#this series is definately going to remain memorable to me

[blueikeproductions]

I’m gonna be honest, I’m falling a little out of love for EarthSpark because of the last batch of episodes. Part of it is the same reason I didn’t like Cyberverse: the absolutely crap pacing and decision making.

Now EarthSpark did start off well enough, I think the first two episodes remain my favorites because it sets the tone and world up pretty nicely. After that it starts getting … messy. Nitpicks abound! As much as I do enjoy the Terrans, Thrash remains the forgettable one to me. He’s just kinda there and has nothing really to do. He gets overshadowed by his siblings being more memorably quirky (Hashtag and Twitch) or having their own arcs (Nightshade and Jawbreaker). Thrash being the somewhat immature, lackadaisical, older brother IS fine, I just wish he had something to help stand out more.

Megatron’s redemptive antihero role is pry the best it’s been written. Not even Roberts, who ushered it in, really handled it that well since it was somewhat forced and skewed into Twitter/Tumblr stereotypes. Imma be blunt: Cyberverse didn’t even try when they did it. The staff patted themselves on the back for a repenting Megs, but didn’t even bother explaining it in-show, instead giving a lengthy explanation on TWITTER. Stuff like “Oh Bisk got arrested because he beat up another Transformer he lost to at a space video game event” is harmless fluff, describing a major component of what your story is trying to do meanwhile is just mind bogglingly horrendous. Not helped is despite this, Megatron is still torturing Autobots, smacking lunch trays and being a huge dick, which runs counter to him having changed upon seeing his worse Robo-Robotnik counterpart. But CV Megatron was still his more traditional villainous self intentional or not, and I do think ES trying to keep Megatron as a heroic character is hurting the overall series. Transformers has a huge villain problem currently, and it’s only gotten worse with modern media trying to make all the Decepticons sympathetic. EarthSpark, the longer it went on, really seems confused as to what role the Decepticons are supposed to have. Are they still trying to cause trouble, are they just trying to survive, were guys like Breakdown simply on the wrong team in the first place? It’s all very muddled, and I NEVER liked the idea that the Decepticons are just slightly more irritable Autobots because you loose the franchise’s defining good vs evil dynamic that’s helped keep the thing going this long. Even stuff like Superlink, RiD15, and the G1 cartoon make it clear the Decepticons are stubborn and refuse to give up to prove a point. They WILL conquer the galaxy, dammit. And stuff like EarthSpark is just… taking the fight out of them. Which gets to my next nitpick…

So the Decepticons, understandably, are locked up by GHOST for their crimes, and the humans are trying to study them/torture them to make weapons. Naturally, the already angry robots would be pushed to the brink, want to escape the fleshies’ grasp, and lay down the pain similar to Dreamwave and Bay, and while we do see a bit of this, at the end the Decepticons just decide they’re suddenly friends with the Maltos? Something here feels very rushed, along with Shockwave also suddenly wanting to be pals after initially finding the Terrans disgusting. The pacing here is just odd, and a deleted scene shows Shockwave petting Fluffy Ears after he was just about to turn her into hamburger meat a moment before. It’s funny out of context, but it still doesn’t make sense. It skews uncomfortably into Diamond territory for me, where I get the logic, but how they got there doesn’t work (at least for me). You CAN have redemption stuff, heck Decepticon like robots like DragoBurst from Daigunder came around, but they, for the most part, properly built up to this. The Decepticons being “good” feels like a split second decision that had no real pay off. Because again, in the past, if the Decepticons helped the Autobots, it was an enemy of my enemy/Earth is where we keep our stuff thing, and they’d go right back to trying to destroying it once the third party was dealt with.

And I feel like EarthSpark may have had some internal problems with the story. How much of this was Nick not being cooperative ala Rise of the TMNT or just genuinely bad planning I’m not sure. The biggest issue for me was Ravage, and, to an extent, Starscream too. Early on they had Screamer, Wave and Ravage concocting a scheme by letting the dog-cougar cassette out into GHOST to snoop around, Starscream laughing evilly with his glowing red eyes. Inexplicably, Starscream’s eyes are blue, even in flashbacks, which has confused a lot of people, and the show doesn’t address this. A characters’ eyes turning red to accentuate a point isn’t a new thing in animation, but I don’t think that’s what this was…? I was assuming it was Allspark Affinity, but I don’t think it’s that either. More than likely him having blue eyes is meant to show he’s a good boy deep in his shell, similar to IDW’s “true inner Starscream” thing. …However, and this comes back to Ravage, Starscream was originally planning to sic Shockwave on Megatron for what amounts to the usual petty revenge on Starscream’s part. Ravage was sent out to get the remote that controlled Shockwave’s stasis pod, but this scene was cut entirely, instead explaining Shockwave’s escape as simply poor upkeep on his pod. The scene was cut for time, but … WHY? There was surely a better means to incorporate Ravage snooping around instead of just turning it into a dropped sub plot. The show attempts to course correct by suggesting via Swindle this was an attempt at a prison break until Hashtag and Mandroid initiated it instead, but Ravage is unaccounted for. I’m assuming this was a plot point that was debated on, as the official guide book INSTEAD says that Soundwave had Ravage snoop around for info on the Allspark due to an agreement they had with Prime and Megs when they got arrested. It feels like they just couldn’t decide on what to do, and chose neither, and while they could have Ravage later reappear and go “Hey guys I found the Allspark’s location and a whole bunch of ancient Cybertron relics on GHOST’s computers!” in S2, that’s fine, but I don’t trust the writers atm to do so…

There’s also turning Starscream into a trauma victim. Again sort of that Steven Universe/fandom mentality made canon thing that bothers me, BUT I completely get what they were going for. The problem for me is that even in the 80’s, Starscream’s constant beatdowns were played for laughs, and frankly a lot of the time Starscream had it coming in the first place. Starscream may have had more common sense than Megatron, but he was also driven by his pride, ego and his comedic sense of self preservation. Starscream also would bite off more than he could chew by messing with relics like the Enigma of Combination, Omega Lock and the Underbase, usually destroying himself in his quest for godhood to simply one up Megatron and show how much better he is at being evil and/or just being a petty glitch. So to play the dynamic straight and make Starscream more of a domestic abuse victim feels… wrong, especially when I’ve seen plenty of Megscreamer ship art of the G1 and Prime versions that suggests… a bit of hypocrisy in the name of a ship. I think Micron Legend Starscream handled the idea the best, though there Screamer was more a young warrior looking for approval, but Megatron thought he was weak and selfish, and the two would fight, but it was more of a anime warrior’s honor kind of way and not the more slapstick marriage falling apart way G1 and other shows did it. I do like Starscream becoming friends with Hashtag, reminds me a bit of ML Starscream becoming friends with Alexis, and I think that’s handled well enough. At the very least Micron Legend shows what EarthSpark wants to do with Starscream CAN work, it just needs a bit more fine tuning to make sense, and I feel internal decisions saw the clearly G1 and Prime inspired Starscream hugely rushed into a role he’s not ready for or arguably suited for. It’s a similar problem I had with Donald Duck in DuckTales 17: he’s barely in the show, clearly has a chip on his shoulder over Scrooge’s role in Della’s disappearance, and off screen he just sorta changed his mind and is suddenly wanting to help Scrooge. I get that part of his decision was influenced by how it was affecting the boys, but I never liked how we never saw Donald change, he just … does.

Mandroid’s descent into villainy is also rushed. Starts off well enough and him Roboticizing himself into a monster by the end makes sense, but it feels like some steps were skipped to get there, which was the same problem I had with IDW Megatron going on this big quest off screen we never saw. Also, a plot point is the Terrans don’t actually use Energon, and instead power up with Emberstone blessed Earth water… but there’s a few instances that contradict this, such as Mandroid’s Doomsday Project that shouldn’t affect the Terrans at all, but it… does anyway. Like… what? Also Mandroid and Alex knowing each other doesn’t appear to be addressed either. Especially notable when Mandroid went out of his way to AVOID killing him, only to not have this qualm anymore. It feels like a step was skipped, I get Mandroid is too far gone but even that was a huge leap in context.

Not a big deal, but do the Sharkticons Transform? Their design seems to skew to Terrorcon Rippersnapper, RiD15 Hammerstrike, and the Street Sharks style Sharkticons of Cyberverse, but I never liked how the later didn’t Transform into a robot or a speedboat or something. I get Mode Attachment, but even guys like RiD15 Grimlock and IDW Leviathan walked around in Robot Mode once in awhile.

Similarly, Jawbreaker scanned an actual fossil to get his Beast Mode, but doing so was new to Grimlock… who has a dinosaur Beast Mode which has left fans puzzled. Fans theorize Grimlock may have scanned a toy of a picture, similar to Nightshade, or that Wheeljack helped reformat the Dynobots into Dinobots as a G1 nod. However a stylized flashback shows Grimlock in Beast Mode on Cybertron, which makes me think in RiD15 terms that Grimlock may have already BEEN a dinosaur, just a “space” one. Though that runs contrary to the discussion how alt modes can help define a Transformer, and Grimlock is shown to be reluctant in the current era to Transform, as he can’t quite control his Beast Mode due to anger and PTSD caused by Mandroid. I never liked FOC’s Hulk like take on Grimlock though, and seeing that be an influence here kinda sours Big Grim for me, especially since my favorite incarnations, G1 toon and RiD15, LOVE being dinosaurs. Grimlock is still handled well otherwise though.

A lot of modern shows like this I’ve noticed have this out of balance tone where they can’t decide what they should be. It’s either super weird and cutesy or hard core darkness and angst. The one time I’ve seen this handled well was Bomberman Jetterz of all things, and that’s a kids anime about a little bomb throwing goofball that was never brought over here. It organically builds up to its darker elements, while the show starts off fairly goofy and weird it still lightly explores some things early on like Mighty’s sense of self and successfully builds on it.

Also Nightshade. Oh poor Nightshade. They continue to be the punching bag and poster child for some why this show is bad because it has The Gay TM. I do think kids can handle the concept of being gay, and I think kids can understand to some degree why a person would choose not to identify as either gender. But I also understand why parents don’t want to have such a conversation and there’s a time and place for this sort of thing, especially in kids media. (Blue’s Clues’ Pride parade animation was well intentioned but a little too… much for preschoolers. Same sex couples, sure, the nitty gritty stuff beyond that, not as much… And I say that knowing an older lesbian couple in college who thought what Adventure Time was doing with PB and Marcy was inappropriate for kids). Nightshade has more stuff going on besides their gender, but those stirring up trouble and even the owl’s supporters tend to ONLY focus on their being non-binary, which isn’t helping. The show only focused on it twice, and I think the first time was enough to set the tone. Optimus wasn’t sure if Nightshade was a boy or girl, NS and Moe clarified they/them, and Optimus warmly accepted, and that’s really all you needed for a children’s. Easy to understand for the target audience. The show then has Nightshade learn the definition of being non-binary by a human teen they help out and become friends with. The scene is fine, but I think it’s a tad over-explained keeping in mind the target audience. It also feels like an artifact of the original intention that was scrapped. In the planning stage, Nightshade simply identified as Terran because gender wasn’t important to their identity as a robotic being. Keeping it simple for the kids at home, as well as for those who might feel like Nightshade where they can go “I’m a Terran!” The official guide book also goes with this explanation. With Nightshade then learning about being NB from Sam makes a little more sense with this older concept in mind, but I think a simpler “Thanks for the save, uh…. I wanna say mister…?” “Oh I’m a they/them! Nightshade the Terran, at your service~!” “No way, I’m they/them too! I’m Sam!” “Ooo, delightful! Oh do you like the Winged Sentinel too?” “Do I? I run a big fan blog about it and Changaliens!” “-Nightshade Transforms and makes happy owl noises-“ sorta thing. At the very least, that’s been my experience being reintroduced to a friend that’s now trans or NB. “Oh you’re a dude now? Sweet! So what’d you think of the latest Digimon episode?” is a typical exchange. Unfortunately no matter of simplifying it is going to keep people from disliking the character as being a form of “indoctrination”, and I worry that’s affected the availability of the toy. I’ve seen people show they have Nightshade’s toy, but locally I’ve not seen Nightshade’s toy at all, and I wonder if controversy has led to stores refusing to carry it. That being said I’ve not seen the Arcee or Hashtag finger puppet toys, the Deluxe Grimlock or the Twitch One Step Changer, but I have seen Shockwave and Jawbreaker, and they went quickly, and as of typing weren’t restocked. So could be crap distribution again, but I can’t help but worry the toy is functionally “banned”. I may not be NB, but I do jive with Nightshade being a reclusive, yet happy go lucky nerd. I enjoy their swagger too, something I wish I had, so there’s plenty to like on top of them having a owl beast mode. I was a Beast Wars kid so Beast Modes rule, man.

Anyhow, going back to another point, this is why I like RiD15 so much. It knew what it wanted to be, a mostly low stakes action comedy, and even when it leaned a bit into darkness, it still felt tonally correct with the show. Here we have a wacky episode about an Energon parasite possessed bear, and then they jump into heavy handed discussions of racism, violence and post apocalyptic disaster the next. That’s not organic, that’s just being indecisive on the tone of your show. It’s this awkward trend of trying to make your kids cartoon into a mature, sophisticated thing, but no one has the patience or finesse to pull it off anymore and it drives me nuts. And I don’t think kids care for it either. The age range for EarthSpark I spoke to are watching the Super Mario movie, classic cartoons and older Disney movies (a lot of them, especially boys, were into Princess & The Frog and Moana in particular as it happens) when it comes to western animation. Last time I saw kids interested in Transformers was Prime, Rescue Bots, RiD15 and Bumblebee. Outside of RotB, I don’t think recent stuff has been doing it for kids, as I haven’t found any kids hugging an EarthSpark Bumblebee like their life depended on it like I did with RiD15 Bee.

I want to be clear I still like EarthSpark, and I like a lot of the characters like Alex, Mo, Jawbreaker, Bumblebee, Frenzy and Nightshade, but the cracks have been starting to show and grow larger. 26 episodes and the end goal still felt very rushed as if they thought this would be like a long running anime and didn’t utilize their time the best, and with the current strikes as of typing, I fear that’s not gonna bode well for season 2’s production either. I am very skeptical atm we get a S3, so I hope they were more careful in crafting the next phase of the story. A second season was greenlit when the first season was still being worked on, so it seems odd to me they still felt the need to rush through things as if they didn’t have time. Maybe they didn’t due to other factors? Still I hope for the best, but I’m not as exited as I once was, and a possible Prime style Relic Hunt potentially being next makes me concerned…

[oblivious-aro]

Since you sometimes interact with her posts, do you have any favourite/most memorable videos from Lily Orchard (if you watch her)? She's been one of the few Youtubers from back in my MLP phase that still consistently has interesting things to say about media (and sometimes calls me out on bad habits :') )

I've been watching Lily Orchard's videos since her MLP days, and she's remained one of my favourite youtubers. I've always found her opinions interesting and well-thought out, and I very much like how 'to the point' she is. Also a fan of the way her writing style and attitude have evolved over time.

The first video I remember really grabbing me was "You're wrong and that's okay". High school me thought it was pretty cool that someone so casually look at the conventional wisdom/popular opinion of the internet and went "I disagree, here's why". As a teenager with very low confidence, it really captivated me seeing some just...go for it. Like...you're allowed to just say your opinions and not feel obligated to walk on eggshells? You're allowed to feel confident about your opinions, even if they're a little unconventional as long as you can back them up?

That's definately a very obvious thing to know, but it was honestly kind of mind blowing to a teenager with low self esteem mired in an internet culture of "this is just my opinion".

More recently, the video about grey morality really made some interesting points click for me, and her video about Imoen made me love a character from a series I'd barely even heard about, and made me appreciate dark romantic storylines in a way I never had before (being aromantic, I need a very solid sales pitch to find romantic storylines interesting (especially "dark" ones), and she delivered, which deserves kudos).

I also remember liking the videos where she talked about the cartoons abs anime she watched as a kid. Those were fun.

You got any favourites you want to share?

[dropintomanga]

Manga I Enjoyed in 2022

Happy New Year, everyone! I know this is somewhat late, but better late than never. I originally wanted to do this in a video format like I did for my favorite 2021 manga. But after some health issues that started late last year and finally went away this month, I decided to write about my favorite manga of 2022 instead of recording myself in an awkward manner.

Here we go!

Honorable Mention: Choujin X by Sui Ishida - This title reminds me so much of Masakazu Katsura’s ZETMAN. It’s about a young man named Tokio Kurohara who suddenly becomes a supernatural being called a Choujin after being attacked by one in the street. Tokio then enters a world where he meets other Choujins, good and bad, and realizes that he’s part of a larger scheme that potentially involves him being a “god/savior” of all Choujins. I love the art and the story is fascinating. I feel that this is potentially Ishida at his finest when he’s not being rushed to create a fun story (which is what happened with Tokyo Ghoul: re). I’m glad that chapters of this series are somewhat sporadic as it allows time for a more structured story and one that I know Ishida is wanting to tell.

On to my top 5 of the year!

No.5 - Kaiju No. 8 by Naoya Matsumoto - After Spy x Family and Chainsaw Man, this is the next big breakout anime hit from Shueisha. Kafka Hibino was once a young man who wanted to become a kaiju-fighting soldier alongside his childhood friend, but instead is now a 30+-year old cleaner of kaiju remains. He one day encounters a certain powerful kaiju who enters his body. Kafka becomes a threat of humanity all while retaining his. He enters a kaiju defense force in order to control his abilities and protect those he cares about.

When I saw promotional art of the series posted all over France last year, I realized I had to check this series out. I’m so glad I did. The art is amazing, the story is intense, and the soldier outfits are really cool. Kaiju No. 8 satisfies any fan looking for something new that’s similar to Attack on Titan.

No. 4 - Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe - I don’t really hear many people talk about this series, but I feel this is one of the best fantasy stories I’ve read in a while. It also has one of the best manga heroines this decade so far. Frieren is a long-living elf who once saved the world from a demon king alongside a group of adventurers. 50 years later, she embarks on another journey to see off the hero who changed her life long after his death all while making note of humanity’s struggle to define themselves with the short life span they’re given.

I feel that this series is somewhat Yotsuba&!-ish in terms of having memorable chapters that are one-offs. However, when it gets to the major story arcs, Frieren excels in delivering gut punches. The flashback scenes are amazing and Frieren has a variety of facial expressions that make readers appreciate her. I have kept up with the Japanese releases and the story keeps getting better and better. This series has a way of making you think about human nature.

No. 3 - Akane-banashi by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue - I got into this series in the Fall after hearing Hideaki Anno and Eiichiro Oda praise it. This is arguably the best series in Weekly Shonen Jump right now and it’s not even a battle manga. Akane Osaki, a young girl whose father was a rakugo performer, is on a mission to become the best rakugo performer in all of Japan after her father was shamed in front of a major rakugo audience. It’s very refreshing and the hype does remind me of the early days of The Promised Neverland. 

This manga is a really good case of how to use art and panels to tell a very cool and well-paced story. I also love how the main character is written as she stands out among the many popular male Jump protagonists. I think what makes this series so good is how relatable the characters and setting are. There’s always something exciting happen in every chapter because of that.

No.2 - Sensei’s Pious Lie by Akane Torikai - This series isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and I can’t recommend this to anyone who’s experienced sexual trauma and hasn’t healed completely from it. But I can’t help but be enamored with seeing how messy the characters in this series are. Misuzu Hara, a teacher, is a victim of sexual abuse by her best friend’s husband. One day, she finds out a male student of hers is interested in her. Misuzu then learns the student is also a victim of sexual abuse and the two become involved in a complicated entanglement that affects everyone around them. 

This is a very uncomfortable read, but I understood what Torikai was trying to say. When it comes to love and sex, people get caught up with the worst aspects of both in terrifying ways. And there’s ways to overcome them when possible. People are often known as monsters to many are still human beings at their core. You can still care about someone and want them out of your life for good. There’s no one to root in this series and I’m glad Kodansha USA brought this work over because sex (and especially sexual violence) is very often a difficult topic to talk about and life is sadly never that black or white.

No.1 - Goodbye, Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto - Another Fujimoto one-shot on what it means to live in the face of loss. I’ve written about this one-shot in the past and the last pages still stick out to me to this day. I appreciate how Fujitomo uses the main character in a way that shows how a major loss of a relationship can affect someone even when they get older.

I want to remember people who will eventually leave me and celebrate their lives. I just hate how everyone is pressed to move on and not process whatever grief they will experience over their lifetime. Goodbye, Eri is highly relevant to everyone today because there’s only so much one can take when it comes to death and when we don’t take the time to talk about it in a productive way with people who will listen, we lose what makes humanity beautiful. In a time where some folks are talking about immortality and living on via technology, this manga reminds me that what we really want from life is genuine and unconditional love from people.

I hope you enjoyed this list and here’s to a fun 2023 full of exciting manga titles to read!

[taaroko]

On dialogue tags

I think the only thing that pulls me out of a story faster than overuse of fancy alternatives to "said" is when the writer has an allergy to identifying characters by pronouns or even their names. "The tall one"/"the blond one"/"the firstborn"/etc. It's like a series of little unnecessary riddles getting in the way of what's going on in the scene. It doesn't help paint a picture of the characters involved and sometimes makes it harder to tell how many characters I'm supposed to be keeping track of. Please, I am begging you, just use their names. In most cases, that'll work best and won't feel repetitive to the reader. Besides, I have a hard enough time remembering characters' names when they appear the right amount in the story!

The main exceptions that come to mind are:

If the PoV character doesn't know names of other characters yet, it's a good opportunity to think about which physical trait would jump out at them most, but this is probably best as a short-term strategy and they should learn names quickly.

If the characters you aren't naming are too minor to bother giving names, such as a group of vampire goons Buffy has to fight, pronouns and one memorable descriptor each should be enough to get her to the end of combat. "Goatee Guy," "Bad Bangs," "Sewer Breath," etc. Sometimes it's funny to go even more basic and identify them as "Goons 1, 2, and 3."

If you're writing about a character who is particularly defined by their profession or a certain descriptor, using that one repeatedly to identify them can be very effective. For example, in the Witcher books, the omniscient narrator uses "the Witcher" more often than "Geralt," which works very well in a setting where the general public is highly suspicious of Witchers and questions their humanity, and sometimes Geralt himself isn't so sure about his capacity for human emotion.

The main point remains, though, that using a wide array of descriptors in all the places where a pronoun or name will suffice can be very ineffective and distracting.

Only 11 days left! I'm in trouble!

@iwillrememberyoumarathon

[misscammiedawn]

What are some of your best/favorite/most memorable media moments/segments you've experienced recently? Why those moments?

I'm just going to gush about the Emelan/Circle of Magic books by Tamora Pierce for a while.

This post contains full spoilers for the Emelan series, particularly Circle Reforged and Will of the Empress.

@daja-the-hypnokitten (name not a coincidence) got me interested in reading Tammy's work after we started dating last year and I burned through all of Tortall in a matter of months.

I haven't read this much in my life. Normally 2-4 books a year was me at my peak. So far I am on 25 and I'm still working on another 2 at the moment and am preparing to tackle another 3 if I have time before the next Numair book.

In recovery I have read Shatterglass, Will of the Empress and Melting Stones.

I also just finished Cold Fire days before the surgery.

I'll focus all my thoughts on WotE though. Because it is the culmination of the series (and also it's been a few months since I read Briar's Book).

The Circle of Magic series is about 4 traumatized children who for reasons are without family and are raised in a monastery dedicated to natural magics. Each of the 4 have ambient magic and after the first book a deep psychic connection to one another that causes them to bleed in to one another.

One of the 4 is as blatant of a BPD allegory as can be (albeit Daine is still my BPD projection character for Tammy's works) who was expelled from her family and overheard conversations where she was treated as an unwanted *thing* to be gotten rid of and one grew up in extreme poverty and is defined by the class divide between his roots and his current circumstances.

So I see a lot of myself in them. I'm not always one for reading books as a mirror, but if they're going to show me a character who has deep seeded abandonment issues because her parents literally kicked her out then I'm not going to turn my nose up. Especially if she has red hair.

