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#music marketing 101
depressedraisin · 3 months
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do any of you also think that this peak late 2010s-2020s culture of packaging EVERYTHING into neat little easily consumable boxes of microaesthetics is also seeping into the music industry or am i just thinking too much
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sparkles-oflight · 6 months
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Hi musicians
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anahmae · 9 months
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How To Determine Your Music Marketing Budget
“Unlocking the Power of Artistic Marketing: A Guide for Artists to Monetize Their Talents”   As an artist, the opportunities for making money through marketing are endless. You have a unique talent and skill set that can be shared with the world, and it’s time to start thinking about ways to monetize it. The most important factor in creating revenue streams is identifying your target audience –…
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thisischicagomusic · 9 months
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How To Determine Your Music Marketing Budget
“Unlocking the Power of Artistic Marketing: A Guide for Artists to Monetize Their Talents”   As an artist, the opportunities for making money through marketing are endless. You have a unique talent and skill set that can be shared with the world, and it’s time to start thinking about ways to monetize it. The most important factor in creating revenue streams is identifying your target audience –…
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platinumhiphop · 9 months
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How To Determine Your Music Marketing Budget
“Unlocking the Power of Artistic Marketing: A Guide for Artists to Monetize Their Talents”   As an artist, the opportunities for making money through marketing are endless. You have a unique talent and skill set that can be shared with the world, and it’s time to start thinking about ways to monetize it. The most important factor in creating revenue streams is identifying your target audience –…
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ebonylatashasworld · 9 months
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How To Determine Your Music Marketing Budget
“Unlocking the Power of Artistic Marketing: A Guide for Artists to Monetize Their Talents”   As an artist, the opportunities for making money through marketing are endless. You have a unique talent and skill set that can be shared with the world, and it’s time to start thinking about ways to monetize it. The most important factor in creating revenue streams is identifying your target audience –…
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platinumhiphopworld · 9 months
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How To Determine Your Music Marketing Budget
“Unlocking the Power of Artistic Marketing: A Guide for Artists to Monetize Their Talents”   As an artist, the opportunities for making money through marketing are endless. You have a unique talent and skill set that can be shared with the world, and it’s time to start thinking about ways to monetize it. The most important factor in creating revenue streams is identifying your target audience –…
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thisisplatinumhiphop · 9 months
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How To Determine Your Music Marketing Budget
“Unlocking the Power of Artistic Marketing: A Guide for Artists to Monetize Their Talents”   As an artist, the opportunities for making money through marketing are endless. You have a unique talent and skill set that can be shared with the world, and it’s time to start thinking about ways to monetize it. The most important factor in creating revenue streams is identifying your target audience –…
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platinumvoicepr · 9 months
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How To Determine Your Music Marketing Budget
“Unlocking the Power of Artistic Marketing: A Guide for Artists to Monetize Their Talents”   As an artist, the opportunities for making money through marketing are endless. You have a unique talent and skill set that can be shared with the world, and it’s time to start thinking about ways to monetize it. The most important factor in creating revenue streams is identifying your target audience –…
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slexenskee · 1 month
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Only Shooting Stars (Break The Mold)
The AU where Gojo is actually All Might's California kid that literally no one asked for, including me 🤦‍♀️
Satoru’s best friend just told him she hates him. Actually, she told him she wanted to go hiking, which is basically the same thing. 
There is emphatically nothing he’d like less than being dragged through the parched, dry hills around the Dish on an otherwise perfectly normal Saturday morning free of classes, but Makoto is only in town for two days and he promised her he’d do whatever she liked barring arson and/or more tequila shots. 
“Can’t you just get Captain Underpants to go with you?” He throws out as a token protest, staggering into her rental jeep with the darkest shades he owns tossed over his eyes in a desperate attempt to keep his hangover at bay.
He squints at her as she settles in the driver’s seat of her rented death contraption. And why isn’t she hungover, anyway? She had even more to drink than him last night. 
“You know his hero name is Captain Celebrity, and please don’t say that where anyone can hear you.” She rolls her eyes as she starts the car. “Until I get a more famous client he’s still my cash cow, and I’d really rather not get fired right now.”
“You couldn’t have picked a worse one.” Satoru snorts, flopping into the passenger seat. “Isn’t he still cheating on the daughter with the stepmom or something?”
“Alleged,” Makoto hisses. “Allegedly cheating. And no, obviously. I wouldn’t still be his publicist if he was that much of an idiot.”
