#it has vocal tracks and as someone who tends to dislike vocal tracks

[foxstens]

made it to the final boss

[bnna5813]

Set Me Free pt. 2: Jimin you killed it.

I was writing a response to someone's post but I figured I'd just make my own because my response was pretty long. I'm not in the music industry. I just listen to a lot of genres so please forgive me if I'm misusing terms. I've seen a lot of discourse about Jimin's song and I wanted to add a few thoughts:

Do I like the song? YES. I love it. I'll be transparent though. After I watched the music video, I wasn't sure how I felt. There was so much to digest. The song is so different from anything we've ever heard from Jimin, so completely beyond anything we expected. The music video was an orgy of mind-blowing choreography, loud ass brass instruments, aggressive autotune, stunning choir vocals, and heavy chest-thumping bass. The beat is just... everyone I've seen react to this song (including myself) made a stank face and started bopping their heads and doing body rolls as soon as the bass dropped. This song is dirrrty.

I implore everyone to please listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music. By now, you should know that Youtube has shit audio quality. Even the exquisite choir sounded muffled on YT. His voice is heavenly on Spotify. His modified voice has so many layers. I know the autotune is a very controversial topic in this song but I think he used it well to transform his voice into something you have never heard from him before. BTS tends to use autotune or voice processors to add complexity and texture. How many of you disliked this song and also disliked On and Black Swan?

I get that it can be too much for some people. Music is subjective and it's okay not to like this song. It's not for everyone. But for people who use the autotune as a drag to say he's using it because he can't sing on key, you should know that the music industry has moved beyond using autotune to correct pitches/tones. We're not in the early 2000s anymore. Some artists still use it to support their vocals but that's not the case in Jimin's song.

In this song, his voice is heavily distorted when the lyrics are coming at you. "I never stop, fuck all your opps" and "Hey fool, just get out of my way / Shut up, fuck off / I'm on my way". Even when he's saying "enemy" in the background, it's heavily autotuned. I also love the effect of the call and response between "oh yeah oh yeah" and his normal voice. The use of autotune is to emphasize aggression and anger. He's basically assaulting you with this vocal distortion because it's very jarring to your ears. Look, Jimin is not interested in making another Lie or Serendipity right now. He's already done that. Jimin wants to continue to grow and experiment as an artist. So even if this resulted in mixed reactions, I applaud him for trying something new.

Another thing I want to add is that this track is the LAST song in his album. I don't even need to hear the album first to know why it's the last song. He said this album is going to be a journey revealing hidden wounds and scars. We know this album is going to be dark. Set Me Free pt. 2 as an ending is him shedding his demons, pushing back against those who inflicted pain, and letting it go. That's why the song is so anthemic and aggressive. It's triumphant and it makes me want to throw a fist up. When we get listen to the album in its entirety, I think many people will agree that this is a powerful ending. If this is how I feel about one song, I really can't wait for next week to hear everything else.

[afro-elf]

fine, i’ll elaborate on my thoughts about tylor sift but they will be disorganized

disclaimer: i know a few people will read this and be like “op is a hozier fan can she really talk about the cultural obsession with mediocre white art?” and the answer is yes because a) i’m black and i have an english degree so can do whatever i fucking want, b) hozier is a better artist than taylor objectively, like his mediocre tracks would be considered her great ones, and c) the comparison of taylor to hozier is part of the problem Genuinely because i don’t even think white people like half the music they listen to, they just don’t wanna be left behind, we’ll get into this later. i’m sorry to everyone who is tired of hearing about him but hozier will be returning later in this post jsfglsjlgldsjlfd

second note: read this

i don’t just dislike taylor because she’s white. i don’t dislike taylor because she’s a woman. i don’t dislike her because she writes mean and petty lyrics about past relationships and people who wronged her. i don’t dislike taylor because her public circle of friends is almost exclusively blonde white celebrities with their own laundry lists of issues that includes ryan reynolds and blake lively who are poster children for white privilege and pseudo-excellence if i’ve ever seen them. i dislike taylor because the amalgamation of all of those things is so exemplary of a huge problem i have with the music industry in general but also like american society

fuck it, numbered list!

1. taylor swift consistently releases the same mediocre album but in different colors. every album is the same lyrically and tonally. her body of work rarely goes very far above “good for taylor swift”. folklore as both title and musical aesthetic is irrelevant to the actual content of the album, which is just every taylor swift album except set to folk pop and with a bit more cussing, congrats for baby’s first swear. i’ve seen folklore compared to much better bodies of work and even propped up by stans as album of the year, a distinction that rina sawayama and chloe x halle will be battling it out for if there is any justice in the world at all. the fact that she is allowed to do this and still be considered great when this is something that even white male artists are butchered critically for... astounds me. like we all know how well received all of coldplay’s similar sounding albums are.... Come on. 

2. i don’t think taylor or her work is particularly feminist and yet for some reason every time she frowns an army of white women brings her kleenex. i’m not saying taylor’s anger has always been unjustified, but her feminism to me has always felt like “i can do whatever a man can do” feminism, which is utterly fucking useless to me as a black woman. it’s only useful to her because as a wealthy, white, straight, cis white woman her ONLY obstacle in life is her gender. and if she just didn’t have that tricky little bitch then maybe people would take her seriously. like, just think about her music video for the man... what was the thesis of that? what was the point of that? with all of her privileges she’d just be gaining a single extra privilege. she’s a blonde blue eyed thin white girl, the world kisses her feet. i have no interest in proving myself any better or any worse than white men, they are not the standard for how a person should be treated, they’re cautionary tales, and white women are too. i think taylor capitalizes off of white woman victimhood, and it’s all over her writing style. even when she’s trying to be empowered, like in mad woman for example, there is this tone to it of victimization, poking the bear, unleashing the beast if you will. she invokes the imagery of salem witches and even more boldly chooses a noose to write about in the song which is..... surely going to be a white tumblr staple for many gifsets to come but holy shit is it hollow. she also tends to come back to teenage memories in her music and she’s thirty. i don’t think about being seventeen unless i’m being held at gunpoint but she seems to think about it All The Time. and part of this is to keep herself young, at least in her music, which only further ingrains this image of fragile teeny bopper taylor into the mind of the listener, fueling her victim image. this imagery and language means nothing because the world always rallies around taylor. even when she was the butt of jokes for not being beyonce (which she is not and never can be) and writing about her exes (which she does), she was largely supported by the industry and by critics. look at how many fucking awards she has!

3. folk and indie and alternative music is in a moment of transition, where musicians of color are getting the chance to really speak about how they’ve been treated in these overwhelmingly white circles and create their own standards and their own voices. and for taylor swift to swoop in with aaron dessner and jack antonoff fantano and almost reassert that mid-2010s indie sound as The Sound of folk pop in the popular consciousness.... it makes me violent! it! makes! me! violent! 

4. back to hozier! finally, i wanna talk about white standom, fandom, bandom, and womandom. i often see these very superficial comparisons between hozier and taylor (and hozier and florence and hozier and stevie nicks and hozier and whatever other white woman in fashion) and they frustrate me for more than one reason. i know that hozier has met taylor and said she’s cool, which is nice of him and he’s a nice man, but i’m not a nice man so i’m going to just say it: none of the people who have made those posts have listened to more than four hozier songs and it shows. the reason why this matters is because these posts catch on and create an image and preconception of hozier’s music that is divorced from reality and divorced from his influences and most importantly divorced from the deliberate and reverent blackness of his musical style. hozier has his white male privilege in the industry for sure but he’s not as towering of a giant as taylor and taylor’s music is an unsalted chicken, plain oatmeal, white paint drying on a white wall, a stick of unflavored gum. her music is so white it told me that its dad is a cop. i am, as a black hozier fan, exhausted with having to share space with white women who don’t know why hozier’s music kicks me in my lungs sometimes and think that taylor mentioning a tree ONCE in her 3 minute acoustic guitar slog about whatever suburb is the same when it simply is not. i swear some of you are pretending to love taylor because your friends love her and you don’t wanna be left out of the hot new musical discourse but she’s only the hot new musical discourse CONSTANTLY because she’s a white woman, she’s almost the Perfect white woman. like if someone asked me to describe a white woman, it would be taylor swift. her position at the top of the musical pyramid among people who eclipse her musically, vocally, and lyrically is only allowed because she’s The Perfect White Woman. she’s an ideal. white girls relate to her immediately because of it and now we have this unshakable mob of unbearable white women who think that the world has wronged someone who literally wrote fanfiction about the rich oil heiress white woman who owned her rhode island mansion before her aklghlghdhlgs it drives me fucking NUTS 

anyway that’s all. if you made it this far, listen to adia victoria, kaia kater, samantha crain, valerie june, kelsey lu, corinne bailey rae, brittany howard, kimya dawson, japanese breakfast, cold specks, left at london, rhiannon giddens, aisha badru, shea diamond, nadine shah, xenia rubinos, karen o, mirel wagner.... Anyone

[disabled-kain]

I wouldn't call myself a high-support needs autistic, but I'm not low-support needs either. I'm probably somewhere in the middle.

More details below the cut, because this is a long post.

Sometimes I find it hard to get the words I'm thinking out of my mouth. Putting my thoughts and feelings into sentences in my mind isn't (usually) hard, it's actually getting the words out. And it's not that I have some sort of problem with my mouth, tongue, jaw, or vocal chords, or anything like that. It's difficult in a way that's hard to explain.

In general, I tend to talk slower than most people, and it has been noted by other people in the past that I speak in an unusual rhythm. I pause more often than most people when talking.

Sometimes my brain just goes completely blank when I'm talking to people, and I lose my train of thought in the middle of talking. It's a bit frustrating and embarrassing. I can also lose speech when looking people in the eyes, especially strangers or people I don't know well. (Part of this is probably social anxiety, but I also really don't like eye contact in general.)

I feel like it takes me more effort to talk than it would for a neurotypical person, even just in general. I have both an AAC app and a Text to Speech app on my phone to help with communication, but I haven't tried to use them very much yet.

Aside from speaking, sometimes I forget to do things like eat or have something to drink because I get so wrapped up in my special interests (part of this may also be executive dysfunction and interoception issues as well), but I remember most of the time. During the times when my mental health isn't doing well, I make a checklist and mark down whether or not I've eaten a meal, brushed my teeth, general self maintenance things, and I can usually keep track with that. When my mental health is doing really badly, rock bottom, I often can't accomplish even basic self maintenance things by myself though. I basically just go full in on special interests and repetitive behaviours, and do almost nothing else. On those days, it would really be beneficial for me to have a support person, but I can't afford to hire someone to support me.

I also have some mobility issues as well, which make it difficult to stand and walk sometimes, as well as issues with having low energy often. It's not that I don't know how to cook, or that I dislike cooking (I took cooking classes as an elective in high school), I just often don't cook for myself because I don't have the energy to. I mostly subsist off of microwave meals, toast, fruit, and instant oatmeal, because those are some of the quickest and easiest things to make.

All of my issues also make it difficult for me to get a job. My sensory issues make loud environments off limits. I struggle with verbal communication, and I have awful social anxiety, making customer service, social work, and teaching jobs a bad choice. I don't have the energy to work in a job where I would be on my feet for many hours. I'm not strong, so I can't really lift or carry around heavy items. I'm bad a math, meaning accounting, data entry, or cashier jobs are also not good choices for me. I would have significant struggles in almost every single entry level job that's available...

Anyway, I just wanted to write this because there is a lot of focus on people who have low support needs and high support needs, and it's important to talk about both of those, but I haven't heard much about those closer to the middle. If you're an autistic who has medium support needs, you're not alone.

