#also AS a singer? i am so impressed by all of them - their individual talents were CLEARLY shining in this show | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

katehuntington · 4 years

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Title: Ride With Me (part twenty one) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±5850 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family. Summary part twenty one: It’s Dean’s turn to make an entrance in the main arena. The rides lead to an interesting business proposal by a new client, but brings a lot of doubt too. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: Watching From A Distance - David Ramirez (opening scene) Follow ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Prepare for cuteness and a bit of angst! Thank you @atc74, @manawhaat and @winchest09 for helping me. Also a special thanks to @jules-1999, who has offered me her knowledge about rodeo events like these, and @squirrelnotsam, who knows Arizona like the back of her hand.

Ride With Me Masterlist

Saturday morning has started early for the crew of the Gold Canyon Ranch. Before the crack of dawn Benny has mucked out the stables and fed the horses, making sure they had time to digest their pellets before the show starts. Together with Jo, Y/N has hand-walked the animals who are competing today, letting them stretch their legs and graze a bit. She took extra time for Meadow, who always seems to need a moment to adjust to new surroundings. The mare was fresh today, the brisk air only fueling her feisty temper. Her owner couldn’t help but snigger when she lifted her tail and started jogging next to her instead of just strolling along, showing off to anyone who would look at her.

It’s 8 AM when Dean puts his foot in the stirrup of the saddle, swinging his right leg over the back of the Bon Jovi, the light catching the fringe of his chaps. He pulls his hat a little tighter on his head once he’s seated, while the well-behaved stallion waits patiently for his rider to give him an aid, which he does, after adjusting the length of his reins.

With the sun only just peeking from behind the horizon, rays break through the leaves of the trees next to the warmup area, adding to the still peaceful surroundings. The commentator isn’t blaring through the speakers yet, the ring isn’t full of other riders trying to find a spot to train without running into each other. It’s the calm before the storm, a bit of peace and quiet both horse and human appreciate. No distractions, no sensory overload for the inexperienced stallion. It’s the perfect way to introduce him to the element of competition.

Y/N has just finished filling up the water buckets in the stables and rests her arms on the fence of the small arena. She watches Dean slowly start up the beautiful palomino, its coat seemingly made from gold in the morning light. Her boyfriend is wearing clean dark jeans and a navy button up, a black Stetson to match his show outfit. Never will she get tired of watching that man ride, but dressed like he is now, she can’t take her eyes off him. Y/N sighs deeply, swooning at the sight. She really did land the most handsome cowboy in Arizona, didn’t she?

The head wrangler seems composed as ever, not breaking a sweat over having to ride into the ring in thirty minutes, something that she admires and envies all at the same time. She wishes she could feel relaxed right before a test, instead of being the nervous wreck that she usually is. Meadow will not make her entry until later this evening and already Y/N dodged breakfast, well aware that she won’t be able to swallow a bite, stage fright blocking her throat. Just thinking about the premiere of her freestyle makes it slightly harder to breathe, but Dean takes that away when he rides past, breaking his concentration for a second and shooting her a wink and a soft smile. She chuckles as they keep a hold of each other’s gaze for a few seconds as his horse walks by. God, she wishes she has his confidence.

Other competitors join Dean and Bon Jovi in the warm up area, but the stallion only murmurs at a mare once, its rider gently yet strictly reminding him to keep his head in the game. Before they know it, the same voice that did the commentary on last night’s barrel race competition sounds from the amplifiers.

“Good mornin’, folks! It’s another beautiful day here at the Flagstaff Horsefair. We’re getting ready for the first class of the day, the Standlee Forage Reining Competition for four year olds. Highest overall score wins five bags of high quality horse food.”

The commentator continues to promote the sponsors of the event, Dean giving his horse a little scratch on the shoulder when he tenses slightly as the loud voice sounds from the speakers. Aware that it will soon be their turn, the rider allows himself to enjoy the atmosphere as he casts his gaze over the other competitors. He isn’t too worried about the fixture, confident in his own skills and those of his horse.

“Dean Winchester, two minutes!” A steward announces, looking down at his clipboard to double check the line up. The cowboy nods in acknowledgement, directing his gaze to Y/N as he waits for her to catch up. He watches as she puts down the grooming bag next to her on the sandy arena footing, attending to the bell boots that Bon Jovi is still wearing. She unbuckles the leather clasps, putting the leg protection away. “Would you like some water?” she offers. He shakes his head, casually, taking in the arena. “Nah, I’m good.”

Y/N looks up at him, trying to read what he is feeling. To her, it is strange how he doesn’t seem nervous. He’s relaxed, collected; reminding her of the still waters at Canyon Lake, where they swam together for the first time on the trail that changed everything. It is as if he can’t register the pressure that should be resting on his shoulders. Maybe he truly believed he is that good. “Break a leg,” she speaks, fondly. “Don’t wish that upon me, Yankee,” Dean chuckles. “Kinda need them to do my job.” She laughs and pats him lovingly on his denim clad thigh. “I don’t know how you can be so calm.” “Well, I have my good luck charm with me.” He lays his hand over hers, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “C’mere.” She steps closer to Bon Jovi, tiptoeing to reach up while Dean leans over to level with her. His lips brush over hers softly, his nose nuzzling hers in a sweet gesture. She smiles into the gentle kiss. “Go get’em, cowboy.”

The wrangler straightens himself in the saddle, while his girlfriend picks up the groom bag and steps back. He guides his horse into the tunnel under the bleachers towards the arena, concentrating on the gates in front of him, waiting for them to open. The reigns feel smooth between his fingers as he drowns out the noise around him. With his free hand, he encouragingly strokes the side of Bon Jovi’s neck, his pearly white manes contrasting beautifully against his flaxen coat. He has grown accustomed to these kinds of events, his nerves not bothering him anymore. He finds solace in his work, seeing it more as fun than as a chore. He enjoys the challenge the youngsters bring him, from the initial moment of putting on a halter, to getting in a saddle, to showing them all for the very first time. In less than a year, the horses go through such growth, and it’s always a pleasure to be a part of their journey.

“First competitor of the day is Dean Winchester, riding Bon Jovi, a stallion by Renegade. This horse is bred by Victor Hendriksen and owned by the Gold Canyon Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona.”

Y/N watches as the palomino calmly comes through the gate, not batting an eye at his new and impressive surroundings. Submissive and willing, the stallion responds to his rider’s aids when he’s asked to halt. To witness how trustful each and every horse is with the trainer, surfaces some kind of gratification inside of her. The way Dean schools the animals isn’t based on authority or rank, but much more about collaboration and respect. It’s something she admires about him from the get go.

Dean leads Bon Jovi through a precise pattern of figures, spins and stops. Reining is all about the athletic abilities of the horse, and the rider controlling every movement. The horse demonstrates attitude and willingness, while the signals given by the rider are nearly imperceptible. The run is evaluated by a panel of three judges, who mark each pattern individually. In this youngster class, speed isn’t key yet, but correctness is. Every stride must look effortless and relaxed, as if the animal and rider have become one. That’s exactly what is on display in the arena right now.

With a smile of adoration across her face, Y/N leans her forearms on the steel fence, watching the head wrangler. A small crowd that got up at the crack of dawn have occupied the first rows on the bleachers and by the fence, encouraging shouts and whistles rallying the first competitor on. The young horse is so fixed on his rider, that he doesn’t even pick up on the sounds. Bon Jovi isn’t fast in the spins yet, but that’s okay, because his footwork is close to perfect. After three well executed sliding stops, Dean gives the palomino the signal to back up, his spur not even touching the horse’s flank. Submissively, he reverses until his rider drops the reins and rewards the stallion, who blows out a purr through his nose, looking up at the stands curiously when they applaud the performance, much like the commentator.

“Well, if that ain’t setting the bar, I don’t know what is. What a solid ride from Dean Winchester and Bon Jovi!”

While Dean exits the arena, he searches the people along the fence and on the bleachers. He’s looking for Bobby, who he finds on the sidelines. His uncle holds his gaze and gives the head wrangler a nod, telling him so much without using actual words. They haven’t spoken about the elephant in the room yet, today’s pace being far too high to squeeze in the awkward conversation, and so both men have decided for themselves to let it rest. Besides, they might have sold a number of horses yesterday, that doesn’t mean they can lean back now.

The cowboy leads his horse back to the warm up ring, meeting his girlfriend half way. “Good run!” she compliments, taking Bon Jovi’s reins after Dean swings his right leg over the saddle and dismounts. She shoves the water bottle in his hand this time, knowing if she had asked, he would have declined anyway. “I had a little wobble in the second roll back, but yeah, the rest was good.” He twists off the cap and takes a swig, thirstier than he likes to admit.

Since Dean is competing two separate horses in the same class, he’s both first and last to enter the main arena. It’s going to be a race against the clock, and he looks around the warm-up area in search for his next four-legged dance partner. “Where’s Jo? Ringo is up in thirty minutes.” “Better get off your high horse, Mister, otherwise this is the last time I’ll tack up for you,” his cousin replies snappily, appearing from behind with a bay gelding named Ringo Starr in tow. Dean is about to counter her, but he bites his tongue, knowing she’s not kidding and will never do him a favor again if he gives her attitude. And so he mutters a ‘thanks’ under his breath when he takes the Quarterhorse from her.

As swiftly as he got down from Bon Jovi, he now mounts Ringo, the next four year old for him to compete. As he does so, his score is announced over the speakers, but he can’t quite make out the numbers. When he glances at the scoreboard, he’s pleasantly surprised. “218.5 points!” Y/N cries out, delighted. “That’s fantastic!” With a content smirk adorning his features, Dean nods satisfied; that is indeed a good score. Good enough to put Bon Jovi on the podium. Good enough to ask a high price when the buyers come calling. He doesn’t have time to settle on a high cloud, though; he needs to ready Ringo for his run.

Y/N hoists the groombag on her shoulder and takes the kind palomino stallion to exit the warm-up arena. This is her job after all, she might be dating her supervisor, she’s still the intern. They made a deal when she arrived at the ranch that Dean would not treat her differently, so she intends to do the work she’s come here to do. Jo, however, seems to have a different idea, and nudges her. “I’ll take Jovi. You go cheer on your John Wayne.” The blonde cowgirl winks at her friend, taking over the load.

She chuckles, handing the petite blonde the horse. Grateful to be able to see more of Dean’s horsemanship in action, she finds a spot by the fence. The sun steadily rises, casting out what was left of the night’s coolness, the light radiating down on her much warmer and brighter. Wishing she had brought a hat, the cowgirl takes off her jacket and puts it away in the groombag. She watches her boyfriend warm up Ringo, who seems a little bit more nervous, now that the ring is more crowded. His rider does a good job reassuring the young animal, though, giving the bay gelding some light exercises to keep his mind of the commotion around him, rewarding the Quarter every time he shows a sign of relaxation.

“Beautiful day to be buying horses, isn’t it, darling?” Y/N startles at the sudden gruff voice, snapping her head to where the sound came from. The supposedly kind words to start conversation are pronounced with a English accent, by a stranger dressed in black. The rather short man who she guesses would be somewhere in his fifties leans on the steel rail, his fingers laced together while he watches riders in the arena.

“Y - yeah, I suppose so,” Y/N stammers, unsure how to respond. “My apologies, where are my manners.” The man turns to her and offers his hand. “The name is Fergus. Fergus MacLeod.” The cowgirl frowns at his introduction. She has heard of him, but has never met the owner of the MacLeod Studfarms in person. “Y/N Y/L/N,” she returns, slightly hesitant. “Oh, I know who you are. I’m an admirer of your work. You’re quite the talent,” the Englishman admits. “That run at the State Championships was spectacular.”

Slightly creeped out, but not trusting her instincts entirely, she stays quiet for a moment. This is a man of great influence in the business, so she does want to hear what he has to say. “You saw me ride?” she replies. He nods, an amused smirk resting on his thin lips. “I did indeed, love. Talking about talent, that horse is something else as well. Meadowsweet, is her name, isn’t it?” “Yeah...” Y/N returns, somewhat suspicious. “Tell me; are you the owner of that lovely mare? Or are there parents and sponsors involved?”

Her stance becomes a bit more defensive, not just because of the rapid questions that are fired at her, no matter how charming this gentleman is trying to be. No, it’s his assumption that she’s too young to own such a horse that gets to her. “I am the owner, as a matter of fact,” she states, a new found strength in her voice. “Good to know I am talking to the proper person then.” Her company chuckles, apparently pleased by her feisty counter. “Because I have a proposition for you.” Before he can make her an offer, Y/N intervenes. “Meadow isn’t changing owners, if that’s where you’re headed, Mr. MacLeod.” Fergus takes her in, narrowing his eyes slightly, but the pleased little smile remains. “I can make it worth your while.” “I believe you can, but no matter your offer; she’s not for sale,” the cowgirl makes herself clear, a sternness in her voice that should tone the horse trader down. It doesn’t. Instead he chuckles dryly and takes a little booklet out of the inner pocket of his black coat; it’s a cheque book. Not taking no for an answer, he pulls out a pen and writes down his signature. “Everything is for sale, love. All one has to do is pay the right price,” he says, wisely.

Fergus MacLeod rips off the sheet of paper, handing her the cheque. Not wanting to be downright rude, she takes it, staring at the empty line; it’s blank. “You may write down whatever number you seem fit. It’s up to you,” the Brit elaborates. “Now that I’ve got your attention, would you happen to know where I can find Bobby Singer? I would like to have a little chat with my old friend.” “He’s by the main arena.” She points in the direction of the entrance. “Wonderful,” he quips. “It was a pleasure meeting you, darling.”

A shiver runs down her spine as MacLeod walks away to find her boss. She’s highly aware that he is a very influential and important person in the industry, but he has got some nerve. Y/N might look like an innocent and timid girl, but there is no way in hell that she would ever give up Meadow, no matter how large the figure.

She stares at the cheque, crumbling it in her hand before she stuffs it in her pocket, angrily. She has never met someone as brazen as Fergus Macleod at a show before, and she has been to enough to know. But she doesn’t want to waste time and think about the confrontation now. The cowgirl would much rather focus on her wrangler boyfriend who is wowing the judges.

Dean’s run with Ringo Starr is another great one, and with him being the last contestant of the class, the rankings are decided the moment the score comes in. With 215.5 points, he secures the third place, behind another rider and Bon Jovi, who has held on to the lead. An impressive result, one that he knows his uncle is going to be very pleased with.

When the Dean exits the arena, he is met by his girlfriend, who is smiling widely. “You nailed it!” she chirps with enthusiasm. “They did good,” Dean says, rustling Ringo’s black mane, more than satisfied with the performance of both young horses, but not taking the compliment upon himself.

The cowboy gets down from the saddle, noticing that the gelding is tired from all the first impressions and new sensories that come with the first show. Ringo’s coat is damp, a shade darker because of the perspiration; he gave it his all. Intending to hand-walk the horse back to the stables to shower the animal and give him his hay, he strolls to exit the warm-up area, but Bobby stops him. “Dean?” his uncle calls out, beckoning him to come over. Y/N glances up, following Mr. Singer’s voice. Noticing that Fergus MacLeod has found who he claims to be his ‘old friend’, her face falls slightly. She wonders what the Englishman would want, and why Dean has been invited into the conversation. Questionly, she looks back at her boyfriend and takes over Ringo from him, reckoning she should leave since it’s none of her business what will be discussed, but the man in black has different ideas. “Y/N, do join us, and bring the horse as well, love.” The hair on the back of Dean’s neck rises; what did he just call her? Unable to prevent his jaw from clenching, he steps towards the two ranch owners, trying to keep his cool. Who the hell is this dickhead? “That’s Fergus MacLeod,” Y/N whispers, as if she just read his mind. “He’s the founder of some of the largest stud farms in the country and even has stables in Europe. Owns at least two dozen licenced stallions.” The wrangler nods in acknowledgement. Great, some snobby bigshot. Very much aware that this new face might have something to offer Bobby, he keeps his mouth shut.

“Ah, the one and only Dean Winchester,” Fergus’ grins mischievously. “Nice work there in the ring. Your uncle here told me it’s the first time those two horses are competing.” “That’s right,” the cowboy confirms. “Macleod is the name. Pleasure to meet ya.” The Brit extends his hand, which Dean shakes a little firmer than normal. He’s not even sure what he’s trying to accomplish with the display of his own physical strength.

“Fergus here is interested in buying the four year olds,” Bobby explains, apparently noticing his head wrangler’s suppressed hostility, shooting it down with a piercing stare, warningly. Dean’s demeanor changes instantly as he raises his eyebrows. If this horse trader is going to bring the big bucks, he knows he needs to keep himself in check for the sake of the ranch. “Mind if I have a peek?” Macleod asks, gesturing at the horse. “Go ahead.” Dean steps back, making room for him to inspect the horse.

Fergus circles the horse, taking the bay gelding in from several angles. He feels the hindlegs for any swelling or abnormalities and does the same with the front legs, after Y/N has removed the bandages Ringo wore in the ring to prevent any injuries. The horse trader then proceeds to look Ringo in the face and check his teeth. After a satisfied nod the man turns around, straightens his impeccable suit. He then takes a tissue from his breast pocket and wipes his hands. “It’s a fine looking animal you’ve got here, Singer,” he compliments. “You may take the horse away, my dear.” Even though she isn’t fond of the degrading way he is talking to her, Y/N obliges. Taking care of the horses when she’s not riding herself is her job after all. “Oh, and Miss Y/L/N…” She halts the horse next to her and turns around. The Englishman has his hands in his pocket now, twinkling hazel-colored eyes looking her up and down. “Bobby here tells me that you’re a well-educated woman. A master degree in Business & Economics? Impressive. Someone as smart as yourself has to acknowledge that it’s a good deal. I assume you will consider my offer on your horse,” he pauses, more intrigued with every detail he learns about the woman before him. “I would like to point out there’s room for six figures on that cheque. What numbers to fill in, is your choice.”

Dean wants to snap his head at his girlfriend, but keeps his posture. Did this man just offer her several hundred thousand dollars for Meadow? Eyes wide in astonishment, he exchanges a look with his uncle, both trying to keep a straight face. “She’s not for sale,” Y/N makes clear one more time, pronouncing the words slow to prove a point. Amused with her stubbornness, the corner of MacLeod’s mouth twitches upward. Cocky, he holds her gaze, but eventually yields. “Very well, then. Let me know if you change your mind. The offer stands.”

Without responding to Fergus’ tenacious reply, she turns away, nudging Ringo to follow her. The three men watch her leave, Dean knows her well enough to be able to tell that MacLeod has her blood boiling. He’s not surprised Y/N didn’t think twice about shooting the bid down. Meadow means the world to her, more than any amount of money could ever buy. But holy shit. Six figures! Realisation hits him; it would be enough money to save the Ranch.

The Brit who made the generous offer pulls him from his thoughts. “Alright, lads. Let’s talk business, shall we?” The three walk away from the few people that are lining around the warm-up area. A little further down, on a crossing of two paths, they stop. The little square is still quiet at this hour. Safe from lurking eyes and eavesdropping ears, they gather around one high table near a drink stand. Even though it’s a non-serve area, the influential man calls the bartender to take their order. The young guy comes back with a coke for the rider - who still has a run later this afternoon - and two bourbons. Dean didn’t even know they served whiskey at this event, let alone this early.

MacLeod cuts right to the chase. “I will offer you thirty grand for the four year old Quarters, and I will take them off your hands right away.” Dean doesn’t flinch, being in these kinds of conversations before. He can maintain his poker face, no matter how amble the offer. It is a negotiation after all. The owner of the two horses thinks about it for a second, but then comes with a counter. “Forty.” “C’mon, Bobby. Is that how you treat an old friend?” Fergus clicks his tongue, shaking his head slightly after which he takes a sip from his drink. “Now, I know times are tough and that you’re experiencing difficulty staying afloat, but do realize I am already doing you a favor here. Thirty thousand dollars is more than fair.”

The head wrangler is taken aback by the Englishman’s comment. How would he know the ranch is struggling? Did people in their close circle spill the beans? Apparently MacLeod spots the unpleasant surprise on the faces of the men opposite of him, because he comments on it without missing a beat. “It’s a small world, lads. People talk. You should know that by now, Singer.” Bobby moves past the comment rather quickly and ponders about the sum. Fergus isn’t wrong; it’s not just a decent offer. It’s a generous one, one he isn’t going to decline. The Englishman across the table knows it too; the owner of the Gold Canyon Ranch is desperate for money. “Cash,” he demands, accepting the original offer. The dark haired man strokes his neatly trimmed beard. “I can arrange that.”

The head wrangler might not like the horse trader, but he did just make this weekend ten times better. He gulps down the last of his coke, crumpling the can before he dunks it in the trash on the side of the crossroads. The cowboy figures the deal will be sealed with a handshake before they go separate ways, but MacLeod has a second matter to settle. “I have another proposition for you.” Having their attention, the middle aged Brit observes their reaction, his eyes full of mischief. The two members of the ranch near Phoenix share a look. “We’re listening.” Bobby says.

Fergus swirls his whiskey, studying the amber liquid in his glass. “I own a stallion,” he starts off, putting the drink to his mouth in the short pause. “I bought him at the Derby Quarterhorse Auction for over a million dollars. He’s licensed, one of the best pedigrees I’ve ever seen, not to mention his conformation and movements. He already covered four hundred mares this year. I expect great things from this horse, he is supposed to bring in the money. There is one slight issue, however.” Dean listens, intently, wondering where he is going with this. “And what would that be?”

“The horse has some… behavioral issues,” the stud farm owner claims, careful in his choice of words. “It has quite the temperament, one his former trainers haven’t been able to use in their advantage, my advantage.” Slowly the head wrangler begins to realize why the price MacLeod is willing to pay for the two Quarters is so steep; he is playing a game of give and take. The way the owner of this stallion is talking about money and business, calling the animal ‘it’, doesn’t sit well with him either. Where is the horse’s well-being in all of this?

“What’s his name?” Dean likes to know. Fergus frowns at that, clearly not understanding why it would matter, but he answers anyway. “You might have heard of this horse; his name is Cain.” Dean has heard of the horse. The whopping 1.2 million that was paid for the talented Quarter made headlines in the industry.

“What are these behavioral issues?” he needs to know, not taking the bait just yet. “Typical stallion behavior; dominance is the main problem. The horse has character, what can I say?” MacLeod laughs it off. “Anyway, I am looking for a capable horseman. Someone who can actually break him in.” The owner of the horse in question shifts his penetrating gaze from Bobby to Dean. The cowboy realizes they are at a verge of a possibly very important business deal, but he cannot stop himself from commenting on the peculiar choice of words. “I don’t ‘break in’ horses. I teach them to trust and to cooperate,” he states firmly. “Potato, potahto,” Fergus dismisses. “Are you up for the job, or not?”

Dean exchanges a glance with his uncle, a silent conversation happening between them, only possible by years and years of working together. When Bobby rights himself, he has a crucial question. “What’s in it for us?” Again that small smile on the Englishman’s face; he knows he’s close to persuading them.

“A thousand dollars each month, paid in advance, and a fifty grand bonus when Cain successfully completes the stallion performance tests in April. Plus, five percent of his earnings in coverage for the coming year. After he passes the exams, we can set up a contract in order for you to remain his permanent rider,” MacLeod sums up.

Bobby analyzes the offer. It’s tempting in many aspects. Fergus just mentioned that the stallion already covered four hundred mares this year. With his stud-fee being at least a thousand dollars, they are looking at twenty grand cut already. Then there’s the regular income, not to mention the bonus. This deal might be the lifeline his family business was frantically fishing for. It’s up to Dean, though. He is the one who is going to work with this horse, and the only one who can make an educated guess if it’s achievable in five months' time.

“We would like to see Cain first,” Bobby decides, wanting to offer his head wrangler a moment to evaluate the animal. “I’m afraid that will not be possible at this time, but I tell you what.” The Brit finishes his bourbon, setting the glass down on the high table. “The horse will be delivered to your property and you will have a week to decide if you want to take on this job. If not, no hard feelings.”

Dean glances aside, spotting the slight nod of his uncle. Seems like they can’t go wrong here; if Cain turns out to be more difficult than Fergus leads on, they can always send him back. “You got yourself a deal,” Bobby concludes, extending his hand to the man in black. “Splendid.” The horse trader smirks, delighted with the arrangement they agreed on, shaking their hands. When he grips Dean’s hand tight, he looks him deep in the eye, as if he recognizes something in the handsome cowboy.

“You’re John’s boy, aren’t ya?” he realizes. “I bought a couple of horses from that Winchester back in the day. How is he?” Tension grips Dean’s body, the sound of his father’s name on Macleod’s tongue sending a shiver down his limbs. He tries to breathe in without it being too obvious, finding it difficult to keep his mask on. “I wouldn’t know,” he answers curtly.

Fergus furrows his brow at that, clearly curious as of why the two aren’t in touch anymore. He allows a silence to linger between them, their handshake holding on to the apprehensiveness. “Hmm,” he responds at the peculiar answer. “Well, you are just like your father. I could’ve sworn it was him when I saw you in the arena earlier; spitting image. You have his ways.”

It’s like MacLeod is deliberately trying to get under his skin, and no matter how hard the young cowboy fights it, the man he’s making a deal with is succeeding. The words spoken with that distinct English accent ring in his head, much louder than they were pronounced, cracking like a whip on his back. You are just like your father. You have his ways.

