#this also took my artist like an hour and a half girl how

[sir-adamus]

i've got the blu ray for volume 1 playing and i'm watching the behind the scenes video and Monty explicitly spells out how important collaboration with other creatives was in building RWBY, saying how he wanted to work with Kerry and Miles on it in creating the world and how he mostly gave them broad strokes. and it's mentioned how they all put the show bible together - i'm gonna put the whole transcript for the video under the cut (which i'm having to do myself because no one has uploaded this video anywhere as far as i can tell and there's no fucking subtitles)

Monty Oum [Creator and Director]: It’s the stories I’ve always wanted to tell versus the idea I came up with about, a little over a year ago. And we were talking about doing another show, and I just kind of half-asleep came up with the idea of a color rule for a bunch of characters. The red, white, black and yellow color scheme was something that was very prominent even in my previous work, so I started matching names up, matching ideas up. Also thinking about like, some of the ideas I’d stored up over the years. At some point or another the word ‘RWBY’ came to me.

Monty: Starting the show out originally, I designed the original character, Ruby, as well as going into the other characters. So once I had the first trailer done, and thinking about the rest of the characters for the show, I started bringing in other artists who I had watched for years. People I’d always said “someday I’ll work with them, someday I’ll have them design for me.” And when I was certain about having certain characters, I first contacted an artist I admired and found over DeviantArt. Her name was Ein Lee, she’s actually from Taiwan, and I found her art probably well over five years ago, and just loved her art style, and therefore wanted to incorporate it into my characters. So, I would do rough designs for team RWBY as well as designs for team JNPR, and she would flesh that out to be even further. To the point where eventually I didn’t need to design characters anymore, she started designing a bunch of the rest of the characters down the line.

Monty: The second person I brought on to RWBY was Kerry, because we had just been having conversations about the kind of show we could make. I’d been working with Miles on Season 10. He was writing scenes while I was making scenes, and so the three of us would have a lot of meetings and collaborate on the show to the point where I just started coming up with the broad strokes eventually and they had pretty much written the bulk of the show. Collaboration’s a big deal here, and I tried to include as many people as I can.

Kerry Shawcross [Co-writer]: Right after RvB ended, we wanted to just go straight into RWBY, but that was like right when we were going into commercial season. So we would work our normal hours here. Like 10 to 7-ish, then we would go back to one of our apartments and just start writing.

Miles Luna [Co-writer]: Monty really was enthusiastic about having these characters that may appear really one-dimensional for like the first few scenes that you see them, but the longer you get to know them, you realise “Oh, Yang isn’t just a dumb blonde party girl. She’s a very caring and nurturing girl, that has had to essentially be there for Ruby when she was young.”

Kathleen Zuelch [Producer]: When Monty and Miles and Kerry came to me, and really took me through the story. I started becoming a huge believer, because I’m a big fan of old school, traditional fairy tales, I love the Brothers Grimm, I love all the Snow White, and I love Little Red Riding Hood. I grew up with all of those stories, and the way that they were very clever in creating this whole world that’s kind of making homage to all of these amazing stories really inspired me to get more on board with what they wanted to do with this whole anime show.

Taylor McNee (née Pelto) [Art Director]: The world of RWBY, it looks very familiar. We wanted a blend of very classic looking architecture and clothing and cars, but we’re also mixing in this really kind of futuristic feel, like these little touches of some really futuristic stuff like holograms and things that you wouldn’t find in a classic [inaudible]. And that’s how we’re making this world unique. Our assets have to go through this pipeline of concept, modelling, texturing, and then finally being able to be put into the 3D program. So we start out with the concept and we usually bring that image into Maya, which is the main 3D software that we use. We have to make a 3D model that looks exactly like the concept that we were given, and it’s quite a process. Basically, we’re pushing polys and extruding stuff until we make the perfect shape, then afterwards we have to UV unwrap it, and then lay everything out on a texture sheet and then paint it, and that will put the image on the model. After that we’re basically done with the model and texture, and then we have to give it to the animators. So then we will set it up in Poser so the animators can grab it and use it for their characters.

Gray Haddock [Lead Editor]: There’s a lot of people working on this show, and there’s a lot of different elements in the pipeline. Editorial kinda serves as a hub between all the different departments, so we help all the communication and coordination between all the different pieces of the show, depending on what part of development that they’re in. Editorial’s getting involved way early in the process, we work alongside the director and the writers and the storyboard artists, and we use the scripts to help develop the storyboards and the camera angles for all those boards. So editorial is responsible for building up the moments of any given scene in terms of the timing and what you wanna look at, at any given moment. So we take the script and we help develop the camera angles and how long you wanna linger in a particular camera angle, look at one character or another or the scene as a whole, and the rhythm of the scene in terms of how long is it gonna take to spend on a particular line or when you want the music to come in, things like that. So we build up a set of animatics with the storyboards, and the first pass of all the audio. This is what then is handed off to the animators, so they can know exactly what is in what shot and how long do they have to animate it in a given shot. And once they’re done animating and their shot’s been approved, then their shot goes to the render farm, we get the rendered shot back and we drop it into the timeline for our episode and finesse the cut a little bit if we have to. But for the most part, we’ve done our job right and everything should pretty much be locked in for the most part by the time we’re getting animation.

Kerry: What’s kinda interesting as we’re creating the characters is, we kinda knew what kind of character they’d be. We knew Ruby would act a certain way, we knew Weiss would act a certain way, but we didn’t really know much about them. So we would get to the point where we’d be figuring out plotlines or figuring out dialogue and we’d be like “What would Weiss say here? What would Nora say here?” And then it turned into “Oh well now we know.”

Miles: Obviously we put a lot of thought into Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang before we started writing the dialogue. I remember sitting upstairs and we made a show bible, and we’re starting- we talked about likes, dislikes, personality traits. One of the first things I remember making was “Weiss drinks coffee. Blake drinks tea.”

Kerry: It’s important. It sounds not important at all, but it’s very important. It says so much about them

Miles: But it’s so important. So much about them, also it says nothing about them. It was just like- that’s just what it is.

Monty: I want the show to have resonance with people who are growing up. Cos everyone’s story is the story of kind of becoming who they are. Especially these days when the path of becoming who you are tends to be marginalised with reality. Having done what I’ve done, where I’ve essentially dropped out of high school, started learning this stuff on my own, and therefore land in a position where I get to take the things I was dreaming about when I was growing up and make it real. I tend to get a lot of response from people who are also not sure what they’re meant to become, a lot of them also have the same bright imaginations and with the way the world is, the hardships of what it means to grow up tends to marginalise who you are, and I would hate that to happen to anyone because the future is in creativity and that’s not something you can just manufacture. I actually would like this show to grow up with the people, so unlike most shows where they tend to be ageless or age very slowly, I’d like our fifteen-year-old fans watching fifteen-year-old Ruby, when they’re twenty-five, to be watching twenty-five-year-old Ruby, and to actually have some resonance with the character. Probably one of my favourite types of feedback is to say “I know this person” or “this person is just like me,” and that’s probably one of the best things about coming up with these characters.

[florenceafternoon]

━。゜✿ jily fic recommendations ✿ ゜。━

Some more AUs I've been loving. I'm trying to alternate between AU and canon verse rec lists so bear with me. Remember that if you like a fic you should definitely let the author know as such.

For reference, anything in italics is taken from the summaries on ao3.

theogony by @clare-with-no-i

The trip that Lily Evans expects to go on is the annual pre-dissertation jaunt to Athens with the rest of her Classical Civilizations PhD program. The trip she does not expect to go on is to 479 BCE, right on the cusp of one of the most important battles in the Greco-Persian war. Now, she has to navigate antiquity as she tries to find her way back to the 21st Century, God—or gods—help her.

James wants to win this war. No, James needs to win this war. He is a man of honor and duty, and even if it means dying a gruesome, bloody death, he will go down in history as one of Athens's great warriors. He will suffer no distractions; not even beautiful ones who speak strangely and refuse to listen to his orders.

 -- OR: The Outlander-Meets-Ancient-Greece Jily AU that no one asked for Maya dreams of.

I can't believe it took me this long to read this fic but OH MY GOD!! Clare's writing is phenomenal, I've known this for a while now, but THE DEDICATION TO HISTORICAL ACCURACY, I'm so impressed. If only I could put even half that amount of effort into my major essays for school. EVERYONE GO READ THIS NOW

Sweathearts' Special by @tinyluminaryzombie

What happens when your coffee shop nemesis, asks you to pretend to be a couple?

Or "I’ve been staring at the stupid cupcakes for the past hour, and they look way too good. Anyways, would you be willing to join forces and pretend to be together for the free cupcake and coffee?”

Welcome to Pettyville by @women-inthe-sequel

When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?

A love square but it's just the same two idiots

Tall Dark and Glasses by @jamesunderwater

Tall Dark and Glasses (or TDG as he is more affectionately known) is the mysterious, painfully good-looking stranger who has been frequenting Lily's favourite coffee shop for months now. But despite having an embarrassing acronym for him, Lily, a burned-out STEM major, is too comfortable being a wallflower to go up to him herself. Thank god for playing cards, I guess.

coffee shops and copious amounts of sugar by @mystinkysocks

James decides to finally start revising, the coffee shop he attends introduces him to someone new!

As someone who spends an ungodly amount of time studying in public (at cafés and libraries), all I dream of is to one day live out my very own coffee shop AU

Unlicenced by @ohmygodshesinsane

Lily Evans begrudgingly agrees to get in the car with classmate and sometime-foe James Potter and his not-quite-earned P-plates after a particularly rubbish day.

Drop-Off also by @/ ohmygodshesinsane

James Potter takes Lily Evans home, and wants to make something clear.

Disclaimer that they’re Australian in this AU. You guys don't understand how much Lily Evans means to me. I want to give her a hug.

pretty, pretty boy by rosiemary0 (on ao3)

Pretty face, with golden brown eyes and strong cheekbones (one of which is adorned with a smudge of charcoal). Pretty hands—very, very pretty hands, Lily’s thoughts interject—which hold a jar each, one with water and the other paintbrushes.

Or the one where James is an artist and Lily hates socialising.

I'll Manage by @kaymardsa

James and Lily fall in love during the war.

In which Lily runs a refugee camp and James is an ex-sniper

I can't remember if I've recommended this fic already but again I recently re-read it and wanted to share

'Tis the Fucking Season by @thequibblah

Six-year absences. Yearly photograph burnings (figuratively). Low-cut tops. Two nosebleeds. Little red notebooks. The Past, with a capital P. The desire to pour your heart out to strangers (maybe pathologically). The desire to do unspeakably bad things to one James Potter. These are the ingredients that make up Lily Evans's holiday season.

Shelby the cabbie is in for a fucking ride.

I have been searching for this fic for two months and nearly gave up. An absolute classic that everyone should read!!

Two's a Crowd also by @/ thequibblah

Regency AU in which "the only thing Lily Evans can share with the Earl of Devon is a healthy dose of mutual dislike."

In Search of Something More by @kay-elle-cee

In the sunlit garden of her sister’s home, Lord Potter had promised Lily a life of her own design, with minimal expectations—her presence at community events, companionship, and an heir. As the two stumble into the routine of marriage and work to make a life together at Stinchcombe Hall, unsolicited feelings provoke each to start wondering if this is merely a marriage…or if it could be something more.

No, I will not shut up about this fic. Anything that Kelsey writes is bound to be amazing but this one holds a special place in my heart. Note that this is an ongoing fic though. I tend to recommend completed works but this one is too good not to include.

Pinkest Bluestocking of the Ton by @wearingaberetinparis 

Dearest Reader, the ton are abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it is my honour to impart to you the news that the Duke of Peverell has returned to London at last! A year after setting off on his tour of Europe, Lady Peverell's son has returned and rumour has it that his mother is preparing for the most joyous of occasions: a late summer wedding that sees her son wed the next Duchess of Peverell. It is my sincere hope that you have stored a bottle of wine for this most delightful of upcoming events for if ever there were a more determined mama, this writer is Icarus and this society paper has been scorched for flying too close to the sun.

