#I love the misfits sm and I love everything about them

[hanzajesthanza]

nooo like reading maria janion's such comprehensive overview of vampires and what defines a vampire and how the myth changes through times and authors, as entirely expected, has contributed to my regis brainrot.

because though it's obvious how many tropes regis subverts as he literally talks about himself, it's more overwhelming when they're all summarized focused on examples from across history and the literature canon, and pretty much hitting none of them or fucking with all of them. because it's not that he just doesn't fit in within his own fantasy universe, but that he doesn't fit in within the broader canonical definition...

"my personal vision of fantasy (...) he is not the typical vampire bloodsucker, according to the dictates of the canon" ... uggghhhh sapkowski, in his witcher, by challenging all genre expectations and tropes, creates all of these characters that don't fit in anywhere, neither in their universe or in the broader canon. and thus, can only find fraternity with each other

i was just reading like 'so... so he doesn't fit in *anywhere*... 🥺'. regis in baptism of fire explaining how he doesn't conform to either vampiric expectations of vampires (socially, for his personal principles) nor of human expectations of vampires (biologically, for his literal existence). but it even goes farther when you look beyond the witcher and to the broader literary and mythological canon. in practically every understanding of a vampire he would not be recognized as one of them... and does he even want to.

[acid-ixx]

Dear author,

I love your batfam series SO MUCH. I like the way you describe the feelings, how you use the words, how the depression of Y/N was shown, and the thinking of Batfam when they realize that Y/N had been heavily neglectful. Every time I read this series again, I still feel the hurtful of it and it actually makes me cry a lot T.T. And I love that feeling. And the series makes me want to draw, even though I’m not good at drawing.

The first panel, I draw Y/N in my thoughts ( sorry if you feel uncomfortable) and Conner. This one is inspired from a manga called “ Veil”.

The second one, I draw some scenes from chapter 3 (I tried to draw the ways Y/N calmed themselves down, but I couldn’t 😭).

From your series, I’ve thought about ABO au, where Y/N is a beta, they can’t be marked ; so the yanderes ( romantic one) are more yandere, because they know that Y/N never belong to anyone.

Last thing to say, I VERY VERY VERY LOVE your batfam series and this is one of the greatest fics of Batfam I’ve ever read. I also very admire your hardworking and your inspiration about this series. But I hope that you also stay healthy because I saw that you’re very productive ( how you can write so fast but still focus on the details TvT). No words can reveal the love in my heart to your series.

Sorry if I either bother you or my bad grammar ( English not my native language, this is also the first time I do this ). Thank you so much because spending your time reading this piece of mine. I just want to express my feelings and thoughts about your fic. Hope you have a good day!!!<333333

— masterlist !

a/n: the topic of a/b/o is written under this post. anyways, this comic panel is so absolutely brilliant and breathtaking omg... i love all the thoughts u have compiled here and i'm so sorry I wasn't able to reply to this quick enough 😭 but i appreciate this sm !! "even tho im not good at drawing" YET U SENT ME THIS !! i absolutely love everything about this don't say ur not good at drawing bec u are 😡

so like i said, don't be sorry if u draw the reader as female bec i portrayed them as gn so anyone can interpret them as any gender and it doesn't make me uncomfortable at all as long as i'm the one not being misgendered. anyways, veil is actually one of my fave mangas and if u ask me, i could say your relationship with conner is pretty much akin to that of veil's! which means conner is very touchy-feely with you and is uncaring of their status as a wayne and would rather... have you take his last name very soon, if you know what i mean hehe.

the second scene is absolutely heartbreaking even for me, especially the panel where your mom tries to comfort you by telling you it's all alright made my heart ache real badly because that's probably the last time you have experienced; the love of a parent that's soon taken away from you. your mom's last words would be reassurance, one that both comforts and disturbs you as the memory repeats itself over and over in you head like a broken record </3

and the abo au, for me personally (tho i never have written for it) is just going to threaten more angst with your family because not even your pack is willing to take you in and care for you. despite your hopes due to being a beta unlike your family who are comprised of strong alphas and resilient omegas, you are merely average in their eyes probably, average enough to be forgotten and discarded by a pack you had thought would take you in for you must be a misfit just like them.

yet despite the pain you had to endure for feeling unloved as a beta, it would also deepen your potential with conner as your love interest because although you could never be claimed by any past sweethearts, conner would always, and i mean always make a show that he loves you in a deeper, more symbolical way. he may not be able to mark you as your alpha, but a ring and an always protective hold on your waist paired with his scent and pheromones engraved into every piece of your clothing is enough to tell everyone to "fuck off, this one's mine."

and tysm for loving my fanfic 😭 even tho i have written it impulsively, look where it got now !! yes i am very productive but this is a mere product of my attention span and hyperfixations towards the dc storyline and no my health is very bad but trust me it's not from writing, it's more from me just being very ill every single day but im trying to take care of myself <33

[cnka]

i’d love to know more about the characters in this art

what are their names? what are they like? what’s their relationship? what is their story about?

they kind of give me „on some kind of adventure on the road through wilderness“ vibes but idk if that’s accurate?

Haiii thanks sm 4 the ask!!!!! You got the road through the wilderness vibes really well!!!!

I started to think about this concept of 3 road trip stories that are connected in some way in the beginning of summer but I've only picked it up now

It would ofc be split onto 3 parts

Pt 1: the lovers

Pt 2:the misfits

Pt 3:the sisters

Pt 1 explores the story of Melanie whose parents just announced to her in a roadside motel that they think it would be best for her if she were sent to a mental institution Melanie of course drives away angry later she witnesses a gas station robbing and not really knowing what to do with her life she begs Ryba the thief to take her with herself so they make it their goal to travel as far as possible from everything else

Melanie unsure of her own sanity is really confused with her life herself and the world overall so the only stable thing in her life right now is Rybas old car

Ryba is a really striking individual who's always going always ready to fight with teeth and nail for survival

They grow sort of codependent on each other and their old car in the end and unsure of where they stand in the world

So that's the basic plot of pt 1 I don't have the other parts are only exist as concepts yet

I also have a playlist and a Pinterest board for them (the Pinterest board is for the vibes of the whole thing not just them)

Thanks sm again for the ask 🫶🫶🫶🫶

[lovemesomeagnst]

THAT BONUS SCENE OH MY GOD???? Thank you lots for @charliedrawsstuffig for granting us the chance to see it and love u lots for it!!

Anyway I have SO much to say???? So spoilers I guess??

First of all, TWIN CENTRIC is something I’d never thought I’d see ever since I’ve long abandoned the idea of ever getting their own book. I’m still pretty sad about that but a whole chapter focused on them is more than what I could have expected so I’m not so upset anymore!!

I think it was so cool to see how the twins bantered with one another without the Magic Misfits around. Like they bantered exactly like I’d imagine them to and their little snark towards one another is so so sooo entertaining to read! I especially loved how they’re kinda sassy with one another and are just so silly and fun!! It’s exactly how I’d imagine them :3

Also this was killing me HELPPP

They’re so ridiculous but they’re my favourite siblings ever so seeing them with their own actual chapter was so good to see! I loved the fact that this chapter is basically a snippet where they found B.Bosso’s secret box cause I always thought that when they mentioned they had their own box from a treasure seek event it would be like a background mention or some old event that happened at the resort, not an actual chapter focused on it?!

I just found that SO cool cause it’s like those kind of stories where they actually give you a scene to something background that happened in the main series like ahhhhh.

ALSO THIS IS WILDDDD cause apparently we got to see Dean with sinister intentions already in the SECOND book instead of the fourth.

Makes it sorta interesting to think about how reading the bonus scene first would have changed our perception because I read all the main books first before I knew this bonus scene existed so I read it knowing Dean had deliberately planted them the clues cause he had bad intentions and was Kincaid and whatever, but if I had read the bonus scene in book two FIRST, that would have changed literally EVERYTHING???? The reveal that Dean was Kincaid would still be shocking but him being like an antagonist and on Kilroy’s side wouldn’t be so surprising and we would have been suspicious of him from the start…

Also the twins are so adorable and clever in their own way :33 I love how they discovered the clues and just went around the resort looking. That small scene where they performed for the people at the spa was great and I love how we got to see the twins have silly silly talks like no words can fully describe how excited I am or how my heart is literally AHHHHH.

I LOVE THIS SCENE SM ITS LIKE THEYRE REASSURING THEMSELVES CONFIDENTLY AWWW.

Yes they’re actually plenty clever cause even though they joke a lot and aren’t serious sometimes they’re also one of the most observant in the group? I mean there’s been MANY instances in book four and others where the twins would discover or notice something first and it’s just ughhh they’re so underrated you have no idea how much we need this chapter.

Also its SUCH a relief to finally have an official chapter for me to rely on whenever I want to write the twins cause now we have 👏🏽canonically👏🏽accurate👏🏽portrayals for themselves and its so so sooooo good and everything I pictured.

I love Izzy’s characterisation so much here like it’s so fun to watch how her and Olly literally just add on to each others comments and so on and its so aoshakhsjashjaha ahhhhh. Also Dean is so odd here and knowing the context I don’t trust him around the kids grr.

Also but appreciation to how amazing like the chapter is cause it even has little sections for us to decipher ahhhhh

Anyway mwah mwah fave chapter now! Adding on to reasons why Book 2 is the best and my favourite for REAL.

[willinglyghoulified]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the Last 10 people Who reblogged something from you. Learn about your mutuals and followers. 🎠 But only if you want to, just have fun! 💖💖

Awe thank you!~ I love this sm! Answers are gonna get long-winded though T_T

5 Things That Make Me Happy:

Positive Feedback - has to be on the top of my list because this absolutely does breathe life into me. I started writing in the first place to make people happy. I do it because I love it and I want to share that love with others. I want to be the writer that makes people look forward to getting off work to read that new chapter or the reason they stayed up a little too late because they just had to know what happened next. I want my stories to be someone else's escape. And maybe one day, I'll be on their bookshelves, too. ♥

Genuine Friendships - they're so important to me. I'm someone who has very few friends and even fewer family, so if you're close to me, it means something. I'm all about chosen family, and it often reflects in my writing (one of my fav main characters has a tendency to adopt lonely misfits). With my friends, we're either just acquaintances or you're my goddamn sibling, there's really no in between, which is both a good and a bad quality trait.