Dean releases the stallion owner’s hand, quickly slipping his into the back pockets of his jeans, drying his clammy palms on the denim. He hopes neither of the men in his company notice him shaking. He inhales through his nose, squares his shoulders and stands tall, pushing down the anxiousness that is stirring in his stomach. Disappointed in himself, he chews on the inside of his cheek in search for distraction. He can’t let a simple comment get to him like this.

Now that he has shut down the attitude the ranch hand was giving him, the Englishman looks down on Dean with a sinister smile on his lips. He keeps a hold of the Winchester’s gaze, until he averts his green eyes. Only then MacLeod steps away. “We’ll stay in touch. I’ll have my men pick up the two Quarters this afternoon,” Fergus announces, his long, dark overcoat swaying slightly as he turns around once more. “A pleasure doing business with ya.”

With those words, MacLeod walks away and leaves the two men in the middle of the square. The sun is suddenly uncomfortably warm to Dean. He sniffs and takes a few steps from his uncle, as if the two or three strides would actually be enough to walk it off. He places his hands in his side and dips his hat forward when he faces Bobby again, making sure the older man can’t sense how unsettled he is. But Bobby is no fool. He knows his nephew better than the boy’s own father did, and that’s exactly what’s bothering Dean.

“You alright?” he checks. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Dean returns just a little too rapidly, shrugging it off. “Just…” His uncle is careful not to address the subject directly, yet at the same time he needs to offer the opportunity for the wrangler to vent. “With what he said about John--” “Don’t.”

The simple word comes out harsher than he meant it to leave his lips, the darkness in his eyes when he shoots his father-figure a glare soon replaced by regret. Dean knows Bobby is trying, like he and Ellen have for the past fifteen years. But no matter how much time passes, he can’t bring himself to talk about what happened in the past.

His uncle isn’t mad, nor is he disappointed in his surrogate son. He just nods slowly at the dismissal, before he begins to make his way to the stables. Dean remains in the middle of the crossing, his hands still firm on his hips, closing his eyes for a moment as he breathes out. The deal they just made should bring much needed relief, but the meeting leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

He gathers himself and follows after his Bobby. They have more showings to prepare for, but nothing can cast out the words spoken by Fergus MacLeod. Not the rhythmic thumping of hooves in the dirt, not the chatter and laughs produced by the growing crowd, nor the music that comes from the main arena. All he can register is the painful message, which reopens the deep scars on his heart every time they bounce off the walls inside his head.

I am just like my father.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part twenty two here

#Ride With Me #Cowboy!Dean x Reader #Cowboy!Dean series #Dean Winchester fanfiction #Dean Winchester AU #Supernatural AU #Dean fanfiction #Supernatural fanfiction #SPN fanfiction #Dean angst #Dean fluff #Dean x reader #Dean Winchester x reader #Dean Winchester #Jo Harvelle #Bobby Singer #Ellen Harvelle #Benny Lafitte #Kate Huntington

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10003800 · 3 years

Text

‘hope world’: numbers and figures

i love HW (and hobi, henceforth, for statistical purposes, i’ll refer as j-hope) so much i needed to put its basic stats together in one place for a good glance like this. the fact that he took three years (2015-2018) to record HW shows how much thought and intent went into the whole process. the achievements HW made in its debut year alone prove that this mixtape is of quality and that j-hope has much talent, calibre and potential as an artiste in writing, producing, recording and performing. his dance foundation and background make up the theoretical framework of this mixtape that gives it its cohesive structure, making it more of a concept (mini) album than a mixtape, in my humble opinion.

there are three things about HW the mixtape that impress me. first, that j-hope had a hand in aspects of its production beyond just writing and performing; he played the keyboard and synthesizer, did vocal and rap arrangements and was also one of its recording engineers (see individual song credits). it shows the extent of his personal endeavour to learn and be as fully involved as he possibly could in the entire experience of producing this work and how he did not leave it to privilege (since he had an experienced production team with him, he could have easily let them do the groundwork) or even chance.

next is how the variety and range of genres - hip hop, jazz/bebop, reggae, rap, among others - transition themselves smoothly within a single song (e.g. ‘P.O.P’, ‘daydream’, ‘hope world’) and across the album. HW is not quite a compilation of bits and pieces in isolation of one another because of how methodical it is in its concoction, evident in the smooth mix and transition of genres in the album. i’m guessing this is mostly due to j-hope’s dance experience and expertise, as mentioned earlier. the album is a curated collection meant for performance and the flow of tempo and beats from one track to another reflects what it would look like if j-hope were to do his HOTS sessions to his album. HW shows j-hope’s skilful versatility as an artiste and a performer. he is not just a jack-of-all-trades type of versatile either; he had a solid vision of what he wanted in this album and what he wanted to put across, as a dancer and a rapper-singer and it showed clearly. his MVs for ‘daydream’ and ‘airplane’ further prove this and i really wish he had made MVs for the rest of his songs such as ‘P.O.P’ and ‘hope world’. in my opinion, dance-focused MVs for ‘baseline’ and ‘HANGSANG’ would have been the icing and, a freestyle feature in each, would be the cherry on top. imagine the visual treat the entire album potentially has as a live performance, where we all know, j-hope is stellar in.

lastly, and certainly not the least, HW also shows that j-hope does not write and produce for recording on a CD (or digital audio file) to be listened to only. he thinks about how the songs would sound, look and feel like in performance because songs are meant to be performed to an audience. this is why at times he reminds me of freddie mercury and MJ (i love them too so pardon me, i cannot help the personal opinion and comparison) in their creative process of production and performance, with purposeful and intelligent experimentation of ideas, sounds and concepts but never compromising on quality and overall musical experience.

with his talent, youth, potential and above all, unrelenting dedication, industry and tenacity, I honestly believe j-hope will only further refine and finesse his artistry and his works to a highly polished level. i am looking forward to more of his works and especially his next album.

note to self: i will have to revisit this and do a slightly more in-depth analysis of HW with a set criteria and i think lin manuel miranda's list of basics i.e. flow, order and authenticity seems like a good one. KIV till after a few entries.

@rrredlizarrrd/blue10003800©

#jhope #hope world #Spotify

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notebookfilledwithscrabbles · 4 years

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Continues ~with Wings~ Day 1 / Talk with Johnny

Translation post 35

Original language: Japanese (except Johnny’s comments)

Translator’s note: This is not a word-for-word translation. I paraphrased some of the things said in the broadcast to clarify the main point.

Day 1 28:32-42:48

(After Jeff Buttle finished skating "For Forever")

PA announcer: From here, we are going to present to you an entertaining talk section between a guest skater and Hanyu san. What kind of talk will they have? Can't wait to hear it! Now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Yuzuru Hanyu!

(Hanyu goes on stage while Let's Go Crazy is being played)

Hanyu: OK. Hello, everyone. (Laughs) You know, this makes me so nervous.

(Audience laugh)

Hanyu: I am really nervous... Uhm, fortunately, this time, so many... well, not so many, but great skaters have kindly gathered here for this show, and we have this talk session, so I would like to interview skaters that I love to interview. This is such a section. So, please watch this thinking that I am reporter Yuzuru Hanyu. (Laughs) Now, let me introduce our guest, Mr. Johnny Weir!

(Johnny goes on stage dancing to Lady Gaga's Poker Face)

Hanyu: (After exchanging a hug with Johnny) Thank you. (Gladly) He gave me a nice hug.

(Audience laugh)

Hanyu: (In English) Please sit down.

Johnny: (To the audience) Konbanwa. (=Good evening) Hehehe. Arigato gozaimasu. (=Thank you so much)

(Johnny, Hanyu, Kaori Niimura (MC and interpreter) take their seats)

Hanyu: OK.

Johnny: Don’t be nervous!

Hanyu: I am, already. (Laughs) OK. (Opening a notebook on his lap) Now I would like to throw questions I would like to ask one by one!

Johnny: Special interview book, Yuzu kun?

Hanyu: Yeah! (After hearing Johnny's words through Niimura san) Hehehe. Hahaha~. OK, first question. What do you like most about figure skating, Johnny san?

Johnny: The thing I like most about figure skating is the ability to take my audience away, away from everyday normalcy, away from bad things, even away from good things. I like to transport my audience with me when I’m performing because, for me, it’s my happy place, and it’s my honor and joy to be able to skate for my fans, for my audience. My favorite part about it. And also it’s very fast.

Hanyu: (Nods with a big smile)

Hanyu: (After hearing Niimura san’s translation) I agree. Wow, great answer. Uhm, is figure skating a sport for you? Or is it art?

Johnny: Both. Hehehe… For me, I of course like the artistry of skating. It’s what made me interested in figure skating when I watched Oksana Baiul won the Olympic Games. Her artistry, her costuming, and the ability to make the world stand up is what caught my attention with figure skating. Of course, I love to jump, I love to spin, but just… the ability to perform to music and show people your heart is the most attractive thing of figure skating to me.

Hanyu: (After hearing Niimura san’s translation) Now you mentioned Oksana Baiul senshu... or Should I call Oksana Baiul san? Is there anyone, including non-figure skaters or animation characters that you admire as your hero, idol, or role model?

Johnny: So, I have a long list… When I just started to skate, my heroes were Irina Srutskya san and Evgeny Plushenko.

Hanyu: (As Niimura san is translating) Wow. I didn't know that...

Johnny: And of course, through my carrier, I have admired so many celebrities, and singers and actors, but the people that I most admire, I think, are Christina Aguilera, and Lady Gaga because they are individuals, they are unique, and they let their talent speak for them.

Hanyu: Uh-huh.

Johnny: (After Niimura san finished translating) And now that I am an old lady... (Laughs) I have to watch some skaters to make myself want to go practice and want to train because life is so busy now. Thus for me, I need some inspiration. So, of course, I watch videos and listen to the songs of my heroes. But now, to make me excited to go skating and to practice, I watch Evgenia Medvedeva and Yuzuru Hanyu.

(Audience applaud while Hanyu is bowing down feeling awkward)

Hanyu: (After Niimura san finished translating) Thank you so much. Well, er... As you know, the theme of this show is "Continues," and uh... now I heard that Johnny san used to admire Pluschenko san... and Srutskya san as well. I, of course, have my own list of skaters I admire, and Plushenko san is one of them, and after Johnny san went up, I mean, grew up and became one of the skaters I could watch on TV, I got fascinated by Johnny san's performances. I think it is amazing that we have such a connection, and it gave me goosebumps.

Johnny: Arigato, Yuzu kun.

Hanyu: Goosebumps... Oh, it has already been translated. (Laughs) OK. There is a thing I found intriguing in your comment, so... although I have prepared cue cards and questions, I am going to skip them. You mentioned Lady Gaga, and I would like to ask a little more about it. "Poker Face" was played here a while ago. When you pick a piece of music for your program, do you choose it by yourself, or is there someone who inspires you to pick it?

Johnny: I always choose my music. I am this kind of character where I have to be in control of every piece of what I present to the world, because, in my opinion, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. (Listens to Niimura san as she translates his comment) So when I choose music, it can be a very long process. Sometimes I would be driving my car and sometimes comes on the radio, and I’m like, “(Gasps) I have to skate to that!” but usually, the music that touches my heart are the pieces that I use, and then… when I am able to skate with my heart, my audience can feel that. So, whether it’s Poker Face or Ave Maria, everything comes from my heart, and that makes my performances so much more interesting for me to skate every day.

(Johnny and Hanyu wait for Niimura san to finish her translation. As she gets close to the end of translation, they applaud her for her skill and effort since the comment is very long)

Hanyu: (As Niimura san finished her translation) Wonderful.

Johnny: (To Niimura san) Such a long translation. I am sorry. (Laughs)

Hanyu: (To Niimura san) Do we still have time?

Niimura: Yes.

Hanyu: We do? OK. So... you make your programs getting inspirations from many things. When I see you performing such a program, I get the impression that beauty and passion coexist in your performance. This impression intensified after you turned professional. (Wait a moment for Niimura san to catch up and finds out that she is also waiting for him) Uh... Hehehe... Well, actually, during practice sessions, Johnny san devotes much time to jumps as well. He attempts 3A too. I have said this once in a press conference, but I strongly feel that all the techniques, including jumps, are the essential components of expression and artistry, and I wonder what jumps in a program means to Johnny san. I love Johnny san’s programs so much, and I think they will hold even without jumps, but only with spins, steps, and his performance, so I wonder how Johnny san position jumps in his skating.

Johnny: Arigatou. (Laughs) Uh… for me, I still practice all of my jumps because I think life is a continuous struggle to be better than yourself, and every day whether it’s as an athlete or as a person, to be better than the day before. So, that’s why I still practice all of my jumps. For the performances, I do, sometimes, easier jumps because it’s important for me to make sure the show is good, and now that I am professional, I have that ability to, sort of, do this. I don’t need to do so many quads. (Looks at Hanyu and nods, touching Hanyu's arm)

Hanyu: (Returns nods and laughs)

Johnny: Hehe... And uh… Yeah, what drives me to be better every day is the fact that I can be better than the day before. So for me, the performance needs to be very artistic, and I want people to laugh and cry, whatever the feeling I want them to be with me on the ice, and uh… it’s the emotion that drives me.

Hanyu: (Nods deeply and listens to Niimura san's translation) I see... (Applauds)

Niimura: (Off-mic) It's about time.

Hanyu: OK. Thank you so much. Although I have so many things I want to ask you, looks like time is up. I am so sad to have to end this section, but Johnny Weir san, thank you so much! (Bows)

Johnny: (Bows to Hanyu) Arigatou gozaimashita. (To the audience) Arigatou gozaimasu.

(They stood up and leave the stage)

PA announcer: Thank you very much. That was a fun talk. Everyone, please give a big hand to Hanyu san and Johnny Weir san again! Thank you, Johnny! Thank you, Yuzuru!

Continues to “Continues ~with Wings~ (4) Introduction of Minoru Sano”

Other posts on Continues ~with Wings~

#Continues ~with Wings~#figure skating commentary #CiONTU #Yuzuru Hanyu #Johnny Weir #CiONTU day 1

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jabbers-wild-world · 4 years

Text

Jabber’s Muse List (as of 5/16/2021)

;; All right, everybody. If you were looking for a current and complete list of all of my muses, as updated as it can be for now (since you all know I am always adding more), look no further than right here. This is as complete as it gets until I add more again!

Aaarrrghh (Tales of Arcadia)

- Very large, but affectionate, “pacifist” troll currently allied with Jim Lake Jr. and friends, Toby’s ‘wingman’

Aaravos (The Dragon Prince)

- Startouch Elf, unknown motives, appears to be evil but that is as of yet unclear, usually very polite and dignified

Ace (Kuni no Alice)

- The Red Knight, clueless idiot frequently getting himself lost, generally friendly but does have a mild dark side

Adam (RWBY)

- Bull Faunus, perceived evil and leader of the White Fang, mild canon divergence

Adam (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

- Half-minotaur, has an unfortunate aggression problem due to minotaur bloodline, suitor to the princess

Aden (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

- Human suitor to the princess, generally rather calm and friendly, usually polite and very honest

Adrien (Miraculous)

- Current wielder of the Black Cat Miraculous, sheltered rich kid who just wants to be like everyone else his age

Ahanu (OC, The Untamed Wilds series)

- Centaur, American Paint Horse, Lawson’s second in command, is generally more serious and reserved than Lawson, but he has been known to crack a joke or two from time to time, and he is a force to be reckoned with if you cross him.

Aizawa (Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

- Pro Hero Eraserhead, teacher to Class 1-A, generally his usual mood falls in a category of “meh” and “too tired for this shit”

Ajali (OC, The Lion King*)

- Teenage gorilla, left home and now wanders, is generally kind but can be a little reckless from time to time, even on accident

Ajax (OC, Ascension**)

- Captain of the starship Ascension, ladies’ man, also referred to by some as “king of the crash landings”

Akabane (GetBackers)

- aka Doctor Jackal, former combat physician, has knives concealed in his body, currently works as a Transporter

Akei Okami (OC, Wolf Song)

- 23-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist with the ears and tail of a red wolf and a lot of behaviors to match, he’s working on trying to make it big, and only recently got away from an abusive, blackmailing, and rather possessive manager, but not without some of that blackmail getting spread to the public, somewhat tanking his career so far

Akira (Persona 5)

- aka Joker, generally mild-mannered and quiet, even perhaps seen as a little serious, he is genuinely friendly, Phantom Thieves’ leader (no i will not call him Ren Amamiya, i don’t like it!)

Akiru (OC, The Cat Returns)

- a teenage black LaPerm cat, who may look innocent at first (and he does have a good heart and good intentions) but he is actually the leader of a band of feline thieves who are trying to fix what’s wrong with the cat kingdom society

Akisu (OC, Harry Potter)

- secretly a baku disguised in human form, he just wants to learn magic like the human/wizard children do, is generally shy and fairly awkward, but he is genuinely kind and gentle, and very affectionate if he’s comfortable enough with someone.

Aladi (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

- boisterous ball of energy and enthusiasm, cute and charming human suitor to the princess, he worked as a tailor in the kingdom of Ha’adan, but had a need for adventure and so he traveled across the sea, and when he heard the call for suitors, he joined in the fun

Alekai (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

- one of a pair of half-demon brothers from the kingdom of Tesak, usually more soft-spoken, is currently another suitor to the princess, and he usually has to act as damage control for his brother a lot of the time

Alexios (Assassin’s Creed)

- Greek assassin, snarky and pretty bold, he’s not afraid to stir up some trouble, and flirt with just about anybody

Aljunn (OC, Poison Daggers)

- Shadowman, basically a Nordic boogeyman, he’s charismatic and cunning, so far unclear motives, but he does have some rather impressive hidden abilities, so he is one to be watched out for

Altair (Assassin’s Creed)

- Syrian assassin, can occasionally be somewhat cocky and sarcastic, hates being called ‘novice’

Amani (OC, The Lion King)

- lioness cub, enthusiastic and curious, often likes to run off and explore new places

Amon (OC, Solomon’s Key)

- a Marquis of Hell, ranked as seventh in their hierarchy, he is crass and relatively aggressive, a bit of a ‘lone wolf’ type, and that’s not said ironically, given that he is actually fairly wolf-like, and often takes the form of a wolf. His true demonic form as well, is a large werewolf-like beast standing upright as a man and with the tail of a snake

Anchor (Finding Nemo)

- a well-meaning, if maybe a little confused, hammerhead shark who’s pals with Bruce and Chum, and is a member of the FEA. “Fish are friends, not food!”

Angus (OC, untitled novel)

- a Highland bull Minotaur, he’s generally rather gentle and kind, though he does have a bit of a temper from time to time, he runs a shop in a small town and sells hardware and general goods as needed

Anik (OC, Portal Skip)

- a teenage boy of about seventeen, he along with his best friend and partner Galen, are time-jumpers as part of a task force in the future, and it’s their job to either retrieve necessary persons, gather important knowledge, or prevent certain historical disasters before they happen. He tends to be the quieter of the pair, and is more of a logical thinker, and a realist.

Anubis (OC/mythological figure, untitled novel)

- Egyptian god of death and mummification, generally rather even-tempered and understanding, but he can come across a little grumpy sometimes

Apollo (Olympos)

- overly dramatic and very bratty/needy Greek god of the sun, he likes to pester Ganymede for attention, but can also get easily offended and is very spiteful

Aramis (OC, untitled novel)

- somewhat smug and aloof male dragon, but underneath his initial impressions, he is generally a good-hearted and well-meaning individual. He.. does have a fondness for shiny things, though, so guard your jewelry and your money, and all other shiny valuables.

Archer (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

- monkey demon, suitor to the princess, he can be a bit of an idiot from time to time, as he tends to think more with his stomach than his head, but he’s also very affectionate, if a bit overly energetic

Archibald (Tales of Arcadia)

- aka Archie, a well-spoken and somewhat sarcastic dragon in feline form, and the familiar to Douxie

Archimedes (OC, Secret of NIMH)

- a very articulate albeit sarcastic companion to a badger named Dodger, Archimedes is a bat, and he’s just as misplaced in the world as Dodger is.

Argent (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

- half-breed Svalden/Mogani hybrid, Argent is the brave and diligent guardian to Yudar the oracle, as well as being a member of the Edovin Resistance. He takes Yudar’s safety seriously, and is also probably the only one who understands him best aside from Nils.

Argo (OC, untitled novel)

- (coming soon)

Argus (OC, untitled novel)

- (coming soon)

Arius (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

- asshole, but with a heart of gold, Arius is a criminal and exile, sent to live in the Outlands around the country of Delanar, where the city of Edovin resides, for the crimes of arson and attempted murder

Arno (Assassin’s Creed)

- French assassin, present during the events of the French Revolution, Arno is rather sarcastic at times, but he is actually a bit more diligent than some of his predecessors, and he takes things personally

Arqaedyn (OC, Overreach)

Arrow (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A scout, and Gadget’s chosen best friend, Arrow is the more polite of the pair of them. He is clever and quick-witted, and he is certainly much more reserved than his tinker friend. But he is nothing short of charming, and he is certainly a gentleman. But he actually depends on Gadget, for most of what he does. Arrow often makes special requests for Gadget to work on. Ideas and inventions to help all scouts do their best work.

- Ultimately, Arrow is far more of a tactician than a combatant, but just because he’s more brains than brawn, doesn’t mean he can’t pack a punch and rumble with the best of them. And actually, he’s the one to watch in any fight, because he’s such a clever tactician. And perhaps he’s a bit of a show off, especially for the ladies, but he is still good-hearted and kind.

Arsene (Code:Realize)

Arsene Lupin (OC, The Mysterious Cases of Arsene Lupin)

Arten (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Artimaes (OC, The Horseman Series)

Artix (AdventureQuest/DragonFable)

Aspen (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Well, it would be a lie to say that Aspen isn’t a bit of an odd one. An almost obsessive addiction to sweets, the tendency to appear in places no one would ever expect he’d be, and.. he carries around an odd little doll. For a winter animal talent, he’s definitely on the strange side, and everyone on the winter side knows it. And as much as they might want to question it, most choose not to. But that’s just it, there’s always more to the story than just that.

- The truth of it is, Aspen is nearly blind. He still sees shapes and movement, and maybe a bit of color, but not much else besides that. His doll is his comfort, as are sweets, and he’s gotten amazing at sneaking up on people, because he does everything he can to mask his steps so he can be sure to hear better, just in case of any danger.

- It’s actually because of his near-blindness that he also keeps companionship with a snowy owl he calls Lune. Lune keeps a lookout for him, making sure everything is safe for his vision-impaired little friend.

Asra (The Arcana)

Asra (OC, Black Souls Rising)

Asra Fisher (OC, Harry Potter)

- Ravenclaw

Asta (OC, Ascension)

Astaroth (OC, Solomon’s Key)

- the 29th Duke of Hell, he is a demonic entity alongside Amon and seventy-one others that hold such titles, but unlike Amon, Astaroth is exceedingly friendly and even flirtatious. He tends to favor more serpentine forms, or his ‘adorable and sexy’ human form.His true demonic form, is in fact a large, bronze-scaled naga with a line of spikes along his back. But he, among all other seventy-two Goetic demons, is very unique in one particular ability.

- Astaroth is a seer. He can see all things past, present, and future, and he answers all questions asked of him. Of course, his seer abilities are not always within his control, and he cannot always choose the when of what he sees.

Aurelio (OC, Seas of Stormfall)

- man-eating sea demon

Auren (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A light talent with somewhat of a gruff attitude, Auren doesn’t always come across as entirely friendly, but the truth is, he’s a very relaxed and easy-going guy. He sees all his fellow talent members as family, as one big clan, and he looks out for all of them.

- Even if there’s not really any leader among light fairies, Auren still takes it upon himself to be someone all his fellow talent members can come to when they need advice or comfort, or even just a little bit of proper direction.

- Honestly, his attitude often makes him seem like he’s the leader of some sort of gang of thugs, or something like that, but honestly it’s just the way he is. He’s gruff, and a bit of a tough guy, but he’s honestly just looking out for his fellow talent members like a big brother looking out for his siblings.

Avel (OC, The Faded Legends saga)

Averin (OC, Firestone)

Avis (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Avos (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Aym (OC, Solomon’s Key)

Azir (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Azkhal (OC, untitled novel)

Azra-Khal (OC, untitled novel)

Azriel (OC, Crossover)

- the Angel of Death

Bael (OC, Solomon’s Key)

- the first King among the seventy-two Goetic demons, Bael is the leader of them all, and second only to Lucifer himself.

Bagheera (The Jungle Book)

Bakugou (Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Balthasar (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

Balthazar (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Balto (Balto)

Ban (GetBackers)

Banjo (Banjo-Kazooie)

Banzai (The Lion King)

Barik (Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom)

Baron (The Cat Returns)

Barrel (OC, Pokemon)

- Golem

Bartleby (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

Bartleby (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Batty (FernGully)

Beast (Beauty and the Beast)

Bear (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Gruff, pushy, and honestly a pretty solid wall of sparrowman, Bear is just as his name sounds like he’d be. He’s a little intimidating to talk to, or even to be around in general, but honestly, he’s very unlikely to hurt anyone. Well, unless someone were to seriously push their luck and actually get on his nerves.

- He’s relaxed and fairly gentle, unless he’s pushed to his limits. He is quite literally the embodiment of the phrase ‘don’t poke sleeping bears’. He’s not very social, unlike some other animal talents, and tends to spend more of his time around animals than other fairies.

