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capricornus-rex · 4 years

Note

Hiii!💖 I hope that you are doing well! I just wanted to request a little something with Cal if you don’t mind or aren’t busy. I just failed an exam and I’m feeling really bad an dumb so uh I guess I would want something to make me feel better. This request sucks lmao I’m sorry, I am in crisis🥺 i’ll stop crying now hahaha you can ignore this ily

Oh no sweetie, I hope you’re doing okay! Sorry if the fic is a day overdue and I couldn’t help but consider this as an emergency—no one gets sad on my watch! ÙωÚ I hope this fic can make you feel better. And no, sweetie, you’re not dumb—YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!! 💖💖💖

I know I’m knee-deep with requests but if someone is sad and relies on me to cheer them up, I can’t simply ignore that~ :”) I hope sooner or later, I’ll hear from you smiling already~ :3

Oh and little fun fact, I took inspiration from your previous profile icon—the one with Rapunzel—and listened to I See The Light while writing this for an extra personal touch *finger guns* 😉 I also referenced a festival that we usually celebrate here in my country UwU

“Festival of Flowers” | Cal Kestis x Reader

Tags: Flower Festival, Inspired by Tangled

Also posted in AO3

Masterlist

Cal noticed that you have been awfully quiet the whole day ever since you two got back from Dathomir. You couldn’t help but keep recalling the moment where you flunked a move that allowed the Nightbrother to strike you with his mace. You feared that you’ve lost your touch, your skill, and grace and lost to someone with a crude fighting style.

Asking you if you’re okay didn’t exactly do much, whenever Cal looked away, you’d go back to skulking; now, you’re whiling away your time reading BD-1’s databank entries uploaded to your datapad at the couch. He pretended to go to the galley, fixed himself a glass of water, and peered over your shoulder and found you reviewing lightsaber combat forms.

He didn’t say anything, he finished his glass and marched back to the cockpit, leaving you in the solace of your privacy. Cal went to the holotable and typed the coordinates of a planet. It was a planet that he had heard from Master Tapal as a child.

“Setting course for…” Cal shushed Greez before he could say the name of the planet out loud. The captain got the hint. “Aggio? Never heard of it.”

“It’s a planet my master told me about, I’ve never been there myself,”

“And we’re going here because?”

“It’s a surprise,” Cal smirked. “For her.”

Cere and the captain exchanged glances as soon as Cal stepped out of the cockpit to join you at the couch. He casually settled himself next to you on the sofa, propping his foot over his knee and slouching his back against the backrest.

“Hey,”

You turned to face him and parroted his greeting.

“What are you up to?”

You stammered, “Oh, um, studying… reading…”

“That’s a new thing I’ve heard from you,”

“I was a bit of a study bug when I was a Padawan whenever Master and I are back at the temple,”

You heard the humming of the ship and saw the flash of blue light through the windshield.

“Where are we headed?”

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” he cooed.

Now that he has piqued your interest, the first phase of his plan is proceeding accordingly. You took his statement with a grain of salt and continued studying. Hours later, you have completed the learning modules of the lightsaber forms from Form I to Form IV—all that time you spent studying and figuring out if one form is compatible to mix with the other was the exact travel time the Mantis needed to get to Cal’s secret planet.

When you felt the suspension bounce against the surface, you put the datapad away and joined Cal by the cockpit. The Mantis landed in a high forest clearing, in the north, a town can be reached with just a short trek. Cal abruptly grabbed you by the hand and dragged you out of the ship, clearly, he was excited to show you everything there is to see about the planet.

You stand at the edge of the small rise of land that overlooks the town. Even in broad daylight, the town radiated a certain kind of brightness around it—as if its aura pooled and then burst for everyone to see.

“Where are we?”

“This is Aggio, it’s a planet that I’ve only heard from Master Tapal, the stories he used to tell me about this planet was something straight out of a fairy tale,”

“Oh?” you cooed, your curiosity obviously more piqued than earlier.

Not once did Cal ever let go of your hand as he brought you into the town. Left and right, colors flooded your vision—the sparkling blue of its lake, the vibrant colors of the flowers that are too many to name, even the most neutral of colors like white and beige pop out just right in the spectrum! All the townsfolk—diverse as they are—were in all sorts of cheer, it was the contagious kind and you can’t help but smile as well.

All of a sudden, you forgot all of your worries drowned by the colors and the music.

Street musicians filled with the air with their instruments, artists joined by children color the streets with paint and chalk, and vendors offered you their trinkets. For each and every thing the two of you pass by, BD-1 was there to scan everything he could get his lenses on.

“Slow down with the scanning, buddy! I don’t want you overworking your processor!”

“Boo! Bee, trill woop!”

“This place is so beautiful,” you gasped. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

The two of you came across what ought to be the town’s main plaza, you were separated when a group of children tugged you by the hem of your shirt and asked you to join them in painting the road. You drew the Shyyyo Bird and told its story to the children, enamored with the fantastic beast, they decided to draw their own versions of the bird in different sizes and colors.

Meanwhile, an elderly vendor has been noticing Cal fawning over you as you play with the children; he then offered Cal a bright-colored flower and spoke in his native dialect, it was a foreign one that Cal wasn’t fluent in. Luckily, BD-1 was there to translate it word-for-word.

“Give it to the person with whom you share a deep, special connection to,” Cal repeated. “Since when did you have a translator?”

“Bee, woop!”

“[y/n] did that, huh?”

He stared at the flower and then spotted you sitting with the children, continuing to draw pictures on the street, this time you were drawing BD-1 for them and then explained to them what it is. He smiled to himself and the elderly vendor spoke to him again adding more bits to the lore, shortly after, a woman approached the two of them.

“My apologies, my father is not used to Galactic Basic,” said the young woman. “He said that it is in Aggio’s culture, especially during the Pabena Festival, for a lover to give a flower to their beloved. It’s what makes the celebration all the more special—it deepens the lovers’ relationship.”

“I see, I’ve only heard much from someone. I didn’t know about this one until now,”

“I see that you are a traveler, this is my first time seeing you,”

“Frankly, I didn’t know there’d be a festival. I only decided to bring her over,” he returned his attention to you. “Though, I do know that this place was very festive. Please, let me pay for this.”

“No, no need. It’s a gift. My father likes giving them often. Besides, we have enough from this month’s harvest!”

One child walked up to you and tied a ribbon strewn with flowers on your hair. The woman spotted you as she glanced past Cal’s shoulder and she got the hint.

When the parents from the crowd began waving their hands at their children, beckoning them to come to them, they towed you along. The children were so small that you had to lean a bit lower so you could understand them when you’re spoken to.

“It’s time for the parade!” the little boy chirped as his tiny hand held onto your three fingers together, but his mother snatched him up and settled her boy on top of his father’s shoulders.

“I’ll watch it, don’t worry!” you cooed.

You found Cal in the crowd. He showed you the flower that he had been hiding behind his back. It was a pleasant surprise to you, Cal’s heart fluttered when he saw your smile.

Your eyes lit up as you held the flower close to you, “I’ve seen this flower before, but only in pictures at the Jedi Archives. It’s so much more beautiful in person.”

“They said it’s part of their culture to give flowers to their beloved. It gets extra special when they do it during the Pabena Festival,”

“Really? That’s such a beautiful tradition, perhaps the best one I’ve heard by far!”

The entrance of the parade began with a rhapsody of trumpets, drums, and whistles. A chorus of singers marching in the frontline of the band. A column of dancers brandished their colorful costumes and lithe movements on both sides of the marchers.

You held onto the flower as you hooked your arm around Cal’s, the two of you continued to watch the parade until its last segment. When the energy from the town subsided after the performance, Cal decided to be your tour guide and strolled along the town. BD-1 is still having his fill of scanning everything you pass by in the town. The three of you came across a mosaic mural depicting the first dwellers of the planet, possibly hinting how the festival came to be.

You were enjoying your time in Aggio so much that you didn’t realize that it was already dusk. Although the sky was still so clear, hints of golden sunlight began to deepen in color as the sun sank.

Cal leaned closer to your ear, “Come on, there’s another thing I want to show you.”

He led you to the docks by the town’s vast lake and bought a candle fixed in front of a water lily on a pad.

“They said these candles and flowers are offerings to keep the land fertile so they can still grow more crops and flowers,” Cal explained as he inched it closer so he and you hold it on both sides. “And we have to make a wish before we set it out to the water. Ready?”

The glow danced about in your faces as the candlelight flickered.

“Yeah,” you beamed, even in a whisper.

There was brief moment of silence between you and him. He peeped his one eye open and watched you solemnly saying your wish in your mind. It was only a few seconds’ worth and then you’re ready to sail it to the lake. Carefully setting down the lily pad on the water, you and Cal gently push it at the same time so it flows along the current with the others.

You and Cal sat down by the shore, he wrapped his arm around you as the sky began to darken and the candles illuminated the lake. You snuggled close to him with a smile that you can’t seem to take off of your face even if you wanted to.

“This has been the best evening I’ve ever had, Cal,”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Thank you,”

He inched closer to you until your lips met, he shifted in his seat and caressed your face as he locked lips with you. He’s certain that he felt your smile in between kisses, your heart fluttered, goosebumps pelted your skin, and your hand wandered to his cheek. When you pulled away, you kept your gentle hands on his face, nose-to-nose with each other, the two of you exchanged smiles while watching the night drift by the sea of candlelight with your fingers intertwined.

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dxmedstudent · 5 years

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Hi dx, I'm starting med school this fall and moving to Ireland to do so! Ive got chronic fatigue though and Im worried about being able to manage the workload. Im on meds so I'm doing pretty well, working 10 hour days rn with a 2 hour commute, but im pretty drained at the end of it. Have you or any of your followers got any suggestions for handling med school when youre just so tired all the time?

And another ask:Hi, following on from the anon asking about studying, do you have any specific tips for studying medicine with chronic fatigue? I find sitting in lectures (and the journey to and from) drains me even more than I am usually. Thanks and have a great day! Hey, peeps! So I have someone important in my life who has gone through a chronic fatigue condition in med school. I’ve seen a lot through what they went through, but I wanted to be able to give a more useful answer. I took a little time to think, and to ask them what advice they would give. They gave me permission to share an edited version with you.

It is possible to get through medical school with chronic health problems. Don’t let other people tell you otherwise. You may encounter people who doubt you, but never let them get to you. Remember that many people with chronic illness have achieved great things and it doesn’t have to be a barrier to success.

There is usually a way to get through whatever obstacle comes up. The key is to take everything literally one day at a time, and do not get overwhelmed by thinking about all the demands for the year at once. Focus on what needs to be done right now. Next week is another week.

Let yourself have setbacks, and don’t give up when you have worse periods of health. There will be times when you’re more tired and stressed, but you have to give yourself space to recover back from that. Remember that everyone, whatever their health status, has bad times, and that usually they will pass. If things aren’t getting better, talk to your family, friends, personal tutor at university. Seek help with clincians.

Keep in touch with your fatigue clinicians and be open about new obstacles and your fears about things. They can help with a lot of problem-solving aspects and support you during times of difficulty. They are also useful to rant to when you are stressed out as they know a lot about the problems of people with CFS who they’ve seen in clinical practice.

Consider reading books on CBT and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) - these have really helped me through psychologically difficult situations and build resilience when medical school has thrown difficult things at me. In the hardest year of medical school it really helped to have written advice to look at when various situations came up.

Tell the university (occupational health, senior tutor, personal tutor etc.) - I cannot stress this enough. It is confidential, and they have to accommodate you because it is a disability. This can become really important if you have issues completing sign-offs/assignments on time, getting hospital placements closer to home, getting extra time in exams etc. It can also be useful if you have problems with exams (not being well enough to do a sitting) for the university to know what is going on and how best they can help you. If they do not know what is going on, then they cannot help you. This is one of the best things I did at medical school in terms of having a safety net for when things were more difficult.

Do not feel you have to attend 100% of everything. If you are feeling very fatigued and not gaining much by that point in the day, it is usually better to go home and do some quality studying at home. So many students who have no health problems will go home early, so do not feel guilty for doing so when you feel fatigued and like you’re not having a good day. Just remember to catch up what you’ve missed.

Talk to the students in the year above about what the demands of the coming year are like, what the exams are like, what textbooks/resources to use, and other *off the record* tips which the university would never tell you. This will help you out in planning how to approach the work for that year. It is very important to know what you’re preparing for and the best way in which to do it.