Fucking Fallout - because it's the most immersive game I've ever played. I know a lot of the games get some hate throughout the fandom, but I genuinely love every installment that they come up with, because it continues the story. Even with all its flaws, I love all of 1, 2, 3, 4, NV, and 76. I'm more partial to 4 because I relate more to their characters, but NV had the superior storyline. ♥ I literally cannot get this game or these characters out of my head.

BTS - Okay hear me out on this one: I know BTS is a stereotypical K-Pop band, but I seriously love them as people. I don't like K-Pop normally, as a genre. I listened to "emo music" growing up (I was born in 1993 so the 2000s was where my favorite music really lied). I was also a troubled kid and I brought a lot of those insecurities and trauma to my adulthood, and my old bands just wasn't doing it anymore. The memories of teen angst mostly stressed me out. But then I found BTS, and their music and messages helped me SO MUCH as a young adult, well into later adulthood (I'm 29 now). I absolutely love them, and they make me happy with their genuine care and messages. Those 7 boys are some of my biggest inspirations in life, reminding me that I can do anything if I try hard enough. But you will NEVER catch me mixing my love for BTS with the Fallout stuff on this blog. I've noticed that liking K-Pop is a quick way to catch hate, so I keep my obsession with them to myself. I'm okay with that; I've done it for the last six years.

My Husband - as cheesy as it is to say, I have the best husband I could have asked for. STORY TIME: I met him in Kindergarten, and he was always getting me in trouble by making me laugh and the teacher kept telling us to be quiet. She had to separate us. I had a crush on him in 2nd grade. Then we didn't see each other again until middle school. We had gym class together in 6th grade. In 8th grade, we became best friends. He dated a friend of ours in 9th, and I thought that would help me get rid of the feelings I had for him because I was terrified I'd ruin our friendship if I made a move. It didn't work out between him and our friend, but he told me in 10th grade that he liked me a lot, and we really understood each other. (Honestly it "helped" that we both came from troubled/broken families and were both below poverty level.) When we got together, we were each other's first EVERYTHING. We were together all throughout high school with no complications, and our peers deemed us worthy of being prom king and queen in 12th grade even though we were the nerds who oftentimes got bullied. It was so surreal. We moved in together after high school. We went through a loooooot of bullshit. Being kicked out of houses, losing jobs, losing family members (deaths and otherwise) and we're pretty much inseparable now. We've been together for 14 years. He's supportive in everything I do, even if he doesn't always understand my obsessions. He believes in me. He knows I'm not going to thank him for doing the bare minimum (respecting me, listening to me, helping me, not expecting me to mother him, etc). He genuinely fucking loves me. And he's pretty damn handsome and funny, too. Icing on the cake. And after losing all the people that we have over the years, we're pretty much all that we've got left. But I wouldn't choose to live this life with anyone else.

[what-if-nct]

hiiii today's reminder is a notes app list of observations/thoughts from the concert that I kept to say to you lol:

- xiaohenyang black on black dance break I sobbed

- the first VCR started with jungwoo and jeno and I thought they'd do Js first then it went to yuta and my brain said "mera juta hai japani" which is a line from an old Bollywood song meaning "my shoe is japanese" and it cracked me up too much to pay attention to the rest of the VCR

- about the from home stage: RENJUN MY BABY smiling when he made it through his famous voice crack part and all the members putting their mics up to him for the "and it starts from here our home" bit 😭😭😭

- new stages/songs i don't remember being performed before that I loved: Oasis (why does sm hate winwin's voice), kangaroo (i need a well shot performance vid), ok, pado (tho why would they call it pado and not wave bc my brain immediately read it as pedo and then it was a sexy song and I was Disturbed), call d (what does that even mean lol they're not even trying to hide the frat boyness anymore), and you specifically are gonna love bat and alley oop

- why were the mics so bad. why was the camera work so bad, esp in nct u songs where they clearly don't know which part is whose. also they were focusing wayyy too much on close-ups for choreo-heavy songs (rip nectar). also the random hour long delay in between wtf?? tho I did like wayv banter in the meanwhile, speaking of which

- WHY DID THEY CHANGE WAYV'S INTRO TO "TO THE WORLD THIS IS NCITY"?!!!!!!!! also they clearly just tossed wayv up there to buy time while they fix the sets, it was kinda hilarious. they're pushing winwin to act cute and winwin taps his in ear and says "give us more time" (as in the staff asking them to fill up more time before the performance) and they jumped on him with "you can have all the time you want to act cute baby" to which winwin tries to hide behind ten but he's a whole head taller than him lol

- baggy jeans is good and I'm sure it'll grow on me more, but the t7s unit reunion feels wasted on it. love love LOVE ten's rap verse tho

- songs i loved live but really missed the missing members (this is mostly taeil tho sungchan makes a couple of appearances): round& round, my everything, taeil's empty spot in good night broke my heart, misfit, the 90s love bit in resonance. i like that they didn't have anyone cover taeil in 127's songs tho because he really is the heart of their music to me

- conversely: why does winwin still have 0 lines in boss, why not give him you know who's verse??

- apparently the new 127 album will be the most 127-esque yet and should I be scared?

- so so so very few resonance era songs :(

- some beautiful people: chenle, winwin, ten's wayv outfit, jisung in his black outfit (is that allowed???), taeyong's little braids even though I'm not sure how to feel about this hair, KUN 😭, yuta being the only one without a shirt in resonance for some reason

- Kun, Doyoung, jeno and Chenle together in the end that's my husbands and our sons

Hiii!!!, I might be responding super super out of order.

Overall the missing members left a layer of pain the whole time but the members who covered for them did amazing, Yuta hitting taeil's high note my baby did so well. And Jisung too, speaking of, recently I have been fighting any attraction to Jisung back with a stick, but the past day I... Can no longer fight it like hello???? Sir?? Sir?? Also I really noticed how much he and Winwin look alike I used to think it was just their lips but its their cheeks and smiles too. Jisung still looks more like Taylor Swift though. Who is coming to Miami next year! I think it's an amphitheatre so might picnic in the parking lot. Anyway next!

I just wanna talk about how much of a cutie patootie sweetie pie Renjun is every time I see him I'm like heres the boy! and his little smile! His redemption. And just everyone clamoring to him and Winwin, the princes of NCT.

I really didn't want to spoil all of the new songs yet so I just skimmed over them. And I did allow a little more of Bat and you are so right but but I left some surprises and I'll go back after the album release. But Hendery!!!! That is all. Call D, I have so many questions but the sheer vibe of the song answers them. It's not an NCT album without a song covertly about sex. Baggy jeans from what I've heard so far, same I'm not completely sold on it but I didn't hear the whole song so who knows.

The production value was definitely lacking and they seemed confused about how to film it. At least Winwin had a few of you knows lines in Wayv's songs but I always say this but it's cause the first time was so hard but the Yixing vibes are so strong with Winwin, and I worry. SM if you appreciate Winwin and give him everything he needs he won't find it else where just give him more please. Give Wayv more!!! I am an exo-l who's seen a lot and I'm scared okay. I don't want history to repeat itself. Again!! Cause exo was history repeating itself the first time.

I think we should just be prepared for the next 127 album it could honestly be anything, genuinely anything. I think just go in open-minded and ready to hear them out.

And I just wanna add just Xiaojun Yangyang and Hendery, that's it Xiaojun Yangyang and Hendery just wow look at them also.

Ignore the text I don't agree with that, that's just the tiktok. I only okay you know what nevermind.

Also Yuta can *** ****** ** me

[justporo]

Hey, Poro.

We all know how much Astarion loves the sun. What about Tav making sure Astarion gets enough relaxing sun time during down time or a short rest? I know the game does short rests instantly but they are mechanically an hour of rest in D&D.

I like to think of Tav laying out a blanket and coaxing Astarion to take a sun nap with them. Either at one of the windows in the elf song, or under the shade of a tree when out on the road.

A/N: So - you want to make sure they both get their... Vitamin D, amirite? Alright, I'll stop. This idea was so endearing to me, made my writing brain go brrr, so thank you! Pairing: Astarion/GN!Tav (You) Warnings: light mention of past traumaWordcount: 2,3k

Short Rests

Artwork by the wonderful @britonell - pls follow them!! (And thank you sm, again!)

Whenever your little group took breaks during the day, one could bet that the vampire was to be found somewhere lazing away the time in the sun. His favourite position was laying down somewhere in the grass, if available: arms behind his head and legs angled, one crossed over the other with his ankle resting relaxedly on the knee, his foot idly tapping to a tune only Astarion could hear and sometimes even humming in content.

And he smiled when he did that - for a long time during your joint adventure these were probably the only real genuine smiles you’d seen on him. You weren’t even sure if he was aware of the blissful expression on his face during these moments. And you surely hadn’t meant to tell him, lest it would disturb his enjoyment.

Nothing and no one could take those moments away from him. Which also went with how he mysteriously became deaf and blind once his behind hit the ground to recline and relax in the sun. Only some very good negotiations from your side had often assured your group leaving on time again. These negotiations had usually entailed you making promises to come spend the night with him or a generous offer of your blood. Demands, which of course you had no trouble giving in to.

Once you had started to spend nights with him and once those had become a lot more frequent, you sometimes sat with him when the party rested. Often you just sat in silence, merely listening to the rambling of the others like when Shadowheart and Lae’zel argued or when Gale took up inventory for the dinner of the day ahead of time (he had the very despicable habit of thinking aloud when he did that). Or even better just some forest sounds whenever there was an opportunity to have just a little more privacy.

Then you’d just listen to the wind in the treetops, birds chirping, the occasional turmoil in the underbrush.

And sometimes you would talk. About nothing at first really, some banter, a bit of flirting and sultry jokes. But you felt how things slowly shifted with you and Astarion. How your treacherous little heart took a small leap whenever he looked at you in a certain kind of way, when he threw you these kind of glances: soft grin on his lips that made him look almost fiendish and his ruby eyes glinted at you, one eyebrow arched - always looking like just about everything was nothing but a punchline to him.

What you didn’t see was how Astarion’s gaze softened at you in like whenever your eyes wandered away and he could allow himself to admire your open smile for a moment. Only when you were alone, when he could do so without fear of being found out and it being used against him.

So at one point you found you had moved from feeding each other sweet nothings and lewd comments to actually opening up to each other. Slowly and cautiously, of course, each of you had more than enough reasons to keep your hand close to your chests but increasingly it had felt like that this was more than just a fling between you, more than a game - and unbeknownst to you, more than ulterior motives.