A Jily Regency Romance inspired by Shondaland's "Bridgerton".

Again this is an ongoing fic, but it's too good not to include in this rec list! I haven’t caught up with all the chapters yet but I love the story so far!

A Heart of Coal also by @/ wearingaberetinparis

They say fortune favours the bold, yet Lily Evans was given her death sentence at seventeen. As soon as midnight strikes on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, her heart will turn to coal. Gryffindor knight James Potter, however, is the last to accept such a fate. For while Lily Evans’ curse foretells her death, his foreshadows a life without his unrequited true love at his side.

Fairytale AU in which the love is requited they're just idiots

Three Lemons and a Dragon by @thelighthousestale

Once upon a time, there lived a Prince named James who had to save his father's Kingdom by getting married. One day an older woman gifts him three lemons that will lead him to his true love.

Dillweed in a Fancy Metal Can by @eastwindmlk

When Lily gets dragged to a Renaissance Faire, she reluctantly agreed to go to the jousting event where she is pulled into the show against her will, or is it?

Lily represents me

Queen Foxtail also by @/ eastwindmlk

Once Upon A Time...

There was an arrogant prince who turned down every suitable match and drove his parents to do something drastic. Marry him off to the next merchant that steps through their gates.

across the universe by rcdwings (on ao3)

“So, you’re saying that in these other worlds, James Potter and Lily Evans exist, too?”

She hadn’t expected to hear that, hadn’t even thought about it that way. She was too busy thinking about if in those other worlds, she and her friends could be seventeen and free instead of the war torn teenagers they were. Now that he’d put it that way, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander.

“I would assume so,” she swallowed. “Not sure what we would be like, though.”

A beat, then a soft hum. “Anything,” he smiled at her, “There are countless worlds, right? We could be anything.”

only love can hurt like this by @fireblts 

Lily doesn’t quite know everything, but it feels pretty close.

The main thing she still doesn’t get is soulmates. Love doesn’t seem like something that should be painful. Or rather, love seems like it’s painful enough on its own without any help.

Soulmate AU - whenever your soulmate is hurt or in pain, you can feel it too.

Soulmate AUs are my comfort genre of fics. I haven't been feeling to well lately and rediscovering this fic was a delight

The Librarian of Hogsmeade Village by @ohmygodshesinsane

Lily's work as a librarian in the small village of Hogsmeade has kept her occupied for the past six years, forever keeping the wheels of the town on the track. As the holidays approach, she prepares to settle in with a nice mug of tea and a well-thumbed old book. When a new resident and his son arrive at her weekly story-reading, with cheeky smiles and big hearts, those plans are tossed out the window in favour of chasing love, for once - not escaping it.

Lily living the cozy life of my dreams. I think it's well known by now that I love reading about single parents and well James with his baby boy always puts a smile on my face.

Spitting Image by @charmsandtealeaves

James Potter always knew he wanted to build a family, he just hadn’t found the right person to build it with - yet. Freezing his sperm at Gringotts Sperm Bank was a no-brainer really. He’d have children when he found the right person, and now he had an insurance policy. Then Lily Evans walked into his place of work with her son - the spitting image of him.

linking this art that the talented @constancezin drew inspired by this fic

Every time I see that Ray has updated, reading the new chapter becomes the highlight of my day

The Stag Prince Across The Sea also by @/ charmsandtealeaves

The realm of Hogwarts had lived for decades in a carefully negotiated harmony between the leaders of the four clans. However, when the time came for son to marry daughter, the Slytherin King refused to offer his daughter's hand to any of the other grand houses’ suitors. As the Slytherin King departed the shore, bound for the ship that would allow him to escape across the Green Sea, he cast a curse on the great families.

“Let ye be marked. Marred by tooth, hoof, and claw. May your sons never be fit for any bride!”

Slytherin invoked an ancient magic, which transformed each family's eldest son into creatures under the light of the full moon. The Kings searched far and wide for a cure to no avail while trying to keep secret the wrong that had been done to them. Years passed and with them grew a sense of unrest, a kingdom on the precipice of collapse...

what love is, I think by @potterandevans-blog-blog

It's James Potter's birthday, his nineteenth to be exact. Some people, if they're lucky, find a tattoo on their back on their nineteenth birthday, a tattoo that can help them discover their soulmate. And if the antlers on his back are anything to go by, James might just have a soulmate of his own out there, somewhere.

oil be there for you by @abby10fanfic

Texting/Social Media AU: Lily and James haven't spoken for 2 years. But that's all about to change thanks to Peter and his involvement in an essential oil pyramid scheme. Featuring boss babes, toxin-free lifestyles, binding contracts, and a very oily journey.

[luvrrgirl444]

chapter 14: genius

IRL, INSTAGRAM!

“hi, y/n and i’m here today with genius to explain the lyrics of my song ‘kill bill’.” you smiled at the camera.

“so, fun fact about kill bill is that it actually only took about 6 hours to produce. i, uh-” you laughed. “i saw this thing online and it made me feel some type of way, and i was like ‘i need to release what i feel right now.’ so, i took out my songbook and went crazy. i called up my friend jean, my producer, and i was crying,” you laughed again, and made a phone gesture with your hand and brought it up to your ear. “and i was like, ‘bro i just wrote these lyrics, can we make a song right now?’ and we did, in like 6 hours.”

VERSE 1

i’m still a fan even though i was salty

hate to see you with some other broad, know you happy

hate to see you happy if i’m not the one driving

“the person that this song is about is actually also an artist, and he’s actually really talented. so basically, i was saying that even though i hate that nigga,” you stuck up your middle finger. “he’s still a great artist, unfortunately. the next two lines are literal, uh, about a month, maybe a month and a half after we broke up, he was posted up with another girl. which was honestly really shitty because he broke up with me to ‘focus on his music’” you quirked your eyebrow and used quotation marks. “basically this whole song is about me being a jealous heartbroken bitch.” you sarcastically smiled.

PRE-CHROUS

i’m so mature, i’m so mature

i’m so mature, got me a therapist to tell me there’s other men

i don’t want none, i just want you

if i can’t have you, no one should

i might

“i was tryna convince myself that i was strong, and that this wasn’t hurting me as much as i thought it was, but it definitely was. literally wrote a whole muthafucking song about it.” you laughed. “we we’re dating for a long ass time to be honest, so with the ‘i don’t want none, i just want you’ lyric, it’s basically saying that i’ve been with you for so fucking long, it’s always been you, how am i supposed to move on, y’know? it’s lowkey corny but yeah. the last lyric is very um, yandere simulator vibes but it relates to the theme of the song, which is like jealousy and vengeance and possession.” you put your hands up. “don’t worry y’all, i’m not a criminal.”

CHORUS

i might kill my ex, not the best idea

his new girlfriend's next, how'd i get here?

i might kill my ex, i still love him though

rather be in jail than alone

“i can explain y’all, i’m not a killer or a criminal but imma be real, i was definitely having some intrusive thoughts. but everyone does. like, anyone who says they’ve never had thoughts about hurting someone that did them dirty, or fucked with them, they’re fucking lying, 100%. and relating to what i said before, we were together for so long. no matter how much i try to deny, the love is still there. it’s been built up for years, as much as i want to, i can’t magically forget it overnight.”

you continued on with singing the lyrics and explaining them until you completely finished the entire song.

“kill bill was an impulsive creation and release. we recorded and finished the song in like 6 hours, and i was like ‘i want to release this today’” you pointed downwards. “but everyone told me no.” you rolled your eyes. “so i asked when was the soonest we could release it, and it was like in 2 days. so the next day i posted on instagram saying that i was releasing a song tomorrow and that was it. there was no promo for it, which is why i’m so fucking shocked that it did so well. but, thank you to my fans, friends and family, i love you all. stream kill bill, album coming soon, bye!” you blew a kiss to the camera, before smiling and making heart with your hands.

liked by erenjaeger, latto & 588,087 others

y/nsinterlude kill bill interview w @genius out neowwww!! go run it up 🫣🫣🤍

comments

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view 86.7k others..

🦋 !

- this chapter is fr just a whole lotta yapping but 🫣🫣

taglist! <3 @lovelytayy @cyberkitty1 @sqlty @cr0quis @koreluvsspring @asp7n @lottiematthewsceo @shidousmainluvr @idontknowwhatnametochoosee @drugzforyou @astrokatsuki @crvzy-fujoshi @ncentic @ilyconnie @stellartoi @bubbabobabubbles @tee4str

[agoldenchara]

A Bat's Ultimate Plan for Vengeance!

Ch. 3: Making it official?

CW: Blood. Biting. The usual vampire shtick. Wink! W/C: 1.6k

“I haven’t even agreed yet.” But she shook your hand anyway, favoring the mission over her title of relationship. “I don’t have to call you ‘my lord’ like Corin does, do I?” “It’s in the fine print.”

"Are you two sure you want to take on this mission?” Lycaon eased into his office chair, lacing his fingers together as he leaned into the table.

You plopped down on the only seat in front of his desk, legs over the armrest and arms crossed. “It can’t be that bad, right?” 

Ellen closed the door behind you with a ‘click’, and moved to lean over the backrest of your chair. She looked down at you. “Dude, you can’t even fight. How are you going to guard?”

“Pfft- can too! I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Besides, they’ll go crying to their mothers once I bare my fangs. I’m just that notorious.” You tossed your hair, ether sparkles emitting with a wave of your hand.

She ignored you in favor of responding to her boss. “Uh, the client said he’ll pay overtime, right? I’ve been saving up to buy something, but if I can get this job over with, I’ll probably have enough for it.” Lycaon furrowed his brows. “This mission isn’t for a part-timer, Ellen. If you exert yourself on the job, I’m afraid we cannot come to your aid. The designated location is at least a city over. By the time we reach you, it will be a few hours too late.”

She pursed her lips, “Respectfully, sir, I can handle myself. It’s summer break and I don’t have anywhere I need to be. Thanks for worrying and all but..” The girl sighed, lowering her head. “Yeah, I guess this is really unlike me, huh..” She looked torn between her desires and her capabilities. It was true that she tired out in the most inopportune moments, but at her full focus, she was able to carry out her duties. ‘But 2 weeks..?’ She reconsidered.

“Ellen, you’re.. Narcoleptic?” You interrupted her thoughts, connecting the dots to her behavior. “Nah, everything just takes too much energy.. Give me sugar and I’ll probably survive.” She removed the lollipop from her mouth to make a point before reinserting it. “Oh! You’ll be fine. You have the greatest villain looking after you. Nothing escapes me!” You declared smugly, partly to her but also to prove yourself to Mr. Lycaon. ‘Another recruit and I’ll have half of the company at my beck and call.’ 

You were eager to make a show of taking over right in front of him, robbing his authority.

“If you agree to be my lackey, I promise to give you my full support. Deal?” You held out a hand for her to shake. She huffed, “We’re supposed to be partners.”

“Hear me out! I’m partly nocturnal, but I can stay awake for business at least. I’m pretty strong too! I’ve trained to lift rubble, so a body is practically nothing to me. You could even call me an artist the way I’ve been escaping my entire life. Rest assured, my dear lackey. ” “I haven’t even agreed yet.” But she shook your hand anyway, favoring the mission over her title of relationship. “I don’t have to call you ‘my lord’ like Corin does, do I?”

“It’s in the fine print.”

“Yeah, yeah, my lord.” You beamed, clearly pleased. “What do you think, Mr. Lycaon?” 

“I expect the two of you to contact me if things go awry.” Without pause, he slid open the drawer beside him and pulled out a flip phone. Despite being an old model, it was pristine and well taken care of, as if it was fresh out of the box. You snatched the phone and flipped it open, immediately scrolling through the contacts. Listed were only the names of your boss and your new servant.