On placement, talk to the teaching fellow/head of the placement if you have any issues completing tasks or sign-offs etc. They can help you and give you advice about how to get things done. This has been of great comfort to me during placements where sign-offs have been very tricky and I’ve worried about whether or not I will complete everything. Also ask how previous students did it - you’re not the first cohort who’s gone through the system.

Let yourself adjust the intensity of your concentration when attending lectures/seminars. Some days you’ll be able to be at your highest level of functioning, and other days you may feel less functional. Your levels might look something like:

Highest level: concentrate/listen, participate/answer questions, write down notes.

Medium: concentrate/listen, no writing or participating.

Low: zoning out some of the time (5 mins etc), prioritising more important slides or mentally checking in again when possible.

Use breaks during lecture days to really give yourself a breather. It is best to physically leave the space where the lecture took place, ideally go to a canteen and have a snack (food and drink are very important for boosts), or go outside (fresh air is important). Let your brain truly wonder and do something not related to university or teaching. Don’t hang around with peers unless they talk about things which are less brain intensive or non-university topics.

Take on a reasonable workload during group assignments, and don’t let other students foist extra work or their work on you. Be strict about your role and that you will not do their work for them.

E-books (textbooks) - either download pdfs and upload on google drive etc. or buy on kindle etc. This is VERY useful for reading and studying whilst out and about for medical school, and fitting in revision during parts of the day which are empty/less busy. There are often quite a few times where you will be waiting around between teaching/clinics/hospital activities and if you use your time wisely you can really get a lot done. You can also read on public transport when commuting which is a good use of that time too.This becomes especially important close to exams where time management is key. This is one of the best things I did.

Pacing - plan for deadlines in advance. If you have sign offs/essays/histories to do, space them out and plan everything in advance. Make a plan and stick to it, but be flexible enough to change things around if you don’t feel up to doing a particular task on that day. Make sure it is realistic personal timetable, and has time for you to attend university, study and complete assignments/sign-offs, as well as relaxation/social time.

If you feel you are doing too much, cut back and do the bare minimum of what you need to do. Whilst it is nice to aim high and everyone at medical school is crazy competitive, the aim is to pass and go into the next year, and complete the degree. Scraping passes = still a doctor. Many people forget this, but the priority is to get by and become a competent doctor. You are doing what you can do, and you don’t need to get a Distinction in all your exams to be a good doctor.

Do not feel guilty for not being able to work as hard necessarily as other students can all the time. Be proud of yourself for being there and for doing something so difficult as medical school in the first place. Medical school is very hard even for people who do not have any problems with their health. There is really nothing wrong with coasting along and doing just what needs to be done. It can be frustrating to not be able to do more, but tell yourself that you’ve done your 100% which is all you can give at this current time. Sometimes you’ll be able to do more, and sometimes you’ll be able to do less. But don’t feel guilty about it. Know that you are doing your best and that’s all that you can do.

Similarly, everyone feels they are not doing enough/like they don’t know enough. Doctors on placements will also occasionally have a go at you, not realising that actually for your level you do know enough. You may feel you like you’re not enough, but the truth is that everyone feels like that. Many people at med school act like everything’s fine but underneath the surface, we’re all working very hard and tired.

You are not alone - many people at med school have either physical or mental health problems. They are all also battling through the challenges and you are not alone in your difficulties. Remind yourself of that and know that everyone is on their own journey/battle.

Believe in the work-life balance Pie chart - Everyone should ideally have equal time in their day dedicated to 1/3 cognitive, 1/3 self care and 1/3 social activity. In med school, the latter two may fall back a bit even for students with no health problems, but it is very important for these things to be done consistently during med school. “If you can’t look after yourself, you won’t be able to look after other people”. The only way you can achieve your goals and look after patients etc is by looking after yourself (with the pie chart) and keeping yourself in the best health possible.

Cognitive:studying, reading, academic extracurriculars, any activity where the mind is actively involved.

Self care: pampering yourself, hobbies, leisure activities, exercise/yoga, playing with pets, praying/worship etc.

Social: going out with family or friends. Relationships. Support groups. Societies/clubs etc.

Join support groups either in real life or on Facebook - it is really useful to have somewhere to rant about issues which specifically affect people with CFS/ME, and to have their support when you have a hard day. Family and friends will not always understand everything you’re going through, even with the best of intentions, so it’s important to have peers with CFS/ME on those occasions.

Don’t be afraid to turn down going out or doing extra things in the day if you’re really not up to it. Better to keep yourself at a functioning level than overdoing it because you feel you *should* be doing something. It’s best to be honest with yourself about what you can do today.

Learn to say no - if other people ask you to do things and you are feeling overwhelmed at the time from work/personal life, do not feel bad about saying no if you have reached your limit of how much you can cope. Do not feel guilty about this, and realise that it is crucial to not take on too much at once, in looking after your health for your ability to get through medical school. People can and will ask you to do things either not realising that it’s over your coping limits or not caring. You have to learn to put yourself first and forward and know your limits - it is not worth the payback which can inevitably happen when we overdo our limits. Medical school does not give you a lot of time to rest or recover, so you really have to make sure you keep yourself functional and within your limits.

Work steadily during the year - if you have fatigue then you cannot leave things last minute and cope with the physical and mental stress of this. Make sure you are making notes and keeping up during the year, and increase your revision before exams to a comfortable level. Be careful not to overdo it in terms of number it hours a day, as most likely you will lose your concentration and not absorb the information anyway. Best to do revision in chunks, with breaks and other things to break up the day. If the next day you get payback, it’s a sign to dial back the number of hours of revision. Even if you’re doing less hours of revision than you planned, if you’re better focused and rested you will pick up more information. “Quality not quantity”.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your studies, and I hope that things go well for you in the coming year.

#askdx #ask dx #chronic illness #fatigue #i-cant-promise-that

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betterthedevilyouknowuk · 5 years

Text

Getting creative with Satan

One of my hobbies is creating artwork using fusion beads. As a member of The Satanic Temple (TST) I wanted to use this art style to create TST’s logo, to display in my own home.

If you want to know how to create one of these, read on for instructions!

Disclaimer – I don’t own the rights to the original artwork for this project, that is owned by The Satanic Temple. This is intended as a project for personal use and as a way to show your support for the cause. You should in no way recreate this work in order to try and make money or profit from it.

Fusion beads are a coloured plastic bead that you arrange using a pin board and then melt using an iron to fuse them together. This creates a solid sheet of plastic that can be hung on a wall, mounted on a board, used as a drink’s coaster and so on. The applications of the product are pretty vast and people get very creative with them.

Many people refer to fusion beads as Perler beads or Hama beads. Those are brands of fusion beads but there are many more types. For this project I’m using IKEA brand fusion beads which are fairly inexpensive and you get a lot for your money. If you’re just starting out and want to try it for yourself, these are a good option. I do however prefer Perler beads over all because they seem to fuse together better and you get a wider range of colours. The downside is they are a lot more expensive.

You can follow the next step if you want to create your own pattern or you can just follow my photos.

To create the pattern that I worked from I used this website

I left the first 3 options standard and changed the ‘Max pattern width (in panels)’ to 2. I’m using standard 5mm beads and Perler pin boards. Having it set to 2 boards means you will be using 4 boards over all. I uploaded this photo (source) to get my pattern (just download it from here and load it into the website).

I wanted to just make a black and red version of the logo so all the coloured sections are just replaced with black beads in mine.

Now the piece is completed it’s time to prep it for ironing. Some people like to iron the design on the board. This works for smaller pieces but iv found with larger ones the heat can warp the pinning boards and also melt the pins. For this piece I used the ‘tape method’. Here is a link to a video explaining that method in case its new to you.

So, there it is, a fun project that will allow you to fly The Satanic Temples flag in your home. This entire project probably took about 4 hours in total. 3 of those hours being spent on creating the art. It’s a fun project to do while you have something on in the background. Id like to suggest Black Mass Appeal podcast, which is what I was listening to at the time. Here is a link to their website.

Ave Satanas!

Written by: Ben, member of the Friends of The Satanic Temple UK group.

#satanism #satan #satanic #tst #the satanic temple #friends of the satanic temple uk

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warmau · 6 years

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hiii! i really love ur sci-fi/apocalyptic aus and would LOVE to see some of that for nct dream!!!

people really wanted more sci-fi so here it is!!! find yuta, johnny, sicheng & haechan (here) find taeyong, taeil, mark, doyoung, ten, & jaehyun (here)

Jeno

extremely clumsy time-traveler

the ability to travel through time and sort of skip back and forth between it is distinctive to jeno’s family

so when he inherited it ,,,, everyone in the family expected he’d just you know ,,,,,, be GOOD at it

turns out - he’s not

as good at everything else as jeno can be,,,,,,the one skill he’s born with - is the one skill he can’t exactly harness

do you know how many time he’s accidentally time warped in the middle of doing his homework?

he ends up in 17th century france and is like bonjour,,,,uh,,,,,,anyone here know how to do algebra

or that one time he jumped into the future and almost got hit by some dude on a hoverboard

life is hard when your one weird hiccup can send you propelling through the space-time continuum

and whats worse is ,,,,,,,, he’s sworn to secrecy

which is not great because “oh jeno, what’d you do this weekend - why didn’t you come play video games at jisungs?” oh well i just was hanging out with dinosaurs or whatever

like you can’t say that

and jeno is bad at lying because he gets all smiley and cant stop it and mark is always like bro are you good

jeno smiling so wide it hurts: fine! i uh,,,,,,,,just had homework to do!

and one time,,,,jeno trips over the top stair in his house and it sends him to the future

except he’s still,,,,,,,in his neighborhood,,,,,but everything is just,,,more technological

like the stop signs are holograms and the cars are just tinier versions of themselves all hovering above the ground

and then

and then there’s you

with your hoverboard under your arm - your hair a wacky bright color - and your talking to a tiny little person whose inside the watch on your hand

and jeno is like ,,,,,,, just gaping in the middle of the street

and unfortunately you walk right into each other

and you’re like HEY didnt the motion detector we all have in our brains tell you to move LEFT

and jeno is like the what in my brain

and you look him up and down and you’re like wait

where’s your receptor button? why arent you wearing the geo-transmitter? where’s your hoverboard or inline skates?

and jeno is like i ,,,,,, i uh,,,,,,left them at home

and you’re like what you can’t leave them at home - tap your watch and they’ll appear in your hands like any normal persons stuff does

jeno just shrugs and is like oops left that watch at home too

and you’re like how it’s like,,,,,locked onto your hand when you’re five

jeno in his head: the future is freaky

jeno out loud: it,,,,,broke?

you stare at him for a while,,,,,,,,,,for one he’s got dark hair. no one has had that color of hair in a while

he’s wearing an outfit that scream 2018 which was like fifty years ago

and

“ARE YOU FROM THE PAST?!?!?!”

jeno jumps, pulling you closer and shaking his head frantically as onlookers turn for a second but then focus back on their watches

“no what are you talking about how could i be from the past i -”

“siri 107 - locate this dudes profile.”

“siri 107?”

suddenly there’s a loud beep and from your watch a ray of blue light scans over jeno’s body

after a tinkering second there is a beep again

“unidentified. no profile. perhaps he’s a senior citizen?”

jeno’s eyebrows furrow “i am NOT a senior citizen”

you grin, “then you have to be from the past. everyone under the age of thirty has a profile. when your born doctors upload your info into the database.”

you come closer and closer till your centimeters away from jeno’s face

he tries to pull back but something stops him

past the wild hair and clothing he doesnt understand,,,,he has to admit your face is damn near perfect

maybe - he thinks - it’s that the future has perfected genetics or something

but then again everyone around you two still looks different,,,,,,you just,,,,,,you look so angelic

and his frozen stare makes you tilt your head to the side

“why are you staring at me?”

jeno gapes, blushing down to his collar and looking away

“n-nothing i just,,,,ive never i,,,,,,uh -”

your giggle cuts jeno’s sentence off

your watch does some kind of noise and jeno asks what it means

“it’s reading your mood - it says you think im cute.”

jeno opens his mouth to protest, but again he’s a bad liar so all he gets out is a “wh-what?”