This book involves the 4 of them returning from their travels in the prior quartet, bearing scars of further trauma as each of the Circle Opens books involves them being up against literal murderers and being forced to grapple the ethics of justice. Daja brutally incinerated a man she thought of as a friend *as a kindness*, Sandry performed corrupted magic and killed 3 people who may not have deserved to die. Briar's trauma runs so deep that we do not even get to learn about it for another 2 books. I still haven't read what hurt Rosethorn's boy so badly, though I can imagine it pretty well after seeing him grapple with his PTSD.

They are wounded. Hurt and defensive.

And the home they wished to return to, a monastery cottage, turns them away for being over 16 and no longer pupils. 4 orphans out on their ass, hurting deeply and feeling completely abandoned in their suffering-- worried that their Family, the 4, would reject them should they open up about their experiences.

Which brings me to the first of the 4 scenes I wish to talk about.

The first chapter of the book was hard for me. Daja was the first to find out that she was no longer welcome at the place she called home. Her teacher was foolish about how he handled it and Daja went cold and stoic. I've been Daja in moments like that. I'm not proud of it, but sometimes when something you cannot process is coming you simply don't think about it and reject it when it comes about.

Daja ends up buying a house, something her mastery of Smith magic allows her to do, because she needed to have something... some*where* that couldn't be taken from her. She expected her siblings to live with her when they returned. Over the course of 2 years Tris and Briar do return but Sandry remains with her uncle-- all 4 of them have closed off their psychic connection from one another. Sandry is being emotionally immature because she felt abandoned by her Family and expected them to go back to How It Was. Tris, who has found herself unable to make money, hates the idea of charity and insists on acting as a maid and Briar is dealing with trauma and keeping everyone at distance and cannot handle the chaos of the household and the flying green thing is creating constant chaos.

The events of 6 Cheeseman Street broke my heart in the most beautiful way because for a chapter of this book I saw all these people I cared about broken beyond the ability to reconcile. I understood all 4 of them deeply and wanted them to feel better but knew it just couldn't happen. The first chapter takes place over 16 months and the dysfunction doesn't improve because none of them are capable of working on their issues or bonding closer together and the more any of them pushed the more broken things became. 3 of the 4 were living together, they had freedom, agency and respect but in the end it just was a proud and closed up artisan, an anxious and mentally unwell plant boy and a bitter red head who felt like an imposition (with flying green cutie) all suffering within a bond that couldn't open up again.

I contrast that with the ending.

Through the book's events Sandry and Daja opened up their connection and Briar opened up to Tris. The scene where Tris dryly opens up to Sandry and reminds that they are family actually had me crying.

The end of the book is when all 4 are finally connected and they go in through Briar's connection to the roof of the house they all grew up in together, Discipline Cottage. Briar says that he had spent time in a brutal war being tortured and he created this place in his mind to escape to and he was now inviting his siblings to be there with him.

The four just opened up. Shared their traumas, their fears, their pains and they reforged the connection which had been broken and felt one another's presence inside their hearts and minds again and became whole. Which just.

I cry easily, okay... and I just got back on Estrogen 2 weeks ago!

I joked to Daja afterwards that the dysfunction, the opening up, the safe space and all 4 of them sharing a common mind and needing to feel their connection to be able to be a better whole while still maintaining their individuality kind of made it accidentally better DID representation than 99.9% of the stories I've read that actually are about the condition.

Anyway...

I've been enjoying the books a lot. They helped me survive the rough half of my recovery cycle.

[stories-me]

Potential Character for Mrs. Kelsey and Tumblr 1/10/2024:

Andy Dwyer, Loveable Idiot:

What he’s from: Parks and Recreation.

Overview:

Chris Pratt (the guy who played Andy on “Parks and Recreation”) summarized Andy Dwyer as “dim-witted and guileless and a real idiot, but lovable.” At the start of the series, Andy Dwyer is dating Ann Perkins. Ann matured faster than Andy did; while Ann entered into a career in nursing, Andy was lazy and unmotivated. After being dumped by Ann, Andy begins living in the pit adjacent to Ann’s house.

Andy remained unemployed after school but was the lead singer and guitarist for his rock band, which underwent numerous name changes, but was usually called “MouseRat”.

Andy later gets work shining shoes at city hall, where he becomes friends with April Ludgate, whom he later marries after one month of dating. Though absentminded and possessing an extremely short attention span, Andy is shown to have a savant-like memory. For instance, he received the highest grade the police academy had ever seen on the written entrance test, has an uncanny ability to remember movies word for word, and is able to memorize a long list of facts for his feminist college class in the episode, “Smallest Park.” Andy also had perfect SAT scores, but mentioned it was probably due to broken Scantron machines.

Andy also possesses a wild imagination, which helps him become a children’s performer named Johnny Karate and then get his own children’s television show. Occasionally, Andy goes into character as his alter ego, covert FBI agent Burt Macklin, whenever he and April role play or to solve local mysteries.

How he’s like me:

He is technically writing his own fan fiction, in his work as “Burt Macklin” and "Johnny Karate". In addition, we are both musical, and have well-defined worlds in our heads. Also, we are both working on “adulting”.

How he’s NOT like me:

All that aside, I am much, MUCH smarter than him.

Kelsey Notes:

How you are different than Andy addition- he has a very specific and detailed fan fiction that he has narrowed down and “takes on that character in real life” to brainstorm story ideas

            Any time he needs to disguise himself for whatever shenanigans they have going on, he takes on Burt which helps him better develop his character a

            The work antics can basically become additional story ideas for Burt

Writing stories comes with creativity and using more brain power to build on their stories from your own mind

            He has a wild imagination

Andy is also very flexible, he goes with the flow well, and is up for any task that is asked of him.  This is different for you because your schedule is very set in place because you like the predictability

Andy is also always willing to work, even if it isn’t the best job that he wants (you weren’t a fan of cleaning up after the dogs for Dogs Day out)

On days where it’s hard to have a positive attitude or you can’t find the energy to do all the work, Andy is a good character to think about (recalling funny moments like the “dad you’re alive?” scene)

It can be scary sometimes to think about the hard work that comes with adulting, but if we think about how Andy ends the series he is a functioning adult with a good head on his shoulders, he has a good job and he is able to support his family (despite lacking some common sense)   

The definition of an adult with autism vs. one without is very different and varies greatly from person to person. 

You can’t compare yourself to others but you can work hard and strive to be as independent as possible.  If you try like Andy there’s no doubt you won’t succeed.

[newsworld-nw]

Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll's clutch postseason moments came as no surprise to teammates

ARLINGTON — At age 23, taking part in baseball for the primary time in October, Corbin Carroll's checklist of memorable playoff moments is already spectacular sufficient to depart seasoned ballplayers questioning the place all of it went flawed. In his playoff debut, Carroll hit a two-run homer off Corbin Barnes within the Wild Card Sequence, a third-inning blast that reduce Milwaukee's result in 3-2. In opposition to Clayton Kershaw within the first inning of Sport 1 of the NLDS, Carroll's RBI single acquired his staff on the board in what turned out to be a series-defining assertion inning. MORE: World Sequence predictions for Diamondbacks-Rangers “For me, my second was in Colorado. I have been right here about two weeks, and he is actually struggled since I have been right here," Sewald mentioned. "He had one other dangerous day, and he went right down to the batting cage, by the eating room, and took off every thing however a tank high and Simply go to work." Not protecting the Diamondbacks every day, I questioned if this was one thing Carroll did usually, so I requested. "Not usually," Carol mentioned, then paused. “Truly, very not often, to be fairly trustworthy. I attempt to preserve my workload very constant since my shoulder surgical procedure. It's a uncommon alternative for me.” Carol wanted to make some adjustments, although. In his earlier 17 video games, Carroll had a median of simply .161 and a .493 OPS. In a rookie season the place he was already the overwhelming NL Rookie of the Yr favourite in mid-August, it was a uncommon droop. SN MLB Award: Ronald Acuna Participant of the yr All awards, all-stars "I used to be hitting a velo machine," he mentioned, "simply looking for some consistency." His teammates, particularly Sewald, seen. A younger staff chief and budding famous person who already earned his status as a tough employee, he is taking it up a notch. "Younger gamers who take hundreds of swings after one recreation can go one in every of two methods, and that is precisely what we anticipated," Sewald mentioned. “He acquired two hits the subsequent day and by no means regarded again. Once I consider Corbin Carroll, I consider the day when his work ethic and expertise will probably be higher than the remainder of us. We're blissful to have him in our staff.” Carroll hit .329 for the remainder of the season, a 40-game stretch that noticed the Diamondbacks reel from a 24-16 report that was ok to hold them into the postseason because the sixth and remaining seed within the Nationwide League playoffs. For Seewald, who was a teammate of rising younger famous person Julio Rodriguez in Seattle, there was a powerful sense of deja vu. "I am very lucky to see two of the highest 5 gamers within the league," Sewald mentioned. “Should you redrew the league, you'd most likely put each of these within the high 5. Simply unbelievable similarities, being 22 and 23 and being so mature, with the ability to deal with one thing like this, but additionally with the ability to deal with the grind of the large leagues. “They did not get right here at 22 as a result of they struggled rather a lot alongside the way in which. I simply consider these guys who're actually placing within the work. When issues appear to be going badly, they only work tougher, and it is a credit score to their work ethic and their expertise degree, which is so a lot better than the remainder of us, that is why they're so good at 23." However, sure, Carroll's Sport 7. That, they are saying, is the stuff of legends. "Enormous. Simply big," Diamondbacks hitting coach Joe Mather mentioned. "And he confronted some actually good pitching, particularly lefties. And that final sac fly, the place he did not get hit, was most likely probably the most spectacular." All 5 of his plate appearances in Sport 7 have been towards lefties. Carroll went 3-for-3 off starter Ranger Suarez — he held lefties to a .244 on-base proportion in 2023 — after which acquired a sacrifice fly from Jose Alvarado within the seventh. That offered an enormous insurance coverage run, reducing Arizona's result in 4-2.

What about Carroll allowed him to have such success towards such robust left-handers? “I feel it is his means to remain in on the arduous breaking ball. He trusts his eyes, trusts that the ball will break over the plate,” he mentioned. “Lefties can create some robust angles for left-handed hitters. That is one thing that is been true in baseball since it has been performed, proper? However has loads of confidence in himself, in the event that they put it over the plate, he can put a powerful swing on it. He is ready to get a pitch like that in his zone." Moments like Sport 7 — and like vs. Barnes and like vs. Kershaw and the additional hitting session in Colorado — are why the Diamondbacks felt comfy giving Carroll an eight-year, $111-million extension this spring, when he had simply 32 main league hits below his belt. the sport I used to be there that day this spring, when the signing was introduced, and I requested across the clubhouse what his teammates thought of such a younger participant — he does not flip 23 till August — getting such an enormous, long-term contract. There was no signal of jealousy within the clubhouse with the younger or the previous. "Effectively, you watch him play and he is fairly particular," veteran Evan Longoria mentioned Thursday. “We have been actually fortunate to have him long-term and so I feel it was a thrill and an pleasure to have the ability to lock down a participant like him for a protracted time frame and have him be yours. The suffragettes." The signing of the deal means higher days are forward for Carroll and his teammates and followers, a membership that misplaced 110 video games in 2021 and one other 88 in 2022. I requested him if he was stunned that the Diamondbacks made it to the World Sequence. So early in his profession "Sure, it's. It actually is," he mentioned with a smile. “However I feel you have a look at the common season and we had 84 wins, proper? There's room to develop. However by way of the postseason, what we have been in a position to accomplish, I feel it simply reveals that when you get into something you possibly can. We have got a staff that is very purchased in and actually trusts one another. I feel that helped us lend ourselves to with the ability to do it a little bit bit sooner than possibly some folks thought." #Diamondbacks #rookie #Corbin #Carrolls #clutch #postseason #moments #shock #teammates Read the full article

[justimajin]

In the Imajining of: It’s a Reverse Basket

We’re back at it again! For those of you confused, this is basically my behind the scenes segment where I share the ‘imajining’ process of my stories. 

For this series, I’ll be talking about: 

The Initial Idea 

The Characters 

The Baseline Story 

The Overall Series 

Let’s get it!

The Initial Idea: 

Would any of you believe me if I said this series wasn’t meant for Yoongi at all? Once again, another member was my initial choice but after furthur developing the idea Yoongi ending up fitting the storyline more. Let me explain. 

The first concept I had for this series is pretty similar to what it ended up turning out to be - girl dresses herself as a boy to get into a basketball team and falls for the captain. I got inspired after reading a lot of manga and noticing the gender bender trope was quite common. I decided it would be interesting to have my own take from it and so the idea for this series was born. 

However, the story would have been completely different if we had Captain Jeon instead of Captain Min and boy, would it have been really different. Jungkook was originally going to be this very rude and stoic captain and the mc would have feared him until he started to chill lol. It sounded like a good idea at first but I wasn’t really in love with how the main couple was turning out. Additionally Jungkook was going to be known for hating liers and that would have put the mc into a even worse position, which I wasn’t a fan of either. 

So the whole concept was scrapped and I started shifting gears over to Yoongi. I thought he would have suited the role as captain wayy better and watching a couple of video’s of him playing basketball confirmed this more for me. I was really surprised with how fair Yoongi is with playing the sport and that helped spark a better image for the team’s captain. I also thought changing his character would immensely help the mc’s character and in ways support the growth she goes through (oof a couple loving and supporting each other’s dreams? sign me up) 

The Characters: 

> Y/N: For any of my old readers, I think it’s obvious to say that the mc’s personality here is considerably different compared to past ones I’ve written. One trend I noticed through all the manga I read was that the mc’s were typically extremely naive and somewhat clueless. I did think traits like these would fit Y/N’s character since her position of being in an all boys school with this secret that can be slipped out anytime leaves her with a lot of ‘uncertainty’ in that sense, but I wasn’t up for her being too clueless. In an indirect way, I wanted Y/N to be strong and sensible to deal with everything she goes through and I think her character turned out exactly how I wanted. 

> Yoongi: Oh my god. Not going to lie, I had the hardest time writing this boy’s character lmao. I’ve only ever written one fic for him and that was His First Love (shameless self plug here if you’re in need of some heart-wrenching angst) so you can say I’m not very used to writing about Yoongi. He’s the member that’s the most different in BTS and I really wanted to capture his personality perfectly in the story. This led to a lot of thinking on my part and I constantly had to ask myself: What would Yoongi do in this situation? I also have the tendency to observe the member I’m writing about a lot too, so you can say I did my fair share of “research” on him for his character (and by research I mean watching a bunch of compilations on repeat. #no regrets made). 

> The Four Weirdos Taehyung, Jungkook, Hoseok & Jimin: I was really keen on choosing characters for this and looking back now, I think I made the right call. My motive was to create almost a warm and welcoming atmosphere for Y/N when she first enters the school because 1. She’s already scared af from being there and 2. She’s aiming for competitive basketball, which means by default she won’t surrounded with what one would call the nicest of people. It was important for me to choose her roommates properly, because these two people would be the ones constantly around her and the ones closet exposed to her secret. After a lot of contemplation, I decide to go with Taehyung and Jungkook in the end. I’ve explored their dynamic a bit in His First Love and I found their duo was a bit iconic. I also discovered that there was more I could do with them in this story so I decided to go forth with them being her roommates. Hoseok and Jimin then became their neighbors and together, their group of five had a nice balance of characters that I was looking for. 

Also just a side-note about Jungkook’s character: he actually retains a lot of what his character would have been like as captain. I just toned it down more so he wouldn’t come off as harsh but just highly focused on playing basketball instead (which also ending up working because you know, Jungkook). He’s also very aloof because of this, which is why he never really tries to probe about Y/N’s identity and leaves it all up to the troublesome trio instead lol. 

> The Coach and The One You Wanted to Punch Namjoon and Seokjin: I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to write Namjoon’s character in a more involved way since Yoongi took some control of the practices, but nevertheless I’ve always found that Namjoon is great to write in admin characters. I also wanted to expand an arc about him and Taehyung a bit, showcasing some of the struggles Taehyung has gone through just to be at the school as mentioned in Chapter 2. I decided to drop this because the story needed to be concentrated on Y/N more, but I thought I share this tidbit so you guys know where I was thinking of going with that segment of the story. 

Moving on to Seokjin - I freaking loved writing this guy’s character haha. And I’m not saying this because I’m biased, okay? I just think he really suits negative characters so well and he’s so cheeky that you’re left confused whenever he pops up. I wanted to write him in such a way where he retains that joking and charming manner of his but at the same time, he’s the type of guy you want to just maintain some distance from for precaution. His rivalry with Yoongi, his interest in Y/N, his playful banter with Taehyung and Jungkook - it all tied in so well. I also wanted to keep his character in the loop towards the end and that eventually his differences would become resolved, but Taehyung and Jungkook would still highkey be annoyed by his random presences lol. I also hoped his sudden appearance would spark a lot of attention in Chapter 10 (which it did, of course. It’s Kim Seokjin!) because he’s the only character that’s introduced mid-series. 

> Hyerin, Soyoung, The Jackass That Ruined It All: So these characters were thrown in during the planning stages and they’re all extremely important. I’ll start off with Hyerin. 

Hyerin was a character I didn’t know I needed until I figured out Y/N’s character. After coming to the understanding that Y/N’s going to be this timid and naive person that’s going to be hiding a secret from everyone close to her, I realized she would need someone to almost confide in when things got tough. I’m not saying that Taehyung and Jungkook weren’t great friends, that’s the complete opposite of they were, but Y/N needed someone that she didn’t need to hide from. Hyerin also helps with the fact that Y/N’s entered a new school, so she really isn’t sure when to let her guard down around people and if she didn’t have a friend with her, she could have ended up feeling lonely. Hyerin is also veryyy vocal too, so when Y/N needed a voice, I wanted her to take up the opportunity instead and express things Y/N had difficulty with saying herself (remember that flashback scene from Chapter 9?). So yeah, Hyerin wasn’t a character I didn’t originally come up with but more so needed in support of Y/N. 

Soyoung. This girl’s story is a lot more messed up than you would think haha. I conceived two idea’s for her and didn’t like either of them, so she ended up being the friendly but strict doctor that kept popping up lol. The first one involved Hoseok, in which she would be a close friend of his sister’s and they would grow up knowing each other. Later on, she bumps into him at the school and starts falling for him, but doesn’t say anything because she loves his sister a lot and doesn’t want to compromise their relationship. You can see hints of this story in Chapter 3 where Y/N faints and her friends go to visit her. Hoseok introduces Y/N to his sister in Chapter 11 where you would see this play out more, but I decided to scrap this after the chapter was really focusing on what Y/N was going through. I’d like to think this idea lowkey happened in the background, and in my mind I would still correlate Soyoung and Hoseok together. 

Now, the second idea I had was, well, bad. lol. Soyoung could have ended being Yoongi’s ex-girlfriend guys. Damn, I’m getting cringe from just thinking about this again. So basically Soyoung and Yoongi were going to have some unsaid moments between them and then later Y/N would notice and Yoongi would tell her the truth. Y/N wouldn’t really be bothered by this because homegirl has enough on her plate with school and basketball but Soyoung would be and would try to cause problems. I’m still not a huge fan of the “bad ex comes to ruins your hopes and dreams because of their unresolved problems trope” so I ended up rejecting this idea and I am so glad I did. 

Moving on, let’s talk about the jackass lol. This is the guy from Chapter 9′s flashback and who appears in Chapter 20 again. He’s basically the guy that ends up spilling the beans for Y/N. I didn’t give him a name because I wasn’t hugely fond about his character at all, but he’s important in the sense of reminding Y/N of the past, which Hyerin mentions wasn’t the greatest because she wanted to play competitively but was stuck being part of the girl’s recreational team. So it was important for this guy to pop up once again and for Y/N to confront him during a game in order to move on from thinking she couldn’t fulfill her dream of playing competitively. Her family also influences this, but we’ll touch on that soon.

The Baseline Story: 

Alright, so I added this segment as a way to highlight parts I wanted to talk about more, as well as add in some neat unknown facts: 

>> Chapters 1-4 are meant to set up the series and get majority of the characters introduced. The part to highlight here is Yoongi giving a second chance to Y/N in joining the team after she falls sick. This moment was extremely important for Y/N since now knowing what happens in the whole series (her family, the old boys competitive team) she was strongly discouraged to play basketball. In a way, Yoongi was the first person to actually support her and in return, he felt she belonged on the team and wanted to see her grow as a player.  

>> Chapter 5 was the shortest chapter but I wanted to highlight the end of it. It’s the part where Hyerin cuts Y/N’s hair for her. Although this was meant in a way to help Y/N not having to wear a wig all the time, this moment was also to show the lengths at which Y/N is willing to go just to play competitive basketball. Even though she doesn’t show it, Hyerin constantly reminds her of how much she’s going to miss her natural hair. 

>> Chapter 6-9 is where the reveal of her secret shenanigans begins. This ends with Jimin almost finding about her identity and how he completely falls off the mark with guessing what’s actually up. I wanted to highlight here that Jungkook was originally supposed to find out and I was so close with going through with that idea. He was also supposed to keep the whole ordeal along the way and secretly help Y/N, but for some reason I don’t think that suited his character very well. So I instead chose Jimin and it ended up leading into some awesome bits of comedy. 

I also wanted to point out that this was the part where Yoongi slowly begins to get closer with her. I really wanted Yoongi to find out her secret and for her to be aware of this early on in the series since this helps Y/N a lot in these parts. Yoongi covers for her when she can’t and in return, Y/N feels a lot more calm when he’s around. 

>> Chapter 10-11 is the part where Seokjin first appears and Yoongi x Y/N have some issues going on. I think this part was the hardest for me to right because I didn’t want to seem like either of them was wrong in any way, but at the same time show that they seriously needed clear out what was going on between them. I don’t think I’ve shown this kind of conflict between one of my duos and it was strange to write, but I honestly think it did a lot good than bad (maybe I should make my duos fight more, hm). 

>> Chapter 12-16 is the initial progressions of Y/N and Yoongi’s relationship. It’s cute, it’s sweet, and it’s just meant to highlight what they’re like being a couple. My personal favorite is actually Chapter 13, which is when they go out on their first date. I remember contemplating a lot for this chapter, since I wasn’t sure on what place would be the best to draw something more out from these characters. You have to think of this way - both of them get flustered easily and aren’t the most vocal people, so I have to throw them into situations that helps them feel comfortable and open up more. So ultimately, what did I end up doing? Got them to go watch a basketball game together because it’s their natural domain and Yoongi’s teaching side would instantly activate. (apparently I’m a first date consultant now so if anyone would like some assitance hmu).

>> Chapter 17-18 is the part where you get deeper into Y/N and Yoongi’s characters. After the cute initial stages of their relationship, things get tense. I start this off with Yoongi bringing Y/N over to his family’s house, a thing that seems harmless at first until Y/N’s visits and realizes something is up. From meeting his family to issues with his dad, I really wanted to show that there was stuff going on in the background with Yoongi as well, stuff he didn’t necessarily try to sort out and instead ignored. Y/N does end up noticing and helps him here, but in Chapter 18 it’s shown it’s actually because she understands it. She has a similar situation going on but it’s even worse on her side, so she doesn’t hesitate in trying to make things better for Yoongi as she doesn’t want him to get to the point of her situation. Later on in Chapter 18, Yoongi also sees the similar effects and comforts her about it, understanding her better in return. I felt this part in general was extremely for me to properly write and communicate, because it was a strong turning point for both of them and for their relationship, taking what the previous chapters started off and making it into something deeper. 

Chapters 19-20 and the Epilogue are basically just the combined ending, so there’s not really anything there for me to highlight. 

>> Random Facts: This just popped into my head as I was browsing but the dorm that Y/N, Taehyung and Jungkook live in is 613, which actually means June 13th, BTS’s debut date. Uhh Y/N was originally supposed to mistake Yoonji for Yoongi and there was going to be a lot of mayhem going on regarding that, but I didn’t like all that chaos going on during a game so I went for the opportunity of developing Y/N’s character more instead. Yoongi’s jersey number is 9 which correlates with his birthday and Y/N’s is 7, which correlates to their recent album + apparently as an angel number, is known for being unique and positive, ironically also good at being secretive and keeping secrets (yes, I actually did research about a number lol). That’s all that comes to mind right now for me in terms of facts. 