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Hey! How do u feel about discussions critiquing Louis’ technique? Do they upset you? You don’t seem like the type to get mad when we have civilized discussions discussing people’s strengths and weaknesses, but I do wonder. And I don’t even know if you’re knowledge on vocals, but I saw your post about it so I thought I’d ask. Mjsjeed video is the most recent example of heavy critique on L from someone who points out everyone’s strengths and weaknesses objectively. But it’s from 2017. His voice is becoming a topic among solo harries(barf) again but they also mainly use old clips, I guess that may say something. Even if I do think there clips from live from London where he does sound- flat? Is that the word? I’m not vocally trained but basically afh festival outsold. I think it’s ok if we point out that he still has a long way to go to get to the point where he’ll be an A/ B+ rated vocalist( which most ppl get to later in their career but good thing L is ambitious).

As a louie(though I like the other boys too and even Harrys music- sorry lol) I don’t think it’s bad to say he has a long way to go to reach his PEAK. Bc you can improve technique and learn cool vocal stuff like belts and runs as you go, but first I think he still needs to keep working w Helene to get rid of the ways he struggles,, and maybe even work w someone else(bc I hear it’s good to get a second opinion but that’s another story). Just cus technique is all science and shit yk? His vocal talent is there and I personally love his voice, but like Elton John(who peaked vocally later in his career even tho his songs were always amazing), I think if we(fans) stay by his side he’s gonna be the type of artist to peak in his mid 30s(ish, you never know when but that’s just my guess) both vocally and in terms of musical popularity. I got off track here sorry have a nice day <3

Hi,

It’s no problem. Let’s talk about technique.

I’m not a singer, but I have a classical music background. I am used to listening to voices trained to sing opera, which requires perfect control and care. By those criteria, 99% of pop singers have poor technique. They can’t sing a basic repertoire, or even ten standard arias in their vocal range. They wouldn’t be able to train to the point of singing at conservatory level.

Broadway and jazz singers require yet another set of demanding skills. These singers must perform at almost peak technical levels every single time, sometimes 7-9 performances per week, and audiences expect fireworks— songs at the peaks of singing ranges, while acting and dancing. Sometimes a pop star is asked to star in a Broadway show, but few can meet the demands of peak performance for long. The sad part is that most theater performers are paid at paltry levels compared to the richest pop stars, even though their technique is much, much better.

On the flip side, vocal coaches probably dislike Axl Rose’s voice. It’s nasal, grating, raspy, at times even irritating. There are few songs sung in a voice one would describe as mellifluous. Bob Dylan has a unique delivery that some would also call substandard. Jay Z can’t belt like Beyoncé. But they are all unique, talented musicians who add to the world of music.

Louis’ voice has some real challenges. Early in his solo career (e.g. early JHO performances), he had real problems with pitch. Sometimes he still tends to sing flat, especially when he has jitters, for example when he debuts a song. We can still hear passages in AFHF where Louis’ voice will fluctuate in intonation. He has mentioned having tinnitus and some hearing loss in his right ear, so it may be harder to hear himself if the crowd is loud. That said, Louis has done live performances (Sirius XM, Live from London, AFHF) where his intonation has been spot on, even with only acoustic accompaniment in a small audience setting, where he’s singing live. This is the most difficult setting to perform, but he was amazing at Sirius XM. In the AFHF documentary, Louis is shown singing interval exercises with Helene, and the intonation is spot on. We’ve also seen behind-the-scenes acapella singing with his band, singing in harmony. The intonation is good.

Now, intonation and fireworks (belting, runs) aside, a pop singer brings something else to the table besides pure vocal technique. One is the ability to tell a story through their voice, the instrument that is unique to them. A singer with that kind of voice, especially one who writes their own material, will seldom be confused with anyone else. Three notes in, and we know who they are; no one else can replace them. Even if their voice loses the shine of youth, we still recognize who it is. Louis has this unique, emotive voice that is like no other, which is the reason so many 1D fans can pick him out of a live chorus immediately. This voice, though technically imperfect, has the ability to connect, to tell a heroic story, to reach its audience through emotional depth and honesty like a Broadway song. Louis can’t do it 100% of the time, but he is trying, and he’s getting better. He’s never gone on a solo tour as planned for 2022, so it will be a challenge. The key is to take tender, loving care of that voice (less smoking and alcohol, more water), and to go on vocal rest when he can.

As for criticism from other people, why pay attention to those who hate him? They will never like Louis’ performances no matter what. Harries who have no ear (can’t even tell that Louis and Liam were singing Through the Dark in two different keys) can’t possibly hear well enough to have valid criticism. Constructive criticism from professionals is interesting to listen to, but should also be taken in context.

[locolioness]

30 Days of Autism Acceptance 2022

Prompt made by @autie-j & @lesmiserabby

April 19th: How do you feel about self diagnosis?

Self diagnosis is okay as long as you do a lot of research and have a great understanding of autism and other disabilities. It's important to do those things so you don't misdiagnosis yourself. If still unsure, I recommend finding a professional if possible. What bothers me though is that there are others who treat autism or any disabilities like it's a fad or something similar. I cannot tell you how many times I see so much ableism that reeks into this and making neurodivergent people looking bad.

April 20th: What are your thoughts on terminology? (ie, high functioning and low functioning vs high support needs and low support needs, nonspeaking vs nonverbal, person first vs identity first, etc)

When it comes to terminology, it depends on how it is used. I am okay with most of these terms but it depends on its usage. High functioning and low functioning are not really great terms to be used, it feels like there's division among the autistic community. I can't say about high support needs and low support needs since I don't know if anyone has used them before. Nonverbal is okay but I'm not sure about the term, nonspeaking. As for identity first, it gives actually identity to an autistic person than person first.

April 21st: What do you think about euphemisms for disabilities such as special needs, differently abled, etc?

I really think that they are outdated and shouldn't be used at all especially from professionals in the medical field. To me, they're not really good and I believe they should not be used in any time of discussion when talking about autism and other disabilities.

April 22nd: Do you like hugs or dislike them? What about other forms of physical contact? Does it depend on the person or situation?

I'm okay with hugs as long it's someone I know. Handshakes are fine with me especially when it's common to greet people. I even shake hands with my coworkers at my jobs. Kisses, I am so-so with them, I only do it to a selective few of my family and cats. Holding hands are alright, I do it with my boyfriend when we go out.

April 23rd: If you could live absolutely anywhere, real or fictional, where would you live? What would your dream home look like?

In real life, I would like to live in a bungalow with a small yard. My dream home would have at least three rooms, a master's bedroom/office, guest room and a room like a man cave but where I can put my collection of figures and it would have a 90s aesthetic look to it.

In a fictional world, I would like to live in a small cottage nearby an enchanted forest. It would have a field of herbs and produce and the inside of it would have two rooms, one for the guest and my own room. Plus, a training area where I practice archery.

April 24th: How easy is it for you to focus on things? Are you easily distracted? Is it harder if it's something you're not interested in?

It depends on what I'm focusing. When I'm playing a game or being online, I tend to stay super focus that I lose a track of time until I take a break. I don't know if I'm easily distracted to be honest unless someone says I am. It can be hard for me to focus on some things that I'm not interested especially if it's a topic I have no interest to get into.

April 25th: Do you struggle with switching tasks or is it easy for you? Does it depend on the task/situation?

I do sometimes but I adapt once I get the hang of it. I rarely struggle with switching tasks. I can manage most chores and errands just as long I understand how it needs to be done.

April 26th: Do you stim? What sort of stims do you have? What do you wish people knew about stimming?

Yes, I stim. I stim in different ways. I stim vocally by saying certain quotes from shows/movies/games and singing my favorite songs. I also stim by rubbing my fingertips together. I wish people understand that stimming is one of the ways us autistic folks express our emotions, and it is used to reduce our stress.

[incarnateirony]

Could you explain what "pro-shipper" and "anti-anti" are? I see some blogs saying that people that fit in these groups shouldn't follow them and it just feels like there's some tumblr drama I missed.

A pro-shipper is someone who has the mindset “ship and let ship”, and an anti-anti is basically the same and just against anti arguments.

Because tumblr doesn’t understand nuance as a life choice, they tend to turn this into “YOU SUPPORT *NCEST AND P*D*PH*L*A” and then turn it into a wholesale screaming show.

The pro-shippers I have come to get to know are more along the lines of, “If you don’t like it, STOP STALKING THE TAGS JUST TO STARE AT IT, ATTACK PEOPLE, OR LEAVE SHITTY COMMENTS ON THEIR STUFF”. Pro-shippers are still pro-tagging, pro-whatever it takes for people to put yer shit in the right sections, still whatever, just of the belief that human f*cking beings shouldn’t be chased around social media and harassed because they read problematic fic or whatever.

Which frankly, I agree with. This fandom has enough drama without a bunch of 14 year olds fan policing fic in inefficient ways. I don’t like W*ncest fic, and manage to keep it off my dashes with follows and blacklisting of words. If people start screenshotting it to encourage people to go after people, it still manages to make it onto my timeline, and quite literally has the opposite effect.

Or as one person said, “I don’t understand why these kids think they can make W*ncest disappear, it’s like taking a fucking watergun to the sun.”

Pro shippers would also defend Destiel fans if that hyper-aggro section of W*ncest fans came at y’all too. They do *not* defend behavior out of the Kelios crowd, for example: stalking wives, dangerous “gifts”, hating crew, all of that nonsense is considered, well, not-pro-ship, it has nothing to do with shipping, it has to do with not knowing how to act like a civilized human being. 

In fact, a pro-shipper I talk to pointed out that K-club is like, some off-brand anti, who very ironically ships *ncest then tries to throw any other accusation at Destiel like “it’s the same as *ncest cuz like brothers” “necrophilia cuz bad canon reasons”, etc etc and she’s basically the general mills version of fruity loops. Fruity O’s. 

So it’s about the nuance between. You can very well see that a ship is gross, you can very well dislike it, you can also very well see hypocrisy lines and when just GENERAL lines like stalking are crossed which has NOTHING to do with ship and more to do with behavior. But that basically, like, “go find an actual thing to fight for and help fix our upside down country instead of turning fandoms around the world into insufferable tire fires people can’t even escape into, even people that don’t like the ship you’re attacking.”

I actually follow a select handful of proshippers, and I gotta say, the most helpful thing with it tends to be that they track VERY CAREFULLY how anti movements in many fandoms actually integrate TERF rhetoric, sometimes even knowingly. They’ve done stings to get people to out their TERF-based agendas in DMs and take shots of it, they point out alt right nonsense creeping into fandom dialogues.

I’m sure there’s corners of the pro-ship community that I wouldn’t wanna follow or hang out with or whatever. Some probably like furry art or yeah *ncest ships or whatever. The natural solution: don’t fucking follow them, don’t look at their stuff, and leave them ALONE. All the fan policing nonsense does is make noise and hurt people, and if anyone really thinks they’re going to effectively like, take down Ao3 and their lawyer team, they’re out of their minds.

I’ve been extremely vocal about not liking W*ncest, to put it in the mildest terms. But under no premise do I consider doing things like making entire group chats just to track down “w*ncesties” and harass them in mob attacks on social media any kind of good or helpful. You don’t know where their mental states are at. You don’t know why they ship what they ship. You don’t know, and in an MHI-heavy fandom, going out just to bombard someone who *hasn’t* joined in on the K-club hateful behaviors, IDK some nice multishipper that just plays with a few dozen ships in the sandbox -- for all you know you could be the thing that sends them to therapy. Or the grave. We don’t know. And worse, there’s some people so actively involved in this they’d say “GOOD!” and feel they were doing the valorous thing.