“it’s fine, i think you’re cute too!”

you reach up to touch his hair

“this retro style is actually my type -”

you peer down into his eyes again

“and if you are from the past that makes you interesting. i like that.”

jeno feels his heart beat a little faster in his chest

and just as your about to let your hand drop, and jeno reaches out to catch it

thinking he might as well just admit it, if you think it’s cool that he’s from the past then maybe you wouldnt mind talking to him more

and its not like he has anything better to do

what, go back to his time and do homework and miss out on a cute date with you - a cute person from the future?

but just as he opens his mouth, your eyes wide with anticipation

everything begins to warp

and jeno groans because

goddamnit, he time traveled back! right at the most important part!

standing at the top of the stairs of his house, jeno touches the spot on his cheek

your warmth is still present as if you’d been there with him only seconds ago

“great, now this stupid family gift is even interfering with my love life.” jeno grumbles

but maybe,,,,just mabye,,,,,the next time he sneezes he’ll find himself back in 2068

on that date

with you

Renjun & Jisung

mecha pilots!

they were both scouted by military personnel while attending school

renjun, who’d been an avid member of engineering club and robotics, had been chosen for his ability to work and operate machinery way beyond his experience

jisung, who was part of track and archery, was chosen for his agility and aim

renjun’s mecha is large and looks more like a lifesize gundam figure, painted a rich forest green and nicknamed ‘giant’

he has tweaked it to be able to turn both of its arms into high powered canons and even installed a system in the cockpit that would let him infiltrate other mechas and haywire their internal systems

he takes ALOT of pride in keeping his mecha perfect and any bumps or dents or broken parts he fixes

even before going to get himself checked out by the doctors

his body suit is green to match his mecha and he wears a pair of goggles that have built in alerts from the mecha database

jisung calls renjun ‘the nerd pilot’ because renjun really only ever reads instruction manuals on tech and doesnt enjoy doing tricks during practice or during fights

jisung on the other hand,,,,,,,,,,

his mecha is smaller than renjuns - but it transforms into a jet whenever high speed chasing is involved

it’s a bright, flashy silver and has stickers and spray paint all over it

jisung calls it ‘lightening’ while renjun calls it ‘scrap metal’

since jisung is slightly more of a ,,,,,,,wild card in battle

his mecha is built to chase and surprise enemies, it doesnt have as many setups as renjuns but it is faster and more agile

so whenever he can jisung does tricks like spinning it upside down or flying circles around renjun to piss him off

his suit is the same silver, but with stripes of gold down his arms and legs and he wears a motorcycle style helmet with the same silver gleam

he usually comes out of a battle with some kind of busted lip or broken arm

and his mecha in pieces

but he still manages to jump around and party and dance and high five the squad leader like they’re old buddies

he’s the energy of the team - but he also kind of annoys everyone (in the best way possible, even though renjun disagrees)

you’re a part of renjun and jisung’s unit, you became a mecha pilot to follow in the footsteps of your parents who are now both retired from the field

you somehow get along with both of them, keeping up with jisung’s unhinged energy while also being interested in renjun’s intelligence

the three of you are an unlikely trio and no one outside of the squad gets it

but in battle - you guys are perfect

renjun always has the best plan and firepower, jisung can hunt an enemy down to the ends of the earth and you - have the knowledge of a true mecha pilot

no situation goes without jisung and renjun getting your approval in their own different ways

there’s been a string of attacks by an intergalactic bandit in your city, he keeps sending meteors full of poison down onto the city

the mecha unit has been put in charge of stopping the meteors from hitting the city below

and so you, jisung and renjun are out on patrol of the skies when you spot one

you send out a location signal to the other two guys and soon enough all three of you are on the meteor, getting ready to catch it

but at the last moment the meteor glitches, and suddenly you realize that the bandit disguised his ship as a meteor and is planning to land in the city

right away jisung starts firing, swirling around in the air trying to hit the ship

renjun is yelling over the coms that he needs to stop - he could hit the ship and send it crashing down onto the building below

but before jisung can decide to listen to renjun, that’s just what happens

and in the moment - you’re the one rushing down after the ship in your mecha

using the arms of your machine to catch the ship and land it safely into the middle of a grassy park nearby sending all of the civilians scattering in shock

the only problem is, the bandit hops out of the ship - pointing a alien looking weapon at you and through the shield of your mecha

he shoots

if you wake up and see renjun - you sit up fast

only to realize your head is throbbing and you fall back against the bed

renjun is pacing back and forth in your ER room, muttering to himself

and you try to let out a small sigh

rushing to your side you only smile at renjun, but he shakes his head

“your stitches” he motions to the side of your face and you blink

“di-did the bandit get me?”

“he got a shot at your face, but thankfully it wasnt a gun - so it was a bullet but some kind of outerspace weapon. it cut into your skin, but im running tests on it right now and ill figure out what is it and i will get him. i will make him pay for this.”

renjun’s usually calm, studios attitude turns serious

the soft browns of his eyes turn almost pitch black with anger when he thinks about it

and you have to put your hand over his to make him return to normal

“but im ok, right?”

“you could have died ,,,,, you could have caught his ship and he could have broken into your mecha and killed yo-”

“but im alive!”

you try to make it sound happy, but there’s pain in your voice

renjun quiets down, watching you

“is my mecha ok?”

“don’t worry, you know i can fix that.”

you let out small laugh, “yes, mechas are your specialty.”

renjun watches you - he’s never really known what to do when he feels like this

every battle - he worries about everyone, but you ,,,,,, with you it’s another level of anxiety

before he can think to stop himself he leans down to kiss your forehead gently

“please be careful”

he whispers and your heart stops

but having renjun close like this feels right and you let your eyes fluttr close

“renjun,,,,,,”

“yes?”

he pulls away but you keep your eyes close out of embarrassment at your next statement

“can you kiss me,,,,,,,”

you gently tap your lips

“here?”

renjun feels his skin boil under his suit,,,,,, “w-why”

“you can fix a mecha with tools but fixing a persons heart usually means a kiss,,,,,,or two”

renjun swallows, leaning down again and pressing a chaste - nervous kiss on your lips

maybe, he thinks, that feeling of worry about you isn’t just worry maybe it’s what people talk about when they mean love

if you wake up and see jisung - you wince at the pain in your head

but sit up anyway, throwing the hospital blanket to the side and trying to throw your feet over the side of the gurney

“hey hey hey - where do you think you’re going ????”

jisung jumps from his seat beside your bed and takes a hold of your legs - pushing them back

and urging you to lay down again

you scowl at him

“jisung, that bandit is still out there.”

you can tell from jisung’s multiple bandaids and dirty suit that even after you’d passed out that the unit when on to fight

but jisung huffs

“yeah, he is. but unit 4 is on it. our unit’s priority is you now! making sure you don’t get hurt anymore!”

you narrow your eyes, but let out a sharp gasp

your fingers reach up to trail the stitches over your eyebrow and jisung tells you that the bandit cut you with some kind of alien weapon

“whatever, im not dead and unit 4 will need our backup-”

you try to sit up again but jisung takes a hold of your wrist

“listen, you know that i would love to get you out of this stupid hospital bed and back out into the battle. we could pull up in our mechas like cool ass superheros!”

the spark in jisung’s eyes makes you smile a bit

“but,,,” the spark dulls again

into a serious expression that you haven’t seen on jisung’s face since one of the mecha pilots had fallen in battle last spring

“but you are more important then that. you know me, i love impulsive crazy things. but there’s one thing i love more than that.”

you shift in the bed, suddenly hyper aware of how red jisung’s ears are becoming

the chair where he’d been sitting is his mecha helmet

a half disheveled blanket is thrown over the arm and you wonder how long jisung has been here

in this room

waiting for you

“what is it,,,,,,,the one thing you love more?”

your voice trembles, but you think you might know the answer

jisung crosses his arms, trying to rack his brain with some kind of little lie

but he flings his arms up

“it’s you! YOU! There I said it, are you happy!”

you manage to let out a good laugh this time, despite the pain in your head

“hey don’t laugh at me confessing my -”

“come down here so i can kiss you”

jisung jumps a bit, startled at your words

but with one look to see if the doctor is coming, he obliges and you put your hands up into his hair

kissing him gently and softly and for the first time

energetic, wild jisung is timid and shy

you can’t believe it,,,,,,it’s so cute

(but when you tell jisung that - he insists that there isn’t anything cute about him - a suave, cool mecha pilot)

(but maybe he’ll let you - only you - call him cute. as long as you don’t tell renjun)

renjun who witnessed the kiss from behind the hospital curtain: ill never let him live this down

Jaemin

the “winged” boy

born after a unique mutation in his genes while he was in the womb, jaemin’s white feathers sprout from his back in full glory when he turns only ten

now, as he is much older, he is hailed by scientists and people all over the world as a ‘real life angel’

but more than anything

jaemin’s wings are a bother

they are too large for him to be able to get through doors without a problem - revolving doors are out of the questions

all of his clothing has to be torn for wings to fit through

in the summer - all the feathers make everything ten times hotter

he cant enjoy anything like a normal person. not without everyone gwaking in awe

the weekly tests conducted by doctors and scientists from around the world are not fun, at all

and worst of all

if anything,,,,,,,,,,,,,anything at all,,,,,,,,get stuck in his wings

he can’t pick it out - his arms won’t reach

but,,,,all of these struggles are kept under lock and key by jemin

who is always smiling and being kind

and acting just like the ‘angel’ he is nicknamed

because he doesnt want others to be let down, to know how much of a hassle being different really means

and although he can fly, he much prefers to walk - its the only thing human about him that he can control

but ,,, ,as much as everyone is marveled

and thinks he looks like he’s just come to life from a biblical painting

there are people who deem him

a “freak”

at least that’s what the neighborhood bullies call him when they smear paint and gum in his wings in the back alley of some street

horrified and unable to even spread his wings out because of the stickniess

jaemin tries desperately to claw out any gum or paint for his feathers

but it’s hopeless

he must look so pathetic alone here like this,,,,,,,

“are you ok?”

jaemin closes in on himself at the sound of someones concerned voice

you can see a shadow, but it doesnt quite look like a persons

you come closer and closer

and jaemin tries to curl in on himself

but it’s too late

your gasp lets him know that you’ve seen him

how ugly he looks, his wings all a mess and his body shaking with fear

but instead of calling him another insult, instead of running away

you bend down and begin to pick out the wads of gum

“who would do this? they’re so cruel,,,,”

jaemin’s shoulders relax slightly as he comes to figure out that you have no intention of hurting him

he turns a little, his face which had been hidden behind his wings is revealed

and you smile at him

the expression makes something warm fill up inside jaemin’s chest and he tells you meekly that you don’t have to help

“what do you mean? your wings are big, you couldnt possibly clean them yourself. ill get all of this gunk out - don’t worry!”

jaemin’s heart skips a bit as you reach over beside his cheek - reaching to the feathers behind to pluck some gum from there

jaemin thanks you quietly as you work, humming the tune of a song you like

so careful and sweet it nearly lulls jaemin into a comfortable sleep

“the paint won’t come out,,,,ill need some water,,,”

jaemin’s eyes meet yours, wide and worried

you stand back and think, before snapping your fingers

jaemin feels awkward, standing in the shower of your apartment

but you’re also there

“sorry,,,but youll have to keep some of your clothes on ,,,,” you flush pink and so does jaemin

but it’s the only way you’ll be able to get all of the stuff out of his wings

jaemin nods, but then pulls at his shirt - giving you just enough time to look away

and when you turn back

he’s curled up with his knees to his chin, his exposed back and wings looking cramped in your tiny bath

you turn on the water, cupping it and gently lathering it into the wings where theyve been stained with purples and greens

it is tedious and take a lot of time, but somehow you manage to get jaemin’s wings looking pristine again

and you offer him some sweats as he gets out of the tub, his jeans faded dark from the water

it’s awkward, but after having you do something like that for him - jaemin just doesnt know how to thank you

you dont even know him all that well, but you sacrificed all this time and effort

“don’t thank me, it’s only natural to help someone in need.”

you say - as if reading jaemin’s confused mind

you set down some tea in front of him but jaemin suddenly does something that nearly makes you knock it over

he pulls a feather out of his wings - with a tiny wince

but then he hands it to you

you stare at it, flabbergasted

until you get up, find some string and knot the feather throughit

placing it over your head you grin as you show the makeshift necklace to jaemin

who turns a scarlet color and closes his wings around him in a large, swooping motion

you giggle and ask him to open them up

and when he does, peeking through them you lean in to kiss his cheek

and jaemin nearly faints - his first kiss - of any kind

and it feels so warm and nice that he can’t help but open his wings open a little more and in a whisper ask,

“again?”