“Pleasure doing business with you, sir!” You grinned and slid the phone into your pocket and stood, as if you weren’t his employee in the first place. The both of your took your leave, leaving Mr. Lycaon in a contemplative mood. The type of mood that warranted one staring out the large window that loomed behind their desk.

Ellen shut the door behind her and immediately pulled out her phone to message her friends. A smile began to form on her lips. “Thanks.” “Cruorem Y/N, but that’s ‘my lord’ to you. If that’s what it took to win you over, I’ll be climbing the ranks in no time!” You sped past her to return to your room, leaving her to her own business.

“Your first mission..!” Corin fussed over you, having returned from her day out. She allowed you to borrow her luggage, clothing and other essentials prepared for your departure. Remembering when Mr. Lycaon had delegated her first mission, she recalled her anxiety and projected it onto your situation. Though, unlike you, she had someone she trusted by her side to guide her. However, you did not know Ellen like she did. She hoped the two of you would get along. 

“Do you need anything else? Teddy?” She offered before you wrapped her in your arms, pressing her head to your chest to prevent her from running around. Corin huffed in surprise, but made no comment. Her face flushed and warmed your cold body.

Corin lightly picked at the hem of your vest as silence washed over the room. The two of you stood in the middle of the room before the only opened curtains, bathed in dusk, heartbeats intertwining. Your shadow amalgamated hers, looming before you and phasing through the dark. A few breaths passed. “Text me daily.” “Okay.”

“Tell me you’ll miss me.”

“I will.”

“You’re mine.”

“O-of course, my lord.”

You rested your cheek over the crown of her head. Out of uniform, her hair was put down, leaving your position undisturbed. Her hair smelled like lavender. ‘..How sweet..’ Fluttering your wings, you moved her hair aside, baring her neck. Her lily white nightgown was shoulder-less, held together by laced straps. Corin shivered as you ran your fingers along her trapezius.

Moving down, you ghosted your lips along her neck. “Is this okay?” You murmured against her skin. “It might scar.” Your other hand ran over the scars on her shoulder. It was as if the girl had been reattached limb by limb. The cherry on top was the jagged line that ran straight across her neck, usually hidden by her collared dress.

Corin nodded against your chest, her hands reaching up from behind your back to grasp your shoulders. 

Your lips parted, and your fangs sank in, piercing through delicate flesh. Your canines tingled as the blood sent signals through your nerve ends. Her blood flowed thickly and left a bitter aftertaste. The taste of rotten blood. The stimulating shock of drawing blood never got tiring to you. The grip on your shoulders grew stronger as your shirt creased between her fingers. “I-It hurts..” She sobbed, but you only dug in further, prodding at her muscle. Moments passed before you retracted. “Good. Remember that feeling.” Blood sludged out of her wound, black and foul. It was as if her body had been turned inside out, left to clot and dry out, leaving her cells bare of oxygen.

“That’s what it feels like if you betray me.” Your sleeve went to wipe at the coagulating wound. 

Corin sniffed, but stayed silent in fear. Her fingers relaxed when you stilled, realizing that you would no longer make a move. “Your shirt..” She started, realizing that she had left your clothing in disarray. The girl paused, and retracted from your arms, a hand placed over her neck where you had marked.

She ran out the door, her feet in a light pitter patter.

You fell back onto the bed, resting an arm over your eyes. The black blood from your sleeves crusted over and flaked off onto your skin. ‘Hah, what did I expect…?’ Licking your teeth, you shuddered in disgust. Corin tasted like a corpse. But she was yours. “M-my lord, your uniform came in..!” Raising your head in surprise, you blinked as Corin returned with a bundle of clothing in tow. Flecks of gold plates clinked together on leather as she stumbled to your side.

“I just remembered..! It would’ve been so embarrassing if I let you go out like this…” You sat up as she placed them beside you, reaching out to unbutton your collar. You smiled. “For me or you?” As a maid did, Corrin helped you get dressed, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the complicated loops and straps that held the fabric together. Your wings unfolded freely, unbounded by cloth as the uniform was accommodating to your figure. She guided you towards the mirror.

Adjusting your cuff and popping the collar which embellished your shoulders, a rush of adrenaline flooded through you as you realized that your uniform had been customized to appear more regal than the attendants of the Victoria Housekeeping usually allowed. The vest acted as a corset to straighten your posture, lengthening behind you into pointed coattails that mimicked a bat’s uropatagium, or tail. It was cut off from your shoulders, though made up by the cropped button down shirt. The combined effort of this design allowed for your back to be bare in order to optimize your flight.

“Mr. Lycaon had that specially made for you. He did that for Ellen too.” Ah, right, her skirt had been divided in order to allow for her tail to slip through. Tucking your phone within your pocket, Corin came closer to chain a pocket watch through the loop of your vest. The accessory was engraved with the branding of the agency, unlike the one Mr. Lycaon held.

“I guess I’m official now.” You put your hands on your waist, standing before Corin proudly. Your wings flared behind you.

“Yeah, officially late.” Ellen appeared leaning at your door frame, left wide open when Corin had rushed in. “C’mon, edge lord. It’s time to leave.”

[Wait, backtrack!] [Onwards!]

[elliesmainhoe]

Hey! I was wondering if you could write about streamer Ellie with SFX makeup artist gf reader. Like Ellie will be streaming and reader will come in with super cool or scary make up and Ellie will just blow up with praise about how good it is and tell you to join her. Or if she’s playing a horror game you’ll come in with scary makeup and spook her and the viewers love it!!!

Ellie Williams Headcanons: SFXArtist!Reader X Streamer!Ellie

Definitely met you over Instagram.

She was laying in bed, scrolling through her favourite video game hashtag- when she stumbled on a post you made with hyper-realistic SFX make-up.

yourinstagram

1,845 likes

yourinstagram this took me twelve hours, I wish I was joking 🧍

ewiliiams holy fuck that's cool!!

yourinstagram replying to @ewilliams- awwe thanks ❤️ appreciate it xoxo. (Love your streams btw)

view 21 more comments

(screenshot sourced by hollymurraymakeup on tiktok)

Next stream she's chatting about how cool you look and confesses to stalking your insta

Little does she know you where watching

Had you giggling and kicking your feet as well as giving you the confidence to slide into her DMs

Eventually after a few months of chatting you two pull a classic U-Haul lesbian andice in with her.

She doesn't tell chat about the developments in her love life until you decided one day to cause chaos.

Ellie had told you she wouldd be staying up later than usual tonight to stream a newly released horror game realistic zombies as a main feature.

You'd created zombies with prosthetics and makeup about a million times and had perfected exactly what products to apply and to which part of your face. You'd started a few hours before Ellie was set to start streaming so you'd already gotten the naked prosthetics on your face by the time she'd began the gameplay.

An hour into the stream, when Ellie was exploring an abandoned hospital, the lights were dim, the game had an absence of music giving off an unnerving atmosphere- you knew it was time to set your plan into motion.

Ellie was well-known for her immersive gameplay experiences, the LED lights of her office connected to her monitor so when the game was dim, so were her lights. If her character was submerged in water, her light would turn the same murky brown colour.

The hospital she was in was dimly light, making her set up also turn dim so when you snuck into the background of her office the viewers didn't immediately clock into you. You stood there for about 30 seconds, forcing your body to imitate the movements of the undead enemies that hunted Ellie.

User1: What the actual fuck is that in the background?!?!!

User2: your setup is sick man

User1: please tell me I'm not the only one seeing this!!!!!!!!!

User3: Holy shit.

User4: That's freaky as fuck.

Of course, Ellie being her usual oblivious self was too distracted to notice the spam of comments that flooded her chat until a voice donation brought back her attention.

User5 donated $30 'look behind you'

An out of character screech came from Ellie as soon as she spun around to see you, the screech eventually turned into a burst of laughter as you playfully imitated a zombie, stumbling towards her. She opens her arms as you fall into her lap- biting at her neck as she played along- pretending to flail before acting dead.

User7: Whats going on lmao

User8: Ellie's dating a zombie?

User8: a HOT zombie aswell.

"uhhh, so chat.... This is my girlfriend, Y/N,"

-------------------

Taglist: @aunslie @lonelyfooryouonly @eywaskisses @daryldixonh0e @kittynnie @lovelyyevelyn @randomhoex @moonlightdivine @haerinwho @mufflaa @mial1l @sarahsmileslikesarahd0esntcare @ellies-girl @escaping-reality8 @magicalfreakcowboylawyer @hejdevkdbdjsd @dergy @half-of-a-gay @ellieismami @cyberlainn @gollumsmygel @sseorii @kyleeservopoulos @taloulalila @ellieluhme @kiiyoooo @delusionalvioleht @joelscharm @hi2647 @gumdropkoo @coffeeandbookskeepmealive @womaniza @namgification @kimiisims-blog @tayyyystan @abigaillovestoread @whoreshores @kylieeluvstlou @knowitsforthebetterr @endureher @erikaar @lanasluverr @sayah13 @ilovebufflesbians @srryhoneyy @222fine444u @jade1212 @frogtits1 @casually-simping @amoebagrl @cilliansangel

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 1/9/2024

the BEAST (phil) has been SPAYED

listening

my sister ALSO, INDPENDENTLY, keeps tuesdayesqe lists in the back of her planner! which is what i used to do before these posts! You Got A Man by JAWNY is off her 2023 playlist. this philly artist's claim to fame seems to be that he dated doja cat for six months? the song is short, bratty, and fun indie/alt not-quite-rap. i have no knowledge of how much the man overlaps with the song. spotify

-

reading

ive never watched supernatural, except by osmosis bc i signed up for this website in 2011. this book is what i imagine people say when they say "what if supernatural was good?"

Rebecca Roanhorse's Trail of Lightning (her debut) and Storm of Locusts takes Maggie, a typical lone hero/monster hunter/horrible bitch of a woman (i say this approvingly) and says listen! you can do way sicker shit if you like. accept help and community and have a support system. it does not read like booktok found family or approach this in the typical fanfic way, which is refreshing. it points out that you will be a much longer lived and successful monster hunter this way. this is optimization, if you really look at it.

most postapoc stuff doesn’t contend with the fact (if it even acknowledges indigenous people at all) that indigenous people have already lived through several colonizing apocalypses. these books make a very sharp point that there is not a tremendous amount of difference between the reservation before the apocalypse and the reservation after the apocalypse. the worldbuilding in these is a interesting spin on sea levels plus the Energy Wars, to keep all of that at arms' length the Diné built a magical and physical wall, which i think is a funny spin on the trump border wall.

neither of them are really romance or kissing books, there is romantic interest but they are kept extremely busy not dying and admiring each other's competence. they are action and gore heavy. this is notable bc the books are fairly short (took me about two and a half hours each) and they have pretty fuckin good action scenes! the first book has an underground club and fight ring run by a cat god: club atmosphere was terrific (there's a bit about them having to drag in hastily camouflaged cheap walmart tables to handle some overflow and i instantly knew exactly the table), it had a dress up scene I was very weak to. i thought the series of events by which they ended up at the big boss battle post-club was kind of stupid but (forgivably) the big boss battle was quite enjoyable. figuring out what to do with your life next when you’re highly trained for a very specific thing but also not trained enough to be a serious danger and were set up to fail was extremely compelling to me, an astronomy major who cannot actually work in astronomy.

second book really hits its stride and (girl who has only played fallout voice) feels very fallout-y. desperate quest to save a loved one. girls' trip through a bunch of weird places with a bunch of weird guys. there's a lot of references that play with tone without ever going HEY REMEMBER THIS OTHER WORK YOU COULD GO LOOK AT RIGHT NOW? there’s a plane and a weird guy that made me think of mad max thunderdome, except the weird guy is his own character and has his own arc. there’s a weird grandpa on a boat who i don't think is a reference at all, except maybe to the timeless genre of weird grandpas on boats. there’s a sentient casino trapping people inside that reminded me of the new vegas dead money expansion, except Maggie barely steps inside bc she immediately gets caught up in a day-long battle of wits against the god of gambling. Maggie is a little more settled in her own skin now that she’s regularly talking to other people and has rejoined her community in her own small ways on her own terms and it HAS made her a much more successful monster hunter. the dialogue is snappier, the action scenes are more elaborate and smoothly choreographed. it's nice to watch an author grow so quickly (from this is serviceable to oh SHIT this is fun) over the course of a duology :) this feels like it was meant to be a trilogy but this book came out in 2019 so i am not holding my breath. it has a nice solid endpoint right here imo.

past sexual violence is sort of orbited around but no sexual violence is actually depicted, which i appreciate as a woman trying to enjoy postapoc.

libby has a very helpful Indigenous Voices category/reading guide/thing. thank u libby now i want to read everything else she's ever written

-

watching

saw a piece of fanart i cannot find now for the three minute short PUPARIA by Shingo Tamagawa.