If someone was posting like, actual p*do shit, sure, report them. If you’re chasing around fanpoling if someone’s anime looks too kidlike for your taste, and then spend hours harassing anyone that ships anything in the show, we’ve crossed a line. If someone is talking about actually participating in RL *ncest, sure, find a way to report them to authorities, but there’s no legal ground to chase people around about fictional characters. Problematic themes have existed in fiction since people started writing stories and a new wave of internet white noise isn’t going to make it go away. It just makes everyone in the blast zone miserable and often exposes them to content they’re trying to avoid.

[cherry-interlude]

Lana Del Rey Unreleased Ranked (2)

This is a re-ranking of Lana's unreleased songs, after making a first a few years ago. This is all my opinion, which I don't mind anyone disagreeing with but don't come for me for it - honestly, I like every song, despite any criticism, and this ranking is very vague. It's based on objective and subjective opinion.

This is the second of five posts, going past my least favourites.

Money Hunny

Lana details the downside of money, detailing the ways it ruins lives and causes more problems that good for some. However, it’s simplicity isn’t what makes Money Hunny fall short – it doesn’t resonate at all compared to Lana’s countless songs where she is either rich and famous or she is desperate for money (or men with money). As thought-provoking as Money Hunny is, it feels too twee and out of place in her money-adoring music to really hit hard. If Lana has spoken on the topic of how money can literally damage lives more, it would perhaps gel better with me, but with songs like Money Power Glory, National Anthem and Off To The Races (among many, many others), it doesn’t hit the mark as a Lana Del Rey (alternate names included) song.

Strangelove

Strangelove is hypnotising, from Lana’s mesmerising voice that gives her the impression of a Las Vegas desert temptress, seducing strangers and wishing for the simple pleasures of Christmas lights and mint juleps. It hits best for the first opening chorus.

Stoplight Delite

Opening with a tuneful mechanical whir, Lana’s song wouldn’t be amiss in a teen romance film. I’m not convinced by the mishmash of music – the more classical band instruments with unrelenting whirring begins to overwhelm the song. Lana’s at her sweetest in this however.

Daddy Issues

The music is a bit too harsh but it’s a nice enough song, referencing Baby Blue Love among others. It isn’t Lana’s best by far, messy with lyrics that go all over the place, but (yet again), it would be more promising if it was completely remade and produced properly. The demo, I Was In A Bad Way, is a lot more maudlin and less enthusiastic, so it does fall behind Daddy Issues.

Catch and Release

It’s another song that’s kind of creepy, with an eerie vibe thanks to the relentless, whining music and Lana’s razor-edged warnings in her lyrics. Lana is practically a megalomaniac in this song, completely selfish and unafraid to ask for – and get – what she wants. Yet it’s quite a hypnotising track that, with further production, could be more cohesive and dramatic.

Marilyn

One of her old live performances, Marilyn is too simple in its lyrics but is a strangely erotic tribute to Lana’s icon. Lana owns the stage in this performance, a more carnal honouring than some of her other outputs.

Noir

Lana really goes for it in this furious song of crushed self-esteem and badly treated lover. Lana lets her vocals rip and tear as she growls about her “papi”, her being merely his dolly to do as he pleases. It's not her most perfect song but she doesn’t hold back from letting her hurt and frustration spill over.

Bellevue

Lana utilises haunting harmonising in Bellevue and though she seems hung up on her lover not wanting her around (she repeats it, as if she can’t let go, throughout the song) she still convinces herself she could go back to the old days of drinking and not being hurt. It helps – her chanting – to bring out the emotion of the lyrics, and maintain that broken feeling she is so good at conveying whilst saying how happy she is.

Put Your Lips Together

Taking on the character of a femme fatale who can hold her own, Lana seduces the listener on top of a chilled instrumental. Her lyrics are little bit dirtier as much as her vocals aren’t their best in the choruses (of course, it being a rough demo might have something to do with that). It’s definitely a song that, if completed, could rank alongside Beautiful Player and Ooh Baby in her seduction library.

Starry Eyed

Starry Eyed is a romantic enough song, with a gentle plinking intro that leads to a rumbling, Born To Die-esque track – complete with Lana’s pretty vocals. However, it does tend to drag, a slow song that I find majorly skippable. The dragged-out choruses get tiring after a while of listening so I don’t frequently listen to this song.

Breaking My Heart

Lana is fully materialistic in this song, referencing multiple designer companies as well as her desire to be loved and party. It’s not too imaginative in its lyrics, instead pure pop with a mixture of lyrics that never quite come through with a particular meaning, but it’s a good enough bop.

Butterflies Part 1

A little love song about a tumultuous teen romance, Lana plays off the lovestruck teen ultimately in love with a guy not good for her perfectly. It’s heady and full of the rushes of love, emotive enough to get the feeling of a girl going mad from her relationship.

Ben

Lana, using the rain to her advantages, moodily comforts her executive love in the full femme fatale façade, quietly passionate. Lana, as much as she loves him, is still her own woman, insisting she will smoke if she wants and playing with her voice to showcase such control.

All Smiles

Lana puts on a happy smile as she mopes over Jimmy in this small-town, fifties-painted tale of a girl who wants a man she can’t have. She mostly hits the mark in this acoustic track and has the right foundations for a decent country ballad.

My Best Days

My Best Days is a short song of cleverly utilised trap beats, autotune and slowly layering instrumental in which Lana isn’t happy without her lover. The organ outro is gorgeous, and it’s a track that can perk you up or calm you down.

Get Drunk

Restless pace, whispered mocking and an overall darkly seductive tone – it’s unembellished and, in some ways, could play as Lana dealing with her past alcoholism (demanding whomever the song is directed to should get drunk). It’s a vibe Lana should explore more over a decade since Get Drunk and the like were made.

Let My Hair Down

A simple and spooky track, Lana has an acoustic jam session consisting of unsettled guitar, bongos and her voice. It’s rather repetitive but it’s something different that works well. It shows Lana doesn’t need too many fusses and frills on her tracks to make something captivating, much like her Sirens album.

Every Man Gets His Wish

The intro of upbeat whistling climbs into a lowkey track that goes from sensual stuttering and a sad chorus that still sounds like Lana has a smile on her face. The mood shifts along with the tune but it is altogether cohesive.

Dance For Money

As stripped as the pole dancer Lana plays, Lana gently teases and cajoles in her ode to older men, lemonade and motorcycles with little else.

Back To Tha Basics

Much like the title, this track is a little bit basic but it’s still zesty with a wonderful instrumental and some pop-inspired vocals.

Butterflies Part 2

Production isn’t perfect on this track but Lana has such promise in this song in which she compares to lured in girls to butterflies pinned to a wall, all at once melancholy, knowing and cheeky. It’s unfortunate that the lyrics are so hidden beneath the dominating instrumental, but with tweaking this stormer could be even better.

Children of the Bad Revolution

The kind of song that would be found on one of her albums, Children of the Bad Revolution is a pacy dedication to Lana’s life as a delinquent a la the 1950s starlets. It’s good but it’s not anything too impressive, instead a chilled track that is simply about being free.

Beautiful Player

Lana mopes in the track about a somewhat disliked girl (perhaps they’re all jealous of her) who is in love with one of her players, giving the feel of a villain club performer smiling with red lipstick on and black mascara staining her cheeks.

Lift Your Eyes

Lana takes control in this song, instructing her lover to lift his eyes, rise above his demons and join her in self-respect. It’s a fine alternative to her gushing and moping characters, and with machine-like music running under the song, Lana sounds stronger than ever.

Valley of the Dolls

In this compact track Lana is once again frustrated by her lover. It’s pained but pretty with her vocals once again taking the forefront.

C U L8r Alligator

Just an acapella demo, C U L8r Alligator is simply Lana’s voice with her beating a rhythm in time. However, I really do like this song. I think it would sound even better polished and complete, but for a rough demo it’s promising. The Kristijan Majic remix is the version I most listen to, which makes it sound even more eerie (and if anyone remembers the D1ETPUSSY video that went with it, you’ll get why this song doubly haunts me). It’s not Lana’s finest but it’s a song I would have loved to see developed.

In The Sun

In The Sun is so hot it burns, more heatwave than refreshing sunshine, as she scorns her ex-lover. It’s not the finest instrumental but Lana sticks her fingers up with incredulous shock that someone could betray her so. She keeps the vibe great paired with blue skies and swimming pools with the upbeat music.

Hot Hot Hot

Big Bad Wolf, a slightly different demo track, is what I favour – stripped back, sexily uneasy, the lyrics letting the vivid imagery of red skirts, red cars and devilish men shine. Yet Hot Hot Hot is a decent, if not cheesier, song too, the chanting great for singing along.

Trees

Lana and The Rich Whores strike out with this kickass band-driven track that showcases Lana’s feistier vocals strongly. The lyrics are sparse but the overall feel of Lana going nineties-rock-chick keeps me wanting more of her in this style.

Push Me Down

Rather than being like the controversial Ultraviolence, Lana keeps the ‘violence’ fun in this pacy song, demanding her bad boy treats her badly in the best way possible. With a mildly rock edge, it’s still distinctively party-Lana, reminding of a pop-ier True Love On The Side.

She’s Not Me

It isn’t particularly imaginative pop but Lana lets the guitars do the talking as she whispers her warnings to her ex-lover. Lana owns this track, and though it feels a bit amateur in comparison to her discography and some of her stronger unreleased music, it shows she would have been great even if she went for the noughties chart pop scene. Fun and punchy, it’s a song to play on repeat.

I Don’t Wanna Go

The tentative and tight intro gives me the vibe that Lana wants to avoid going home rather than simply wanting to hang out with her lover, and her pain-tinted vocals in the chorus only add to the theory. She compliments her fascinating guy throughout the verses, a little more restrained but ultimately tense in delivery, before confessing how much she wants to stay out.

St Tropez

This is a great track for dancing and a celebration of being a party girl with plenty of attention. Best played when you want to imagine yourself as the main character.

Summer of Sam

Lana has yet another song of being a cutesy bad girl, comparable to the likes of Dangerous Girl and Playground, but it’s still fairly generic, standard pop fare. Summer of Sam is still quite fun however, drenched in pop and even with a hint of rap-talking keeping the song lively.

I Talk To Jesus

Lana returns to her religious roots in a less blasphemous way (Body Electric, for example) and instead sings a sad ditty about wishing she could have her old life. Solemnly it remembers her past (as seen in her older music) where she had the trailer parks, Christmas lights and her equally holy boyfriend.

Axl Rose Husband

The imagery is rich and gorgeous, not to mention the reference to one of Lana’s idols, but Axl Rose Husband doesn’t always do it for me – despite her strained, desperate vocals that perfectly exemplify her emotion.

Ooh Baby

Sampling Sexual Healing, Lana ramps up the sex appeal as she lets the listener know how much they want her, all while keeping it a little but more upbeat than the original song.

Other Woman

Lana’s tired of being the other woman in this track, and I like the way the lyrics flesh out the story a bit more rather. However, the chorus does get a bit tiresome sometimes.

Girl That Got Away

Lana shows you exactly what you’re missing as she mopes for her ex-lover with a smile on her face, taking the reins and knowing she has something he misses in a bubble-gum pop song about being the it girl you’ll regret letting go of.

[act-addict-actors-matchups]

@otomeramblings said,

I'm a girl, 23 years old, around 162 cm, with medium length dark brown hair (almost black) and brown eyes. I'm one of those people who are often asked "are you okay? Are you mad?" and no, more often than not that's just how my resting face looks lol

I'm a Scorpio and an INFP. According to my friends, I'm usually very sweet but no one likes to be around me when I get seriously angry ^^; I guess it's because i'm generally very soft spoken and I try to avoid conflict as much as I can, and when I'm upset is one of the times when I actually raise my voice. I have people tell me that I'm smart, but I just consider myself to be an overall average person. It usually takes me a while to fully trust someone but once they've earned my trust, I cherish their friendship for life.