- For reasons yet unclear to other fairies around them, Bear seems to have a rather aggressive and spiteful rivalry with Viper. While the two never seem to really get physical with each other, there’s never a shortage of sarcasm and insults tossed between them any time they’re in the same vicinity. Especially if they’re forced to cooperate with each other for any reason. Honestly, it’s a wonder how the two of them even started interacting in the first place, but then comes the realization that they are only around each other because they are both mutual friends of Spark.

Beetle (Kubo and the Two Strings)

Beta (OC, Viral Infection)

Black Jack (OC, The Untamed Wilds series)

Black Joker (Kuni no Alice)

Blaine (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Blitz (OC, How to Train Your Dragon)

- Skrill

Blood (Kuni no Alice)

- head of the Hatter Mafia

Boomer (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Boris (Kuni no Alice)

- the Cheshire Cat that lives at the Amusement Park

Bow (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

Bowser (Mario)

Branch (Trolls)

Break (Pandora Hearts)

Briggs (OC, Finding Nemo/Finding Dory)

- a grumpy and cynical adult tiger shark who’s been through more in his life than he’d really like to talk about, and through a rather annoying and frustrating series of events, he’s now apparently responsible for a very energetic and friendly blacktip reef shark who he believes he could do without, or so he says

Buer (OC, Solomon’s Key)

- the tenth Lord of Hell, and one of the Goetic demons in Bael’s company, he is generally rather mild-mannered and sociable, and is actually capable of healing injuries. Mostly, he tends to mind his own business unless he is required to be present, preferring to keep out of the way. Ultimately though, he is actually rather shy and hates large gatherings.

- Buer tends to favor more equine forms, either that of a large white stallion, or a form much akin to Sagittarius the centaur archer, the latter actually being his true demonic form, and one in which he chooses to wear a black blindfold across his eyes. He can take a human form as well, but does not do so often.

Bunnymund (Rise of the Guardians)

Caine (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Cale (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Callum (The Dragon Prince)

Campbell (Camp Camp)

Canterbury (Black Butler)

Capper (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Cassius (OC, Brightwire)

- A former soldier of the Avran military, particularly as a General of the Airstrike Militia, Cassius swore never to involve himself in another war as long as he lives. The bloodshed he witnessed while involved in the battles of a decade past still haunt him, and as such is the case, he very rarely spends time among living company, and he does his best to avoid forming any attachments to any person for long.

- Over the last decade, Cassius has taken on the occupation of being a merchant of alchemical goods, among other various cargo, and he has quickly become well-known as a merchant of reputable standards and quality service. He has become acquainted (unfortunately in his opinion) with a young man named Finnian, who calls himself ‘an affordable alternative to mainstream service’, which Cassius insists is just a charismatic way to say he’s a back alley thief.

- But aside from Finnian, the elven captain has also managed to reacquaint himself with an old friend of his, a mage named Marquis. But now, Marquis is traveling with a young lady named Wren, and thanks to Finnian’s 'helpful’ advice, Wren has sought out the elven airship captain to aid her on an apparently important quest, and Cassius found himself unfortunately manipulated into agreeing to getting involved by Finnian. So, now he’s become the primary mode of transportation for Wren and her questing party, much to his chagrin

Caster (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- He used to be a dust keeper around Pixie Hollow, but he has since gone rogue, and did so even before Tinker Bell was born. He stole pixie dust, especially a bit of blue dust, and he was experimenting with it long before Zarina tried. Like her, he too joined up with pirates for a while, but he left them of his own accord when they were no longer of use to him.

- He’s shorter than most sparrowmen, at a height of about 4.8 inches. But he’s created something even Zarina never figured out. Anti-dust. While normal pixie dust helps others to fly and objects to float about, this black dust with its crimson glow does the opposite. It weighs everything down, and could even create a crushing weight if enough of it is used.

- So beware of the rogue dust keeper. He isn’t your friend in the least. He is the one they all warn the newbies about, and the reason why the blue dust is so vigilantly guarded. But.. maybe Oleander knows something about why.

Catra (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

Chardonnay (Sweet Beginnings***)

Charlie (Monsterkind)

Cherry (Sweet Beginnings)

Chester (Tales of Phantasia)

Chouza (Itsuwaribito)

Chris Blackford (OC, Crossover)

Chrono (Chrono Crusade)

Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Colte (OC, Viral Infection)

Conn (OC, The Arcanum Chronicles)

Connor (Assassin’s Creed)

Connwaer (named by me, with permission from crimson-chains)

Cornelius (Thumbelina)

Creek (Trolls)

Cress (Tales of Phantasia)

Crosjando (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Crow (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- For an animal talent, Crow comes across as very intimidating, even downright terrifying to some. But underneath that gruff exterior, he’s actually genuinely kind and caring, and is sort of like a big brother figure to some others, particularly to Gale and maybe a couple others. Still, he’s very rough with his affection usually, and many have said that maybe Crow should have been a scout instead of an animal talent.

- It doesn’t help either that Crow does have a tendency to carry around a rather large hawk talon, as a method of defense. Where he even got the talon, no one is quite sure. All that is known is that, well, he has it and he’s not afraid to use it.

Crowley (Oz+)

Cryptic (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Cysero (AdventureQuest/DragonFable)

Dagan (OC, untitled novel)

Daisuke (D.N.Angel)

Daniel (Camp Camp)

I hate him

Dantalion (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Dante (Devil May Cry)

Dante Ignatius (OC, untitled novel)

Dante Kronos (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

Dante Rhodes (OC, Harry Potter)

Darien (OC, Misplaced Magic)

Dark (D.N.Angel)

Dark Law (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Dark Pit (Kid Icarus)

Darrow (OC, untitled novel)

Dastan (OC, Silence Lost)

Data (OC, Viral Infection)

David (Camp Camp)

- a ray of sunshine,”Ooooooooh~! There’s a place I know that’s tucked away..”

Dazai (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Deaikil (OC, Ascension)

- a bad attitude given a full arsenal, he is an alien species called a Ganavir, and is actually a hornless subspecies of them. But that makes him an outcast among his people, and it makes him angrier and more feral than they are. And Ganavir are already a war-hungry, violent bunch.

Decim (Death Parade)

Delta (OC, Viral Infection)

Devil (Sweet Beginnings)

Devon (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Devon (OC, The Camp Mythos series)

Dezimir (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Dhambi (OC, The Lion King)

Digit (OC, Viral Infection)

Docks (OC, untitled novel)

Dodger (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

- the Dodo, and a historian

Dodger (OC, Secret of NIMH)

Don Karnage (Talespin)

Double Trouble (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

- what is gender?

Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog)

Drake (OC, Black Souls Rising)

Drossel (Black Butler)

Duststorm (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

E (AdventureQuest/DragonFable)

Ed (The Lion King)

Eivan (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Elias (OC, The Pariah Chronicles)

Elias (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Elijah (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Elliot (Kuni no Alice)

Elliott (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Elliot Redmond (OC, Seas of Stormfall)

Emmett (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

Envy (Full Metal Alchemist)

Envy (OC, The Intentions series)

Eravi (OC, untitled novel)

Etienne (OC, untitled novel)

Euro (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A dust keeper with a penchant for mischief. Not really the best combination, especially considering he’s friends with Jinx the lock-breaking tinker. He’s often seeking out Jinx, and if he isn’t looking for his friend or doing his job, he actually also has a fondness for placing bets. He has a great mind for games and probabilities, as well as managing dust.

- But it’s the fact he works with dust that can be a little bit of a problem. Euro has his own hidden stash of pixie dust, and he occasionally adds to it. But.. why does he even have it? Well, that’s because he uses it for betting. And sure, it’s great for emergencies too, but a little harmless gambling isn’t so bad, right?

Ezio (Assassin’s Creed)

Ezra (OC, Star Wars)

Fai (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles)

Falkor (The Neverending Story)

Fallon (Sirius the Jaeger)

Fangtooth (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Farren (Lego Elves)

Felix (Satan and Me)

Felix Agreste (Miraculous Ladybug)

Fengari (OC, RWBY)

Fenris (Dragon Age)

Ferio (Magic Knight Rayearth)

Ferran (OC, GrimmalWar)

Ferrin (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Ferris (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Festus (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Finn (OC, Brightwire)

Fisk (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Fox (RWBY)

Gadget (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Everyone’s heard of a social butterfly. Well, guess what! They come in the tinker variety too! Gadget is the perfect example of a social butterfly, jumping from fairy to fairy. And he is even a bit flirtatious too, claiming he’s ever so charming, even if the truth is that his friend Arrow is really the charming one. But there is one problem with Gadget’s exceedingly social nature.

- He is a very physical being, and he loves to just be all on top of those he considers friends. From an arm around the shoulder, to fully draping himself and all his weight on them, Gadget can be a bit of a nuisance. Still, he’s got a good heart and a clever mind, and he’s absolutely thrilled that tinkers now get to play with lost things! Still, there is a secret about him that only Arrow and Fisk know, and it’s not a happy thing that Gadget likes to talk about.

- In fact, he’s deeply ashamed of it, and actively tries to hide it, especially since.. Well, he’d be in big trouble if a certain scout fairy were to ever find out. But Gadget is a vampire. And so far, he’s the only one he knows of in Pixie Hollow. Or at all, really. He can usually keep himself in check by indulging in the occasional nectar mixture that Fisk makes for him, but there are nights when his need to feed becomes too much to hold back.

- Usually, he has enough sense of mind to seek out either Arrow or Fisk, but if he puts it off too long, and ignores the hunger too much, he can turn dangerous and may attack innocent fairies who otherwise know nothing about his vampirism. In fact, he has actually attacked a couple of fairies in the past, and was nearly caught by Venn. Now, he’s extra careful about his late night activities, because if Venn finds out he’s the vampire, it would mean the end for Gadget.

Gage (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Gajeel (Fairy Tail)

Gale (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A fast flyer with a kind heart and huge determination, he may be a little guy, but he does what he has to to get his job done, and make sure his friends are okay. Not to mention that while he may be the youngest of his group of friends, he won’t let that stop him either. But while he generally seems to look on the bright side, Gale’s early experiences in Pixie Hollow weren’t quite as pleasant as some might have hoped they would be.

Galvyn (OC, untitled novel)

Ganta (Deadman Wonderland)

Gareki (Karneval)

Garrett (Quest for Camelot)

Garrick (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Garry (Ib)

Gavin (OC, Seventh Shard)

Gawl (Generator Gawl)

Geilver (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Gideon (Seven Princes of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth)

Gil (Pandora Hearts)

Gilvein (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Gin (OC, My Hero/Boku no Hero Academia)

Ginji (GetBackers)

Ginko (Mushishi)

Ginti (Death Parade)

Gintoki (Gintama)

Gintoki (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Giza (OC, The Lion King)

Gizmo (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Ever met a moody tinker? Well, here’s one. Gizmo isn’t the type to make friends, and instead would rather keep to himself, building complex parts to the mechanisms that are used all around Pixie Hollow. Unfortunately for him, Kestrel doesn’t take no for an answer. As much as Gizmo may insist that they aren’t friends, he just can’t get rid of him.

- Gizmo has been called rude, grumpy, bad-tempered or even aggressive. But it’s just mostly that he’s a loner and likes to be left alone. But.. does he really? Underneath his moodiness, there is a softer side. He isn’t great with affection, despite secretly wanting it, and that’s due to the fact that shortly after his birth, he was somewhat looked over. That, and he got lost deep in the woods for a few months, having to survive entirely on his own for what seemed like an eternity.

- He was eventually found by Kestrel, but by then, he’d become reclusive and harsh, actively refusing the company of others.By the time Kestrel had found him though, he was hungry and weak, cold and wet, and utterly exhausted, even a little battered and bruised. It’s that that is the reason Kestrel keeps checking up on him, and Gizmo knows that. But he spent too long alone, so soon after he’d been born that it was most of what made up his early experiences, and made him shy away from others rather than seeking them out.

Gizmo (OC, Beyond the Rainbow)

Glitch (OC, Viral Infection)

Gojyo (Saiyuki)

Goku (Saiyuki)

Gourry (The Slayers)

Gowland (Kuni no Alice)

- the “Duchess” and current owner of the Amusement Park

Graham (OC, Assassin’s Creed, Harry Potter, Outlander)

Gray (Fairy Tail)

Gray Ringmarc (Kuni no Alice)

- the Lizard

Griffin (Quest for Camelot)

Grillby (Undertale)

Guy (The Croods)

Guy Cecil (Tales of the Abyss)

Guy Diamond (Trolls)

Hades (Olympos)

Hagane (OC, untitled novel)

Hak (Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn)

Hans (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Hapsun (OC, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic)

Harper (OC, The Moonlight Ring)

Harrison (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Harrow (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Haru (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Haruka (Tactics)

Hatari (OC, The Lion King)

Hatch (OC, untitled novel)

Hatchet (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Hatchet, or Hatch as most call him, is a difficult individual to actually like. Even as a scout, he’s somewhat of a bully, and though he usually means it in a friendly sort of way, he’s very gruff and forceful in everything he does, so it’s no surprise his jokes are actually pretty harsh and insensitive. He actually has referred to Lock as ‘cyclops’ more than once. No one is really safe from his rough humor.

- But the truth is that he’s looking for someone that disappeared shortly before Tinker Bell had even arrived in Pixie Hollow. He knows that they’re out there somewhere, but he can’t figure out where. As a result, he actually doesn’t trust anyone, even if he claims to, and his harsh jokes are his way of keeping others at a distance. He doesn’t want to be attached only for someone else to disappear on him.

Hatsuharu (Fruits Basket)

Hawke (OC, Beyond the Rainbow)

Hector “Striker” Marques (OC, untitled novel)

Hibiki (OC, Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Hikae (Itsuwaribito)

Hiraishi (OC, untitled novel)

Hiro (Big Hero 6)

Hiruko (Itsuwaribito)

Hiruko (Nightmare Inspector)

Hisago (Itsuwaribito)

Hisirdoux (Tales of Arcadia)

Hook (Okashi na Shima no Peter Pan/Sweet Neverland)

Hunk (Voltron Legendary Defender)

Ibal (OC, untitled novel)

- deity of destruction and decay

Ifari (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Ikuto (Shugo Chara)

Impey (Code:Realize)

Indivar (OC, Seventh Shard)

- a very moody djinn

Inuyasha (Inuyasha)

Isaac (OC, The Stormfront Chronicles)

Isaac Vivre (OC, Camp Camp)

Isaiah (OC, Evermore)

Isandro (OC, Black Souls Rising)

Izaya (Durarara!!)

Izmael (OC, Dead Man’s Day)

Izo (OC, untitled novel)

Izrael (OC, Cantor Descending)

Jabber Quill (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Jace (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

Jacquimo (Thumbelina)

Jack (Rise of the Guardians)

Jade Moonfeather (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Jael (OC, untitled novel)

James (Pokemon)

Jasper (OC, The Moonlight Ring)

Jasper Taigan (OC, The Sand Skulls Series)

Jax (OC, Misplaced Magic)

Jay (OC, Camp Camp)

Jellal (Fairy Tail)

Jericho (Kuni no Alice)

- the Dodo

Jester Ring (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Jinx (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Jinx is a tinker. He knows his way around all sorts of tools and devices, and he can figure out almost any puzzle thrown his way. But it isn’t just that. While tinkers usually are of a mind to build and create, Jinx is much more likely to take things apart, even if it’s something the other tinkers just finished working on.

- Queen Clarion has acknowledged it as boundless curiosity, but he is advised to keep his curious nature in check. And he does keep it in check. Most of the time. He does have a tendency to get into trouble along with Euro, Ridge, and Nero quite often. Especially when Jinx has taken apart or picked a locking mechanism that is supposed to keep everyone out of important places. As such is the case, most scouts and those in charge of keeping things in order.. aren’t always fond of him. Or the other three.

Johnny (Sing)

Joker (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

Judal (Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic)

Julius (Kuni no Alice)

- the Clockmaker

Jumba (Lilo and Stitch)

Justin (OC, Camp Camp)

Jyugo (Nanbaka)

Kade (OC, Plague)

Kaelan (OC, The Wild Warriors series)

Kagura (Demon Love Spell)

Kai (OC, untitled novel)

Kal (OC, untitled novel)

Kale (OC, Animorphs)

- an Andalite warrior

Kaminari (Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Kanda (D. Gray-Man)

Karimu (OC, The Lion King)

Karkat (Homestuck)

Karma (Assassination Classroom)

Kasi (OC, The Lion King)

Kaspar (OC, The Tangled Series)

Katsuo (OC, Persona 4)

Kaushal (OC, Desert Sands)

Kavit (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Kazuki Fuuchouin (GetBackers)

Kazuki Muto (Busou Renkin)

Keidynn (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Keith (Voltron Legendary Defender)

Kestrel (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- This is the sweetest, most gentle sparrowman anyone could ever meet. Kestrel is genuinely kindhearted and just full of love and affection to give to others. Even those who aren’t so friendly to him. Like a young tinker by the name of Gizmo, for example. Kestrel is an animal talent, but often goes out of his way to check up on his young friend. Making sure he’s eating right and all that. He knows he doesn’t have to, but he likes to do it anyway. Kestrel does have a secret, though.

- After an encounter with a strange animal no one had ever seen before, during which Kestrel was wounded by the creature’s claws, Kestrel has to make regular visits to the healing fairies, or else the toxin still in his body even now will force him to change, and lose his sense of self for a while. Beware if Kestrel’s blond hair turns silver, because he will not know friend from foe, and the normally gentle sparrowman has turned aggressive and dangerous.

Keturi (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Khazroq (OC, untitled novel)

Khireus (OC, untitled novel)

- deity of justice

Ki (OC, untitled novel)

Kifo (OC, The Lion King)

Kin (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Kirishima (Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Kizami (Corpse Party)

who wants to talk about MURDER~~? :D

Klarth (Tales of Phantasia)

Klein (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

Korand (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Koro-sensei (Assassination Classroom)

Krampus (OC, untitled novel)

Kratos (Tales of Symphonia)

Krin (OC, Ascension)

- precious innocent child, and amazing prodigy in mechanics, he is of an alien species called Ch’taar, which appear much like caterpillar-taurs in their youth, like Krin, and their full-fledged adults resemble something akin to mantis-taurs with butterfly wings. Krin is a very shy and soft-spoken young boy, and is only four of his planet’s years in age, but that is approximately the equivalent of a thirteen-year-old in Earth years.

Kuhani (OC, The Lion King)

Kuiba (OC, The Lion King)

Kuro (Servamp)

Kurogane (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles)

Kutal (Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Kweli (OC, The Lion King)

Kyle (OC, Desert Sands)

Kyo (Fruits Basket)

Lark (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Lark is an animal talent, and still fairly new to life in Pixie Hollow, and in general! He’s energetic, somewhat reckless, not always the brightest firefly in the field, but he means well and generally is a sweetheart, but.. he does also occasionally have a little bit of a temper, and if he notices it, he will call others out on their bullshit.

- He is actually unable to fly, because on his first day after being born, he got a little too excited about his talent, and proceeded to run right off the edge and tear his left wing. So now if he needs to get somewhere fast, he rides a black-footed ferret he named Willowby.

Lavi (D. Gray-Man)

Law/Lawrence (OC, Plague)

Lawrence (Seven Princes of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth)

Lawson (OC, The Untamed Wilds series)

- a very rough-and-tumble mustang centaur, and a cowboy ruffian in the American Wild West, Lawson is actually pretty polite when he needs to be, but he’s got a stubbornness to put a mule to shame, and an attitude like an ornery old goat coupled with a strong dislike for authority. He’s seen as an outlaw and a no-good son-of-a-bitch by most townfolk, but that’s because they tend to see centaurs as much the same as their non-verbal equine kin, and treat them as slaves. And that’s something Lawson is fighting to change.

Leif (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Leon (OC, Beyond the Rainbow)

- the Cowardly Lion

Leonardo (Oz+)

- the Cowardly Lion, given a human form, and he is a beautiful, handsome.. himbo.

Leraje (OC, Solomon’s Key)

Levi (OC, untitled novel)

Li (CardCaptors)

Lily (Servamp)

Lincoln (OC, untitled novel)

Link (Breath of the Wild)

Lion-O (Thundercats 2011)

Lionheart (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Locien Kei (OC, untitled novel)

Lock (OC, Pokemon)

- Arbok

Lock (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- While he may not be the friendliest of sparrowmen, Lock is determined and loyal, and very attentive to his work as a tinker. He often tends to be the one handling tools for use by the scouts, whatever those things may be, and he is diligent and hard-working. But he comes across very rough and cold to just about everyone in Pixie Hollow. He isn’t interested in making friends, it seems, and he keeps to himself. But.. there is a reason behind his behavior.

- And her name was Luna. They were born fairly close together, though not from the same laugh. She was a scout while he is a tinker, and she made a promise to him. A promise, that she would always make sure he was safe, that she would protect him first and foremost. And it bonded them together, they were nearly inseparable as a pair, even to the point that he fell deeply in love with her, and she loved him in return.

- She was headstrong and brave, always pushing her way through and never letting him be alone. She was his guiding light. Until one day, she asked him to come with her deep into the forest. She had found something, she told him. She had found something he needed to see. And he listened, following her further and further into the woods, until she had led him to what seemed to be a large, black stone in the middle of a dark, and eerie part of the forest.

- She pulled him to it, showing him her discovery, excited to have him to share it with. It could be some kind of new ore that tinkers could use, she thought, something special to help make their tools stronger! But then.. it moved. It revealed itself as no stone or ore, but a deep black avian beast! Immediately Luna shielded Lock behind her, guarding him from the threat she had brought him straight to, and then- It attacked.

- Sharp talons and a wild serpentine tail slashing and swinging about, and Lock tried to flee, tried to get away to get the rest of the scouts to help- but the monster followed him, catching him within its talons and snapping its beak. One sharp talon found purchase, its tip digging deep into his left eye.. and he screamed as his body was being crushed, his eye reduced to nothing but a bloody hole in his face, and-

- There was Luna. She kept her promise, defending him and rescuing him from the wretched creature she’d awoken, and.. she gave her life for his.. Somehow the creature was sealed away and trapped where it couldn’t bring any more harm, but Luna’s life was lost in the process.. Leaving Lock entirely alone, with no one to love, and no one to make him feel safe..

Loki (Kamigami no Asobi)

- Norse god of mischief

Lokus (OC, The White Game)

Lotus (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Calm, quiet, usually minds his own business except to keep others from getting hurt, Lotus is the sort of water talent that can often be found meditating on a lily pad in the middle of a pond. He’s curious, but not enough to seek out trouble like some others might. He’s more likely to be the one who gets dragged along on adventures by others who are more energetic and outgoing.

- Like Nova the highly exuberant light fairy, for example. Lotus actually came very close to being a scout instead of a water talent, and he has a very high instinct to protect. But at the last moment, it failed and he was instead a water talent. Not that he minds. He knows all the action the scouts get involved in, and he’s content to just take life one step at a time, even if he does always have an eye out in case of trouble.

Lowell (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Lucas DuSauvage (OC, Crossover)

Lucian (OC, Catching Smoke)

Lucian (OC, untitled novel)

Lucien (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Luka (Miraculous)

Luke Ainsworth (Sacred Blacksmith)

Luke fon Fabre (Tales of the Abyss)

Lune (The Cat Returns)

Lux (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Here comes trouble. A common phrase uttered throughout Pixie Hollow when Lux is around. Especially when he’s got a particular twinkle in his eye. A light talent with a bad habit of getting into mischief, Lux loves to play pranks. And, well, not everyone enjoys his tricks as much as he does. He gets a good laugh, but oftentimes, he is the only one laughing.

- Especially when his pranks have accidentally caused someone to get hurt. He usually doesn’t mean for things to go that far, and when they do, he’s often pretty quick to apologize for his mistake. Well.. when he’s stopped laughing, that is. And.. only if he wasn’t intentionally hurting them, since he can be a bit vindictive.

- Aside from his prankster nature, Lux is also a fairly jealous individual. There are few who he actually really considers close friends, and he loves it when they dump their attention on him. But.. when they give attention to someone else, instead of spending time with him, Lux can get a bit jealous and possessive.

- He can even be somewhat rude and pushy, forcing his way to the forefront of his friends’ attention. He’s much like a bratty child at times, pouting and throwing mild tantrums from time to time, even bullying those who he thinks are stealing his friends’ attention.

- When he likes someone, though, he is very affectionate and friendly, actively seeking out companionship and bringing them things he thinks they will like. He’s happy and cheerful, and generally fun to be around when he actually considers someone a friend. But.. watch out if he doesn’t like you, because you are very likely to be the main target of his worst pranks. Usually though, he is thankfully kept in check by Umbra and Torren. Just be careful not to steal their attention too much. Lux certainly won’t thank you for it, and he’ll have no one keeping him in check.

Lyric (OC, Second Moon)

Lyric (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Mad King (X-Ray and Vav)

Mael (OC, untitled novel)

Majestic (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Makoto (Free!)