Something is about to change drastically. We can only be witnesses to it.

it's a weird and stunningly beautiful little thing i am still worrying at like a dog with a peanut butter kong. if you have a thing about eyes or clusters of round shapes this is NOT the three minute short for you btw

-

playing

the free epic game was the Eidos Montreal Guardians of the Galaxy game, and since i am allergic to dead moms i will not be playing it. widely reviewed as "good writing, but not very much fun to actually play" so i don't feel like i'm missing out on too much.

i have no good story to tell about my time with genshin this week. we're aiming for "can i turn my brain off for forty minutes in the evening" and grinding a lot of one specific boss while listening to podcasts does seem to be enough to turn my brain off.

-

making

i have been frantically deep cleaning (including soaking the office in enzymatic cleaner [thanks phil]) bc my siblings are coming to town for a couple days and despite several setbacks (a completely different arrival time than the one they told me) and absolutely no sense of an itinerary we will be fine! we will all be fine and have fun! i will be SO fine and calm and chill and we will all have some fucking fun so help us god

ALSO also phil has finally been spayed and is now dealing with four separate issues: the giant wound still on her side, the spay incision, the necrotic abscess in her mouth from going too hard on a springy toy, and being underweight from trying to heal three things at once. we'll get there! we'll get there. it's just taking a while. we are going to have friday afternoon vet visits every week for the foreseeable future.

i love her so much and i'm glad she's feeling better but i genuinely think owning a horse would be cheaper than owning this one wonky cat. they shaved SO much of her tummy she looks even sillier than usual.

other than being Very Alert for the persistent little orange tomcat that keeps hopping up on my windowsill, mackie is doing fine. no concept of the fact that my siblings are going to pick her up more in two days than she gets picked up in a whole month. this is a girl that likes her feet on the ground thanks much

[celestie0]

Girl I was balls deep in my attempt to make fanart for u a couple months ago

Like I had the reference pictures collated and I sat my ass down and picked up an pencil with the intention of actually drawing something after ages

cause basically I became a lil sad cause I felt like I forgot to draw bc last year in school I took an external art subject and it didn’t occur to me that doing a hands on subject through distance study wasn’t the brightest idea

anyway that fucked me over and led to me dropping and taking up fucking legal studies 😭

Even though I’m a bit more STEM based I can still fw the wordy subjects but not this someone pls save me why am I being assessed on the bi cameral structure of parliament

saur yh I’m super lazy as is with anything so that situation just put me off drawing and art completely

congrats to me setting every world record for yip yapping and going off track

ummm yh for context it was like my 10th read through of the kickoff chapter 6 scene that compelled me to collate a bunch of reference pics that ranged from twitter smut comics to bathroom sinks and eventually I gave up because anatomy is a bitch

I changed into a dress with the same type of neckline I think reader was wearing bc of the way it tucks under her boobies and I was this close to just shamelessly positioning myself in front of the mirror to make my own references

then ofc I got distracted by a half baked portrait of Rose from titanic that I drew when I was like 15 and ended up drawing a two hour long remake of the same picture

only for my friend to tell me it looks like Mary Shelly’s ghost

Should I know who that is

To be fair it looked nothing like her but I mean it was an improvement from thinking all my ability just went poof and I drew better when I was 15

never the less I was somewhat disappointed with the product and I haven’t drawn since

wait I wanna show u actually lemme try

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0edTRG9Tb54pRh9Qe5unszRrg

the Mary Shelly in question

do these links work I’m scared I’m gonna accidentally leak personal details or my whole camera roll lol

also IM NOT AN ARTIST don’t judge me peeps I’m just a girl idek how to drive yet

I feel bad every time I send an ask I feel like I’m force feeding u Ellie babes u have the patience and commitment of a saint

also OMG IF YOU MADE ART FOR ANY OF MY FICS I’D SOB!!!!

I want to 😞🫶 but alas prospect of fanart from me will most likely never see the light of day

that crack scene in ihm was tempting tho everything u write is just so visual

♥️ mwah my gorgeous gorgeous writer wifey

hellooo my dear PLS the ramble of this ask is legendary and i found it very entertaining xD

ouuu the dress that reader wears in ch6 of kickoff is actually based on a dress that i own, here's some pictures of it!! i'm curious if the dress you have is similar!! but yea this is the official outfit reference hahah

looking at it now it's kind of a mild sweetheart neckline lol n yea def tucks under the boobs very nicely xd i was actually gonna sell it on depop a couple months ago when i did a closet cleanout but i was like nahhh i gotta keep it bc it inspired that scene

taking your OWN reference pictures sounds so badass. and its ok babe it's the thought that counts haha <3 i feel u about the losing passion/talent in art thooo aaa i used to draw too but ehh hobbies fizzle

ahh i can't see the cloud photos :(( but anywho thanks for the yap my dear!! i ate it up. also side note but i'm so glad my writing comes off visual to you!! i always worry there's not enough description in my scenes so that's reassuring to hear. much love!

[fuck-customers]

I talked about my ordeals with who I dubbed Stalker Boy a while back, since I still don't know his last name (it took me about 6 months to find out his first name, since he decided to start stalking me at work after seeing me there once) but this isn't about him lol.

This time, the stalker wasn't here for me, he was after my coworker I'll call C. For context, C is barely 19 and tiny, and generally looks even younger than she is.

Well a couple weeks ago (the week after Mario came out), she was walking around in the back with a manager doing whatever, and this guy, who was about 40, and also roughly 6ft 5, was following them. After a while, the manager stepped away and the guy used the opportunity to corner C. And you'll never guess what he says.

Creep: "Hey, I think you're really attractive. How much would I have to pay you to have sex with me?"

C ended up kinda staring at him and saying "I can't disclose that information" because she didn't know what else to do.

Luckily the manager who'd walked away got a bad feeling and came to get her. C filled in the manager but the guy had disappeared, so they had C shut herself in the break room (where I was on my lunch) until they could find him and remove him from the building.

After I come back from lunch, I go back to working door (taking tickets), and keep my eye out for the creep, which was hard because I never actually saw him.

(Seriously dude, I have a lot of respect for sex workers, but what the fuck makes for think that's an appropriate conversion starter, let alone using it on a teenager half your age and size that you cornered while she's sweeping up popcorn???)

Fast forward a couple days. We had what I was told was a glitch, but I think was actually human error, but we ended up having three shows, in the span of roughly an hour, for Mario where two shows had been created for each time slot in the same room. So it was crazy busy since they sold out and twice as many people showed up as expected. And since there were two tickets per seat, we had to implement system for explaining what was going on to people as they come in and establishing who gets the seat and who gets a refund, and it was just a huge mess. One of the shows, the first one that was double booked, had 250 seats, meaning there were 500 people there for it. And guess who decided to use the confusion to sneak back in.

So I finally managed to get to the end of the line, but the managers were still at the service desk trying to do refunds, and I hear one of the newer girls radio about a creepy guy who was standing inside the doors to the auditoriums and just staring. I'll call her N. N, like me, is butch, and I'm not sure if Creeper realized she's a woman, or if he was just only interested in C. Here's a helpful artistic rendering of what N was seeing.

(Not pictured: being in shadows because he was standing in a dark room)

At this point, we had no way of knowing that it was the same guy, but she kind of walked away, and when she came back a few minutes later, he was still there, though he later started moving to other auditoriums and doing the same thing. C was actually there that day but was on lunch.

So N was radio'ing about needing help dealing with a weird guy who's movie-hopping, and she said he was getting really aggressive when she asked him what he was doing. The managers kind of just waved N off (over the radio), saying that they were busy, and told her to deal with it the best she could. I was getting bad vibes, so I walked over to tell the managers directly that they need to go help N. I'm working the front door so I'm not actually allowed to leave the little area, but luckily, the service desk is right on the edge of my area.

And one of the managers snapped at me as soon as I got two words out and said "We're we're with customers, you know better than to interrupt". Which, they're right. I've worked here longer than both of them combined. I know damn well how things work and I follow the rules, so if I'm suddenly not doing that, it's because I have a fucking reason, m'kay?

N managed to summon enough guys from the cleaning crew to help her herd the guy to the front, at which point the manager who'd kicked Creeper out last time recognized him and realized how serious it was (she's not the one that snapped at me) and she kicked him out again.

Because I don't know why this guy would be hiding in dark rooms and watching and waiting, unless he was waiting for C to walk by so he could do god knows what to her.

And then about 10 minutes later, one of the managers who snapped at me came over and was like "did they tell you about The Guy?" And I just stared at him and said "*I* was trying to tell *you* about The Guy, and you told me to go away." And he didn't say sorry or anything, which is what I expected.

And then apparently Creeper came back two more times later in the week on days I wasn't there and on the fourth time, the manager had finally decided enough was enough and called the cops and he ended up getting arrested. So I hope that's the last we'll see of him but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

Thank you for the tag, @zutaralesbian! 💕

Name: Hannah

Zodiac: Sagittarius? 🤷‍♀️ It means nothing to me, however.

Fuzzy socks or fuzzy blanket: Fuzzy blanket! If it's a heated blanket, even better!

Do you enjoy winter? I aggressively love winter. If I didn't, I would be in trouble, since it's winter for like half of the year here. It is difficult and exhausting, and sometimes I definitely get burned out on it because things like walking on ice and snow removal are physically hard, but it's so, so beautiful! I think that cold weather and the experience of being in the cold is beautiful and magical in a way that being in outdoor warmth is not beautiful to me. Also, I'm a majorly hermit-y person, so I like the "Let's all just go inside and not do much because it's dark out" energy of winter.

But, like, I took this picture on my walk today! Looketh at this snowy tree!!!!!! Is there anything better than that????

Anyway, I feel like I should be effusive about winter because everyone else hates it! I'll show up for you, girl! ❄️ I love a problematic fave!

What’s your comfort book or movie? Book: Anne of Green Gables, Movie: Hunt for the Wilderpeople. (I understand that these are basically just the same story with different clothes on.)

What’s your favourite way to wind down after a long day? Watch TV w/ the bf while our doggie naps nearby!

Tell me something you like about yourself: This is more something that I like about the experience of being myself, but: I like that I love so much fiction that it makes every day exciting for me. There's always something fictional to enjoy in my every single waking hour. Usually I can't relate to being bored as a concept.

Favourite Artist: I don't know much about art, but I will always have a nostalgic fondness for J.W. Waterhouse and the Pre-Raphaelites. (Which sounds like a bitchin' band name also.)

How do you practice self care? By doing as little as possible in my life so that I can devote as much time as possible to enjoying fiction. 😂 Troy and Abed being noooormal!

A book you want to read this year: THE ROMANCE OF THE FOREST BY ANN RADCLIFFE. Or ANYTHING BY ANN RADCLIFFE. After last year's triumphant read of The Mysteries of Udolpho, I've decided I'm going to become an official Ann Radcliffe stan. I'm going to earn my Ann Radcliffe stripes.

What’s a song that makes you feel joyful? "Send Me On My Way" by Rusted Root. The bop of all time!

What advice would you give your younger self? Eat more potatoes while you still can. (Adult onset potato allergy = 👎)

And finally, you’re given a plane ticket to anywhere in the world, no strings attached. where are you going? BRONTE COUNTRY, or New Zealand.