I can fluently speak English and Spanish, and I recently got my English Translation degree. I love to read (both novels and manga) and to discover new music, I also really like dancing (I did ten years of ballet) and I recently rediscovered my love for drawing and writing.

Qualities I would like in a s/o:

-passionate, about anything, really. I'm usually very reserved unless I have something I really want to talk about and I appreciate when others listen, and for that reason I love to listen to people talk about things they're passionate about

-mature, not in relation to his hobbies bit more so in the sense that he can have a serious conversation when needed and take responsibility for his actions.

-patient. Being introverted and kinda awkward, I usually need time to recharge after being social and even while spending time together there will probably be silences when I think of what to say or even times when I'd just rather we spent it doing our own thing while being together.

Qualities I don't like:

-shouting. I hate it when people shout at me when they're mad because it makes me tear up immediately, I would much rather you tell why you're mad in a calm tone so we can work things out.

✧ The way I scREAMED when I saw your url 🤭 I love your writing so much skdhksdhksjd thank you for requesting a matchup. 😳💞 Stay safe! I hope all goes well for you!

I’d match you with: . . .

➜ HOW YOU TWO FIRST MET ; The blue sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze while you were on your way to buy new drawing pencils. Your current ones were not exactly in the best condition after being used too many times. A sigh escaped from you as you fastened your pace. In all honesty, you would rather stay at home and maybe watch one of your shows but you knew if you didn’t go out to buy those now, you never would. As one particular building came to your sight, you suddenly stopped in your tracks. It was a flower shop. The vibrant display of flowers covered the table outside. Bold purple, soft pink and light lavender flowers sat right in front of you as well as some others you didn’t know the names of. The sweet smell of blossomed flowers filled your nose as you inhaled and exhaled. They were so beautiful that you couldn’t help but to reach at a lavender, the purple petals felt like soft velvet against your skin. The chime of the door opening ringed into your ears, drawing your attention away from the flowers in front of you. A man with a blue striped T-shirt, a pair of black pants and black leather shoes came out of the building with a bag you thought had flower seeds in it. A brown trench coat with a blue inner lining slung over his shoulder, beautiful, dark blue hair rustling as he gave his thanks to the employee before closing the door. The man turned around and you swear you stop breathing for a moment, because oh my god how dare someone this handsome come in to your field of view without a warning. After realizing that you’ve been staring at a stranger for a good seconds, you hesitantly looked away. But just your luck, while you decided that it was the time to carry on with your mission, you dropped your purse to the ground. You groaned before bending over to pick it up but to your surprise, you see another hand reaching over it? And most importantly, you saw that it was that handsome stranger when you looked up??? He gave you a kind but awkward smile as he hold out your bag to you. You muttered a “thank you” before grabbing it. After that cliche moment, there was an awkward silence between you and the man, but he decided to speak up to start a conversation by asking if you liked flowers. The conversation smoothly flowed from there. He just had that aura of gentleness radiating that you couldn’t help but warm up to the stranger, who you later learned the name of, quickly. He even offered to accompany you to the shop you were going, which you agreed if he didn’t mind. Your relationship steadily developed from there. To be honest, it wouldn't be obvious at all that Tsumugi has a crush on you. He's friendly and sweet to everyone he meets most of the time so nobody thinks twice whenever he's with you, except maybe Tasuku. His underlying feelings for you would show in the little things he does, the way his eyes shine whenever you laugh, how his ears perk up whenever he hears your name, how he somehow memorized all your favorite foods after you offhandedly mentioned it once before. For someone who majored in psychology, it’s kind of hilarious how dense he is regarding his own feelings. He would mistake those feelings of his as a weirdly strong platonic attraction for you and continue spending time with you in hopes to appease the feeling but be confused as to why he always felt unsatisfied. He finally realizes how smitten he is for you after a long internal monologue he had after he almost had a heart attack when you hugged him once for whatever reason.

➜ PERSONALITY COMPATIBILITY ; Tsumugi is the walking epitome of every single thing you’re looking in a S/O. You want someone passionate about something? This man literally couldn’t give up on his dream and love for the performance art. He’d be more than willing to talk about how acting involved a broad range of skills, including a well-developed imagination, emotional facility, physical expressivity, vocal projection, clarity of speech, the ability to interpret drama etc. He’d try bunch of different gestures in front of you and ask you which one you liked the best. He also absolutely loves it when you are the one who does the talking. His strength is CANONLY listening to others after all. He just gives off this aura that compels you to think that you can talk about anything and everything with him. Just like you, Tsumugi has a great need for harmony and dislikes any conflict so if there were to be any fights, they would be resolved in a day or two with the two of you talking it out. He majored in Psychology in university, and is very good at reading people so if you’re both in a social gathering and he senses you need to take a break, he will hold your hand and walk you somewhere with less crowd and noise. When you want to be alone, he’d give you the space you need and if you want to spend time he would be there. He is a pretty clueless baby at the start and would try to ask people for help on dating advice. He will however remember every single memory you two will and have made. You’ll never see him forgetting any milestones in your guys’ relationship. His way of saying “I love you” is through the flowers he picks and grows. As someone who can be shy to vocally express his love for you, he handpicks each flower based on their meanings with the hope that they could accurately convey the emotions he holds for you. The very sight of your smile as you watch each tiny plant grow kindles a budding warmth inside him, as if he’s a bee intoxicated by the nectar of your happiness. And to him, the vision of you happy is prettier than any flower in his garden, pushing him to always keep you bright and blooming.

➜ SHARED ACTIVITIES ; Tsumugi canonly moon/stargazes with Misumi so why wouldn’t he do the same with his S/O? It’s a cool, romantic and surprisingly unique activity to do together. There aren’t many activities one can plan for a date that are sweeter or more intimate than a night spent together under a beautiful, sparkling sky. You would ask each other questions about one another, without being afraid of letting the conversation slow down. This is a date to relax and linger over. If not that, I can totally see him taking you to a botanical garden. These places are beautiful and not too busy in general. Bonus points if you bring a camera and get some nice photos together as a couple. i’m so soft rn 🥺 But I feel like your most common date would be either tending the garden in the mankai dorm or just doing your own little things while being together. You might be writing on the table while he’s going over his script for the winter troupe’s newest play one more time or he might be grading his student’s test, since he’s a tutor and all, while you’re drawing. I see Tsumugi as someone who reads a lot so maybe both of you can read the same book together and discuss it afterwards. These types of dates are great for discovering how the other person views the world. One might learn that their significant other is passionate about a social justice cause, their favorite author, or their philosophy of beauty. These dates are great for sparking good conversations and they are introvert friendly. Or something even better: reading aloud. Reading out loud to each other can be incredibly sweet. And, as spiritual counselor Davida Rappaport says, "just the fact that you are both close and sharing space is ... a nice way to spend an evening."

➜ ZODIAC COMPATIBILITY ; Tsumugi is a Capricorn, his birthday being December 28th. When Scorpio and Capricorn make a love match, they get an opportunity to not only enjoy a loving relationship and learn the value of being a pair, but also to grow and mature as individuals. These two may be wary about sharing themselves with one another at first, and this emotional caution may dampen the initial impact of this relationship. These two tend to be a bit cautious (Capricorn) and pensive (Scorpio), and it takes a while for them to feel comfortable with a significant other. Though they may be shy of getting involved and not the quickest to trust and share, these two Signs will discover that they can have quite a profound connection — one of friendship and deep loyalty. What’s the best thing about the Scorpio-Capricorn love match? Their determination toward shared ideas and their strong devotion to one another. They can open doors to one another’s souls and show one another new ways of perceiving and feeling.

[tuesniverse]

{✭} Quincy {✭}

Background

•Current Situation

◦Lives with his M'mma and P'ppa in a nice suburban house; quaint, but still an accomplishment

° Attending school; adored by teachers and staff, but ostracized by peers for being a "goody goody"

° Not sure of what he wants to do with his life; has a general idea, but doesn't have the specifics planned out (mainly in terms of his future career path)

Surface

•Aesthetic

◦Prefers muted colors whether they're pastel or neutral

° Likes to wear turtlenecks and/or sweater vests; professional, but subtle

° Has to wear long sleeves and pants, only feels comfortable when he's properly covered

•Appearance/Hygiene

◦Always looks presentable

° Neatly brushed hair

° Likes to put together his own outfits

° Very cleanly; always keeps hand sanitizer with him, usually something scented like vanilla or lavender

° Shorter than most of the other boys at school

•Mannerisms

◦Hugs himself when upset or anxious

° Uses his hands when he talks, either fidgeting or expressing emotion

° Keeps his hands to his side when he's not talking, conducts himself in an orderly manner

° Very vocal with bird sounds, though his warbles are saved for his Most Trusted people

° Tsks or clicks tongue when in thought, usually while he's pacing

Core

•Abilities

◦Mimicry; is good at impersonations, usually of fictional characters

° Singing; has a nice singing voice, his accent can be heard if you listen closely

° Acting; can put on a good performance when he's on stage

° Sewing; doesn't do it nearly as often as his mother but could do a fairly decent job at it if he needs to

° Good with numbers like his father, though he doesn't utilize it as much (or at least, he doesn't realize when he's utilizing it outside of math class

•Interests/Hobbies

° Musicals; whether he's watching one or in one

° Singing; is in theater club and an acapella group

° Playing ukulele (or acoustic guitar)

° Fashion; not super flashy, but has an appreciation for aesthetics and likes putting together his own outfits

•Likes

◦His parents; very close with them and highly admires both of them

° Affection; is used to receiving it from his very affectionate parents, comfortable with showing affection with most people but gets flustered when shown affection by a crush

° Movies (especially musicals); can memorize entire scripts and often quotes movies to socialize with other students

° Music; prefers gentle/soft music, can play acoustic guitar but absolutely loves playing his ukulele (which he keeps at home to prevent it from getting broken or contaminated)

° Acting; doesn't matter how big his role is, he enjoys being on stage

° Order; strives on routine, well organized, keeps a bullet journal to keep track of things

•Dislikes

◦Being alone for too long; needs short periods of alone time to recharge, but any benefits it has are nullified if he goes too long without someone close by (this issue is solved by having a set period of alone time and keeps a timer to ensure he gets just the right amount)

° Germs/filth; must sterilize things before he uses them, takes his time washing his hands, sometimes wears gloves depending on how uncomfortable he feels (uses them more often during flu season), has a collection of face masks which he likes to match with his outfits

° Breaking rules; makes sure to follow the rules to the tee, has entire school handbook memorized, is more willing to break rules if it means doing what is right but it still gives him anxiety

° Chaos; can handle a certain amount of it (he can't control EVERYTHING), but gets overwhelmed when it's above his threshold

•Strengths

◦Creative; loves decorating his bullet journal, makes things for the people he cares about, looks at things from a different perspective

° Optimistic; has an infectious joy, tries to find good in everything no matter how bad it is,

° Loyal; is extremely faithful to the people he is closest to and would defend them with his life

° Altruistic; strives to help others, has a strong moral compass

° Humble; doesn't gloat or show off even if he has every right to, gets flustered when he's given a high level of praise

•Weaknesses

◦Absentminded; can lose train of thought, easily distracted, his bullet journal is what allows him to remain functional

° Naive; assumes everyone has good intentions, doesn't always understand the gravity of the situations he's in

° Selfless to his own detriment; willing to exhaust himself for others, sacrifices his own happiness if it would make someone else happy

° Crushes easily, which leaves himself vulnerable to being taken advantage of or a deep emotional hurt

•Flaws

° Often can't see when someone is bothered by him; sarcasm flies over his head

◦Diminishes his talents, usually to lift up others; partly because of his desire to help people and partly out of insecurity

° Despite having a beautiful voice, actually speaking to people isn't his strong suit. Tends to sound unnatural in conversations, which his peers make fun of him for.

