message, which you included at the very end.

“First of all, I want to say thank you. Within NCT I have been able to debut with the Dream members, I have been able to do many activities with you guys, and honestly, I don’t wish for more I’m so thankful. Even just doing the NCT Dream Show was so fun to the point that I was filled with content. Just being able to share a stage with you all one last time made me happy. I want to see you guys quickly mature and grow. You’ve all grown so much. I know we promised each other not to be sad, but it’s hard not to. I’m going to miss being in Dream, but this chapter has ended for me. You did well, Dream members! Thank you. I love you guys.” And with that the screen faded to black the lyrics of Dear Dream fading into silence.

The Dream members gave you a round of applause, in awe of the beautiful video you had put together. Renjun clapped along too, even though he blamed you for making him sob with such an emotional video. Mark went over to you, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you into a hug.

“Thank you Y/N.”

“Thank you, for being there for these boys.”

MARK

Mark leaned back against the tree, his shoulders relaxing as he sat under the shade. The suns rays still managed to peek through the leaves giving him a bit of warmth. That warmth suddenly disappeared when Jisung towered in front of him. “Jisung, what’s up?” he asked, looking up at the boy.

“This is for you,” he said handing Mark the wrapped present, scurrying off before Jisung could witness Mark’s reaction.

“Jisung, wait what is this?” The boy had already gone off, leaving Mark to discover what was underneath the watermelon themed wrapping paper. He tore it open, it was a photo album with the words NCT Dream written in bubble letters. He flipped through the book years worth of memories came flooding back. Pictures from their trainee days, to days off, and performances from different stages were all inside the book. On the last page was the photo of the seven of them, it was taken before the Dream Show. He flipped the page to see six handwritten messages, one from each member.

Dear Mark,

I hope that your graduation has gone smoothly, I’m going to miss having my older brother around. Don’t worry, even if you aren’t in Dream you’re still a member of the big head line! I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. Good luck Hyung! - Chenle

Thank you for treating me so well, and taking care of me. I learned alot from you by watching you grow with us over the years. I’m sad to see you go but I know you’ll be okay. Thank you for everything Mark Hyung. - Jisung

THANK YOU!

The world’s coolest, handsomest, most loyal, the one who lights up the world, Mark. -Renjun

Hello my name is Jeno, just kidding it’s Jaemin. You’ve lead us well, but now it’s time for us to say our see you laters. I’m going to miss your presence around the dorms and in the studio - Jaemin P.S you still owe me that coming of age kiss

Hello, it’s actually Jeno, Thank you Mark for teaching and leading us so well. I couldn't be more thankful for everything you’ve taught me, but what I’m most thankful for is that you believed in me, even when I couldn't believe in myself. -Jeno

We both knew this day was coming, I’ve already shed enough tears over this. Don’t worry Mark, Dream will still be strong without you :P I will continue to be by your side in 127 like always. Also, thank you for being someone I can look up to. - Haechan

Mark smiled down at the album, it was something he was going to treasure for the rest of his life. It was another thing that would remain forever in his memory, those messages gave Mark a sense of closure. It reassured him, it made him confident in the fact that the Dream would be okay without him, and that’s exactly what he wanted before he left. He wanted them to be alright. And they were going to be, they were going off into a new journey, and Mark couldn't wait to watch them grow from the sidelines this time around. His graduation wasn’t goodbye forever, he’d always be able to call back, and they’d reply with the same tone. No matter what happened they’d always be Mark, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Renjun, Chenle, and Jisung. They’d be NCT Dream.

#Mark Lee #mark lee x reader #nct dream #nct dream x reader #mark lee oneshot #mark lee as your boyfriend #mark lee scenarios #mark lee drabble #mark lee imagines #gender neutral reader #nct scenario #nct x reader #nct imagines #kpop x reader #kpop imagines #kpop scenario #nct dream imagines #nct dream scenario

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fictionzsurveys · 2 years ago

Text

This past year…

who were your favorite singers, musicians, or bands?

Mitski for sure. I had her music on loop much of the first half of the year, especially her latest album. I don't think I glommed onto anything else this year.

what were some of your favorite foods?

Did you know ice cream is good? Because I'd forgotten that for decades and got back into it this year. Phish Food from Ben & Jerry's wins the gold.

what was your favorite dessert?