Tagging: Nobody because I am already procrastinating too much and need to go be productive, but please fill this out if you'd like to, these questions are fun!!

[clumsy-jiminie]

ɪɴᴇᴠɪᴛᴀʙʟʏ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱ | ᴘᴊᴍ | ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱɪx

❝ ꜱᴡᴏʀɴ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴄʏ ❞

↣ summary :: Kiara Smith had dreamed of true love for as long as she could remember. from being obsessed with the Disney princesses who found affection in the strangest situations to dressing up as a bride from kindergarten to fourth grade. it was the only thing she ever truly desired, so much so that a pleasant smile and kind eyes could have her smitten in seconds. right when she thought she found the one, a chance encounter with Park Jimin—the city’s famously perfect fuck boy with a smile so warm and a heart of ice—has her feeling quite the opposite. he knocks her off her axis and derails her life as she knows it, yet the universe seems to have another plan for the two.

↣ rating :: 18+

↣ genre :: fluff, angst, smut, e2l, slow burn

↣ pairing :: business owner!jimin x fem!artist!MC ft. taehyung

↣ word count :: 4.9k

↣ chapter warnings :: mature language, alcohol consumption

↣ next :: previous :: series m.list ↢

if you have any questions, comments, or concerns PLEASE don't hesitate to message me or send me an ask! my inbox is always open. 💖

"that face, baby, it ain't fair. but what you don't know, don't know. don't know—I eat boys like you for breakfast."

- breakfast, dove cameron -

Kiara interlaced her fingers with Taehyung's, loving how his hand swallowed hers. She leaned into him as they walked along the bricks placed in an intricate design that led to their neighbor's front door. Ever since their revelation the other night, she felt closer to him. That hazy vision of a ring on her finger was getting more apparent by the day. Even so, she still couldn't fathom willingly being in the same space as Jimin.

"Remember to try," Taehyung mumbled to her as he knocked on the front door. She sighed deeply, and he gave her hand a gentle, encouraging squeeze. In seconds, the door swung open. A grinning Hoseok greeted them, his smile also spreading to their faces.

The last time tonight Kiara would genuinely smile.

"I'm so glad you guys made it!" He beamed as he pulled them both into a hug, one arm wrapping each body.

The couple chuckled softly. "As if we'd miss it," Taehyung said as he led them inside. Hoseok took their coats, placing them in a nearby closet. 

The Jung's home always felt so warm and cozy. They had a shabby chic vibe going; white furniture to compliment the light brown wooden floors and beige colored walls. There were pops of colors here and there, like the bright yellow throw they had hanging off the couch that matched the yellow-themed paintings they hung over the TV. There were little potted planters meticulously placed on various shelves and surfaces. It felt like a home, their home. 

Kiara instantly spotted Momo as she returned from a hallway with an armful of blankets and pillows. She tied half of her midnight hair in a cute ponytail while the rest gently brushed her shoulders as she walked. As soon as Momo looked at Kiara, the broad smile on her blush-stained lips faded, and concern flooded her innocent features. She approached the girl, spotting Kiara's fake smile from a mile away.

"What's wrong?" She whispered, eyes peering around for Hoseok.

"I don't wanna be here," Kiara whispered, her lips frozen in a smile. She was trying, honestly dreading the moment when Blondie made his appearance. But she wasn't going to lie to her friend.

"Why?" Momo's brows furrowed as her eyes finally caught Hoseok's. He was smiling, entertaining his guests, but his glances were worrisome. He raised a thumbs up, and Momo nodded, not wanting to worry her significant other.

"Yo! Hoseok, can you—" Out from the kitchen walked the man of the hour, and his eyes automatically latched to Kiara's. Her smile dropped so quickly that her body couldn't keep up the facade. While she glared at him, Jimin shared a smile that seemed genuine. It caught Kiara off guard, her glare wavering as he looked at Hoseok. 

"That's why." As she mumbled to Momo, it felt like she had to convince herself they were on bad terms for a second. Her brows furrowed as she bit down on her lower lip momentarily.

"Can you guys help me bring out the snacks? I may have brought too much," Jimin chuckled, making Kiara's lips twitch. The men agreed in unison before following Jimin like ducklings.

As soon as the coast was clear, Momo grabbed Kiara's wrist and pulled her towards the couch. She tossed all the pillows and blankets before sitting the girl down on the ground. "Spill." She looked at the other, protection flickering like a freshly started fire in her eyes.

Kiara loved Momo dearly, but she sure was terrifying when she entered mother mode. "Do you remember the guy I told you about? The one from the coffee shop?" Kiara asked, the moment still vivid in her memory. She hated how his stupid face made a home in her mind. Like that one annoying cousin who invades your couch for a little too long, there Jimin was with that stupid perfect smile.

Momo nodded, remembering Kiara's colorful rant in the group chat, followed by several well-placed memes. She pulled out the game Cards Against Humanity from under the coffee table and started to set it up neatly.

"That was him."

Momo gasped loudly, "What?!" Kiara quickly silenced the girl. Their kitchen was close enough to be heard easily. "No way," Momo whispered, "he's such a nice guy! I've seen him tell off assholes politely."

"Maybe he saves all his rage for unexpected victims, like people he spills coffee on," she grumbled as she played with the zipper on her jacket. She swallowed suddenly, eyes fixed on her fingers. "He's mad I rejected him and won't get over it. And he's fucking everywhere. The gallery, the grocery store, even here!"

"Well, I'm kinda to blame for the last two places," Momo sheepishly admitted as she fiddled with one of the blankets. Kiara stared at the girl, waiting for her to continue. "He's my boss."

Momo's eyes met the others, staring at each other in silence.

"You're lying," Kiara suddenly said. There's no way he's been intertwined in her friend group this whole time. Momo shook her head, prompting a loud groan to rip from Kiara's throat.

The fucking odds.

The men returned from the kitchen, arms filled with various snacks and drinks. Hoseok and another man carefully put everything on the table while Taehyung walked around to sit on the other side of Kiara.

"What's wrong?" He whispered to the girl. She shook her head, not wanting to get into it. From all he knew, they got off on the wrong foot with the clientele dinner. He didn't see it as a substantial reason to have so much grief with the person, but he knew how Kiara was and remembered how Jimin was—two very fickle people with just as inconsistent personalities. 

They'll get along eventually, he thought; the more I bring him around, the more they'll get used to each other.

Jimin lowered himself to the ground directly in front of Kiara. She glared at him with those lovely eyes full of flames. If she were Starfire, she would have obliterated him long ago. And yet, for some odd reason, it made the corner of his lips tug ever so slightly into a smile.

"It's nice seeing you here, Kiara." His smooth voice had the slightest hint of satisfaction. Was he excited for the night full of torture? She hated how he said her name, how his lips formed to pronounce the noun. She wanted to rid it from his vocabulary.

Kiara pressed her lips together, earning an elbow in the side from Taehyung. "Likewise," she forced a grin before leaning over to Momo. "Can I have some wine?" She whispered, feeling as if this night would go so much longer if she were sober. Game nights with just the four of them are usually fun and a highlight after a stressful week. But with this blonde around, he would permanently be a thunderstorm on her parade. Momo nodded, prompting her to spring out of her seat. She made a beeline to her kitchen, quickly finding her wine cooler. She poured herself a glass of red wine with hopes of babysitting the glass all night so that she wouldn't get too drunk.

Hoseok was keen on picking up the energy of a room, and he was surprised to find out there was tension between Kiara and Jimin. If anything, he was prepared for awkwardness as he would've had to introduce the two. He picked up the way Jimin looked at her, wondering if Taehyung also did. It wasn't his place, so he never addressed it. As Kiara returned to her seat, swirling the liquid crimson in her glass, Hoseok grinned at her.

"Ki, this is Namjoon, by the way."

Kiara's eyes met Namjoon's, offering him a heartfelt smile as she greeted him. She watched the large man sitting next to Jimin grow shy, looking down at the cards in his hands. She smiled fondly. Namjoon reminded her of Jeongguk for a second, specifically how these men twice her size could grow shy from a simple smile. It was adorable. 

After introductions, the games began. Since Jimin had a cordial act going, she decided trying couldn't hurt. It couldn't be that hard anyway. Some fake laughs here and there, maybe soften her eyes whenever she looked at him. It would be easier if he didn't always have such a smug look on her face. It's like he couldn't hide that he knew her secret.

As they played, Kiara sipped on her wine, laughing outrageously at the inappropriate and culturally insensitive answers they conjured up. Jimin, surprisingly, won a few cards from her, and she won a few from him. She never thought he was the dirty type—his head seemed way too far up his ass. It was a shame that he turned out to be an asshole. Their conversations and jokes seemed to flow together once the tension had subsided. They would've been great friends.

After three rounds, everyone slowly stopped playing and started to chat. Taehyung wrapped his arm around Kiara's shoulders as she leaned into him. The wine had settled into her system nicely, calming her and making her on the reserved side. Sometimes, she enjoyed taking a step back and watching everyone interact. She liked being in the moment, seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter. It warmed her and made her feel happy. She was one of the lucky few to find her people. She took her last sip and got up slowly to replace her glass. She didn't necessarily think she needed it, but she'd rather be safe than sorry. She felt relaxed and maybe a little heavy, humming to herself as she walked into the kitchen.

Feeling that some cheese would pair exceptionally well with her drink, she opened the fridge and stuck her head in. 

"So you know Hoseok and Momo, too, huh?" The smooth voice startled her, causing her to jump. She hit her head on the fridge shelf.

"Ow," she mumbled as she pulled her head out of the fridge. She looked over, seeing none other than the blonde. Her eyes instantly narrowed as she rubbed her head. "Yeah. I do."

He chuckled softly, white teeth beaming through his pink, plump lips. "Interesting. So they know about your double life, or am I gonna have to tell them?"

"First of all, you're under contract. If you say anything to anyone, I will sue." Her glare hardened at the man, pointing her finger at him as she spoke. Of course, why wouldn't their first conversation of the night be filled with threats? Appearance couldn't last that long, unfortunately. 

"Oooh, I'm so scared. Look at me! I'm shaking him my boots." A smirk played on his lips as sarcasm filled his tone, wrapping around his words gracefully. Like Kiara, he was fluent in the petty language. He filled the gap between them, taking deliberate steps as his arms folded over his chest. "I understand hiding your identity from fans and the public, but your close friends? Tsk." He shook his head, stopping a few feet from her. "Does your boyfriend even know?"

The alcohol in her system was nowhere near enough to deal with this. She felt anger bubbling up in her chest as she reached for the bottle from earlier. "Of course, he knows!" She rolled her eyes as she filled her glass once again. "You think I just bring him there for funsies?"

Jimin wondered if she could hear the slight slur in her words, watching as she filled her glass way past the appropriate amount. He said nothing, figuring he wouldn't have to do her the favor if she was drunk enough. "I don't know what you and your boyfriend do." He leaned against the counter. She could see how his arms subtly flexed underneath his white long-sleeve shirt. She tried to ignore it, focusing on resealing the wine bottle. "Honestly, he barely talks about you when we hang out."

Kiara's hands froze, her heart suddenly taking a cliff dive in her chest. His words were the loud beep that started the race of her thoughts. He doesn't talk about me to Jimin? She always thought men in love gushed about their partners. Regardless, she couldn't let Jimin see that his words created a whirlpool in her mind. She kept a blank face, finally closing the bottle. "Well, he has other things in his life, obviously."

Jimin shrugged his shoulders casually. "If that's what you want to believe."

"Why does it matter to you?" Her facade cracked instantaneously, snapping at the blonde while staring at his profile. She was growing to hate everything about him—from his stupid hair that looked great whether he styled it or not to his stupid lips that were too plump and frozen in a permanent pout. They looked soft, like being kissed by a cloud. She wondered if her hypothesis stood true.

Stop. 