° In the same vein, he's terrible at advocating for himself despite regularly advocating for others. A huge doormat; lets people treat him less than well even when he can't put a positive spin on it

° Is terrible at telling lies despite his ability to act, can't focus when he's feeling suffocating guilt

• Miscellaneous

◦ Has a more complex approach to trust despite his outward appearance; gives everyone the benefit of doubt but moves people up or down the hierarchy of trust depending on their actions, has high standards when it comes to who reaches the top (though his crushes have an immediate advantage), very protective of his most prized possessions (not even the people at the top of the hierarchy are guaranteed permission to touch them, it's on a case by case basis)

° Gets nervous when visiting other people's houses, is always extremely cautious and respectful

° Has complicated feelings when it comes to his eyes; thinks they're pretty and they remind him of his M'mma (who he loves dearly), but hates it when he unintentionally scares people with his eyes

[honeykookheon]

YUVIN PROFILE | MASTERLIST

🐰 Kim Kookheon [김국헌]

———————————————————————

Personality and traits: 

Kookheon is super sweet, funny, charming and a very polite guy.  -> Is either really calm and quiet, or loud and quite talkative. -> A real gag man if he’s comfortable. -> Has the purest, softest heart. -> Very caring and supportive towards his friends.

Some people find him scary or intimidating. In reality he’s really sensitive and said he could cry just by watching a sad episode of “Animal Farm.”

He has a good sense of humor and loves joking around.

A very charming and emotional guy. -> Cried when Yuvin’s mic stopped working on Produce X 101 even though they were on opposite teams. -> Yuvin once found him crying while reading fan letters.

Is the most sentimental when he produces songs at dawn or when it rains. He finds it peaceful and quiet, and gets a lot of inspiration at these times as it’s easy to focus.

Said he is the type to get nervous easily.

Is very good at doing impressions.

Got the most votes in the “most unique/weird personality” category on Mixnine.  -> The other trainees said he has a unique way of thinking.

Has a very good english accent, but is decent at english.

Kookheon is quick at maths. His answers are wrong, but he’s quick.

He loves to work out because it’s his form of stress relief. -> He prefers to eat without caring, but tends to diet and exercise a lot around the time of promotions. -> A simple thing he values is drinking zero coke while on a diet. -> Yuvin thinks Kookheon looks the most beautiful when he has come out of the shower, when you can see his muscular body.

When Yuvin first greeted Kookheon he was staring at him as if he wanted to fight, and Yuvin thought «who is this person?». Turns out it was because Kookheon just had lasik eye surgery.

Values cleanliness. He’s the one to clean up after Yuvin if he doesn’t do it himself.

Says he’s bad at taking selfies, and that it’s hard for him to look at his own face and pretend to be good looking. -> Thinks therefore he’s good at taking funny selfies.

His rolemodels are Zion.T, Crush, Zico and Dean. He also looks up to his mum - who never seems to give up.

Is friends with Astro’s MJ.

Friends with Ateez Hoongjong and Jongho, and A.C.E’s Byeongkwan and Sehyoon (from Mixnine)

Kookheon’s personality type is INFJ.

Ideal type: Someone who is kind. He believes that as long as the person has a kind heart, everything will be fine.

Performance: 

People call him “honey vocals” because of his beautiful vocals. -> Has an amazing voice that suits most genres.

Recognized and praised as an allrounder. -> By fans as well as Produce X 101 trainers and producers such as Zico.

Amazingly talented at dancing, and has sharp, precise movements and natural rythm.

Has shown he has a talent for rapping too.

Incredibly hardworking and dedicated. -> Yuvin says he stays up too late and spends too much time practicing. 

According to Yuvin he’s in charge of being the muscle man in the duo.

Preferences:

Dogs are his favorite animal.

Dislikes ghosts, worms and heights. 

If he had a youtube channel he would like to make mukbang videos to review different foods.

Absolutely hates aegyo and finds it extremely cringy. -> Mostly when he has to do it, but also when Yuvin does it.

Friday night around 10-11 pm is his favorite time of the week. 

On a deserted island he would bring water purifier, food and 3000 brave subordinates.

He has an alcohol tolerance of 3 bottles of soju. His drunk habit is winking, aegyo and sleeping.

Tends to sleep late, but tries to sleep earlier when he has a schedule.

Says he likes unique things.

Loves Japan and wants to master the Japanese language.

Wants to travel alone to Europe or America.

Looks up to VIXX. They had a rough start and grew bit by bit, and Kookheon would like to follow their footsteps in that aspect.

He loves the beach. It’s his escape when he goes through hard times, like after Mixnine ended.

He likes the name 구코니 (Kukoni), which was given by fans.

His must-have items are: -> Earphones to listen to music. -> Handcream because his hands tend to be dry, especially in the winter. -> Lipbalm for dry lips. -> Glasses to match his outfit or to cover up when he doesn’t feel his best. -> Aqua di gió by Georgio Armani perfume. He also used Wood Sage and Seasalt by Joe Malone. Now he’s more into Chanel and Diptyque.

Personal life: 

His birthplace is Bundang, South Korea.

Got accepted into “Seoul Art University” in 2017, and finished one semester before he took a 2 year break when he was in Myteen.  -> As of August 2019 he got back to school and started his second semester.

Family consists of his mom, dad and sister named Hyerin.

Kookheon said both his parents are good cooks, so he took an interest in cooking. But gave up doing the dishes because he was too lazy.

When he has time off practice he likes to visit his mother.

Has a long haired dachshund called Yeolmu. -> Says Yeolmu doesn’t give him much attention even when he has treats.

Career:

Myteen: -> Debuted as a main vocalist in Myteen 27th of July 2017. -> Sang the OST’s “As If To Love” and “Only You Know”. -> Myteen had two album releases in the span of two years, and disbanded 21st of August 2019.

Mixnine: -> Kookheon, together with his fellow Myteen members Chunjin and Junseop, attended the survival program Mixnine. First episode aired 29th of October 2017. -> He got praised for his beautiful vocals and as a talented dancer. -> Rankes 1st in the Mixnine Just Dance Showcase. -> He was eliminated in episode 13, where he ranked 18th. 

Produce X 101: -> Kookheon, together with his fellow Myteen member Yuvin, was sent off to join Produce X 101. First episode aired 3rd of May 2019. -> Gained a lot of recognition for his friendship with Yuvin, and for his talent of being an allrounder. -> Made it to the third ranking evaluation where he ranked 21st.

B Of You (B.O.Y): -> Considering the popularity gained from Produce X 101, The Music Works decided to debut Kookheon and Yuvin in a duo group. They came out with a ballad named ”Blurry“ on August 24th before their official debut. -> The duo’s official name is “B.O.Y” meaning both of you or best of you. The fandom name is “Meet You”. -> The official debut was set on January 7th 2020. This was the date the duo came out with their first mini album “Phase One : YOU” as well as the official music video for the first title track “My Angel”.

[© Honeykookheon. All of the information written above is collected through videos, interviews, fan meetings, etc. Please do not copy without credits. Thank you!]

[hotheadhero]

Valentine’s Day Affection Alphabet, Remainder

I didn’t get many asks, and I don’t want to waste all this writing, so here we go!

It’s very long by nature of how few asks I got lol, so only the first answer appears above the cut.

A   :   AFFECTION.   how does your muse show affection?

Vocally and physically. Vocally generally comes first. Caspar is generally very upfront with his emotions and attentions, at least until he starts wondering if his own feelings start wandering into romantic territory. However, he's something of a motor-mouth, so if the topic starts unrelated but then veers towards the romantic, you might find he actually has entertained the idea of spending his entire life with you, of traveling with you to see all the things or fighting side by side with you forever. Call him out on it, though, and he will get embarrassed, possibly to the point of trying vainly to deny it.

B   :   BOUQUET.   does your muse like flowers? which ones are their favorite?

Floral adornments are canonically one of Caspar’s disliked gifts. Something something too girly, I suppose? Or they’re too fragile and he’ll either ruin or neglect them. He understands the sentiment behind them if given them as a gift and does have a reasonable(?) eye for giving them if he must (question mark because the flowers he gave Celica and Hubert were not the most positively received, but the ones he gave Lyn for instance were better thought out), but otherwise will nearly never think of them at all. If you must give him a flower, at least make it big and/or multicolored and/or dramatically shaped. Maybe then it’ll hold his interest for longer than it takes him to put it in a vase and forget about it.

D   :   DATE.   what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?

Spending time with his significant other, especially if it involves traveling, doing something new, or enjoying nature. He lives for the energy, but a peaceful day/night out in the landscape is a great little diversion. Emphasis on “diversion” as a temporary thing: Caspar would hate “taking it easy” and sitting back doing nothing for life. I feel like his idea of a good retirement (from war) is to become village protector or commander of a decent- (but not army-) sized group - anything with diverse and colorful terrain (or at least a big sprawling field) and lots to do. Crowds fuel him, be they friends, classmates, coworkers, students, children, or what have you. He’ll even take rivals too. Favorite known places to settle down probably include Bergliez (of course), Enbarr, or Deirdru. He could do Fhirdiad too, but Faerghus is cold; thus, that city is probably lowest on his faves list. I think I kinda got off-track here, but this is also a developing area for us. x)

F   :   FLIRT.   is your muse good at flirting? how do they flirt?

No, or accidentally only. Caspar can’t even recognize when someone is flirting at him (everything feels like getting teased instead, it seems XD), but he can be a competent smooth talker when the mood strikes him (do I need to name the same two supports again?). he also seems to be a pretty quick learner in this regard, though the only actual support I have for this is Living on a Prayer--everywhere else he does anything overtly romantic/sensual is when he and the partner are already in an established relationship, I think. (Still gotta work up enough prequel to justify that infamous kabedon, lol.)

G   :   GIFT.   is your muse good at gift - giving or do they struggle to get it right?

Caspar does try, but sometimes he forgets to ask point-blank/enough about other people’s likes (and dislikes) and so has to fall back on what he’s figured or guessed about the person through other interactions. His gifts are usually well-received, or at least he doesn’t want to tell me about any instances in which he’s given a bad gift. (Sometimes he leans on me to get a little extra info XD Hi Inigo.) Beware the prank gift, though - those can be horrid(ly entertaining and/or high-effort). See every Midsommar water-bucket prank, his high-effort prank to Azura, or his infamous one to Lorenz.

H   :   HEART.   is your muse quick or slow to give their heart away?

In an explicitly romantic context, Caspar is both slow and quick to give away his heart and to just one person, mostly because he can’t seem to tell when someone is being romantic with him most times or when he is falling in love with them. It probably happens sooner than he realizes or initially acknowledges. However, he’s loyal to a fault regarding his friends; and the more comfortable he is with someone, the more likely it is he’ll seek them out or spend hours of the day with them (currently, Linhardt is the biggest benefactor here). Spend enough time with them, and you may well be the one he subconsciously gives his heart to~

J   :   JEALOUSY.   does your muse get jealous in a relationship?