But things changed once more when your little group of misfits reached the Shadowlands.

Then all of a sudden there were no more relaxing breaks in the gentle warmth of the afternoon sun. No more talks with birds chirping in the background, after which you always felt like there might be something after all this mess - someone even.

And your time in darkness brought even more changes. A bond between Astarion and you was formed that weeks ago you hadn’t dared to dream of. Something to hold onto despite the shadows surrounding you and even more shadows within you.

When the curse was finally lifted, the first rays of sunlight felt like a caress on your pained soul. But it wasn’t the same anymore, not for Astarion anyways.

What Astarion and you had now was precious to each of you. But with opening up, letting down some of his guard, he had not only invited you in but also some old demons he’d pushed away from him as far as possible for the duration of your adventure. Suddenly the old pain and new fear were often so clearly written in the vampire’s face that it made your heart ache.

Not once in the duration of your travels from Moonrise Towers to the Gate had you spent one of those rather carefree afternoons together enjoying the sun anymore. You wished deeply to have these moments back. When you had almost been able to convince yourself that all this chaos didn’t exist, that there was only him and you.

And it got worse the closer you got to the city. The dread of closing in on his master’s lair seemed almost like a physical weight on him. And it was also easily spottable in his mannerisms, mood and behaviour.

Just like when you had first met him his eyes were always jumping around, always alert, his posture sometimes slightly crouched as if trying to get away from a non-existent threat. Some of the light-heartedness that he’d earned in between was so easily lost again that it made your chest clench.

But on one of the last days of your journey to Baldur’s Gate you decided to take a leap. An attempt to lighten the load of your vampire’s shoulders and showing him that you wanted to be there for him, that you truly cared.

When your usual time for a break rolled around, you quickly grabbed a blanket out of your pack and went scouting for a neat place to hopefully settle down - if only for a short while, just a short rest. Luckily, you quickly found a small clearing in the surrounding woods. It was really quite beautiful: a small spring at the edge of it provided some atmosphere, shadows from the nearby trees provided generous shade and some flowers added specks of colour all around. Almost a little too perfect. But just right to lead your partner away from camp for a few moments - and hopefully from his fears and worries.

You placed down your blanket directly in the sun and quickly made your way back to camp. There you found Astarion sitting atop his rolled up pack - a bit away from the others.

He was fiddling with his dagger - throwing it up with a flip, catching the tip of the thin blade precisely between his thumb and index, then throwing it up again and catching it by the hilt.

You had come to know that this was a nervous habit of his. The quicker the blade flashed in the sunlight the worse it was.

Today you could barely make out a pause in between his fidgeting.

Perfect timing to try and get his mind off things.

“Astarion?” you asked.

The vampire flinched. Just a little because he was used to your company now, but old habits, as one knows, die hard.

“What can I do for you, my love?”

The dagger didn’t stop flipping.

“Do you want to continue trying to stab yourself or do you maybe want to come with me for a while?” you asked and crossed your arms over your chest.

The dagger continued to basically spin seamlessly. The vampire threw you a sultry look.

“Oh, darling my, what are you suggesting, hm?”

You both knew this was merely a joke or a facade. It was a clear and outspoken agreement between the two of you that you would take it slow with certain parts of your relationship. Although that didn’t stop Astarion from making lewd comments at every possible turn though.

“That we lay in the sun like a pair of lizards,” you began truthfully and began to grin when you saw the vampire’s nose scrunch up at the comparison to a puny reptile. Still the blade was flashing at you as it was thrown around - although it seemed to slow down a bit.

“You know, like we used to…” you continued and let your words trail off. He would know what you mean.

And he did.

Astarion snatched his blade out of the air a final time. Then sheathed it with an artful twirl and a sigh. When he looked at you the sultry demeanour was gone. He offered you a genuine expression of worry: corners of his mouth turned down and drawn together brows causing a steep wrinkle on his forehead, eyes wide and shining. Another sigh made his chest rise and quickly fall again while he looked up at you almost like a lost pupper. Good thing you had good ways with those.

Offering your vampire a reassuring smile you stretched out a hand to him to help him get up. Which he promptly took - albeit not without a small dramatic bow that made some of his curls fall into his face.

He pulled himself up on your arm and then pulled once more when he was standing in front of you, effectively dragging you towards him until you crashed against his chest. He had stowed the worry away again quickly enough. Or it might be that he was just way too good with putting a mask back into place. Still the smirk he offered you was a delight when he wrapped his arms around you.

“I thought one wasn’t supposed to go into the woods with strangers? What if I get kidnapped?” he teased and puckered his lips.

“In that case don’t you have a dagger to defend yourself? Or is that only to show off?” you teased back and then slipped out of Astarion’s embrace to grab his hand and lead the way.

The rogue just laughed slightly, but it didn’t sound fully genuine.

Immediately, your chest clenched. You’d change that.

With your hand firmly in his - which also was still a pretty new and exhilarating experience - you made it to the small clearing. It really did feel like a small part of heaven with how the sunlight shone through the leaves of the trees above and there was nothing to be heard but the small stream of water and silent forest ambience.

Once you had taken a few steps onto the clearing with your hands still entwined with Astarion’s you turned around to face him. The vampire looked a little surprised by all this, taking in the calming atmosphere but only until you grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss.

You wanted nothing more than to take all the worries and fears off of him, all of the things that weighed heavy on his heart. Just make it all vanish so you could both forever stay in moments like these.

The kiss deepened soon, bodies were pressed against each other and soft moans broke the serene peace of this place. Then you pulled away, absolutely unwilling to cross lines.

“Are you sure lying in the sun was your only motive to bring me here, my sweet?” Astarion asked in a husky tone despite knowing you would never push him on this - at least this you knew for sure from looking into his crimson eyes. He was sure of you. At least he had that.

But this still didn’t mean he would pass up an opportunity to make a suggestive joke.

“Yes - I don’t want to get the pointy end of that dagger, Astarion. You need to relax.”

The vampire chuckled. Already you felt you noticed how his shoulders lifted up a little again, your plan seemed to work.

You motioned him towards the prepared blanket and the pale elf didn’t need to be asked twice to settle himself down with a contented sigh. He assumed his usual position of comfort, stretching out his limbs like a feline before he became nearly unmoving.

The wind picked up with a gust and made the tree crowns whisper more eagerly than before. Meanwhile you just stood there and watched the sight that fit right in with its beautiful surroundings.

Golden rays of the afternoon sun were shining directly onto Astarion’s angelic face, speckled only by shadows of leaves above. The vampire’s visage was now once more adorned by one of those easy, blissful smiles. You hadn’t even known the full extent of how much you had missed to see them on his lips. Your own heart lightened by the sight of Astarion slipping back into this simple pleasure: basking in gentle daylight.

Only when you saw that one crimson eye was watching you carefully, did you notice that you had gotten lost in the moment. Standing there at the edge of the blanket like a statue, simply observing your soulmate indulge in this delight.

“You wanted me to relax, right?” Astarion asked with an undertone you couldn’t fully place - a weird mixture of something genuine and something teasing.

“Yes, that was the idea.”

“Well then, darling, are you coming or did you plan on standing there like a creep the whole time?”

The corners of his mouth turned up as he set down his leg on the ground again from where it had been crossed over the other, opened both his eyes and stretched out an arm towards you.

More than an invitation: a demand, a need.

You didn’t make him wait for long as you sat down beside him and watched a genuine smile grow on his lips again. Then you curled up beside him, your head on his chest, arms around his torso and his arm around you. Something you’d been dreaming of since the two of you had begun your afternoon tête-à-têtes so long ago.

You laid there, all bundled up with each other, filling a short rest with a whole eternity, while you forgot the time and promised each other to do this again as soon as you were able to.

Taglist (DM if you want to be added please): @spacebarbarianweird @sunfire-ancunin @tragedybunny @dependsonthedream @tallymonster @magazzne @micropoe10 @aoirohi @my-bunny-prince @lumienyx @fayeriess @darlingxdragon @hereliesblackdragon @ayselluna @ajokeformur-ray @i-cant-get-into-my-other-account @rikuyrk06 @marina-and-the-memes @somewhatclear

[decembermoonskz]

AAAA i asked abt ordering bc we dont have kpop stores here so i have to order everything sjsjsn automatically assumed its the case for everyone. i dont have as many albums myself but i have 3 svt ones (hoshi attacca carat ver is my biggest flex i love that man sm) and i only have 1 vernon pc that i bought by itself bc i couldnt contain myself 😔😔 i used to own a gyu pc i sold it to someone tho LMAO i am manifesting a woozi pc for u!!! which ver do u want 👀 make sure to post abt it so i have motivation to buy it (i hate spending money)

ah yeah no I have a few kpop stores where I am but I only like a couple and we actively avoid one bc my mom had a kinda irksome time at one HAKAHSKSJSJD but omg omg nice nice on the carat version 🥹🥹 also you’re so valid hell I’m pretty sure I’ll buy mask chris pc if I see anyone selling it’s on sight JAKSHSJS

I’m gonna get the green album I believe it’s “fallen, misfit, lost” I wanted the pictures of them in the water bc they were my fave other ones uwu and ty 🥺🥺🥺 I shall post about it HAHA

[number1yisuchongfan]

I love Fallout: New Vegas and I actually have ocs for the game that aren’t the Courier and that relate to side characters cuz that’s much more fun than main character bs:

Nero - Champion of Flagstaff

A Centurion from the 47th tribe inducted into Caesar’s Legion, The Pale Eyes, a small tribe from the ruins of Española, New Mexico

He is the oldest child of his father, a former chieftain of The Pale Eyes, Silenus, and his younger brother, Ex Legionary-in-training Lucretius aka NCR Private Poindexter

He is proud of his legion rank and status but he does not fully believe in the Legion, he is only truely aligned with Lucius and will do what he asks without quarry

Nero is feared by his men within Flagstaff, he gained his rank of Centurion when he impressed Praetorian Guard Lucius (Before he became the Commander of the Guard) when he fought in the Flagstaff Arena when he was a Prime Decanus at 19

Lucius thought Nero’s name (Sharing a name with Roman Emperor Nero) would possibly gain favor among the upper ranks of the Legion and even Caesar himself, though Caesar never cared for the prodigy of his Commander, many in the Legion, including Vulpes Inculta and members of the Legion’s government, do