Marco (Animorphs)

Marius (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Marius (OC, Down the Rabbit Hole)

- the JubJub Bird, and with a severe attitude problem

Markos (OC, untitled novel)

Marquis (OC, Brightwire)

Marshall Lee (Adventure Time)

Mason (OC, untitled novel)

Masquerade (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Mauti (OC, The Lion King)

Maverick (OC, untitled novel)

Max (Camp Camp)

Maximus (Tangled/The Tangled Series)

Mercury (RWBY)

Merlot (Sweet Beginnings)

Merrick (OC, untitled novel)

Messiah (Seven Princes of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth)

Micah (OC, Micah’s Guidebooks series)

Michal (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A snowflake talent, Michal is intuitive and protective, and for quite some time has been somewhat of an older brother figure to quite a few of the winter fairies, but mostly to Wolf, on the other side of the border. They met once by accident, and were nearly inseparable since, as Wolf often came by when he needed advice, or just someone to talk to.

- And Michal looked out for him and occasionally he has teased him for various little things. As big brothers do. But recently, Michal has disappeared without any warning, the only sign that he was ever there at all being a few broken snowflakes around where he usually works.

Midnight Star (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Mifune (Soul Eater)

Migs (OC, The Camp Mythos series)

Mikasi (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Mikhael (OC, Fall of the Titans)

Mikhael (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Milori (Neverland Fairies)

Mist Flare (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Mitsuhide (Akagami no Shirayuki/Snow White with the Red Hair)

Mitsuru (Nanbaka)

Mizani (OC, The Lion King)

Mkali (OC, The Lion King)

Mogar (X-Ray and Vav)

Momotaro (Free!)

Montague (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Monty (OC, Pokemon)

Morgan (OC, untitled novel)

Morgana (Persona 5)

Musashi (Nanbaka)

Mushra (Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Muta (The Cat Returns)

Myles (OC, Rewrite)

Mzungu (OC, The Lion King)

N (Pokemon)

Nagi (Deadman Wonderland)

Naro (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Nathan (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Nathaniel (Miraculous)

Natsu (Fairy Tail)

Nephr (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Nero (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A fast-flyer with more than enough energy to go around, Nero is honestly of the friendlier sort than some other fast-flyers may be. He actually enjoys zipping back and forth across Pixie Hollow just to run errands for others. Need some food for a baby animal? He’ll go fetch it! Oh, that basket has to be delivered somewhere? Say no more, Nero is on the job! And what about those seeds? They need to be scattered out in the field? Nero definitely has that handled too!

- But when he’s not doing his job or helping others, he’s hoarding some cool human things he’s found. Or he’s getting into some trouble alongside Jinx, Euro, and Ridge. Honestly, he’s not quite sure what the plan is half the time, but he’s having fun with his friends, and that’s what counts!

Nguvu (OC, The Lion King)

Nico (Nanbaka)

Nico (OC, Black Souls Rising)

Nicolae (OC, untitled novel)

Nicu (OC, untitled novel)

Nightdream (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Niklaus (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Nikolae (OC, D. Gray-Man)

Nils (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Nirav (OC, Desert Sands)

Nix (OC, untitled novel)

Njozi (OC, The Lion King)

Nod (Epic)

Noir (OC, The Cat Returns)

Nora (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Nora (Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom)

Obi (Akagami no Shirayuki/Snow White with the Red Hair)

- a smartass ninja/assassin originally sent to threaten Shirayuki, but who found himself instead given a job by Prince Zen and who has been welcomed as a part of their group

Oga (Beelzebub)

Ojiro (Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Oleander (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Oleander is more than just a little unusual, especially for a garden talent, but he actually manages it fairly well and manages to go through life just the same as anyone else. Except for one, tiny detail. He seems to have no regard for his own life, and actually may even find enjoyment in near-death experiences. He’s what other fairies and sparrowmen call a ‘tossaway’, as it seems he would gladly toss away his own life, for hardly any reason at all.

- But there is a secret behind all of this. Behind his casual charisma, and his apparent humor in a tossaway lifestyle. He was once best friends with Caster, and actually went rogue alongside him for a while before he grew a conscience and returned to Pixie Hollow to do penance for the things he had done, and what he helped Caster to do. He supplied Caster with the ingredient to make his black ‘anti-dust’. A black Narcissus flower. Now he behaves rather flippantly and acts as if he has no care in the world, but every day that goes by he still regrets what he did, and still misses his best friend.

Oriander (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

- baby

Orion (OC, untitled novel)

Orpheus (OC, Edge of Legend)

Orson (OC, The Stormfront Chronicles)

Orson (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Orson Gibbs (OC, Plague)

Oseru (Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom)

Ouro (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Like Styx, Ouro is trouble with a capital ‘T’, but he’s not aggressive the way Styx is. He has a similar sense of humor for sure, but he doesn’t actively put others in danger with his jokes. Instead, he’s far more likely to sneak up on someone and give them a little bit of a jump scare. Among all the residents of Pixie Hollow, Ouro is known to be the stealthiest of the scouts.

- He has even managed to sneak up on some of the best, much to the annoyance of some. Nyx is a good example of a scout that doesn’t always appreciate Ouro’s sense of humor, or his chosen uses of his stealth skills. However, if anyone were to ask where Ouro’s deepest loyalties lie, there are only three individuals he actually truly respects enough to have the most unbreakable loyalty toward. Queen Clarion, a healing talent named Clover, and Tyr, a scout leader much like Nyx.

- It’s because of this loyalty to only specific individuals though, that makes Ouro really kind of frustrating to some. But of course, there is a reason for this intense loyalty, as there is for everything.

Oz (Oz+)

Oz Diggs (OC, Beyond the Rainbow)

- the Great Oz, wizard of the Emerald City

Ozpin (RWBY)

Pallum (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Pax (Satan and Me)

Peter Pan (Okashi na Shima no Peter Pan/Sweet Neverland)

Peter White (Kuni no Alice)

Phalanx (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Philip (Sirius the Jaeger)

Pips (FernGully)

Piras (Awaken)

Pit (Kid Icarus)

Pteryn (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Qivral (OC, Ascension)

Quinn (OC, untitled novel)

Quirin (The Tangled Series)

Qwan (Qwan)

Rafiki (The Lion King)

Rai (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Rai (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Raimundo (Xiaolin Showdown)

Raito (OC, The Cat Returns)

Raitou (OC, Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Rajan (OC, Desert Sands)

- angry djinn, he may be sexy, but he will kill you if he doesn’t like you, or if you cross the line

Rama Anin (OC, untitled novel)

fashion is immortal, and so is this male model from Ancient Persia.

Rampo (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Ratchet (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Ratchet is one of those sparrowmen that’s just generally hard to figure out. He’s great at what he does, of course, tinkering and making all sorts of handy things. Much like Tinker Bell, he has a very curious mind. Where others might ask why, he asks ‘why not’. Can it be done? Maybe. Should it be done? Who knows! Will he do it? Absolutely. Leave no stone unturned, and nothing left untinkered. Generally, he seems like an okay guy, even downright friendly and without worry. But.. there’s just one problem.

- Ratchet has a very bad habit. One that, try as anyone might, no one can ever get him to break. And of course, Styx doesn’t help, and in fact encourages it. Usually Ratchet’s bad habit has fairly harmless results, but sometimes it can get out of hand. Especially when he’s been hanging out with Styx. But in general, the fact of the matter is that Ratchet is a liar. White lies mostly, but sometimes he can take a lie too far. Still, thankfully no one has been physically hurt by his lies yet. Even if Yarrow may find them mentally and morally taxing.

Ravenblade (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Reik (OC, untitled novel)

Reiss (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Remus (Harry Potter, Marauders’ Era specifically)

Remy (X-Men, personal adaptation)

Ren (RWBY)

Rhett (OC, Finding Nemo/Finding Dory)

a very enthusiastic, energetic, and boisterously friendly teenage blacktip reef shark, he’s the type who’s more likely to befriend his fish prey rather than eat them, which does cause a few problems for him, but thanks to an amusing series of events, he’s got Briggs looking out for him

Rick O’Connell (The Mummy)

Ridge (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Definitely not the smartest guy out there. Among garden talents, Ridge is honestly just usually the muscle, rather than the one who takes on more delicate tasks. He’s rough and tumble, and often down in the dirt with the larger bulbs and things like that.

- His pride and joy though is the large and gnarled willow tree just past the edge of the Hollow, that has become the hangout spot for him and his friends. That aside, though, he is actually a fantastic cook.

- Anyone in Pixie Hollow who thinks they know good food, hasn’t tasted anything like Ridge’s blackberry bread rolls, or his orange and lemon sugar pies. Even his roast tomatoes and baked apples are unlike anything else ever made. It’s honestly surprising that he’s a garden talent, and not simply a cook.

Rin (Free!)

Rin Okumura (Blue Exorcist)

Rishi (OC, Desert Sands)

Rivan (Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom)

Rivaren (OC, The Kingship Quartet)

River (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Born completely blind, River was often treated as if he was helpless and needed extra assistance, but it only served to frustrate him. He has always been perfectly capable of handling things himself, he just has a different way of doing it, but in the beginning, no one really seemed to understand that. So instead, some of the other fairies had taken to helping him and doing certain tasks for him. He knew they were just trying to help, but it was more of a hindrance than a help, and it was bothering him to no end.

- So, one day he left Pixie Hollow. He left and instead ventured deeper into the woods. If everyone was going to insist he was helpless, then he was going to prove to them that he was far from it. It was no surprise that his disappearance had others worried, but he avoided anyone who might be looking for him, knowing he had to succeed on his own, or no one would ever leave him be.

- So for three months, he lived in the woods and fended for himself, training himself to be strong and to be independent. And on his own, he fought off snakes, a hawk, and more than a few nests of wasps.When he finally returned to the Hollow, he came back scarred, but strong.

- He was welcomed back with open arms and worried voices, but he only smiled and shrugged. He knew what he had done, and they knew it too. He was stronger than they had all thought him to be, and he had proven exactly that. Now no one needed to help him with anything, for they all knew he’s perfectly capable on his own. Being blind has never stopped him from that.

Roane (OC, untitled novel)

Robin (Disney’s Robin Hood)

Rock (Nanbaka)

Rocky (Chicken Run)

Roman (RWBY)

Rome (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- It isn’t recommended to trust Rome, no matter how charismatic and charming he may be, or how much he may play on someone’s sympathies. He is a thief, and a bitter soul with a strong dislike of Queen Clarion. A light talent, Rome has all the same abilities as any other light fairy, but he was born different.

- While there are others still living in Pixie Hollow who have lost limbs or other body parts in events of conflict, or were tortured, Rome was born the way he is. Missing his right arm, and his left leg. As a result, he has had his fair share of struggles, and much of the time, he failed to keep up, and so he grew frustrated and angry and began to lash out at his fellow talent members.

Eventually, he actually ended up exiled for good from the Hollow, and now he’s gone rogue and is very much a problem to everyone in Pixie Hollow, and outside of it. Rome isn’t alone though. He has managed to gather his own followers, and has formed a criminal gang of sorts, and they have their own community deep in the farthest reaches of the forests. A place where all misfit fairies gather.

Ronin (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Ronin is a scout. It’s in his job description to protect Pixie Hollow and everyone who lives there. He’s fast, and an agile fighter, but.. he also has a tendency to go off on his own to explore, as well as the fact that he does like to tease a bit. He’s a smooth talker, most of the time, and he’s fairly well-liked around the Hollow.

- However, he’s pretty bad at handling real affection directed toward him, especially the physical kind. As he usually is on guard and prepared for combat in some way or another, surprise affection can really get him on edge, and even if it’s something like an accidental kiss, he may run away like he’s been shocked, if only just to process his confusion. Fairies and sparrowmen do only feel one emotion at a time, after all.

Rowain (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Roux (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Roy (Full Metal Alchemist)

Roy G. Biv (Monsterkind)

Rukh (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Runaan (The Dragon Prince)

Rush (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Rush is generally rather rude and pushy, and he prefers for things to go his way, otherwise he can be a bit of a brat. Kyra and Wren are usually fairly on top of keeping Rush’s bad temper in check, but sometimes this storm talent sparrowman can get quite a bit out of hand. He’s certainly not afraid to use a bit of lightning to get his point across, and he can be more than a little overconfident sometimes. He also has quite the tendency to mock others and likes to put himself first.

- Still, he’d be nothing without Kyra and Wren. He owes his very life to them, after he nearly got himself eaten by a snake, and the two of them put their lives on the line to save him. So, as cocky as he gets, he does have quite the soft spot for them, and will often actually follow them around when he’s not busy with other things. But if he’s not with them, and he’s not doing his job, he unfortunately can be found harassing another sparrowman named Sahar, with whom he actually has a fairly intense rivalry, and honestly the two seem to hate each other.

Rusty (OC, Blackwater)

Ryo (OC, Crossover)

- the god of fate, please resist the impulse to make short jokes or you may find that your ultimate fate and the end of the line arrives sooner than expected

Ryuji (Persona 5)

Ryuma (Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Ryuu (OC, Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Sadir (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Sage (OC, The Kingship Quartet)

Sago (Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Sahar (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Saiqeit (OC, untitled novel)

Samon (Nanbaka)

Sanji (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Saru (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Sasha (OC, Pokemon)

Satan (Satan and Me)

Scar (The Lion King)

Scissor (Okashi na Shima no Peter Pan/Sweet Neverland)

Senji (Deadman Wonderland)

Sesshomaru (Inuyasha)

Shade (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Shahad (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Sharrkan (Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic)

Shere Khan (The Jungle Book)

Shetani (OC, The Lion King)

Shin-Ah (Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn)

Shiro (Voltron Legendary Defender)

Shirou (Brand New Animal)

Shizuo (Durarara!!)

Shock (OC, Pokemon)

- Raichu

Shockwave (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Shuseki (OC, My Hero/Boku no Hero Academia)

Sigma (OC, Viral Infection)

Silence (OC, The Intentions series)

Sindar (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Skek (OC, DnD, untitled novel)

- “Skek demands to be taken seriously!”

SkekMal (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance)

Soren (The Dragon Prince)

Soul (Soul Eater)

Spark (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- The friendliest ball of energy in Pixie Hollow, Spark is the type who generally seems completely innocent and naive, and like he has no idea that two of his closest friends apparently hate each other. However, he actually knows very well what’s going on, and actively inserts himself between Bear and Viper in order to keep the peace. Or sometimes he’ll drag Willow into it just to balance things out, and of course the effeminate sparrowman has a hard time refusing. Even Holly and Shade can’t say no when Spark asks them for the occasional favor.

Staz (Blood Lad)

Steele (Balto)

Stein (Soul Eater)

Sting (Fairy Tail)

Stormblade (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Strix (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Alongside Kestrel, Strix is one of the kindest souls anyone could ever know, and he will go out of his way to make sure others are feeling comfortable and happy, especially new arrivals, no matter their talent. It was honestly by pure coincidence that he wasn’t the one helping Tinker Bell settle in when she was trying out all of the other talents.

- He had actually been on his way to do just that when he’d seen that the other fairies seemed to have things well in hand. Though.. he did have a very terrified baby bird to handle after Fawn had left Tinker Bell alone with it. Still, he is proud of how far Tink has come since the start, like a father watching a child grow. It’s only a shame he will never be able to actually say so.

- Because Strix is mute. And no, he wasn’t born that way. When he was new to Pixie Hollow himself, he was as vocal as any other fairy or sparrowman, and often he spoke up to volunteer his help. As well, he was the type who loved to sing, and in fact, his voice was known to be one of the most beautiful whenever he had an audience, intentionally or not.

- He sang lullabies and gentle tunes, especially to frightened animals in need of comfort, and to other fairies who needed just the same. However, his voice was violently stripped from him, and now he can’t do much more than give a soft wheeze or a huff every now and again. But.. the worst thing is, his voice wasn’t even the first injury he’d suffered.

Styx (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Stay. Away. From. Styx. At least, that’s what most tend to tell the newcomers. He is the scout that other scouts warn about. He’s highly dangerous on his own, and has actually a bit of a violent and aggressive tendency. And you know, when even a scout is unsettled by their own talent member, it’s bad. However, he’s really only a problem when he’s left to his own devices and doesn’t have his best friend to manage him.

- That best friend, being Ratchet. Styx has been around longer than Ratchet has. Quite a while longer in fact, and honestly, Tick and Queen Clarion may be the only ones who actually do know how long Styx has been around. Queen Clarion doesn’t discuss Styx’s behavior, except to say that he never used to be this way. And there won’t be much to get out of Tick either, except the very same.

- However, if pressed further, only Tick will give a little more, but his answer is still vague. ‘What happened to make Styx like this?’ ‘Three.’ That’s all Tick will give, and most are nervous to ask Styx himself. The truth is, Styx has nearly died. Three times. Each one worse and more traumatic than the last. And now he has become almost like a cold, calculating predator. When he’s not with Ratchet, that is.

- To those who have seen the dark side of Styx, tend to avoid him, but when he’s with Ratchet, he’s like a completely different sparrowman. He’s enjoying himself, and laughing and even getting into just some general mischief, which is of course much to the chagrin of Yarrow, who unfortunately often gets dragged along in Ratchet’s plans.

Sugino (Tactics)

Sumu (OC, The Lion King)

Sun (RWBY)

Sun (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Sunny Pine (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Surefire Arrow (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Sval (OC, untitled novel)

Swift (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Syaoran (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles)

Syuro (OC, untitled novel)

Taavi (OC, untitled novel)

Taeval (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Taigus (OC, untitled novel)

Taiyou (OC, untitled novel)

Takhal (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Tamani (OC, The Lion King)

Tatizo (OC, The Lion King)

Tempest (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Terra (OC, untitled novel)

Terra (Kingdom Hearts)

Terence (Neverland Fairies)

Thomas O’Malley (Aristocats)

Thompson (Black Butler)

Thor (Kamigami no Asobi)

- Norse god of thunder

Tick (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A more mysterious fellow than most, Tick keeps to himself and hardly ever ventures away from his work. He is a tinker, but he is a very unique sort of tinker. He keeps watch of the passing of time in Pixie Hollow, and he is the only one who does. Just as Zarina found her own unique talent within the broader subject, Tick found his own unique subset of tinkering. Clockwork tinkering. Though while discovering his unique skill, it wasn’t always as smooth-going as it is now. He actually suffered a bit of backlash from his own projects, and now has just a bit of trouble seeing out of his left eye.

- However, it is ultimately thanks to him that there are proper schedules, and the seasons are tracked and recorded correctly. He may be a little odd to some, but he knows the balance of time, and how important it is to keep things on time. However, there is something else to his actions. Every now and again, Tick ventures away from Tinker’s Nook, but it isn’t clear where he disappears to. All that is known, is that he keeps a second record of the days, and disappears with it for an hour or so, returning without the extra records.

Timber (Black Butler)

Tink (Okashi na Shima no Peter Pan/Sweet Neverland)

Titan (OC, Dragonmist)

- tarantula-taur

Titian (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Titus (Seven Princes of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth)

Tjarron (OC, Brightwire)

Tobias (Animorphs)

Todoroki (Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Tokiya (Time Guardian)

Tokoyami (Boku no Hero/My Hero Academia)

Toris (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Torren (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Torren is very much the strong, silent type. He only speaks when he needs to, and especially when it’s really something important to say. Most of the time though, this big guy usually just sort of grunts in acknowledgement, or shrugs or shakes his head. Not many actual spoken words needed to get his point across. He’s a gentle giant most of the time as well, but it isn’t wise to anger this particular sparrowman. He is a lightning talent after all, and he is very protective of Umbra and Lux.

Train (Black Cat)

Travis (OC, Camp Camp)

Tyr (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- A leader among scouts, Tyr doesn’t actually go out and fight or patrol as much as Nyx does. Mostly, he trusts her judgement and lets her handle that side of things unless he’s needed in action, and instead he usually handles the more diplomatic side of it all, and well.. paperwork and documentation. Written records of patrols, and encounters, and all that sort of thing. He hates the paperwork part of his job, and can actually often be found skipping his duties on that front.

- He’s great at the social and personal aspect, and certainly a skilled fighter, but he’d just rather not do the paperwork. More often than once, he has actually been found skipping those duties to instead just explore and enjoy some more frivolous activities, as well as interacting with other fairies and sparrowmen. Often he has been escorted back to his paperwork by two of the scouts under his direct command, Romulus and Kyrie.

Tyrian (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Tzekhal (OC, untitled novel)

Tzuriel (OC, untitled novel)

U-1146/White Blood Cell (Cells at Work)

Ueki (Law of Ueki)

Umbra (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Everyone knows Umbra, and everyone sincerely enjoys his company. Of course, this is with the exception of newer fairies, but everyone gets to know him sooner or later, because he loves welcoming everyone new, whether they’re his fellow talent members or not. Umbra is highly social, and genuinely sweet and kind to everyone. Of course, this also means that he is extremely popular, and his good looks of course add to that as well, much to the severe annoyance of Lux.

Undertaker (Black Butler)

Uno (Nanbaka)

Uno (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Uriel (Satan and Me)

Utsuho (Itsuwaribito)

Vafa (Arabian Dreams)

Valiance (OC, The Stormfront Chronicles)

Varian (The Tangled Series)

Vasha (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Venn (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Venture (OC, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Vheildar (OC, Ascension)

Vince (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Viper (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Warren (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Watanuki (xxxHolic)

Wesley (Oz+)

Weston (OC, Beyond the Rainbow)

White Joker (Kuni no Alice)

Willow (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- At first glance, most would look at Willow and think that he’s female. He certainly has a very slender, and almost effeminate body shape, and his long hair doesn’t help either. All around, he genuinely appears female. Even his name could be considered effeminate. However, he is as male as they come, and he does actually take a firm dislike to being mistaken for a girl. Honestly, if someone were to call him a girl too many times, they should be very prepared for a willow whip to the face.

He’s fairly tolerant if it isn’t too often, but.. It’s generally better not to push it too much. Generally, Willow is kind and easy-going, and he takes most things in stride. He’s always willing to help out if he can, except.. If it puts him in a rather demeaning situation. He’ll go along with things for a while, but if he feels at all demeaned or uncomfortable, he will make his feelings known and will stand firm on his refusal to participate.

- There has been the occasional instance of a fairy convincing him to try on a dress, but it doesn’t last long before he gets very annoyed. He also has been flirted with by a few other sparrowmen before they realized he was male like them. Willow’s first appearance in Pixie Hollow was a bit of an event in and of itself, and there was certainly confusion about his gender even then, as his long hair masked most of his figure and even Queen Clarion was fooled for a moment.

- Once he’d settled in with the other garden talents though, it seemed things would be much less confusing, and certainly less exciting, from then on. And for a while, it was. Things had settled down and life went on as it always had. At least.. Until what Willow will now only ever refer to, as the Incident.

Wisp (OC, Neverland Fairies)

Wit (OC, Beast in the Bottle)

Wizardmon (Digimon)

Wolf (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- In the case of this particular sparrowman, the term ‘lone wolf’ isn’t just an expression. This animal talent really tends to be found on his own more often than not, and he is usually working with animals like wolf pups or fox kits, even the occasional bear cub tends to be in his charge. Why? Because despite how he looks, Wolf is actually one of the physically strongest sparrowmen in all of Pixie Hollow, following close behind Ridge and Hatch. He can handle an unruly bear cub, or a mischievous fox kit, no help needed.

- So he tends to be by himself with only animals for company, and occasionally comes across as having little emotion or being somewhat cold. He does have a reckless streak though, and tends to act before he thinks, especially if he feels that what he’s doing is right. Hm. Maybe he should have been a scout instead of an animal talent. But, well, it is what it is. And of course, there is unsurprisingly a reason for his loner behavior.

- There is only one other individual he ever felt remotely close to, even to the point of an almost older/younger sibling dynamic. And that is Michal. Only ever able to see each other from opposite sides of the winter border, Michal had been born a few years before Wolf, and Wolf has always looked up to him, feeling a bond between them that couldn’t be explained.

- And now, the pair of them are excited to be able to visit each other across the border as well, thanks to Tinker Bell and Periwinkle. However, recently, Michal has disappeared, and Wolf is trying to find out why.

Xander (OC, The Faded Legends Saga)

Xavier (The Tangled Series)

Xelloss (The Slayers)

Yamato (Nanbaka)

Yarrow (OC, Neverland Fairies)

- Yarrow tends to be the more serious type, taking his role as healer very seriously and not taking no for an answer, especially if he knows someone needs help but is refusing to accept it. He has even been known to purposely wound himself and perform complex procedures on himself while conscious, to demonstrate that it can be done and there shouldn’t be any concern about it.

- He’s very direct and straightforward, and maybe sometimes the way he goes about things can be considered a little extreme, but he’s practical and everything he does has its purpose. And his life has been relatively calm for the most part. At least.. It was until Ratchet fell into his life. As a matter of fact, it was quite a literal incident, in which Ratchet came crashing through the roof of Yarrow’s home.