I suppose it was tuxedo cake, though I think that carries over from 2021. In any case, it's hard to top a cake that's just layers of vanilla and chocolate mousse.

what was the best thing that happened to you?

It’s frustrating because I feel weird about money but I got a promotion and big raise this year. It’s good of course, but I don’t like feeling joyful about it. Probably something for me to work out there.

what was the worst thing that happened to you?

I got covid. It was no worse than a cold, but it still felt strange to finally get it. All in all I guess I didn’t have a bad year.

how have you grown as a person?

Maybe in that I’m tackling big things like trying to figure out future retirement stuff and talk to my family about the future. I avoided it for years. We’re a laconic household.

what have you learned?

That I can still take on big plans like becoming a programmer. That’s my single biggest undertaking. It’ll take years but I kicked it off in 2022.

how old did you turn?

40.

what did you do for your birthday?

I had covid and wrenched my ankle so I just stayed in and read books.

what did you accomplish?

Maintained my diet regimen from 2021, visited Mexico despite my paranoia, started programming studies, got that promotion.

where did you live?

Same apartment. This was my fifth year here and I’d previously never stayed in one place for more than a year and a half.

who was your best friend?

Er, n/a.

This past year, have you….

made a new friend?

Nope.

lost a friend?

Nope.

made a new best friend?

Nope.

lost someone close to you?

Nope.

attended a funeral?

Nope.

attended a wedding?

Nope.

gave birth to a child? 🤰

Nope.

“came out of the closet”?

Nope.

traveled?

Yeah it was a big travel year in reaction to lockdown from 2020-2021. I went to Las Vegas, the Mojave desert, Mexico (Jalisco), Disneyland, San Juan Island, and Los Angeles a few times.

felt depressed? 😔

Not really. I ping pong between emotional states but usually level out.

felt suicidal? 😔

Nope.

felt happy? 😃

Sure.

felt at peace? 😊

Yeah at San Juan Island. The ocean does me good.

felt overjoyed? 💃

I think so but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was.

felt blessed? 😇

Not often enough, considering all the good things that happened.

felt amazed? 🤩

Definitely.

fallen in love? 😍

Nope.

had your heart broken? 💔

Nope.

got a new car? 🚗

Nope.

graduated? 👩‍🎓

Nope.

experienced something miraculous? ✨

Hm, I don’t think so... my continued low rent always feels like a miracle though.

had a better year than last year?

Oh yes.

had a worse year than last year?

Nope.

been to see the doctor? 👨‍⚕️

Oof, no. I’m overdue for a checkup.

been to the hospital? 🏥

Nope.

had a severe allergic reaction? 🤧

Nope.

had COVID? 🦠

Just a few weeks ago.

found out someone you knew had COVID? 🦠

Lots of people. We’ve all been getting out more.

used an epi pen? 💉

Nope.

had a fever? 🥵

Yep.

had a migraine? 🧠

Yeah a few times.

gone on a date? 🌹

Nope.

written in a journal or diary? 📔

Yeah I was keeping up with a few logs.

given someone a hug? 🤗

Yep.

cut your hair? 💇‍♀️

Every other day (I shave it).

danced around your living room? 💃

Nope.

prayed? 🙏

Nope.

worshiped Jesus?

Nope.

read the Bible? 📖

Working my way through it. I start on Psalms this month.

discovered a new favorite book? 📕

The Haunting of Hill House was great.

gone to church? ⛪️

I went in several churches, but just as a visitor during off-hours.

went for a walk in the fall? 🍁

Every day.

set up and decorated a Christmas tree? 🎄

Nope.

threw up? 🤮

Just yesterday. I think that was the only time I puked all year.

almost threw up? 🤢

Nope.

discovered a new music artist you really liked? 🎤

Mitski.

discovered a new song you really liked? 🎶

Love Me More.

seen snow? ⛄️

Only on the distant peaks.

seen beautiful fall foliage? 🍁

Of course.

gone to the beach? 🏝

Yeah I was on a bunch of different beaches. They were all Pacific beaches so it was brisk weather.

rode a bike? 🚴

I spent all last year setting up a bike and didn’t ride it at all this year. I might give it away to someone.

rode a horse? 🐎

Nope.

swam? 👙

Nope.

worn makeup? 💄

Nope.

done a craft project?

Nope.

made a scrapbook page?