Level 23

SPECIAL 5 ST, 5 PE, 5 EN, 9 CH, 6 IN, 5 AG, 6 LK

Tagged Skills Melee - 80, Speech - 85, Guns - 79

Karma Level Neutral - Egocentric

Silenus

An older man (a little older than Lucius) and a former chieftain of the Pale Eyes, the father of Centurion Nero and NCR Private Poindexter, though he only sees one as his son

The only reason why his tribe was spared from total destruction was by having a woman of The Pale Eyes, A blind Chieftain named Dusorri, and a young Nero offered Malpais Legate, the man who was attacking them, and his men a plan of surrender

Silenus and his tribe was spared total destruction (though without keeping their independence), bringing back Chieftain Dusorri and Nero with soon being returned by The Malpais Legate himself, honoring their deal of surrender on one condition. The Malpais Legate and his men get to crucify all the adult women and enslave the young girls

Silenus agreed

Silenus isn’t his given name, like how Nero’s actual name isn’t Nero. He doesn’t care for his tribe anymore, refusing to call Poindexter his son after he ran away from Flagstaff at 13, though Nero still calls him kin

Like his name, and his status as a chieftain, he understands how to play many musical instruments, which he and his sons used to play for the neighbors that lived around them in Flagstaff

Level 5

SPECIAL 3 ST, 10 PE, 2 EN, 5 CH, 7 IN, 2 AG, 7 LK

Tagged Skills Barter - 90, Speech - 85, Explosives - 82

Karma Level Evil - Fat Cat

Ranger Johnson “Codiac” DuBoise

An older Ex-Ranger from Oak Creek in the New California Republic who was discharged from Ranger service after he and the rest of his squad was attacked by the 80s in Utah, taking his right eye and killing his squad mates

Ranger Codiac was sent out back into Utah by Chief Hanlon, a old friend of his, on a “recon” mission in case any of the tribes come to attack NCR caravans but instead found a 13 year old Poindexter stuck, in a bear trap he’d set up, one night while hunting

He kept the young boy, raising him and teaching him about the West. He was tough on Poindexter, giving him his “know-it-all, self-serving” prick we know him as in the game

His personality switches between a understanding father figure and a soldier hardened by warm and the problems that come with it which axe it hard for himself to relate to Poindexter when the boy ran off and got in trouble with the New Canaanites that lived close to their small ranger station

Level 10

SPECIAL 8 ST, 4 PE, 5 EN, 6 CH, 7 IN, 5 AG, 2 LK

Tagged Skills Barter - 90, Speech - 85, Explosives - 82

Karma Level Neutral - Observer

The Dunlap Family (O’Hanrahan’s Family)

Robert Dunlap (47), a graduate from Angel's Boneyard Medical University, Juniper Dunlap (46), a painter and farmer from Baja, and little sisters, Brice (12) and Riley Dunlap (13). They’re from Anza-Borrego, California (Outside of the Boneyard)

They are very proud of their brother and son. Juniper is especially proud of her son and is very glad when she gets a letter from her boy ever few months

Mags’ Moms + Aunties (Mags’ Family)

Former prostitutes from the Cat’s, located in New Reno on Virgin Street, Laffy (42) and Taffy Smithe (43) along with Juno (39), Brenda (50), and Lyra (36) raised Mags with the up most care, like any good moms would

All are so proud of their daughter and niece and are extremely thankful that she went for her dreams instead of becoming a prostitute like themselves

Razz’s Fiends Crew (Razz’s “family”)

Razz’s (when they were 16-19) fiend crew consisted of:

Denver (23-26), a former NCR recruit that got discarded after it came out he were selling illegal Jet on base

Tabs (18-21) a former crier from Junktown who was caught selling illegal Jet

And Jumper-Cables (17-20) a New Vegas Local who, sadly, got addicted to Med-X after getting attacked by Cazadores

[iraacundus]

Resonance Series

c o m i n g s o o n ! 

eleven fics based off songs from the album, each featuring a member from that song, i have tried to pick members i don’t usually write for, or that i generally see written for less (though ones that i still feel fit with my concepts) to showcase nct as a 23 member band

(underlined fics are links as they have been completed)

make a wish - xiaojun: investment banking was a high stakes game, even for the interns. you and him were in constant competition, living the high life, stressed out of your minds, unwilling to let the other know that. “i could do this all day”

misfit - sungchan: you met sungchan at a college party and all you could discern was that he was indiscernible. sungchan couldn’t be held down, he didn’t play by the rules, people didn’t like him mostly because they didn’t get him. you didn’t really get him either, but you wanted to “break the system trust your instinct”

volcano - lucas: nightclubs were hot and sweaty, but that was lucas’ best look. he wasn’t the best dj around but he was still the life of the party. every girl was mesmerised by him, charmed by him, used by him. lucas just wanted a good time, he didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings, least of all yours. “as hot as possible, bounce,  got me feeling so incredible,”

lightbulb - doyoung: you had loved doyoung since you were sixteen but at twenty six it wasn’t so easy, life was hard, finding reasons to stay together was harder. somedays you loved him more than anything, some days you had to stop yourself from punching him, your love was a lightbulb and you reckoned it was flickering out, “i don’t think i can handle you like this anymore”

dancing in the rain - jungwoo: in the spring of 1956 you were eighteen and your mother let you attend your first local dance. you had dreamed of finding the perfect man, kissing him in the rain, you just never thought you would have found a man who put the teddy in teddy boy “we circle around the streets babe,”

interlude - a fun little secret because who doesn’t love surprises such as sm actually giving us ot21 well ot23 now !!!

deja vu - jisung: jisung didn’t have a lot of friends growing up as an idol, only other idol friends. you had trained with him many years ago before quitting sm and giving up on your dream, yet when jyp saw you dancing in the street and offered you a position in a new girl group, you saw jisung again in person for the first time in years, standing there on the inkigayo stage, a stage you were also on “in this repeated dream, you and i are again on this stage”

nectar - yangyang: you had never seen a person die until you saw yangyang kill that girl, he swore he didn’t mean to, that he wasn’t dangerous really, that even though he was cold as ice and his heart didn’t beat, he would never hurt you. instead he claimed he was fascinated with you, that he wanted to protect you, but as far as you could see, he was the only one you needed protecting from, “escaping this hazy night and i’m thirsting alone”

music, dance - johnny: you had never been so attracted to a bouncer throwing you out of the club before, you had one mojito to many but if johnny was punishment for you sins, you were determined to go to hell. “3am coming or going, what’s your plans?”

faded in my last song - yuta: you were a certified heartbreaker, you dated guys for fun and left them in the dust. usually this never bothered you, dumping them was part of the fun. you didn’t want to think yuta was any different, but somehow he was. he didn’t care when you used him, threw him away, he loved you all the same, even though you hurt him. you wanted to say you merely pitied him, lying was your strong suit, “you can deceive me with lies”

from home - kun: when you met kun at thirteen you were best friends, when he went to korea you missed him, when you followed him there a few years later he fell in love, he insisted he would marry you tomorrow if he could. but he couldn’t, he was an idol and his career meant everything, your life together could never be normal. you both reconciled in the fact that every time you kissed it was like coming home “when we look at each other under this spotlight, i smile without knowing and forget everything”

[jeontaehui]

Could you do a taehee reaction to taeyong overworking him self and getting ill? 😍, i really love your taehee imagines 😊😊🥰

seul i wish taeyong is having the rest he needs and DESERVES. he’s done so well for us, i’m glad he’s really getting a break of some sort :( and i miss him very much that’s why i’m going to write this, but i know there are some people who get triggered by these things easily so if you do, do not read under the cut.

HELLO, It’s SM ENTERTAINMENT. We’d like to ask for your understanding. Member TAEYONG’s waist injury has relapsed, and will not be partaking in any schedules, including the “Beyond LIVE NCT RESONANCE ‘Global Wave’”. We ask for your deep understanding as we focus on TAEYONG’s treatment for a quick recovery. Thank you.

taeyong had been in bed almost the whole day, only coming out of its comforts to get a glass of water, go to the bathroom, or to eat, then he retreats to the confinements of his room to watch the compilation of cute animal videos that have been hanging around his recommended on youtube for days now.

he knew that the members were practicing for the live concert tomorrow, and he can’t help but let his mind drift off to how they could be doing right at this moment, but he also understands that the faster he recovers, the shorter the time would be for him before he comes back. for now, taeyong eases his mind onto that thought.

knock. knock. knock. “come in,” taeyong calls, a bit confused that no one had sent him a message saying they were coming over. he expects it to be doyoung or johnny, but instead taehee’s head pops in, her eyebrows raised adorably as they met eyes. a wide smile grows on taeyong’s lips, “what are you doing here?”

taehee lets herself in before closing the door and is met with the cold by the room’s air conditioning, at least it was warmer compared to the outside. “i came to visit you of course,” she mumbles, a playful tint to her voice as she states what should have been the obvious. “are you guys done practicing?,” taeyong asks. he watches her take his computer chair and push it towards the bed, turning it to him before sitting comfortably and using her padding coat as a blanket. “yeah, they let us go early.”

taeyong checks the time on his phone and sees that it was nearing midnight, “ahh.... how was it?”

“it was alright,” she replies, and taeyong senses the tiredness in her voice. taehee combs her fingers through her ash brown locks and bites the inside of her cheek. she didn’t want to say, “it could’ve been better if you were there,” knowing that it might put more pressure on their leader, and instead she gives him a small smile, “it went better than expected.”

taeyong chuckles, “expected how?”

“put twenty-two energetic, humorous boys in one room. you tell me what to expect,” taehee laughs softly. “but we did our best, as always.”

taeyong agrees with her, he’s well aware of how good their team is when it comes to performing – the humor some of the guys pull is just a bonus, something to help them get through practice hours without dropping dead to the floor.

“did you eat already?,” taehee’s the one asking this time. “i just ate leftovers. those were enough for me anyways,” taeyong notices the skeptical look she gives him, but it quickly disappears once she stands up. “i got you a yogurt smoothie before coming here. i’m going to get it,” and she leaves the room.

when taehee comes back, taeyong lets out a small cheer of glee at the smoothie that was in her hand. she hands it over to taeyong who thanks her before taking a sip of the cold drink. taeyong notices she didn’t have one herself and pouts slightly, “where’s yours?”