Yasuo (OC, untitled novel)

Yogi (Karneval)

Yosuke (Persona 4)

Yudar (OC, the Edovin Trilogy)

Yukito (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Yukito (OC, The Cat Returns)

Yuliy (Sirius the Jaeger)

Yuri (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Yuri Plisetsky (Yuri on Ice)

Zack (OC, Camp Camp)

Zeig (OC, The Edovin Trilogy)

Zeik (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

Zelgadiss (The Slayers)

Zen (Akagami no Shirayuki/Snow White with the Red Hair)

Zera (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Zevran (Dragon Age)

Zigisu (OC, untitled novel)

Zoroaster (OC, Blossoms of the Heart)

Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Zwei (OC, Shinzo/Mushrambo)

(Notes:

* - Fanon OC

** - Original works

*** - Tumblr-made comics/OCs)

#muse list dump #long post under the cut #i think if I keep this pinned #it will help me when i need to update it #and it will help anyone trying to find my muse list #lol

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pavcrti · 4 years

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chicago’s very own pavarti kumari has been spotted on madison avenue driving a rose gold model x , welcome ! your resemblance to mishti rahman is unreal . according to tmz , you just had your twenty fifth birthday bash . your chance of surviving new york is uncertain because you’re fiery , but being eloquent might help you . i think being a pieces explains that . 3 things that would paint a better picture of you would be fresh fields of lavender that expand into a cotton candy sky , the reflection of the sun caught in the glimmer of a crystal , rhyming couplets professing deep - seeded emotion . ( i ghost write songs for artists who like to claim they write their own work . ) & ( cis female + she / her ) + ( emily , 25 , sher / her , pst )

holy shit , it’s ya girl . i’m back after needing a bit of a break from being in a group . and bc i honestly adored this place sm and i made so many great friends here i am back . . . 👀 i expect plots with each and every one of u btw so u best deliver . i desperately wanna get this finished before i pass the fuck out . i’ll be joining the server in the morning , but in the meantime if u wanna be my friend 👀 👀 titsiana praises satan#7989

biography .

name : pavarti kumari

age : twenty five

gender : cisfemale

zodiac : pieces

sexuality : bisexual

profession : singer / songwriter

hair color : black

eye color : brown

piercings : both lobes , nose

tattoos : none

voice claim : jhene aiko

released albums : sail out ( ep ) , trip

miss pavarti was born in bangladesh . her parents are both 100% bangladeshi and immigrated to chicago when pavarti was four years old . she had an older brother who was five years older than her . his name was siva .her family traveled back every summer so she is very immersed in the culture of her homeland and is a very spiritual person as a result . from a young age , pavarti had a fascination with the english language . not only was it so complex , but there was so much that could be done with it as well . she loved poetry and different types of prose . she also developed an absolute adoration for hip hop as a result . she’s been able to work several of her lyrical inspirations in her albums , something she would’ve never anticipated growing up as an immigrant child . when she entered middle school , she joined the school choir as an extra curricular activity which is what inspired her love for music and introduced her to her vocal talents . within time , she began combining her inclination for poetry with her voice . she wrote her first song at thirteen and began to freestyle for her friends . unfortunately , she was never taken too seriously by her peers . she was a female , hardly the usual suspect for the rnb , soul vibe that her voice conveys . before she graduated high school , her brother siva was killed in a car crash . the unexpected death of her best friend and protector sent pavarti into a spiral . this begun her tendency to alter her reality to escape from her pain with the help of drugs . she frequently writes about her brother in her music . when she was eighteen , she was discovered , ironically , by a manager of a local rapper at a poetry slam she was performing at . she impressed him and he introduced her to his client . this is how pavarti entered the hip hop scene , albeit , in secret . in hip hop , it’s very custom for performers to write the tracks that they put out themselves . pavarti learned that she could learn the skills of the trade whilst making her own connections and making pretty good cash , as well . as the years progressed , the notoriety of her clients rose . she’s written bars for multiple big names and by harvesting these friendships , she was able to get signed to a record label and put out her first ep at age twenty one . it was well received by critics and pavarti was thrilled to be taken seriously as an artist doing what she loves . she kept working , kept her nose in her business and released her first full album , trip , just last year . she feels like she is constantly growing artistically and finds herself inspired everywhere she turns . she’s currently working on her second full album and just dropped a new single , p*$$y fairy . other than that , there’s not too much else to note in her history . she did not grow up rich , rather she’s only recently come into wealth . her money is very new and she’s not too skilled at spending it wisely .

personality .

okay , so this will probably just be a long winded explanation that no one really asked for / needed but here we go ! first and foremost . . . pavarti is a dreamer in every sense of the word . she’s whimsical , she’s connected to the earth around her . she drifts off into elaborate day dreams and tells herself stories in her head as she falls to sleep . she is very spiritual . she meditates twice a day . her house always smells of incense . she has an affinity for weed and hallucinogenics . she really enjoys writing under the influence . her album trip is literally inspired by several drug experiences she had that had a profound impact in her life . pavarti’s general demeanor is borderline wall - flower . you wouldn’t expect her to be so shy , but she is . she’s the giggly girl who’ll hang back and let someone else come to her first . in the meantime , she’s taking in every single detail . she’s incredibly observant . sometimes she thinks in poetry . she realizes that she isn’t the typical visual for a female hip hop , rnb artist but it’s truly her passion in life and her art flows through her . she says more in her songs than she does to the people she needs to and that can definitely be problematic . with that said , pavarti is very well spoken . girl knows how to sweet talk her way through just about anything . but she also has the temper of a devil . she does not tolerate being fucked around with . she has that attitude about her where she will go and key your car if you hurt her or one of her best friends . people typically wouldn’t expect such an explosion from someone so outwardly sanguine and easy going but she’s the type to scratch someone’s eyes out if she has to . her music is her spouse . this fucks her up relationship wise a lot because she tends to let chances pass her by because she would rather stay undistracted . she has an ego , but not really in the outward way that one would anticipate when ego is involved . she knows she’s talented . she knows she’s attractive . but she also knows that she’s fucking lucky to be where she is and she’s grateful . pavarti is the type who wakes up with a smile because she has another twenty four hours to be alive . she doesn’t take things for granted --- she used to , until she lost her older brother and she realized just how quickly things can change . pavarti is a fiercely loyal individual to her friends . she will stand up for them , no matter what . the thing is , she expects it back . she is very much aware of her self worth and does not react kindly to a one sided vibe .

plots .

ok , ok , ok . . . so how i am going to do this is offer up some songs / song pairings for songs that i believe pavarti has written for specific people with certain plots in mind for at least her side of things . and then i will also list some basic plots that aren’t based on anything in particular , but are still plots that i would like very much to have ! the links go to lyrics ! all plots are gender neutral , so ignore any pronouns that are in the songs .

bed peace / stay ready / while we’re young --- fwbs with feelings : pavarti and your muse have been friends for a while . somewhere along the line things crossed the line and they began hooking up . it’s obvious that they feel something intense for each other but something is always in the way of them being together --- plus , neither are really sure if the friendship could withstand a romantic relationship crashing and burning . so here they are , stuck in this awkward limbo . they hook up , hang out , awkwardly third wheel when the other is dating someone else . it’s an interesting dynamic and pavarti wouldn’t deal with drama with anyone else but your muse . they have a really compelling bond and neither can think of life without the other but things have been like this for a long time and there is only so long a relationship as complicated as this one could actually function .

the worst / comfort inn ending / moments / when we love --- exes that ended badly with lingering feelings : this was . . . just a crazy hot and cold relationship . when it was hot , it was fucking hot . when it was cold ? damn . hell itself could freeze over . they probably have done and said a lot of nasty , nasty shit to each other . at the same time , they could’ve been literally planning their wedding at some point because they both were incredibly serious about each other . in comfort inn ending , pavarti suggests their relationship was a result of her cheating on another boyfriend to be with your muse and your muse ultimately cheated on her as well . we can discuss that but i would high key kill for the extra drama . around the time pavarti was writing her first full album , they had a rekindling that inspired her to write moments and when we love . i don’t envision this relationship having ended in a decent way from there , though . more cheating ? fighting ? they were definitely toxic . she’s definitely planning on dragging their ass some more in her tracks .

lsd / sativa --- platonic soulmates : omg so this plot is . . . so fucking cute . but these two would basically die for each other . there is zero sexual attraction , just genuine , pure love . they do everything together . but what really sealed their bond ? well . . . many different intense acid trips , of course ! they love to get high together and forget about the world . they both feel like they can trust the other because they have been present for so many life - changing moments . they rarely go a day without seeing each other and absolutely never go a day without talking in some capacity . sometimes they fight like siblings . but pavarti would honestly kill for your muse . there is nothing she wouldn’t do for them .

new balance / newer balance / you are here / clear my mind --- the romantic bad influence : this plot is another messy piece of trash . from the beginning , when they first met , pavarti always thought your muse was too good to be true . they reminded her so much of her brother . she felt this sense of peace with your muse . she fell in love quickly but at the same time , felt like there was something looming over their relationship . like it wasn’t permanent . like it’s all just a dream . the bad influence part isn’t portrayed too much in the lyrics other than stressing pavarti’s fear that your muse isn’t exactly who they say they are and this relationship is doomed to fail somehow . she knows that when this explodes in her face that it’s going to destroy her . i see your muse bringing out edgier sides of pavarti’s personality . they party a lot , they influence pavarti to do crazy things with them and she does and she feels so alive with your muse . that is , until , it all crumbles . the facade is destroyed and whatever it was that your muse wasn’t being upfront about shatters the way she feels for your muse entirely . she feels betrayed . clear my mind is pavarti’s way of trying to hype herself up to be stronger than she really is .

never call me / --- best friends turned enemies : this is my last long one i promise , wtf , why did i decide to do this . anyways --- this plot is again , a shit ton of angst so enjoy that . your muse and pavarti used to be the best of friends . inseparable . that is until things went south . fast . we can discuss what it was that happened between our muses but it was something huge and preferably something where they both could stubbornly blame each other . pavarti feels slighted because she thinks that your muse should be the one who reaches out and perhaps your muses could be thinking the same about her .

romantic plots : crushes , unrequited love , hateship , party hookup , friends with benefits , secret fling , summer romance

platonic plots : give me close friends ! and tons of them please ! thanks . roommates , drug buddies , confidants , unlikely friendship , travel friends , only friends in the dms , enemies turned friend

#wealthyhq:intro #tw death #tw drugs #um um this got so fucking lONG i prOFUSELY APOLOGIZE #i need 2 pass tf out now baiiiiiiiii

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jiyoonsource · 4 years

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Actress Heo Gayoon who has starred in movies "Dad's Daughter", "Drug King" and "Rose of Betrayal" is back to the big screen with her first lead role through upcoming movie "Search out".

However, the movie will be facing challenges as it will be released amidst COVID-19.

When asked about this, Heo Gayoon replied, "It's unfortunate but it's better than the movie getting delayed indefinitely. And I think it's alright since there will be people who will get to see it."

Heo Gayoon on her first leading role, "Until now, I was only able to show brief acting, but this time around I took on a role that allowed me to showcase a longer acting performance so I was very happy. I am grateful to the director who gave me this opportunity."

We asked Heo Gayoon, who debuted and promoted as a member of girl group 4minute, if there were pros and cons to pursuing acting as a former idol, she replied, "I think there are. The director said that there is something daring to former idol members who go into acting. He said I had a quick grasp of things on set. It must be because I have gone through a long trainee period. However, as for the downside, it would be that the image that was created whilst promoting as a singer for 7 years left a stronger impression, so I am still mostly perceived as a singer rather than an actress. I think that is something for me to work on, my own homework."

Heo Gayoon's dream has always been to become an actress, "I had been dreaming of becoming an actress since I was twenty. I debuted when I was twenty. Because I wanted to pursue acting, I applied for the acting department in college and got accepted to early admissions. However, my debut as a singer was approaching and my agency at the time asked me to choose between debuting as a singer or enrolling in college and pursuing acting. I chose to give up on acting and to debut as 4minute. After I debuted, I couldn't miss live performances because I was the main vocalist and I had to sing the chorus in songs. Although I told our agency that I wanted to pursue acting, there weren't many opportunities. So I couldn't pursue acting at the same time. I was able to focus on acting only after our activities as 4minute ended."

Heo Gayoon revealed that she is currently enjoying herself discovering life as an actress. When asked why she was more attracted to life as an actress compared to life as an idol singer, she replied, "As an idol, we have to move according to the concept set by the company. Every aspect from singing to dancing is determined beforehand and rehearsed before going on stage. With acting, it's different. The director and actors talk together and make it up as they go 'How about we do it this way? How about that way?' I like that about acting."

On plans of promoting as a singer in the future, "For now, my priority is to focus on acting. Even if I am not singing, there are still many singers that do. So there are a lot of songs to listen to. If the opportunity comes later on, I would like to be in a musical where I coud show both acting and singing. I am friends with music producers so I could sing for a special release but for now, I don't have any plans of promoting as a singer. I would like to focus on acting."

On her image during her days as a singer, "To be honest, as a singer I have never shown my true self. Many people saw me as someone who was bright and strong because of my image as 4minute, but to be honest that's not who I am. I wasn't a singer-songwriter who made my own music but an idol, and as such, my image was a fabricated concept made by our company. 4minute's Heo Gayoon wasn't the real Heo Gayoon. Now, I believe I am showing the real Heo Gayoon. Of course I was also happy during my 4minute days. The fact that I am remembered to this day as a singer is proof enough of how successful 4minute was, so it's amazing. I think we have done pretty well as 4minute."

On whether Heo Gayoon still keeps in touch with the 4minute members, "We keep in touch. We really are like family. With family, we don't call them every day, right? We get in touch to share news or when we see each other's pictures on SNS and message each other."

Except for Hyuna and Jeon Jiyoon, the 4minute members have gone into acting. On whether Nam Jihyun and Kwon Sohyun share feedback with each other on their performances as actresses, "We don't really talk about acting. When we were promoting as 4minute, since we were a group and we had to improve together, we used to give each other a lot of feedback. It's different now because we are promoting individually, we wouldn't dare to tell each other to do this or that. What if somehow, my words could be hurtful to that friend? So I think we tend to approach each other with more care compared to when we were in 4minute. So, we don't talk about work and talk about our private lives instead. The members, we are like family."

Heo Gayoon continuously watches her members' works, "I watched Sohyun's movie and drama, I also watched Jihyun unnie's drama." adding "They started acting at a young age when they were trainee. When I look at the members, I think "you all are living diligently!" that's the feeling I get."

On the possibility of a 4minute reunion in the future, which fans are waiting for, "Lately, a lot of senior idol groups reunited. So we talked about it amongst ourselves too. Our music and choreographies are fierce and powerful, so we joked that if we get older and our backs hurt, we won't be able to dance. So we told each other that if we all agree to reunite as 4minute we should do it early on before it's too late and if we don't, we should decide not to reunite at all because we would rather be remembered in a cool way forever, that's what the members said whilst joking. So rather than saying "let's do it!" it was more like "can we do it?" Of course, everyone wants to reunite later on and is thinking about it. But, even when we want to meet up amongst ourselves, it's complicated because we have to make sure our schedules match first, so it's difficult to give a definite answer. It's unlikely, but if the opportunity comes, I would like us to reunite. I think it would be amazing."

On whether she misses the stage, "When I miss performing, I look up our performances on Youtube and I think 'So there was a time when I did this'. And I am amazed whenever I hear our songs playing on TV."

Heo Gayoon revealed that her role model is actress Seo Hyun Jin who, like her, debuted in a girl group (Milk) and became an actress as a former idol. Seo Hyun Jin is leading a very successful career as an actress and has been recognized for her talent.

Heo Gayoon, "My role model is senior Seo Hyun Jin. She was really good at singing too. Sometimes, I get asked why I went into acting since I am really good at singing. Senior Seo Hyun Jin is a really good singer and she sings drama OSTs too. In the future, if I have the chance to be grown and known as an actress like senior Seo, I will also have the opportunity to greet you as a singer through a drama OST. “ and "The words I would like to hear are 'I thought she was as a vocalist but she is unexpectedly talented as an actress.’ If I get to follow in senior Seo's footsteps, I would be thankful."

Meanwhile, "Search Out" will be released in theaters on April 15th.

sources x x x x x x x

#4minute #Gayoon #Heo Gayoon #JENYER #Jeon Jiyoon #Interview #Nam Jihyun #Kwon Sohyun #Son Jihyun #Hyuna #4minute reunion #Gayoon ITV

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kyotosamuraiboys · 4 years

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KSB’s debut album review - Ichi

Disclaimer: This is my personal view and not cited from any (reliable) sources

In any case, first, you can listen to the whole album on Spotify

ABOUT THE ARTIST

So what the heck is Kyoto Samurai Boys?

Kyoto Samurai Boys, or KSB for short, a new entertainment concept borne in the city of Kyoto, Japan, features 18 young men whose age ranges from 19 to 29 (as of the time of this writing).

KSB introduces an overarching theme in their performance: A group of young men find out about a Virtual Reality Game, in which they take part. Inside the game, they are transformed into modern looking Samurai boys, and take down enemies with their swords.

This storyline is featured in stage performance which has no spoken lines and are dance and music packed.

The group released their debut album, 「壱」, Ichi, or "One", on 4th March 2020. The album is available for purchase on iTunes, as well as available for streaming on Spotify.

i had gotten to know about KSB only a few months prior, and due to the lack of information about them in English, it has been a long journey trying to understand the concept. This is not surprising, because to be honest, not all Japanese artists actually care about furthering their international reach right off the bat, and that is perfectly understandable. They are more focused on their local market. In the seiyuu (voice actors/actresses) business as well, in general, the actors/actresses are internationally known because the anime they voice in are internationally known first and then awareness about them will result from it, hardly because they themselves make content that get internationally recognised by fans, though of course exceptions can exist. This is, again, hardly surprising, as it would be the same with movie actors/actresses too.

As far as i could gather, this group has a wide range of performance forms, from silent drama stage acting, to dancing and singing. A few of their members started out as band members and rappers, others are actors, and some are theater performers, acrobatic atheletes, and former idols. Needless to say, their talents vary widely. Some have a good singing voice, some dance very well, some have good stage presence, and so on and so forth. Each of them shines in their own way and together the producers most likely want to draw a picture as such. Members who might still be lacking in certain areas have their room to grow, which is something i learnt the Japanese market enjoys seeing.

ABOUT THE ALBUM

To understand the album a bit better, let us understand how KSB's performances are usually structured. At most 9 members will be performing together on stage or in a single song in this album at any point of time (the exception being the STAGE FES2019-2010, where all members perform all 3 songs together, you can watch the promo video on Youtube). On stage, the performances are divided into 2 parts, named 起 (Ki - awakening) and 承 (Sho - acceptance).

Just as their performance, KSB's music album also has the Samurai feels via their use of traditional string instruments mixed in with modern electronic synthetic sounds, giving an interesting blend of the ancient and the new.

In singing, the 2 versions are named 義(Gi) and 勇(Yuu). For each song, members are divided into these 2 groups, each with 9 members, giving rise to 2 versions each.

However, there is one exception: the last song, 夢と星 has 3 versions instead of 2. This has got to do with the internal official "teams" the KSB members are divided into.

The 3 teams, each with 6 members, are 椿(Tsubaki-Camellia, theme colour red), 桔梗(Kikyo, Chinese bellflower, theme colour purple), and 若葉(Wakaba, young leaves, theme colour green).

ABOUT THE TRACKS

Overall, ICHI was a pleasant journey. You can actually listen to the whole album on Spotify if you have the app, just search for KYOTO SAMURAI BOYS and you will find them. Support the artists if you like them! :D

i will describe my “verdict” on each track below

Samurai Brotherhood

The energy <3

This track is a bold statement to the world announcing the arrival of the Samurai Boys. It features rap and singing feats by all members, divided into 2 groups Gi and Yuu. Both tracks are excellent. If i had to pick one as a favourite, Gi has better dynamics, but both groups delivered well.

虹を描いて/Niji wo egaite (Draw a rainbow)

This track talks about the boys' dreams and the fact that though they each shines in their own unique ways, they can still complement each other well. This track has a fast, joyful beat, but the lyrics also betray a sense of uncertainty, which i am really appreciative of.

Both versions are well done. i have no complaints here.

Players

Damn the rap is good.

This track is another declaration to the virtual game world that the boys are ready to take on the challenges awaiting ahead.

Although i still have to admit Yuu version has more stable vocals, especially the high ends, Gi’s rapping sounds more fluid and graceful. i really like R-NE’s rap voice here.

This track is another bold one just like Samurai Brotherhood, with a mix of rapping and singing. It still manages to be very melodic and i've got to hand it to the Boys for managing to survive such high notes. i particularly like the high background ad lib towards the last chorus.

咲螺-サクラ (Sakura)

This track fits the members' vocals well, with a nice mix of modern and traditional instruments. This is a love story that is reminiscent of the old times, with excellently penned sceneries and the mysterious use of the word "Sakura" itself: at times it feels like the cherry blossom is being described, others, it feels as if the narrator is speaking to a certain beloved lady.

This is the track that both versions are very well done as well, each offering a slightly different air. This track also is one of those which have been choreographed, and from what i see i like the dance as much as the track itself.

夢と星/ Yume to Hoshi/ Dreams and Stars

One of my absolute favourite of the whole album, Tsubaki's had the best chemistry in my opinion. Each sentence, each low and high notes, feel just perfect for me personally. The allocations of the lines to the members work so well, and the harmonics fit in just right. i seriously have no complaint, though it might just be my Tsubaki bias.

Kikyo's has really pleasant vibrato and they can hit the high notes. The control can be be better, timing sometimes off, but their emotions can be felt quite deeply. This version has a manly vibe.

Wakaba: my guess is that most of their members' voices are more suitable for rapping than ballads. Their voice colour is more rough, and the connections between notes are a bit stiff, which prevents some of the deeper emotions from being freely let out. However, the members' strong vocals do offer interesting dynamics at certain high notes and that creates a unique emotional chord in the listeners. With more practice on this genre, it can become really nice, though that is totally up to the team and the producers whether they will want to go with that route. Wakaba's, compared to the more stable Tsubaki's, feels really raw, and honest.

One other thing to note is Rayshy’s voice, one of Wakaba and KSB’s strongest vocals, could possibly be less than suitable for this slow and emotional track, as he performs very well as a solo singer but his voice sounds too weighty in this mix.

This track also has a nice mix of modern and traditional feels, with electronic drums and gently sounding string and wind instruments.

i'd say this track is much harder on some of the members, because of the slow tempo and emotional lyrics.

CONCLUSION

The Gi/Yuu tracks offer a safe space for all members to show off their vocals, since it is more of a choir and the pace is fast, allowing all of them to go all out with their youthful lungs. Samurai Brotherhood and Players give the rappers perfect chances to shine. These tracks are also fast paced, which all of the members can do well in as far as i am concerned at least. 虹を描いて has no rapping, but it didn’t throw the rappers off. The lyrics are joyful though at times poignant, and it showcases the boys’ determination to pursue their dreams as a team, even though each of them has their own colour - i thought the metaphor was really nicely done. 咲螺 was one of the most charming tracks of the album, the catchy melody sticks in your mind in a strangely romantic way.

However, when it comes to the ballad, 夢と星, Tsubaki members take the cake. Not only did each of them deliver their lines well, overall they mix together harmoniously. In fact, Tsubaki’s version of the song was the first one i listened to from the album and was the track that ended up drawing me to KSB as an idol group. i would say individually, Kikyo’s is the strongest, but as a package, Tsubaki’s balance really hits the mark.

It is noteworthy that within KSB, the 5 members of the rap-and-vocals group StyleElements are scattered around all 3 teams. In terms of singing, i’d say Kikyo (notable vocals: BISKE, RANMA) and Wakaba (notable vocals: Rayshy) have individually great singer while Tsubaki’s members are not particularly strong, but as a team, Tsubaki’s members manage to create a great harmony together and no one outshines anyone else.

Since this album is in CD form, you don't see videos of them performing these tracks (yet). However, videos of them performing live some of the tracks such as Samurai Brotherhood, Players, Sakura (partial, as seen from the STAGE FES blu-ray and DVDs as well as the promo video), do exist. As far as dancing go, so far, i am most impressed with Tsubaki's Fukuzawa Yuu (team lead), Wakaba's Kazuaki Yasue (team lead) and Yamagata Yuuki (number 69), though i also feel a lot of other members can do very advanced moves. Tsubaki's Yuuki Takesako also deserves honourable mention for his impressive acrobat skills, which is most present in the stage performance instead of the singing ones.

#kyoto samurai boys

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casualavocados · 1 year

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for zero dollars i am going to talk about the boys’ individual singing talents now because im stuck on their performances at prom night ok here we go

to start, let me clarify by saying that i myself am a singer. i come from a family (multiple generations) of singers and musicians. my mom taught voice, violin, piano, and guitar in my home growing up. it’s just ingrained in my dna, ok, but this aint about me. just know that I know what im talking about as i get into this

im really only gonna touch on the four main singers (fourth, gem, ford, and satang) but all of them have their own unique qualities and im super impressed by their live performances. singing live is HARD. singing while dancing??? HARDER. and they held up for four hours, two nights in a row. i don’t. i cant - WOW ok

so of the main four, satang, ford, and fourth lean tenor, and gemini has a bass voice (more later). let me start with satang.

THIS BOY SINGS. RIGHT. IN. HIS CRACKING RANGE. HALF THE TIME. listen, okay, there is a difference between singing in full voice and switching to falsetto sometimes than singing in your cracking range. satang has to switch between full voice and falsetto almost every other note. that is HARD. it takes serious work and practice, and slip-ups are near impossible to avoid. he also has a soft voice, and in his case, when in this cracking range he does his best when he sings low and quiet, and is more likely to crack or slide the louder he gets (fourth is exactly the opposite of this and it makes me nuts in a good way. more later). satang also has very good vibrato, and the way he uses it helps him keep control of his voice and can even disguise the cracks and slides he does have. all this being said, you have to seriously appreciate the work he has done to sing so well at the concert. please watch his part in “healing” and go insane with me. when satang is in his full voice range he does his best singing loud, but this is what i wanted to focus on bc i am so proud of him because of how tough it is.

ford also has a soft voice, but his control comes when he sings loudly. lower pitches are more difficult for him because he has to sing softer in order to hit them, and sometimes, when singing live, that means he can get too quiet to hear. but when he’s in his range and singing full voice? ohhhh my god he kills it. he rarely misses a note. just watch his performance of “come closer”, that’s all you need to know. his vibrato isn’t as good as satang’s but he has a good ear and that makes him so fucking good at harmonizing!! ford also has a very strong and clear tone when singing in falsetto (this line in “stand” showcases it perfectly) - whereas gemini’s falsetto is softer (but just as strong).