The Overall Series: 

My lasting impression of this series is a very good one. I think I was genuinely surprised around this time since I was able to write 21 chapters without getting exhausted (something that often happens when you write for too long) and really enjoyed every part I wrote. This series ended up turning out a lot better than I initially would have imagined and in a way, I think I actually improved a lot as a writer through it. 

[hansoheeglobal]

The Infinite Realm of Han Sohee

Article by Woman Sense

Han Sohee who wanted to be an irreplaceable actor, was confident. It's already irreplaceable.

Actor Han Sohee is starting now. She made a good impression as a "national affair woman" in JTBC's drama "The World of the Married" (2020) and became a leading role as a fresh female college student in JTBC's drama "Nevertheless" (2021). And with the Netflix series "My Name", she became the top of the three rabbits, appearance, acting, and action. It is the first time in just four years since its debut with the SBS drama "Into the New World" in 2017.

My Name in which Han Sohee threw off her "pretty" and declared a drastic transformation, is an undercover genre drama depicting the harsh truth and revenge process faced by Jiwoo (Han Sohee) who entered the organization Dongcheon faction under a new name "Oh Hyejin." In the play, Han Sohee plays Hyejin, a member of the organization who loses her father and throws herself to revenge. It is well received for its high-level action acting and delicate acting that goes back and forth between extremes. In the play, Han Sohee worked with Park Heesoon and Ahn Bohyun.

Immediately after its release, "My Name" topped Netflix's "Top 10 Contents Today in Korea." It is creating a syndrome by ranking fourth in the world's Netflix TV show category and sixth in the United States. I met Han Sohee who is currently on a break, at an online production presentation.

<My Name> is well received worldwide. How do you feel?

It hasn't hit me yet. I didn't know so many people would watch. Thank you. There were many memorable reviews. Among them, it was good to hear that it was different from the way it was shown in the previous work. That's what I wanted to hear.

How was it when you first read the script?

At first, it was difficult to draw the character Jiwoo just by imagining it. It was difficult to define because there were more gestures, situations, and actions for revenge than expressing emotions in words. So I thought that if the color inside and the eraser in the scenario were combined, it could be expressed differently. That's how I approached it.

It showed a very different color of acting from the past works.

The director sent me works, books, and movies that I would like to refer to. I tried to see various things, focusing on those things. I didn't want to start with a clear definition. I wanted to approach the character open.

What is the most focused part of expressing 'Yoon Jiwoo'?

I tried not to lose my goal and direction. Since I had to express things that I had never encountered, I tried to find the intersection between the character and me, especially the intersection inside.

What is the intersection of Jiwoo and Sohee?

If you set a goal, you don't care about water. It's emotional, but I think it resembles me to put the raw things in words and actions. I acted thinking about how to relieve my feelings well when wearing Jiwoo's clothes.

It was first unveiled at the Busan International Film Festival.

I felt good because there would not be many occasions to see my work on such a big screen. I thought my heart was going to explode when the music that announced the start came out. Afterwards, the audience clapped, and I choked up. I was grateful to see many people sitting down despite the COVID-19 situation. I felt responsible when I saw people asking questions about the work. I could feel the sincerity. It was even more so.

It's the first action movie.

The most difficult thing was the early gym scene. It was a scene where I was competing with this person and that person. I remember filming tired in the beginning. The best scene is the scene where they attack each other with a knife without any big action. In a way, it was the best scene because it focused on emotions rather than actions. It remains in memory.

Was there any pressure about the leading role?

Actually, it was burdensome and hard. I relied entirely on the director and on my seniors. In particular, it was a great help because (Park) Heesoon took the center stage. There was also a burden of action, but I enjoyed filming.

I am also curious about the relationship between Jiwoo and Mujin (Park Heesoon).

I think the relationship between Jiwoo and Mujin is more attractive because it is indescribable. He was my father's friend in the beginning, but he becomes another father in the second half. He is a father who raised Jiwoo, who almost lived on the street, strong. And from Mujin's point of view, it is true that the relationship ends only when someone dies. That's what it says in the script.

I heard that you gained 10kg for your work.

With a choco pie, I can gain 5kg.(Laugh) I often got hungry because I exercised a lot. And the martial arts director bought me a lot of chicken noodle soup. The happiest moments of training were snack time and lunch time. After eating well and exercising, I gained 10kg without realizing it.

I think there is a great desire for "transformation." I'm curious about your belief in acting.

I want to act irreplaceable. I want to show myself to the public that I don't even know. I try to find an expression that I can't express without myself. So I want to play various genres and various characters. I want to do it well. It's natural to work hard.

What do you think about the bed scene of Ahn Bohyun?

I thought a lot about how to express it. I think it was not love, but a relationship and scene where Jiwoo could only look like a person.

The favorable reception continued for Jiwoo's outfit and makeup.

The makeup teacher worked hard. Rather than looking pretty, she thought a lot about how to make dark circles look good, or how to make them look a little more tired. So, I often wore makeup to dry my lips. I wanted to look exhausted. In terms of clothes, we focused on the outfits that express the action well.

It is a work that stands out in the emotional line. Wasn't it hard?

In fact, I am not the type of person who reserves energy, but rather the type of person who drives herself to the edge of a cliff while filming a work. So throughout this work, I had a hard time regardless of my day off and filming days. I think I lived as Jiwoo for about five to six months. The director was also worried about my psychological part. It was hard, but I was able to concentrate. It was a scene where I could express myself freely. So I was able to get out of the character quickly.

You said that running toward the goal resembles Jiwoo, but what is Han Sohee's goal?

The goal is to create a state without a goal. In the process of working every day without a break, I felt that I was not using the time I didn't work to benefit rather than setting plans and goals for the day. So I'm trying to spend my days full without a goal and without much thought.

Han Sohee's action is receiving favorable reviews. Have you been working out since "My Name"?

In a way, exercise is very simple. When exercise enters life, many changes occur. So, we are now inseparable from exercising. Since the base of Jiwoo's action in this work is boxing, I am still learning kickboxing. In fact, there is a disappointing part. It would have been better if I learned more kickboxing and filmed. Action is a really cool genre.

You played the action without a stand-in. I wonder how you feel about watching your own action.

Desperate? I really threw my body and acted. Not only me but also all of us did that. I'm proud that the effort and teamwork were revealed in the work.

Is there a line that you personally like the most? Online, "The gangster's daughter has to do this, Mr. X" was chosen as a famous line.

M(Laughs) I think I like Jiwoo because it’s a line that makes change happen. There are lines that are personally sad. After killing Kang Jae, there is a line to Pildo saying, “Do you enjoy living?” I felt a lot of emotions for Jiwoo, who spoke bluntly.

Noir, the female lead.

I don't think it's a gender distinction. Personally, I want you to remember how far a person can fall with the single purpose of revenge for the work <My Name>, and it is a work that expresses it raw. Personally, I really like the genre called noir.

“While filming a work, it is a style that drives itself to the edge of a work. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish between day off and day of filming throughout the work. I want to act irreplaceable, and I want to show myself to the public that I don't know. It's natural to work hard. I try to find an expression that I can't express without myself. So I want to play various genres and various characters.”

Due to health problems, you rejected the next work. How is it right now?

In fact, it may have been accumulated since the filming of My Name. I don't think I was aware of my physical condition. I thought my mind was tired, not my body, but I didn't feel well. Now I'm doing well while treating and exercising.

Is there any character or genre you want to try?

This role was a character who lived their lives with one person's body. I wonder what it would be like to meet a better character here.

Since 2017, you have been working on your work without a break. Do you want to have a personal time?

I want to have my own time, but I think I forgot how to spend my time. In the past, I rested without doing anything, but these days, I am looking for my lifestyle by watching movies, books, exhibitions, and exercising

You cut your hair short from long hair.

It's comfortable. On the other hand, I want to grow it out, but in fact, I like all kinds of hair. I am grateful to those who want to cut their hair after seeing my short hair.

If you look at SNS, you take lactobacillus well.Is there a special reason?

Lactobacillus love is special.(Laugh) It's actually the easiest medicine to take. It's delicious and it keeps you healthy. I think I kept recommending it to people because the intestinal function must be good to boost metabolism.

I'm also curious about future activities.

My body has gotten a lot better. I think we need time to remove the eraser and empty it. Now, it's time for my time to be complete. Looking at various scripts, I am thinking about how to meet the public.

What hobbies do you have?

I like drawing, but I exercise a lot these days. I also like to binge watch dramas or movies. Sitting on the sofa, crying and laughing alone. That's how I spend the day.

How satisfied are you with this work?

Personally, I hope to find something fun to find the character Jiwoo lives in itself. It's hard for me to evaluate my work, but it's a work that gave me 120% satisfaction. My acting skills are far short. So I'm just grateful to the director.

I’m sorry if there’s miss translation

[iliveiloveiwrite]

Long Lost Love // Part Two (D.M.)

Summary: For seven years, you watched the highs and falls of Draco Malfoy’s life. Fifteen years after twenty four letters were left unanswered, he stands on your doorstep declaring his love. What do you do?

A/N: Part two to my mini series for @stupxfy‘s two weeks of angst! The reaction to the first part really did. blow me away. I hope you like this part just as much! (There are some parts that are going to be similar, if not the exact same as the first part, that is so the story flows. This is from a different perspective after all.)

Warnings: pining, mutual pining, teenage love, teenage angst, kissing, making out, some swearing, brief mentions of the battle of hogwarts, mentions of food and drink, anxiety, nightmares.

Word count: 3k

Part One

Twenty two years ago:

By the end of your first week at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, there wasn’t a student or teacher who did not know the name Draco Malfoy.

At eleven years old, he held the arrogance of a man much older and much more experienced with the wiles of the world. At such a young age, he held the air of someone holding court. His small group of friends banding around him, watching him with expressions undefined.

At eleven years old, Draco Malfoy already started to hold the world in his hands.

At eleven years old, you knew to stay away – to protect yourself from the hurt that seemed to follow the young blonde boy wherever he went.

Nineteen years ago:

At fourteen years old, the whole school is still very much aware of Draco Malfoy’s presence. His family’s reputation preceding him; the pressure of the Malfoy name sitting heavily upon the teenager’s shoulders.

The friendship began on a Saturday.

A memorable enough day for you to remember exactly what day of the week it was. The day is seared into your mind for the fact that it had been a Hogsmeade weekend, and Draco hadn’t gone. He hadn’t missed a Hogsmeade visit since being granted permission, but for some reason he had chosen to miss this particular weekend.

And he had joined you in the library.

At fourteen years old, you were very much aware of Draco Malfoy and his title of the Slytherin Prince. At fourteen years old, you knew very well to stay away.

For a while he didn’t speak. He didn’t know what to say; that’s what he’ll admit to you in a couple of years, when you lie on his chest, reminiscing.

His first words to you are your name. They’re whispered, quiet in the hush of the library, “(Y/N)?”

You startle, losing your place in your book, “Draco?”

He points down to your book, a shy smile on your face, “What are you reading?”

You feel your cheeks begin to heat; the familiar flush that accompanies your explanation of your love for fantasy novels that include a love triangle between two boys that are as equally as swoon-worthy as the other. You clear your throat, “A fantasy novel that I’ve been meaning to read for a while.”

Draco sits himself down across from you, resting his elbows on the table, looking somewhat intrigued. He doesn’t an offer an explanation for why he sits down, and you don’t ask for one. You’re happy enough to talk to the teenager that had manage to strike fear in the hearts of many of the students in the school; to decide for yourself whether Draco’s bite is worse than his bark.

“Are you enjoying it so far?” He asks, eyes focused on you rather than the book in your hands.

You glance down to the pages, your bookmark tucked away neatly. Nodding your head, you reply, “I am. I’ve read other books by this author and I’ve yet to find a book I dislike by them.”

Draco nods, not wanting to talk any further. Puzzled, you shrug your shoulders, disregarding the conversation with the Slytherin Prince as a moment of madness on his behalf, returning to the fantasy world of angels, demons, and gargoyle protectors.

It’s an odd interaction by any standard. He never offers his reasoning as to why he spoke to you, why he sat down and then stayed with you. Instead, Draco remains across the table from you, eyes roaming around the library before he eventually settles on watching you read, tracking the movement of each page.

As the day draws to an end, Draco stands and waits for you to collect your things. Silently, a friendship is forged between you both, and you cannot help but wonder how long this will last.

Seventeen years ago:

The greenhouses were ever so dark on an evening. The long tunnels are bathed in muted light due to the vines stretching their way across the roof, reminding you of hands reaching for their lovers in the middle of the night.

How many nights had you wandered the rows with Draco? Your hand reaching for his in the same way as the vines. His hand clasping yours like a Venus fly trap grips its prey.

Nights in the greenhouses were your favourite. Draco’s guard was dropped, revealing the shy mannered teenager you had fallen in love with. His arrogance: his anger – a façade to keep curious eyes at bay. There were very few he let in; you being the one he was most truthful to.

It was in the greenhouse and the hospital wing that you found Draco to be more his true self. It in those two locations that he forged more and more of who he wanted to be after Hogwarts.

He was playful; he was happy, and he was in love with you.

You smile to yourself as you step further into the greenhouse; remembering the night he had confessed his feelings to you, under this very roof. Draco hadn’t been prepared for your reaction, for to you throw your arms around his neck and kiss him. He hadn’t been prepared the first time, but he was definitely ready for the second, and the third, and the fourth.

“What are you thinking of?” His voice sounds close to your ear, making you jump.

Gasping, you whirl around, slapping Draco on the chest lightly. He laughs, catching your hand and bringing it to his lips. You glare at him playfully before answering, “For your information, I was thinking of the night you told me you loved me.”

Draco sighs happily, hooking an arm around your waist, pulling you to him. His free hand reaches up to stroke your cheek; his eyes shine with what can only be defined as joy and adoration. “That night features in my top ten nights of all time.”

“At what number?” You ask, leaning your cheek into his touch.

Draco tilts his head to one side, pretending to think it over. He waits a moment before answering, “Possibly number one.”

“Possibly?”

He laughs, dropping his hand from your face to settle on your waist. He ducks his head, his lips so close to yours they brush as he whispers, “Would it help to know that you feature in every one of my top ten nights?”

You tilt your face back, desperate for an ounce of pressure between your lips, “It helps some, but I think I have an idea of how you can really persuade me.”

“Oh?”

You hum in answer, finally connecting your lips in the kiss you had been longing for since you had met Draco in the Slytherin common room. It was hard, you realise, to keep your hands off him when he was in this sort of mood. Playful Draco was as intoxicating, if not more so, as he was when he was quiet and solemn. It felt silly, to be sixteen years old, and already declaring yourself in love, but here you were.

Breaking the kiss, you step back from the teenager that had somehow stolen your heart. Draco follows you instinctively, hands reaching for you. It sends a rush of warmth through your body,  but you force yourself to focus on the plan for the night. Things could easily slip downhill if you were to let yourself fall into the spell that Draco had managed to intricately weave around your heart and mind, connecting them both to him as his were connected to you.

“I say we get started for the night. We don’t want to let down Madame Pomfrey, do we?”

Draco huffs out a laugh, eyes bright as he watches you, “I suppose not. Let’s get started.”

“Name two purposes of Valerian Root,” You state, standing proudly by the flower known for its healing properties.

“To help someone sleep as well as to ease anxiety,” Draco answers, counting off the purposes on his fingers.

“Very good,” You laugh. You move quietly between the long rows of plants, still in awe that such plants could exist outside of their natural habitats. The wonder of magic, you think to yourself. You turn to Draco suddenly; happy to find his eyes already on you, “What is one danger of Black Henbane?”

Draco pauses his steps, eyes searching for the very flower you had spied only a moment ago. His mouth stretches into a small smile when he spies it hidden away at the back of the greenhouse – away from prying eyes and wandering hands. He walks over to you, remaining so close to you, you can feel the heat from his body as he answers, “As a member of the nightshade family, the plant can be toxic if used in large quantities.”

“Madame Pomfrey was right,” You splutter, happier and happier with his answers, “You’re going to make an incredible Healer, Draco Malfoy.”

You bite your lip, watching the heat creep up Draco’s neck to his cheeks. He ducks his head for a moment, unusually shy around you. “I don’t think I’ll get there if I don’t have you,” He admits, raising his head, meeting your gaze.

A satisfied smile spreads across your face. His admission practically heals something within you; an almost confirmation that Draco wants whatever the both of you have to last. “It’s a good job I’m in this for the long haul then isn’t it?”

“Are you really?” Draco asks; a funny tone to his voice, almost strained as if he can see something in the future.

You nod, determined. Reaching for his hand, you tangle your fingers together, wanting nothing more than to be close to him in this moment. “I’m here for however long you want me, Draco. If that means forever, then that means forever.”

Fifteen years ago:

The words are whispered so quietly you wonder whether you’ve heard him correctly, but then his hand drops yours and you watch him walk across the courtyard to be folded into the arms of the darkest wizard in a century.

“I’m sorry, forgive me.”

They reverberate in your head; clanging in your mind until they are all that you can hear. They repeat to the sound of your heart. Beating against your chest with such force you wonder whether the rest of the courtyard can hear your heart.

A broken sound leaves you; a sob mixed with a whimper drops from your lips as you attempt to follow the teenager you had pledged your forever to. Your eyes remain on Draco, watching as his mother reaches for him. You’re sure you scream his name over and over again, pushing through the crowd of remaining Hogwarts students, desperately, desperately trying to get to him.

A pair of hands grab at your waist, keeping you planted to the ground, stopping you from getting to him. “Don’t do it,” The hands all but shout, “Don’t follow him. He’s chosen his side.”

He had. He had chosen his side, and it hadn’t been with you. It’s then that you realise that whilst you had promised your forever, he had never promised you his.

--------

The letters are written out of hope. They’re written out of foolish hope that he would read them and come back to you. You write down your feelings for the blonde, displaying your love, expecting it to be thrown back in your face.

By writing down your feelings, you’re not only ridding yourself of the burden of the memories, but you’re laying down hope for a future you had promised years ago in the dark of a greenhouse.

Twenty four letters are sent.

There are no replies.

After the twenty fourth letter is sent, you wash your hands of the Slytherin Prince and the hurried kisses behind tapestries. You rid yourself of the memories of his smile and the feel of his hand in yours, of how his fingers would tangle with yours as he would press you against the wall, his lips seeking yours for a kiss that would be burnt into your memory. Deep down, though, you knew that it would be a while before you would free of the stain of his lips and hands.

He had chosen his side. The motive you would never know, but he had chosen nonetheless and now it was time for you to live your life.

Now:

The day began ordinarily. You woke with your husband; the sound of his alarm rousing the both of you. A day begun too early in your opinion. One you shared with your husband, happy at the sound of his laughter followed by the first of many kisses of the day.

The second kiss of the day landed on your mouth as you watched him head off to work. It had been a chance meeting the day you met your husband. Aiden had fallen to the floor in front of you; dramatically tripping over his own feet and untied shoelaces. After your laughter had dissipated, you had helped him up, asking for his name so you could see if he was hurt. He had stuttered his name out; already half in love with you, he later joked.

Waving Aiden off, you watch his car pull out of the driveway. Aiden hadn’t a lick of magic in him; completely and utterly ordinary save for the love he holds for you. His lack of magic had been part of the appeal; desperate to have a sense of ordinary after experiencing the extraordinary in your education.

He knew everything. Your magic wasn’t something you could keep secret, and he had accepted it as part of you, joking how much easier it would be to put the kettle on from another room.

It’s barely an hour later when a knock on the door sounds. Frowning, you automatically know it isn’t Aiden. He wouldn’t knock; he would walk straight in with a smile on his face and a greeting at the ready.

Pulling open the door, you feel your heart stop in your chest when you catch sight of the man standing on your doorstep.

Draco Malfoy.

The urge to run was overwhelming; adrenaline coiling your muscles tight, ready to spring to action in a moment’s notice. The last time you had seen the man standing before you, you were stood on the other side of the courtyard. The lines in your relationship very clearly drawn despite the letters written with love and hidden away with care, ready to be sent.

It had been fifteen years. Fifteen long years of wondering what you did wrong; of building yourself up from what he had broken into pieces; of finding a love you finally knew you deserved in the form of Aiden.

It had been fifteen years, and Draco Malfoy looked like hell.

Words fall from his mouth in a torrent; the explanation rushed out so fast it is hard to keep. You move to interrupt, to state the three words that would end it all now.

He doesn’t let you. Instead, he confesses his love for you. The love that had never died for him but had long been buried for you. He watches you in silence, watching the emotions flit over your face with a puzzled expression on his own. Draco didn’t seem to understand what was causing your hesitance, your silence on the matter.

“Draco…” You state, holding up your left hand for him to see the silver bands wrapping around the fourth finger – a sign of your love for Aiden, “I’m married.”

The effect is immediate. You watch as the fight leaves his body; as the hopelessness sets in, wringing his body for what it’s worth. The light dims in his eyes and you can the irreparable damage crack through the bright grey of eyes you once adored.

“Do you love him?” Draco asks; hating how the words taste on his tongue – bitter and filled with self-hatred. He cannot help himself; he has to know; this has to be the last nail in his self-built coffin.

You nod, feeling for the rings that have sat on your left hand for years now. “I do. I love him very much.”

“Does he treat you well?”

“Better than I deserve at times,” You admit, remembering the early days in your relationship with your husband. How he had been so patient when you woke up crying over the blonde haired man that now stood on your doorstep. How he had taken you in his arms and had not pushed; hadn’t questioned you like he wanted to – he let you cry it out and waited for you to come to him.

Years later and you still hadn’t thanked him enough for that.

Draco nods: blonde hair falling into his eyes which he pushes back with a weary movement of his hand. He steps back, a hand coming up to his chest. Whether it is an action of apology or a way to protect the heart that was now shattering in his chest, you did not know.

“I’m sorry,” He gasps, “I shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t have done this, but I had to know.”

You step forward, one hand outstretched to the boy you had loved so fiercely at sixteen, “Draco…”

He shakes his head, face pained, “Please don’t. Don’t say my name.”

Tears fill your eyes; overwhelmed with the day already. “I’m sorry,” You whisper, “I hope you find someone. They’ll be as lucky as I was all those years ago.”

It’s the last straw. Draco’s heart shatters into unrecognisable dust in the cavity of his chest. His hands fall limply at his sides as his eyes run over your face one more time; committing to memory of what aging next to you would have looked like, what his future could have looked like if he had chosen you that day in the courtyard.

One more look is all he allows himself before he apparates away, running back to the safety of his home where he can mourn for the life he could have had in peace. If only he had spoken up, spoken out.

If only.

******

General (HP) taglist: @chaotic-fae-queen @theweasleysredhair @harrypotter289 @kalimagik @heloisedaphnebrightmore @nebulablakemurphy @figlia--della--luna @idont-knowrn @lunalovegxxd @big-galaxy-chaos @annasofiaearlobe @imboredandneedalife @levylovegood @mytreec @haphazardhufflepuff @stupxfy @chaoticgirl04 @accio-rogers @starlightweasley @dreaming-about-fanfictions @lestersglitterglue @msmimimerton @obx-beach​ @izzytheninja @slytherinprincess03 @bbeauttyybbx @breadqueen95 @acciotwinz​ @kashishwrites​ @slytherinsunrise​ @kylosleftbuttcheek​ @remmyswritings​ @they-write-once-in-a-blue-moon​ @ria-rests-here​ @superbturtlemakerathlete​ @inglourious-imagines​ @ithilwen-lionheart​ @now-its-time-for-a-breakdown​ @ilovejjmaybank​ @theonly1outof-a-billion​ @phuvioqhile​ @moatsnow​ @missmulti​ @storyisnotover​

Draco Malfoy taglist: @the--queen-of-hell​ @obxmxybxnk​ @obx-beach​ @sycathorn-slush​ @dracomalfoyswifey​ @kashishwrites​ @justmesadgirl​ @detroitobsessed​ @aspiringsloth20​ @just-a-belgian-girl​ @lahoete​ @minty-malfoy​ @fallinallinmendes​ @ravenclawbitch426​ @ochrythum​ @beiahadid​ @gryffindors-weasley​ @dracosathenaeum​

[silver-starlight-99]

Monsters at Work: The Jokester Generation

Chapter One: Everyone's Gotta Start Somewhere

Wow, I finally got around to writing this. To those who bothered to stick around since my initial Monsters at Work post, thank you.