“i’m already kind of full,” taehee gives him a dismissive wave of the hand, going back to her seat on his chair. “do you want to at least try mine?,” she politely shakes her head ‘no’ and gestures for him to drink up. eyeing her, taeyong takes a hesitant sip before placing it inside one of the shelves that were beside his bed. 

“it’s your birthday tomorrow!,” taeyong exclaims, and taehee had to draw her attention away from the other things taeyong kept on his racks to see the excited grin that was plastered on the older member’s face. the corner of taehee’s lips tug into a smile, suddenly, she isn’t feeling tired anymore. “yeah, i actually almost forgot about it,” her voice trails off at the end, her brows furrowing when she recalls the date today. “oh yeah, it is tomorrow!”

“you’re turning 22, right?”

“i am,” she lifts her head high to beam at him, before narrowing her eyes into playful slits, “you forgot, didn’t you?”

“i didn’t!,” taeyong shakes his head. “it’s your birthday, i already got your present a week ago.”

“but i said no presents!,” taeyong shakes his head again, but this time more stubbornly, “you already got me a christmas gift!”

“your birthday is different from christmas, 애기,” he tells her, chuckling at how cute taehee looks with her mouth flattened into a straight line, dimples peeking out from her cheeks. “it’s no use to tell me not to get you one anymore.”

taehee bites her lip, “okay, fine. whatever.” taeyong giggles at her behavior, it was these kinds of things that brought him back to the time when they were still trainees; to when taehee was slowly getting comfortable enough to joke around and tease them too, though this doesn’t take him away from noticing the slight pout that was on her face.

“why?,” taeyong asks, dragging out the word to remind her of the lightness of their conversation. “i just said i got you a present,” he reaches for his smoothie and takes a quick sip, “you should be happy.” he takes another one.

taehee hums, “thank you.” 

silence passes by them while taehee lets taeyong drink up to half of the container, thinking she should get that flavor more often since he seemed to enjoy it. 

“does it hurt?,” taeyong stops in his actions as taehee pulls her coat closer. “does what hurt?”

“your hip, or your back, or your neck. does it hurt?”

taeyong slowly puts the cup back to its original place before stretching his arms in front of him. 

“a little. it doesn’t hurt as much as it was before,” taehee doesn’t know the extent of his injuries, only aware of the body pains he felt during practices or after performing on stage, but she nods anyways. “that’s good, right?”

“yeah,” taeyong tries to be convincing, he knows taehee worries more than she lets out to be. “i’m getting rest.”

“it happens,” she looks into his eyes, and even if there wasn’t much light, taeyong clearly sees how they held care and worry at the same time. “it can happen to us,” she continues, “don’t worry about anything and just focus on recovering.”

taeyong smiles gratefully at her, softly mumbling how he will before asking, “are you doing any of my parts?”

“yup,” she replied, swiveling in taeyong’s chair for a moment before planting her feet flat on the floor once again. “i’m doing your parts for ‘misfit’ and ‘baby don’t stop’.”

out of excitement, taeyong’s eyes widen a fraction, but the blue feeling of wanting to perform too gets to him. “woah... you’ll do great!”

taehee winces slightly, and shrugs. she knows no one can top taeyong’s performances except himself. he was born to be on stage, but he deserved some rest too after giving his all. “i’ll do my best.”

stillness hangs over them again, though it was less heavy than the first one. taehee pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth, her foot tapping steady rhythms on the wooden floor. taeyong cuts through the silence, “do you want a hug before you go?”

taehee stops her fidgeting and brings her gaze to his, taeyong’s were soft and comforting, yet he was the one lying in bed with a hip injury, not her. she sighs through her nose, her shoulders slumping in surrender before she stands on her feet and brings herself into his arms. 

taeyong was warm. his clothes, his personality, his laugh, his aura were always warm no matter where they are or where they went. even if he was mad or disappointed, he was warm. that’s why deep down her chest, she had always loved his hugs. everything about him was warm. she buries her nose further into his chest and mumbles, “i love you.”

taeyong’s mouth twists in endearment. taehee was not one to show her sentiment towards the members, let alone say it, so these were one of her rare moments where she really means the phrase ‘i love you’ and not hiding behind some casual, flirty remark. “i love you too.” 

taehee tightens the hug before letting go, missing the warmth that was lee taeyong. she grabs her coat and pulls it on, “i’ll see you again tomorrow.”

“okay, goodnight!,” taeyong’s cheerful tone makes taehee’s eyes crinkle into crescents. she gives him a mock salute before twisiting the door open, “goodnight!”

[tell-tale-taeil]

All right! I’ll send a few names in, the ones I remember and learned while watching NCT world 2.0

It’s going to be randomly, and it’s completely okay if you have less to say about some members 😊

Taeil, Yuta, Johnny, Taeyong.

Quick fact: Taeil was the first name I remembered because it sounded so cool.

The first four I want to know about, I’ll send in next few names in a separate ask.

I also hope I’m not bothering too much

So you've chosen... the hyung line 😎 Let's start with~~

T to the A to the E to the YONG

-> the leader of NCT 127 and NCT as a whole -> main rapper, main dancer (and always has a lot of suggestions regarding their choreographies), songwriter (he co-wrote or participated in writing lyrics for a lot of NCT songs) -> also a member of SM's super band SuperM -> most importantly though he's released several solo projects like the single Long Flight (under SM) and a mini-album worth of songs on his personal SoundCloud account (definitely check it out, he collaborated with EXO's Baekhyun and Red Velvet's Seulgi!) -> will be participating in a dance show Street Woman Fighter (alongside Kang Daniel, Boa, Jessi and more!) -> on stage he's in charge of the tough, the sexy, the bad and the growl, but in reality he is a shy fluff ball

-> sucker for expensive brand clothes (witness this on his Insta) -> lover of animals in all shapes and colours, from bugs to fish to dogs (witness this here) -> in love with sweet potatoes, Spongebob, videogames and Baekhyun -> has couple rings with Doyoung, because they are very very close -> is very creative, likes drawing or re-decorating while listening to chill jazz music or soundtracks -> likes to keep everything clean

Master Chef MOON TAEIL lezgedit

-> main main vocalist of NCT 127 (yes, the double main is intentional) -> you've heard the MAMA's performance, you know what this man can do, but if you're still not convinced, listen to Simon Says, Kick It, Chain or Coming Home (which is a lovely display of 127's supreme vocals) -> actually, check his covers, solos or collabs -> is a perfectionist while recording, will re-record every note up to the point where he loses his voice and then he still isn't satisfied -> has trouble shooting MVs cause he can't stop laughing -> is praised by everyone in the music industry for his vocals -> literally evereyone on this planet is waiting for his solo album (I'm looking at you, SM)

-> the oldest member of NCT, but acts as a maknae -> in charge of funny without trying, because most of the time he has no clue what's going on and says and does completely random things -> does aegyo once in a blue moon, but every time he does it, the Earth shakes in its core -> likes Stevie Wonder, EDM music and is generally the chillest NCT member (witness this here) -> not good with technology, it was only recently he discovered he can actually read fans' replies on Bubble :))))))) -> despite being sworn enemies with social media, he set up an Insta and broke the record for reaching one million followers under an hour -> Haechan's favourite toy hyung (witness their chemistry here) -> said to be sleepwalking -> loves working out and has a special power move called Taeil's butterfly, his abs are yet to be revealed -> rommate with Yuta and together they live in their own mess and filth :)))) -> has his own cooking segment -> I love him

And I'm JOHNNY SUH

-> main dancer, rapper (listen to Misfit, Dancing in the Rain or Work It) -> came to Korea all the way from Chicago -> joined SM in 2008 and trained with EXO members but eventually ended up in NCT -> had a radio segment with Jaehyun called "NCT's night night!" -> loves performing, loves attention, loves showing off -> likes DJing and did a house party once with Mark -> produced and/or filmed Mark's QTAH and Doyoung's cover

-> loves taking pictures (especially with analog cameras), calls it "Johntography" and sometimes share it oh his Insta! -> has a tremendously popular segment called Johnny's Communication Center that's been running for almost THREE YEARS -> a sweetheart with abs and lots of tattoos -> don't make fun of him though, he'll glare you to death -> an only child and mama's boy

Oppa NAKAMOTO YUTA is here

-> main dancer, vocalist -> Japanese Osaka's prince with a healing smile -> used to play soccer professionaly -> loves TVXQ and it was them who made him want to become an idol, check out his cover here -> in charge of the bad and the dominant, unless he smiles -> recently did a lovely colab for Tom Ford -> has his own radio show Yuta at Home with various guests!

-> the biggest WinWin enthusiast (actually shares this passion with Taeil) -> loves experimenting with styles, colours, accessories -> paints his nails, wears earrings regularly -> likes jrock, especially Hyde, L'Arc~en~Ciel -> shares pics of various behind the scenes on his Insta! -> loves drawing and reading, overall a very creative person (witness this here) -> has sensitive hearing and can be waken up easily, so Taeil has to be extra careful around him when he sleeps

That's... that's it! Phew! Hope it helps, hehe. I didn't want to get into the boring details like "he first debuted in blah blah", I felt like saying some interesting info about them instead :) Thank you for your ask, I had fun answering it, you are not bothering me at all ^^

[satuguro]

stars | pt. 1

@astroninaaa : I saw you answered that ask about sokka and omg please right something for him!!! anything!!! i would die for it!!! maybe some angst with a happy ending??? oof i love it

IN WHICH: sokka’s one second too late in making you feel special.

PAIRING(S): sokka x reader, hints of zuko x reader

INSPIRED BY: chasing cars — snow patrol, arsonist’s lullaby — hozier

WARNING: angst, but wbk

NOTES: hi love! thank you sm for requesting and i got a bit carried away, so i’m making this two parts. i’ll tag you when i post the next one. i hope i did your request justice <3

part 2!

you had never been good with words. emotions weren’t your thing — you always added salt to wounds and always found the wrong things to say.

granted, you had a plausible reason for not voicing your emotions. you were raised by bandits, people who hid too much of their trauma behind a tough front. you were once a mere fire nation orphan, left behind by your family because your fire bender mother loved your earth bender father. they were killed as a result of your birth, but they hid you away before it was too late.

you were picked off of the street and raised by ‘bad’ people that became your family. you were the community daughter, protected and loved by everyone despite your firebending abilities. you were trained by them and were taught to survive and fight with your weapon of choice; shurikens.

you had met the avatar and his little ‘crew’ through your dysfunctional family. they had captured them and were having a meeting of sorts to decide what the next move would be. it was you, the youngest of the group and the only person who had arrived late to the meeting, who convinced the others to let them go.

the stalactites of the cave hung heavily over you all as the other bandits gathered around in a circle, surrounding the avatar and his friends. it was a wonder how they hadn’t escaped; but there were talented benders within your group, and one too many people with weapons.