GEMINI. first of all, this guy has so much control over his voice it actually pisses me off. i hate him (i LOVE him and im DELIGHTED by the way this live show was able to give his voice the spotlight it deserves). okay so earlier i said gemini has a bass voice, and that’s true - while talking. he has a stellar tenor singing voice, and his voice is very soft, but very clear and strong on those lower notes (thank you “you’re blushing”). and because he has that low range, his falsetto actually becomes better, bc it means when he sings high notes, he is far far away from his cracking range. it's barely noticeable when he switches between full voice and falsetto. his vibrato aint the best live when it’s unpracticed, but he rarely slides (unless it’s on purpose). he can blend with anyone, he’s very good at harmonizing, and damn he just has a sweet sweet falsetto (featured here and in. basically every song he sings. note that gem sings "hook" mostly in falsetto and fourth does it in his full voice, alongside each other; linked below)

FOURTH. let me start by saying i am the most impressed by his live performance. i am now obsessed with his voice in a lot more ways than i was before. so i mentioned earlier that he’s the opposite of satang, in the sense that he is more likely to crack, slide, or miss hitting a pitch when he’s singing quietly. but he’s also the opposite to all three of them, because where satang, ford, and gemini all have soft voices, fourth’s voice has a very clear tone right off the bat. this makes his approach to singing vastly different from the others. his falsetto is good, but when fourth sings loud? HE DOES NOT MISS A SINGLE NOTE. this boy can BELT it out in his full voice, and that includes both high and low notes. oh my god it is insane. LISTEN. TO. THESE. RIGHT. NOW. OK? please drink some water boy ilysm.

the fact that fourth spent those four hours, two nights in a row, singing in mainly his full voice, and absolutely kill. ing. it. the whole time is THE most impressive thing to me. do you know how much energy it takes to sing in your full voice for a long time? can you imagine how much MORE energy it must take to do that WHILE DANCING? do you know how much control over his breaths he has to have for that??!?!?! AND TO STILL SOUND THAT STRONG AT THE END OF THE SECOND NIGHT. i dont care. he’s everything to me.

honestly they all are. this is getting long so im gonna wrap it up but i have never enjoyed a live performance more in my life. these boys are so talented it's insane and gmmtv is lucky to have them.

#my school president #msp prom night #my school president prom night live on stage #satang kittiphop #ford arun #gemini norawit #fourth nattawat #julian watches msp #long post #I COULDNT HELP MYSELF IVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THEM NONSTOP.#OOH OOH shortpplfedup's tags about fourth EXACTLY #mid-range baritone IS the best way to describe it you are so right #listen tinn was right to make gun go jogging to work on his singing ITS THE CARDIO.#THE ENDURANCE IT TAKES FOR THE KIND OF SINGING FOURTH DOES.#*adds another link to fourth's list bc i cant be stopped*#OH MY GOD LISTEN TO THAT LAST ONE IT CHANGES KEYS MULTIPLE TIMES AND HE NEVER FUCKS UP #msp bts #me in the corner holding a camera up to the msp cast: youre doing amazing sweetie #another song that really suits fords falsetto is healing #and in that last link of gem's he actually sings both the high note harmonies and the low note harmonies #depending on what part of the song you're at

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that-shamrock-vibe · 4 years

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Movie Review: Cats (Spoilers)

Spoiler Warning: I am posting this review the day after the movie first airs in the U.K, so if you haven’t yet seen the movie don’t read on.

General Reaction:

First of all I want to put out there that I believe the success or failure of this movie Tom Hooper and how he's adapted the screenplay of Cats to transition from stage to screen, because I feel the negativity this movie is already getting are coming in two waves. From the general movie goer and then from fans of the stage musical.

Where I stand is as a casual movie goer in this instance but also a fan of musical theatre, so much so that my attire for this movie is somewhat Macavity inspired, although someone did say that my collar was very Rum Tum Tugger...I'm okay with that.

But to clarify, I have never seen the stage production of Cats. All I knew about it even leading up to the release of this movie was the one big song Memory and that I liked the look of the costumes.

Now with my relationship with the property explained, did I like this movie? Well I enjoyed parts of it. It’s a little bit like how I felt about The Rise of Skywalker, but while I thought the latest Star Wars was outwardly a hot mess with some enjoyable aspects, Cats is more of a “Not really knowing how to feel about it” type of movie.

There are some really great takeaways from this movie, and I feel again depending on the individual’s relationship with this property and musicals in general, will determine exactly what those takeaways are.

What’s Good:

Alright so this is what I found good/enjoyable, again I can’t decide whether or not I think this movie is good but these elements definitely are.

Costumes:

So I am going to start with the costumes because they're probably my favourite thing about the movie.

I enjoyed how for those who had costumes, because not every cat did, that they at least gave those cats a sense of identity; Macavity was one of these shady mysterious characters that you would come across in a dark alley and his clothes reflected that, Mr. Mistoffelees was a magical tuxedo cat and so dressed as a magician. Bustopher was an aristocratic cat, or Aristocat...sorry I had to go there as there are two Aristocat references in this movie, and Grizabella was a glamour cat but had been shunned and therefore sleeping rough possibly, this is all reflected in the clothing and it's fabulous.

The only outfit I didn't really get was Jennyanydots, I did find it funny that she had to unzip the one cat suit to reveal this pink almost work out outfit but I didn't understand the point of it.

Visual Effects:

As for the CGI used on the "digital fur", I appreciate the artistic stance Hooper and company took with the movie because, frankly I wouldn't expect anything less from the guy that directed both Les Miserables and The King's Speech, however, I did not really understand the need for digital fur as for a large portion of the movie they all just look like they’re wearing practical catsuits, and again with Rebel Wilson’s character when she unzips the one to reveal the other, which she does twice, you can tell it’s supposed to be a real suit.

That being said, from when you first see these cats during the opening number, you can see the payoff to these visual effects. They look genuinely like cats and all have markings that try to differentiate them. I didn’t know from the trailers that Victoria had markings on her I just thought she was a plain white cat but she looks almost snow leopardesk.

I also really enjoyed how they showed Macavity’s apparent ability to transport himself and/or others with that gold dust effect that was later used as Bombalurina’s (Taylor Swift’s) catnip to incapacitate the other cats.

Musical Numbers:

So I’m going to talk about the songs at the end as I do with all musical reviews but the actual productions of these numbers were fantastic. From the choreography to the cinematography of them, this was a very low on dialogue movie as literally at one point you have I believe three songs in solid succession with only one or two lines of actual dialogue in between them, so the actual musical numbers had to be impressive and for the most part they were.

There were never any numbers I was embarassed or cringing while watching, I do have my favourites and my not so favourites which again I will get into further down, but as I say everything from the choreography, cinematography to even the actors giving it their all during the numbers made them enjoyable for me.

Cast:

That brings me nicely on to my final good thing which is the cast, who as I said take this production seriously. I remembered seeing an interview with Judi Dench about this movie recently and she said that when acting as a cat the cast don’t know what the end result will be like because I imagine the actual visual effects of the cat appearance is put in after the filming.

Regardless of this, all these actors from the most seasoned such as Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench to the younger more inexperienced like leading lady Francesca Hayward and even Jason Derulo who is of course a seasoned singer, but hasn’t really acted before, give it everything and take the role and universe they now inhabit so seriously that it never feels gimmicky or uncomfortable in that regards.

Do I think this movie has awards chances for acting? No because again the movie is mostly sung, I believe more so than Les Mis, but for costume, music and visual effects I’d definitely think they have a chance of at least a nomination.

What’s Meh:

Alright so nothing is outrightly or offensively bad in this movie, again thinking back to Star Wars yesterday which had blatant issues, this doesn’t really have that but when it does it’s not as glaring or as troublesome as Star Wars was.

The Story:

I say the story is meh because I still don’t really understand it, what my takeaway is that there effectively a talent competition night where Judi Dench’s decides which cat will ascend to this higher realm and be reborn into another life...

That’s great...but for the one who is chosen...does that mean they die? The very definition of “reborn” usually means reincarnation which means you need to die first...so when they send the cat off in that chandelier attached to that hot air balloon, does that cat die? From oxygen starvation?

Also, they practically cement this movie as taking place in 1930s London and you see the feet of one human and hear the voice of another so this is Earth just including these particular cats, so how does no one notice a hot air balloon attached to a chandelier floating through the sky? I don’t know if the 1930s had satellites or anything but something should have picked that up?

My final point is on the term “Jellicle Cats”, I still don’t know what a Jellicle cat actually is, they don’t exactly do their best at defining what one is despite the fact they have several songs containing the word “Jellicle”. “Jellicle Cat” “Jellicle Moon” and “Jellicle Ball” just to name a few.

I mean for fans of the stage show, they may have more of an understanding because maybe that explains the term better but in terms of trying to get non-Cats fans interested...not explaining what is clearly a core concept of the movie is a bit of a misstep.

The Ending:

Of everything in this movie, the ending monologue by Judi Dench was the only thing I felt was a little bit cringeworthy. First of all, I understand the musical Cats is based on a series of poems and I also understand this ending message is about being nice to cats, but I just didn’t think it was either necessary or needed.

Also the fact that Macavity was so easily thwarted, I mean I know musicals don’t have to have the big dramatic endings for its villains but for Macavity to literally try and hitchhike on Grizbella’s ride into the great beyond only to fall and just land on the roof without any consequences aside from maybe the loss of his powers? It was a bit of a damp ending.

The Cats:

Okay so we’ve talked about what’s good and meh, now going into the cats as characters. Not a full blown character analysis breakdown but, like my song section, in sections in order of my favourites.

By far my favourite cats were Macavity and Grizabella, Idris Elba as the villainous Macavity was great in the trailers and great here. As I stated before his outfit really added another layer to his performance, he has the right acting chops to be this type of villain. I still haven’t seen Hobbs & Shaw but have heard similar praise for his role there.

Grizabella meanwhile, is Jennifer Hudson...enough said. I loved her in Dreamgirls and I love her here. I do see similarities between her character and Anne Hathaway’s character in Les Mis particularly with their big emotional songs but I enjoyed the backstory to her character here.

I would also say Mistoffelees and Victoria do a great job. While not my favourites it is almost as if we are seeing the world from Francesca Hayward’s eyes. I know she’s supposed to be a kitten but I never believed her as such. Mistoffelees meanwhile had his moment to shine towards the end of the movie and was one of the more compelling characters from the trailers.

The veteran staples Judi Dench and Ian McKellen were great in this movie, as they always are. I know Dench’s role was gender-bent from the stage show but I think she works better as a female character. Theatre Gus meanwhile is a great example of the old thespians who maybe once had their time but are just looking for another spotlight.

James Corden, Jason Derulo and Ray Winstone were all surprises for me here. I knew the first two could sing but I found Bustopher’s aristocratic nature hilarious and he really lifted the mood when he came in. Rum Tum Tugger meanwhile is dubbed “the curious cat” however by the end of his song I went from thinking he was curious to just suffering with ADHD. As for Ray Winstone, it’s Ray Winstone as a cat! It’s fantastic!

Then there are the iffy cats, namely Bombalurina, Jennyanydots and Munkustrap. Munkustrap is possibly the least offensive but that’s because his role in the movie is the same as in the stage show which is narrator. It did annoy me that he effectively butted in to a lot of people’s songs but again as narrator I guess that’s his job.

Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots, as I said before, really confused me in terms of her outfit. I don’t understand why she didn’t just wear the pink suit and that be it instead of having to unzip the one catsuit to reveal this other catsuit. I mean I guess it helped them later in the film but still. Also the fact she wanted a different life to get out of that kitchen? Why was she trapped in the kitchen?

As for Taylor Swift, if you’ve seen her in the trailers you’ve pretty much seen her scenes. Bombalurina is literally in this movie for one scene and it is for Macavity’s musical number. She is seen once more in a slightly later scene but then it’s never quite explained what becomes of her.

Songs:

Alright so here we go with the songs of the movie, grouped in order of the songs I loved, the songs I liked, and the songs I thought were...okay.

My favourites, again, were “Macavity”, “Memory” and “Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town”. “Memory” is the only thing I knew and adored about this musical prior to this movie. The song speaks to me both as a musical fan and just a fan of great music. When I knew Jennifer Hudson would be performing it I already knew I’d love it.

“Macavity” is a very catchy song and Taylor Swift really works it. It’s not quite jazzy but it is close enough and the fact Elba also has some involvement in the song is great because I know he does also sing as a side gig. I thought it was a great character introduction despite the fact we have seen him throughout the movie.

“Bustopher Jones” was just a very fun and uplifting number, I loved James Corden’s aristocratic accent and how he moved around the streets even as fat as the character is. Interestingly I know Corden isn’t that fat anymore but again he was comfortable in himself to play it so I loved him for that.

The songs I liked were “The Rum Tum Tugger”, “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer” and “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat”. All three were brilliant production pieces, “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer” was a great romp of a song, Jason Derulo brought his all to “The Rum Tum Tugger” and tap-dancing in any production will win me over let alone a tap-dancing cat.

The other songs I thought were okay on a varying scale, I don’t know why but Rebel Wilson didn’t win me over as she usually does. I think the production of her song was very off-putting. The mice with child faces and the cockroaches with female faces didn’t really work.

The others were very well sung but didn’t quite stick with me as the already mentioned ones did. Also “Beautiful Ghosts” was penned as Taylor Swift’s original song for the movie so I presumed her character would sing it, but the new girl Victoria did in the movie while Swift sang it over the credits...

Recommendation:

We’ve finally reached the end, okay so if you saw the trailers and were not one of the many haters who trolled the movie for its use of CGI and are interested in the story then go and see it because you will get something out of it. If you’re a fan of the stage production then I would still say see it because it allows you to form your own opinion.

If you are simply a casual movie-goer who wants an enjoyable two and a half hours then I would still recommend to go and see it but be prepared to be slightly confused if you don’t know what to expect.

Overall I rate this movie a 5/10, it was enjoyable and roughly 40-50% of this movie does work really well, it’s just the rest of it that needed more attention to detail in my opinion.

So that’s my review of Cats, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Movie Reviews as well as other reviews and posts.

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harrisonstories · 5 years

Photo

In this photo Natalya Sazanova is on the far right, Sripad Maharaj is to the left of Ravi Shankar, and George Harrison is behind them (1974)

Tuitions in Vrindavan: When a Russian Indologist taught George Harrison Hindi (20 Sep. 2019)

by Ajay Kamalakaran

When she agreed to teach the legendary English singer Hindi in the 1970s, India scholar Natalya Sazanova had no idea who the Beatles were. Over four months of lessons, George Harrison preferred to keep his fame a secret

On an otherwise uneventful day in Vrindavan in 1974, Natalya Sazanova, a Russian Indologist with a deep interest in Hinduism, was introduced to a “charming young” Englishman by sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Decades later, Sazanova, who was one of the best-known professors at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, would tell Russian newspaper Novie Izvestiya in an interview that the young man, who had a ponytail and was wearing a “checkered American jacket and Indian sarong” listened closely as Ravi Shankar and Sazanova spoke in Hindi.

The Russian was so proficient in Hindi that she had defended a thesis on the work of Hindi playwright Bharatendu Harischandra for her candidature of philological sciences degree (equivalent to a masters in philosophy) in 1962.

“George,” who did not understand what the conversation was about, asked the Russian Indologist to teach him Hindi.

“He had an absolute talent,” Sazanova said. While most of her students took about six years to master conversational Hindi, the Beatle managed to learn well in just four months of “irregular” classes. “George grasped the spoken language on the fly. He particularly learnt bhajans fast and sang them.”

Sazanova was also mesmerised with how George mastered the sitar so quickly. “I was so impressed that I asked him, ‘George, what do you do for a living.’ He was terribly embarrassed [by that time, he was world famous]. He said, ‘Actually, I’m a professional musician.’” She added that Ravi Shankar smiled when he heard this.

The teacher, completely ignorant of her student’s fame, asked him to keep a small concert, to which he agreed. “One of the concerts that George and Shankar arranged for several friends, including me, was on a moonlit night in a deserted spot on the banks of the Yamuna River,” Sazanova said. “It was simply amazing. The three of them played—Ravi Shankar, George and an Indian flautist—and I hadn’t heard anything like it before.”

Unfortunately, there were no recordings of the concerts. “Tape recorders were still rare at that time,” Sazanova said. “Today, I am very sorry that at that time I did not have any device. The only thing left are photo slides.”

Spiritual Path

At that time, Sazonova and Harrison were both pursuing their interest in Hinduism. The Russian’s spiritual guru Sripad Maharaj also had an influence on the Beatle. Harrison’s song It is He (Jai Shri Krishna) was based on a bhajan taught to him by Sripad Maharaj.

Sazanova recalled how spirituality and Hinduism always came up during their lessons. “We could not get around philosophy in conversations with him, but I was engaged in Hare Krishna bhakti,” she said. “As much as I could, I explained to George the connection of music with bhakti. I explained that since everything in the world was connected, words and music could not exist separately.”

Harrison, who was well versed with the Bhagavad Gita, chanted the Hare Krishna mantra, and regularly communicated with Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON, as it’s popularly called. “More than once I attended their meetings and I can say that George always listened very carefully to what the guru told him.”

Harrison never spoke of his fame or international stature during those four months. Once their lessons were over, he wrote a small note in Sazanova’s diary. “I was extremely happy to meet you. You made a tremendous impression on me. God Bless You.”

International Music Sensation

Sazanova did not make too much about her lessons in Vrindavan and thought of them as nothing but one of many pleasant experiences in the country that she had dedicated her life to understanding.

Back in Moscow, she shared her photographs from her time in Vrindavan and then came the excitement. “Oh My God! This is Harrison,” a student screamed. The students then went on explain who the English musician learning Hindi was. They were impressed out of their wits when they heard that George Harrison actually dedicated a song to their teacher at one of his small private concerts by the Yamuna.

It’s a myth that the Beatles were officially banned in the Soviet Union. While anything associated with Western culture was looked upon with great suspicion, there was no Brezhnev-era government call for citizens to not listen to the British band. One of the major reasons that the music of the Beatles wasn’t easily available in the USSR in the mid-1960s was the hostility and envy of Soviet composers. Russian composer Nikita Bogoslovsky once referred to the band as the “dung beetles”.

However, John Lennon’s statement that the band was more popular than Jesus Christ was welcomed by the ideological newspaper Pravda. By the time Sazanova was back in Moscow from Vrindavan, her students would have most likely listened to a poor quality record that was sold by a company called Melodiya. The album cover didn’t have the name of the band but chose to call them a “Vocal Instrumental Ensemble.” Muscovites could also hear the Beatles music on Radio Luxembourg.

The message in Sazanova’s diary and her photographs became the talk of the university in 1975. On hearing that her student in India was a legend in the world of music, she started listening to the Beatles and Harrison’s individual songs. She also listened regularly to her student’s songs that were dedicated to Krishna.

Harrison did not forget his Hindi teacher after he went back to the West. He sent Sazanova a book about Krishna, where he had written the preface. The preface ends with words familiar to each and every fan of the Beatles: ‘Give peace a chance. All you need is love.’

An Illustrious Career in Indology

Sazanova continued her scholarship of Hindi and Sanskrit literature for the next three decades. In 1984, she obtained a PhD by defending a thesis on ‘The Creativity of Surdas and the North Indian Literary Tradition of the 16th to 19th centuries.’

She also cultivated a close friendship with Russian-Indian artist Svetoslav Roerich and his wife, actress Devika Rani. She was on the board of the Moscow Nicholas Roerich Society from its founding in 1980 till her death in 2006.

Sazanova remained a lifelong devotee of Krishna. She was grateful to Harrison for the role he played in popularising Hinduism in the West. In her interview to Novie Izvestiya, she said movements such as “Krishnaism” gave non-Indians the opportunity to access ancient spiritual systems. “Doesn’t George’s sincerity reflect in the (spiritual) songs he composed,” she asked.

In Sazanova’s Footsteps

Once the Soviet Union collapsed in 1992, there were no restrictions of any kind on cultural and musical imports. Along with the growth of popularity of their music, rumours resurfaced of the Beatles actually performing in secret in the Kremlin in the 1960s. Some fans still erroneously believe that the song Back to the USSR was inspired either by this “secret performance” or after another (falsely) rumoured visit of the Fabulous Four to Moscow on account of an emergency landing.

When the story of a Moscow State University professor teaching George Harrison Hindi once again began to do the rounds in the Russian capital in 2005, journalist Ekaterina Maksimova, then 18, decided to check if it was a hoax. “It was very difficult to believe the whole story, so my friend and I decided to try and get in touch with Dr Sazanova,” Maksimova says. “We went to the Moscow State University to find her. She was still a part of the faculty of the Institute of Asian and African Studies.”

On hearing that the girls wanted to know more about the Indologist’s experiences with George Harrison, she invited them home. The excited students went to Sazanova’s home on Russian Orthodox Christmas (January 7th) morning in 2006 and saw some photos and the diary. “Some sceptics have raised questions over the authenticity of the autograph, but I have no doubts,” Maksimova says. “George Harrison had a very unique signature; he used to write his name in a very characteristic manner.”

Over cake and tea, Maksimova and three friends spoke to Sazanova in detail about her interactions with Harrison. “We just sat there, pouring in the questions, still in disbelief that George Harrison’s teacher was sitting in front of us,” she says. “It was unreal. It doesn’t happen… We were so excited that it turned into an interrogation about George.”

Even after three decades, the Russian Indologist was in awe of the music legend’s humility, sincerity and manners. “I remember her telling us several times during the conversation that George was polite and modest,” Maksimova says. “She also told us that he took the lessons very seriously and spent a lot of time praying and reading and citing religious texts.”

Sazanova also spoke of her guru Sripad Maharaj, her passion for Hindi literature, Sanskrit and Hinduism, inspiring Maksimova to enroll at the Moscow State University’s Institute of Asian and African Studies. She studied Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu and specialised in Chhayavad-era literature, but unfortunately could not study under Sazanova.

Although Sazanova was still a member of the faculty of the Moscow State University, she was too weak to travel daily to the campus in 2006. A handful of students would go for lessons to her apartment, which was in southwestern Moscow.

“When I called her home in June 2006, her son told me that she had passed away,” Maksimova says. “It was a terrible shock for me. I had always loved India, but I found out about the Institute of Asian and African studies only because of her… But more than that, the very idea of being a student of the same teacher who taught George Harrison, was thrilling. It would almost feel like being his classmate.”

Maksimova, who now works for a leading private television channel in Moscow, is a regular visitor to India and has often contemplated organising Beatles tours to Rishikesh and Vrindavan for Russians.

The transcripts of George Harrison’s interviews about Indian culture and Hinduism have been widely translated into Russian. Ardent fans of the music legend in the country take great pride in his Russian connection and the fact the he was in a way a bridge between Russia and India.

#george harrison #natalya sazanova #ravi shankar #the beatles #sripad maharaj #ajay kamalakaran #open magazine #1974 #dark horse #this is so cool #i've never heard about it before

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yogaadvise · 5 years

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Top yoga book recommendations

Esther Ekhart

Your body Your Yoga by Bernie Clark - So much greater than makeup publication. It's composed from the viewpoint that we are as different on the inside as we are on the outside as well as the value of practising yoga exercise from an useful technique, according to the range of movement provided by our very own distinct body.

Living Dharma, the flavour of freedom, Quantity 4 by Burgs - Bringing the Buddha's teachings to life, revealing that they are just as relevant today as they were 2500 years ago.

I am that by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj - an old standard that every serious yogi interested in achieving knowledge ought to read.

Julie Martin

What is Fascia as well as Why it Matters by David Lesondak - The initial publication to truly give a clear picture for everybody concerning fascia and its properties and also why we really require to start collaborating with this knowledge. You don't need to be a researcher or composition nerd to understand this publication as David has a fantastic, casual design of composing as well as clarifies what he's discussing really clearly. A must-read if you educate yoga!

Awakening the Back by Vanda Scaravelli - A lovely publication created by a leader in the yoga exercise globe. Her job wasn't really fashionable in the early years of the yoga exercise boom, but numerous even more individuals are headed in that direction now. Vanda is accountable for the quote, 'We require to deal with the body, not versus it'.

Healing the Core Injury of Unworthiness by Adyashanti - An amazing book for everyone, as our culture is plagued with the concept that we are not 'worthy'. Adyashanti is a spiritual non-dualistic educator who brings an obtainable high quality to how we can regard as well as ultimately stay in the suggestion of oneness.

James Reeves

Tantra Lit Up by Christopher Wallis - An extremely comprehensive explanation of how Tantra educates most of our modern techniques of yoga

Finding Quality by Jeru Kabbal - Clear, verbalize and stunning. This is the instructor of Esther's initially instructor [Taetske Kleijn] and it's a publication that touched my heart deeply.