To the newcomers, this fan fiction is based on the... I guess drabbles I'd written to create my own version of the animated series Monsters at Work, one where Boo would get to be an active part of the plot. While the events of Monsters University remain relatively the same, I am changing up certain events from Monsters Inc, following the arrest of Mr. Waternoose. I'll do my best to organically integrate the important parts of those drabbles into the story. But if you wanna read all the details yourself, feel free to check them out. Just think of it like an extended prologue:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

There will be other little things in regards to names and character descriptions that may be changed from their canonical iterations.  Either for story reasons, because I didn't know about certain characters' official names, or just 'cause I wanna do my own thing.  I might go back and change certain details if I feel the need to, but don't expect anything definate.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated.

As a mother and son drive through a bustling metropolis, a rather coincidental commercial is heard on the radio. 

"The future is bright at Monsters Incorporated!

We power your car, we warm your home, we light your city.

Carefully matching every child to their ideal monster to produce screams, refined into clean, dependable energy.

Every time you turn something on, Monsters Incorporated is there!

We know the challenge: In a time where talk of alternative energies is becoming more common, it's hard to know who you can trust for reliable services.

The voice of narration changes to a flat, almost wooden tone.  It's as though the Monster is reading his lines directly off the script, but even if he'd memorized what he had to say, he'd still use the same inflection.  It's a change from the warm, grandfatherly timbre that belonged to the old CEO of Monsters Incorporated.

Not to worry.  As always, MI prepares for the future.  With the top Scarers in the country, the best in refineries, and ever-constant trials to explore more efficient scaring techniques.

The voiceover shifts once again, this time to someone younger, and far more enthusiastic.  

That's right baby, we're working for a better tomorrow TODAY!  Because we're Monsters Incorporated!

MI, Monsters Incorporated:  We Scare Because We Ca-"

Millie turns off the radio as she reaches her destination.  She parks her car and turns to look at her son Tylor, somewhat cramped in the seat next to her. 

The younger monster's face is a mix of anxiety and anticipation as he gazes at the building outside.  She’s not surprised.  After all, he's been waiting for this day for what's seemed like his whole life.  And Millie can't imagine the pouring rain outside is doing anything for his stress.

"Mom, you didn't need to drive me.  I could've walked."

He wasn't wrong.  The Tuskmon homestead was just a fifteen minute walk from their destination, maybe twelve if someone ran.  And with Tylor's umbrella, designed specifically to cover his extra-long horns, the poor weather wasn't much of an issue.

I know, but I just wanted to make sure you were alright before your first day.”  One of her hands cups his cheeks.  The familiar gesture does help to relieve his nerves, just a bit.     

"Have everything you need?”

Tylor grabs a thick, tan messenger bag from the back seat, and pats it in assurance.  “Yeah, don’t worry.  I triple-checked everything before we left.”  His parents didn't have the kind of money to get him a fancy car or an elaborate summer trip like some of his fellow MU graduates, but he still appreciated his parents' gift.  And, call it paternal instinct, but Bernard Tuskmon had the idea that his son would've been embarrassed to show up to his dream job toting around a lunchbox he'd had since middle school. 

"And you're certain you don't want me to walk you to the door?"  Millie gets very close to undoing her seatbelt before her son dashes out of the car, quickly trying to put on his new bag.  The strap gets snagged on one of his horns.

"No no no!  That's alright!"  Tylor says in rapid succession.  He fixes the bag strap.  He's about to sprint to the door, but turns back around to his mother's window.  "I promise I'll be fine.  But I gotta get in to turn in my paperwork.  See you later.  Love you."

Millie chuckles in amusement, before giving him a wave as she starts the car back up.  "Okay, I'll see you at five then.  Love you, my baby behemoth!"  Her voice is muffed by her window and the rain, but Tylor knows his mother well enough to get the gist of what she'd said.

Millie drives off, and Tylor groans in embarrassment.  But a quick look around shows that everyone nearby is too busy trying to get out of the rain to have paid attention to him or his mother.  He wants to take a moment to reflect on everything that's led to this day.  All the hard work, sacrifices, and sleepless nights that got him to this moment.  And how it will all be worth it when it's his efforts that are powering his hometown, and making his mark on Scarer history.

The screeching tires of a swerving car pull Tylor out of his mind.  Just long enough for him to see the car in question, a sleek, yellow, six-wheeled beast of a machine rushing to the parking lot in the back of the building.  Suddenly, he remembers the rain. And the fact that a cloth bag can only do so much before the water starts to get to the papers inside.

"Right.  First day, big day!"  He says, more to himself than to anyone nearby.

Following the example of his fellow monsters, Tylor rushes to the front doors, stubby tail wagging as his earlier anxiety gives way to excitement. On the way, he gives a spirited, "Mornin' co-worker" to a stout, crab-like monster wearing a thick, blue rain jacket.  They're on an elevated platform, doing some kind of work on the building's famous We Scare Because We Care logo.  Tylor gets through the doors before he can see the other monster wrench off one of the letters.  The maintenance monster lets out an amused, "rookies" before shaking their head and moving on to the next letter.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Tylor reminds himself. "This wasn't a mistake, they specifically asked for you. They wanted you. You were meant to be a Scarer! Just show everyone your stuff and everything will be fine. Everything today is going to be fine!"

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

The warmth of the lobby is a relief to Tylor's skin, somewhat chilled after his time in the rain. He makes an honest attempt to get some of the water off his bag.  After shaking off the last few droplets, he takes a moment to absorb his surroundings.  This wasn't his first time inside the revered factory.  Heck, for most Monstropolis natives, trips to Monsters Incorporated were considered a staple of elementary and middle school.  It was no different for Tylor, having taken his first steps into this very lobby when he was seven years old.  But that didn't take away from the sense of awe encompassing him.  If anything, it was enhanced.

"Today, I'm not a guest, or just a visitor.  I'm a Scarer, an actual Scarer.  Huh, I wonder how many kids are gonna look up to me when I'm the one racking up the numbers." 

Despite his familiarity from childhood, it is interesting to see the upgrades made since his elementary school days. They added a few more tables and chairs on the side for visitors. It looks like the tile work on the lobby dome had been refurbished; the rainbow of colors showing through even on a rainy day like this. And just above the ring of clocks showing all the different time zones are a bunch of tv screens, displaying a news channel or a number of Monsters Inc commercials.

Looking around, Tylor tries to see if he recognizes anyone there.  It had been a while since he'd collected any Scare cards, but he did his best to stay updated on the top Scarers of all the major energy companies.  Sadly, no one stands out.

"I guess that makes sense.  It is early."

Anticipating his excitement for the day, Tylor had his mother drop him off ten minutes earlier than he needed.  Just to give him the time to get all his fanboy-ing out of the way before he made a fool of himself in front of his more seasoned co-workers.  "Would it be too forward to ask them for an autograph?," he wonders. 

"Okay, first thing's first… " he mumbles to himself as he looks around the lobby.

Unsure of where to go, Tylor heads to the front desk for directions.  The employee working there is an orange, bespectacled fellow who looks to be around his age, maybe a year younger.    

"Uh, hi… Otis."  Tylor says, spotting the receptionist's name plate.  "I'm, uh.  I'm sorry, this is my first day as a Scarer here.  I was told I needed to bring in some special paperwork before I got my IDs, or my Scare assignment."  Tylor pats his bag, indicating to the documents inside.  "Do you know where I'm supposed to do that?"

The receptionist uses one of his many vine-like arms to pull out a clipboard.  "Sure, I can help you. Name please?"

"Oh, right. I'm Tylor, Tylor Tuskmon.  I got my acceptance letter from the Board of Directors, if that helps."  He can't help but let a hint of pride ooze into his tone as he brings up his special letter of recommendation.

Otis flips through several papers before finding Taylor's name. 

"Yup, here you are.  Huh, you're not the only new guy coming in today."

Otis takes a moment to skim the rest of the document.

"Well, it looks like you'll need to stay here until someone from monster resources comes by to take your paperwork.  And… then I guess they'll give you your assignment.  They should be here in a few minutes."

"Great, thanks."

For the next few minutes, Tylor does his best to not look too awkward as he meanders by the front desk.  But the child-like enthusiasm in his smile is too hard not to notice.  Lucky for Tylor, the custodial and office workers already there are plenty familiar with that excitement, having seen it on the faces of many a Scarer on their first day.  Most simply ignore him as they make their way to their departments.  Others are at least courteous enough to wave back at Tylor as he gives an awkward "hello" to try and break the silence of the lobby.

By nine o'clock, Tylor isn't the only Scarer in the room.  Slowly, one new face after another comes to the front desk, all with their own instructions to wait for a monster resources employee.  By the fourth monster, Tylor decides to step in and explain the situation for the other new arrivals, giving Otis time to focus on his other responsibilities.  Meanwhile, all the new Scarers engage in introductions and small-talk, most of which are just iterations of the same first-day excitement.

Five minutes after nine, a green, lizard-esque monster slithers into the lobby while carrying a box.  He takes a moment to adjust his tie and glasses before approaching the front desk.

"Ahem, excuse me?  Excuse me?  May I have your attention?" the Monster asks as he tries to gain the attention of the crowd.  All the Scarers are too engaged in their discussions to notice him.  Otis is too preoccupied answering the phones to be of any help.

"Huh, newbies" the monster sighs, his irritation clear as he shakes his head.

The monster pulls a small notebook out of the box.  He flips through several pages before finding something.  

The monster shouts, with no small amount of sarcasm, "Oh no!  A child has escaped from the Scare floor and is currently stealing monsters' bones!"    

It's a ridiculous claim, but it does the job of getting everyone's attention.  It's not just the new hires, suddenly everyone in the lobby is now staring at this diminutive monster, expressions varying from bewilderment to horror.  He clears his throat.

"Ahem, now that I have your attenti- ACK!"

Suddenly, a monster decked out in a yellow hazmat suit bursts out of nowhere and tackles the smaller employee, restraining him. The whole action is so fast, Tylor almost misses the Monsters Inc logo on the suit's right side, just bellow the CDA agent's rank number.

In a distorted voice, the tackler barks, "We got a 16-2 in progress.  The employee is secured.  I repeat, the employee is secured.  Do a sweep of the area.  And we'll need someone to check in with the security team to see what they know about a loose kid!"  

At their command, at least eight more monsters in the same yellow uniform pop out of nowhere to secure the lobby.

Some of them are using strange devices to scan the entrance and exit points.  One can even be seen walking on the outside of the lobby's glass dome, looking for something.  But mainly, these workers just keep everyone in place while the others do their jobs.

The green monster is unamused.  "Oh for the love of Criamat.  Unhand me, you overpaid oafs!  I didn't mean it!  I was just trying to get their attention!"  

"Huh?" the CDA agent utters.  He releases his grasp on the employee just a bit, before turning to one of his fellow operatives to see if their team's findings can confirm this.

"Wow, these guys are hardcore!" Tylor says in shock, some of his fellow newbies nod in agreement. 

"Yeah, they're always like this," Otis chimes in, no less uncomfortable than the other new hires.

For a second, Tylor's mind goes back to one of his late-night research sessions at Monsters University.  It wasn't necessary for Scarers to know much about the histories behind the major Scream factories, but he always liked to try and stay informed.  He remembers reading about these guys.  

After the event dubbed The Waternoose Scandal, Monsters Incorporated faced many visits from the CDA.  Some were due to false alarms on the Scare floors, brought about by the jittery atmosphere lingering in the building.  Others were the result of faulty tips the CDA received, made by paranoid Monstropolis citizens who believed the Tiny Terror of Monstropolis had snuck back into the city.  It was impossible of course, the human was returned home and her door was shredded for good measure.  But after the discovery of Waternoose's Scream Extractor, and a… rather unsettling chamber filled with child-sized cages, the CDA couldn't take any chances.  

Eventually it became too much of a hassle, and a waste of resources to send so many agents to deal with false alarms.  So the CDA stationed a small team of their own at Monsters Incorporated to assess any claims of child breeches and report back to the main facility if further assistance was necessary.  

An agent with a 737 on his hazmat suit comes up to the one tackling the green monster.  "736, it appears that Mr. Crummyham is correct.  We haven't picked up anything on our scanners, and the security team came up empty too."

"I could've told you that!"  Mr. Crummyham snaps.

"Also, sir,"  agent 737 continues, "we might want to bring in the team.  749 says our quarantine has caused a build up by the front doors, and the monsters are getting restless."

Muffled shouts and banging sounds are heard by the entrance.

Agent 736 sighs, disappointment evident even with his voice modulated by his suit.  "Alright, bring it in everyone.  It's a false alarm!  Agents, clear out and head back to your stations."

The agents do so, with 749 slipping off the roof because of the rain.

Agent 736 helps Mr. Crummyham up and hands the employee back his box.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenienc-"

"Touch me again and I'll have your pay docked!" The assaulted employee snaps back.

The agent sighs, "whatever," before calling back the rest of his team.

As the last of the suited monsters leave, the front doors open, and a wave of new monsters pour in, all desperate to get out of the rain.

Tylor might have tried once again to see if he recognized any of the incoming Scarers.  But he, much like all the others by the front desk, were still reeling from… whatever you want to call what just happened.  If there's any good that came from the whole affair, at least it got everyone's attention on Mr. Crummyham.  Who furiously scratches out something in his tiny notebook as the atmosphere in the lobby shifts to a busy hum.

"Well then," he begins, doing his best to regain his composure.  "I am Mr. Crummyham from monster resources.  I imagine you all have questions in regards to the paperwork asked of you to bring in today?"

Murmurs of agreement are heard from the crowd.  "And our Scare assignments!"  Tylor chimes in.

The green monster nods in confirmation.

"To answer your questions, you're all being assigned to a floor with a specific set of regulations.  It's nothing dangerous, but a certain amount of confidentiality will be required until you've all been officially cleared."

The green monster opens his box to reveal several thin folders.

"By one thirty, you'll all be expected to meet in conference room B.  There, you'll meet your floor supervisor, learn more about your given assignments, and have the time to get any other questions you have answered.  But until then…"

The monster resources employee reads the name labeled on each folder and begins to hand them out.  In return, the new hires hand him their own documents stapled together.

"You will be temporarily placed in another department."

Everyone's faces shift to express their personal level of confusion or shock.

"Wait, what?"  Tylor exclaims.

"Is this like, a downsizing thing?"  Another monster asks. 

"But we're still getting paid the same as a Scarer, right?  I really need the money,"  says another in the crowd.

"How long are we expected to work like this?" an anxious voice pipes up.

Quickly, the lobby is flooded with the sound of questions.  But unlike the last time, all it takes is for Mr. Crummyham to raise his hand in a halting motion to get everyone to go quiet.  He continues to hand out folders while talking.

"I'm sorry, that's all I know about this arrangement.  Please wait until the meeting this afternoon to express your concerns.  In the meantime, I advise all of you to get to your departments.  If any of your supervisors get on your case for being a little late, just blame the CDA.  I always do."  He says that last bit with something almost akin to a smirk, before it returns to his usual, tired expression.

"In case you're worried, each of your MI applications have been read through to ensure you're somewhere that best suits your pre-existing skill sets.  Please wait until after the meeting if you want to talk about changing positions."

Mind frazzled as he tries to process everything, Tylor almost misses Mr. Crummyham mumble a "good luck" to him specifically as he hands the maybe-scarer his new assignment.

"Huh… wait, what did yo-" Tylor tries to ask.  The green monster finishes handing out folders and addresses the crowd once more.

"You'll find a general map of the facilities in your folder to help you find your department.  If you still get lost, don't be afraid to ask someone for directions."

With his task completed, Mr. Crummyham picks up his box, now filled with everyone's entry paperwork, and leaves the lobby.

Tylor, along with his fellow newbies, is still trying to make heads or tails of the whole situation, unsure of what this development means for his career.  Suddenly, he realizes something.

"Wait, he didn't even give us our IDs!"  Tylor exclaims, his frustration causing him to raise his voice.

"Maybe we'll get them after the big meeting?"  Someone answers back.

"Why is it so hard for them to give us answers?"  Someone on the other side of the crowd asks. 

It is a small, orangey-red, winged monster who breaks the growing tension.  Tylor can't remember the guy's name, but the other newbie's southern twang helps him to stand out.

"...I, I guess I'll just head on over to my new department.  I'll see you fellas later."  With that awkward goodbye, the orange monster flies out of the lobby, personal folder clutched in his tiny talons.

Unsure of what else they can do, the others in the group follow suit, slowly trickling out as they follow their personalized maps.  Everyone except for Tylor.  He stays behind, his befuddled expression never leaving his face as he looks through his thin folder.

"Hey… Otis?"  Tylor asks, having to remind himself of the receptionist's name by checking his plate again.  "I don't see a map, or any directions in my folder.  Do you know where I can find… the MIFT department?"  he asks, unsure if he's pronouncing the name correctly.

"The what?"  Otis replies.

Tylor's about to elaborate, when a loud but distant gasp grabs his attention.  The gasp is accompanied by the rumbling engine of some kind of cart.  Both sounds grow louder as they approach the front desk, and very nearly hit the purple monster.  

The maintenance cart halts, but the driver's gasp continues, though it is clear now that it's an exclamation of excitement rather than shock.  The driver, revealed to be an orange, furry monster wearing a blue lanyard and a tiny blue helmet, keeps on gasping, but now has a look on her face that implies she wants Tylor to say something.  Tylor himself maintains a confused expression, unsure of how to respond.  Though mildly impressed she's managed to gasp for a full minute without looking like she's seconds from passing out.

Eventually, the orange monster stops.  Her expression changes from one of absolute jubilation to one of confused amusement.  She takes a second to try and study the purple monster's face.

"Tylor?  Tylor Tuskmon?"  She asks.

"... Ye- yes?"  He replies.

"Tylor, it's me, Val!  Val little!"

His mind's drawing a blank.  Weather or not she realizes this, Val continues,

"Monsters University, freshman year.  We had that Origin of Fear class together.  I guess you didn't recognize me because I'm doing my hair different now."  Val playfully bats at her magenta hair buns.  "It's just that, where I work, there are a lot of little hazards I always have look out for.  Eventually, it was just easier to cut it and make 'em into these cute bun-thingies."

"Right, Origins of Fear."  Tylor eventually gets out.  "Since it was such a big class, I guess… well…"  Tylor doesn't know how to keep going without this conversation turning awkward.  "So, you work here now?  When, uh, so when did you graduate?"

"College?  Yeah, that was an interesting detour.  Too much of a commitment for me.  Not really a regimented, stuffed-shirt, college-scene kind of gal.  Blegh!  But enough about me, what've you been up to?"  

"Graduating from college."  Tylor replys, not sure how to take the monster's blase attitude towards his alma mater.

Now it's Val's turn to be embarrassed.  Realizing she may have hit an unintended nerve, she gives a sheepish, "Huh, well, good for you."

"Yeah, it's...it's great."

"I mean, except for the loan debt.  That's gotta be like, ka-ching!  Or, I guess in your case, ka-ching ka-ching!  Because you know, you actually graduated"

"Scarer Cum Laude, actually.  I graduated Scarer Cum Laude from MU, top of my class.  And now…"  Tylor looks back at his folder with uncertainty and a bit of bitterness.

"Now, they've got me working with MIFT, whatever that-"

Another joyous gasp escapes from Val.  "No way!  You're our new MIFTer?"

Tylor gives an uncertain shrug, but is quick to correct her.  "Temporary MIFTer, but, yeah.  I guess I am."

"Tylor, that's my department!  Come on, I'll take you!"  She pats the adjacent seat on her cart.

Unsure of how else to find MIFT, or even the specific details of what MIFT is, Tylor puts his folder in his bag, and hops aboard Val's cart. 

He and Otis share a wave goodbye before Val drives them both out of the lobby.

"This is crazy right?  I drop out of college, you graduate from college but we end up working at the same place.  COSMIC!!!"

"... Yeah that's… one way of putting it."

The two continue to ride along until something catches Tylor's attention.

"Woah woah woah, hold on a sec!  Is that a Scare floor?"  It's the first time since his initial arrival that his mood shifts back to something genuinely excited.

Val takes a second to stop her cart in front of the aforementioned Scare floor.  It's from a distance, but the two can see the Scarers and their station assistants begin to prepare for their busy day ahead.

"Yup, but I wouldn't get your hopes up Tylor.  We only head in whenever there's a problem with the machines.  And that isn't too often." 

Val starts up her cart once again, and goes on to talk about… seemingly anything and everything.  But by this point, her tag-along is already tuning her out.

"It's just a minor setback, that's all this is,"  Tylor reminds himself.  "Just a few hours at… whatever MIFT is, and then your real Scarer career will begin.  Everything will get back on track.  Everything is going to be fine."

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

Something Tylor discovers pretty quickly is that Val is a very chatty monster.  

"Sorry about the whole missing-map thing.  It's just that, when I first started working here, I think I got lost every other day on the way to the office.  It's a total maze down there if you don't know how to find the right landmarks.  If you can find them at all.  Sometimes the lights on the lower levels don't get replaced on time, so some places just look like flickery hallways.  Which is why I decided, if MIFT ever got any new members, I would personally chaperone them to and from the office.  Just to help them find their footing, ya know?  But to be fair, we have a pretty understanding boss, so don't worry if you still wind up coming in late sometimes."

It's all rather sweet, if only Tylor wasn't too lost in his own mind to register it.  

"Gagh, it smells awful down here.  I gotta remember to clean up before the meeting this afternoon, can't let these fumes seep into my skin.  But it's okay, it's just gonna be for a few hours.  Then I'll finally get my IDs and... what could be so special about my Scare assignment?  I really hope dad wasn't right about this."

The rest of the drive to MIFT goes on like this; Val doing her best to be approachable, but completely blind to her passenger's disinterest.  There are a few seconds where Tylor gets the feeling he's being watched while the two of them are in an old elevator, but he chalks it up to his frazzled nerves.

"... and well, I guess you could say I learned the hard way to always put the plastic down before cleaning up the bloo- oh hey, we're here!"

"Huh?"  Tylor asks, knocked out of his thoughts for a second.

Val drives her cart up to a building that seems to be built into the wall, just bellow some kind of underground door track.  While appearing sturdy, this section of the factory looks to be far less maintained than the clean lobby or the immaculate Scare floors above.  Here, specs of rust can be seen on some of the larger pipes.  The paint on the front doors is chipping away.  And then there's that weird, stale odor lingering in the air.

Overall, MIFT headquarters could've looked worse… but that doesn't do much to improve Tylor's already bitter opinion on it.

"Yup, here it is, MIFT headquarters!"  Val does an impromptu little song to build up the team's supposed grandeur.  Its meaning is lost on Tylor who's doing his best not to roll his eyes while she's watching.

"Okay," she continues once her song is done.  "You can just head on in through those doors.  I'll be in in a sec, I just need to park this bad boy."  Val loving pats the steering wheel of her beat-up little cart.

"Alright, sure."  

Tylor walks up the steps and through the double doors to see a simple office space.  A small kitchen area to his right with a beat-up vending machine in the corner.  To his left is what looks like a makeshift meeting area, complete with a scratched up table, several plastic chairs, and a large dry erase board.  The rest of the room seems to be several cubicles, with one larger walled-off office against a back corner.  

But none of that is what has Tylor's attention.  It's that it should be the start of the work day, yet this place seems to be totally empty.  Even the lights aren't on.  It's only by the light coming through the front doors' frosted glass that Tylor can see anything.  

"Uh, hello?" He asks aloud.  He's almost expecting a bunch of monsters to jump out of nowhere, welcoming the new hire with a loud obnoxious party.

"If they're anything like her, that doesn't sound too far off."  He ponders.

It's a few seconds before he gets a response.

"MIFTer!" Someone quietly calls out, like a stage whisper.  It seems to be coming from a door on the other side of the room.

Tylor isn't sure if he heard correctly.

"MIFTer!"  They call again, just a bit louder.

"Huh, maybe I wasn't too far off with that party idea."  Tylor wonders.  He sets his bag on the scratched table, and walks towards the door, taking his time to make sure his horns don't bump into something by accident. 