Chenle

talks to ghosts

let me correct myself, ghosts talk to him and chenle is like

“please stop nagging me you were born in the tang dynasty what do you know about millennial fashion”

the ghosts that stay around him and in his house tend to be ancestors

but when he goes anywhere,,,,he can see the spirits that are attatched to others

and since those people cant communicate with their loved ones

they tell all their problems to chenle

who looks a little weird having a conversation with thin air

when in reality he’s telling another sad ghost aunt that their niece is fine - she’s standing right there minding her own business no he’s not going to go over there and tell her that auntie misses her little honey and NO hes not going to ask if her cat ‘muffins’ is still alive

muffins spirit who is meowing in chenles left ear: meow

the only time chenle gets a break from all these ghosts is when he’s sleeping

or when he’s really focused on something

so sometimes he’ll practice martial arts for hours, worrying his friends and family

but it’s just because it helps keep the ghosts away

and no one else can understand because who would believe him???

even hanging out with mark or haechan is work

because they have ghosts around them - everyone does

so its like trying to talk to his friends AND their dead family members

“no one understands me,,,,,”

chenle murmurs one day as he’s walking to school - being followed for like three blocks by a wandering spirit of an old women who isnt sure where her husband is

“isn’t this where our farm was?”

she asks and chenle groans, looking over to the rows of apartment buildings

“not anymore i guess.”

he says aloud and catches some glances from passerbys

he keeps walking but the women is insistent on chatting and chenle is not having it

not with that chem quiz coming up and the fact that he’s already late

turning around on his heel, he glares at the ghost

“listen, three hundred and fifty years has passed! you are dead - your husband is too and i don’t know where -”

“don’t talk to her like that!”

surprised, chenle turns and sees you standing there

you have the same uniform as him, but he’s sure he’s never seen you in school before

you march over to stand beside him, looking over at the women who floats above you two

“ma’am, this boy doesnt know where your husband is. but im sure he is resting somewhere. you should go there too, let go of worry. you will find him there.”

your voice is calm, nurturing

the ghost stares back at you before breaking into tears and slowly, slowly disappearing

chenle blinks, turning to you

“wait - you - you - could see her?!?!?!”

you huff, “did you think you were the only person who could see ghosts in the whole world? believe me, you’re not that special.”

you turn to head back on your way

but chenle catches up

“are you a transfer?”

“yep!”

a spirit that peeks out from inside your backpack sticks its tongue out at chenle and he blinks again

“whose that?!?”

“he’s a kid i knew back home, passed from an illness and has been with me since then. he’s kind of -”

the ghost glares back at chenle

“don’t bother them!”

it chimes and hides back into your bag

“he’s kind of protective.”

you finish and chenle lets out a kind of “huh” noise

you two keep walking and chenle asks how you deal with the ghosts, all they do is nag him

you agree - they are naggy but it’s all about convincing them that they need to pass and not linger

“animal ghosts are the worst though, they don’t know about passing,,,,,and then they just-”

“meow nonstop in your ear? believe me i know.”

chenle motions to his leg, where a fluffy apparition is weaving between his legs

you laugh

and chenle suddenly forgets about your weird introduction and instead sees how cute the sound of your giggle is

but snapping back into it you two reach school

and chenle goes, “what class are you in?”

“ummm 5-A.”

“cool, youre with me!”

chenle smiles and suddenly - another spirit appears on his right

“wow so smooth, you wanna impress them and you go ‘cool youre with me!’ might as well just tell them you’re a big nerd-”

chenle groans

“this is the school ghost, he’s an ass.”

the ghost grins at you and tilts his head

“hey chenle, they can see me can’t they?”

“i can!”

you grin back

“huh, well let it be known here that chenle is a big nerd and probably already loves you-”

chenle nearly shouts from the ghost to shuttup, but notices the looks of students and keeps it back

you just laugh, “well us ghoul translators or whatever have to stick together don’t we?”

you reach out, offering your hand to chenle

who takes it, red blush and all

the school ghost makes a gagging noise and the ghost from your bag pops up again to chastise chenle for touching you

but for the first time their voices fade

and all chenle sees is your smile

and he can see that you’re thinking the same thing

im so happy there’s someone else like me ,,,,,,,

1K notes · View notes

himenation · 6 years

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MONSTA X 2ND WORLDTOUR IN AMSTERDAM (LIVE REPORT) - AFAS 20.06.2018

This is a long live report containing things how I even became a fan, to the AMAAAAAZING (not) queue, setlist, live, m&g and random moments. All fan cams and fanpics are uploaded on my twitter which I linked in this post too!

I went to Monsta X’s 2nd Worldtour in Amsterdam this month! I started to get to know Monsta X during their Beautiful promotions and when I heard they would come to Europe the first time (in 2017), I was doubting whether I should go or not. I knew like 10 songs and another fan could go instead of me. It was not close anyway, so I decided to take part in the campaign for Amsterdam. For people who don’t know MMT. MMT is a fan dedicated promoter, in which you can request an artist to come to your city and if you have enough ‘makes’ (so points) they’ll talk with the artist.

Anyways, I took part in the campaign in august 2017. Uni was about to start and I kinda forgot about the lives for a while. Until it was around the DRAMARAMA period (and their first win omg!), I followed them again; so after their MBC performance, I got a text message from MMT that they’re starting to talk to MONSTA X. At this point I would give this presale code to somebody else, but I didn't know when the actual concert was supposed to be so I waited. So while I was waiting for their JEALOUSY comeback, I started to watch their shows because I was bored and I LITERALLY FELL INTO THE FANDOM (and not just the music). I loved these guys so much? They were so precious and funny. I really wanted to see them live and regretted not going to the Beautiful Tour. So for their Jealousy comeback, I even bought The Connect; I texted every time they had a show and streamed their MVs so they could win another win (and they did!) (I've only done this for BTS before). So just around the time of the MV release, they announced they would be coming to AMSTERDAM. I was so happy. Flash forward to the ticket sale: I went to uni early, had a computer; laptop and my phone ready and immediately bought 2x VIP tickets!!

After counting down the days to the concert, I was finally here. I couldn't wait to hear Destroyer and Lost In the Dream live (My fav songs of the new album). Fans were allowed to queue from 11, but no-one seemed to listen to it :’) Every standing type had to get a wristband (VIP included). So I was kinda late and arrived at 12 , but my wristband number was 139. I quickly had sushi with my sister at ICHI-e and went to Starbucks (and a grocery store) to get some food and drinks for the queue. Just when we were about to leave the restaurant, I got a message from MMT that they messed up the wristband numbers for VIP and it was now FCFS (First Come first Serve). It was also the hottest day of the week, yippie :’)

Queue The queue was one big mess... Fans were incredibly rude and mean and staff didn’t do anything about it either. Girls were screaming at the security and talking very rudely, fans saying to each other ‘shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down’ (this is an actual phrase someone was screaming behind me). The venue staff gave us WATER IN A BUCKET and it wasn't until a monsta x staff came and gave everyone bottles. I also met two very sweet fansites! They gave out free stuff and were overall very sweet! They talked a lot to us and were next to us in the queue. We also met two friends who wanted to go to their friends, but since people were rude; my sis stopped them and they were next to us. Even though we were strangers, me and my sis shared our food and drinks with them. During the queue certain people started to push fans and we told them to stop and they started to fight with us??? and basically telling us ‘are you blind’ :)) (also they thought the fansites were Korean so they were all nice to them but shitty to other people, but the fansites turned out to be Chinese so these rude koreaboos were really boo boo the fools) at around 18:00 we were allowed to go inside but everyone started pushing each other so we were really stuck and could barely breathe. Once we were inside we had to wait another 2 hours and I was so tired, but wow I was 4th row! Live I also made a big thread of Monsta X on my twitter. Fancams Fanpics Okay first of all, this group has no visual hole. THEY ARE ALL SO VISUALS I COULDNT BELIEVE MY EYES. Honestly they're so beautiful irl??????? Although I knew they were all handsome, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw IM, Kihyun, Shownu and Hyungwon DAMN.

The live was amazing, they kept playing DRAMARAMA, SHINE FOREVER and STUCK in the venue and we were so hyped! Once the live started; they all came in Swaroski Suits (they looked so expensive) singing Jealousy. The fan chants (at least in the VIP) were A M A Z I N G. AAHHH I finally saw monsta x im sobbing. They then played Be Quiet (it’s one of my fav older songs) ;; and BEAUTIFUL IN SWAROSKI SUITS GUYSSSSSS. They didn't do the jacket dance since, yeah the jackets were pretty expensive HAHAHAH. Too bad.. They then had a long MC and started with Gravity and Tropical night (still wearing the suits). After changing their clothes (some kind of harness?) they sung Crazy In love (finally a full version) and All In. The crowd really loved All In!!!!!!!! Then we had 20 minutes of solo stuff; the solo of Wonho, Minhyuk and Kihyun were my absolute favourite! It was so cute. The other solo’s were really good too!! The crowd died at Hyungwons and IMs solo though. AAAAAAAAAAAAAH AFTER SOLO they sung From Zero (Seven member version) and oh my god Wonho looked so beautiful??? This song is so cute?? I can't remember much of Because of You im sorry ;; White love was really emotional, they didn't expect the banner project (1000days with monbebe) at all and really loved it. Rollercoaster was so cute live as well, they all pretended to sit in a rollercoaster lol. After they went off stage, the destroyer MV played AND I SCREAMED SO LOUD I WAS NOT READY, NO ONE WAS READY NO ONE! LITERALLY IM DEAD. But they bloody sung LOST IN THE DREAM and I was really lost in the dream, wow....... The vocals..... wow.. Im........................... it was so beautiful live. Guys, ive heard Kihyuns iconic high note (well a lot of people shouted OOOOFFFF BUT I STILL HEARD ONE OF MY FAV SONG I! CANT! BELIEVE!). Also very random to mention but Jooheon is one hell of a good performer, he was not even nervous and the stage was HIS BITCH, his rap and his stage aura are so mind-blowing.

I always joked they should play lost in the dream and destroyer after each other to let the fans die but they really did IT! The choreo of Destroyer was so good and fitted the song. In the beginning Wonho waved and gave a finger heart though... I was never a fan of Shine Forever, but It was so nice and also doing the fan chants! Rush is a song I used to skip but ooof, it was also very nice to hear. Monsta X really enjoyed singing Special too AND YESSSSSSSS FINALLYYYYYYY TRESPASS THE WHOLE CROWD WAS SO LIT WE ALL RAPPED ALONG AND IT WAS HONESTLY ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES SO FAR IDGJKDSGS. They all positioned to the Dramarama pose and yes they did Dramarama!!!! but now the concert was about to end too :( Monsta X said they love Falling, Ive heard people say they love performing Falling and yes they REALLY LOVE FALLING. My heart was so full of uwu when I saw them performing falling, I love these babies so much :’). We showed them the banners during If Only again and Wonho, Minhyuk and Kihyun were really emotional and it was so sad to see this ending :( But I was about to meet these guys as well AAAAAAHHH. I dont know if it was Minhyuk or IM but one of them took of Wonho’s shirt lol and he threw it in a crowd. Before that they also took a group pic ;; tbh I wished they did Stuck and Hero as well, but overall I really loved the setlist so much.