“i say we turn them in!” one criminal yelled with glee, the rambunctious cheers of the others shaking the rocks above and causing dust to fall.

“no— we can work this out!” aang protested, offering a childishly innocent smile as the shadows of the criminals loomed over him and the others. using his airbending would mean possible death— the rocks overhead were weak as is.

sokka raised his boomerang threateningly, backing up along with the others as he readied himself to throw.

“am i late?” a voice — a younger voice — broke through the tension in the cave, making all the bandits hesitate and turn towards the little light that moved towards them.

your mouth and nose were covered by a black mask, leaving your amber eyes on display as you glared at the criminals around you. in your left hand was a ball of fire that you brandished as if it was nothing.

“i told you to be here before 10!” your motherly figure, a criminal named meili, scolded amongst the crowd as you walked forward confidently. there was no reason to show fear— you had known these people since you were a child.

“i got distracted,” you murmured, moving gently through the crowd before you stood in the middle, your permanent scowl melting into a look of shock.

two water tribes, an earth bender, and an airbender. they were looking at your with a mix of caution, hatred, and shock— what was a firebender doing with a bunch of misfit criminals?

“you’re the avatar,” you breathed, your vulnerability falling for just a moment before you glared at the bandits around you. your fire burned brighter as anger suddenly hit you.

“why would you turn him in? don’t you want peace?”

it felt like so long ago. if zuko was hard to trust, you were even harder. you were a bandit and a firebender— how bad could it get? it was toph who had trusted you quicker than the others did; you were brutally honest, much like her, and she appreciated someone who could bring the others back to reality. aang was next, after you tried to teach him some techniques that were a mix of techniques you had learned from your diverse group.

katara and sokka were the hardest to get close to. they sent you dirty looks, ignored you when you spoke, and called you ‘fire nation scum’ — for good reason, you had to admit. but they soon learned to trust you after you saved them from harm more than once.

oddly, you had created a strong bond with sokka. you couldn’t pinpoint the time it began, but there was a solid connection between you both. you bonded over the little things— from feeling like an outsider to your favorite food while growing up. you promised him that you would show him the world one day, as long as he promised to show you his world back home.

you had a connection, and while you never could figure out what your quickening heart and fluttering stomach meant, sokka figured it out for himself.

the moon hung heavily over the horizon, shining down on you as you stared up at it. below the cliff you sat upon was water that reached on for miles, crashing against the jagged rocks below you. your legs hung off the ledge, your eyes shut tight as you took in everything around you.

the soft breeze that prickled your skin. the smell of salty air. the rustling of the trees behind you.

a snap of a twig.

your eyes snapped open, body turning in your seat at you threw a shuriken towards the sound. all you heard was a scream and a ‘thunk’ against wood. your hand lit ablaze as you stood up, raising your fire to see.

sokka, looking as if he was ready to pass out, was breathing heavily against a tree that your shuriken had hit. it had missed him by centimeters, and the poor boy was terrified.

“spirits, y/n, it’s me! sokka! the only sokka you know!” sokka’s breathing came out in labored breaths, and the sound of his squeaky, terrified voice made your shoulders relax. your fire disappeared into your palm and your shuriken was put away.

“you shouldn’t sneak up on someone,” you muttered, turning around to sit in the position you were once in as if nothing happened. you heard him shuffle behind you before he cautiously took a seat next to you.

“and you shouldn’t sit near deadly cliffs,” sokka sassed, making you scoff. but not without a teasing smile.

“are you chicken?”

“me? chicken? never.” sokka puffed out his chest, making you roll your eyes as a soft laugh left your lips. the rare sound made his face bloom a deep red, his eyes lingering at your face for just a moment too long before he averted his eyes. “why’re you out here? we were telling campfire stories.”

“no reason,” you said, staring up at the sky. you were looking at the stars with such wonder written all over your face. your mouth was slightly agape and you looked so... relaxed. happy. it was rare. “it’s beautiful, huh?” you asked, voice dreamy as you stared at the moon.

“yeah,” sokka responded, eyes still set on you. you turned to him, oblivious to the stare he had before you grabbed his face by his chin, your warm touch sending sparks up and down his arms. you gently turned his head to the stars.

“not me, sokka. never me.”

sokka learned later on into your friendship that you didn’t believe you were beautiful.

you had confessed it one day during a ‘confession hour’ around the campfire. you had said the words so quietly that you had to repeat it a second time with burning cheeks. at first sokka couldn’t believe it — were you blind to how gorgeous you were? but as he heard the compliments of the others and saw the doubtful smile on your face, he knew it was no joke.

sokka wanted to tell you that you were beautiful, that he thought you were beautiful.

“it’s two words. just two! you’ll be fine.” sokka paced in his tent, jumping around to get himself ready for the conversation he was ready to have with you. it had been two nights since your confession to the group, and sokka wanted to make you feel special. you deserved to feel special. “okay! okay—“

sokka walked out of the tent, pretending to stretch in order to play it cool. his confident front dropped, however, at the sight of katara and aang. both of them were sitting on some seats toph had bended out of the ground, and both were looking at him with knowing faces.

“are you gonna do it?” aang asked excitedly, practically buzzing in his seat as he leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, propping his chin up on his hands.

“you better,” katara said sternly, giving her sheepish brother a look. “honestly, it took you long enough to realize—“

“thank you, i gotta go!” sokka groaned, making a beeline for the forest, listening to their laughing behind him. you had told him that the forest was your safe place, that despite the many things you were bound to burn, you found solace under the trees.

his feet made little noises against the grass below as he maneuvered around the trees. the thrumming of sokka’s heart was loud as he walked, ready to confess and praying that it would all go well—

he had been too late.

he caught you and zuko laying side by side under a tree, staring at the stars. the stars that you and sokka used to stare at for hours. and while sokka knew he couldn’t claim all the stars for the both of you, nothing but pain struck his heart at the sight of you both. the guards you both put up daily were gone, nearly nonexistent as you whispered to each other. your arms were touching, and sokka saw how dangerously close your hands were to each other.

the worst part? he watched you lean up on your elbows and softly take zuko’s face — the scarred part of his face — in your hands. the prince closed his eyes contentedly, and was practically nuzzling his face into the palm of your hand. sokka felt his heart break in two when he heard you say two words that he longed to tell you. you said it under the stars — your stars.

“you’re beautiful.”

┈┈ 𑁍༅ཾ༚ ┈┈

NOTES: thanks for reading! this’ll be a two part series, so i’ll try to write the next one as soon as i can

buy me a coffee here! any likes, reblogs, or donations are appreciated :)

part 2 is here!

[tepidtrashpile]

covering taeyong’s parts

I am HEATED.

tldr: i don’t usually do stuff like this but i’m highly caffeinated and have nothing better to do so prepare for a (very convoluted and long) rant cause omg im so fucking mad. 

so for those of you who don’t know, nct 2020 had a resonance vlive/concert last night (dec 26/27) and taeyong and jisung were unable to perform due to a back injury (herniated disk) and knee injury respectively.

I’ll mainly be talking about taeyong in this just due to his extrEmely large presence within NCT and also jisung was there to vocally cover his parts.

(also not to take anything away from jisung, however in the sheer amount of screentime and tracks ty is in, him missing is much harder to disguise within a performance with or without vocals) 

in order these are the members that covered ty’s parts in each song (tbh i may be forgetting some, but the point is look at how hard they had to work to even fill ty’s dance position within the concert, the boy is in like 50% of their performed tracks)

nct u - boss - sungchan

nct u - the 7th sense - shotaro 

nct u - light bulb - yangyang

nct 127 - touch - haechan (first part), johnny (iconic ty and mork), yuta (pulls up in the chorus to fill in ty part to the stage right of jh) 

nct u - make a wish - jeno (first part), jaemin (basically rest of the song)

nct 127 - kick it - mark (usually the center parts), jaehyun (first rap), yuta (end dance break), johnny (mark stepped on him rip lol)

nct u - misfit - johnny (start), sungchan (end)

nct 2020 - resonance - jeno / jaemin (?) - dude idk im having trouble keeping up at this point

// I want to make it very clear that NCT would not be where it is without taeyong. I’m not suggesting that he is replaceable in any way, shape or form. however as a person with two parents in the performance industry - and im sure that many of u understand just from general life experience -- the show mUst go on. when you have a presence as large as ty missing, it is undoubtedly going to take a toll on the overall energy and performance but i personally think that the boys fucking killed it -- especially with such a short turnaround from learning that ty would not be performing. (jaemin said that jeno legit had one HOUR to practice the beginning of maw (and by proxy the beginning of resonance) and that amount of talent and skill is unfuckingbelievable) but I digress. 

// there is nothing wrong with being disappointed that taeyong cannot perform. (get well soon ty!) he is an incredible performer and human being. there is nothing wrong with seeing (and understanding) that another member filling ty’s part is going to FEEL different, even if they do a phenomenal job. there is nothing wrong with feeling the difference in energy and performance -- there is obviously ANOTHER PERSON doing the part that we are accustomed to. there is nothing wrong with having a conversation and discourse about the performance. however... there IS something wrong with putting down members and harshly criticizing their performance in a malicious way. constructive criticism is one thing, but a lot (not all but an overwhelming amount) of what I have seen in the comments and the little bit of twitter i have been on has just been bashing members (one in particular) about their performance. 

//

// let me get the easy part out of the way here. jaemin and jeno killed it during maw. yuta’s dance break, mark’s center time, jaehyun covering ty’s rap, and johnny stepping up to get stepped on (hehe i’ll stop now don’t mind me) were all surprisingly refreshing. yangyang covering lightbulb was (imo) one of highlights of the concert. for a rapper who often doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves he did a PHENOMENAL job covering the entirety of ty’s parts in his own way and conveying his emotions. yes, the members weren’t the same as taeyong, however, they added their own twist and their own personalities to it. it is in fact BETTER to do this and be remembered for their own style than attempt to emulate someone else’s performance. it is the sign of a great artist to take something and make it your own. 