"MIFTer!"  Someone just shouts regularly, sounding impatient.

Surprised, Tylor accidentally bumps one of his horns against a wall, leaving a very noticeable scar. Internally debating whether or not to leave a note to explain things, he is interrupted once again by a-

"MIFTER ALREADY!"

Deciding to deal with it later, he rushes to the blue door the sound's been coming from, and goes through.

Tylor is met with a seemingly empty, pitch black room.  

"Uh, hello?"

As though responding to his voice, Tylor begins to hear some kind of rhythmic drumming.  It's a simple, steady beat, but one that begins to fill the young monster with a confused sense of dread.

Until suddenly, there is a bright light directly over him.

"Young neophyte!  Take swift to repairs, I welcome you to MIFT!"  Someone proclaims in a jaunty, sing-song manner.  

That someone is revealed by another burst of directed light.  It is an older, furry monster with a single eye above his tapir-like nose.  But what catches Tylor's eyes is what the monster is wearing; a fuzzy orange robe, some kind of necklace made from different colored paper clips, and a… crown (?) that's just an orange traffic cone with a wrench taped to it and leaves coming out the top.  

A fashion statement this is not, but it certainly is eye-catching.

"Yes, MIFT!"  The larger monster exclaims as he shimmies over, and puts a hand on the shoulder of a bewildered Tylor.

"Since the day Monsters Incorporated was founded, there was a need. A need for monsters behind the monsters.  The unsung heroes!"  The monster continues as he gestures in front of him.

Suddenly, there is a bit more light in the room, but not enough to fully illuminate it.  It is enough to show that what Tylor initially believed to be an empty room was actually rather packed.  Going all around the walls are somewhere between twelve to sixteen monsters wearing orange hoodies, makeshift robes or bathrobes.  All of them are holding large buckets upside down, and are the source of the rhythmic drumming.  

"M.I.F.T!" Says a group of four.

In front of Tylor and the jaunty monster are four MIFT employees.  Val is one of them, eagerly shaking a wavy piece of metal panel, wearing an orange robe and a rainbow taped to her Monsters Inc helmet.  Beside her is a pea-green monster in another robe, his wings sticking out of holes in the back, with paper wrench cutouts taped to his helmet.  He plays a pan flute made from smaller pipes, but doesn't look as into it as Val.  On one end of this lineup is a blue crab-like monster in an orange jacket that Tylor can't help but find to be familiar.  The only accessories she has are two dented pipes on her helmet, similar to the pipes she's using to play her own bucket-drum.  And on the other end is a small, three-eyed monster that kind of looks like a slightly peeled green banana.  He's wearing what appears to be a coffee filter as a makeshift tutu, and a bunch of orange straws taped to his head.  The only instrument he has is a tiny noisemaker, but is also making fart noises with his nozzle-like mouth.

...you know, when I describe it like that, I can't really blame the look of absolute "what-the-fuckery" on Tylor's face. 

"Is this a cult? Did I just step into some kind of freaky corporate cult thing? Seriously, all this is missing is the runes drawn in blood and the virgin sacrifice to tie it all together. Wait... would I be the sacrifice in this scenario!?"

The monster to his side, seemingly oblivious to Tylor's reactions, continues his little speech.

"If a part breaks, we fix it!  If a machine needs maintenance, we maintain it!  This elite squad of polished professionals, each of them an expert in their fields!  They are the girdles-"

"Girdles?"  Tylor pipes in, unsure if he's hearing that correctly.

"Girders," the blue monster supplies.

"Griddles!"  The "crowned" monster decides on.

"... upon which the factory stands!  And Monsters Inc is a very big factory!  But before we proceed, how about a few words from our esteemed initiate?"

Finally, in this whirlwind of weirdness, things are starting to make sense to Tylor.

"Oh, oh!  This is an initiation ceremony."

"I mean, I guess that's better than what I was thinking. But... I should still be careful. If Oozma Kappa was anything to go buy, ceremonies like this can go from weird to fire-hazardy real fast."

Hey guys, this- this has all been… great.  But this is just a temporary thing.  So-"

"So you're leaving?"  The green monster interrupts, a suspiciously eager gleam in his four eyes. Suddenly, Tylor recognizes this voice as the one calling out to him just minutes ago.

"Leaving in a cardboard tube most likely."  Added the monster with the bucket drum.  "Just like Rodney after that hydraulic press incident.  Flat Rodney."  Her blase tone makes it very hard for Tylor to tell if she's being serious, or trying to make a morbid joke.

Before he has the time to question things, one of the monsters by the walls comes forward to slide a beat-up toolbox towards him with an eager, "heads up!"

"Behold!" Decrees the crowned monster as he opens the box, "You will signify your readiness, for everlasting membership-"

"Everlasting?"

"With your first sacred tool!"

He pulls out an electric toothbrush.

There's a look of realization on the blue monster's face  "Oh, so that's where I put it.  Thanks!"  She takes back her toothbrush and stuffs it away in her jacket.

The crowned monster pulls a wrench out of the box, and gently hands it to Tylor.  "Tylor, I beseech you.  Wrench the nut!"

"What kind of nut are we talking about? 'Cause I have allergies."

Another hooded MIFTer pops into the light, rolling along a tool cart, a heavy-duty clamp on it holds a plank of wood in place.  This plank looks old, but ornately painted with blues and whites.  Proud to be MIFT is painted in the center, surrounded by the names of fellow employees scratched into the wood.  An old bolt is wedged between the lines of the painted motto, and on its end is a large silver nut.

Tylor is gently nudged closer to the plank.

"Wrench the nut!  Wrench the nut!  Wrench the nut."  It's what everyone is chanting by now, some admittedly more into it than others.  The green monster looks like he wants Tylor to burst into flames for some reason.

The crowned monster continues, "You're on your way, to a lifelong membership in MIFT! Do not feel unworthy, young neophyte. Fulfill your joyous destiny, and wrench that nut!"

"Wh- what? I don't- No, I don't want anything to do with this nut. You people are crazy!"

By now, everyone's gotten into a frenzy.  The chants are growing louder, and one of the hooded drummers has gone completely off the rhythm and is doing his own kickass solo.

"It's just a temporary job, it's just temporary. Just give the cultists what they want, and soon you'll never have to see them again. Everything will be fine"

"Ok, fine, fine fine fine!  If it'll get you guys to stop chanting!"

Not seeing any other choice, Tylor takes his wrench, and proceeds to wrench the nut.

...or try to, at least.

It's been a while since he'd even held a wrench, let alone used one.  And the growing noise certainly isn't helping his concentration.

"Uh, is the ground supposed to be shaking like this?"

Tylor isn't mistaken, as he continues to try and wrench the nut, the ground does seem to be rumbling, as though going through minor earthquakes. And it's somehow keeping in time with the beating of the drums (minus that one guy.)

"It will all be okay, you just gotta wrench this stupid nu-"

With a wrench that's just a bit too powerful, Tylor causes the nut to pop off its bolt, and roll through the gap in a nearby floor grate.

Suddenly, everyone goes silent, except that one drummer guy. His grand finale serving as the drum roll to follow the nut as it descends deeper into the pipe system. This goes on for a full minute, until the echoes of the nut can be heard no more, and the drummer lets out an enthusiastic, "Wooohooo!" before finishing his number, and passing out from exhaustion.

There is a beat of silence before the crowned monster speaks.

"Good enough. Tylor Tuskmon, welcome to the Monsters Inc Facilities Team! Now then, how's about we get you settled in?"

"... Are we just not gonna talk about the mini earthquakes!?"

[pradaksj]

7 Rings | 01

♛ pairing: taehyung/reader

♛ genre: richboy!taehyung | blackmailer!reader | infiltration au | slow burn | eventual smut | angst | fluff 

♛ rating: mature

♛ word count: 12,000+

♛ warnings for this chapter : explicit language, terminal illness, this chapter basically just sets the foundation of this story up so sorry if it’s a little boring 

♛ summary:  In need of money for your mom’s medical bills, you and your best friend come up with a plan to infiltrate one of Seoul’s richest families, the Kim family. The plan was simple, blackmail, get your money, and disappear, but of course things don’t always go as planned. Especially not with someone like Kim Taehyung.

━ ❝ Whoever said money can't solve your problems, must not have had enough money to solve 'em. ❞

♛ chapter index/masterlist || series masterlist || next chapter 

Chapters⇢ 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08

“Why Y/N?” his voice cracks, the look of betrayal evidently on his face. 

"I never—" you sobbed. Your throat felt swollen and you stuttered, pitifully trying to speak the words in your head. "I never meant for it to go this far," you said at last. 

How did you end up here? Where did everything go wrong? When had the rabbit hole simply become too deep? The sounds of several voices echoed in your head. 

You could hear him calling your name, begging  no demanding an answer, but all you could do was stare off into space, thinking of everything that led up this exact moment. 

If only you could turn back time. 

3 Months Ago.

Friday Morning.

“In today’s news, the Kim family’s multibillion dollar deal has been officially confirmed. Their partnership with Hyundai is estimated to bring in at least seven billion in revenue to Korea’s economy over the next 5 years. Both parties have agreed to terms that will lift…”

Oh the irony.

Sighing, you turned off the radio of your run-down 2006 grey Hyundai, which every morning you had to cross your fingers and hope that the engine wouldn't burn out on you. The rumbling sounds of the engine starting up never failing to catch the attention of pedestrians walking by. 

After several frustrating minutes of struggling to parallel park, you sat in your car and allowed yourself to sulk for a moment. Another day, another dollar to make. Even if it meant having to deal with rude and entitled customers all day, your school loans plus your bills just weren’t going to pay themselves off anytime soon. 

“One day at a time Y/N, just one day at a time,” you reassured yourself, placing on your mandatory logoed hat, and mentally preparing yourself for another day. If only you were rich.

Friday Night.

Despite being tired from work, visiting your mom was something you always felt like you needed to do every so often, plus her homemade meals were quite often a bonus considering how lazy you’d often get to cook food for yourself. In fact, the pizza shop near your apartment not only having your order, but voice completely memorized for whenever you called. The young employee quickly interrupting your greeting with a, “Pepperoni pizza, half sausage, half Hawaiian, and a pink lemonade?” surprisingly no longer offended you as much as it would back in the beginning. 

Your mom certainly didn’t mind the company as it inevitably got quite lonely living by herself, but she knew she couldn’t smother you forever as much as she would love to. College was a necessity for you in her eyes, a ticket to a better life that wouldn’t require you to scrub the floors of the rich as she did. 

And maybe it was because you were more mature nowadays, but conversations with her had now also seemed to be much more meaningful. Well that and the two of you didn’t butt heads as much as you used to compared to when you were nothing but a temperamental teenager whose biggest life crisis was whether your crush glanced at you in the hallway or not. 

Of course the boundary and respect of a mother-daughter relationship was always there, some of your jokes sometimes garnering a “I’m not your friend, I’m your mother” speech from her, but nonetheless your relationship with her in a way was very much like a friendship. It seemed as if with every visit you learned new things about her, the different stories she shared with you from her youth always having an underlying lesson that you could apply to your own life.

“I really needed this,” you said while chewing on a mouthful of bulgogi. Small stains of sauce at the corners of your mouth, as your mom’s cooking never failed to make you feel like a little kid. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her now twenty one year old daughter who in her heart was always going to be just a little girl.

She got up from the small wooden dining chair, picking up any leftover dinnerware as she prepared to start washing dishes, all while at the same time listening to you as you babbled on about work.

“I mean really, how hard is it to say thank you,” you rolled your eyes, dramatically sticking your chopstick into your bowl, as you were recalling one of today’s customers who kept snapping their fingers at you as if you were their very own personal servant. 

“Well it’s a good thing it’s summer, you don’t have to worry about college so mu—” The sound of glass shattering on the floor abruptly caught your attention. You looked up at your mom who was now dead silent, her face which was now extremely pale, and her breathing which had suddenly became erratic. What you didn't know was that your mom had suddenly felt as if the world spinning, the feeling of disorientation becoming too overwhelming.

“Mom? Are you okay?” you quickly got up, grabbing your mom by the forearm in a means of trying to redirect her from the kitchen to the couch at an attempt to get her to relax. You unlocked your phone, fingers slightly trembling as you called the ambulance. 

“Just breathe okay. You’re gonna be okay,” you kept trying to reassure your mom as you waited for them to pick up which at the moment felt like an eternity. Your leg was bouncing up and down in anticipation as you kept glancing at your mom who was trying to keep her breathing in control and her eyes open. “Do not close your eyes on me, you hear me?” your voice began to feel shaky, eyelids brimming with tears, the pulsating feeling of panic flowing through your veins.

“Hello, what’s your emergency?”

You hated hospitals. Who didn’t? The smell, the yellow-toned ugly lighting, and the feeling of anxiousness the whole place gave people. For you though, the hospital was a reminder of tragedy, a reminder that whatever comes in here never walks out the same whether you’re a patient or not. Fifteen years ago, it made your mom a widow left having to pay remaining hospital bills all while having to raise her six year old daughter.

So here you were now, fifteen years later sitting at her bedside waiting for her to wake up, stuck in the same position she once was. You stared up at the ceiling counting each time the overhead lights flickered as you tried not to get so lost into your thoughts. Everything had happened in what felt like was the blink of an eye, guilt was beginning to seep in. Why hadn’t noticed anything earlier? Maybe in some miraculous way you could’ve prevented this, you thought to yourself. 

You turned on the small TV that the hospital provided in every room, flipping through several channels hoping you'd find something that would be able to distract you.

“Shut up and kis—” K-drama. Next.

“Watch ou—” Action movie. Next.

“Kim Taehyung gets physical with paparazzi, the heir to Kim Enterprises spotted —” but before you could place your full attention to the entertainment newscast you turned your attention to your mother who was now beginning to shift in her sleep, her eyes now slowly opening, clearly in a daze as to where she was and how she got there.

“Hey ma,” you softly whispered, giving her a warm smile as you held her hand tighter, beginning to rub small circles on her palm.

“W-what happened Y/N?” 

“You fain-”

“Ah you’re finally up,” you turned towards the door, seeing who you assumed was the doctor in charge now walking in. 

For a doctor she appeared quite young, her petite figure and wrinkle free skin a defining factor in her appearance. You formally greeted her, a wave of anxiousness now overcoming you. “Dr. Whitney Han'' is what her name tag read, but it was what was in small font beneath her name that made your heart feel as if it feel down to the pit of your stomach. “Oncologist,” meaning doctors who specialize in the study and treatment for cancer.

Faintly clearing her throat, “Hello, I’m Dr. Han,” she introduced herself, reaching her hand out for you to shake. She smiled at your mom who was still in a slightly groggy state, but aware nonetheless. “So Ms. Y/L/N, you seemed to have suffered from what we call a syncope, meaning an episode of passing out, it’s usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain, a result of hypotension,” you nodded following along with what she was saying,

“When episodes such as these occur, it tends to mean that there’s an underlying cause and so we decided to run some tests on your mother to cross out any possibilities, and well there’s never an easy way to tell anybody this...” her gaze lowered for just a slight moment until she quickly regained her composure, but it was just enough for you to just know. She continued with what you assumed she’s told hundred’s if not thousand’s of patients in her career. For her it’d be just another day of work, but for you it felt as if the world stopped.

Whatever she had said after couldn’t be heard because the only thing you could hear was the sound of your blood pounding in your ears, and an intense beating against your chest. You could see her mouth moving, but nothing seemed to be coming out, everything suddenly becoming a ringing noise to your ears. 

Fight or flight is what they call it. When a stressful situation triggers you to either run or stay, and at this moment you just wanted to run, but you knew you couldn’t. You knew that at this exact moment, everything was going to change because whether you liked it or not, the carousel never stops turning. 

You slowly glanced at your mom who seemed to be in the same paralyzed state as you, her face stoic of any possible emotion. 

“With treatment chances of survival are of course immensely improved, the treatments are harsh, but taking your mom’s age and clean medical history I think she can definitely handle it,” Dr. Han tried to give you a small smile, but even she knew situations like these were always tough. No matter how many years of experience she had, the countless tragedies and rare miracles she’d witnessed in her career, every case was different. Her job as a doctor was to make people like you and your mother feel more comfortable with their situation, but never make any promises. 

“Now treatments are done in intervals, and will probably have to be done starting from now until about three to six months which is when we usually see improvement, meaning you will have to permanently stay here for that time. From what I’ve seen with past patients is that treatment can be very costly  without insurance, and well I know a lot of physicians don’t like to talk about expenses with patients, but—”

“My mom doesn’t have health insurance. I know,” you harshly broke the deafening silence, interrupting her before she could continue, not wanting to hear anymore of her pity. You had no reason to give her attitude, no reason to direct your anger towards her, it wasn’t like she caused any of this to happen, but you just couldn’t help it. The atmosphere in the air was stiff, any next word out of her mouth and you’d probably go ballistic. “C-can we just have a moment alone? So we could just um process everything,” you stammered, lacking to make any eye contact with her. 

“I’ll be right outside in the hallway, let me know if you have any questions,” she gave you and your mom one last tiny sad smile before making her way out.

Once the door closed, you thought that you’d be able to breathe properly again, but the same heavy feeling on your chest remained. It wasn’t until you felt a grab at your hand that you were brought back to reality.

“Hey we are going to be just fine Y/N,” your mom whispered to you as it was now she who was rubbing your hand in an effort to comfort you. A weak smile appearing on your face, of course your mom would be comforting you despite it being her who's sick. “Come on lay down with me,” she then began to scoot to the side in her already tiny hospital bed, trying to make space for you.

And for a small everlasting moment you felt like a little girl again as you hugged your mom, tears silently falling from the corner of your eyes, the soft sound of her humming comforting you. You let your head relax onto her shoulder, your breathing somehow finally under control. The question of “What are we going to do?” slowly disappearing from your mind, letting yourself drift off to sleep in the arms of your mom.

Sunday Morning.

In the following days after, you had helped your mom move her necessities into the hospital room that she’d be staying in until her treatment was over and she could be discharged. You had contacted your landlord informing him that you’d be cancelling your lease as you now had plans to move back home. The only reason you had your own small apartment in the first place was because your mom thought it’d be better to live near campus and not waste so much money on gas going from campus to your job and then back to your moms place. Despite her protests on the cancellation of your lease, you had done it anyway.

“Ma someone has to live there, or else it’d just be useless to continue paying rent. We can’t just leave it empty for the whole year, someone could break in or even try to live there for the while that you’re not there. I mean imagine walking in on some strang—”

“Exactly, which is why I don’t want you living there, and move the decoration a little more to your right,” she says while making a motion with her hand as a way to guide you. For the past hour you had been putting up flimsy removable decorations all across the beige hospital walls at an attempt to make her room look less depressing than it already was. 

“I already told you, I’ll be just fine. I already asked Yuna to help me get my stuff, and you’re acting like everyone in the neighborhood doesn’t know who I am, and it’s a lot faster to get here from home. I just need to start looking for a second job in the meant—”

“Ah about that,” your moms sudden interruption causing you to stop what you were doing , now tilting your head in confusion, “I called Mr. Choi and told him about me no longer being able to work for the meantime that I'm here and well that’s when he mentioned something about going on vacation, and needing a temporary assistant… and that he needed someone to run some business like errands for him and well I may have mentioned you and that you’re majoring in business and how you’d love to work for him…” she tried zooming through the last part but you had heard it all.

“Wait what!”

Mr. Choi was your mom’s boss, having been his housekeeper for as long as you could remember. Endless long nights of making sure whatever multimillion dollar penthouse he or his other snobby friends owned looked squeaky clean, just to be paid like any other minimum-wage worker minus the tip.

You could still vividly remember the nights when you were younger being babysat by your neighbor, anxiously waiting for your mom's knock on the door signifying that she was back home, and just how exhausted she’d look as she took off her housekeeping shoes, too tired to even look at the pile of sealed letters on the sturdy coffee table. A constant reminder that she was going to be working for that man for a very long time. 

For a long time you had wondered how she was able to do it all. Were there nights where she felt like just giving up and simply letting everything she’d work so hard for to collapse? 

Your mind flashing back to the night before you moved out for college. It was about 3 in the morning and anxiety had been keeping you up the whole night, the fear of moving somewhere you were unfamiliar with creeping into your mind. The sound of muffled tears coming from the living room snapping you back into reality. Slowly you had gotten up from bed, opening your door wide enough to leave a crack that you could visibly see through, desperately trying to avoid having the door loudly creak. 

And so there she was with a wax stick candle in her hand, quietly whispering to herself a small recital, the sound of several wailed “thank you’s” coming out of her mouth, grateful that she had made it this far. The old framed picture of your dad on the coffee table making it hard for you to fight back your own tears. 

Nights where she was sure your landlord would knock at any moment to kick you guys out because the rent was going to be late, nights where she’d silently cry herself to sleep because it killed her to say no to something you desperately wanted from the store, and nights where she merely missed the love of her life. Doubting herself as to whether she was doing a good job in raising you, simply wishing she could have someone give her some reassurance. And having to hide those feelings because she didn’t want her daughter to find out that the person she had once given a “Happy Mother’s Day to the Strongest Mommy in the World” card with a colorful doodle of herself in a cape was in fact not strong at all, but acted like she was because she simply loved her daughter too much. 

And so that night instead of going back to sleep, you slowly made your way into the living room, silently enveloping her in a hug, no words having to be spoken. Promising yourself that you were going to work hard in college, and get each other out of the small cramped apartment to which you guys called home. Life of course had different plans, which brings you back to one of the causes of your stress and worries: Mr. Choi. 

Oh how you despised that man. One would think a rich man like him would’ve offered by now to pay for all of your mom’s expenses considering the years of servitude, but no. He only fed into the stereotype you already had of the rich, the only people they cared for were themselves.

“So you’re basically telling me I have to quit my job by tonight, and do something I have absolutely no experience with?”

“Yes! You need to start getting all the experience you can get in the world of business, and him being on vacation is perfect. Less stress, and I assume it’ll be better pay than that restaurant you’re working in.” Oh how you hated how naive your mom could be sometimes, it always led to Choi taking advantage of her and her kindness.

“Mr. Choi lives—”

“In the city which is not at all far from here, the only reason you work at that lousy restaurant is because it’s near campus, yes or yes?”

“And when school starts?”

“Mr. Choi should be back by then and he can find someone new to replace you,” you dramatically groaned, the fact that she had reasonable answers to your questions bugged you. 

“But-”

“But nothing! You’re a hard worker Y/N, who knows you may even meet someone who could change your life around in that area. You’re young, about to be a college graduate, you need to start printing out resumes and Mr. Choi is a big name in the indust—”

“I get it, I get it,” you said chuckling at your mom’s enthusiasm, “and who's going to keep you company then?”

“Ah well the nurse was telling me last night about the events they throw here every week for people like me who are staying here for a while and trust me I’ll be just fine,” she winked at you which raised a laugh out of you. Who knew your mom could be so… social. “Just try and visit hmm... at least once a week.”

“Once?”

“I’m telling you Y/N, we will be just fine. Stop acting like I’m dying anytime soon.” she said, “now what do you say? It’s just until the end of summer.” You began to consider your options, money was definitely the weighing factor here.

Sighing once you had made your decision, “When do I start?”, a giant grin now appearing on her face. 

Sunday Night

“Well that’s the last of it,” you sighed in relief as you finally were able to close the trunk of your car after several minutes of struggling to compress your things in order for everything to fit in your small car and not make any double trips back. 

“Finally! You know for someone who claims they need to save money, you sure do like spending it on such small useless things,” your best friend, Yuna, complained.

“Oh because you were so much help,” you huffed, she had no right to complain considering all she did was loudly munch on her chips, watching the pitiful sight of you nearly fighting your trunk after several failed attempts of it not closing. She raised her hand in defense. 

You and Yuna had met in the 8th grade after the two of you were assigned as partners for your geometry class, casual conversation about latest idol debuts and fashion trends had blossomed a beautiful friendship. For a while you thought that college was going to cause the two of you to grow apart, but in fact you two became even closer. It had become a friendship where you didn’t need to see each other everyday, nor talk about absolutely everything all in one moment. Everything was always at its own pace between you two, the boundaries having been silently set.