Nope.

written an essay? 📝

Maybe some small ones for class.

painted something? 🎨

Nope.

drawn something? ✍️

Hm maybe a sketch somewhere.

sketched in a sketchbook?

Look up.

written someone a letter? 📝

Nope.

been to a concert? 👩‍🎤

Nope.

driven a car? 🚘

Yep.

kayaked? 🛶

Nope.

gone on a cruise? 🚢

Just a ferry and a Christmas party boat.

made a big purchase?

A Steam Deck.

moved to a new home? 🏡

Nope.

got a new pet?

Nope.

lost a pet?

Nope.

gotten a tattoo?

Nope.

gotten a new piercing?

Nope.

started a new hobby?

No new ones. I have enough for the moment.

worn a mask? 😷

All the time.

felt afraid to leave your house?

Nope.

celebrated your birthday alone?

Yep.

celebrated Christmas alone?

Nope, I was with family.

went for a long walk through the neighborhood?

All the time.

Favorites of this Year (Pick one for each.)

Song:

Love Me More by Mitski.

Book:

The Haunting of Hill House.

TV show:

Cabinet of Curiosities.

Youtube channel:

Nate the Hoof Guy. I got weirdly into watching this guy trim and maintain cow hooves. He’s got a good voice for it.

Food:

Ice cream in general, phish food in particular.

Dessert:

Besides ice cream? Tuxedo cake.

Drink:

Stone Hazy Double IPA.

Friend:

Marlyne.

Thing you did:

Stayed on San Juan Island.

Place you went:

Look up.

Person you spend time with:

Probably Marlyne, which is weird because she’s my landlord, and we hardly spend time together. But she’s cool.

Thing you did for your birthday:

Read a book I guess.

Celebrity:

Guillermo del Toro.

Website:

This one.

Emojis:

Still into :grimace: even though it’s apparently an old folks’ emoji now?

Colors:

Neon pink.

Restaurant:

That double decker spot by the water in Friday Harbor with a good view of the ferry.

Tea flavor ☕️:

Green.

Final Questions!

Would you say this past year has been a good year overall?

As we covered above, it was objectively a good year.

What are your goals for the new year?

Don’t eat meat. Continue programming studies to the point that I can make a game prototype. Just keep saving money and cut back on spending accordingly. Plan a trip to the east coast to go from Washington DC to Manhattan.

How old will you turn next year?

41.

Did you make any big mistakes this past year?

Nothing big.

Do you have any big changes coming?

Nothing planned.

How will you be celebrating New Year’s Eve this year?

I stayed at a hotel by the coast. It rained all day but then New Year’s Day was sunny so I got a nice walk on the beach.

What was the best day of this year for you, and why?

Just seeing my family in December.

What did you spend the most time doing this year?

Programming studies took up a lot of time.

#source #ssurveys #surveys #survey

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bmtpromotions · 6 years ago

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Plan 2020 Right With These Fabulous Promotional Products

Many business managers start the New Year with a fresh outlook and copious ideas of how they want the following 12 months to pan out.

Whatever their concepts, we have a range of promotional items that can help them put their ideas into practice and will help to advertise their business brand throughout the year.

Planning The Year

To get a clear vision and plan of what the next 12 months will look like, you will need a branded wall calendar where you can jot down important targets for your team and what dates they have to be completed by. The A2 Traditional Wall Calendar has 12 Monthly Sheets and a cover that is able to be branded. The calendar can be printed in full colour with images from our extensive range or you can supply your own images to advertise your business further.

To plan extensively, our promotional diaries are a great place to start. With day-to-a-page A4, A5 and pocket diaries you can write down meeting times, plans for the week and future strategies, all with your business logo on for a little extra advertising for your company.

Taking notes

When in meetings or at exhibitions you may want to jot down some notes and new ideas. Our branded notebooks are idyllic for this. Our notebooks are available in a range of colours with a coordinating coloured closure band and also feature a pen loop. Choose from either plain, ruled or graph paper on beautiful ivory coloured pages for a professional look when out with clients.

Healthier Staff

In 2020 we all want to be healthier. You can help your staff with an improved lifestyle by providing them with promotional water bottles that can be used at the gym, out running or, just to help with an increased water consumption.

The Base Sports Bottle is a proven bestseller for the promotional market, thanks to its ergonomic shape and large branding area. It is available in a range of stylish translucent colours, plus glossy white or black with a varied lid colour choice too.