Meet and greet Order: Wonho - Shownu - Kihyun - Minhyuk - Hyungwon - Jooheon - IM Usually when fans meet artist, fans are the ones talking to the artist but now Monsta X was rather talking to the fans, they were so sweet and they all had the most genuine and sweetest smile ever. The M&G was unfortunately very fast and I could only say Wonho: I think he was still very sad and looked like he cried too but his hands are so soft ;; I thanked him and he nodded and gave a thumbs up lol Shownu: I knew it was his birthday in London so I told him a happy belated birthday ;; and he said thank you as well! Kihyun: ok, I may have said I love you instead of thank you AHHGHGHHGHAHAHG and yeah that was kihyuns reaction too he laughed and said thank you lol Minhyuk: He said thank you very much!! NO THANK YOUUU (while smiling so sweet) Hyungwon: Somehow he was very giggly but we both said thank you to each other!! Jooheon: We both said thank you to each other aaaaaahh IM: Since I barely had time (after hyungwon) I just told him thank you and he said the same ;; We then got a poster from the tour and the show was unforunately over :(( MMT announced a week before the concert there would be no merch so I didn't have a lightstick either so it was nice having a poster as a reminder (and the fans we got from the fansites ofc). Setlist (duration 2,5hours) 1. Jealousy 2. Be Quiet 3. Beautiful -- 4. Gravity 5. Tropical Night -- 6. Crazy in Love 7. All in -- 8. Wonho, Minhyuk, Kihyun - Neol Hada 9. Jooheon, Shownu - Versace on the Floor 10. Hyungwon, IM - Fake Love (Drake) 11. Hyungwon, IM - How long // another IM solo (not sure) -- 12. From Zero 13. Because of you 14. White Love 15. Rollercoaster -- 16. Lost in the dream -- 17. Destroyer 18. Shine forever -- 19. Rush 20. Special 21. Trespass -- 22. Dramarama *ENCORE* 23. Falling -- 24. If Only *Group pic*

Random moments - They talked a lot of Dutch such as ‘I am...’, ‘I love you’, ‘I miss you’, ‘Fries with Mayo’. IM also wanted to say Sexy but he didn’t say Sexy and Jooheon said to erase our minds LMAO KSJKD he was so embarassed - In the beginning when Kihyun was talking about Hyungwon, Hyungwon looked at him and he kinda slapped away his face (Kihyun to Hyungwon) - Just before Crazy in Love, the group was devided into two to talk with fans (one group was changing their clothes) and Jooheon was doing a weird movement with his hand and was saying AY AY AY and the fans said it too, but then the other group came (Kihyun, Shownu, Hyungwon and Minhyuk) and they all looked honestly so confused and Kihyun was like ‘AY go change your clothes now’ and then Kihyun and Hyungwon were showing off their dance moves lol - Also during the live I started as the fourth row, but people behind me kept pushing and I was suddenly 2nd row and there is a higher place for the first row so my knees kept going on that and it hurted so much lmao - Shownu, IM and Jooheon went to Beyonce the day before and talked about how amazing it was (lmao fanboying on their own concert KAJDKSFJFS) and they also said we will make it possible for them to perform there one day ;;A;; - The day of the Amsterdam concert would be 1000 days with Monbebe we would show during If Only, but since London got cut off we weren't sure whether we would hear If Only and decided to do it during White Love. - Wonho, Minhyuk and Kihyun got teary at If Only - Their reactions to White love were so sweet :(( - Our group hyped up every member whenever they were close to us. Hyungwon, Kihyun and Wonho noticed us a lot lol. Hyungwon waved at us too ;; - During FALLING Kihyun was drinking water and then he came to our side and you could see in his face he was about to do something and when the beat dropped he threw WATER ON US and I got so wet :((((( the fan next to me, her fan was all wet lmao. - I got a lot of confetti in my face :’)

#monsta x #monstax #2nd worldtour #the connect #monsta x 2nd worldtour #afas live #amsterdam #livereport #live report #shownu #wonho #minhyuk #kihyun #hyungwon #jooheon #im #changkyun

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shaddy-bee · 7 years

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I KNOW ITS BEEN LIKE 300 YEARS BUT-

5 things you’ll find in my bag

Right now theres uhh Notebooks, both school and 1 art. Drink mix ins, with such great flavors as sour apple jolly rancher and crush pineapple (tm) Two packs of cards, one of which steam punk themed and the other your regular ol bicycle. A calculator. Its a shitty old one but its for tests, i have google and shit for anything i need myself.

5 things you’ll find in my bedroom

A roommate. Idk if he is gay or what but he isnt straight, name’s will. Chill dude. Sleepin rn, what a fella MY SICK ASS COMPUTER IM MISSING OUT ON BECAUSE MY ROOMMATE IS ASLEEP AAAAAAAAAAAAAA I WANNA PLAY ROCKET LEAGUE WITHOUT LAGGING TO HELL also programming my mods. Need to upload that shit. Shit what number we on, 3? Okay cool. A bed. Wow really a bed in your bedrooM? yeah its pretty fuckin spectacular i know. I dont have posters n shit so like i gotta be creative you feel. A microfridge. Now i know what youre thinking, “ah a small fridge whats the big deal?” but no you dont understand, its a microwave fucking bolted onto the top of a fridge. They gave zero fucks attaching these two together and apparently the name is the same way, WHY NOT A FRIDGEWAVE EVEN LIKE MICROFRIDGE JUST SOUNDS LIKE A SMALL FRI- Last but not least, im tempted to just say my wallet here tbh, cuz its old but like, youd EXPECT that now would you? Something boring and mundane for me to fill out the word count with making everything super exciting so nah man, fuck it. Theres air in my bedroom. Fight me.

5 things I’ve always wanted to do in my life

Make a videogame. Like okay, a lot of stuff on this list is jokes and stuff, and I know im going into too much detail and my followers will probably murder me in cold blood for this shit, but im serious about this one like - i have some ideas, but i never have the motivation alone to like work whole-heartedly and finish one but like, at some point in the future id love to sit down and just go at it and make a game. Doesnt matter if its popular or big or small just i wanna make something that i love ya feel? I wanna like, go to newark, delaware. I know, its delaware and all, no one lives there, but ive met a bunch of cool people there and i was promised a donut run sometime, so lookin forward to that. Yknow that post awhile back that was like “i dont wanna be rich and like buy shit, i just wanna have enough money to throw at kickstarters whenever i want without having to strain on my food and rent costs” thats me. 100% Like i wanna have just enough money to be able to donate to cool people and watch them do cool shit - it wont always work out but thats fine, I just love shit. I wanna be able to donate like the high prize and fly out to meet these game studios for coffee and shit and just talk with em and see their passion and ideas. I love it. Im not actually really sure besides those. Like idk. I think itd be cool to enter a game tournament with my brother and win, but i doubt thatll happen and its not super like on my desires just itd be cool cuz we named ourselves Sora and Shiro after NGNL and to see that like, have us win would be great. Yeah. Ill make my fifth to think of a fifth one.

5 things on my to do list

FLOPPY DICKS i mean disks. Floppy disks. I do binding of isaac ab+ modding shit, and im currently working (its mostly done for what i want it to do) which adds a new consumable called floppy disks, effects are based on viruses, bugs, and just computer based shit. Like BSOD for instance, which makes the screen literately bluescreen. Or atleast look like it. Cant wait to watch people play with it. I gotta work on the programming class project too but honestly i dont waannnaaa. Like its cool as shit. Recreate a card game using c++ code. But man, i just love Apocrypha and Floppies so much more. Eat today???? Please. Dining hall opens in 3 hours. Its goddamn 4 am. I want my food. Dunno if ill get it - if ill stay awake till then. But i want it. Probably draw some stuff? Like i posted one drawing already (check it out if u wanna ;) kay?) but like theres wacom tablets here i can just kinda use whenever???? its great. I love being able to just draw stuff on em. Even if i suck at drawing, even if it took 10 hours to make the one i posted here, still love. Probably play more rocket league. Sleep first, soon as i get that food im CRASHIN BOI IM OUTTIE HA but uhh, rocket league has a halloween thing rn and i like playing it. Was playing earlier today and i matchd with a dude in 2v2 that had the same car, skin, AND colors set up as mine. Totaly random. We kicked some major ass together. I kept thinking of the same hat comic the entire time. (also my card was superior because it had furry ears on it ;))

5 things that make me happy

Getting an idea for a thing and working at said thing until like boom it went from this abstract idea to now it has a physical form and it works! And its fun and its great and i can share it with other people and they can have fun too!!!! that feeling is wonderful. Obviously friends man. Just doing shit with people can be so great sometimes - like not all the time sure but like man. Its nice to talk to people and share experiences and just smile and tell bad jokes and have them groan but like it anyway like thats the shit. Going out at 2 am and walking to a nearby run down schoolyard and swinging on the swingsets and watching shooting stars burn up. Thats the good shit. Getting tents and setting em up in your friends back yard when your friend from far away comes up for a few days, and playing ridiculous games in a group like kick the can or fuckin zombie screaming your lungs out in the dark to freak em out, or just talkin around a fire about fuckin life man. The people make life great. Shits worth living for. I realize that last answer covered a LOT of shit but like, im just gonna add here videogames. Would be amiss if i didnt mention that, considering the rocket league rant above lmao. Yeah i better not make this category any longer.

5 things I’m (currently) into

Isaac modding, probably will be for awhile. Its good shit. As a suggestion from one of the people I work with (we also fuck around its a good time) i have started watching space dandy. Its a slow progress through lol like an episode or two a day but god man like its pretty ridiculous and the main character is pretty much everything i was expecting from seeing him everywhere. Rocket league again. It comes and goes with various different games to tide me over, give me a break from working. Bout 2 months ago or so said relaxing time was dominated by anime - i suddenly went on like a massive streak of watching shit. By that i mean, i watched all of hunter x hunter in like 2 weeks, among other shows prior to it. But yeah. Fuck man HXH I LOVED THE KING WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I have too many emotions about that. I wrote a rant to the Groupchat (tm) about the fucking battle and how everything is in slow motion but it fucking like makes it like foreshadowed and have so much of an impact and still so much fucking happens even while everything runs at super slow mo just GOD KLASFJBHUGHASFIUHIPJASK anyway. Yeah. Music, as always im listening to like constantly. Wireless headphones are a wonder for this, but uhh....i cant say im especially into any specific thing rn right? Like a bit ago i was super into joywave and then that faded out and now im just listening to whatever random shit, yknow? But I am into music in general. Its good. Art! A lot of times i dont do shit like for drawing right, like especially not in like pencil in notebooks but like, i sorta started doing a lot more art stuff? Like i had a period awhile back last year where i stopped using pencils and used only pens and i just loved the aesthetic of the ink like how it looked (funny how im doing the opposite of the fucking inktober though, huh?) but yeah im back into using pencils to draw shit occasionally. Im still terrible at drawing people (which is what i see mostly everyone drawing on tumblr lmao RIP) but its fun to sketch stuff out and just let my thoughts run and bounce to some music and shit right? Also the tablets. Especially with the tablets.

5 things people may not know about me (at least on tumblr)

I basically constantly wear sweatshirts, and they all have like earbuds where the strings go. All the earbud shits are broken pretty much, like occasionally they work (the one i have rn does) but like, i dont ever really use them? i have wireless headphones for my phone and a headset (because i need the mic for my computer) for said computer so like, idk. But yeah. I rarely take em off when im not home, and sometimes even when i am i just kinda keep em anyway? (also just now i realized i talked in the section for room shit about all the stuff in my current dorm, my room at home has all KINDS of wierd fucking shit in it. Really missed an opportunity there.) Like many people i like to stay hydrated and shit, but drinking water all the time seemed like a chore more than anything so i got like drink mix ins and shit, mio’s or whatever offbrand version you can find at your local SUPERSTORE CONGLOMERATE. I drink em like all the time pretty much so atleast im health in one way :P. Also gummy vitamins. I dont excercise but you can only ask for so much. Idk, its hard to think of things for this section because tumblr knows so little about me yknow? Like i never make my own posts or shit like its SUPER rare so im pretty much just tryna find random facts but that might not be interesting? Like i have a bad habbit of like talking way too loud when im excited about something right? Not quite yelling but like getting there and like idk. See? Thats not super interesting but it is something no one online would be able to really know ya feel? Idk. I mean physically im kinda fat as you do, but im also like wierdly strong? Like for someone who never works out i sure do have arm strength if nothing else lmao. My endurance is shit tho. Honestly? I can only blame it on osu and groceries. Osu is just a game i like where you mash buttons to the beat of weaboo shit tier music. The groceries is just because like, well, my policy is Least Trips Possible which means carrying in 13 bags at a time if need be it, fuck it milk too? And a watermellon? Bring it.