She looked away, taking a large swig from her glass and drowning those other thoughts in the process.

"It doesn't, I'm just saying."

"You didn't need to say shit, though, and that seems to be your fucking problem." With her mask shattering under the alcohol, there was no point in holding back now. She looked at him again, his glare meeting hers. "You're always saying shit you should probably keep to yourself."

Jimin turned to face her fully. "I say what no one else has the guts to!"

"If that's what you wanna believe." She quickly mocked him, putting on a voice way higher than his own to watch his face twitch angrily.

He walked over to a cabinet, grabbing a bag of chips from inside. "You know, for a coward, you have quite a mouth on you."

There goes that word again. And just like before, Kiara had half a mind to drench his white shirt with red. It would be pretty, like something she's painted. Instead, she took another drink from her glass, ignoring how the bittersweet liquid warmed her chest as it went down. "Shhh," she voiced while putting a finger to her lips, "you wouldn't want your little friends catching a glimpse of the real you, Park."

"Why the fuck is Taehyung even with you?" The bowl he grabbed from the cabinet hit the counter with a loud thud. He turned around to face the dark-haired woman, and his brown eyes narrowed to slits as his voice lowered to a harsh whisper. "You're such a little shit."

"You came in here starting shit with me." Kiara nonchalantly shrugged as she leaned against the counter. She ignored how his words slashed into her self-esteem. She didn't want to think about the possibility of the jackass knowing something about her relationship that she didn't. He already knew too much.

"All I wanted to know was if your so-called best friends out there knew that you were a Hannah Montana wanna-be. I would hate to have something slip out."

"Oh, bullshit," she scoffed. "I don't know if you get off on holding secrets over people's heads or threatening blackmail," she suddenly began to walk towards him. Kiara crossed the width of the kitchen, closing the distance between them. Jimin stood his ground, arms folded over his chest as he ignored how seductive she looked approaching him. With a wine glass in one hand, her eyes lowered at him, hips swaying effortlessly in her baggy sweatpants. She looked like a fucking sin. "but it's a really gross look on you. Get a hobby."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, "How do you know my hobby isn't annoying you?"

She looked up and down at him, placing a hand on her hip as she tilted her head to the side. "Aww," she cooed, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips, "you really did mean it when you said you were a big fan."

Jimin's eyes went wide, feeling heat rushing to his face. Was he blushing from embarrassment, or because of how those eyes of amber looked up at him? He wanted to move his lips and say something just as snippy to keep hearing her voice, but he was too distracted. Kiara was close, dangerously close. Close enough that he could smell the bitter wine in her glass. Close enough that Jimin could easily catch a whiff of that addictive scent of hers. It was so sweet and subtle; it made him think things he shouldn't be thinking. She was his friend's girlfriend. But as she sipped her wine, the intoxicating liquid moistened her lips and made him curious for a taste. 

He never felt such conflicting feelings when looking at someone. Being in the public eye meant Jimin had to know what someone's intentions were. He had to be good at reading people before they even said a word to him for his protection. So, people around him fell into one of three boxes—friends, lovers, or enemies. He was rarely wrong due to mastering his craft for the past ten years. That was until he met Kiara. All the years of practice and knowledge were flushed down the drain within a week of knowing this woman. She was dangerous, and she knew it. She locked him into her gravitational pull, and no matter how hard he would try to resist, something in him just needed to be around her. He couldn't be the only one feeling this; she had to know, too. That's why she was doing all of this—teasing him without teasing him and looking at him like she wanted the same thing he was thinking. The universe threw her into his path for a reason, and he had to find out why.

She walked away from him, leaving that same sweet scent trail that tempted him to follow before. She felt proud that she managed to make the man who couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut silent, even if it was for a few moments. She lowered herself back into her place next to Taehyung while Jimin sat across from her. He looked at them, watching as she cuddled into the dark-haired man with glaring eyes. Taehyung's brows furrowed as his eyes danced between the two. 

"So, has anyone seen Luna's newest collection?" Jimin's voice cut through the chit-chatter, demanding everyone's attention. His eyes remained glued to Kiara's, watching her golden skin drain of its color. She may have caught his tongue in the kitchen, but now the game was on. "It's a true beauty."

Kiara took a sip of her drink nonchalantly, despite her heart pounding so viciously that her hand gently trembled. She heard a small whimper, feeling something tugging at the material of her sweatpants. She didn't have to look, knowing the familiar child named Nerves had arrived. 

"Luna?" Hoseok questioned.

"I think I heard a little about her," Namjoon added as he looked at Jimin. "She's kinda like Banksy, right?"

"Yeah," Taehyung said as he subtly reached for Kiara's free hand, "but better, in my opinion." He gave her a light squeeze as he grinned, causing Kiara's heart to warm. Nerves started to loosen their grip, beginning to return to where they came from.

"I've been following them since debut," Jimin said casually, "but not once have they shown their face. They're completely anonymous." He glanced around, meeting everyone's eyes at least once before locking in on Kiara's. He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper, "They could be anyone, even one of us." He looked away to take a sip of his drink. 

Kiara tried to exhale softly, Co2 leaving her system shakily as the anxiety rose again. She could feel Nerves wrapping their arms around her leg, crawling up her appendage until they took a swan dive into her abdomen. They bounced around, threatening to empty the contents of her stomach.

"Oooh, I love that!" Momo mused, clapping her hands in excitement. "A complete mystery artist. Do they hold art shows?"

Jimin nodded. "I just went to one a month ago. They're called A Luna Eclipse. That's where I ran into Kiara and Taehyung."

"A Luna Eclipse is such a sick play on words," Hoseok said while Namjoon ferociously typed away on his phone.

"Fuck, their art is so good," Namjoon commented as he scrolled through some pictures. "I have to get them in my gallery." Kiara raised an eyebrow slightly, making a mental note. She may send him a few pieces to test the waters. Just as she was going to open her mouth to ask more about him, someone promptly cut her off.

"What kind of art do they do?" Momo asked as she leaned over to peek at Namjoon's phone.

"Abstract paintings," Taehyung answered, "they use different mediums to create whatever they're feeling."

"Wow, these look right up your alley, Ki!" Momo practically ripped the phone from Namjoon and shoved it in Kiara's face. The girl laughed at the phone being too close to see anything correctly. "Do you have anything from them?"

Kiara shook her head, pushing the phone away from her face. "I can't afford to buy much when you're saving for a house."

"Then Taehyung should buy you a piece," Jimin added with a smirk just barely forming on his lips. "I could tell how much you adored them from the art show."

Taehyung let out an awkward chuckle while Kiara's gaze hardened at him. The game he was playing wasn't funny in the slightest. Did he get off making her so uncomfortable and on edge that it was killing her buzz? What was he trying to accomplish here?

"That would be such a nice birthday present!" Momo grinned while looking at Taehyung. "You have a few months to save up!"

Part of Kiara felt bad; Momo was such a pure soul, and lying to her for this long was almost physically hurt. It was something she had to do, though. There was no point in being anonymous if everyone knew.

And now Jimin had a spot on that short list.

"Yeah, I'll definitely consider it," Taehyung smiled softly.

"So, how is work going for you guys?" Kiara asked as she took advantage of the silence before Jimin could. She needed to switch the topic off of her for a while.

"I finally found a space to rent out for my gallery!" Namjoon suddenly beamed, a broad smile appearing on his lips. "It took a while, but this place is absolutely perfect. I already have a few artists who really speak to me, so all I have to do is wait for construction."

Everyone congratulated him, causing the man's ears to turn red. Kiara smiled fondly at him, cursing Jimin in her mind. She wanted to give a few pieces to Namjoon without asking for any profit. Aimee would kill her if she knew of this, and she didn't care. Seeing how Namjoon spoke so passionately about his goals inspired her. He deserved a few limited-edition paintings. He deserved something that set him apart from the rest.

"Jimin and I just made up some new choreo for class, and Jimin went trending on TikTok again," Hoseok said as he elbowed Jimin playfully.

The man glared at him. "Stop saying our accomplishments as if they're just a me thing! It's an us thing!"

"It was your post!"

Kiara remembered seeing that post on that faithful night of scrolling through TikTok when she definitely should've been sleeping—face illuminated by her phone screen, volume lowered to just above a whisper to not wake the sleeping man beside her. By the time she stumbled upon the video, it had already accumulated over 100k likes, even though he posted it just a few hours before. The high-tempo song was sped up from the original, yet he hit every beat effortlessly. He was a talented dancer, and it irked her to the core. The way he moved was captivating, almost hypnotizing. His body moved like flowing water, hitting every beat effortlessly. Somehow, he was both hard and soft, smooth and ridged. It was hard to look away, watching the 15-second video until she memorized the dance. If the song played, she would be able to do it with ease.

The 15-second video tempted her to go to Jimin's page and scroll through. For research purposes, obviously. Not because the way he moved was attractive or anything. She wanted to see if it was a fluke, like he got lucky and posted at the exact moment when some popular teenage girl stumbled upon it and showed it to all her friends. But she knew that wasn't the case. For the next couple of days, TikTok would recommend her videos of people recreating the dance under the hashtag Collide dance.

Momo rolled her eyes before lazily looking at Kiara. "This is what I have to deal with at work."

"Oh, how fun," she responded with a sarcastic smile.

"You should apply! And be the deal breaker because Momo refuses!" Hoseok chimed in.

"I don't wanna get in between that!" Momo exclaimed.

Kiara let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "I keep telling y'all I don't dance professionally. You only see me on the dance floor when I already have a few drinks in my system."

"But you do dance?" Jimin asked, seemingly genuinely interested.

Kiara suddenly caught her breath in her throat. She didn't like when he looked at her like that—eyes drinking her in as they filled with curiosity. "I'm not applying for your job."

"That's fine; I wouldn't hire you anyway."

Hoseok let out a loud gasp while Taehyung attempted to hide his giggles. "Jimin!" Hoseok scolded.

"What?!" He looked at the silver-haired man with innocent eyes. "You know we have a strict hiring process!"

"You're always taking things so seriously. Both of you are." Momo said as she stood up, causing Kiara to shoot her a look. She started to clean up the various snacks and cups from the table. "You guys don't have a funny bone in your bodies?"

"Maybe she should take a one-on-one class with Jimin so they can both loosen up," Taehyung grinned while nudging Kiara. 

Jimin and Kiara both laughed obnoxiously. Momo and Hoseok locked eyes briefly. 

"That'll never happen," Kiara deadpanned.

"Why not?" Taehyung asked.

"She seems like she has two left feet like Namjoon, and I refuse to have that disaster of a class again," Jimin said as Kiara's jaw dropped.

"It wasn't that bad!" Namjoon said, suddenly sitting up from lying down.

"You managed to knock down four people with one move!" Jimin glared at the man, who now had a sheepish smile on his lips.

"It was quite impressive, though," Hoseok added as he gathered the cards.

"You're such an asshole," Kiara said as she shook her head. 

Namjoon loudly scoffed as he laid back down on the ground. "You can say that again."

"Aw, darling, it's just a joke. I think your left feet are cute," Taehyung grinned before kissing the side of Kiara's head. She fought the smile that wanted to form on her lips, opting to burn a hole into Jimin's soul instead.

"It's not a joke," Jimin started as he leaned back onto his hands. He mirrored the same glare at Kiara, a smirk tugging at his lips, "It's an observation."

"Jimin!" Momo called from the kitchen. 

"Yeah?!"

"Shut up!"

Everyone but Jimin shared a laugh as the man in question pouted his lips like a child. Kiara and Taehyung decided to call it a night soon after that. They bid everyone farewell, including a sneaky middle finger to Jimin from Kiara when Taehyung wasn't looking. The walk home was short and peaceful. It was a blessing to live close to your friends. Once they arrived home, they prepared quietly for bed, enjoying each other's presence.

"So what the deal with you and Jimin?" Taehyung asked as he put down his toothbrush, using a towel he grabbed to dry his face.