Yoga and the Quest for real Self by Stephen Cope - A great read and a terrific tale of the trip right into the globe of yoga

I Touch by John Prendergast - A truly charming review inviting and also being totally attached with our internal globe of thoughts and feelings.

Anat Geiger

Yoga related: God talks with Arjuna, Yogananda's discourse of the Bhagavad Gita. The job he has actually done is astonishing and there is sufficient motivation below for lots of life times. An additional Gita variation I like is Eknath Easwaran's translation. Beautiful.

Also, anything by Vivekananda. He is incredibly straightforward and also extremely motivating. Whenever I read something by him I feel he eliminates some coat of justifications as well as reasons I indulge in as well as reaches me ideal where it most matters. Raja Yoga - his own commentary on the Sutras of Patanjali - leaves me inspired and also amazed every time.

Poetry: Kabir! Stunning as well as informed. There is so much surprise meaning, delicacy as well as beauty in his words. I obtained a publication with 44 of his thrilled poems from my instructors and I prize it deeply. Here's one of my favourites: Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat. My shoulder is pushed against yours. You will not discover me in stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, neither in synagogues, neither in basilicas: not in masses, neither kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in consuming only vegetables. When you actually search for me, you will certainly see me quickly - you will find me in the smallest home of time. Kabir claims: Trainee, tell me, what is God? He is the breath inside the breath.

How awesome is that?

Buddhism I enjoy the works of Pema Chodron. She is an American Buddhist religious woman with enormous concern, a scrumptious sense of humour as well as a talent with words.

Fiction: I was deeply relocated as well as impressed by Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It spans numerous lives and lifetimes (in my view) as well as for me it was everything about Karma. It's an intricate book and also worth every effort. Every from time to time I indulge in well-written fantasy stories - excellent v. wicked kind of fights and also challenges!

Marlene Henny

Moving right into Tranquility by Erich Schiffmann - Wonderfully created as well as quickly reaches the heart of what practising yoga exercise has to do with in easy to understand terms (without all the fluffy brand-new age things). The photographs as well as descriptions of the asanas are clear as well as understandable. I reference it regularly for my own practice as well as for teaching. Get it, read it, like it!

Yoga Spandakarika - The Sacred Texts at the Beginnings of Tantra by Daniel Odier Daniel Odier is a great author as well as his take on the Spandakarika is a lot easier to recognize than several various other translations. What I such as concerning this publication that it that provides an interesting viewpoint and enough info about the actual philosophy of Tantra and also leaves enough location for self-interpretation of the sacred text.

Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton - I discovered SO much concerning Hindu sirens, as well as the writer offers the information in an available and compelling way. Each phase, which follows the very same layout, is centred around a specific goddess and consists of reflections to help the reader materialize the goddess as well as her energy. The feminine powers of the world are so interesting. Even assuming regarding them just a tiny little bit as well as taking advantage of them at all can be profound. Certainly recommended!

David Lurey

The Gleam Sutras, translation and discourse by Loren Roche - A heavy poetic present of consciousness and also living a liberated life.

Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani - A real 'life after death' story that brings a beautiful point of view on the gift of life as well as exactly how to maintain points basic. This publication also offers attractive insights on just how to make challenging choices and also how to keep those we absolutely love in our hearts

A Brief Background of Nearly Whatever by Expense Bryson - Exactly as the title claims ... Fantastic for those who enjoy facts, insights on evolution and also amazing stories of just how we got below as a human race on this one-of-a-kind planet.

Down the Freeway: The Life of Bob Dylan by Howard Sounes - The tale of the best singer/songwriter of contemporary times (in my viewpoint). I am a big Dylan follower as well as this publication lit up many dark edges of the life of among my idolizers. I highly suggest reading a couple of chapters, after that most likely to YouTube for video clips of that time duration to see him and what was taking place. As well as likewise, much more notably, listen to the songs that are explained in the chapters you read.

Gulp by Mary Roach - A lovely as well as detailed story of our digestive system ... yes, seriously! It's amazing and also you'll never ask yourself once more what they are discussing when somebody states 'fecal transplant' at an alcoholic drink party.

Helen Noakes

Life on Land by Emilie Conrad - enthusiastic, dramatic, deep and also discusses breath motion as well as fascia beautifully.

Awakening the Spine by Vanda Scaravelli - Lovely images, poetic radical and also rebellious.

The Initial Body - Primitive Movement for Yoga Teachers by John Stirk - Totally initial, artistic, deep and also imaginative. A publication for life.

Jennilee Toner

Yoga and the Course of the Urban Mystic by Darren Key - Darren Main's book has actually been required reading for all my 200-hour educator trainees because 2010. It is such an enjoyable and easy means to study the practice and viewpoint of yoga exercise. The light and also fresh way Darren Main authentically explains his own way of dealing with the 8 Limbs of Yoga exercise is delightful.

How Yoga Works by Michael Cockroach and Christie McNally - This publication actually changed the means I came close to practising and teaching yoga. My personal technique and also teaching grew unbelievably after my very initial analysis of this Sutra-inspired tale. It came to be more intimate, a lot more intentional, more deliberate and extra soulful. I have actually needed it ever because in my 300-hour teacher trainings and each re-reading has actually even more assisted to advance my method and also training to new degrees of affection and service.

Katy Appleton

One Soul as well as Entering as well as in by Danna Faulds - Danna Faulds' verse publications are expressions and understandings to the internal landscape people as humans. I utilize them to supply deepness in the practice and open the area within.

The Diamond in Your Pocket - Gangaji - this book has to do with spiritual awakening in this life time. The common in the extraordinary!

Tracey Uber Cook

Light on Life by BKS Iyengar - This is a fantastic publication to have in one's collection. It is the culmination of Mr Iyengar's understanding from years of practise as well as teaching, weaving with each other Patanjali's 8 Arm or legs of Yoga exercise as well as the 5 Koshas from the Taittriya Upanishad. I have read this book numerous, often times, though never from cover to cover! I always pick it up and look to a page or phase which calls to me as well as each time it speaks something brand-new and profound to me. I have actually utilized it as a resource in teacher trainings and very suggest it to any person wanting to inquire much deeper right into the method and philosophy of yoga.

The Brilliance Sutras, translation as well as commentary by Loren Roche, PhD - Dr Roche has actually invested decades studying and also equating this luminous translation of the ancient Vijnana Bhairava Tantra message. Its 162 knowledgeables sing the tune of Life and Love in between the Devi (Shakti), the innovative power of deep space, and also Bhairava (Shiva), the boundless awareness which embraces Her and also from which She occurs. The verses define the enigma as well as wonder of Life within every thing, assumed and task. Bringing light to the loving understanding which makes all existence possible.

The Heart of Awareness (Ashtavakra Gita) - translation by Thomas Byrom - Referred to in numerous Vedanta circles as 'the highest training following to silence', this is the tune of understanding in all of its boundless types. I like to take it to the coastline as the sun increases, check out a few lines, and also rest in the quiet of the morning.

Marlene Smits

The Absolutely Nothing that Is by Robert Kaplan - more a metaphysical philosophical publication than a yoga exercise publication, 'taking us from Archimedes to Einstein and making fascinating connections between mathematical insights from every age and culture'.

Living in the Heart by Drunvalo Melchizedek - for a description of how to move from the brain-centred experience of truth to that which originates from the heart.

Irina Verwer

The Course Of Technique by Maya Tiwari - A stunning book on Ayurveda for women. Inspiring as well as heartwarming.

After the Euphoria, the Washing by Jack Kornfield - Quick, succinct, funny, and always informing stories.

Feeding Your Demons by Tsultrim Allione - Clearly created, sensible, and thorough instruction.

Nichi Green

Yoga and also the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope - I've simply finished reading this as well as definitely enjoyed it. Written much more like a novel, Stephen is a psychotherapist as well as yoga educator. His insight and experiences of yoga exercise are phenomenal and also he associates a great deal of it to spiritual technique as well as the restorative influence that yoga exercise has when you immerse on your own in it for enough time. Among my leading 10 yoga books!

Gilda Goharian

The Subtle Body by Stefanie Syman - This book is concerning the growth of yoga in the United States as well as exactly how it progressed from an old spiritual technique to a practice that countless Americans position at the centre of their lifestyle. Guide is entertaining and also simple to read.

... Unlike virtually everything by the late Georg Feuerstein, who dedicated his life to the understanding and also technique of yoga exercise! Every one of his publications are thick and scholastic however I can still advise him for his substantial knowledge as well as knowledge. If you ask me to select one I would certainly select Yoga Custom: Its History, Literary Works, Ideology as well as Method. The book supplies a full introduction of every yogic tradition, from the familiar to the lesser-known types. Not always a web page turner however it may be whatever you need if you're interested in yoga exercise viewpoint and background. And also once you begin checking out and get utilized to the design it can be entertaining too.

George Langenberg

Kriya Yoga: 4 Spiritual Masters as well as a Novice - If you have checked out Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda then you learn about the sages who acquired the highest degree through reflection in the Kriya Yoga family tree. Yoga is a course of Self Realisation as well as through Kriya Yoga exercise you can walk this path.

I read Autobiography of a Yogi in 1998 and also at the time wished that I might fulfill an educator that would show me 'the way' and show me a lot more regarding Raja yoga, reflection and also Pranayama. In 2001 this wish came to life: I satisfied my Guruji (spiritual teacher) in India and obtained Kriya Yoga exercise initiation in 2002. This book is concerning the Kriya Yoga family tree I comply with and also concerning being devout to a living Master. I have found out so a lot under his assistance over the previous 16 years. The lessons and reflections that I share on EkhartYoga are simply an understanding of the depth of the Kriya Yoga method where breath, embodied awareness and dedication collaborated in greater realms of the mind.

#ashtanga yoga #healing #iyengar yoga #kriya yoga #pranayama #prenatal yoga #raja yoga #spiritual #spiritual awakening #types of yoga #yin yoga #yoga #yoga alliance #yoga music #yoga nidra #yoga works

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rkxsungwoon-blog · 5 years

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☆ MGA5 EPISODE FOUR; JULY 18 #5008 HA SUNGWOON ; interview

for the first time since he entered the competition, sungwoon faces the post performance interview with apprehension. his unease is apparent from the moment his name is called, and even the staff remark on his subdued attitude as they fix up his makeup. the smile on his face is fake, more for their sake than his own. “i’m fine,” he says cheerfully. “just… indigestion.” no one questions him too closely, and he keeps the painfully insincere grin in place as he enters the interview room and greets the interviewer.

he has no real strategy for how to approach this, no idea what she’s going to hit him with this week. no idea how he’s going to answer, either, but a manic voice in sungwoon’s head tells him that he has nothing else to lose—so go with honesty for once in his goddamn life.

what were your thoughts on last week’s results? one of your band members, minhyun, was eliminated from the competition, wasn’t he?

of course they would begin with this. a familiar formula, yet he blinks, taken aback. perhaps because his mind isn’t fully present, and he has to work to pull his thoughts away from the churning guilt and mortification ever present in his mind. “the eliminations came as a shock,” sungwoon says plainly. “the top three were expected—mason, sia, and suwoong have all proved themselves already, and i think their partners definitely benefited from being paired up with them.” mason carried his duo in particular in sungwoon’s opinion, but he thinks that much is obvious. “so yeah, no surprises there. the eliminations were a different beast, though. i thought jinyoung and jeonghan should’ve been in the top three.” objectively, their performance was one of the best in his eyes. “yuqi and minhyun should’ve been safe too, but i guess my sixth sense failed me last round.”

he looks down at his hands, then back up with a distracted smile. “the shot at redemption… i’m not sure how to feel about that twist, but like everyone else, i’m eager to see who survives.”

are you hoping minhyun will return?

“i am.” he nods once, thinking that it would be poetic justice if minhyun returns just as sungwoon leaves, but the thought of empty enigma on the show without him hurts and he abandons it altogether. “of course i’d like to see him advance; he’s a talented performer and he deserves to be here. he’s versatile, he’s handsome, and he has a great personality. also, he recycles. isn’t he perfect?”

is it fair to say minhyun deserves to be here when some people question your band’s intentions in this competition?

his lips press into a thin line. “you’re talking about what eric said, right?” the interviewer nods, and sungwoon shrugs. “isn’t that a question for daniel? he’s the one who got called out.”

but the rest of your band was included in their comments as well.

“‘the band guys,’” sungwoon says, enveloping the phrase in air quotes before letting his arms fall to the sides. “you know, i’m kind of getting tired of it.” he hears the same sort of thing in interviews week after week. reads the same sort of thing online with netizens commenting on ‘daniel and the band’ like they’re one single entity. and god, it isn’t daniel’s fault that mnet seems to have made him the face of empty enigma. sungwoon doesn’t blame him for it—daniel deserves the attention and recognition he’s getting. but it is exhausting to feel like his contributions don’t matter. like he doesn’t matter. “it’s understandable to question our intentions, but i believe it’s disrespectful to pretend we’re not working as hard as anyone else here. we’ve earned our place through our own talents.”

his voice is even, controlled, the expression on his face mild. sungwoon doesn’t say that eric’s words have made him question what he’s doing here—because he’s not entirely wrong. they do want to promote the band, but he doesn’t understand why taking pride in their accomplishments is coded as a terrible thing. after all, people can have more than one goal. sungwoon doesn’t confess that the first thing he did when he arrived in seoul was audition to be an idol. he doesn’t point out that last year, he participated in the mgas without revealing his band, for all intents and purposes a genuine idol hopeful. he doesn’t admit that he wants to be here, even if eric is right and he’s taking a chance away from someone else.

(someone like minhyun).

sungwoon is a practiced enough liar that he doesn’t let any cracks show. “i can’t speak for everyone else’s intentions, but i know we all have our own reasons for being here beyond just promoting the band. we’re not a hive-mind or a homogeneous blob, even though people talk about us like we are. we’re individuals with our own goals and desires outside of our band too.” he plays with his frayed cuffs, picking at an errant thread as he speaks. “i mean, most of us have been pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and performing in ways we never would in a band. we wouldn’t do that if we weren’t taking this seriously.”

he takes a deep breath, his smile turning sardonic as he leans forward. “and i want to say—if i have the decency to learn the names of everyone in the competition, i think others should make an effort too.” sungwoon holds up a hand and counts down. “sungwoon. woojin. kenta. minhyun. we’re not just ‘the guys’ or ‘the others’ or ‘daniel’s band.’ use our names next time you want to talk about us.”

moving on, you were paired with eunji this week. how was it like working with her?

his smile is a little more sincere at the mention of eunji. “she’s talented. seriously talented. we already knew each other prior to the competition—we’re neighbors—and working with her was both fun and easy.” he wants to laugh as the memory of their grease failures come to mind. “we were originally going to do grease’s summer lovin’, but we couldn’t keep a straight face while singing.” chuckling slightly, sungwoon runs a hand through his hair. “i don’t know why though; i think i could be a good danny zuko?” sungwoon gives the camera a winning smile before turning back to the interviewer. “really, it was great. rehearsal was never dull, and i think we sound really good together too. i’m so glad we were paired together.”

how do you think your performance went?

sungwoon fights to keep his expression neutral. how do you think it went? he wants to ask, but refrains. humiliation still burns under his skin, but the anger at himself, at the whole situation, has faded. instead he’s caught somewhere between resignation and guilt for what this could do to eunji. maybe if he doesn’t discuss their mistake, the interviewer won’t press for details. with that in mind, he decides to stick to the positives.

“i haven’t sung many showtunes before; i’m not familiar with musicals in general,” he admits. “but i wanted to challenge myself to try something new. i don’t know when else i’ll get the chance to experiment with different styles of music like this again.” his face falls a bit, but he fights to pull it back up. “eunji’s a phenomenal singer, so singing with her wasn’t hard either. it felt very natural to sell the whole story of the song.” he laughs and rubs his nose. “i mean, it’s not hard to pretend you’re falling in love with eunji, so i think we captured the essence of the number.”

you made a mistake, though. what went wrong?

he visibly deflates. bold of him to think mnet would let him pass without addressing this in some fashion. arms falling to his sides (flailing, despite his best efforts), sungwoon sucks in a deep breath. “we went over the time limit. unfortunately, we didn’t realize we’d been practicing with the wrong backing track all well.” lifting his head, he adds, “i’m not trying to make excuses for us. i understand that it’s extremely unprofessional to make a mistake like that. i’m disappointed in myself for not catching it sooner. i’m disappointed that all people are going to remember of our stage in the future is our flub. that’s not the impression i want to leave people with.”

another deep breath. he grips the edge of his seat. “none of this is eunji’s fault. i hope my mistake doesn’t reflect badly on her because she’s an amazing performer. even if we get eliminated, i want people to know that—she’s worth supporting till the end.”

is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the mgas?

sungwoon takes a moment to gather himself before responding. “suwoong and kyulkyung. suwoong impressed me; he showed a completely different side of himself, and he and kyulkyung compliment each other really well. their performance was… electric and intimate. i genuinely think they deserve to win today.” he’d been critical of whether suwoong was taking this competition seriously in one of the earlier rounds, but he can feel his sincerity now. “i also hope yukhei and woojin go through; i thought their performance was fun and they balance each other out well.”

is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

“us.” this is the first time sungwoon has ever answered the question. “if the judges hold us to our mistake,” here he pauses and gives the interviewer a self-deprecating smile, “and i think they should, it’ll be us.” joohyun’s elimination hurt, but sungwoon understood it. he’d understand them being sent home as well. turning to face the camera, sungwoon stands and bows before saying, “i’m sorry, eunji.” sungwoon can’t bring himself to say more, his throat suddenly dry.

the interviewer seems to sense as much and thanks him for his time. sungwoon bids her farewell and returns to his seat. he’s oddly tired, but the full weight of today hasn’t crashed into him yet. he suspects he’ll feel worse after the eliminations, but for now, sungwoon looks down at his feet and waits.

#rkmga5 #rkmga5duos2 #( c: solo )#( wc: 1694 )#( +2 chr )#( will tag people later i'm so tired )#( as always if i mentioned you and you'd like me to edit/remove it please lmk! )

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heaven-delight · 6 years

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[INTERVIEW] TRANS : Red Velvet Seulgi GQ October Edition

We especially requested you to be interviewed out of Red Velvet. Why do you think we chose you? I don’t know. Maybe it was because I’m popular among women but it’s GQ...

Maybe it was because of your coolness. You don’t look fussy, anxious nor easily swept away by things. I value doing my end of the work as well as I can a lot. I think there are people who notice that I think a lot about what my role is, what I’m good at and what I’m trying to express the most out of this job.

If that were true, we’d simply say you were hard-working. People might have found some charms that I haven’t discovered about myself. But I personally look up to people who do their part of the job the best they can. And that’s the kind of person I think of when other people tell me that I’m cool.

Who’s the coolest person to you out of all the people in the world? Mom and dad. When I said that I wanted to be a singer when I was young, they supported me with everything they could. They even signed up for auditions in my place. On top of that, they even packed lunch boxes and fed them to me whenever I finished practicing and went back home. I spent my seven years as a trainee like that.

It looks like they took care of you like a sports star. Yeah, at first I thought my parents were being too extra, because I thought I was all grown up. I even worried that I might not be able to survive on my own if they kept doing things like that to me. But, even these days, when I tell them that I’m stressed over my singing, they talk to me like a vocal coach. Nowadays, they trust me and leave me alone. They just say that they hope I come back to them whenever I feel down.

What has changed the most about you while being a part of Red Velvet? I really think I’m changing constantly. I can feel that I change depending on what kind of mindset I have at that moment. A lot of things cross my mind because of that. These days, I don’t know what kind of person I am. But then again, I’m sure everybody’s like this. Sometimes, I’m confident to do something, but other times, even if the littlest thing goes wrong, I lose confidence and look timid. Then I figure out what’s wrong with me and get better. Stuff like these just all exist inside of me.

The fact that your job requires you to present every aspect of yourself to the public is what makes it harder, isn’t it? Yeah. But that’s also how I get energized.

During your trainee years, did you learn how to get interviewed? No. Before, I took a look at the questions ahead of time and wrote all of my answers below it, in fear that I might forget them. But these days, I think I’m able to speak without going through all of that because I think about these things casually. If, when I first debuted, I censored myself to say typical things in case it could cause controversy, nowadays, I find out what I’ve been thinking about these days while getting interviewed. I like interviews like these because they’re like short logs of my life. Before, I did hide myself a lot. I mean, I still have some sides of me that I haven’t revealed. I think that I’ll look pretty doing this, but then again, I realize, I don’t look pretty when I smile. Things like that. I know I have things that I’m still hiding right now, but I’m planning onto not put too much effort in covering them up. I’m learning how to show those things naturally.

You look comfortable being interviewed. Is there anything that people don’t know about you well despite your efforts to not cover yourself up? Um... If I were to list one thing, I’m not as hard-working as people think I am. I’m the kind of person who gets things done, even if it means I have to rush through it. But, the thing is that it takes me a long time to summon the energy to motivate myself to get that done... Really, I’m not the kind of person who plans everything out in advance.

But I heard that you make sure to do everything the best you can, whether it’s a variety show or a special stage. I try to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Even if that means I have to stay up all night. But that doesn’t mean that I’m hard-working.

Maybe it’s because you’re known for being a trainee for a long time. Lots of people take pity on me by saying things like, “Oh, how did you go through all that,” “That must have been rough,” but I wish they wouldn’t. I, myself, don’t think it was that much of a hard time. Of course, there were some rough patches, but it’s like how someone who’s been a trainee for three years has their own three years of hardship and trouble. Let’s say someone who’s been a trainee for three years debuts with me. Then that means that that person has to get used to working with me, a person who has trained for seven years. That, in other words, means that that person had to condense what I had to go through seven years and get it done in three years. Everybody has their own pace and time. If I had really debuted after just three years of practice, I would have been more lost than I am now.

You once said that you were having a hard time keeping up with the busy schedules. How do you manage to keep calm and get things done when you have tons of things to do? I just say to myself that this is my job. Actually, that’s something that I always have in mind. I push through by thinking that I can’t let go of this for the people around me, like my fans and the staff. And it feels really good when people notice what I’ve worked on. I became a singer for people to notice my hard work and also because I enjoy getting my hard work being noticed.

Is there a habit you have kept without fail ever since you’ve debuted? Hmm... Ah! I tried to make the people who know me like me! My personality is like that. Even when I was young, I had a good relationship with my classmates too. People who don’t know me could not like me. But I’ve always told myself to try to leave a good impression of myself in the people who do know me. I don’t like being on bad terms with people. I’m more of a people person. If there’s someone who’s talking bad about me, I want to listen to what that person has to say too, and ask, “Why don’t you like me?” (Giggles)

Do you have anything that you’ve learned to let go after debuting? My looks? Of course, I think that everybody has their own characteristics and charms. But you know the generic kind of beauty that people have, right? I’m trying to not think too much about that. I’m trying not to focus too much on pretty things.

Wait, what? I’m getting more and more surprised because the more I look at you, the more you resemble the actress Lee Young-Ae. My looks are constantly exposed to the public because of my job, so if I didn’t have that kind of mindset, I’m sure I would have been really stressed. But, it’s the era of individuality now. If there’s one thing that I’m confident in my looks, it’s the locations of my ears, eyes, mouth, and nose! When I debuted, I got lots of hate comments and got called out for my looks, which made my self-esteem plummet. But I’ve let go of all of that. In the “Laws of the Jungle,” I was just like, ‘Here goes nothing,’ and revealed my no-makeup face in front of the camera. I find people who are honest about themselves cool and pretty. And they look much more charming when they’re like that. It’s way cooler to see people not blindly follow other people.

If there’s one ability that you really need right now, what would it be? Being able to say what I want right away.

You can’t? No. I wish I could just say what’s in my head well. From a long time ago, I thought I was a bit boring. I like chatting quietly like this, but I think that makes me look shabby compared to the other bright people in the music industry. I also feel like I ruin everything because I’m not good at telling stories well. It got to the point where I was convinced that I had a talent for making everything awkward. So, I want to say what I want right away, without hesitation. I’m wondering about whether drinking will help me get over this problem, because when I’m drinking with other people, that bright and relaxed atmosphere helps me be more honest.

If you could steal someone’s abilities, whose would you steal? Beyonce’s. Wow, I wonder what she feels like being able to dance and sing like that. She must feel really happy being the best at everything...

In a past interview, you said that you wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Have you made any progress on that? This proves why I’m not hard-working. (Giggles) You see, if I make a plan, it becomes a long-term plan no matter what, because there isn’t a date that I have to accomplish it by.

It might be risky for you to make any plans without setting an urgent deadline. Yeah, I think so. Then again, even when I was young, I always crammed for my exams, but I have a reason for that. I only had one week to study for my exams while being a trainee. Instead of going to the company for that week, I’d get tutored and study till dawn. I’ve gotten too used to that now, so, if I have something that I need to do, I set a deadline and make sure it gets done by then.

Then what are some of the extra long-term goals you have as being a part of Red Velvet? Red Velvet is a group that tries out a variety of concepts, right? I mean, it’s gotten to the point where I can’t figure out what to wear when I have to perform ‘Peek-A-Boo’ and ‘Power Up’ in one performance. But concentrating on every moment of that is really fun. When else would I be able to dance intimidatingly and make those kinds of facial expressions if it wasn’t for ‘Bad Boy?’ I think Red Velvet is a group where unique people have come together to sing unique songs and express uniqueness. I don’t like cliche things, so I like the direction that the company is leading Red Velvet to. Although now I’m only able to pitch in a few opinions while performing at concerts, I hope that in the future I’ll be able to participate more in building the direction that Red Velvet will take, since we’ve been in the industry for quite some time and we’re starting to understand what our color is like.