Creating a good work-life balance for your employees

If you want your employees to love their jobs and work hard for you then creating the perfect work/life balance is paramount to this being a success.

Let your employees have extra days off, take an odd afternoon off with the family or work less hours some weeks. They will appreciate it and will work harder for you when they are in the office.

Provide some branded colouring pencils for kids, promotional backpacks for picnics and shopping trips and bespoke travel mugs for journeys so that when your employees are out of the office having fun, they are also promoting your business too.

Content is originally posted at https://bmtpromotions.co.uk/plan-2020-right-with-these-fabulous-promotional-products/

#branded wall calendar #promotional diaries

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mauraanders · 6 years ago

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Branding Your Business Successfully

Compliment Your Business With Beautiful Branding

Branded office stationary is one of the single most important aspects of your business. It makes your staff feel more proud and gives your customers more faith. Most importantly it makes your brand memorable. Think about how many offices you have been to where the folders and the stationary are standard issue, bulging, untidy and just stacked on a shelf collecting dust. I bet you are having difficulty remembering…. That’s because the office wasn’t memorable.

If that same office changed all of its stationary and folders to incorporate their logo and brand identity the experience that you had would probably have been more positive and definitely more memorable. Lion Presentation are masters at helping their clients build and develop their brand identity and take it to the next level.

How much stationary can you really change though – and what counts as stationary for that matter? Well Lion are happy to think outside the box. As well as traditional branded stationary (folders, business cards, pens, letterheads etc) they also do credit card wallets, tax disks and diaries. Basically, if you think about it, they’ll do their best to do it.

One of the more fundamental aspects of stationary are Lion’s branded PVC binders. These can be made very simple in order to differentiate and hold documents or more elaborate for presentations and conferences. They can make binders with all sorts of little pockets – for business cards, pen loops and corner pieces all of which extenuate your brand values and identity, ingratiating you to your clients. These also make great keepsakes for after a conference, with your contact details or website printed on it you can guarantee more business.

If you want to get noticed and take your business to the next level, you need to celebrate your brand and promote it in all you do and in all of your office stationary and paraphernalia. Lion Presentation has been helping businesses to promote their brand in this way for years and will have loads of suggestions for you. Give them a call and you’ll be remembered.

Via https://www.lionpresentation.co.uk/branding/

source http://lionpresentation.weebly.com/blog/branding-your-business-successfully

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lionpresentation · 6 years ago

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Branding Your Business Successfully

Compliment Your Business With Beautiful Branding

source https://www.lionpresentation.co.uk/branding/

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akshayaquapri · 29 days ago

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Customized Diary with Pen Holder

Quapri’s Leather Diary with Pen Holder

Written in classy, high-end types of ways. For the refined yet practical person, this Customized Diary with Pen Holder manages to bring a classic elegance with modern function. It would be an ideal gift for very professional people craving an elegant notebook or that unique gift idea. At any rate, this is a high-quality diary that provides unmatched quality with a dash of personalization.

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hgghgfd · 1 year ago

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02/2003 - Black Velvet Magazine "Queen Adreena in Wonderland"

(Interview with Katie Jane Garside - Taken From Black Velvet 35 - Feb 2003)

By David Jackson

As the interview continues Katie’s fingers are in a constant state of activity, be it continuing to arrange flowers or further looping straps on her bag. However, every so often, Katie looks up, wide-eyed, with one of the MOST mesmerising stares I’ve ever seen. Many of Queen Adreena’s unique traits have carried over to the band’s second album. In many ways ‘Drink Me’ can be seen as an extension of ‘Taxidermy’. Or is it a completely new entity? Pausing for thought Katie continues. “It is just another page in the diary. A lot of the things I said were sustaining me fell away, all the things that were keeping me upright sort of fell away, during that part of my life, making the record, I think it’s reduced things to their baser elements. In a way ‘Taxidermy’ is tugging in a lot of different directions. For me ‘Taxidermy’ is quite existentialist where I’m observing and witnessing and ‘Drink Me’ I’m taking part. I do use sexuality and violence to sort of beat myself back into existence because I’ve felt perpendicular. I’ve found myself to be dangerously insular. That again is what I said about the only useful thing to do with fear is to run headlong into it, because I lived in a tree house for a long time, just lived above everything, not taking part and I want to be here. Well I have to be here, otherwise I might as well not be here. As a kid I could never come downstairs to my own birthday party. I wanna take part, I actually wanna be there now, but I’m sick of living outside of everything.”