Kiara's eyes widened as she stared at him through their bathroom mirror. She stopped applying her skincare for a second. Her heart started to race at the sound of his name. "What do you mean?"

"You guys have this weird tension. Like, I know you guys dislike each other or whatever…, but…." He trailed off momentarily, chewing on his lower lip as he tried to figure out the right words. "That was a lot."

She let out an awkward chuckle. She didn't realize it was that obvious. She thought everyone would be so tied up in the game or conversations even to notice the growing hatred she and Jimin had for each other. "I told you he didn't like me."

"I know," he sighed as he leaned against the wall, watching as she finished her routine. "I've never seen him act that way towards someone, at least not openly. It's like you guys trigger each other."

"Cuz he doesn't know when to shut the fuck up."

Taehyung chuckled softly, following Kiara as she walked out of the bathroom. "What was that Luna thing about, too?"

Kiara sighed as she belly-flopped dramatically onto her side of the bed. "He's trying to ruin my life!" She yelled into the pillow before turning onto her side. "He hates my choice to stay unknown to the public, which includes some of our friends as well, and it just feels like I'm Spider-Man, and he's trying to unmask me around every corner. If I wanted to be fucking Tony Stark, I would be Tony fucking Stark!"

The man laughed at her analogy, realizing the wine she was drinking was catching up to her fast. He crawled into bed next to her. "He wouldn't do that to you, knowing it could end your career. He's too much of a fan of yours." Kiara let out a single cackle, cracking a smile on Taehyung's lips. "He's just teasing you in his own way. Watch, you two will be friends in no time."

"Yeah, aight. Maybe when I'm on my deathbed from the brain aneurysm he'll give me."

Taehyung shook his head, responding to a few messages on his phone before placing it on the nightstand. "You're so dramatic," he said lowly, reaching over to pull the woman into him. He snuggled in close, burying his nose in the crook of her neck before they drifted off to sleep.

↣ next :: previous :: series m.list ↢

[omegaremix]

I found a great idea from one of my all-time favorite bands. Ten questions and answers about my live concert experiences. I had posted them on my sister site @ourladyofomega, but this is the remix. I took the time to explain each one in full.

Dollar values double with each one.

First concert: Dream Theater + Big Wreck @ Vanderbilt Planetarium. A former “friend” became the lucky winner of a radio-station giveaway. The prize? 16 free tickets to this show. We ended up with balcony seats and my “friend” invited our former co-worker from the department store we used to work at.

Last concert: Cold Waves XI (Lana Del Rabies + Ash Code + Sierra + JK Flesh + Orphx + Front Line Assembly w. Skold) @ Le Poisson Rouge. Part of the Triple Crown Victory Weekend that consisted of meeting my Italian-Irish family at a cousin’s engagement party (Friday), and getting an amazing cakeday gift box from a Welsh girl in Detroit (Saturday). This was a (Sunday) show that I waited at the last-minute to purchase tickets and wound up going. Who in the fuck’s idea was it to not have a NYC Cold Waves this year?

Worst concert: none. I make sure all shows I go to are ones to remember. But, if you ask me about the worst band I saw, then Hemlock takes that title. They opened with Meshuggah and Ministry (headliners). Everyone in Irving Plaza just stood there silent seeing this outdated nu-metal band trying to get it going. They were still unknowns after being fifteen years of band, and looks like no one remembers them after that. Good.

Loudest concert: Dream Theater + Big Wreck. Did I say this was my first-ever concert? I had no idea how loud it was going to be. Without question, this one was deafening. I’m not sugarcoating it. I had to cover my ears the entire time up in the balcony seats because all I heard was this shrieking wall of white noise. I remember almost nothing of that night other than the fact that I was there.

Best concert: Hospital Productions' 20th (Godflesh + Prurient + Orphx + etc.) @ Warsaw. This was at a time when I started taking the NYC scene seriously. I just got out of nine months of stay-at-home post-surgery recovery, and I had a new clarity coming out of it. Hospital Productions 20th marked an important point in my life: it made me decide that this was the place and people I wanted to be associated with. I also got to see some amazing artists: Dominick Fernow / Prurient, Orphx, Dedekind Cut, Nothing, and Godflesh. Three of those artists I’ve already seen twice in one point in life and another.

Seen the most: Uniform (3) @ Output, Saint Vitus, and Knockout Center. There was a bill with Uniform opening, then Pharmakon, Prurient, Aaron Dilloway with Genesis P. Orridge, and Merzbow. The line to get in Output was pretty long that I missed half of Uniform’s set and didn’t know who they were until I got more into them. I finally redeemed myself to see them in their entirety at Saint Vitus with a lineup of Michael Berdan, Ben Greenberg, touring drummer Michael Blume, and bassist Jenna Rose of Anatomy. Redemption fulfilled. The third? At Sacred Bones 15th. They were an added bonus right after Jim Jarmusch / Squrl, so why not?

Most surprising: Sacred Bones 15th @ Knockout Center. I have dreams where I end up in so many weird places that could have existed but didn’t. They are no different from the places I experienced. Downstairs record stores, schools, quiet snowy roads, city streets and highways. It’s an alternate reality that’s slightly shifted within itself. I entered Queens’ Knockout Center for Sacred Bones’ 15th where Constant Smiles started the evening so quietly. I was blown away by the first moments of it. People were standing and sitting on the floor in silence during the set. The sinking sun’s rays blasted through the venue’s windows giving light to the current space, as if this show started in the wee hours of the day. This was surreal! It wasn’t anything like I ever experienced before. But that’s not all. What other show I went to had a lecture hall on the line-up ? LD Deutsch’s essay about time, which had everyone sit in classroom setting. I said to myself: “these weird things are happening that normally aren’t. Am I dreaming, or am I in a dream?!” I look back and it was an amazing experience. Nothing like it ever since.

Happy I got to see: Skinny Puppy + Lead Into Gold @ Irving Plaza. No other show I went to had the biggest one-day payoff. You will all kill me when I say this, but I once told myself that it was no big deal if I never got to see Skinny Puppy. WRONG. They announced a farewell tour, and I asked myself how big of a deal that was. I quickly reconsidered. I got my tickets the minute they went up for sale. So what did $150.00 buy me? An unforgettable experience; that’s what. Meeting up with five Tumblr mutuals to see Lead Into Gold and one of Skinny Puppy’s final legendary shows. We had pizza nights, walks around Manhattan, car rides to club night for an amazing after-party, and just shilling around absorbing an experience that’s very rare to have. And, as a special bonus, meeting Ministry's Paul Barker and buying merch- from him. I still can’t believe it. It’s very rare to have Perfect 10-days in my life. This was indeed one of them.

Wish I could have seen: none. I have seen all my desired bands on my list. Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Killing Joke, Front 242, Skinny Puppy, and Front Line Assembly. That leaves KMFDM the only one left on my bucket list. I’ve seen other artists I wanted to with little or no effort. Those were Indecision, Unsane, Bauhaus, Linkin Park, Cold Cave, Snoop Dogg, Boy Harsher, Atari Teenage Riot, Pharmakon, Prurient, Merzbow, Black Marble, Nas…I could go further if you want me to. I have all day.

Next concert: I’m still on the fence to go see KEN Mode + Hide @ TV Eye and / or Balvanera @ Synthicide. I may not go, because I decided not to do anything by myself again after seeing both of last year’s shows with mutuals. But, we shall see. Wanna' play? Be my guest.

[omahasnakes]

2023: I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I’m with isn’t it anymore and what’s it seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!

I always interpreted the word “scary” in this quote in the sense that old people fear change. Not that an actively racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, authoritarian segment of our society would loudly gain power in all areas, including popular music. But here we are, it’s 2023!

**This is my ongoing series of trying to understand popular music by listening to the Billboard year end music chart for every year, so far 1996-2023.**

Also before I go too far in clutching my pearls, this is the Billboard music chart, not exactly an unimpeachable and incorruptible measure of the public will. But it’s annoying when an artist dominates the chart simply because some people think it’s a good thing, actually, that he used a racial slur.

This year was so tough to deal with that I ended up using the process of elimination. After removing five old Christmas standards and 17 songs that offended my every sensibility, I was left with 78 songs. Then I took out the songs that were simply silly. I already talked about “Bad Habit” and “Unholy” in the 2022 chart, so I removed those too. I don’t care for the sentiments being expressed in “Kill Bill” or “bad idea right?” so they’ll go next. I don’t like how they’re pronouncing “liar” in “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2.”

Also, why are we as a society still fucking with Drake?

Album of the Year: notwithstanding what I mentioned earlier, it’s SOS by SZA. Solid jams T to B. She also gets…

Song of the Year: “Snooze” by SZA. A shallow field this year, but try listening to this a few dozen times and I think you’ll agree it’s a jam.

“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift. Half of this is a really good song. I first heard it while shopping in a going-out-of-business Bed Bath and Beyond while trying to get used to being alone. It seemed appropriate, other than the part about anyone still being around to care.

“Fast Car” covered by Luke Combs. Someone whose opinion (especially in matters of music) I consider sacrosanct told me that they don’t care for any version of this song. I was floored. This is an ok cover; I don’t hate it. And if you’re worried that he destroys the queer reading, he refers to himself as working “in the market as a checkout girl.”

“Creepin’” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and 21 Savage. Do I get points for instantly placing the generous sample of “Boadicea” by Enya? Something about the sample doesn’t seem to fit quite right rhythmically, but I’m no musician, so what do I know?

“golden hour” by JVKE. My sister played it for me on the piano and asked if I was familiar with it, so then I had to take it off my makeout playlist.

“Tennessee Orange” by Megan Moroney. “I met somebody. He’s got blue eyes.” Wink wink. I said WINK! WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY THAT IS THAT HE IS WHITE. BUT I’M BEING SUBTLE ABOUT IT. GET IT?!?! This wasn’t even one of the songs I thought was offensive. This is just run-of-the-mill for modern country music.

“Wait in the Truck” by HARDY with Lainey Wilson. What a nasty, empty-souled fantasy of vigilantism.

Country music barometer: 29%

Songs partially or completely in Spanish: 9%

Songs performed in English by South Korean artists: 2%

A music video from 2023 to include: Here’s “As it Was” by Harry Styles. I really like the spinning platform. I give the same grace to Harry Styles that I give to all the pop girlies. It’s fine. They’re fine. Frankly, it’s kind of nice when compared to our other options this year.

https://youtu.be/H5v3kku4y6Q?si=yH00pTg6KVPtDVGf

[farmersliga]

i have less than one more hour of 2023 left, so i want to look back a bit. this year, i…

learned to be a little more independent

discovered how much i enjoyed casual walking, even though it’s always crazy hot here

had my student driver’s license expire because i didn’t finish my required hours of practical training and i was too scared to take the test anyway

got super close to some family members i didn’t talk to so much before

had a very public breakdown for the first time in a long time. also had problems with being overwhelmed more than usual

started seriously considering teaching as a career path because, in what was the kindest move ever by a teacher to me, my native german prof pulled me aside to say he thought i had a gift for it

went on a trip abroad with just my cousins and had a blast. then went on a trip abroad for uni and had even more of a blast

met up with four online friends. shoutout to irena, jade, clara, and cher for being the bestest most lovely people ever <3

discovered new hobbies like listening to cassette tapes and crocheting, the latter of which i was able to use to make tiny little plushies for all of the online friends i met this year

flew abroad four times, which is the most i’ve ever done in one year. i got to visit hong kong, taiwan, the usa, and germany!

speaking of germany, got to go there for the first time ever. it was amazing to be able to experience the place i’d only ever seen in textbooks. i have fond memories of being able to talk to shopkeepers in german now too. but i also came to the realization that there’s still so much more for me to learn. because i went there with only 1.5 years of studying the language, and i was half floundering

stayed with a host couple for a few days in germany and conversed with them almost solely in german. they ended up getting married later in the year and i’m so happy for them

had multiple direct experiences with racism while abroad, including being accused of theft?? which was sad but also funny in a depressing way

started studying italian from scratch and loved it. also accidentally started studying french from scratch and hated it

affirmed a lot of my personal values, mostly with regard to social situations

started seeing a psychologist on top of my psychiatrist sessions

got incredibly emotional hearing my national anthem played during a football world cup for the first time ever, then got even more emotional watching us win a match. when i first watched these girls, they’d almost gotten kicked out of the qualis for the asian cup that got them into the wwc in the first place. and now they’re stars. it’s beautiful to see

finally helped to start fixing a really bad family problem that i’d known about for a few years now that nobody was doing anything about

saw both taylor swift and fall out boy live in concert. these were my first concerts ever, too. and both these artists were my favorites from high school so it was super special to me

watched my first full tennis season and cemented my love for the sport along with it. also got significantly more involved with the tennis side of tumblr and met the loveliest people there

took my baby nieces to their first trip abroad just this christmas <3

and probably much more that i’m forgetting now. but it’s really been a good year, definitely the best i’ve had since the pandemic happened. i dealt with a lot of mental health issues as usual, but i also learned to cope with them in healthier ways. and being able to go out more this year (not just abroad, but outside in general) and talk to more people was a big plus

so i just want to say thank you to everyone who helped make this year a much happier one for me, and i hope you all stay in my life even in 2024!