Who am I tagging? Idk man. Just for shits and stuff tho i do wanna tag @theoriginalyami just to see what all’s changed in teh long time since i actually went to fill it out :P Dont feel like you have to add as much as me tho omg @milkchocolateowl because honestly? love you. Think about you a lot, just like glad im mutuals with that ray of sunshine. Good. @fantaledfish <3 (this is the friend i mentioned earlier, runs a QUALITY blog i guarantee it, better than mine for sure) @dragonfucker-supreme always top in my notes, a silent bond, like two guards assigned to watch back to back in the early dawn. Birds gather round. I can only tag so many people (i set myself a limit of 5 because...idk why i just mentally it felt right) so for my last trick gotta go with @ask-oncies-jizz like cmon man name changes for the win, also has quality icons and quality shitposts tbh, supreme top meme. Have fun yall.

#god im #sorry #this is long #i hope its atleast somewhat enjoyable though yknow?#<3 #shaddy-online

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sovonight · 7 years

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alright i’ve gone through the rest of blacklight journal 3 (and took some blurry pics which i’ve uploaded here! somewhat incomplete, but i was mainly going for the invisible ink content anyway. the ink has a hard time glowing when there’s black ink behind it-- it looks clear in person, i promise!)

and now my opinions,

reading through the whole book again: GOD I LOVE FORD SO MUCH

tho ford’s handwriting is as much of a pain to read as i remember. it’s only slightly less painful because i’ve read the journal before and know what to expect. tbh the kids’ entries were a breath of fresh air

some of the journal entries have been extended/embellished in non-invisible content, right? fancier paper can’t be the only thing that made the journal thicker, and there’s definitely stuff i don’t remember reading from the regular journal

yo ford brings up social interaction up a lot but like, at least he had college friends, plural

“This guy should spend less time reaping and more time at the gym!” i still can’t get over ford’s transition from scrawny nerd to buff nerd. who woulda thought.

it was nice to have the caesar/atbash/a1z26 ciphers written out! it holds little practical use, but i just think the tiny letters look cute

ford’s silly and i love him

“The thought that Earth is being used for extraterrestrial advertisement depresses me deeply” -- you and me both, bud. finally an opinion of ford’s pertaining to aliens that i can agree with

canon tarot card assignments! and some of them even line up with these

ford could possibly have been coming up with a catchy nickname for weirdmageddon for 30 whole years, and weirdmageddon is what he decided on. after 30 possible years of deliberation.

“I also tried to choose which theoretical physics books would be most fun to spend 50 years rereading, but they’re all so great I couldn’t decide!“ NERD

i sat there for a good 2 seconds until i decided that rather than the usual cipher, it must be a word scramble. then it made sense

“absolutely, unequivocally not” lollll

i want to see what ford was like when he was compiling journal 2. also, what on earth possessed him to leave his most dangerous journal at an elementary school? come on, man!

that lil frowny face

i trust that retina damage statement bc my eyes hurt from constantly flipping the lights on and off while trying to read ford’s passages

all post-finale fanfiction where ford does NOT eventually get bionic eyes is now non-canon-compliant

thank goodness, ford went straight for the newspapers. at least i got 1 headcanon right

god, ford, why would it be whales? it’d be octopuses! octopuses are where it’s at

“Air is great. Really can’t overemphasize how great air is“ god i love him

"Check out the Eurythmics’ latest chart-topper!” 1) oh thank goodness, now i know i could listen to his music, 2) finally someone else who uses s’ rather than s’s, 3) prepare for a world of disappointment my man because literally none of the things you’ve been listing is happening

i assumed that because i’d already decoded everything in the regular journal, i’d have decoded most of what’s in the blacklight version, so i mostly ignored the cryptograms this time around. if i’m wrong, though, that leaves a treat for future me!

a whole initiation ceremony and everything! ford knows what’s up

but honestly though, i decoded that last sentence at the end and tossed the blacklight onto my bed w a sound, smiling-- it’s official-feeling, you know? what a nice little addition. makes the silliness i feel in doing it feel unfounded

gf just brings this feeling of childhood & adventure & possibility that i haven’t rly had since like, elementary and middle school. and not just that, it makes me feel like there’s more out there and that feeling like there’s more isn’t...silly. it brought the magic back, u guys. i might cry.

again, i wish i’d had gravity falls as a kid, but i guess i’m close enough. and at least with this timing i get to drop $150 on a copy of my favorite character’s research journal! i needed a job to make this purchase

also, i saw the bit of discontentment around the journal numbers that went out (you know, whatever # out of 10000 and all that) and though i kind of did hope for lower digits since i ordered practically on the day it went up, the number i did get is pretty nice! sixes and ones, plus it’s reversible. i would’ve found something to like in any number i got, really. trying to exercise my optimism more

and using post-it notes to stick the photos/inserts back on is working out pretty well! thanks for the suggestion. they come off if i’m not careful enough when turning the page, but i’d rather they come off than stick forever haha. i wonder how they got the photos on so neatly in the first place? what a small margin for error

and there it is, back in its cozy packaging, ready to be buried in the forest somewhere!

ive appreciated the good times but it’s too expensive for me to regularly handle-- i’ll damage my regular copy of journal 3, thanks!

#blacklight journal 3 spoilers

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breadboylovin · 6 years

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im a normie so i decided to do this ‘85 truths’ thing i did like,,, 3 whole years ago just to see how shits changed (plus i like talking abt myself fgjkdfgdfh)

last beverage

water fdgjfgdfg i dont rly...... drink anything else.............

last phone call

uhhhhh probably to my mom or smth

last text

to my dad asking if he can get mcdonalds dfgjdfjgdfg

last song

plastic love by our girl mariya takeuchi

last time i cried

i think it was on july 4th?? unless i cried after that and just forgot about it

have you ever:

dated someone twice?

lol nah

been cheated on?

no but i think one of my exes cheated on someone to be with me ??? as far as i know but i cant confirm bc i dont talk 2 her anymore lol

kissed someone and regretted it?

cant exactly regret stuff that you never do

lost someone special?

to death, no, but in general? probably

been depressed?

imma keep it real witchu chief,,, idk fgjkdfgfg

list your three favourite colours

salmon pink

wine red

turquoise

in the last year, have you:

made a new friend?

oh fuck lots of em yeah

fallen out of love?

........... presumably

laughed until you cried?

yeah dfgjdfgfg

met someone who changed you?

definitely

found out who your true friends are?

more or less

found out someone was talking about you?

yeah

kissed a stranger?

nah

drank hard liquor?

im 15

lost glasses/contacts?

i dont need glasses / contacts fdgjkfg

had sex on a first date?

im 15

broken someone’s heart?

yeah

been arrested?

nah

turned someone down?

no ones asked

cried when someone died?

i honestly cant remember if i did or not

fallen for a friend?

yeah :-////

random

do you have any pets?

2 cats!!!

do you want to change your name?

i mean i like the name dorian ive had it for 2 years but i do want to legally change my birthname to dorian lol

what did you do for your last birthday party?

i jus invited friends to my house to do whatever

what time did you wake up this morning?

,,,, i woke up at 8:40 then decided i was too tired to do anything and slept for 3 more hours

what were you doing at midnight last night?

thirsting over greed the avaricious dfgjdfg

something you cant wait for?

going on t eventually

last time you saw your mother?

yesterday

one thing you wish you could change about your life?

i just want to get top surgery lol

what are you listening to right now?

the wolf by siames

have you ever talked to a guy named Tom?

probably once at school lol

what’s getting on your nerves?

the uncertainty of my future

most viewed webpage?

either tumblr or youtube

pet name?

i mean,,,,,,,, my parents call me dosya which is just a cute version of dorian and i like being called baby boy but shhhhh

relationship status?

single owo

zodiac sign?

cap sun aqua moon libra rising

college?

i mean im not in college but when i go i wanna go 2 some art college in montreal

hair colour?

chestnut brown i think

long or short?

short

height?

5′2″ or 5′3″?? idk

do you have a crush on someone?

ive been trying to subdue the one ive had for my own sake but there might be inklings of it still there

what do you like about yourself?

im cute bitch

tattoos?

nah im afraid of the commitment

right of left handed?

right uwu

first piercing?

i was too scared to get piercings when i was a kid so i dont have any FGJKDFGDFJG

first best friend?

some girl named katya that my parents knew the parents of. idk what shes up to now tho

first sports you joined?

i played soccer in like 1st grade?? i dont think i was good tho fdhdfg

first vacation ?

i think we went to san diego

first pair of sneakers?

im not cis i dont keep track of that

eating?

nothing rn

drinking?

water uwu

 about to

try to beat the watcher knight in hollow knight for the 50th time

listening to

smoke and guns by mr. natewantstobattle bc i went on a spiritual journey lst night going back to his youtube page to see if he still uploaded and finding out he was like. a legit musician

waiting for

honestly? idk

want kids?

kinda but im scared i wont be able to handle it

get married?

sure

career?

i wanna be a comic artist or a character designer

which is better

lips or eyes?

lips bc lips are kissable and eyes are not

hugs or kisses?

hugs are nicer bc u dont have 2 be romantic w someone to get a hug

shorter or taller?

taller bc its virtually impossible to find ppl shorter than me

older or younger?

older, but still around my age

romantic or spontaneous?

romantic

nice stomach or arms?

this is a really hard choice but arms bc ya boy likes being carried

loud or sensitive?

depends on the situation ig. i think i like loud more bc i just wanna go apeshit with a bro sometimes

hook-up or relationship?

relationship

trouble maker or hesitant?

,,, idk

do you believe in

yourself?

yeah most of the time

miracles?

very slightly. i think fate and shit is there for you when youre at rock bottom and that could count as a miracle ig

love at first sight?

nah. you can click with someone rly well immediately but i dont think sight factors that much into true love

heaven?

i would but i dont wanna get my hopes up too much

santa claus?

nah

5 random facts

i constantly forget which side of my face my mole is on

im rly tired rn and i dont know how i manage to be tired like that when i slept 8 hours last night

when i was a kid i thought adults didnt sleep bc i never saw my parents go to bed before me

im the next level of gays not knowing how to drive bc i cant ride a bike

i used to be a markiplier stan and ngl i still think hes cute :-/

#text

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projectalbum · 6 years

Photo

Art is Resistance. 149. “With Teeth” (Halo 19), 150. “Year Zero” (Halo 24), 151. “Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D” (Halo 25), 152. “Ghosts I-IV” (Halo 26), 153. “The Slip” (Halo 27) by Nine Inch Nails

The 6-year gap between Nine Inch Nails studio albums saw the Internet become truly ascendant in popular culture, for better and worse.

Napster took a bite from the music industry and was put down like a mad dog. The Pirate Bay first unfurled its flag. Radio play and music videos were still the main avenue for displaying the wares of major label musicians to the general public, and success was still measured in units of CDs sold, but more and more people were becoming hip to the underground access provided by a DSL modem.

But the power of the Web to empower artists and connect them to their fans still evaded most of the recording industry; honchos and artists alike were largely clueless. Trent Reznor, the big ol’ nerd, was a notable exception. Posting on early message boards on Prodigy, embracing torrents, creating an online gateway for the band’s fans, leaking material from the archives, experimenting with an optional-pay release, even being an early adopter of Twitter— it was a white-hot fiber optic cable running through the life of the band. While this technological engagement didn’t always translate into sales (The Fragile was considered a financial disappointment), it was a 21st century incarnation of the connection between what the artist creates and how the audience consumes it, internalizes it, and hopefully finds some emotional release in it.

This uneasy alliance between organic emotion and technological chilliness is reflected in this era of Nine Inch Nails’ aesthetic, both musically and through the packaging. Where Downward Spiral and Fragile dealt in decaying earth tones, the releases starting with 2005’s reemergent With Teeth (#149) are shades of blue, black, ghost white, and slate gray, dirtied up by belching factory smoke, or distorted by broken pixels and lines of computer code. The songs are likewise colored by pulsating synth accents, digital distortion, hums and drones and beats. The instrumental stems for Reznor’s compositions were offered up to remixers both professional and amateur, so that even the boundary of artist and audience member became liminal. He had his carefully constructed versions of “The Hand That Feeds” and “Only,” but suggested that there were infinite alternate permutations to be created at the click of a button. For the once angry, brooding Prince of Industrial Rock, it was downright egalitarian.