You had told Yuna of your situation and rather than try to get you to cry about your feelings and awkwardly comfort you, she instead agreed to help you move out, letting her actions speaking louder than words. Of course Yuna’s definition of help differed from yours. but it was the thought that counted. She knew that when you were ready you’d talk to her about everything. 

“Well apartment D2 you’ve been... “ you paused, recalling the amount of times you’ve nearly burned something, now scratching your neck,  “...decent to me, but it’s time for a new chapter,” you whispered to yourself, anxious for the weeks to come. 

The drive home like almost all of them had the two of you singing to both current and childhood songs without a care in the world even though you two weren’t exactly what people would consider “good” singers. Occasional voice cracks seeping through the bass of the speakers, garnering a laugh from the two of you. 

By the time you got home and finished unpacking, you were not only exhausted but extremely hungry.

“I’m gonna go get us take out,” Yuna announced, getting up from the couch and grabbing your car keys from the rack, almost as if she read your mind. 

And so while she went to get that, you laid on your small childhood bed, staring at the ceiling. You laughed at the multiple glow in the dark stickers you had crookedly placed onto it several years ago, and cringe at the posters of second generation idols you had sloppily posted up on your walls when you were fifteen, now unaware that you were subconsciously grinning. 

It surprised you that your mom for the most part hadn’t moved anything around from your room, for the most part it looked almost exactly as how you left it years ago. The same old baby blue duvet covered your metal twin-sized bed frame, decorated with grey fluffy throw pillows which at the time you thought made you a professional interior designer. Your fingers grazed over the framed pictures you had on your small desk (minus the ones you took to college) of past memories including a photo of your dad piggy back carrying a five year old you who had the biggest smile on her face. A small reminder of what life once was. 

You could feel your eyes getting watery as you continued to stare at the photo, and so you quickly snapped yourself out of it, deciding that you already had enough emotional turmoil on your plate. Instead you plopped back onto bed, unlocked your phone and began to scroll through Twitter occasionally laughing at some memes.

A certain retweet had caught your eye causing you to let out a scoff, “Kim Taehyung NASTY fight with girlfriend Sunhi. Click here for more.” The Kim family were almost insufferable, their names practically plastered everywhere across Korea. Especially Mr. Kim’s son Taehyung who somehow always managed to get his name across the headlines whether it be on TV, magazines, or social media.

“Famous for being a brat,” you muttered to yourself, but ironically before you could click on the link you had heard the door open and close, resulting in you locking your phone and immediately getting up from bed, your stomach desperately ready to stop growling. 

“Im baaaack!” Yuna dramatically squealed, placing the foam takeout containers on your small kitchen table. The scent of the warm food making your mouth water. “I know it’s chilly right now, but the stars are out tonight, so I say we go eat at the top,” she then gave you the puppy dog eyes.

“You don’t need to make such… disturbing...faces for me to agree, you do know that right?” you teased, trying to hide your smirk. 

“Fuck you,” she responded to you while playfully hitting your shoulder.

Despite it being summer, when you had walked outside you immediately felt the crispy cold weather, but it was something you and Yuna had grown accustomed to. The countless number of late nights climbing up your metal ladder to get to the rooftop and watching the small tiny stars had made you two somewhat immune to the nightly cold. Your mom sometimes would even climb up herself to bring hot cocoa, rightfully worried that the two of you would freeze yourselves to death. 

You see your apartment, like the rest of your complex, wasn’t in the greatest condition. The infrastructure of it mostly relying on a mix of cement and brick, rust engulfing most things along with metal bars on each complex’s windows in order to prevent break ins. Crime was not something uncommon in your area, but something that you were used to hearing about as you got older. 

What made the whole situation more ironic was that the rich were separated by a simple six way motorway, acting almost as a bridge between two completely different worlds with their skyscrapers and condos looking down upon you guys. It was only at night when the stars were out and you looked up at the navy blue sky that you felt like for a small moment none of it mattered. The warm milky glow of the moon never failing to soothe you, reminding you that even in the dark there was light. Reminding you that even now which felt as if was one of the darkest hours in your life, there was going to be light. At least that’s what you hoped. 

“This view just never gets old,” you whispered, amazed at the moonlight’s reflection, the speckle of stars only adding to its beauty. Your eyes had once again become watery, a sudden state of reflection washing over you, but you quickly composed yourself before Yuna could notice. 

“What time do you even go in tomorrow?” Yuna asked, her eyes still primarily focused on the view above. 

“Well their flight is at 1PM so my mom told me I should get there by at least 11AM so he can explain everything to me, show me around, and all that other stuff.”

“I don’t see why you have an attitude about it, you’re acting like it’s the worst job in the world!” she scolded you. 

“I know I know, I’ve heard it all already,” you rolled your eyes recalling your mom's lecture and that she expected your attitude to be fixed come Monday morning.

“Well you gotta do what you gotta do,” Yuna mumbled while shrugging her shoulders and continuing to eat her food. 

“You can say that again.... ” you acknowledged her remark, secretly scared for tomorrow, silently hoping that all went well, “and I thought I was a slob,” you snorted, watching how sloppily Yuna was slurping her noodles. She raised her hand, smacking you on the shoulder. 

“Hey, watch—” 

Monday Morning.

“Where you’re going, you asshole!” you shouted over your window, your irritation fixated at the man who cut you off without signaling. God how you hated driving in the city. All the one way signs, the assholes who called themselves drivers, and the narrow streets which were hard to maneuver in. It all caused unnecessary stress, but here you were nonetheless. 

“Turn right in 1.2 miles,” you let out a snide scoff as you entered the parking lot, there was nothing but car of the year models ranging from Mercedes Benz’s, BMW’s, Range Rover’s, and more. All making your car look worse than it already did. 

Making your way into the lobby, you were in complete utter awe of the place. From the giant diamond chandelier hanging from above to the sparkly interior design which screamed Hollywood glam. The ivory colored double staircase reminded you of Titanic, the color scheme of the whole place was overwhelmingly beautiful. You could only imagine what Mr. Choi’s condo could look like as you made your way to the front desk. 

Ding. 

To your surprise a boy, a very handsome one to say the least, appeared from what you assumed was his office. He looked no older than you, his hair dyed a crimson-red color giving him a youthful appearance accompanied with a face that had both sharp and soft features. Before you could ponder on why such a good looking person was working and not living at a place like this, your thoughts were interrupted. 

“Hello, welcome to The Oaks condos, how can I help you?” he asked, sounding eerily similar to a robot. It reminded you of yourself at your old job, something you certainly would not miss.

“Um I’m Mr. Choi’s new assistant,” you looked for his name tag which coincidentally he didn’t have on, but you could immediately see his shoulders relax once he had heard the words “new assistant”. 

“Ah yes! You’re Ms. Y/L/N’s daughter right? Y/N right?” you nodded in agreement, a smile now appearing on his face, causing the corner of your lips to turn upward. Wow was this guy handsome, you only hoped that the heat you felt on your cheeks wasn’t visible to the eye. 

“Your mom called me to give me a heads up. I’m Hoseok, I’m what you can consider the receptionist around here,” he said, reaching his hand out for you to shake. 

Hoseok. The name sounded so familiar, you could’ve sworn you'd heard your mom mention the name a couple times. 

A light bulb then went off in your head, as you remembered the countless number of times she had tried setting you up on a date with him, but wow did she fail to mention that Hoseok had the literal face of a GQ model. 

An awkward cough brought you back to reality as you had realized that Hoseok’s hand had been stuck out for quite some time, you were now certain that your face must’ve resembled a ripe tomato. You quickly returned the handshake, internally scolding yourself for making yourself look like an idiot. Here you were, a grown woman, acting like a teenager again. 

“So um, you seem um ... pretty young to be working here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” he teased, “I replaced my aunt after she retired and the owner of this place trusted her to teach me well, and well I guess I’ve been doing a pretty good job if I’m still employed,” he explained, playfully winking at you, confirming that he knew the effect he had on people. You stood there in silence, deciding that it was just best to say nothing, look pretty, and nod. Thus causing him throw his head back and laugh, making small claps with his hands. With the way you were acting, you couldn’t blame him. He must’ve thought you were some kind of walking circus act. 

“You’ll get used to it, you know...” you now had a look a look of confusion on your face which only made him laugh harder, but before you could ask him any questions, he changed the topic. 

“Well I assume your mom gave you Mr. Choi’s key pass, correct?” you shyly nodded no in response. “Ah I see, let’s go ahead and get that set up for you then,” you watched him as he began to type some things onto the computer in front of him. Compared to how fast his fingers were moving across the keyboard, he made you like a complete newb on the keyboard. The boy was clearly now in his own zone. 

“First name, Y/N?” 

“Yes.” 

“Last name, Y/L/N?” 

“Yes.” 

“You see where that X mark is on your left?” he pointed at the microscopic mark on the floor to which you followed, “Okay now look at where that pretty gold flower is on the wall, and say cheese!” Before you could even properly prepare yourself you heard the sound of the shutter go off, immediately causing Hoseok to begin cracking up. 

He turned the desktop computer to face towards you, showing the horrendous picture the camera took of you. One eye had come out mid-blink, your mouth slightly agape from fixing your hair in the moment. “Hey that’s not—!” Before you could start complaining, Hoseok had quickly interrupted. 

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! It’s only for the program’s database which only Rachel and I see? Ain’t that right Rachel?” Rachel? Who the hell was that? 

Glancing around to see who this Rachel person was, you were surprised to see a very old woman seated behind the front desk seemingly caring less about what he had said, a permanent scowl on her face along with a small groan coming out of her mouth as a response. “That’s my girl,” Hoseok jested, “Now you,” he dramatically pointed at you, “come back over here.” 

You muttered a quiet “Whatever,” peeved by his little antics. Maybe it was because Rachel was old but you could slowly see why she had that look on her face.  

“Place your index finger on the small machine when it lights up,” he pointed to the small biometric scanning machine, similar to the ones used at the DMV. Following the simple instructions you allowed the machine to scan your finger, assuming it was going to be used for something important around here. 

All you could do was observe him as he finished typing who knows what. You observed how his eyebrows quirked as he continued to type, a satisfied smile gracing his lips once he was done. 

Too caught up in his appearance, the sudden tug at your hand had caught you by surprise, yanking you from where you were standing. “I’ll be back Rachel! I’m going to show little Ms. Y/N here around,” Rachel as before. only grunted in response. 

“So here of course we have the lobby, this is where all the..” he glanced around making sure no one was around before whispering, “snobby folks come in and out of every day. Them and their visitors of course, so hopefully you don’t have to interact with any of them.”

“I don’t think all of this will be neces—” before you could continue he pulled your hand again now guiding you towards another area. You glanced at the time on your phone, hoping this so called tour wasn’t going to take too long. 

“Right here is the entrance to the patio and pool area, which is what you’ll use your fingerprint for as well as entering Mr. Choi’s condo and any other amenities we have around here,” he reached into his pocket pulling out a laminated card, “but if for any reason our system’s down then this right here should do the trick for amenities only, you’ll have to come up to the front desk if the finger pad in the elevator isn’t working. For precautionary reasons of course,” he explained, most of it pretty self explanatory, except the elevator part but you assumed he’d get to that soon.  

“So the entrance to every apartment is through the elevator which is right there on your left,” You followed him as he began to walk towards it, placing his finger on the elevator’s finger scanning pad, “The stairs are really only here for decoration considering no one uses them, I mean unless of course you want to climb up 7 flights of stairs everyday,” You quickly nodded your head no, “Only resident’s and employee fingerprints allow the elevator to open but,” the two of you stepped into the elevator, “the fingerpad inside the elevator only allows certain people to access certain floors. Since Mr. Choi’s going to be out on vacation with his vacation, you are currently the only person with access to his floor,” you raised your finger, slightly confused. 

“Don’t you technically—” 

“I do, but let’s say I were to enter a resident’s condo without their explicit permission, they’d immediately be notified through their phone as I’m also under strict contract.” Your mouth made an “O” shape, impressed by how everything was ran around here. Another question then popped up in your mind as he clicked the elevator’s 7th button. 

“Well what if there’s more than one person in the elevator? What then?” 

“Ah good question! Since you don’t know any of the residents here yet, I suggest you always try to go into the elevator by yourself, and if the situation arises where you feel uncomfortable or paranoid about who's in the elevator with you then just go back down to the lobby of course and wait it out, but we’ve never had any cases of break ins or anything like that. Especially not in an area like this. Things around here are ran very smoothly,” he shrugged, “I mean around here the burglars don’t wear black ski mask and carry scary weapons. In fact the real criminals live on these same floors,” he deadpanned, slightly catching you by surprise. 

1.

“I know what you’re probably thinking, who the hell makes an elevator an entrance to their home? I thought the same thing when I first started, but for some reason they see it as some kind of luxury feature around here...”

2. 

“Mm it’s expected if I’m being honest,” you chuckled, slowly finding the confidence to make small talk with Hoseok without getting so flustered. A pregnant silence had made it’s way into the elevator. 

3.

“I’m sorry about your mom by the way...” though he had said it out the blue, you could feel the sincerity behind his words. All you could do was give him a small smile of acknowledgment, feeling as if it was too early to feel someone’s pity. “She talks about you a lot...” he said, causing you to smile. 

4. 

“My Y/N is going to one of the top schools in all of Korea! My Y/N is going to become a successful businesswoman! My Y/N is so pretty Hobi, a boy like you should take her out some time!” he mimicked your mom’s voice, now causing you to genuinely laugh. 

5. 

“That definitely sounds like her,” you giggled, your cheeks now becoming a tinging shade of pink at the mention of her trying to playing matchmaker. 

“You should’ve seen her face when I told her I was gay,” your eyes immediately felt as if they had bulged out of your eye sockets, your face now completely red at his previous words. He on the other hand was now laughing as hard as ever, his hand clutching onto his stomach from laughing so hard. 

6. 

“I told you you’d get used to me,” he said in-between laughs, tears now welting out of his eyes from his laughing fit. Things definitely started to make sense, especially now that you were inconveniently remembering how your mom had completely stopped mentioning Hoseok in any romantic way to you. You covered your face with your hands in embarrassment because here you were already fantasizing about the dude. 

“You're also probably wondering why I’m working at a place like this, that’s what most people ask me when they visit round here, but...”

7. 

“I’ll have to answer your questions some other time Ms. Y/N because well here we are! I’ll have your parking pass ready by the time leave but for now just place your finger on the scanner and off you go,” you followed his instructions, opening the doors of the elevator, stepping out, and waving a small goodbye watching him return the wave as the doors slowly closed. In all honesty you were genuinely happy at the fact that you had made a friend around here even though you were still slightly embarrassed about the moment that had played out only minutes ago. 

But before you could dwell on it any longer, you heard a voice call out your name, “Ah Y/N, good you’re here right on time!” You formally greeted who you presumed was Mrs. Choi, slightly surprised at the fact that she even knew your name. 

“You don’t have to be so formal. Muah. Muah,” she pulled you in for a hug and giving you a kiss on each cheek like the French do. “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother, tell her I send my condolences.” You returned her fake smile, not expecting yourself to despise her this early on. Oh were you glad she wasn’t going to be around.

Mrs. Choi in a way reminded you of Regina George’s mom despite not having any kids. Needles and plastic were definitely her best friends, and her attempt to try and act younger than her actual age was quite cringe to watch. 

Soon after greeting each other, two pomeranians began to circle around you barking. You bent down trying to pet them, but you guess they picked up the snob’s attitude because all they did was continue barking and one even tried to bite you. 

“If it isn’t Y/N, I feel like I haven’t seen you in years!” you snapped your attention to the man himself, Mr. Choi, who was coming down his stairs with a thick black luggage case in his hand. The last time you saw him was around 9 years ago when he had lived on the other side of the city. Your mom had to take you to work with her that day because your neighbor was unavailable to watch after you and you were still too young to be home alone.

Mr. Choi had definitely changed in appearance, his once full head of black hair was now clearly balding, he had gained some weight, and overall looked like a man who had long been worn out. You couldn’t help but think that this vacation was probably needed, especially with a wife like his.  

“I’ll wait for you in the car my love. It was nice seeing you Y/N, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks!” she squealed, waving goodbye as she stepped into the elevator, the dogs following right behind her.

You could hear Mr. Choi sigh, probably already mentally preparing himself for the next 10 weeks. So this is what a pretentious marriage looks like, you thought to yourself. You theorized that Mr. Choi must’ve only married her for her looks and she for his money, and well no wonder there were no kids in the picture. It’d be the ultimate death of both of them. You actually felt pity for the man, but it wasn’t like he didn’t have a choice in marrying her.

You brought your attention back to Mr. Choi who must have been rambling on for some time now, “My most recent assistant just quit on me for no reason,” a genuine puzzled look on his face, “something about me being too overwhelming for her, as if I'm supposed to know what that means,” he scoffed. “So when your mom mentioned you well I knew I could trust her!”

Your mom truly never failed at mentioning you to whoever and whenever she possibly could, it was both a blessing and a curse. 

“So… what exactly am I going to be in charge of?” You blurted out, the question had been lingering in your mind since the night prior.

“Good question, I’d show you around, but time is on the essence. I basically just need you to organize my office, file paperwork, organize Amelia’s closet, go run errands for me, pick up documents, but most importantly I’m going to need you to attend certain events in place for me, but of course just introduce yourself as my assistant, apologize as to why I couldn’t be there, and most importantly keep your eyes and ears open. In my world we like to keep… tabs… on one another,” your eyebrow quirked in curiosity, “and since I won’t have any signal I expect to have a report ready for me when I come back so I’m caught up with everything of course,” he grabbed something from the coffee table, “I made a planner for you with everything that needs to be done on a day to day basis,” he then proceeded in handing you the bulk gray planner, “It includes passwords, data sheets, and all that good stuff.” 

You were amazed at how his demeanor had changed from clumsy-like to serious businessman in the blink of an eye. It was actually quite intimidating.

“Finances need to be kept in check, investors need to be accommodated, and well I just want to come back to everything being normal,” he began to gather the remainder of his stuff, “also your money is going to be wired to your bank account on a weekly basis and well that’s really it. I’ll see you in 10 weeks Ms. L/N! Good luck!”

“Good luck..” you quietly repeated his final parting words back to yourself, watching as the elevator doors closed. You could see why his last assistant quit, you didn’t even know where to start. You took a deep breath deciding to make your way up to his office, your day was just getting started.

The condo may have looked like it came out of a show from HGTV, but Mr. Choi’s office looked like it came out of an episode of Hoarders Buried Alive. There were scattered papers everywhere, his desk was practically hidden by all the stacks of papers. Food wrappers and aluminum soda cans thrown around like the slob he was, the stench making you want to throw up. 

“Oh my God…” you said to yourself, this man was just a mess. 

You skimmed through some of the papers all of them having to do with different things ranging from firm performance, finances, legal forms, and much more. You could already feel a headache coming, but at the end of the day this was your job. You grabbed some storage boxes and began to label them with a black marker.

Your plan was to separate the papers into two sections: Important and Unimportant. Once you finished separating, you’d then shred what you deemed unimportant, and further organize what was important by date and then transfer them to his filing cabinets. It would take time, but it was the only method you could possibly think of. Your goal was to stop by 3 and then start working on Mrs. Choi’s closet.

You put on your earphones and began to play some music so that you wouldn’t be so stressed while organizing everything.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s and bottles of bubbles…” you hummed to yourself and before you knew it, it was already 3. You had thrown out all of the trash in his office, and for the majority part most of his papers were organized. 

You sighed, now to get started with her damn closet.

Mrs. Choi’s closet was its own giant room, marble shelves stacked with bags and shoes, racks full of clothes, jewelry sparkling under their display showcase. The sparkling glass chandelier on the ceiling adding an extra oomph to the room. 

Hermes. Gucci. Chanel. Versace. Burberry. Balmain. Louis Vuitton. Saint Laurent. Fendi.

Any brand you could think of was in this closet, it was unbelievable. The closet had to be worth several thousands, no millions. So many questions were running through your head. How could someone just have so much? What do you even do with this amount of clothes? You were truly left speechless.

Shaking your head, you began to pick up all the clothes on the floor deciding that it was best to organize everything by color, your day almost done.

By the time your alarm went off it was already six which is the time that Mr. Choi had said you could leave, and it wasn’t like he was paying you extra for staying any longer and doing more work. For the most part, you had finished with both the office and closet and were just ready to go home, jump into bed, and watch some Netflix.

You went down the elevator,  satisfied at your first day on the job. This was going to be easy, you thought to yourself.

Just as you were leaving the lobby you heard Hoseok, “Hey I had your parking permit printed out!”  You stopped dead in your tracks, turned around and walked towards his desk. It wouldn’t hurt to make a little bit of conversation, right?

“Ah I had forgotten about that, thanks,” you chuckled.

“It’s no problem! The parking officer loves giving tickets.… so how was your first day?”

“Um not bad actually, a little boring to be honest,” you pondered at his question, for the most part you were being truthful, “Tomorrow I’m supposed to go and get Mr. Choi’s Mercedes Benz checked out, and then from there go and pick up some paperwork from some legal firm, transfer it onto his computer.”

“Well at least he’s not around to be over your shoulder, he practically had his last assistant going nuts,” he responded, laughing at the memory.

“Well I’ll see you tomorrow,” you yawned, giving him a small wave goodbye.

“Hey well let me know if you ever need anything, and I’m being serious,” and to that you nodded, taking note of what he said.

Monday Afternoon.

[Incoming Facetime from: Ma 💞💗💓💕]

Immediately you clicked “accept”, having just gotten home and tidying up a couple things around the apartment. 

“So how was your first day?” your mom immediately questions you, clearly eager to know. 

“It was pretty decent ma, nothing I can’t handle,” you chuckled, “but wow was that man’s office practically a pig pen,” you complained only causing your mom to start laughing. 

“Oh I know,” she comments, only causing you to roll your eyes. 

“I think these 10 weeks should go by quite smoothly if I say so myself,” you sounded genuinely optimistic, “I met Hoseok you know,” your embarrassment had long subsided, instead finding it hilarious.

“Ah my Hobi!” your mom sounding delighted at the mention of the young boy, “a hard worker that boy is I'm telling you.” 

“He seems like it,” you had long concluded that he was when he had been explaining everything about the residency to you. He seemed like one of those people who even though they disliked their job, still put in their absolute everything into making sure they were the best at it. “You shoud’ve seen me giving him the googly eyes earlier,” you joked around. 

“Hobi is—” 

“Gay, yeah I know. I had to find that out the hard way,” you covered your face with your hands, playfully sulking. 

“Why do you think I stopped trying to set the two of you up,” your mom laughed. 

“Mm really ma? I would’ve never guessed,” sarcasm dripping from your words. 

“Hey remember who you’re sp—” 

“Anywayssss, how are you holding up out there?” you took a sip from the cup of juice you had served yourself earlier, your mom’s dismissive expression returning back to a smile. 

“Well the food around here is horrible! I told my nurse that they should let me in the kitchen for a change, but all she did was laugh!” You grinned at the idea of your mom actually working at the cafeteria for the sake of it. 

"Ah well I’lll make sure to bring you something on Wednesday.” 

“Did anything arrive in the mail today about the invoice for everything?” your mom asked, a look of worry now on her face. 

“No ma, and don’t even worry about anything like that okay? Focus on your treatment, and you let me handle the rest alright?” your voice now becoming stern, leave it to your mom to start worrying about finances. 

“I know, I know, but I know some fees were coming up and well—” 

“And I’m telling you to leave it to me, okay?” 

“Ah okay then, well I'm going to sleep already,” she yawned, “they’ve been prodding needles in me all day,” she tried to say it as lighthearted as she could, but she quickly regretted it as she saw the sudden sad look on your face. 

“Goodnight ma, I’ll see you Wednesday alright?” 

“Okay then Y/N, I love you.” 

“I love you too,” and with a small pressured smile, you clicked “end call”. An immediate sigh coming from your lips as you glanced at the several unsealed envelopes on your coffee table, many of the scattered papers stamped with a red “PAST DUE”. 

School, rent, the water bill, the light bill, the gas bill, your phone bill, the old hospital bills, the new ones, all due in such small amounts of time with almost no room in-between dates to rest. 