[skzswife]

Taste (Lee Minho)

PT 2 Pt 1 link here

"oh shit sorry dude" Chris says immediately after bumping into the small yet also very big man "It's alright you good?" the man says "Yeah I am just on my way to reception to find our room" Chris responds then another man pipes up "What's the number?" he asks "O-oh umm 143 I think" Chris responds nervously (He has social anxiety) "Oh really? You're right beside us then we can show you if you want!" the buff one says "Really thanks..uhhmmmm" "Bin, call me bin" he responds with a giggle "Ok thanks bin'' a third boy pipes up after looking ahead to you and Gina surrounded by bags "You need this?" he points at the cart he's sitting in "if your not using it, yes please" "get out of there innie" the second boy says blatantly "Fine" He gets out and walks with Chris who has started walking with Bin towards you and Gina "thanks again, innie right?" he looks at Chris "it's what my friends call me you can to i don't care" Chris nods and stops Infront of you "Hey these guys are gonna show us our room because they are right next to us apparently" you nod and look at them "Let me introduce them this is Bin, Innie, and um" "Don't worry about it" he says coldly then locks eyes with you "Min just call me min I don't care" Chris nods "And Min" you nod with a small ah in understanding and they lead you to your room showing you how to work the complicated key "Thank you guys" you say as they go into their own room after being yelled for by someone with an Australian accent. Throwing your stuff down on the bed you prop your head up as Gina starts speaking "We need to get ready the concert is in 2 hours and we still have to drive there" "No we don't" Chris interrupts "what" "Gina the concert is in the stadium like 2 blocks down we can just walk" Gina scoffs "Okay smartass" you giggle and head to the bathroom to get ready finishing in 20 minutes and coming out to them ready already "Huh?" Chris laughs "There's 3 bathrooms" you look around and sure enough there is 2 other bathrooms "Huh that's cool anyway let's go". you all start walking to the stadium with your bags and other things and arrive 1 hour and a half early to the venue so you ask if you can help set up and the workers very much appreciate your help "Hey are you good at makeup?" one of the workers asks "Yes she is" Gina answers for you "Good come with me" She says walking in a direction signaling for you to follow her leading you to some rooms with stars on them labeled stray kids "Oh my god I can't go in there" "Please we are down an artist and Bangchan needs his makeup done" you start pacing "I-I don't know if I can" "Please try, I'm begging you" y6ou nod and she knocks and is answered by 8 familiar voices you take a deep breath as she open the door and it's your luck the second the door open not only are all eyes on you but you lock eyes with Lee Minho and he doesn't break it until Chan says "who's this Jess? (The worker)" "She's a fill in makeup artist" "For?'' Seungmin asks "Bangchan" another girl speaks up "I took his over so she has to do someone else" you start to get more stressed "Hey! Your the girl in the room beside us! y/n right?" you blink a few times "Uh- Yeah" there is no way that Han Jisung knows your name "Oh good eye Han it is her I thought so" Lee know says "I don't have an artist would you do me?" you nod nervously and start walking up to him, The worker Jess shows you what his makeup should look like and you inspect it also inspecting his Beautiful ,face to change it to his facial shape and start working, dipping the brush in the eye shadow and preparing yourself to touch his face starting to apply the makeup in the way the picture you accidentally slip up by saying "God your even more beautiful in person" under your breath but he heard you causing him to chuckle "W-what did you say?" he says between giggles "W-What do you mean?'' he chuckles again "I'm not deaf y/n but I won't make you say it so just keep going" you continue nervously and are the last one going while your working on his perfect kissable lips "Wow! This is actually really good!"

PT 3 LINK HERE

@linos-kitten

[kaksparkz]

for the artist askgame, idk how many youve answered already but 3,4,10,12,21,24 and 35!

hello helloo!! sorry im just answering this now, been pretty busy^^ (also, using this chance to thank u for your support!! i always see u interacting with my stuff here hbasfcyhdb you're a sweetheart😭💕)

Your fav piece/s?

Probably this vergil one! i still love how it looks djddgnds my art peaked here im afraid,,,,,

Piece you wish got more love?

hmm, this is an interesting one!! tbh i dont mind it much but this johnny fanart got waaaaay more attention on instagram!! i mean,,, i have a lot of mk moots there so it makes sense lol (and also just got to 1k followers on IG!! crazy stuff💌)

How do you deal with artblock?

to be honest, once i realize i have artblock i stop drawing for a couple of days. if i keep insisting on drawing i just get more and more frustrated and it makes it worse imo. so i like to spend some time doing my other hobbies!!! (´▽｀)

usually i just come back to drawing once i regain motivation or i get a cool idea that i need to sketch so i wont forget. and when that happens, my artblock is usually gone!! so,, i guess i just wait for it to go away? lol not much advice i can give on that sadly :/

Describe your process while drawing!

CHAOTIC. to say the least.

i spend like. half an hour on pinterest beforehand getting inspo & searching for refs and ONLY THEN i can start drawing. i start on SAI1, do the sketch and if i like how it looks, i just clean it up. if it dont, i do 'proper' lineart. after that i start coloring and shading!! this is my fav part tbh. once im done shading i color the lineart so its not completely black. then i open up SAI2 and start doing more rendering, adding overlays & effects. that part is also SO FUN cause it makes everything come together so nicelyy. my art process is a pretty big 'trust the process' till that part lol.

there's ALWAYS music or yt videos playing in the bg, and me taking A LOT of 15 minutes breaks cause that one song is so good and i have to stop drawing and start singing while looking at the spotify lyrics like im hypnotized LMAO

What do you thin you artstyle woukd taste like?

people always say my art looks so tasty and. i kind of agree!! like. smth very sweet. it really depends on the colors i use on the piece but,,, either hard candy, gummies, marshmallows or even syrup i think!!!

What's a compliment about your art that has always stuck with you?

i get super giddy with every compliment i get so i dont think i can remember one in particular??? but istg people always say the funniest, most sweet things ever and it's so nice to hear :3 but if i had to say smth,,, i once had the chance to talk with this one incredibly talented illustrator, and he kept telling me how he thought my stuff looked amazing. and i was like!!! wow!!! you actually like my stuff?? what!!!!

Piece of advice for my younger artist self

i would sit this little girl down and talk to her for hours tbh poor thing was STRUGGLING 😭😭😭

i guess my best advice for her (and for anyone who reads this, too!) is to not be so hard on yourself. art is a skill, and it takes a lot of time to build it up!!!

i used to get SO extremely upset when my stuff didnt look the way i wanted it to and ughhh. took me literal years to find my artstyle too and that didn´t help AT ALL with how frustrated i was feeling. i felt,,, stuck??

but now i look back at my art journey and. wow have i improved!! maybe if that little girl saw the stuff i do today she wouldn´t be so sad about her art :´] not to say i don´t struggle today, i still feel stuck and frustrated often!! but i guess i learned to be kinder to myself. but i still have lots of things to improve about my art!! i wonder when i´ll take another look back and see how much i´ve progressed since today,,,

thank you for the ask!! (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

[jimmyaquino]

Seeing IU at the Prudential Center in Newar, NJ on Monday night was an incredible experience. I started my K-pop journey back in 2019 but quickly discovered her in 2020. I have really been getting into her the last year or 2 and have become a giant fan. She's 31 and has been active in music/acting since she was 15. Amazingly talented w/ a gifted voice. So many hits! 

I was so excited to see her & was hoping to go w/ a friend. But understandably, none wanted to pay what I was willing to so I went solo. It's her 1st North American tour ever. And Newark was the 1st stop so I felt I was part of her history. I justified my ticket price since I cancelled a trip I was going to take in June that would have cost me twice as much. I was very pleased w/ my seat as I was the closest I've ever been to the stage at a big arena like that. Speaking of the crowd, def very diverse in race, gender and age. And also very much populated by Asian Americans (mostly Korean). I'd say maybe half the crowd. I pretty immediately made friends to the people next to me and throughout the show we laughed, screamed, teared up, cheered, etc. Such a shared experience. I know most concerts might be like that but K-pop is such a positive community. When I was waiting in line outside til doors opened, people walked around giving little homemade gifts. So sweet! 

The concert was 3 hours long! She split it up into about 4 or 5 parts w/ each part having a theme like "Energetic" & "Heroic". Between parts (while she was doing a quick change), there would be text both in Korean and English on screen with beautiful messages. Or sometimes videos even of the crowd outside before the concert. One interval was quite theatrical w/ a young girl coming out acting a story to music/lighting until IU appeared. 

She did 2 encores. Both expected as she is known to do long shows. 1st encore was definitely planned songs. The 2nd, she actually asked the audience & thousands of us yelled out. I'm not sure if she pretended to pick ones but it did seem like she genuinely picked random songs that will change every show. Alas, my favorite & one of her biggest hits "Hold My Hand" wasn't done. But, she's had a long career so I understood. 

She spent a lot of time talking to us as well both in English & Korean (w/ help of an off-stage mic'd interpreter). Her English is pretty good but she spoke a lot of Korean if she couldnt remember the phrasing or words. She was so damn cute! She kept saying how she couldn't believe what an energetic audience we were for a Monday. She seem genuinely surprised that the crowd was so into it w/ high energy (she said my section was the loudest!), singing along in Korean (and of course the English bits), dancing along, screaming, etc. She clearly got moved at one point. As did I for a couple of songs. Genuinely thought I was going to burst into tears when she sang "Eight", a song she had collaborated on with BTS's Suga. A fave song, I had seen/read interpretations of it being about 3 of her close friends (also K-pop idols) whom had tragically taken their own lives. Whether that's true or not, it still gets me every time. 

IU isn't known for dance skills but she is pretty good. She always claims she's a bad dancer which isn't true. There isn't a ton of choreography as you'd see w/ K-pop groups. I really liked how casual she was with it. She'd dance the choreography almost marking it but not really. It's def a secondary thing as the showcase is her voice. She has a great belt and her head voice is so controlled and beautiful. She switches from both effortlessly. 

She did a cute thing where she did the normal "take a pic w/ the audience". Where as most people just sit in the middle of the stage w/ back to audience and photographer takes the shot w/ the audience in background...she took 3. One for center, one for left side and one for right side. Not sure if other artists have done this but I thought it was cool. Also I am very much in one of those pics and can see myself! Sure I'm blurry because I'm further away but I'm def in it! So I can say I got a pic w/ IU now and was part of her history making 1st American concert!

I'm still reeling from it and haven't come down. It's the concert of a lifetime and I highly recommend grabbing some resell tickets in any of the other cities she's playing in. I know I would have been happy if I sat further up as she really plays the whole arena. You can thank me after. 

Thank you, IU for treating us to a fantastic experience. One I'll never forget. Have a great rest of the tour! #IU