“All The Love In The World,” a title that might suggest a big-hearted power ballad on a cornier band’s track list, is in Reznor’s hands an electronica-inflected paranoid dirge. Where crunchy guitars would have provided the backbone in the past, here woozy piano figures are the main melodic backup to the vocal, before shifting into driving major chords to signal minute 3’s complete tonal transformation. With its layers of harmonizing Trents, it’s completely unlike anything else in the band’s repertoire, but it was the perfect next course to stimulate my appetite. And then Dave Grohl’s superhuman drumming on “You Know What You Are?” kicked me through the door. The wailing chorus presented an aggressive musical release for me that I’d never had access to before.

“Right Where It Belongs,” the keyboard-driven closing track, is spooky and introspective, and one of the best songs in NiN’s catalogue. A stripped-down, electric piano and vocal version, originally exclusive to the Japanese release but eventually uploaded by Reznor to his website, captures that dark night of the soul uncertainty even better. This recording made its way into the end credits of my senior thesis film, at the point where it was obvious it wasn’t going to go anywhere and that I should at least put copyrighted stuff I liked into it. I also set a live version against grainy deleted footage from Pink Floyd - The Wall, a mashup I figure ol’ Trent would appreciate (the idea was to then do the reverse, matching “Hey You” to the visuals cut together for NiN’s stage show, but the result wasn’t as compelling).

I don’t have any supporting evidence, but Year Zero (#150) may well have been the first time I ever plunked down money for a physical copy of a NiN CD. Also lacking sufficient empirical backup: I’m convinced this speculative fiction about an increasingly plausible American dystopia represents some of Reznor’s strongest songwriting. Inhabiting characters like a brainwashed foot soldier, an underground Resistance fighter, a religiously-inflamed demagogue, even a judgmental alien intelligence, he moves away from the diary page introspection that could occasionally curdle into lyrics of questionable taste (Sorry, please don’t slip on all the tears I’ve made you cry).

The release of the album was notably attached to a labyrinthine “Alternate Reality Game” campaign, with in-character websites, USB drives hidden at concerts, and music videos with secret messages, adding plot strands and world building to the lyrics. (I missed the boat on all that, but the work that the same marketing company did for The Dark Knight was sure something to experience.) All of which would be near-impenetrable, if the actual music wasn’t so compelling. You don’t have to read the wiki pages to feel the apocalyptic beats and glitchy cacophony of “HYPERPOWER!,” “The Good Soldier,” and to pump your fist to the chorus of “Survivalism.” “I got my propaganda / I got revisionism” hits harder in a time, 10 years on from the album’s release, in which the most powerful voices in the U.S. government disregard reality on the reg, occasionally try to downplay the Holocaust. “Capital G,” a gleefully sociopathic near-rap by the forces of greed, could soundtrack one of Paul Ryan’s dead-eyed workout photoshoots.

“In This Twilight” and “Zero Sum” are the shattering two-part coda, in which the squabbling remnants of humanity face the end, whether by divine intervention or nuclear fire. The first juxtaposes crunchy, distorted percussion and fuzzed-out bass with perhaps the most perversely light and melodic vocal performance Reznor has ever delivered. He’s singing about encroaching extinction, but in a blissed-out religious reverie, optimistic for the afterlife. The character at the center of the closing track is not so sure: this is the End of this ridiculous human experiment, and we’ve brought oblivion on ourselves. “Shame on us / For all we have done / And all we ever were.” There’s the Nine Inch Nails nihilism we know and love!

Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D (#151) filters the previous album through Hip-Hop and EDM, to uneven effect. The collection of remixes never quite sustains the highs established by the first two tracks: Saul Williams’ fiery rap verses turn the instrumental “HYPERPOWER!” into a polemic against a legacy of American violence, “Gunshots by Computer,” while modwheelmood frees the vocals of “The Great Destroyer” from the squealing synth breakdown and creates a whole new paranoid anthem. While it’s also interesting to hear the Kronos Quartet reinterpret “Another Version of the Truth,” the rest is largely skippable. The physical set includes a DVD with the multitracks for the original Year Zero recordings, so you too can fuck with the raw materials! (I’ve been trying to remix things for years, and I’m awful at it, but it’s fun to hear the individual instrumentation.)

After freeing himself lyrically from his old methodology, the next release from Reznor eschewed words and melody completely. Ghosts I-IV (#152) is nearly 2 hours of ambient experimentation, a precursor to the Oscar-winning film scores with Atticus Ross (a few tracks were literally reworked for The Social Network, and several others continue to be licensed for film and documentaries). The buzzsaw distortions, dark piano chords, oddly organic synthesizers, and industrial beats identify it as a NiN record even in the absence of vocals. Though good luck recommending your favorite tracks, with titles like “26 Ghosts III” and “09 Ghosts I” not exactly sticking in the memory.

The Slip (#153), originally released free of charge, is more of a return-to-form. Arguably too familiar— it’s essentially With Teeth Part 2, but leaner and meaner. It’s not held in especially high regard, but it was there right at the outset of my fandom, and as such I continue to have a soft spot for it. I even bought the physical copy after years of listening to the decent quality MP3’s. “Discipline,” with its uncommonly funky bass line and high hat-favoring drum beat, is my number 1 “trying to sneak it onto a party playlist but not very successfully” NiN song. Along with the following track, “Echoplex,” the dark dance floor vibe is a preview of the sound Reznor and co would explore with How To Destroy Angels. “Lights in the Sky,” “Corona Radiata,” and “The Four of Us are Dying” create a kind of suite, insinuating and ethereal. I can understand if you bow out of that middle, 7-minute-and-33-second, ambient track before the library sample of fighting cats kicks in. But “LITS” is Reznor’s sparsest, prettiest piano lament, announcing the eminent “retirement” of Nine Inch Nails as a touring/recording entity.

Wave goodbye. They’ll be back.

#Nine Inch Nails #Trent Reznor #rock #hard rock #industrial #electronica #CDs #cd cover #album art #alternative rock #With Teeth #Year Zero

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duaneodavila · 6 years

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Kopf: A Contrarian’s View Of The Vanishing Federal Criminal Jury Trial

Over the last three decades, there has been a steady overall decline in federal criminal jury trials. For compelling proof and a penetrating explanation of why this decline has taken place, see Honorable Robert J. Conrad, Jr., United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina and Kathy Clements, The Vanishing Criminal Jury Trial: From Trial Judges to Sentencing Judge, 86 GEO. WASH. L. REV. __ (forthcoming Mar. 2018). I can’t compliment these authors too much. Their work is superb.

Consider the following charts taken from The Vanishing Criminal Jury Trial for the period of 1980-1999[i] and 2000-2016[ii]:

This has caused great angst.[iii] For example, a pipe-smoking[iv] Cato libertarian (evidently fearing black helicopters) tweeted the following recently:

While I do not wish to discuss in any great detail the reasons for the decline as explained by the authors of The Vanishing Criminal Jury Trial, any person who is serious about understanding the causes for the decline would be well-advised to read the article slowly and carefully. The authors’ explanations are finely reasoned, well-researched and compelling. Interestingly, some of those reasons are surprising or counterintuitive, but in my view eminently sensible.

For example, the discretion afforded district judges by Booker[v], which tended to ameliorate the harshness of the Guidelines, and the relatively benign charging policies of Attorney General Holder[vi], are two such unexpected causes for the decline in criminal jury trials according to the authors. But, overall, with a conviction rate hovering around 87 percent for all criminal jury trials[vii], “even the most daring and adept litigators would pause before urging their clients to exercise their Sixth Amendment jury trial right.”[viii] In short, the risk/reward ratio has never favored gambling with a jury in most cases, and that is especially true now given the stiff penalties that Congress has enacted.

What I am far more interested in is probing the normative question of whether we ought to fear the decline in criminal jury trials. I am not much concerned about such a decline, but the thoughtful authors of The Vanishing Criminal Jury Trial are quite concerned. I wish to scrutinize their judgments.

Greatly summarized and condensed, I next describe the authors’ conclusions that the decline in criminal jury trials is bad for business. After each point I will provide my brief take. Here goes:

Point 1: “The absence of jury trials makes the judicial process more secretive and contravenes the ‘presumption of openness [that] inheres in the very nature of a criminal trial under [the American] system of justice.’ Trials provide a public forum for the airing of grievances, yet the death of trials marks the end of doing justice where disputes are played out under the attentive eye of judge and jury.” Id. at 48 (citation omitted).

Kopf’s Take: As I have said before in this regard, “give me a break.” I have tried lots of criminal jury trials over the last 25-plus years as a district judge[ix] and I can count on one hand the cases that drew more than few members of the public. Besides, arraignments, detention hearings, suppression hearings, guilty pleas and sentencing hearings are public. Hell, they are not only public, but because the magistrate judges and I use digital audio uploaded to our computer system, anyone in the entire world can listen at home to those proceedings[x] that very evening at minimal cost.

Point 2: Without more jury trials, lawyers lack a foundation to know which cases to try and which not to try because they lack a sufficient number of prior cases tried to a jury to gauge the strength of their particular case and their client’s risk against past history. Also, appellate review of jury trials is shrunken and thus development of trial related law is impaired. Even further, the trial skills of judges and lawyers are harmed by disuse. Id. at 50-51.

Kopf’s Take: At least out here in flyover country, we have enough criminal jury trials to keep the district judges up to snuff and our Court of Appeals sufficiently busy to make whatever criminal law needs to be met. Frankly, you don’t need a whole lot of jury trials to keep your skills intact and the Court of Appeals busy fly-specking the application of the criminal law in the district courts during jury trials. Moreover, specialization is rapidly and inexorably changing the private bar. That means private CDLs will be fewer but likely better as the market weeds out the marginal. Great CDLs know when to hold them and know when to fold them. Still further, we have very experienced federal prosecutors and federal defenders who have tried loads of criminal cases to juries and who are ready willing able to pick a jury for the ones that need to be tried. Additionally, our Criminal Justice Act Panel is populated with lawyers who can find the courthouse and pick a jury as well. And the management of that panel provides training for baby lawyers through a sort of “mentoring” system.

Point 3: In close or weak cases, the absence of the potential for independent fact-finding by a neutral jury has weighty justice implications. Id. at 51-52.

Kopf’s Take: In my experience, that’s not convincing. As a practical matter, few close or weak cases get tried anyway. Just last week a relatively young but wonderfully devoted CJA panel lawyer got his client a sweet deal dismissing a drug conspiracy case in favor of a plea to misprision of a felony. I put the defendant on probation and approved a voucher for the lawyer that was twice the CJA limit.

Point 4: Without more jury trials, fewer citizens serve as jurors. “Studies show that jurors often leave the jury duty experience with a renewed sense of faith in the fairness and integrity of our government. However, as trials disappear, the risk of the public becoming increasingly disenchanted and distrustful of the American judicial system, and more importantly, of our democracy as a whole, becomes more real.” Id. at 53 (footnote omitted).

Kopf’s Take: The authors’ argument that jury service provides an important educational function is certainly true, at least for the judicial branch. But that educational function can only be provided to a tiny number of citizens even assuming that the federal jury trial rate increased exponentially. Moreover, we should never forget that we forcibly summon jurors upon pain of fine and imprisonment and we screw up their lives mightily in so doing. Simply put, we don’t try criminal jury cases for the purpose of educating our citizens.

Now, I will zoom out a bit and conclude. Nostalgia for a bygone era is not a sufficient reason to worry that the sky is falling. We must remember that criminal jury trials are a means to an end, and not an end by themselves. Ultimately, the federal district courts are intended to resolve disputes and we are doing just that whether by plea or trial. And, I should emphasize, we are doing so promptly and I believe more fairly than ever.[xi]

Having been a federal magistrate judge or a federal district judge for over 30 years, it is my view that the good old days were never all that great. Besides, we judges are not the ones who must prosecute and defend criminal cases—that is solely the prerogative of the prosecutors and defenders. If prosecutors and defenders, with the agreement of their respective clients, decide never to try another criminal jury trial, that is their call and not mine. In short, and while I don’t wish it, if the federal criminal jury trial vanishes altogether, I will sleep just fine.

Richard G. Kopf Senior United States District Judge (Nebraska)

[i] Id. at 19 (the hyperlink and the page citations are to the version found on the Social Science Research Network).

[ii] Id. at 5.

[iii] See, for example, Josh Gerstein, Why Petersen may not be the last judicial nominee with no trial experience, Politico (December 21, 2017).

[iv] I smoke a pipe too, but I am no libertarian. I am just a schmuck who sucks a pipe.