And so that night you laid in bed staring at your ceiling for what felt like hours unable to go to sleep. The only thing on your mind was how you were going to get the funds to pay for everything because well if you didn’t then you’d be left in hospital debt with an eviction notice right at your door and a whole bunch of other problems that you didn’t want to think about.

Deciding that it was best to get a breath of fresh air, you made your way to the rooftop, watching as the scattered stars glimmered in the sky. You sorta wished that life could be like those childhood TV shows where a shooting star would pass by and make your wish all come true, but the fact was, is that your life isn’t a movie or a tv show. This was your reality, and you were just going to have to suck it up.   

You unlocked your phone and texted the only person you possibly could.

[To: Yuna 🤍]

[10:09] you up??

You tapped your foot, waited for her to reply.

[From: Yuna 🤍]

[10:10] i'm offended that that’s even a question tbh

[you]

[10:11] you think you can come over? pleaseeee 🥺

[10:12] ik it’s late and you’re probably tired and work tmrw but i just rlly need some company rn

[From: Yuna 🤍]

[10:13] i’ll be there in 10, don’t judge how i look

[you]

[10:14] when have i ever…

Soon enough you heard a knock on your door.

“I brought your favorite snacks,” Yuna had a giant grin plastered on her face to which you couldn’t help but smile at. Her makeup-free face and bright Hello Kitty pajamas told you that she was probably in bed when you texted her. 

Once she slid off her shoes, she was quick to make herself feel at home by jumping onto your couch. Hell, this was basically her second home.

“Do you work tomorrow?” you asked her.

“I called off, I’ve already accumulated a lot of hours anyway and well I might as well start putting them to use,” she stated, as she munched on a freshly opened bag of barbeque chips. 

Yuna was a retail clerk at the local mall, attending fashion school at night in hopes of landing herself a future internship, but like you was currently on summer vacation. Even in middle school, becoming a world renowned fashion designer had always been her dream, having gone to the the principal’s office a countless number of times because she added some kind of tailor to the plain old school uniform whether it be bedazzles or embellishing some kind of bizarre pattern onto it. 

Yuna though was sadly a case of a prodigy without the resources, accepted to one of Seoul’s top fashion schools when the two of you had graduated high school. You were there the day she opened her letter of acceptance, the two of you along with her family celebrating by going to one of Seoul’s most expensive restaurants. But just as you were there the day she was accepted, you were also her shoulder to cry on the day she realized that the money she had saved up wouldn’t even cover a quarter of tuition costs, and her applications for scholarships had all fallen through. 

What you admired most about Yuna was that disappointment didn't stop her from trying. Her designs were truly one of a kind, and you weren’t even saying that because she was your best friend and had a bias towards her. You could only hope that one day she’d be recognized for her talents. 

You grabbed your blanket from your room and sat next to her on the couch. She stared at you while you flicked through different channels on the TV, sensing that something was wrong. 

You could practically feel her burning a hole through your head and so you decided to answer the question you knew was looming in her head, “I’m not okay,” you mumbled, letting out a sardonic laugh. “I’m trying to act like I am, but I'm just not,” you stared off into the TV not wanting to make eye contact with her, “it’s just not fair,” you whispered, confused with yourself as to whether you were sad or angry.

Yuna could feel her heart wrench as she listened.

“My mom’s been nothing but a kind person, I’ve been nothing but a kind person, and so I can’t help but ask why? What did we do to end up in a situation like this?” you hadn’t even realized that tears were falling from your eyes until you felt the salty drops of water make their way onto your lips, dripping from your chin, “The whole time I was in Mr. Choi’s condo looking around at the million dollar paintings, and organizing his wife’s thousand dollar outfits I kept thinking to myself how can a man like Mr. Choi just not care? He didn’t even bother to ask how she was...” you seethed, the emptiness in your voice had now become anger.

Yuna scoffed, “The rich are always looking down on us like we’re just nothing but money makers to them, demanding their respect like they deserve it for free.”

“I just,” you paused for a second, “I just don’t know what to do, I think I might have to start looking for a second job or something, or maybe even take a gap year...” you breathed out, running a hand through your hair in distress. 

And maybe one could call it fate with what you and Yuna had seen on your TV that night. Destiny perhaps. Whatever it was, it was going to open the doors to a brand new world. A world that you had only ever caught small glimpses of.

“Kim Taehyung is officially Seoul’s most eligible bachelor, our sources have confirmed that he and on and off again girlfriend Sunhi have called it quits permanently this time. The reason you may ask? Rumor has it that she was caught cheating on him,” the entertainment reporter had a giant grin on her face, “That’s right ladies, the heir to Kim Enterprises is back on the market.”

Pictures which you assumed were recent showed Taehyung partying, drinking, flashing expensive cars, and at red carpet events for major fashion brands. “Tweet us using hasht—” you changed the channel on the TV, bored of the topic at hand.

“I swear he’s the only person they talk about nowadays, I mean literally he’s everywhere!” you chuckled, turning your attention to Yuna who for some odd reason now had a look of disbelief on her face.

“Y/N… how did I— no how did we not think of this earlier?” Yuna got up from the couch like an excited toddler causing you to tilt your head to the side in honest confusion. 

“What the hell are you talking about now,” you said, laughing at how childish she looked. She was now pacing herself back and forth across your living room, her adrenaline practically visible.

“You know I don’t normally believe in this stuff but holy shit this has got to be a sign!” At this point you were convinced she was talking to herself considering she wasn’t even making direct eye contact when she said that. She frantically ran her hands through her hair, “I mean you have the quote on quote resources, the clothes, my fashion expertise, the car, the events, and he’s single now. Oh my God how did we not think of this,” you carefully listened to what she said trying to piece everything together. Resources? Clothes? Was she talking about Kim Taehyung?

Your eyes immediately widened when you put two and two together and realized what she was so excited about, and it was now your turn to get up from the couch.

“You’re literally insane you understand that right!?” you stared at her, completely baffled. You thought stopping her from pacing around would bring her back to reality and get that grin off her face, but if anything it did the opposite.

“Y/N! What are the chances that as we’re talking about your finance issues and then something like that comes up! What are the chances that you literally work for a millionaire who's going to be gone for several weeks and expects you to attend his events! You can’t tell me that this isn’t hmm…  I don’t know… Fate!” All you could do was stare at her in disbelief as she began to mumble something about this being something “straight out of a movie”. You were waiting for her to laugh and tell you this was all some kind of joke, but you soon realized she was being serious.

“The fact that you’re actually being serious about this is ridiculous!”

“And the fact that you think it’s ridiculous is what’s really crazy!” you shook your head refusing to accept what she was alluding to.

“Yuna! Let’s be rational he—”

“No, just listen to me Y/N. Please,” you looked at Yuna who had now calmed down, her face completely serious, “I know it seems out of the ballpark…” you nodded in agreement, “You have the opportunity to infiltrate the rich, and not just anyone but the Kim family! You know how many rumors there are about that family and their business!” she shouted while adding extra emphasis on the word infiltrate as if this was some kind of spy movie.

You sighed, “And how exactly would I do that? How could I not get caught up in lies? Why the Kim family? Why not not just steal some of Mr. Choi’s belongings and sell them on Ebay or something? Just what exactly are y—”

“You didn’t let me finish!” you grunted in annoyance. There were just so many questions running through your head, did she not realize the risk in what she was proposing? The consequences?

“You’re a stranger in their world, a brand new person … a brand new identity! You already have to go to these events as it is, and you can’t steal anything from Mr. Choi and sell it because I mean clearly he knows who you are. They, as in the rich, do not,” Yuna knew she had managed to grab your attention based on the look of skepticism on your face, “And technically you’re not going to be stealing Mrs. Choi’s clothes, you’ll be um ... borrowing them.” she flashed a giddy smile, “10 weeks Y/N, 10 weeks to get Kim Taehyung to fall in love with you, blackmail money out of that family, and then poof you disappear without a trace!”

“You have no idea how many questions are running through my head at this very moment.”

“And I think I can give you answers to them all, but please Y/N just think about it! It would solve all of your problems, financially at least,” you jokingly hit her shoulder as she teased you with the last part of her sentence, “you wouldn’t be doing it for yourself, you’d be doing it for your mom.”

“For my mom…” you mumbled to yourself. Yuna stared at your blank expression. She could only assume that you were letting everything sink in before making a decision. On one hand you’d be able to pay for all of your expenses while still getting your job done, but on the other you'd be using someone under a false pretense in order to blackmail money out of them. You’d literally be infiltrating the rich. You were scared. What if you got caught? Would you go to jail? What would happen to your mom?

You had made your decision.

“I trust you Yuna… I really do…” she now had a worrisome look on her face, “and so..” without even realizing it Yuna had been crossing her fingers, “I’m in.”  

“Oh my God,” she let out a sigh of both relief and disbelief, a beaming smile on her face.

“But!” her smile quickly disappeared after hearing your tone, “we need to plan this thoroughly, like a solid proof plan by tonight on pen and paper, you got me?” she nodded in agreement, “and I think there’s someone we need involved in this... “

She tilted her head in confusion.

“Who?”

Tuesday Morning.

“Yuna this is Hoseok, Hoseok this is Yuna,” the two shook hands giving one another a warm smile.

Yuna began eyeing you in a way of saying “Are you sure about this?”. You understood why she was skeptical of Yuna whether or not she’d agree to everything, hell you had your own doubts. What if Hoseok said no? Worse, what if he completely snitched you out? Then you’d be stuck with no job, no money, and probably blacklisted from all major companies in Seoul by Mr. Choi himself with the label “thief” over your head. You had to reassure yourself that everything would be just fine, “So what brings you guys here?”

“Well I was hoping I could talk to you um…” you glanced around, “somewhere private,” you whispered giving him a shy smile, “maybe up in Mr. Choi’s condo,” you offered remembering that Rachel could possibly be hearing (though you highly doubted she’d care).  

“Oh um… sure, let me just tell Rachel to cover for me,” he awkwardly dismissed himself to the back.

“I don’t know Y/N … he seems like the type of person to not want to risk his job..” Yuna whispered to you, she was clearly on high alert.

“He told me I could ask him for anything, and well I know I’ve only known her for about 24 hours, but I don’t know… something about him just seems reliable, I can't explain it. It’s just better to have him on our team than to be suspicious of us. I can’t do this whole infiltration thing being paranoid that the receptionist is going to snitch on me when he sees me walk out with clothes worth thousands of dollars,” you replied, “And if this really is playing out as a movie like you say, then we need someone whose tech savvy.” 

“You have a point,” she chuckled, “wait how do you know he’s good at computers again?” 

Your mind flashed back to the night before, while Yuna was asleep you had gone full stalker mode on Hoseok to get to the bottom of who he was. After hours of looking through different social media platforms you had ended up finding both his Twitter and Instagram @/junghsk, where he had pictures of his college graduation from 2 years ago. Major? Computer Science. It explained why he looked like he was in some Matrix movie the other day, and though of course it didn't mean automatically he was an expert, he definitely must’ve been better than both you and Yuna combined when it came to programming which is something (based on your plan) you were going to need for future endeavors. 

You also came to find out that he was an avid animal lover, taught cardio dance classes on morning weekends, likes to live tweet show series such as Games of Thrones, and is in a committed relationship with someone named Min Yoongi. What could you say? You liked to do intensive research. 

Once Hoseok returned the three of you went up to Mr. Choi’s condo, the elevator ride up was definitely awkward compared to the day before. 

Yuna was in clear awe of the place. You could tell she wanted to give herself a personal tour, but you shot her a look dismissing the idea as she could easily do that later.

“We should sit,” you suggested pointing to the kitchen’s island, "Yuna can make us all some instant ramen,” she immediately shot you a look of annoyance, but didn’t argue with you making her way to the pantry.  

“So...” he quietly mumbled at an attempt to break the ice, making small tapping noises on the island’s surface with his fingers. 

Flashing him a pretentious smile, you awkwardly glanced around trying to think of something to make small talk with, “Um do you like Games of Thrones?” 

Immediately he grinned, you expected a “yes” to come out of his mouth but instead he said, “Ah so that was you yesterday!” 

The color drained out of your face , wait what? He began to laugh, making small claps as he threw his head back, “You were stalking me,” his face scrunched up as he began to tease you. 

“What are you talking about?” your tone becoming defensive along with your eyebrows furrowing, only causing his fits of laughter to become louder. His index finger wiping the tears that began to form in his eyes. 

“Don’t act like you didn't like and unlike my picture at like 3 in the morning!” He suddenly pulled out his phone, showing the notification which he hadn’t cleared from his phone, showing your username and the words “liked your photo” following right after. You had forgotten about that... 

It was already 3AM and you were beginning to doze off, eyelids barely even open. You saw the white heart on Instagram appear on a 56 week old picture which you immediately unliked, also causing you to jolt out of your comfortable position in panic. 

Damn you Instagram. “Whatever you need must be pretty important if you’re up at 3AM instastalking me.” 

“Oh shut up—” 

“Well since you were on there, what hair color do you prefer on me: red, brown, or black?” You scowled before muttering a quiet “brown”. “Really I’ve been told red looks best on me, hmm...” he pondered, pressing his index finger onto his bottom lip. "So are you going to tell me what this is all about anytime soon or ...” he said, his tone coming out more demanding than he intended, but Hoseok was the kind of person that didn’t like to beat around the bush, rather preferring to be told things straight up as they were. 

“Okay..” You started, explaining to him of your situation starting from your mom, to the bills you needed to pay, why this job just wasn’t enough, why you needed to go ahead with your plan, why you needed him to be in on everything, and emphasizing that you weren’t doing this for yourself but your mom. By the time you finished explaining, Yuna was already done making the noodles.

Hoseok sat there in silence, you could hear your heart from your chest, your fingers getting slightly sweaty as you thought of the different possible outcomes. The deafening silence had made you feel like you guys were there for hours. Honestly, you could have heard a pin drop. 

It wasn’t until you saw his signature smile beginning to form on his face that you could’ve sworn you felt bricks actually fall off your shoulders.

“Okay let’s do it,” he stated as he began to slurp on his noodles.

“You’re in?” Yuna asked in complete shock, eyes completely widened. He nodded in return clearly enjoying his food, “You don’t have any questions? No concerns?”

Hoseok shrugged, “Mm well of course I’m curious as to what exactly the plan is, which I’m sure you’ll be explaining to me soon, but nope. I’d probably say no if the cause wasn’t for something important,” he looked at you giving a warm compassionate smile, “and this has got to be the most interesting thing that’s happened on this job for the past 2 years so there’s that,” his brows knitting remembering past situations with residents, “and lastly these snobs deserve what’s coming to them,” he finished off causing all three of you to laugh. 

“Well then cheers to mission… ummm... “ Yuna placed her finger on her chin, causing you to facepalm yourself as she was trying to think of a name for something so irrelevant.

“7 Rings,” Hoseok interjected , “like the Ariana Grande song. I want it, I got it!” 

“You like my hair gee thanks just bought it!” you guys simultaneously sang at the top of your lungs, clinking each other’s drinks.

And so that was how mission “7 Rings” came into fruition, but of course like everything else in the world, nothing ever goes as planned. If only you had realized then that things were going to change, whether they were for the better or for the worse… well that was for you to find out on your own.

author’s note 🧚🏻 : SK has universal health care but for the sake of the plot we’re going to have to pretend they have a private healthcare system so please don’t attack me lmao. Also please like & repost as it keeps me motivated to write and update faster !! Thank you in advance if you do 💞

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

The Goonies: A Product of the Times

Released in 1985, The Goonies came along right smack in the middle of a decade well-known for its movies centered on youth.  While there are plenty of fond memories of the ‘teen oriented’ films like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Adventures in Babysitting, Hollywood of the 1980s was focused on more than just the teenagers: it was also pretty heavily focused on what it was like to be a kid.

From Flight of the Navigator, The Explorers, and The Monster Squad to E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, a lot of the films of the 1980s were about the adventures of people under the age of 14: children.  Ranging from sci-fi to comedy, to horror, to adventure, the movies about kids during this decade of the new and untested were getting as big as everything else: more and more impressive as an entire subgenre of children’s movies starring up-and-coming child stars (Drew Barrymore, Fred Savage, River Phoenix, Corey Haim, and plenty more) sprouted up out of the ground, playing the gambit of genres and allowing children to act in ways that hadn’t been deeply explored before.  These weren’t adult films with roles for children: a lot of these were movies about kids.  

Instead of movies like The Champ or Aliens, starring children in side roles, films like The Goonies, Return to Oz, Stand By Me, and Time Bandits starred kids in the main roles, carrying the stories themselves with incredible performances, broadening the horizons for adventure films about kids, for kids.

Such is The Goonies, a film that really could only have been made in the 1980s.

How do I know that?

Simple.

As we’ve discussed before, no film ever made is separate from the culture it was created in.  Every single movie, television show, radio broadcast, book, newspaper, comic or song ever made has been directly impacted by the culture and other pieces of media surrounding it.

This seems pretty obvious: after all, a product made by people living in a certain kind of culture is going to reflect that culture.  No film is an island, and while that seems pretty self-explanatory and without much need for discussion, in an era with more and more pieces of media debated as to their worth to a modern viewpoint, it leaves those of us who enjoy older movies with a very important question:

How ‘dated’ is too dated?

It’s not as easy a question to answer as it might seem.

See, ‘dated’ is an interesting term.

Typically, the word ‘dated’ is used to apply to anything discernibly created in a specific time period.  It’s synonymous with ‘old fashioned’, when applied to a film, it carries the implication that the movie is less understandable by those looking from outside that particular culture or time period, worsened by the cultural drift.  This would be a film that hasn’t ‘aged well’, most often describing contemporary films of the day.  By contrast, a film that’s considered ‘timeless’ is the exact opposite: a film that remains completely understandable following a change in the culture.  This is a film without a cultural footprint or identity, without any actual context, able to be enjoyed no matter how much time has passed.

These are words that get thrown around a lot in the film world.  There are plenty of arguments over which films are timeless, and which are dated, whether Die Hard shows its age too much to be enjoyed, or whether Commando is too ridiculously ‘80s to be watched in any other context, but the fact is, the argument is a lot more complicated than it seems to be boiled down into.

We’ve talked a lot about definitions, but the fact is, by strict definitions, no movie, or any piece of media ever made, is actually ‘timeless’.  Every film is a product of its times, but that does not mean necessarily that they are defined by their times.  With this in mind, films like The Terminator and Predator, while set and made in the 1980s, are not exactly dated, because they are not defined by the 1980s.  Anyone with the slightest understanding of the idea that times change can accept things like hairstyles, music changes, and special effects.  Like I said, a film is considered ‘dated’ if it is less understandable or enjoyable in hindsight, from a place outside of that specific culture, and things like the movie tips and tricks of decades past are fairly easily forgiven.  

Less easily overlooked are ideas.

If a ‘timeless’ film is a movie not defined by its own times, then a ‘dated’ one is a film that is defined by its culture, typically in a negative way.  

So, the question is: which is The Goonies?

Timeless iconic kid’s adventure film, or dated ‘80s flick?

Well, it’s kind of hard to say at first glance.

By externals, there’s no question.  The way the kids are dressed and Mouth’s use of the word ‘gnarly’ pretty clearly set this film in the mid 1980s, as does the fact that nobody has a cell phone to call their parents.  But as we’ve already established, there’s a bit more to it than that.

The cast is fairly typical of its day: all white except for Rosalita, the Spanish-speaking housekeeper, and mostly male.  The two female Goonies do allow for a little more range than is sometimes portrayed in kid adventure films, with a Tomboy and Girly Girl dynamic that normalizes more than a standard Token Female per group, and even Mama Fratelli (although by no means a role model for young girls) balances out by being a memorable villain, bringing the gender ratio a tiny bit closer to even than a lot of contemporary films.  With that said though, there isn’t really anything that I’d argue idea wise in this sense that dates the film terribly badly, aside from a series of fat jokes at Chunk’s expense and a moment where Andy is given the unfortunately expected treatment of having her date try to look up her skirt, which was considerably more shrugged off at the time (although she does get him for it later, offscreen).

And there are other elements too that indicate that this film is from a different time:

A PG in 1985 for a kid’s film was very different from a PG now, and it shows.  The language used by a lot of the kids, as well as the violence, drug jokes, and other material has proven to shock more than one fan who went back to watch The Goonies as an adult.  And that’s not all: the basic concept of kids banding together in this way, while making a resurgence in the form of Stranger Things, hasn’t really stuck around for very long.

After the 1980s, the ‘band of kids’ adventure story somewhat died out.  By the 1990s, the ‘kid’ adventure stories calmed down, with lower stakes and less danger, and while the trope still appears in ‘retro’ nostalgia pieces, for the most part, we simply don’t see it anymore, and the idea still tends to bring to mind stories like Stand By Me, The Monster Squad, and even It.

It’s just a statement of fact, and not nostalgia, to look at this film and remark: “They don’t make them like this anymore.”  Because they don’t.

In most movies today, kids don’t run around in tunnels, having a blast and looking for buried treasure without their parents or any adult supervision, with their lives in danger, all the while quirky, peppy music assures the audience that everything’s going to be okay.  That’s not necessarily good or bad, it just means times have changed, and that the way that The Goonies was made was directly influenced by the types of movies coming out at the time.

However, while that style may bring to mind the 1980s, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s specifically enjoyed in that era.

As a matter of fact, there’s a lot about The Goonies that’s like that.

The basic premise of the story, while not necessarily common anymore, is still understandable to people decades later.  Just because we no longer dress or talk like 1985 anymore doesn’t mean that the core essentials of the film are rendered completely unrelatable.  Kids still become friends and don’t want to move away from them, that much is understandable.  Even though the style of filmmaking has changed, the characters really haven’t: we all know a Data, or a Mouth, or a Chunk, or a Mikey, sometimes we even are one of them.  Kids understand the danger they’re in: not just losing their lives, but their homes, their friendships.  These characters and their story still ring true decades later, even if there are things about it that point to its creation being set in the mid ‘80s.

In short?

No, The Goonies probably couldn’t have been made today.  But that doesn’t mean it can’t still be enjoyed today.

There’s surprisingly little that actually harmfully dates the film itself, and the film is, in many ways, just as exciting and fun as it was when it was first released.  Honestly, there’s the possibility that due to the lack of movies like it made today, the film actually has a larger impact and is more unique and memorable now than it was in 1985.  

And while the quality of the film has not shifted, as the time around it does, I think we’ll find that as the film gets older, more audiences will continue to discover it, forty, fifty, sixty years later and find that the movie still tugs at a nostalgic part of them and makes them feel like children again.  

The Goonies is a fun, exciting, charming story that has remained beloved so long partially due to nostalgia, but also because people genuinely love the story and characters, proving that a film is ‘timeless’, not because you can tell what decade it was made in, but because it has endured, because people still enjoy it after the culture has changed.

If you can watch The Goonies and love these characters and enjoy their adventure, it doesn’t matter that Mouth is wearing parachute pants or that some of the character cliches haven’t been used in thirty years.  In the end, a film’s quality has little to do with how easily we can tell what time the film was made in, and a lot to do with what it’s about, and how well people remember it.  If that’s the criteria, then The Goonies is pretty timeless.

The Goonies has lasted this long as an ‘80s staple, and an adventure movie classic in general because no matter if it’s 1985 or 2085, people can understand it, enjoy it, and relate to the characters and themes.  And that’s the reason it will continue to endure.  

It’s been over thirty years since those kids first trekked into the caves to save the Goondocks, and the audience for this film has done nothing but grow since then.  The characters and the heart of the film have gone unchanged since then, still entertaining and even touching audience members who remember what it was like to be a kid and want ‘their time’, and they will continue to endure for decades.

Thank you guys so much for reading!  If you have something you’d like to add or say, don’t forget that the comment box is always open!  I hope to see you all in the next article.

[terramythos]

TerraMythos 2021 Reading Challenge - Book 13 of 26

Title: The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle #2) (1972)

Author: Ursula K. Le Guin

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, Third-Person, Female Protagonist

Rating: 10/10

Date Began: 5/14/2021

Date Finished: 6/3/2021

Arha lives in an isolated community called The Place, the last bastion of worship for the ancient gods known as The Nameless Ones. She was taken from her family at a young age, and forced to abandon her true name, Tenar. Now she lives as The One Priestess, a title passed from one woman to another throughout the ages, believed to be an eternal reincarnation. Day in and day out, she performs complex rituals which have lost their meaning, and spends her free time navigating The Place’s vast underground Labyrinth. 