Highly subject to change given Caspar doesn’t have an established relationship in TOA canon right now (both relationships he does have are currently marked as war phase AU), but yes, he gets jealous. As with any other distressing topic (e.g. his dad’s involvement in Petra’s dad’s death), he tends to keep his jealousy to himself (though it leaks out in the way his behavior around especially his partner and possibly everything else is a bit hastier and angrier) until forced (term used liberally) to confess. Based on LoP and slightly on his lines upon being denied transferring classes or being killed in battle, following confession to the object of his jealousy, his thoughts would be largely if not entirely self-destructive: I wasn’t good enough; I was never good enough; will I ever be good enough for anything if I couldn’t be good enough for them? Having not further explored this topic previously, I feel like this sense of inadequacy is the single most likely thing to take all the wind out of his sails: He’ll live simply by going through the motions of it; his once-bright eyes will be dull; and good luck getting him out of his funk by any means other than helping him find a new reason to go on. Duty might not cut it at this point; he might need something more personal.

K   :   KISS.   is your muse a good kisser? why / why not?

I only think he’s not good at kissing. Apparently Caspar has other ideas. In all seriousness, though, he’ll be incredibly awkward at it the first few times around (see Amy’s and Hilda’s first kisses), but he’s a quick learner with a great memory for the physical and kinesthetic. He may just surprise you with his boldness...

L   :   LOVE.   who does your muse love?

Depends both on the verse and on either how well I can build him towards it or how quickly he realizes, on his own or with the partner’s help, that he’s in love. ... Typically when I think about this sort of thing, the pre- and post-established relationship parts are the first thing that occur to me; buildup/courtship/etc. are a giant blank. Currently, he loves Linhardt in CF and Hilda in VW. He/I haven’t made any effort to build any other potentially romantic relationships with him yet, but based off game events, but there are about half a dozen possibilities among in-game characters throughout the houses, and I can’t exclude transfer students either.

O   :   ODE.   does your muse have a way with words?

Linhardt seems to think so XD Caspar will never win any awards for prettiness of prose or voice, but he’ll always tell it like it is: simply, honestly, and straightforward. He’s too blunt to deal in poetry (let alone manipulation by any means other than puppy-dog eyes), but he has his moments, usually when he’s channeling his magnificent insight, trying to cheer someone up. Far more common for him to have different moments entirely though... aka put his entire foot in his mouth, even when he’s trying to console a friend.

P   :   PARTNER.   what does your muse look for in a partner? looks / personality?

Also subjective, but let’s see... Caspar would want someone who will put up with him even if he gets a little wild at times. Someone who won’t mind him protecting them (though he won’t say no to someone who can protect themselves either, given his usual favored activities and line of work). Someone who won’t tie him down with expectations he can’t meet or rules he must abide by, who lets him live as he wants and even join him on this crazy ride of coupled life. Someone who understands him, even when he doesn’t understand himself, who will be there when he needs them most. As far as appearances, though, I can’t tell if Caspar has a type. Every one of his most likely love interests look so different...

Q   :   QUESTION.   would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to?

I can’t tell, but I suspect that since “the question” (of marriage, presumably) comes well after a confession of love, Caspar, being the passionate and high-energy dork he is, would pop the question first. Then again, he knows this is a big decision and doesn’t want to mess this up, so he’ll probably take a while to figure out the “perfect way” to say it... which may well result in some of his pensiveness showing on his face, his partner inquiring after its source, and him bum-rushing (after putting up less resistance than he’d like) into blurting out “the question” and forgoing all his elaborate plans. XD

R   :   ROMANCE.   is your muse a romantic or a cynic?

Given those extremes, definitely a romantic. He has a storybook vision of how love is supposed to go and an overactive imagination to magnify it further. It’s as easy for Caspar to run his mouth on this topic as any other, and he gets actively embarrassed when caught baring his romantic notions like a sap, e.g. with Shamir (most blatantly) or Dorothea (when her teasing catches him off-guard because his imagination ran ahead of her). He can be a cynic in some regards... but none of them relate to romance.

S   :   SWEETHEART.   did your muse have a childhood sweetheart?

Hard to say. Most everybody gets coded as various levels of friend, so whether Caspar realizes if “bestest friend ever” actually means “childhood sweetheart” is a mystery. That said, the only person who might qualify as that is Linhardt...

U   :   UNREQUITED.   has your muse had their heart broken?

Currently, he’s too oblivious/naive in love to have had his heart broken. Not a difficult feat to accomplish when everyone is a “friend” until they tell him otherwise. Once he gets into a relationship, long-term jealousy and any other egregious breach, e.g. spending way too much time with somebody else clear up to cheating on him. is highly likely to do it to him.

V   :   VALENTINE.   how does your muse feel about valentine’s day?

“Candy!!! Oh, I guess couples are kissing too. Bit weird that they’re doing it out in public, but that’s their right, I suppose. I wonder if I’ll ever have someone to kiss like that?”

W  :   WEDDING.   would your muse get married? why / why not?

Having not previously thought on this topic... He would, readily. However, if his partner isn’t up for traveling all over the place, he might end up being a bit of an absentee spouse or parent. Most likely sin would be giving his loved ones too many “things” instead of himself/his time for making memories - and that would be almost entirely by accident, since he wouldn’t even think that he’s doing it (or at least the over-gifting) wrong unless prompted by his spouse.

X   :   XOXO.   does your muse use / like pet names?

Maybe? Not really? If he does, he only tends to use shortened versions of their names (e.g. Lin instead of Linhardt) rather than something more creative (e.g. honey/dear), but not everybody’s names can be so conveniently shortened (e.g. Hilda), and he always uses everybody’s full name (or title, e.g. Father not Dad) in-game. It’s a pretty good step up if he makes and uses a nickname on you. That said, in the manakete!AU I have with Linhardt, he’ll actively refer to him as “tyke”, “kid”, or “child” because that’s what he looked like to him when they first met as humans.

Y   :   YOURS.   does your muse get protective easily?

Oh boy. In the short and “monogamous” term, Caspar will protect any part of his partner that needs protecting - mind, body (or part), soul, honor, you name it. He would offer to walk his spouse home at night or worry after their safety if they’re gone from him too long (being a military child + a morning person, I imagine Caspar is good with time and probably not above setting time limits/a curfew if need be). In a broader sense - Caspar is used to being the brave, strong, upbeat one, the rock to which drowning souls can cling to, the shield behind which everyone else can take refuge. He is, emotionally and physically, a protector; he knows that an unshakable confidence and faith are as effective as a stout body in keeping others safe. According to LoP, his protective streak can and does run all the way out to sacrificing himself for his friends - he can’t stand the thought of things going the other way around. I need to explore this further, but some combination of heroic notions, his father’s stories/actions/fate (especially in non-CF routes), and a well-buried worthlessness/inferiority complex from having never lived up to his father’s precise ideals for him and/or having always worked so hard for so little recognition (see: Julian’s existence, his failure to inherit his family’s title anywhere outside of CF except when marrying Annette, and a teatime line (“They say hard work pays off, but I don’t think that’s always true”)) quite clearly make him think he’s expendable. Caspar hardly ever expresses such negative thoughts and in keeping with his (self-imposed) role as the army’s morale-booster, he’ll put a positive spin even on his own gnawing thoughts. There’s one post in LoP where Caspar tries very hard to stay happy for Linhardt, even though they’ve both just vented all their fatal worries about their fates in the war. Even dying, knowing he’s doing so because he lost/bit off more than he could chew/failed, he refuses to let others worry about him. (”Don't worry about me... I always knew...losing meant death... “)

Z   :   ZZZ.   how many people has your muse slept with?

Possibly subject to change, but - no one besides whoever he commits to. After all, sleeping with anyone else usually involves casual relationships (which I can’t really see Caspar going for under most circumstances) or lying to your SO about doing it (and he explicitly hates lies).

[vinciaka]

KALEIDOSCOPE: a project by DAYE

my dear friend serge aka daye just sent a full project for me to listen through before the release of it. It moved me so much that i couldn’t sleep without trying my very best to explain how listening to this made me feel, cause it made me feel very much, all 7 tracks. i want to (try to) explain to you how each song made me feel.

a little quick thing to know before you read this: i tend to reach a lot, and in this little post here, i will try to explain how i saw these songs and the conceptual interpretations i made. they’re probably wrong and might not have been the artist’s true intentions when making the songs,  but songs are more fun if you listen to them in your own way. oh !warning! my “review” or whatever might be very biased lol okay

where were we? oh right, the feels. I feel like it made perfect sense to name this project KALEIDOSCOPE, because just like the real thing, daye reflects both his personal life and producing essence in his music and it creates this beautiful art that transforms into another masterpiece depending on how you decide to look at(/listen to) it. he has used things like audio clips from moments in his life, sounds of a cassette player being opened/closed, voices of friends with his (oh so) suitable voice to enhance theirs, and his own voice as main focus (spoiler: my fav song is where he raps the outro... stay tuned xo). It all results in a beautiful memoir, that i felt was focusing on the things surrounding him, perceived by serge and translated by daye into these songs.

the first song ROLLIN sucked me in with the very calming cheerful melody. the song features rapper mike jones that tells a story about a cute blossoming affection between two people who both seem too shy to come forward about it. the story is accompanied with beautiful inputs of shorter melodies created with something that sounds like a very pianoy electric guitar (comes in around 1:46). this song really shows dayes talent when it comes to creating melodies and layering the same melody with different sounds. we hear everything from violin sounds, to synths, backed by fabulous kicks and claps and hi-hats and tambourines and... you get it. he pays a lot of attention to details and it shows through the very subtle sounds of “plings” and his own “so now we” voice input. the beat is concluded with a beautiful piano outro played by one of his friends and puts a more “ripened love”(lol) denouement to the cutesy lovey dovey mood introduced in the beginning of the song. it ends with an audio clip talking about rolling....the green (or brown) stuff. This song feels: buoyant, calm, blissful, bubbly, cute.

the second track BADBOY (also my second favorite song) is just pure, fantastic, simple yet detailed quality production. this song feels like taking an evening walk in the inner city when everything is about to close during warmer weather & meeting up with fun adventurous friends. the drum loop is just so beautifully chosen and is the highlight of the song to me. the second name of this song should be SYNTHBOY (sry). the thing is, i usually don’t like synthy sounds, but daye chooses his sounds so perfectly and breaks it off with complementary non-expected sounds, and the result is... my second favorite track. the outro is a fun audio clip where his friends are joking around. The song really gives me both summer night and summer day and summer day vibes. This song feels: sunny, refreshing, cresent-moony, breezy

next song SWAGOO is my personal favorite. wow.. just wow. i would divide the song into 3 parts and i mean… 3 parts? ugh daye’s mind! the first part is a sample of a song with vocals that go “your love, your love, your love” and it’s a great introduction to the theme of the song. Next part we’re introduced to a very soothing R&B electric piano feel that was quickly accompanied by a  very minimalistic, clean kick, snare and hi-hat. once again, rapper mike jones is featured and this time tells a story that seems to continue on where he left off in ROLLIN. but this time he’s ready to settle down. the whole minimalistic instrumental through the second part gave off the good feelings of liking someone and being really sure about the whole thing. but i realized that it all was a false feeling of comfort when the second part was cut off into an audio clip. the audio clip is from a video featured by yours truly (lol) & other friends and is from a house party both me and daye were at at some time in april 2019. in the audio clip you can hear us singing to self control by frank ocean, and the part daye chose to add just makes so much sense and is so fitting into the story. it was the part where frank says “i came to visit, cause you see me like a ufo”. after mike jones spoke about being ready to settle down into the relationship, it seems like it all fell off, just like what that part in frank’s song hints at. two people falling off. right after the audio clip, i was hit by what gave me kind of a revelation, kind of an unreligious epiphany… the third and final part of the song. the last part lasts for 30 seconds and that’s what i dislike the most about this project, because to me that last part is the highlight of this tape. daye uses his own voice (!!) in a gloomy way with a sullen beautiful instrumental that i was amazed by. that part of the song is what fits my personal music taste the most. its crazy. the goal of trying to write all of this down instead of reviewing it directly to serge was to give me a chance to fully express how i felt about this project, but still this part gives me a hard time to explain how wonderfully divine it was. his vocals concludes the love story that mike told. the love interest was just “bad news” and the whole thing left daye in a slump. this whole song is just a wonderful story about love that fades when the mutual feelings stop being mutual and daye portrayed it beautifully through merging 3 different parts and leveling it out to create one harmonious song. excellent. i wish i could replay those last 30 seconds over and over again. in the very end, you hear the sound of a cassette player opening, welcoming the next song. This song feels: jolly -> hopeful->surprising->gloomy, amazing, rainy