With only one single lifted from album ‘Drink Me’ (so far), the unusual decision was taken to release non-album track ‘FM Doll’. Not the usual procedure of album promotion. “I didn’t want to look backwards. Making the record was kinda wrestling the thing to the ground,” describes Katie. “There was a great sense of relief. We’ve got a completely new rhythm section in effect now. I don’t want to sound like I’m doing my dirty washing, but we fired out old drummer after we did the album for the first time because it was not played very well. Then we went and recorded the whole thing in five days in a tiny demo studio. By the time we had the things in our hands it was, suffice to say, after finally getting the thing finished, we’d been writing like crazy and just thought there’s no point kinda eating yesterday’s dinner. FM Doll came out so quickly so natural and easily in a way. I feel like I kinda like parodying myself to such an extreme on that.” The title of the single itself is one of hidden truths, quickly revealing a dark sub-text to the song. “It’s actually called ‘Fuck Me Doll’ and is about female objectification. In a way I shouldn’t really talk about it cause we’re desperate to get it onto daytime radio.” Treading her ground carefully Katie continues. “I know because of the lyrical content it won’t get on there. It’s about child murder. Do you remember the JonBenet case in America? The child beauty queen who was supposing murdered by her mother and father It’s about that and the endemic infection in the female psyche.”

The lyrical content of Queen Adreena is in places beautiful and consistently fascinating. “That’s very kind of you,” replies a visually pleased and smiling Katie. “It’s not difficult at all. It just insists on coming out my mouth. I’d rather somebody shouted louder than me to quiet my own noise really. I mean that’s what playing live does, it just shuts the head noise down for a while. There’s so much noise from every angle it gives me a day off really once it strikes up and gets loud. It’s maintenance for me, it helps with survival. You’ve gotta put all that shit somewhere otherwise it turns into cancer.” Talking about how the lyrics and music intertwine to make the final product, Katie Jane says “Crispin can get terribly upset with me. A song like ‘Silent Undoing’ I just wrote it at home. I’ve got a little wind organ I write stuff on. I’m not a musician, I can play a couple of notes very easily and there’s some chord buttons. For me I always write off an atmosphere. I’ve got six chord buttons and there must so however many combinations of those six chords so I can find that atmosphere that’s drilling in my head for that particular moment. Atmosphere’s everything. Everything that comes out I see in pictures. I’m just interpreting pictures, like snapshots but it’s always very vivid, it’s very much got a black line around it. In a way I have a hotline to the unconscious. Pity me, it’s not the best thing to have and I can’t turn it off. But that’s just intellectualising it. We always try to find clever words to make sense of what we can’t make sense of.” The live show is one forum where Queen Adreena leave the onlooker completely mesmerised. Talking of playing live, Katie Janes says “I’ll give you the most fantastic and obvious cliché. Things that are important to me are fucking, wine and playing music and that’s it really. This thing of reduction, it’s all been about getting out of the head and into the body so it beats the military drum and calls us to war, and let the war of the fucking psyche commence. Here we are, what else could I be doing that would be more fun?” With a notorious reputation for performance how important an element of your music do you feel performing is? “I’ve always known it’s a real privilege to take the stage, it’s a very highly charged thing to do cause it’s a very un-natural thing to do.” Do you think so? “Yeah! Why would anyone want to stand up in front of hundreds, hopefully thousands of people and almost beg them to tear one to pieces? Or on the flip side, when you catch the right side of the wave you can run up the sides of buildings and stuff like that, you capture a certain pure essence of something and that’s when magic happens. You step into a different realm. You walk through a door that’s not open very often, but you know you have to walk the knife-edge and be willing to throw yourself off the cliff, and that’s why I mean it’s very un-natural. ” Taking the stance that it’s un-natural to stand in front of thousands of people and perform, are there any particular messages you hope Queen Adreena convey to their audience? “You know I take absolutely no responsibility for how I’m received; it’s nothing to do with me. I have a profound sense of displacement, like I said before, witnessing rather that taking part. I’m desperate to take part. Maybe everybody feels that, but it’s really under the microscope in my case and I’m very very aware of it. I have absolutely no message. I write little stories and I put them like photographs around myself in order to believe that I exist, or challenge the idea that I exist at least and that’s the beginning and the end of it.”

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