// now, onto the two newest members. i will be candid about this. the biggest difference I felt within the performance was when sungchan and shotaro were covering ty’s parts. tbh this is to be expected (?). i’m not trying to put down the boys but the reality is that they debuted 2-3 MONTHS ago? all of the other members covering ty’s parts have had significantly more experience in every aspect of performing. jaemin and jeno may be about the same age as chan and shotaro but they have upwards of 4 years more experience (debuted anyway, and anyone can tell u that practicing vs the real thing can be a very daunting change) than the other two. the other members have performed in front of a live crowd, they have had time to deal with criticism and learn from it. they are just in every way more experienced, and although we expect great things out of all the members, it is simply unrealistic to expect the same level of performance out of members with 2 years less experience than anyone else on the stage. 

aneway...

shotaro covered one of the hardest parts in nct history - taeyong’s 7th sense. in every way - the rap, the technicality of the dance, the sheer charisma ty brings - this was a daunting task. him being a rookie DID show in the performance. this isn’t a bad thing. the tone of his rap did sometimes lack nuance and the level of sophistication that we know taeyong to have. however, i do think shotaro was the right choice for this song. you have to give rookies experience for them to grow, and a concert like this (even without a live crowd) is a great time to do it. (i’ll get into logistics later but bear with me)

the sad reality is that we’re probably not going to have large in person concerts for at least the next year and it will be a long time til travel, concerts, and simply life return to what they were before covid. it will be a very long til the boys get to perform on a stage with the energy of a crowd in the same way they have up til now. 

now sungchan. my poor bb sungchan :(

sungchan covered ty’s part is boss (and a little bit in misfit but johnny covered the first part and its more of a hype rap song than one with designated dance moves and centre parts). the dance (in boss) may not be the most technical but this is an unfORGETTABLE song when it comes to taeyong’s part. the beginning “nct leggo?” *chefs kiss*. from what i’ve seen sungchan is the one receiving  the most criticism (read hate) about his performance. look, i’m not going to argue that out of all the members who filled ty’s part he was the weakest. (im not trying to hate, but imo his performance was the weakest, u can disagree with me). he definitely less comfortable with covering taeyong’s part than anyone else was - including shotaro. i think most of the criticism is coming from the fact that he just looked anxious and unable to throw himself into the choreo and when comparing him to taeyong (who again just -- idk he’s unexplainable) his performance does fall a little flat. imo the rap was okay, his tone is actually somewhat similar to ty. i really think that most of the hate is stemming from the execution of the choreo rather than the rap. HOWEVER... calling him “stiff as a board” and commenting “cap” emojis does absolutely nothing except spread unnecessary hate. sungchans position is NOT as a dancer. he is only listed as a rapper. shotaro, however, is listed as both a dancer and a rapper. not to say that these listings are the end all be all of a member’s position, but because they are so new they are a decent representation of what SM thought their strengths were. we would love our idols to be aces at everything, but they are human and humans have their strengths and weaknesses. compared to taeyong, and also shotaro, sungchan does not have the technical ability nor the confidence while dancing. I’d like to believe that anyone who analyzes their performances and takes an objective view can understand where i am coming from. 

tldr: you are placing unrealistic expectations on a rookie who’s main position is NOT main dancer. you are asking him to fill the shoes of arguably one of the most charismatic and talented rappers, leaders, and centers of 4th gen kpop... as a ROOKIE. his performance is most likely going to show cracks of being relatively new to the stage. its okay to acknowledge that, but don’t be fucking rude when discussing his performance. 

// the amount of posts i’ve seen calling sungchan “untalented” “stiff as a board” just im so fucking over it. yes, his performance had its weaknesses but name-calling and just straight up hate does nothing to help a performer and just ruins everyone’s mental. you can bet your ass that every single one of these boys has worked their ass off, given up unimaginable things, and faced challenges to get where they are today. not to mention that (in particular the case of sungchan and shotaro) these boys are young. the other youngest/newest members have had about 2 years (yangyang, xiaojun, hendery) to become accustomed to the criticism and also hatred that comes with being in the spotlight. sungchan is less than a MONTH older than me. shotaro is just a year older than me. my best friend is legit older than both of these boys. idk your age but think about yourself at their age, or where u think you’ll be at their age. they have accomplished SO much and are so young. they’re 19 and 20 and in an internationally recognized band. we know that a lot of these boys (and idols) do read our comments. i don’t care how much media training you’ve received, how strong your mental is, getting called untalented and being hated on is going to take a toll on your mental. along with that, what is the NEED? to spread hate? to show that “huhu, im such a big deal that all these people are responding to me”. like, legit wtf do u gain from this? 

// when you are a performer you do open yourself up to criticism, it is part of the job. but criticism and hate are two very different things. to get where nct is today, every single member has to be humble enough to accept guidance AND constructive criticism. we all know how much the boys value nctizens opinions and take them into account when performing. when you are a performer like that you also have to criticize your own work. no matter what profession you are in, no matter what you do, you analyze ur own work and attempt to make it better. i can all but assure u that shotaro and sungchan (and all the boys) know their strengths and weaknesses, know when a specific move, performance, or other area of their ability is not up to par (or they just want to improve which is imperative to success in the music industry)

just be a decent human being. put urself in all of the boy’s shoes and think “hmm how would i feel if some stranger on the internet said this about me” before you make hateful statements. 

again, there is nothing wrong with having a discussion and understanding that humans have strengths and weaknesses, but don’t just put someone down because u feel like it.

//

in case you aren’t convinced to be a decent person, have a more logical (?) approach -- not that u should have to shown a dissertation to be a decent human but i digress.

(think about how many other songs the rest of rap line has to perform, logistically, who else are you going have cover the entierty of boss and 7th sense.)

rap line is: taeyong, mark, lucas, hendery, jeno, jaemin, yangyang, shotaro, sungchan, and jisung (?).  

everyone except lucas and hendery (and jisung but bb was injured :( ) covered ty’s part in some aspect. in fact, people not in the friggin rap line helped cover some of ty’s rap (johnny, jaehyun, haechan im looking at you) and other members covered dancing and center parts when they were asked to.

mark is in just as many tracks as ty and was RUNNING around to get to the next song this entire concert. you can legit see his outfit change with jackets and hats. he filled in for ty in kick it (group effort but u get the point) but in 7th sense just to the way that the song works and the dance etc etc, you can’t have mark doing his part as well as ty’s without it falling flat and taking a huge toll on mark. same with boss, marks filling just as big a role as ty and like, legit how do u give this boy mOre lines than he already has. (u can see that sm did a similar thing with jeno and jaemin in the beginning of maw, jeno covers the first part and then jaemin the rest of the song because jaemin can’t leave an open space at the vEry beginning of the song) (10/21 total performances)

lucas isn’t in as many as say mark but he is in boss and make a wish (boss being very hard for him to cover ty’s part, and jeno and jaemin covered maw. if i’m being completely honest i don’t think lucas has the same tone or technical ability to fit into ty’s parts in the songs as much as say - sungchan on a pure technical and tone pov (6/21 total performances)

hendery, similar to lucas isn’t in an absurd amount of tracks but still enough to tire a guy out lol. because of him performing full choreos in other songs it doesn’t make sense for him to learn a completely new choreo while simultaneously having to memorize and practice the others songs. also, in a similar vein of lucas, i just don’t think hendery is the first choice when choosing someone to cover ty’s parts (dont kill me hendery and lucas stans lol) (6/21 total performances)

jeno while jeno isn’t in the sheer number of performances as other members, he does end up covering ty’s starting part in maw (see reasoning for jaemin above). this by proxy means he covers the maw part in resonance. while he does a fantastic job covering the starting part, asking him to learn the entirety of boss or 7th sense would be a fuckton of work. u can legit see him yEEt himself out of camera view after his part - not to mention again that he had an hour to practice lol (6/21 total performances) 7/21 covering

jaemin - first off u can literally see jaemin’s energy fall throughout the final song the boy is so tired by aneyway... it makes total sense for him to cover maw as he already knows the choreo and it take less effort than learning an entirely new song. also, when ur comparing popularity/center time between jeno and jaemin vs. hendery (even lucas sometimes) they simply have more, and when u aRe in the center u have to expend more energy becAuse u are holding the performance together (6/21 performances)

yangyang let me get my yangyang simping out of the way, but this boy is so fucking talented and his rap deserves more praise. lightbulb compared to other songs ty is in, is a more melodic and emotional based song. there is no choreo, therefore the person covering the rap just has to focus on the rap itself rather than the rap AND the choreo. imo this was the best possible choice for someone to cover ty’s part in lightbulb (6/21 total) 7/21 covering ty’s part

shotaro shotaro is only in 4/21 performances. it simply makes sense for the rap line member with the fewest songs to perform to learn a a full choreo. as stated above, 7th sense is the more technically difficult of the songs that required learning and covering a full part. assigning shotaro (the dance line member) to the more challenging choreo is just the easy choice -- especially if ya’ll gonna come for sungchan’s dancing skills, give the damn song to shotaro smh (4/21 performances) 5 when covering 7th sense

sungchan tied with shotaro for the fewest performances (just by nature of being the newest members) in the same way that it makes sense for shotaro to learn a full choreo, it makes sense for sungchan. reasoning for the assigned songs above. (4/21 total performacnes) 5 with boss

// the songs where they didn’t have a designated member cover most/all of taeyong’s parts were in the 127 songs as well as in baby don’t stop (ten and taeyong duet). 127 is the most veteran of the nct subgroups, and is in general just more accustomed to filling in parts (ie winwin - screw u sm lol). they have johnny who trained as a rapper who can fill in, jaehyun, haechan, and yuta have all proven that they can cover rap with more a sing-rap style and mark can take/cover parts when it is logistically possible. 

// in 127′s songs although ty does often take center and many lines, in general 127 is just a more well rounded group. (don’t come for my ass). in the same way that dream has an undeniable chemistry, 127 is the same way. when you work with the same group of people for an extended period of time without many (if any) changes you just build better chemistry. in nct u taeyong takes more of the spotlight just due to his charisma and raw power. think about it. which performance suffered more due to taeyong’s absence: touch / kick it or make a wish / boss / 7th sense. 

also: because 127 is a fixed unit all the boys know the choreo and have consistently performed it at concerts allowing for member to step in where they know they are comfortable without the amount of discussion it might otherwise take in a rotational group

// take a second to think about a certain performance without taeyong in it. it may just be me, but i think 127 fare much better without their leader than any rotational group without taeyong very (firmly ?) bolstering the performance in the center. (taeyong doesn’t hold all these titles for nothing, he is truly another breed)

// in baby don’t stop they didn’t even attempt to cover taeyong’s absence. idk if that was ten putting his foot down and saying that he didn’t want someone covering the part or if it was more of a choice based on marketing and fanservice. baby don’t stop is truly ten and taeyong’s song and idk if even pairing 10 with a dancer with ty’s vocal in the backtrack would have received positive feedback. 