Everything changes for Arha when she traps a mysterious, artifact-seeking sorcerer in the maze. She’s been taught to mistrust the strange magicians of the west for her entire life. Yet she’s fascinated by this man and his kindness. Arha soon finds herself questioning her purpose in life and her isolated, lonely existence-- but escaping it is not as easy as it seems.  

Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveler may never reach the end of it. 

Content warnings and minor spoilers below the cut.

Content warnings for the book: Animal death, child abuse, slavery, and death. Torture of prisoners. Mention of genocide. Some implied mind control. 

Usually when I really like a book, I can narrow down my reasons without too much trouble. Maybe the setting was cool, or the characters fascinating, or the writing style popped. Maybe all of the above! But my affection for The Tombs of Atuan is harder to articulate. I enjoyed the book, relished it even, but I’m hard pressed to say what in particular made me love it so much. For me it was one of those books that was much greater than the sum of its parts. 

The Tombs of Atuan is a stark contrast to A Wizard of Earthsea. While the previous book detailed a world-spanning adventure, this novel takes place almost entirely in a small and isolated setting. In fact, the first half seems like it’s from another series entirely. The tone is much darker. The novel is deliberate and slow-paced, which is something I usually don’t like. But Le Guin has such a way with words and character development that I was totally enraptured. There’s a heavy focus on Arha/Tenar’s upbringing and daily life in service to The Nameless Ones. This doesn’t change until Ged enters the story and (literally) brings the outside world with him -- and some much-needed context. 

Even beyond all that, the setting feels claustrophobic. There’s the bleak rituals and sacrifices Arha/Tenar must perform. There’s her terse, strained relationships with the other residents of The Place. There’s the inherent desolation of a small hamlet in the middle of the desert. Most of all, there’s Arha/Tenar’s exploration of the subterranean Labyrinth, and the sense of dark forces lurking in its depths. It’s noteworthy that The Nameless Ones never show themselves physically, yet they feel real and foreboding in how they affect and manipulate the characters. This adds a palpable layer of anxiety to the whole novel. 

When I read I usually can’t “feel” myself in the setting, but this book was an exception. In particular, there’s a scene near the end where Ged and Arha/Tenar are lying down in a boat, staring at the stars, and speaking to each other... and I vividly felt myself there in that moment. I have to credit Le Guin’s skill as a writer for making me feel that way; something many authors across hundreds of books have rarely accomplished. 

Another big strength of this book is the character development. One of my main criticisms of A Wizard of Earthsea was the dearth of interesting female characters. Arha/Tenar is exactly what was missing from that book. As The One Priestess, she holds a place of reverence among everyone else in her life. But this leaves her isolated, lonely, and trapped. She tries throughout the novel to fulfill her role as the cold, calculating woman she’s supposed to be. She’s prone to sudden outbursts of anger or cruelty because of her upbringing (and potentially the influence of The Nameless Ones; this is kept vague). Yet her kindness peeks through as she struggles with this aspect of herself, and ultimately breaks free with Ged’s help. 

I also like that Le Guin wrote this from Arha/Tenar’s point of view. The Tombs of Atuan could easily be just another Ged adventure story; he has a clear goal that’s in line with his character in the previous book. But Arha/Tenar’s perspective feels much more intimate. We see all her personal struggles and relationships, and her inherent familiarity with the setting adds a lot of nuance we’d miss through Ged’s eyes. It’s also interesting to see Ged from another character’s perspective, especially someone prone to mistrust him. 

And Ged himself is a great character; I can see why people like him so much. In particular, I love that he’s this this important and powerful wizard, yet his defining traits in this story are his patience and gentleness (things he incidentally struggled with in A Wizard of Earthsea). Even when Arha/Tenar captures and imprisons him, he treats her with kindness and respect. And it’s not a ploy to manipulate her; it’s because he genuinely sees her potential as a person and how they can help each other. I’m just a huge sucker for that kind of thing.

Finally, there’s lots of interesting thematic stuff that I won’t explore in detail, but might be interesting to analyze on a reread. Imprisonment is a big one; Arha/Tenar literally imprisons Ged, but is likewise imprisoned in her role as The One Priestess (something Ged clearly picks up on). Consider the literal role of a labyrinth; to trap someone and bewilder them-- and how Arha/Tenar spends so much time memorizing the one in this story. The power of names continues to be relevant; the protagonist is Arha for most of the story, but she eventually rediscovers her true name Tenar and uses that instead, in parallel with her character arc (this definitely wasn’t intended to be a trans allegory, but damn if it didn’t hit that way). There’s also the symbolism inherent in the Ring of Erreth-Akbe, the artifact Ged came to find. When Arha/Tenar joins Ged’s half to the one they find in the Labyrinth... right as the two resolve to work together and escape... Le Guin, you turned the MacGuffin into a symbol of trust! I’m going to scream! 

The Tombs of Atuan just slapped, what can I say? On the surface level it’s a fantasy novel, but it often transcends the label and provides a deeply human tale. It’s a beautiful piece of writing, and I found myself reading it slowly to savor every chapter. I’m curious how the remaining four books compare. 

[taocastleprincess]

shaman king (2021) ep 1

i said i was going to type smth up last night but teaching is literally so exhausting sooo i'm here now!! i have watched the episode like a million times since Thursday LMAOOOO i think i mostly have the dialogue memorized, that's how much i've watched it. i'm just so happy though, i've been a lifelong fan of SK, i was obsessed w it in my teens (still am but i was on a DIFF LEVEL in HS), and i'm just SO HAPPY we finally got a reboot!!! Shaman King deserves a canon adaption, so glad that Takei got it :)

this post got super long rambly so my thoughts/glows/concerns are under the cut!

gonna start w the GLOWS

-- honestly, i am in LOVE w the new OST!!! i have had it on repeat since it was released in Japan!! Megumi is a godsend and i feel like both the OST and the ED kept the same vibes as the og adaption OSTs and EDs. can't really explain why that is but the melodies and the feelings you get from the new OST are very authentic to the SK-verse.

-- the animation is absolutely beautiful and i could hardly focus on anything else the first 2 times i watched it. i was really scared about how the animation was going to look bc so many weird rumors about the animation team were circulating on twitter but it is nearly perfect. they stayed true to Takei's style and the background scenery is out of this world. i also think all of the characters look brighter and more... like them? like, i love the og SK but even as a kid i felt like the animation did not really capture any of the characters (especially Yoh, Ren, and Joco) in their true essence. Like, it was just very dull and didn't accentuate any of their key features. The reboot is beautiful and I love the way certain characters' eyes are drawn. I thought that the look of Ryu's crew was a great example of the animators highlighting and emphasizing defining features of certain characters. They aren't major characters at all but we know they are important to Ryu (and his story) so their designs are given their rightful due.

-- i know that a few people didn't appreciate the beginning scene of the episode for a myriad of different reasons and i find them all totally valid and understandable, tbh. however, i think the opening scene was really great. i had a few problems w it (i do think the 'chosen one' set-up for Yoh was heavy-handed and weird bc i don't think the source material really wants us to believe that Yoh is the stereotypical 'chosen one' and i think it pushes back on that trope quite a bit but i'm open to hearing diff opinions on that) but overall, i think it gives a very cool and mysterious set-up for the anime. i don't think it does much to spoil the eventual ~Hao is Yoh's twin!!~ reveal because, to me, personally, it wasn't that big of a reveal/plot twist. what i WILL say is that the opening scene was very diluted in comparison to the manga vers and that was a bit disappointing but i think they might revisit the scene/make it more dramatic later on in the series when there is more context around the events of that night so that may just be a little tease, you know?

-- this should not be shocking to read from an account that is named 'taocastleprincess' but... AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH THE ENDING SCENE WITH REN AND BASON WAS SOOOOO PERFECT AND I DIDN'T EXPECT IT!!!! ON MY FIRST WATCH I RAN IT BACK LIKE 300x!!!! THEY BOTH LOOK AMAZINGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

moving on from glows and to CONCERNS, i spy a lot of possible issues w pacing, character development, and authenticity. the series is currently only slated for 52 episodes, a whole 12-eps shorter than the OG adaptation, and the entirety of the series is supposedly being adapted so... 52 eps for 300 chapters? to me, that seems extremely rushed even with best-case scenarios. i have read opposing views on twitter, people think that 52 eps is just enough if they cut 'filler' and 'stick to the most important arcs.' i don't think i can agree with any part of that argument. i really think that it's a REACH to say that Shaman King has filler chapters or filler arcs. there is a purpose for each and every chapter/arc in the series. plot development, character development, foreshadowing, etc. those all hold distinct and important purposes and the love, thought, and time put into the SK manga is exactly why people love it. 'filler' does not have a true narrative purpose, it only serves to lengthen the story, so to say that there are scenes/chapters/arcs that can be glossed or skipped over you would have to make the argument that they have no narrative purpose or bearing on the story. i personally think it would be extremely difficult (near impossible) to make that argument for anything within the og 300chap work but, again, i'm open to seeing if anyone can change my mind.

the first episode of SK flew through and glossed over a lot of important scenes for character study/development. by the end of the first episode, you don't really understand or relate to Morty as one might have done after the first episode of ogSK. and although Yoh is supposed to remain mysterious/confusing/weird for the first couple of chapters/eps, at the end of ep1 there is no GRAND interest that has been developed about him. The first episode operated at a breakneck speed and to its detriment. the characters so far are extremely flat regarding everything beyond character design. the viewer is hardly invested in the partnership between Yoh and Amidamaru because there is (little to) no build-up of their partnership and both of their characters are... not real to us yet. even the scenes regarding Amidamaru's past and his friendship with Mosuke doesn't affect or interest the viewer at all because it is referenced, addressed, problematized, solved, and wrapped up all within 3.5 mins.... huh?

what REALLY destroys me, though, is that the anime seems to be foreshadowing that Manta's character will be playing a backseat role.... the first couple of adventures are from Manta's perspective. he asks the questions that we have, situates us in this very weird world and helps to world-build without it being obvious or heavyhanded, and we start to understand the nuances of his character. none of that was present in 2021 ep1. it kinda felt like Manta was a plot device instead of a character. granted, like i said, none of the characters feel real yet but Manta getting this sort of treatment so early on is dismaying. i really do feel like Manta and Yoh's (developing) friendship and trust in each other is the heart of the first quarter of the series (and is continuously referenced and exalted throughout). rushing through (or, really, just straight up cutting out) the first couple of subplots/mini-adventures that they have together feel really weird and detrimental to the overall tone and purpose of the series. those early adventures cement so much and really lay the groundwork for the rest of the story. it's disappointing that they didn't get their due.

this isn't a very organized review/breakdown, i'm just typing as i think, but to sum up what i am REALLY worried about is this: if the series continues at this extremely crazy pace, i'm a bit worried that the characters will never feel fully developed. not only that, but SK has a lot of heart-wrenching scenes and also a lot of scenes that are beautifully filled with hope and care. i just don't see how those scenes are gonna hit quite as hard or even as they SHOULD if the pace doesn't slow down and let us really sit with these characters and their feelings and motivations.

i mean, i know that this is only the 1st episode of a 52ep series but a lot of things don't look too promising... anyway, these are my initial thoughts/concerns/feelings. i'm way too busy to actually sit down and plan out all of my millions of thoughts but hopefully this was good enough!

[adultswim2021]

The Brak Show #1: “Leave It To Brak” (AKA “Mr. Bawk Ba Gawk”) December 21, 2000 - 5:15AM | S01E01 regular series version aired October 7, 2001 @ 11:00PM

I’m trying to break the habit of assuming only my friends are reading my various blogs, but I failed in one fundamental way: I didn’t really describe the premise of Sealab 2021, like, at all. Despite digging into it’s roots somewhat by watching it’s various pilots, I failed to include even a paragraph with the basic premise of the show. I’ll try not to make the same mistake with Brak. Instead I'll make a DIFFERENT mistake by writing way too long of a blog entry.

On December 21, 2000, after Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, then titled “Leave It To Brak” debuted. Who the fuck is Brak? Brak began life as a villain on the 1960s iteration of Space Ghost, a fairly garden-variety Saturday morning action kid’s show. He appeared in, I wanna say, a very small handful of episodes. I’ve seen the whole series, and I don’t think he was like, a regular or anything. Without looking it up I'll say he was on it twice. In the show he was a space pirate and had whiskers. He has a very memorable design. I’ve never been sure if we’re actually looking at Brak’s face or if he’s wearing a helmet. His fangs imply that we’re looking at his actual face (or at least his actual jaw), but that little curtain thing that hangs down from his, uh, ears? Is that a naturally occurring part of his head? It suggests that his wardrobe is actually his body, and vice-versa. He just looks absurd, making him perfect fodder for an absurdist revision.

Brak as we know him today was first used (barring some kind of Cartoon Network commercial that I’m unaware of) in Space Ghost Coast to Coast, appearing with Sisto. Sisto is his twin brother who appeared in the 60s show. Why Brak was targeted for comedic revision and not Sisto eludes me. I’m guessing “HI MY NAME IS BRAK” just sounds funnier than “HI MY NAME IS SISTO”. Anyway, in the first Coast to Coast episode they are voiced by C. Martin Croker (RIP) doing a Beavis and Butt-head parody. Eventually Andy Merrill took over the role, basically turning Brak into a, uh, childish adult. Okay, he’s basically doing a retarded guy voice. Sorry, but it’s time to grow up.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast debuted in 1994 and remained a cult hit on the network until it was moved to Adult Swim and eventually canceled in 2004. The concept of Space Ghost Coast to Coast was Space Ghost, a super hero from the 60s, now hosts a modern 90s late night talk show, interviewing live-action celebrities on a monitor that hangs over the set. Random obscure Space Ghost villains would show up with skewed personalities from their original 60s counterpart. Brak was easily the runaway star of the touted rogues gallery. He would come in and cheerfully sing a song about beans or something else equally wacky. He rarely had a definable role on the show, he was just a figure that was around and would wander into the set.

A second 90s Space Ghost spin-off was commissioned called Cartoon Planet. This was an actual kiddy show that aired during the day as opposed to Space Ghost Coast to Coast which was kid-friendly but meant for adults. This time Space Ghost, Zorak (Space Ghost’s bandleader on Coast to Coast), and Brak would host an hour of classic cartoons, with little absurd skits between segments set in a studio SORTA like the Space Ghost Coast to Coast set but different. LOTS of Brak’s fandom is based on these skits, which were a little more silly and lighthearted than the material on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. The skits were popular enough that they repackaged them into their own half-hour show, sans classic cartoons. This was an early point of confusion for me. Beloved Brak songs turned out to be from Cartoon Planet and NOT Space Ghost Coast to Coast, so I'd tune into Space Ghost wondering if they cut out all the Brak segments or what?

Cartoon Planet would answer viewer letters (conceivably real ones; they DID include various ways to contact “Ghost Planet” at the end of both Space Ghost Coast to Coast and, I’m guessing, Cartoon Planet, which I never did see in it’s original form). They actually answered the reason for Brak’s lack of intelligence (brain-damage caused by Space Ghost, using an actual clip from the 60s show). I bring this up not out of genuine concern for continuity or canon; these aren’t huge concerns for the writers of these shows. The real reason Brak is dumb is because Andy Merrill thought the voice was funny, probably. I bring it up because generally the premise of Space Ghost in the 90s is that even though he IS a super hero with super hero abilities, he’s also an actor who makes cartoons about being a super hero. So, it can be concluded Brak’s brain damage is from a stunt gone wrong and not carried over from the fiction of the show.

The premise of Space Ghost Coast to Coast is that Space Ghost has captured evil villains Zorak and Moltar and is forcing them to work on the show. But they also freely reference their personal lives outside of the show, breaking character. They are actors who are sticking to a premise only when it’s convenient. Yes, it’s fun for the kids to pretend that Space Ghost has enslaved his enemies to work on his talk show, but the reality is that when the camera turns off they all go home to their apartments or wives or whatever. This concept feeds directly into The Brak Show: we aren’t watching Brak’s real home life; Brak, cartoon character and actor, is playing himself in a sitcom. His mom isn’t his real mom. His Dad isn’t his real dad. Zorak isn’t his real best-friend. They are all actors. This isn’t played up in any significant way on the show itself except for a few moments and certain episodes, but THAT IS WHAT’S HAPPENING and you wouldn’t really understand that just by watching this episode and nothing else. You would have to have been paying attention all this time to Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Cartoon Planet, and also, yes, Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak.

Okay, Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak isn't REALLY required viewing for this series. But guess what? I watched it for the first time ever in preparation for this and now we all have to deal with Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak. Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak (sorry I keep repeating the full title which is Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak) was a two-episode special presentation that aired on Cartoon Network while Space Ghost was on hiatus and before The Brak Show's stealth premiere. It (Brak Presents The Brak Show Starring Brak, that is) was a Sonny and Cher style variety show, featuring Brak and Zorak on stage together performing songs, intentionally corny sketches, and a LITTLE BIT, but NOT A LOT of backstage drama; which could be argued to have been part of the show itself. Variety shows doing sketches fictionalizing the backstage antics of the production is nothing new. There are also live-action integrated celebrities, and the show comes to a screeching halt whenever they show up. Maybe their performances are hampered by having to perform on a green screen, but these segments come off lame and pandering. Space Ghost Coast to Coast would make it's name featuring washed-up, kitschy, or counter-culture celebrities. Here we are treated to Monica, Freddie Prinze Jr. (whose segment in particular really drives me up a wall), some wrestler guy, and a lady who's name I don't remember. Okay, I admit I fast forwarded through the second of the two episodes a LOT. Sitting through one episode in real time was just too much to bear.

Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak is written off by a lot of Brak fans as a substandard product, and they're not wrong. I myself never sought out the whole special until I started writing this blog. But there's one thing I'll give it, the visuals (minus the live-action celebrity parts) are actually pretty fun. There's a lot of weird character designs, and the same playful use of stock footage and kinetic editing from Cartoon Planet carries over into this. Skipping past the celebrity guests and watching the special on mute would be the preferred viewing method here. Honestly, I've never been that charmed by Brak's songs. I never cared much for Cartoon Planet.

Brak Presents the Brak Show Staring Brak eventually became The Brak Show, but with one more step: a scrapped audio-only pilot. This pilot appears as an audio commentary track on The Brak Show Volume 1 DVD set. I discovered it by accident. In preparation for this blog I popped the DVD in, saw there was commentary for Mr. Bawk Ba Gawk, and pressed play. Instead of Andy Merrill and Pete Smith dryly talking about their creative process, I was treated to what would have been the audio for a Brak Show pilot (there are stage directions being read in lieu of visuals), roughly the length of an 11 minute episode. This version plays up the backstage antics of Brak's variety show much more, kinda like Larry Sanders meets Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak. Returning from the show is Brak and Zorak, along with Allen Wrench, a talking Allen wrench that appeared in Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak. On Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak, Allen had a crazy high-pitched voice. In this audio pilot he sounds closer to Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Also present in the audio pilot is Thundercleese, who curiously sounds like the regular series version of Thundercleese. In “Leave it to Brak”, Thundercleese sounds slightly different. Maybe they went back and rerecorded Thundercleese for the DVD?

That FINALY brings us to the actual episode. “Leave it to Brak” was the first episode of “The Brak Show” proper to air (though if I remember correctly from what was reported way back when, they wanted to call the actual show “Leave It To Brak” but couldn't for legal reasons). It feels more like a first episode than Goldfish does, which was the first episode I saw when Adult Swim officially began in 2001. “Leave it to Brak” introduces each character with fake studio audience applause. They even introduce Sisto, who simply walks in front of the camera, farts, and is not seen again. The premise of the show is this: Brak stars in a family sitcom. His mom belongs to the same species as Brak, but his dad is a tiny human voiced by George Lowe doing a Ricky Ricardo voice. According to this episode; Brak is roughly high-school aged, but it's all a pretense to get this cast of weirdos together under one roof. Again, Brak is a cartoon character playing himself here, so we're not meant to actually think these are his real parents; Brak is not half-human, necessarily. It's all just for the sake of this dumb show.

The plot of the episode is this: Zorak, Brak's best friend and worst influence, convinces Brak to help him kidnap the mascot of their rival high school, a chicken named Mr. Bawk Ba Gawk. Having done this, Brak grapples with the morality of his actions, tries to deceive his parents by dressing the chicken up like a little man, is caught, and is taught a lesson. There's a comedic final scene that reverses the lesson Brak supposedly learned, and then it ends. Somewhere in there we are introduced to Brak's giant robot neighbor who blows up Zorak for ripping up his lawn.

The Brak Show was possibly the most anticipated show when Adult Swim was announced. We all quietly ignored how much Brak Presents The Brak Show Starring Brak sucked; mostly because this was touted to be a show for adults. Afterall, Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak's biggest shortcoming was the fact that it was the first Brak-centric product to pander directly to children. Brak was always seen as a uniquely weird creation that just so happened to appeal to kids, kinda like Pee Wee Herman or Joe Camel. Also the idea of parodying the sitcom genre seemed novel, despite the fact that it wasn't really a new idea. Now it just comes off like a shallow observation: boy, old sitcoms sure were corny, right?

I don't know exactly how to pinpoint what was so disappointing about this show. I can see there was a genuine effort to make it funny. Dad was a decently funny character. They weren't just trying to mock sitcoms, they were trying to build a genuinely strange world that resembled our own. Brak lived in the suburbs but there were aliens and robots everywhere. Sci-fi situations casually reared their ugly heads into the lives of these characters. I mean, look at the plot description of Brak stealing a high school mascot; it's an ACTUAL SITCOM PLOT. There's no real subversion to it other than the fact that Brak and Zorak from Space Ghost Coast to Coast are doing it. This could have been decent as a one-off special like Tim & Eric's Bag Boy staring Steve Brule. But they made more.

Oh wait, I figured out why The Brak Show sorta sucked. It's the fact that the show was a musical. Fuck, I hated that so much that I blocked it out of my head until this moment. Every episode had musical numbers in it sung by Brak and the family. Ugh. They were supposed to be funny nonsense but I never liked it. In fact if there were ever an edit of the show without the songs I would probably remember it much more fondly.

This version of the pilot had very simplistically drawn backgrounds. When the show went to series they redid the backgrounds with photo-realistic settings and props. It's a much more appealing look. This version of the pilot was briefly featured in an episode of Sealab, where Murphy was flipping through the channels on his monitor. He flips past this and Aqua Teen Hunger Force and maybe Space Ghost? This was back in the early days when every show seemed like it was connected to each other. I miss that. The “regular series” of The Brak Show used to give the show a different parodic on-screen title; “Mr. Bawk Ba Gawk”, which aired fifth on Adult Swim, had the opening title “B.J. And the Brak”. “Goldfish” used “Leave It To Brak”, which causes some episode guides to get confused over which episode is which. In fact, Adult Swim's website features the pilot version of this show and incorrectly uses the plot summary for “Goldfish”. I'm not linking to it because the listing says it expires today. But go look for it if you want.

The other big difference between this version and the “regular series” version is there are a few missing bits here and there. For example, the pilot version starts with Dad asking Mom for another biscuit. She sighs and says “maybe later”, to which dad just shrugs off. There's also a cut song I call “Kiss you hot” that dad sings to mom. There's probably other differences here and there. Oh, Brak's clock is the beeflog illustration from Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak. Isn't my life fuller for being able to make that connection? God, I'm so glad I watched Brak Presents the Brak Show Staring Brak last night instead of getting an extra hour of sleep.

So what's good in this? I REALLY like the scene where Bawk Ba Gawk is at the dinner table and everyone keeps stealing his little hat to wear. Mom scolds Dad for wearing the hat, to which he mutters “I'll do what I damn well please”. Mom then plucks the hat from his head. When we cut to the wide shot, she's wearing it. Funny! SOLIDLY VERY FUNNY. But the series generally suffers from them trying to cram in weird pointless bits of absurd comedy. Only sometimes does it work. Not sure why. But that's how it goes, I guess.