track 4 and 5 i will review together as one part. first we hear SMILLAS INTERLUDE and then we hear TIMELESS, both have beautiful melodies and lyrics sung by serges friend smilla. the interlude is just different cuts of her voice singing some words, but mostly overwhelmingly beautiful runs. wow what a voice. in between the cuts of her voice daye carries on the theme with cassette player opening/closing sounds. the interlude almost sounds like the process of writing a letter with drafts and parts that both are kept and thrown away but that in the end results in a fully written letter, and that’s what TIMELESS is. if deciding to look at this project as one big storyline where all songs are small pieces of a bigger story, the lyrics in TIMELESS seem like an explanation to why the love was “bad news”. the whole intention of the relation seemed to be confusing and not straight to the point, a “timeless haze” as told by smilla. the best point of this song, the music production by daye, made it feel like everything still was alright. the beat felt like a hug, saying that the confusion is okay. it felt like a rainy summer day. bright outside with gray skies and a rainbow. the song is fully nuanced because all of the elements in it. everything has more than one layer. the drums, the synths, the vocals. during the chorus, a simple bassline is added to the instrumental and it gives the song a whole new layer of depth. the mixing of this song is the best in my opinion. This song feels: reassuring, confidently confusing, self focusing, profound, like a kiss on the forehead.

the second last song of this tape, COMING HOME shares the spot together with BADBOY as my second favorite track. the production is just so spectacular and high quality! i love it. the drum loop hits hard throughout the whole song and once again, daye’s ears made my ears a big favor by choosing it. his talent with finding and picking out the best sounds & layering was really noticable in this song and it all feels like a whole majestic musical arrangement more than just a beat. it feels like the last day of summer. the melody created by the bass, synths and other sound effects makes the song feel like a sad farewell, but affirming of that better days will come. To further push the feeling of that this is a goodbye, we once again have the talented mike jones lifting the song even more with his added lyrics about “coming home”. between mike’s verses, i was blessed with a beautiful guitar solo played by daye’s talented friend edvin. i had a hard time choosing, but the point of this song is the drum loop and the bassline. listening to the project as a whole, it feels like this is the last song of the project even if isn’t. This song feels: elevating, reminiscent, bittersweet, concluding

like i said above, COMING HOME feels like the last song. but now, we have come to the official last song: INTRO2PHASE2. what im about to say, the title already hints on it. this song sticks out the most to me and it is made very obvious the first two seconds of the song with a very intense synth sound that differs from any synth throughout the whole project. the music composition differs a lot too and is no longer soft and summery but rather upbeat, more intense and less... lovey. it was impossible not to move your head along to the beat. What i like the most about this song is that it shows a whole different side of daye and portrays his versatility when it comes to production. whichever genre he decides to approach he does perfectly and leaves his fingerprints scattered all over the finished product, so it still sounds like daye.  this feels more like an intro to the next concept more than outro to this tape, and that is why the song before this was (to me) the last song of this project (or should i say phase?). mike (who is featured here too) also uses his voice in a more powerful way compared to the more relaxed/soft way that is heard in the other songs he is in. if it still isn’t obvious that this is an intro to the switch of concepts, it is made even more clear with mike’s unfinished sentence where he says he doesn’t want drama, he wants-... to be continued i guess! This song feels: intense, like fire, stinky face, hard

 im excited for what’s next to come, and curious about where the focus will shift in the next project. daye left us with a cliffhanger, and hopefully, in the future we will know what it was that mike jones wanted instead of drama.

to summarize, this project felt very conceptual even if intentional or not, the order of the songs made sense if you were to look at it as a whole story. generally, it sounds like the theme is love; from its exciting beginnings to the end of it (and maybe the rebound too?) in a very realistic way. all songs can be seen as one big coherent story, or as individual songs and which one you see depends on how you want to look at it through the KALEIDOSCOPE. This project feels like: love, summer, a story

[charmers-kpop]

✨🌀🌊🐳

{ Basics }

• Birth Name // Matsuzaki Fumiko {松崎 文子}

↪Japanese: ‘pine tree cape’. This name is found mostly in both the Tōkyō area and on the island of Kyūshū

↪From Japanese 文 (fumi) meaning to "sentence" and 子 (ko) meaning "child."

• Other Name(s) // --

• Stage Name // Fumiko

↪'Fumi-unnie', 'Team Too Posh', 'Fumiko-chan', 'Fumi-zumi', 'Mama Long Neck'

• Birth Date // 10:03AM. October 28th (dd. Nov 25), 1999

↪Scorpio, the Scorpion

↪Due to complications with her mother's placenta placement, she had to endure a C-section, along with being 4 weeks born prematurely.

• Birth Place // Shinjuku, Japan

• Heritage // 100% Japanese

{ Career }

• Profession // Rapper, vocalist, singer-songwriter

• Band/Group // CHARMERS (매혹하는)

• Position // Main Rapper, Lead Vocalist

• Agency // HeartEater Events & Artist Management

• Training Period // 1 year, 3 months

{ Personality }

{+} Organized | Diligent | Gentle

• Fumiko knows that the best way to complete a task is by being organized. Planning out every hour of the day in order to get the most out of life. She finds having a schedule and weekly planning to be rather cathartic and eases her soul when she knows what happens next in her schedule. Her members often talk about their future plans casually without thinking too much, meanwhile Fumiko planned her life out up til the day she dies, and at first it's odd but the members get used to hearing her ask what's next in the schedule. She feels complete with a plan and always sticks to it like glue.

• When Fumiko has a goal, she is laser focused on it and will push herself past her own limits if it means success. She was always taught that her sex was deemed inferior in the business world so she always has to try 10 times harder then the boys, and she's willing to do that even if she knows that it's a very sexist way of thinking with a small sliver of truth behind it. Being surrounded by diligent people also pushed her limits to do everything and succeed in it, which is why she is very multitalented in various things.

• Fumiko is usually strict on herself but when it came to others, she takes on a whole different approach. She is instead laid back and more gentle, a trait she's learnt being a woman and being around sensitive people, mainly women. She herself feels empathy towards other's suffering and often is obliged to help them out and give them some sort of moral support even if she cannot directly relate to what said others are suffering about. She still tries her best and hoped that it showed.

{<} Passive | Picky Romantic | Mature

• Her quiet nature can easily be misconstrued as reserved or even standoffish seeing as she rarely talks. Still, she does enjoy being around people, even if she doesn’t contribute to the conversation in any way. Fumiko has always been a rather passive soul. She isn’t one to start a fight or an argument and will only fight back in order to defend herself. The only times she will be the aggressor is if someone were to hurt or threaten someone she cares about. She will often take a backseat in conversations, activities, even battle if she can.

• Despite all this, Fumiko is a hopeless romantic who thinks Shojou mangas are accurate depictions of romance. Because of this she has a tendency to develop crushes, multiple ones, at a ridiculous rate. This could be her peers, famous people, or characters from shows and books. These crushes are to be taken lightly though— because even Fumiko herself doesn’t even consider them serious. She is, rather, extremely picky with whom she would consider date material as she has a whole list of traits she wants in a man (or woman, if given the chance) that spans pages and often contradicts herself in her diary.

• For most of her life, Fumiko has been expected to be mature and disciplined. She is used to being treated as an adult and treating her like a teenager will likely upset her. Since interactions with children or people her age were almost nonexistent, she tends to treat everyone as an adult and is confused by immaturity. Resulting in this, she never understood the point of whining about things, petty fights, unprofessionalism or even simply memes because she's a dense as a brick when it came to those especially

{–} Unforgiving | Stubborn | Secretive

•Everything needs to be in place, the dominoes must fall according to her dictation, and therefore life must play to her liking. If Fumiko's thought through a plan, she's thought through it a thousand times and if anything fails, it frustrates her and she tends to punish herself mentally, verbally, and physically. She's unforgiving of her own mistakes and is less forgiving of repeated mistakes whether it was on her behalf or someone else she is close with. This leads into an obsessive downward spiral of self esteem. Though when it comes to the mistakes of others, she’s more forgiving for a first offense and will offer corrective help—whether they want it or not. But continued mistakes will often be taken as an intentional insult against her which will result in the most cold, awkward and silent treatment in this plane of fricken existence.

• Fumiko's a stubborn soul who is rooted in the 'this is how I do things' mindset and follows the beat of her own drum. If she thinks she's right, it'll take a lot of evidence to make her think otherwise. Whether that be tied to religion, science or just any kind of resource, you better bring a whole Illiad's worth of information to feed into this stubborn mind. Her stubbornness isn’t loud or obvious. Instead she’s a quiet and passive person who’s stubbornness can be seen in her silent disobedience or an obvious look of "I see you speak but I’m not listening."

• Despite her gentle and soft outward exterior, Fumiko keeps everyone at arm's length and holds her cards close to her chest. She's reserved with her true emotions and dislikes nosy people who wish to see past the mask. She's been taken advantage of for having a heart on your sleeve attitude and so she prefers to just keep everyone out of the loop of what happens in her mind because she deems it irrelevant and unnecessary.

{ Trivia }

• She's actually hardcore questioning her sexuality after she met the Crackheads of CHARMERS.

• (but tbh she's into those types too sksk)

• She stumbled upon HeartEater when she was looking for an entertainment label to train in since she only wanted to gain experience in producing rap tracks but ended up finding herself in vocal and dance classes, and soon in a girl group with other women. So it just happened and she took the opportunity

• Fumiko was last to come into her group as she had almost no knowledge of the Korean language but was learning day and night throughout her training period to get the basics down and once she was put in the final lineup, she didn't feel as alone anymore.

• Being allergic to fur meant that Fumiko can't go too close to Pearl's dog Theia without the urge to sneeze and get skin irritations, so to have something alive from home with her in the dorm and also give the dog a playmate, she brought her 1 and a half year old female calico Devon Rex named Kaeru.

• She found Kaeru off the side of a road in a box and adopted her when no one else wanted to just because she needed a little tummy surgery.

• She found it peculiar that someone would throw out a kitten, mind you a sickly kitten, that 1. Would be expensive to buy from a breeder because of their high rarity and 2. Would be sold at high prices in Japan at auctions, when they could be making hundreds of thousands of Yen if they were smart and chose to keep and take care of the kitten in the first place.

• She will also sometimes read her mangas and watch some documentaries as well as anime with the girls.

• She was nicknamed 'Mama Long Neck' for the distance between her jaw and her shoulders and how her short hair accentuated how long her neck was. Fumiko herself found it weird that the girls would choose something so weird to name her after, but after a while she didn't think too much of it.

• She always says that she prefers short hair as it was easier for her to move around and do things without feeling hot in the neck and back area as well as having it fly all over her face when she performs.

• She and Nerissa are a part of 'Team Too Posh' for their 'uptight' personality traits and behaviours around the group and just new people in general.