[v] The Vanishing Criminal Jury Trial at 25-29.

[vi] Id. at 31-42. “During Holder’s tenure as Attorney General, jury trials of drug prosecutions decreased by 45 percent from 1,035 jury trials in 2009 to 568 trials in 2014.” Id. at 33 (footnote omitted). Say what you want about Attorney General Sessions, but his comparatively tough charging policies for drug cases are likely to cause a bump in criminal jury trials.

[vii] The conviction rate for drug cases tried to a jury this year is slightly over 93 percent. Table D-4. U.S. District Courts—Criminal Defendants Disposed of, by Type of Disposition and Offense, During the 12-Month Period Ending June 30, 2017, at p. 2. If I never had to try another meth case I would be happy. Almost always, such cases are just unnecessarily long guilty pleas.

[viii] The Vanishing Criminal Jury Trial at 23 (footnote omitted).

[ix] Statistically, the District of Nebraska ranks 8th in the nation for criminal cases for the 12-Month Period ending September 30, 2016. My last criminal jury trial this year took three weeks to try. It involved 16 counts and it required a separate jury trial on the forfeiture allegations. It ended in a split verdict but prison sentences nonetheless for the defendants and a large money judgment against them to boot.

[x] To the chagrin of court reporters, I also use digital audio for my criminal jury trials. So, one doesn’t even have to come to the courthouse to hear the trial.

[xi] When I say “more fairly,” I refer to the process of resolving criminal cases and not to the draconian sentences that Congress has dictated. By the way, the biggest reason for the improvement in the process has been the near universal adoption of the Federal Public Defender system. I became a magistrate judge in 1987 when there was no such animal. Shortly before becoming a district judge in 1992, I was tasked with drafting the plan for the creation of the office of Federal Public Defender for our district. Trust me when I say the criminal process has improved by an order of magnitude since the inception of our Federal Public Defender’s office. Indeed, our Federal Public Defender, Dave Stickman, who was selected as the original Defender long ago, is now regarded by many as the Dean of the Federal Public Defense system nationwide.

Copyright © 2007-2017 Simple Justice NY, LLC This feed is for personal, non-commercial and Newstex use only. The use of this feed anywhere else violates copyright. If this content is not in your news reader, it means the page you are viewing infringes copyright. (Digital Fingerprint: 51981395c77d7762065ca2c084b63e47) Kopf: A Contrarian’s View Of The Vanishing Federal Criminal Jury Trial republished via Simple Justice

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shoecartel · 7 years

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The 12 best memes of 2015: Runaway llamas, The Dress, Adele …

The internet in 2015 has given us a lot of giggles a vigil to a raccoon, Drake playing tennis and the duck army but which memes construct our cut of the best?

12. What are thooooose!

A police officer. A cheeky dude( Brandon Moore) hollering what are thooose ? at the officers functional, ugly footwear. Millions of loops and views and copycats afterwards, a meme is born. The first urban dictionary entry for the phrase and practice appeared in 2011, but it was 2015 when the sport of pointing at some awful shoes( preferably Crocs) and shouting what are those ?!! entered the mainstream. The best example is the wonderful take on the Jurassic Park theme tune( see below, 50 million Vine loops so far ), which I like because its less mean-spirited than real life instances. In fact, “the mens” who started the whole thing back in the summer seems kind of rude and is now in jail. Um.

11. Duck Army

It stormed collective internet consciousness in early September. Norwegian Kevin Synnes decided to embarrass his girlfriend in a store by pushing down on a bunch of toy ducks which, when pressed, emitted a loud aaarghh ! noise. The video was then appropriated by Vine star Charlie Murphy and subsequently looped millions of days, spawning multiple variants. There has even been a mash-up with the what are those? meme. My person favourite versions are those which pay tribute to Adele and Taylor Swift.

However, a Guardian investigation revealed that that the toy was not a duck, but a pelican. Listen to our interview with Kevin here.

Read more: How the duck army stormed the internet

10. Hello, its me

It took merely a 30 -second snippet of Adeles new single, Hello, debuted during the advert violate of the UK television show, The X Factor, to have the vocalist trending worldwide on Twitter. And while the haunting piano and hushed, smoky tones beloved of millions of fans induced much excitement among those desperate to hear the full song, the clip also inspired plenty of memes.

Hello, its me is a pretty meme-able phrase, and the internet did not disillusion. When the sepia-tinged video dropped, featuring the vocalist in an amazing coat, using a flip-phone and hanging out in an abandoned home, the memes merely multiplied. Especially re: the flip-phone. One girl even texted her ex the entire lyrics to Hello, without him catching on at all.

Read more: Hello, its me. On a flip-phone. Samsung unveils clamshell model

chuck (@ charlubby) October 23, 2015

you know it’s the emotional part of the song when adele doesn’t stop touching her face pic.twitter.com/ dkQvHRmL7 6

9GAG (@ 9GAG) November 8, 2015

#Hello, it’s me. https :// t.co /8 2PU9WzQHG pic.twitter.com/ 1y7xUrARvQ

9. Miley, whats good?

A lot of people characterised this as Nicki Minaj hurling tint at Miley Cyrus, which is a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of tint. Minaj didnt throw shade she immediately called Cyrus out, in front of a TV audience of millions. If anything, that is the direct opposite of hurling tint.

The incident happened at the MTV Music Video Awards in response to an interview Cyrus gave in which she called Minaj not very polite. While accepting an award Minaj called Cyrus this bitch who had a lot to say about me in the press the other day, before aiming with the perfectly passive aggressive, Miley, whats good? Cue memes. Plenties and lots of memes.

John Liacopulos (@ john_liac_9 7) November 3, 2015

When Miley Cyrus takes you to her favorite eatery that you’ve never been to before and you ask what to order pic.twitter.com/ qoGDlgHmuQ

KK (@ _ColeHeartedX) October 9, 2015

I hate whoever room this is #iup #MileyWhatsGood pic.twitter.com/ Peh3f 3Yq4b

8. Confounded Nick Young

Nick Young is a basketball player who shoots for the LA Lakers. His internet fame, however, is courtesy of a confused reaction face meme. At one point during a day-in-life-of documentary, Thru The Lens, positioned on YouTube, Young pulls a huh? face when his mother calls him a buffoon. His quizzical expression towards the camera has spawned likely the best reaction macro of 2015 and can be used for disbelief, astonish or a thousand other reactions.

Photograph: Instagram /@ Daquan

7. Why you always lyin?

The 21 -year-old college student Nicholas Fraser became an internet sensation when he decided to perform, in his yard, perched on a lavatory, as one does, a quick cover-up of Nexts Too Close, but with the lyrics changed to why the fuck you lyin?/ why you always lyin ?) Given that people lie all of the time , and we know about it, guys , and we all want people to know that we know, Frasers vine caught on and inspired multiple cover versions of his cover version. Now, when your mate texts to tell she is five minutes away but you know she likely hasnt left the house yet, theres a perfect means of responding. Thanks Nicholas.

Read more: When “theyre saying” Nicholas Frasers vine isnt the best use of 2015: why you always lyin ?

6. Fifty Shades of Grey

After the Fifty Shades of Grey series of volumes sold so poorly , it was a punt for Universal Pictures to have taken on a film adaptation. But oh, brave souls it was brought to the screen in summer 2015 with Sam Taylor-Johnson at the helm and Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson starring. Given that the book had already resulted in a lot of culture cache, it was inevitable that the film would inspire memes and gags. The internet delivered. In particular, the my savors are very singular line( altered to my passions are unconventional for the internet) demonstrated a rich seam.

The Beast (@ KrystalSim) February 9, 2015

pic.twitter.com/ m5Tpb21XRf

Photograph: BuzzFeed

5. Hotline Bling

One of the best ways of 2015, the video for Drakes Hotline Bling didnt drop-off until October three months after the ballads release. But it was worth the wait. A minimalist clip, Drake proves off his unusual dance moves against different coloured backdrops inspired by artist James Turell. The rappers moves and pained impression inspired multiple parodies shared on YouTube, Vine and Twitter.

Included below are some of the best: a dancing and adorable shiba inu( aka Doge ), the Man From Another Place from Twin Peaks and perhaps best of all, some tennis backhand action.

Chai Goth (@ Abid_ism) October 20, 2015

The hotline is filled with secrets pic.twitter.com/ 5zS0WZhGCG

4. The Dress

The most viral of viral phenomenons. A young lady took a picture of a dress in a clothes store and uploaded it to Tumblr. Why is this interesting? As the internet was genuinely divided as to whether the dress was blue and black, or white and gold.

The original Tumblr post pose the question racked up an enormous 73m page positions, and a BuzzFeed piece on the dress has more than 38m page positions to date. #TheDress trended for days on social media. Scientists were carried in to explain how people could be seeing different colourings. Rods and cones were mentioned. British current affairs programme Newsnight even offered its own election. The Guardian waded in, with the definitive take.

michael (@ 1975 NIGHTMARE) February 27, 2015

when you don’t know the color of the dress pic.twitter.com/ sQI7YLnjk 1

BBC Newsnight (@ BBCNewsnight) February 27, 2015

A live on screen vote on tonight’s Newsnight – what colour is #thedress? Get out your phone and going to see http :// t.co/ dRffVZfw0P at 10:30 pm

3. Poot Lovato

I dont guess Ive ever chuckled so hard as when I detected the Poot Lovato meme. A Tumblr post featuring an awkward fan photo of vocalist Demi Lovato posited the hypothesi that the snap was not of Demi herself, but her secret twin sister, Poot Lovato, who had been trapped in a cellar her entire life. The fable took hold and soon the internet was ablaze with hilarious and creative Poot memes. Fan-fiction was written, fan art draw, Instagram and Twitter accounts were established and even Demi herself addressed the gag( she wasnt amused ). Then, instead, brilliantly, a sleuth excavate out a paparazzi photo of Demi-as-Poot right at the moment the fan pic was taken. Its still funny.

Read more: Poot Lovato: has the internet detected Demis secret sister ?

A selection of the best Poot Lovato memes. Photograph: Guardian composite

2. Llamas on the run

On THE SAME DAY AS THE DRESS, the internet explosion with one of the great police chases of our time two llamas on the run. The llamas, one black and one white, ran loose in Sun City, Arizona. The whole internet followed, glued to the ABC1 5 live river of the runaway animals and tracking updates on Twitter. The llamas, true heroes of freedom and an inspiration to all, had escaped from their day job in an animal therapy centre. The black llama was caught first, its emancipation ended with a cruel lassoing. The white llama ran on, but eventually, it too was caught. Still, these two were the internets favourite llamas since Serge, the French llama who travelled by subway.

HannahJane Parkinson (@ ladyhaja) February 26, 2015

NOOOO. BLACK LLAMA CAUGHT. STAY STRONG WHITE LLAMA.

Matthew Baldwin (@ matthewbaldwin) February 26, 2015

LLAMA 1: We’re escaping this afternoon. LLAMA 2: Alpaca bag.

1. Dead Raccoon

My personal win for meme of 2015 is the dead raccoon, an unfortunate soul, detected deceased on a Toronto street. After a human tweeted the relevant city authorities to tell them about the raccoon, the poor critter was left for hours in the same place. Over the next 12 hours, a vigil was set up for the raccoon, documented online. A note was left, a framed photo , notes were written. Someone gave the raccoon an unlit joint as a mark of respect. It get dark. Candles were illuminated. The raccoon was named Conrad. Eventually, the authorities turned up and unceremoniously dumped Conrad in a rubbish truck. Such a lack of respect.

Raccoon update: he’s still there. Someone has written him a card .

A photo posted by Emily Taylor (@ emilyjs5) on Jul 9, 2015 at 9:14 am PDT

Shauna Pollock (@ misspollock) July 9, 2015

Don’t quite know what to say about this sidewalk discovery except that it really brought ppl together. #deadraccoonto pic.twitter.com/ BJ7efipLvq

Norm Kelly (@ norm) July 10, 2015

The sidewalk memorial is growing, @311Toronto. H/ T @jasonwagar. #DeadRaccoonTO pic.twitter.com/ 3vTUf9xB7b

Kris Pangilinan (@ KrisReports) July 10, 2015

10: 46 pm #DeadRacoonTO is still here. pic.twitter.com/ D9JbEuxJol