Could you share a super short-term goal that you’ve achieved recently? I think I’m just winding down by eating yummy things these days. Before, I didn’t have the luxury of being able to try yummy things or food. But now it’s different. I have to eat want I immediately. So I ate gopchang yesterday.

#red velvet #rv #red velvet translation #rv translation #rv trans #red velvet trans #heaven-delight #m:seulgi #t:interview #e:summermagic

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sassycassieshipsimaginesprefs · 6 years

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Mermaid/Man/Person AU Ideas

Some are romantic, some are platonic, some could be both!

-“I’m a relatively new employee at the local supermarket when I hear that there is a cleanup on aisle 14, one of the refrigerated sections. I plod on over with a mop and a plucky attitude and---OH MY WORD THERE IS A SOPPING WET MERMAID/MAN/PERSON ON THE FLOOR WHAT DO I DO THIS WASN’T COVERED IN TRAINING OR MY JOB DESCRIPTION! Turns out, you’ve been human-passing for years but some idiot spilled their water bottle on you” AU

-“You’re half-mermaid and going to college, living in the dorms on campus. You’ve been singing Mamma Mia in the shower quietly and showering at 3AM so you won’t enchant anyone with your voice and you only shower at a normal time when you don’t feel like singing. One night I get off work late and shower at 3AM too in the other set of shower but hear you anyway. I think I’m technically immune to your mermaid magic powers but frick I’m not immune to the fact that you have the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard. Who are you?!” AU

-“We’re both in marine biology class because we want to clean the ocean pollution and I’m the only one who is more passionate than you and you can’t figure out why I act like ocean pollution is personal ‘til you’re scuba diving and come across me underwater and see my tail. I scream and swim away and refuse to talk to you in class” AU

-“What do you mean I can’t audition for [insert _______’s Got Talent/other show/some musical] because I’m half-mermaid? I can’t enchant people---oh shoot well now I’ve tried to prove that and proved the exact opposite and you’re declaring undying love for me. Please stop you don’t really mean what you’re saying how do I undo this hELP” AU

-“I automatically transform into a mermaid during the full moon, equinoxes, eclipses, and solstices. My significant other doesn’t know and invites me to a pool party on the summer solstice. The sun goes down WAY late and I transform, falling into the pool and that’s how my S/O finds out. Please don’t be mad?” AU

-“My S/O just broke up with me because they found out I’m a mer and thought I’d been enchanting them to be in love with me (I wasn’t). You find me and comfort me and I tell you everything and yeah I’d like to join you for dinner to cheer me up. Thank you so much!” AU

-“I unintentionally enchanted this entire karaoke bar with my voice because of my mermaid genetics and you just came in to see every single person staring mooney-eyed at me and help me get away before anything happens” AU

-“You’re asexual and/or aromantic and believe that you’re immune to mermaids’ and sirens’ songs so you’re plodding around your ship while the rest of the crew has earplugs to block us out but we, the mermaids and sirens, sing about whatever it is you want most and it adapts magically. I am really confused as you jump off the side of the ship because why in Poseidon’s name are we singing about pizza?! Oh wait hey you’re cute like a baby fish I don’t want to drown you” AU

-“You’re the lead singer in a band called Shrieking Sirens (or something) and have a mermaid aesthetic going on. I’m a big fan of your music but one night when I’m drunk/sleep deprived I manage to email you/your manager/your publicist an angry, typo-ridden email about how sirens are bird-ladies not mermaids. You email me back with a ‘We know :)’ and when I’m sober/well-rested I’m really embarrassed but you thought it was hilarious. We started emailing and I find out that you’re all mermaids passing as humans and trying to slightly steer it away from being suspicious with the siren name” AU

-“As if our romance wasn’t forbidden enough because I’m a mermaid and you’re human, you’re actually a dragon disguised as a human because dragons were sick of being persecuted by humans and oh CRAP if my pod ever found out I’d be kicked out for sure” AU

-“What do you mean the dragons aren’t staying in hiding anymore?! They’re going to expose US too!” AU

-“I’m out for a late-night swim in the ocean because I’m hardcore (read: reckless) like that and you’re a mermaid with the fluke of your tail caught in a crab trap and I found you underwater and got your fin out of the trap but it was bleeding and torn and made it hard to swim so I took you home and fixed you up and now you’re recovering in my bathtub?” AU

-“You’re a marine veterinarian and I’m gravely injured after I got attacked by a pod of aggressive orcas/other marine life but you’re out on a rowboat and I’m floating near the surface and you see the blood in the water and manage to pull me into the boat and get me to shore before the sharks come after the blood and you rehabilitate me at your facility in secret because, hey, mermaids aren’t supposed to exist but thank you” AU

-“I got trapped in a rather deep tide pool when the tide went out. Hey you! Yeah you! Strong-looking human! You mind picking me up and hauling me into the ocean? Please? I will reward you with a pearl or something!” AU

-“I grew up in a landlocked area but me and my family just moved to a town on the ocean and I got to swim in the sea for the first time and AAAAAHHHHH! WHAT THE HECK?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LEGS? WHY DO I HAVE A TAIL?! And you, a native mer, heard me screaming underwater in the language mers use to communicate and came to see if I was okay and I freak out even worse and you use your singing magic to lull me to sleep and I wake up in an abandoned cove and you’re lounging on the sand next to me and I’m still freaking out but my legs are back and you ask me lots of questions and Look Buddy, I got nothin’.” AU

-“I’m a curious mer hiding under a dock and watching a group of human friends goofing around through the wood and one of your friends pushes you off the end of the dock and into the water and Oh NO! it looks like you can’t swim very well! I should help! But it’s forbidden...” AU

-“You found yourself in an enchanted forest, somehow, and when you make it to a lake, you find me perched on a rock, my tail dangling into the magic lake, talking pleasantly to a unicorn and now you’re positive you’re dreaming and I dunno what to tell ya, mate” AU

-“I’ve been human-passing for years until yoU SPILLED YOUR WATER BOTTLE ALL OVER ME! WHAT THE HECK?!” AU

-“Okay, listen human, the ocean is terrifying and full of creepy/scary stuff. Don’t EVEN judge me for deciding to live on land!” AU

-“I was adopted by human parents when they found me in the sea foam with a little tail that hadn’t even taken on a color yet but turned to legs when I was dry. Turned out they also adopted other abandoned supernatural creatures so I have a werewolf sibling, a vampire sibling, a changeling sibling and their human ‘twin’ and... let’s just say when I brought you home to meet my family you were... very confused to say the least” AU

-“Oh shoot my roommate’s Significant Other is a mer who was singing a love song for my roommate and I fell in love why are mers like this?” AU

-“There was a storm while I was out on a boat and I got knocked overboard and I woke up to you swimming me back to shore and your tail brushes my legs and wHAT THE HECK?! WHY ARE YOUR LEGS SO SLIMY?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T HAVE LEGS?” AU

-“A kiss from a mermaid can keep a person from drowning. But apparently the kiss does that by traNSFORMING WHOEVER WAS KISSED INTO A MER IN THE WATER! And apparently I kissed a mer recently because whAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING TO ME?! WHO WAS IT THAT I KISSED?” AU

-“I promise my tail looks heavy on land but it’s really graceful and strong underwater. Stop complaining it doesn’t actually weigh two-tons” AU

-“Sometimes humans lose their glasses in the water and they always end up in the mer community and I can’t see underwater for the life of me because everything is blurry and one day my friend, who is also something of my seeing-eye friend, finds some in the sand and puts them on me and OH MY GOODNESS SAND HAS INDIVIDUAL GRAINS?! I have visible scales?! I CAN SEE!?” AU

-“I MAY BE THE MOST PETITE MERMAID YOU’VE EVER SEEN BUT I WILL STILL SINK YOUR WHOLE SHIP, JERK!” AU

-“You have wings and I have a tail. We met by accident/chance and we’re deeply in love but there’s no way we can be together. I’m aquatic and you’re avian. Land is the literal middle ground of us to meet but it’s hard for me to be out of the water and you can’t swim without your wings dragging you down” AU

-“I run a cute cafe/coffee shop/bakery right by the beach. I see mermaids in the water all the time, but no one else ever seems to notice?” AU

-“The local children’s hospital buses the kids who are well enough to the beach every so often where I get there first and pretend to be a mermaid to entertain them---I sing and tell stories. One day you wash up on the shore next to me after they leave but you’re real what the heck?!” AU

-“I’m a single parent and my mermaid-obsessed child(ren) swear up and down they saw a mermaid in the water and I pretend to be interested but my kid(s) can sense I don’t believe them so they rush in to prove it to me and get caught in a riptide before I can get to them. You appear out of nowhere and save them but vanish before I can thank you. Who were you? I spend the next week(s) visiting the beach as often as I can to see if I can find you again. One night I swim out a ways and there you are---now what do I do?” AU

-“I’m dating a mer and somehow we ended up married by mermaid culture customs but not human and... what do???” AU

-“A hurricane scooped you up out of the ocean and flung you inland and thank the heavens you landed in my swimming pool but I didn’t know mermaids existed and screamed” AU

-“Me and my mermaid choir squad are out on some rocks/tiny abandoned island singing for choir practice and you’re sailing nearby with a buddy and hear us. But when we sing and a person ‘falls in love’ they try to impress us so you’ve joined in with our song singing baritone and we drop the magic of the song completely. Get over here we haven’t had a baritone sing with us in ages no we’re not going to drown you just get over here!” AU

#trigger warning: blood #mermaid #mermaid imagine #mermaid AU #mermaid!AU #AU prompts #AU Prompt #AU List #writing prompt #writing prompts

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lifejustgotawkward · 5 years

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My Favorite Albums of 2018

Now that we’ve reached the end of December, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite albums from this year. I’m particularly proud of the emphasis that I placed on listening to new music by women, which will be obvious as you make your way through the post. As I hope is the case every time I make these annual rankings, my goal is not so much that anyone should be awed by my short paragraphs of explanation (doubtful since my schedule didn’t allow me enough time to edit my writing too closely - let me know if there are any weird errors!), but rather that my mentions of these artists will spread positive awareness of them. If I can share my appreciation for a singer or band and subsequently inspire someone to become a fan, the work will have been worth it. Have a good time with this, everybody!

Tagging @shadowfaxstables, @entrancedintime, @mr-top-secret, @walkingwiththemoon, @thehoodedone, @yung-lawsuit, @oystersaintforme - I hope you enjoy the music!

15. Seinabo Sey, I’m a Dream

Standout Tracks: “Never Get Used To,” “I Owe You Nothing,” “My Eye,” “Truth,” “Breathe,” “Good in You”

I might never have heard of Gambian-Swedish singer-songwriter Seinabo Sey if I didn’t regular check out Pitchfork reviews, although luckily I started listening to I’m a Dream before reading Katherine St. Asaph‘s piece, which unfairly marks Sey’s album with a 6.0 grade. Sey’s second album, following Pretend (2015), continues her interest in marrying soul/R&B with pop, moving through different tempi to exhibit her perspectives on romantic and familial relationships. Most inspirational among the songs is “Breathe,” an empowering reminder from Sey to herself that no matter what hardships she endures, she is valuable and magical.

14. Black Belt Eagle Scout, Mother of My Children

Standout Tracks: “Soft Stud,” “Keyboard,” “Mother of My Children,” “Yard,” “I Don’t Have You in My Life,” “Sam, A Dream”

There may not have been a more impressive debut single in 2018 than “Soft Stud,” a searing ode to unrequited lust. The rest of Katherine Paul’s album is fairly quiet by comparison, but her first full-length project as Black Belt Eagle Scout burns with longing. A self-described “radical indigenous queer feminist,” Paul draws from her experiences growing up in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington to tell stories both deeply personal to her and universal in the desires they communicate. Album closer “Sam, A Dream” is the best example of how Paul blends those two concepts, taking a minimalist lyrical approach to expressing her love for the song’s subject before spending a solid two and a half minutes on a guitar solo to finish the record, a sound so beautiful that you feel like you’re floating when you hear it.

13. Blossoms, Cool Like You

Standout Tracks: “Cool Like You,” “Unfaithful,” “How Long Will This Last?” “Between the Eyes,” “Lying Again,” “Love Talk”

For those of us who love a good tune that pays homage to 80s New Wave and synthpop, Blossoms are your band. They don’t seem to have made anywhere near as much of an impact in the US as they have in their native UK, and British critics weren’t exactly bowled over by this sophomore album (despite it hitting #4 on the charts), but I’ll bet that most of today’s young American bands would kill to put out a single half as catchy as “Cool Like You,” or anything close to the upbeat yet still sort of bittersweet perfection of “Love Talk.”

12. Shannon Shaw, Shannon in Nashville

Standout Tracks: “Bring Her the Mirror,” “Broke My Own,” “Leather, Metal, Steel,” “Love I Can’t Explain,” “Cold Pillows,” "Make Believe”

Stepping away from her role as frontwoman of Oakland, California’s surf-punk outfit Shannon and the Clams, Shannon Shaw’s debut solo album Shannon in Nashville is an entrancing collection of songs deeply inspired by 60s girl groups, Roy Orbison and, of course, Dusty “Dusty in Memphis” Springfield. Even if you’d never heard Shaw’s voice before now, it would instantly become iconic to your ears thanks to melodies that sound just as timeless as their predecessors from half a century ago.

11. Say Sue Me, Where We Were Together

Standout Tracks: “Let It Begin,” “But I Like You,” “Old Town,” “After Falling Asleep,” “About the Courage to Become Somebody’s Past,” “Coming to the End”

Korean-American indie rock band Say Sue Me have a sweet, light touch that makes both their snappy power-pop efforts like “But I Like You” and “Old Town” and also somewhat more serious-minded guitar showcases like “Let It Begin,” “About the Courage to Become Somebody’s Past” (an instrumental that gives me real “This Magic Moment” vibes) and “Coming to the End” equally appealing. I don’t speak or understand Korean, so I don’t know how lead singer Sumi Choi’s lyrics of “After Falling Asleep” translate, but the fact that I love it anyway is a testament to the fact that fantastic music always transcends barriers of language.

10. Robyn, Honey

Standout Tracks: “Missing U,” “Human Being” (feat. Zhala), “Baby Forgive Me,” “Send to Robin Immediately,” “Honey,” “Ever Again”

I didn’t expect to love Robyn’s newest album upon first listen back in October, but now I do, so here we are. A couple of months spent absorbing her woozy beats has made me appreciate Robyn’s ability to evoke moods that feel specific to her particular talent as an artist. The loss that inspired the album - the death of one of her closest friends, Christian Falk, in 2014 - pervades nearly all of the tracks, but they are relatable and will still make you want to dance, closer to light than to darkness. Even in songs like “Human Being” and “Baby Forgive Me,” where the rhythms and (to cite the latter’s credits in the album liner notes) “sad robot voice” play with notions of human artistic creation juxtaposed with machine-manufactured products, Robyn herself is always in front and center, and in the album’s crown jewel, the title track “Honey,” her maturity as a storyteller is evident.

9. cupcakKe, Eden

Standout Tracks: “PetSmart,” “Cereal and Water,” “Garfield,” “Prenup,” “Blackjack,” “A.U.T.I.S.M.”

All Hail Queen cupcakKe. On her second album of the year, following January’s Ephorize, the Chicago rapper continues to show why she’s one of the best women in the game. “PetSmart” starts things off incredibly, exhibiting one entertaining brag after another, then the rest of the album displays more of her often laugh-out-loud humor, endless pop culture references, a bunch of her quintessential sex-centric jams (”Garfield,” “Typo,” “Blackjack”) and a song dedicated to people on the autism spectrum (”A.U.T.I.S.M.”). Every now and then there are moments that indicate that cupcakKe still has room to grow, like when she uses the R slur on “Garfield,” but ultimately her heart is in the right place; besides the aforementioned “A.U.T.I.S.M.,” she has also recorded songs in support of the LGBTQ+ community (”LGBT,” “Crayons”), so I am certain that she’ll eventually learn from her mistakes. As one YouTube commenter wrote on one of her videos: “She should be where Cardi B is.” Indeed.

8. Chelsea Jade, Personal Best

Standout Tracks: “Ride or Cry,” “Pitch Dark,” “Colour Sum,” “Laugh It Off,” “Over Sensitive,” “High Beam”

New Zealand-based singer-songwriter Chelsea Jade has not yet hit it big in America like her younger compatriot, Lorde, but there is an ample proof on Personal Best that Jade can craft earworms with memorable hooks and intelligent lyrics. (Seriously, when was the last time you heard the word liminal used in a pop song, as Jade does on “Laugh It Off”?) She has her foot in the door in America as a lyricist, credited as one of the writers of this year’s Chainsmokers single “You Owe Me,” but one hopes that the “Accidental Dream Pop Hero” of Auckland, NZ will claim her own chart-topping stardom one day.

7. Beach House, 7

Standout Tracks: “Lemon Glow,” “L’Inconnue,” “Black Car,” “Lose Your Smile,” “Girl of the Year,” “Last Ride”

I thought I knew what to expect from a Beach House album after following their career for the past few years, but “Lemon Glow” and “Black Car” hit me like gorgeous sledgehammers anyway when they were released earlier this year, still taking my breath away every time I hear them. I don’t know how Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally manage it, but they keep finding sophisticated ways to update their mining of the same musical territory in a tried-and-true comfort zone. Beach House’s secret seems to be that they have deduced all the algorithms necessary to hypnotize listeners. 7 is perhaps less exciting to me than the duo’s last album, Thank Your Lucky Stars, since the freshness of first being introduced to their music in 2015 has faded, but I’m glad to report that their new songs are absolutely worthy of praise.

6. Soccer Mommy, Clean

Standout Tracks: “Still Clean,” “Cool,” “Your Dog,” “Last Girl,” “Skin,” “Wildflowers”

Nashville, Tennessee’s Sophie Allison, who performs under the moniker Soccer Mommy, wowed me with this ten-track album full of indie rock gems. At age 20, she is ready to take the music industry by storm, evoking her heroes Liz Phair and Mitski while always maintaining a recognizable individual style. This is most apparent on the more upbeat tracks - “Skin,” for example, is a brutally honest articulation of yearning, and if ever there was a year that needed a blistering takedown of abusive relationships like “Your Dog” as its rallying cry, it’s 2018.

5. Courtney Barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel

Standout Tracks: “Hopefulessness,” “Charity,” “Need a Little Time,” “Nameless, Faceless,” “Help Your Self,” “Sunday Roast”

It took a while for Courtney Barnett’s latest album to sink in with me. Tell Me How You Really Feel is the definition of a slow burn; it has just as much of Barnett’s trademark dry humor, but it also brings to the surface a sensitivity beyond what she revealed on her breakthrough album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015). Most of all, I think she’s enjoying exploring what she can do with her melodies, like the guitar solo on “Help Your Self,” her incorporation of Margaret Atwood’s famous “men are afraid, women are afraid” quote in the chorus of the #MeToo/#TimesUp anthem “Nameless, Faceless” or the amount of time it takes her to reach the “Keep on keeping on/You know you're not alone” part of “Sunday Roast.” Listening to new music by Courtney Barnett is as rewarding an experience as any modern-day alternative rock fan could want.

4. Caroline Rose, LONER

Standout Tracks: “More of the Same,” “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” “Getting to Me,” “To Die Today,” “Soul No. 5,” “Animal”

I was magnetized to Caroline Rose’s music from the intriguing opening notes of “More of the Same,” the first of many riffs that LONER gifts to us. My favorite track is “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” which continues a classic singer-songwriter tradition of relating the ups and downs of another woman’s life, especially her dreams for a brighter future. She also moves through a few genres besides indie rock with skill, employing elements of trip-hop on “To Die Today” and R&B on “Talk” and “Animal” in engaging ways. (According to Rose in a press release, LONER is “as much inspired by Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears as it was late-’70s punk,“ which I can believe.) Rose’s sense of humor might be the best part of the album, though, as seen in her sharp wit and sarcasm on “Money,” “Soul No. 5” and “Bikini,” the last of which is a bouncy number mocking the industries that compel women to become sexualized puppets tailor-made for public consumption.

I also find this Out Magazine quote from Caroline Rose about how she incorporates her own sexuality enlightening: “When I was first starting, I was kind of afraid to make being queer a part of my identity for fear that it would consume it, because that happens to a lot of artists, unfortunately. When you’re first starting, that is the way people identify you cause that’s all you get. You get one elevator pitch and if you’re lucky, a 30 second clip of what your music sounds like—and that’s the pitch. But I hit a point where I was like, ‘That’s dumb.’ People should be as much of themselves as possible, ‘cause then everyone would be super unique. No one else is you. You are independent of other people and you can do whatever you want with your identity and your body and the way you dress and the way you act. I realized I should just be myself—middle fingers up and no fucks given, ‘cause life is really short. My life is zipping by and I’m okay with that, but I want to make sure I do it right.”

3. Wild Moccasins, Look Together

Standout Tracks: “Boyish Wave,” “Temporary Vase,” “Longtime Listener,” “Missing You (the Most),” “No Muse,” “Waterless Cup”

Few bands that I discovered in 2018 have dazzled me quite like Houston, Texas’s Wild Moccasins. When the pair at the heart of the group, vocalist/keyboardist Zahira Gutierrez and guitarist Cody Swann, ended their romantic relationship a few years ago, they turned their complex jumble of reasons and reactions into art. But Look Together isn’t a mopey breakup record; “Longtime Listener,” the song that immediately turned me into a fan, is a slice of New Wave heaven, while “Missing You (the Most)” and “No Muse” are just as jaunty but dig into the more personal side of the duo’s songwriting. “Missing” ends with a repetition of the lines “You only want me if you get the chance to change me/You only want me if you get the chance to save me,” while “No Muse,“ a pointed examination of how men (especially artists) undermine and belittle the women in their relationships, features this cogent chorus: “I’m no use to you unless I’m undressed/I’m no muse to you/You cut me in two unless I say yes/I’m no muse to you/And you can sing about it all you want/I must not want it bad enough, bad enough.”

2. Miya Folick, Premonitions

Standout Tracks: “Thingamajig,” “Premonitions,” “Stock Image,” “Stop Talking,” “Deadbody,” “Baby Girl”

Thanks to Pitchfork, I first heard of Miya Folick when her single “Deadbody” came out this past March. It immediately struck me as a manifesto for our new age, where women can move forward with confidence thanks to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. That song alternately demonstrates subdued menace and loud, unapologetic anger, but “Stock Image” and “Premonitions” show that Folick has a strong leaning towards modern pop music; “Stop Talking” is so commercially accessible that it’s as much of a bop as any sugary confection by Carly Rae Jepsen. Folick’s debut album - after having released a number of EPs and standalone tracks over the past few years - showcases a woman whose voice and songwriting abilities have limitless potential, and she’s only just getting started. To quote some of Folick’s lyrics from “Stop Talking,” seemingly a summary of her artist’s statement: “You have to make a choice/Don’t be an accidental voice/We have to speak with grace/We will become the words we say.“

1. Mitski, Be the Cowboy

Standout Tracks: “Geyser,” “Me and My Husband,” “Nobody,” “Pink in the Night,” “Washing Machine Heart,” “Two Slow Dancers”

It’s no mistake that so many end-of-year best-of lists have placed Be the Cowboy at the top of their rankings. Mitski’s fifth album finds her wading through deep pools of emotion in brief, lovely bursts of song, with twelve out of the fourteen tracks running two and a half minutes or shorter. It was pretty difficult for me to pick only a handful of highlights from an album that is so impressive in every conceivable way, so just know that every cut is a masterpiece. She puts words to the feelings we all carry inside, diamonds that glisten for fleeting moments but linger in the memory for a long time afterward.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (alphabetical)

Cher, Dancing Queen (”Dancing Queen,” ”Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” “The Name of the Game,” “Waterloo,” ”Fernando,” ”One of Us”)

Farao, Pure-O (”Marry Me,” “Get Along,” “Luster of the Eyes,” “Cluster of Delights,” “Gabriel,” “Triumph Over Me”)

Florence + The Machine, High as Hope (”Hunger,” “Big God,” “Patricia,” “100 Years,” “The End of Love,” “No Choir”)

Juliana Hatfield, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (”I Honestly Love You,” ”Physical,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Xanadu,” “Dancin’ ‘Round and ‘Round,” “Make a Move on Me”)

Marie Davidson, Working Class Woman (”Your Biggest Fan,” ”Work It,” ”The Psychologist,” “Day Dreaming,” “So Right” [although the extended version is even better since the opening lines are brought back in the last thirty seconds, making the song’s ending even more effective], “Burn Me”)

HONORABLE MENTIONS #2: EPs (alphabetical)

Ellis, The Fuzz (”The Drain,” “Frostbite,” ”What a Mess”)

Hatchie, Sugar & Spice (”Sleep,” ”Try,” “Bad Guy”)

King Princess, Make My Bed (”Talia,” “Upper West Side,” “Holy”)

Margaret Glaspy, Born Yesterday (”Before We Were Together,” ”One Heart and Two Arms,” “I Love You, Goodnight”)

Sevdaliza, The Calling (”Soul Syncable,” “Energ1,” “Human Nature”)

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