• She HATES psychologists and psychiatrists with her whole life. She just sees them as over glorified mind readers, but if she were to meet one in person, she'd be agreeing to their professional opinion because she doesn't wanna be a dick (hYpOcRiTe)

• She hates the idea of being able to read minds and body language because she's afraid of being predictable and vulnerable to those around her, which is why she keeps everyone (except Kaeru of course) at arm's length

• Favorite food: Salmon

• Favorite drink: Any kind of herbal tea

• Her current concerns: how to keep Kaeru from randomly licking the dirty ass fLOOR–

• Her future goals: to be able to produce good and enjoyable music for years to come

[maiuoart]

SF!Muffet Bar/Brothel

Goodness gracious; Okay, uhm... Let me see if I can answer these.

Why show their Souls at a Brothel?

Much like Humans who show skin, Monsters in Poi’s Brothel will more or less show their Souls for a way to gain someone’s attention for the night. Perhaps they show only the Glow of their Souls; Perhaps they will outright show their Souls; It all depends on the Monster and how comfortable they are with how much they show. Poi allows them to do this, to choose what is best for themselves, as long as they are gaining some type of attention at the end of the day and come out unharmed, she is more than willing to do whatever makes her workers comfortable.  Perhaps Poi also has some type of Dancing areas for a stage; I do see her having some nights with the ones under her work able to show off; Anyway they desire. Be it Strength, Vocals, Agility; It is up to the ones she employs. While they show off, it is important to show their Souls, or at least their Glow, to gain attention by the patreons. 

Much like a Human Brothel showing skin, showing ones Soul is a way to gain attention. 

Is it dangerous? Hell yes it is, they know this; Any creature in their world DOES. But that is also why Poi’s establishment is so well known. It plays the Taboo, plays Dangerous, and if Poi wasn’t as strong as she is, she wouldn’t have allow this to happen. But because her LV could probably rival the Queens, being beside her during the War long ago, Poi is more than capable to handle herself, her bar, AND her workers. She is able to keep everyone under her eyes safe with the use of her little Spiderlings; And her ability to create items from her thread that help in keeping track of her works Soul’s stressful situations. 

Even when the day is done, Poi orders her Spiderlings to travel with her Workers to make sure they get home safe and sound. If Poi feels that certain Monsters of hers are in danger, she has her Spiderlings stay with them in secret and to produce poison to the ones who give her workers unwanted attention. 

Truth be told; Poi’s establishment is one of the safest places to work in besides directly under the Queen. It can make more money, can be that of fun and sin, but mainly; It becomes of what Poi secretly desires... After losing it long ago, she tends to get attached to her workers, but more in that family sense. But, she doesn’t want to see it that way, so she keeps her mind diluted with fun of her own, but her attention never strays too far from her Spiders Web when things get ugly...

Is the Soul thing a whore thing?

It all depends on your definition of what a Whore really is, in my opinion. 

Showing one’s Soul is suppose to be incredibly intimate. It is showing ones full Self, showing their Being to another one. What is the Human equivalent to this? Showing their naughty parts off, of course. 

So, it can be a whore thing; It can be for other reasons. It depends on your mindset and how you see Humans work in this aspect.

Do they find it fun? Do they enjoy themselves? If they do, why are you judging? 

Are they doing it for other reasons? Are they doing it because they feel like they must? That is for them to know, and Poi is safe to assure her workers that they don’t have to do anything someone says if they do not desire it. She makes it fun and easy going as much as she can to ensure that No One is in harm's way; Unless, of course, it’s by her hands and patreons cannot take No for an answer.

This should also be said that; Poi has a Elixir that allows her Workers to not be attached to their clients. Anything relating to the Soul is required to either be covered in a barrier that isn’t easily broken but allow only certain feelings to shine through for both parties excitement or can be drank to allow the workers only to show that they are looking for a Great Time with their clients. It’s a Soul Condom of sorts you could say; It dims their fears, it makes their excitement pulse and come to life; And it might be a Numbing drug... But, hey. Emotions suck, so why allow her workers be attached to clients easily? It had to be made so things wouldn’t get messy. And, everyone enjoys it, no one says they dislike using it, so it’s a win/win! There isn’t any side effects that harm, it’s not-... Too additive. Even the clients say that it produces more of a thrill, and that's all Poi could ask for. 

Monster Species in the Brothel?;

Okay, this should be more self explained; But literally anything and anyone who wants to be in it. 

Snowdrakes? Yup. A few dogs? Yup. A few rabbits here and there who didn’t desire to be in the Royal Guards... But still, even a few elementals have joined her; Water, Fire, Ice... Lava ones. It’s a smorgasbord of randoms! Allow your mind to wonder, and Poi might say she’s had a few of them work for her once a long time ago.

Poi might have a secret that she wishes one of her workers would come back... They were her top favorite of the Bar; But, sadly they stopped when their-... Family member... Found her plans and had them stop. It was a very sad day, but her favorite worker began to be her favorite Client... Even up in the Surface, she gives them discounts and tries to encourage them to come back every chance she gets.

They always decline, but she still teases them endlessly.

Most Appealing Soul for a Monster?;

Oh boy. Oh man. Okay, so. 

The one that was able to bring her in LOADS of clients?... Well, she’s had Healers before. Those Healers had a lot within their Souls, a ton of Kindness despite their true tones... But god fucking dammit are THEY RARE! She had one specifically, but again, that damnable family member ruined it for her... 

But normally, anyone who is willing to work for her and is able to be secretive is a plus.

You know how normally Monsters are made with Love, Hope, and Compassion? Well, back in the Underground, that stuff is replaced with corrupted versions; Love is Lust, Hope is Despair, and Compassion is Cruelty. It makes all of them up, but some will have a Humanized trait if their strong enough; Boss Monsters especially. 

But, this is where a LOT of her ‘Poisons’ could come into play at. She’s great at mixing, great at creating, and even had to hide some of her more recent items from the Royal Scientist because of their ability to give her workers a more ‘Prep in their Steps’. 

By that? I mean; Poi was able to create items to reverse the Monsters Souls for a limited time. Allowing a pure and, though fake, Soul to shine brighter from it. The elixir can be quite addictive and even be used as hard liquired Drugs. What she creates is pretty much illegal, but she makes sure that everyone stays off the radar... And if not? Well, there are reasons why her Spiderlings carry venom with them at all times. It’s not just to kill unwanted killers... Its to make sure everyone keeps their mouths Shut. She’s sad when she loses a good worker, but the days carry on and she replaces them almost as easy as a snap.

This is another area I will have to go and play with; But this is all that is coming to mind!

Thanks for asking, Folks!

[mzashleypie]

Animal Farm (1945) — George Orwell

112 pages

One of Orwell’s best works and definitely more on the nose with its agenda than 1984, Animal Farm quickly establishes the status quo of the farm and the hierarchy of the animals within it. We are presented with clear leaders within their ranks and a dream of a better future governed among the animals and not the farmer and their overnight takeover of the farm. It is in large a depiction of how the ideals of communism fall apart once an individual becomes more powerful than the ideals the society was founded on. The breakdown of their rules is done by rewriting their past and changing the collective memory, making it easier to control their citizens through propaganda. Animal Farm remains a relevant novel, and its short length makes it perfect for an afternoon or evening read.

The Triggering Town (1979) — Richard Hugo

109 pages

As the subtitle says, Hugo’s book is a combination of lectures and essays on poetry, detailing much of his own biography alongside writing suggestions. While I feel that chapters 1,3,5, and 7 are the most helpful for any practical advice, the book as a whole is an interesting look into times of academia past that we can compare to our present attitudes and approaches in the classroom.

Here’s a small selection of exercises and quotes (some paraphrased for space’s sake) on poetry writing:

“Every moment, I am, without wanting or trying to, telling you to write like me. But I hope you learn to write like you…If I say something that helps, good. If what I say is of no help, let it go,” (Chapter 1) *a good perspective to remember when reading any writing advice or taking any writing class.

Try writing a poem in which you:

-Take someone you know well and trust to a city they don’t know, but you do.

-Describe it with confidence.

-Pick out things in the world before you, point them out.

-Write as if you received some news earlier in the day that set your tone of speech. (Chapter 1)

Once you have an idea of the “town,” or subject you want to write about, write under an assumption. Here are a few examples from the book:

“The inhabitants are natives and have lived there forever. I am the only stranger.”

“I am eighty-nine and grumpy but with enormous presence and wisdom.”

“The annual picnic is a failure. No one has a good time.”

“The air is still all week except on Sunday afternoons when the wind blows.”

“No one dies, makes love or ages.” (Chapter 3)

A professor reading poetry collections from many different writers to students can help them figure out what they like and dislike, or help “train the ear,” to find those sounds that appeal to them that they can introduce into their own writing. “In poetry, the big things tend to take care of themselves,” aka the big themes of the poems that young writers are often caught up in, “But little matters like that are what make and break poems.” (Chapter 4)

“When rewriting, write the entire poem again. If something has gone wrong deep in the poem, you may have taken a wrong turn earlier.” (Chapter 5)

“Read your poem aloud many times. If you don’t enjoy it every time, something may be wrong.” (Chapter 5)

Upon hearing a classmate read an essay aloud before the class about a traumatic and embarrassing incident that happened to them:

“…we had just heard a special moment in a person’s life, offered in honesty and generosity, and we better damn well appreciate it…You are someone and you have a right to your life…When we are told in dozens of insidious ways that our lives don’t matter, we may be forced to insist, all too loudly, that they do… That anyone or anything says they are not important is vivid proof that they are.” (Chapter 6)

Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) — Lana Del Rey

14 tracks, 1 hour & 7 minutes

While I highly recommend listening to Lana’s new album as a whole, at least on the first listen through, here are my summaries of some of my favorite tracks:

-Norman Fucking Rockwell — The title track comes in as a primer for the rest of the album, a retrospective look at a past relationship. Lana sings of having a lover you can’t change and who you only realize later was bad for you when you are no longer blinded by your love.

-Doin Time — A cover that maintains Sublime’s original hit and its essential 90’s sound, while meshing perfectly with Lana’s signature haunting vocals.

-Venice Bitch — An incredible 9-minute acoustic ballad detailing the struggle of wanting that true “Hallmark” love and the transition to finding that love.

-Love Song — Taking place in a car seemingly amid a breakup, Del Rey stating that she has fallen apart lately, but is still holding onto the hope that her lover can see the true her through it all. She sings of doing anything to hold onto their love, but it is tinged with hopelessness and the feeling that this love is already gone.

-The greatest — A reflection on her past and the things she longs for amidst her feelings of burnout, and her desperate need for a “wakeup call,” whatever that may be.

-Happiness is a butterfly — Every night, when the music ends and she’s alone, she feels a low she just can’t shake. She knows she cannot always have that high that she feels on stage and that love is the only thing that can fill the void. Even when the love is bad, it is still better than feeling nothing.

-Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have — Lana knows that music makes her feel a great happiness, but that she feels she can only create art from her pain and suffering. She knows that it will be an uphill battle, but holds out hope that she can change despite it all.

Spotlight (2015)

2 hours & 9 minutes

The film Spotlight depicts the trials of not only navigating the politics of the press, but the tendency of a society to fight against change and maintain the status quo. Even though everyone involved with the catholic church and with covering up the scandals knew that it was wrong and that children would continue to be hurt, they kept the scandals to themselves or settled out of court instead of going public because it would cause a rift in their community. As they state repeatedly in the film, areas with troubled youth and broken families are especially hit hard. In poorer communities, like those focused on in Boston, many vulnerable people turn to religion as an escape and for a sense of hope. In these situations, the young are all too often the victims of adults, both in the occurrence of the sexual abuse and by those around them who would encourage them to keep it to themselves. While at times the two-hour film seems to lack in pacing, it is definitely an accurate portrayal of how slowly justice moves and how many people have to be hurt and team up together before anything can maybe, possibly, be done to stop it.