//

if you have somehow made it this far props to you lol. a rant that started because i wanted to defend sungchan has turned into a long analysis of members... whoops.

tldr: just be a decent human being. everyone in nct is human. a talented, multifaceted, human with strengths and weaknesses. being a nctizen doesn’t mean not being proud, disappointed, happy, or any other emotion about the boys. but it does mean treating the boys and other fans with respect. 

[dojae-huh]

I’m surprised as you are with no Taeyong, but I’m also surprised no Jaehyun as well. I find these two very strong attractors. Plus, with no Taeyong charisma the stage might be missing something to me. Also, a definite big surprise no Sungchan. However, I think the members they chose will do well. I feel they will appeal to a lot of people still and these members are popular.

Though the second track is all 21 there is a chance they have solos (dance, rapping, singing) for certain members, so not all hope is lost for the members who aren’t in this unit.

Do is definitely going to lead them to success!

I have three possible explanations:

1) To make fans get accustomed to absence of Tae, to shift the spotlight from him. He is going into the military in 2 years. Plus, he gained recognition. Other neos need it. Mark is also a heavy-weight, and he is in the unit.

2) TaeMark make an established, hard to break rap duo. NCT already has a song "Misfit" with all rappers. "Universe" has 4 vocals, who will take a chank of the song. Meaning, less time for all the rappers to have time to shine. To give more time to YY and Jeno, Tae is out.

3) A repack and two new titles. One for Jae (+Ten?), one for Tae (+Sungchan?), heh.

Dream flourishes without Taeyong. "90s Love" was a big success. Ultimately, it depends on the song, how good it is.

Sungchan has been hosting a music show for a year now, he has no lack of screentime on TV (opposite to Shotaro). Maybe that's why.

"Not everything is lost" is not the best choice of words. This is an unnesessary dramatisation. SM is not a small company to not care about the "filler members", all neos will get their opportunity for a solo promotion. Look at Yuta and his Japan promotion this year.

[oneletterelliot]

Hot Sauce (NCT Dream) - liveblog reaction

Disclaimer: I did listen to this album once through already, plus the previews and whatnot, so this is not quite a first impression reaction.

Hot Sauce - Is it just me or do the opening shouty vocals not sound like any of the dreamies? Chenle’s line. I was NOT ready for how low his voice was? It sounds so good. The mumbly nonsense bit sounds kinda like that one song that gets memed a bunch, doesn’t it? The vocal quality to Jeno’s rapping here really reminds me of how he sounded in “Misfit.” I think I like it. Lots of good harmony moments. Renjun’s voice is lovely as always. I’m digging his and Chenle’s harmonizing in the bridge. Haechan’s high note. Yes. I like the beat of this song. Definitely makes me want to dance. Mark going, “I’m the one!” I’m a fan. More “Hot Sauce” thoughts here.

Diggity - Okay, so based of the dreamverse (that’s what it’s called, right?) video, I said here that I didn’t love the song but I liked the choreography a lot. Not loving the song is holding up for now, but it definitely has the vibe of one of those NCT songs that I don’t originally care for but the more I listen to it, the more I like it (see also “Punch”). It is pretty catchy. Renjun’s voice is swaying me, I’ll admit. Also I do really like the instrumental. I think it’s the rap I’m not sold on (yet). Is that Jisung’s low voice at 2:49 underneath the higher harmonies? I’m kind of into it. God, I didn’t even watch the dreamverse video that much but I can so clearly picture the choreo while listening to this song, it’s that good.

Dive Into You - I love this opening arpeggio instrumental. Thinking about Jisung’s voice again. I always forget how much I it. I really like the chorus, nice harmony and fun melody. Renjun’s and Haechan’s ad libs (I think it’s them at least) make me happy. 2:07, Jisung’s voice again? (Edit: I looked it up and yes, of course, it’s Jisung. It’s just that for a second I thought it could be Chenle because...) Tbh my brain has been rattled by Chenle’s lower register he displayed in “Hot Sauce.” I want more of it. Is that Renjun who closes the song? Sounds good. (Edit: It’s CHENLE actually. Uh-oh, Renjun, look out, he might be coming for your crown as my favorite NCT Dream vocalist lmao.)

My Youth - This song sounds SO coming-of-age movie. Of course it’s called “My Youth.” I know I keep gushing about Renjun’s voice, but he always sounds so good holy shit. Jisung’s voice again! I guess I’m gonna keep gushing about him too. Oh, Mark, you sound amazing too. Whoever is rapping at the 2 minute mark (Jaemin?), the cadence of this bit really reminds of the “baby, it’s 4:35 / maybe I’m barely alive” part of Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” lmao. Mashup, when? The “ooh-ooh-ooh”s over the chorus sound amazing. Oh my god, the harmony in the bridge is SO GOOD. My brain couldn’t even focus on thinking about which of the Dream vocal trio was singing it, but damn, it was so good. (Edit: According to the lyric video I looked it, it was Renjun/Chenle harmony I was reacting to, and then a Chenle/Jisung harmony! Jisung’s harmonies this album have been really nice!!)

Rocket - Funky start. Supremely makes me want to dance. I think this would be a cha cha, but there is something a little samba-y about the beat. I know I, like, haven’t said anything about the vocals—I do like them—I’m just enjoying this beat / instrumental so much. No thoughts, only vibing. Digging the vocal mixing of the chorus. I’m shoulder-dancing in my seat as I listen to this. “Yeah, yeah!” Strong contender for my favorite song off the album. Shit, maybe it is a samba? Man, it’s been so long since I’ve gotten to ballroom dance :(

Countdown (3, 2, 1) - Oh, what time is it? IS THAT CHENLE’S ICONIC DOLPHIN LAUGH UNDER MARK’S VOICE? Renjun’s voice here reminds me a bit of “Ridin’,” so you know I like it because I believe in Renjun “Ridin’” supremacy. This also might end up being a song that I don’t really like until I listen to it a several more times. You know that thing in the instrumental that sounds like “90s Love?” Yeah. Mark sounds good in this song. I bet this song samples something. Not clue what. But I just Feel™ it does. Haechan’s high note at the end of the bridge did not do it for me, sorry bud :( Oh, I guess I like Mark’s “tick tick tock” bit.

ANL - Intro feels VERY similar to “Dive Into You,” doesn’t it? Same kind of feeling with the arpeggios, yeah? Like “My Youth,” it would feel right at home in a coming-of-age movie. 1:12, did they just say, “Yeah, we can bang all day?” “YEAH, I GIVE IT TO YOU EVERY NIGHT” ?!?!?!?!?!??! IS THIS A SONG ABOUT SEX? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A SONG ABOUT SEX? (No comment on the fact that “ANL” looks like............. well, you know.) (Edit: So apparently it’s “we can PAINT all day,” but the other line is actually “I give it to you every night,” which is, hmm, well.) 1:51, is this Jaemin? I like it a surprisingly large amount. (Edit: Yes, it’s Jaemin. Is this the comeback that makes me fall in love with his rapping? Hmm.) This song also makes me want to dance, but in a different way than “Hot Sauce” or “Rocket.” RENJUN IN THE BRIDGE?! THE HARMONY?! VERY NICE HONESTLY. Is this Jisung after the bridge at 2:53? Wow, I really do like his voice, huh? (Edit: yes, it’s Jisung, so jk, Jaemin, the rapper I’m falling in love with this come back is him and not you.) The line “I want to be your sunshine, girl” makes me cringe. The type of English line they’d give to Johnny in an NCT 127 song.

Irreplaceable - This song is SO funky, and I love it. I’ve said before that Haechan’s voice isn’t my favorite (I acknowledge he’s a very good singer; the tonal quality of it just doesn’t appeal to me personally), but it does fit this song very well. Kind of has a Motown, Jackson 5 vibe, which I really dig. Another song that makes me want to dance. Another contender for — did Jaemin just say “climax” (1:31)? I’m sorry? (Edit: Look, I know that’s not an inherently sex-related word, and that’s obviously not how it’s being used here, but it’s just a funny word to be used for the one random English word in the middle of the song, you know?) — my favorite song off the album. “Yeah, we about to hug and kiss,” okay, Mark. I don’t know why, but I really want to do the “Touch” dance with the arms to this song?

Be There For You - It makes sense to put the ballad after the bop that was “Irreplaceable.” I haven’t really been following all the promotional material for this album, but this is a vocal trio unit song, right? It kind of reminds of “My Everything.” Like, there’s a range of type of NCT ballad, and I think this and “My Everything” fall into the same category. 1:22, god, Renjun, your voice is so good. (I know my favoritism is showing so hard but whatever, I don’t care. I love his voice.) I like the backing harmonies. Very soft. I probably won’t listen to this song much, simply because I don’t listen to ballads much (Chinese ballads notwithstanding) but I do like it.

Rainbow - Back to the coming-of-age vibes like in “Dive Into You” and “ANL.” I can’t decide if I like the similar vibes for cohesiveness of the album or if I dislike it because I think they’re too similar. Wow, this is really a “get your lighter and/or cellphone out and wave in the air” kind of song, huh. Rap at 1:40 (Jisung?), I like it. (Sorry, the title “Rainbow” is just reminding me of how I recently told my parents, “oh, I think this guy I went to high school with is queer because he has the rainbow flag emoji in his insta bio,” and my dad said, “maybe he just really likes colors.” PLEASE.) The harmonies are nice. Renjun’s ad libs towards the end (3:05-3:17 ish), yes. I like the song, it won’t be a favorite, but this is a nice note to end the album on.

Over all thoughts: It’s a good album. Really enjoyable and definitely feels cohesive. I love the mix of peppy, dancey energy and this kind of soft yearning coming-of-age feeling. It makes a lot of sense for NCT Dream’s first full album. Chenle and Jisung are both pleasantly surprising me, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their voices continue to develop in the future. (Side note: SM, please let Chenle sing in his lower register more! His high voice is lovely, but so is his low voice!) Favorite songs currently are “Rocket” and “Irreplaceable.”