She tries to back out of her spot and almost immediately slides several inches down the heart-palpitation-inducing San Francisco incline he’d parked her on last night. She gives him a look of pure, sheer terror over her steering wheel. 
Satoru quickly undoes his seatbelt. “Yeah, okay. Put the parking brake on and switch with me— I’ll drive.” 
He has them up and off the worst of Hyde St.’s incline with the undisturbed impassivity of a kid who’s spent his entire driving career wedging himself into tenuous and visibly improbable parking spots all across the bay area. Makoto gives a sigh of relief once they clear the worst of the soaring hills, and actually doesn’t bring up the topic he knows she’s itching to broach until he’s pulling onto the 101. 
“You know, I wouldn’t have to bother with Captain Celebrity if someone would just finally agree to be a hero.” Makoto needles him, for the umpteenth time. 
He rolls his eyes behind his glasses. “Not happening.” He shoots her down flat. 
“You can’t stay in college forever!” She protests.
“What do you mean, forever?” He protests back, offended. “I’m not even twenty-two yet!” 
And she makes it sound like he’s wasting his life away going to college or something! As if getting into Stanford isn’t the most snobbish badge of supremacy you can wave around in this damn state! 
This is what he gets for saving her all those years ago, he laments. A best friend who nags him over all his life choices. He should have let her just fall from that damned New York skyscraper. Or more realistically, just waited it out and let an actual hero swoop in and save her. It’s not as if there hadn’t been plenty around at the time. 
She’d been a twenty-one year-old intern at a prestigious marketing agency caught at the wrong end of a villain takeover, and as far as his mother was concerned he’d been a seventeen year-old ostensibly touring the city for colleges, but in reality had been touring music dive bars more than campuses. They’d immediately bonded over the fact he’d saved her life, but also the indie band shirt he’d been wearing as he’d done it. 
Growing up in LA, his only two real options were surfing or surf rock, and he’d chosen to spend more time on the route that wouldn’t lead him to immediate skin cancer. His mom had eventually moved them to San Francisco, but he’d never quite grown out of his SoCal roots. He’d loved music in his last life, and in this life, he’d decided to chill the fuck out and ignore society and all it’s problems, and music seemed as good a way as any to do it. And he was pretty damn good at it, if he did say so himself. His expansive catalog of songs from his last life and eidetic memory made most people call him a genius, even if he rejected the label. So he was a passable— if not prodigal— guitarist, and Makoto had just learned to play the bass herself, so it was really no surprise they’d not only immediately bonded, but immediately decided to make a band together. 
Makoto jumping ship and splitting her time between the US and Japan had thrown a bit of a wrench in their rockstar dreams, but they were making it work somehow. And considering he can teleport around the world at will, it’s really not that much of a hindrance. 
That does beg the question though, of why Makoto would rather him be a hero than a musician. But he imagines he actually already knows the answer to that. 
“How about you stop cleaning up after stupid celebrities, and become a celebrity yourself.” He argues, with a raised brow. 
Makoto scoffs. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to break into the music industry?” 
With the confidence of several dozen platinum hits spanning several dozen genres sitting pretty in his head, Satoru retorts; “I don’t think that will be a problem for us.” 
She laughs him off at first, but then seems to give it genuine thought. “I guess you are pretty enough to have lead singer appeal,” she concedes, uncharitably. “But we haven’t even released an album yet; you have no idea how well it will be received on the charts. Playing little dive bar shows isn’t going to get us anywhere.” 
Satoru just shrugs. “Then what’s stopping us? Let’s record an album.”
Makoto just rolls her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Come pop by Japan next weekend, and let’s do it.”
“Sure.” He agrees immediately, making her do a double take. He grins winsomely at her. “What? I’m free next weekend. Why not?” 
She just shakes her head in wonder. “Even seeing it multiple times, sometimes I really do still forget you can just… teleport across the world. And stop bullets with your eyeballs.”
“It’s telekinesis,” he corrects, but at this point it’s just rote. 
“No, I specifically remember you trying to explain it had something to do with your eyeballs, don’t try to change it up now.” Makoto pokes him in the shoulder— or tries to, but is stopped with his barrier. “And how the hell that’s supposed to even make sense, I have no idea. But you definitely said it.” 
Yeah, he probably deserves that for trying to explain his cursed techniques while he’d been several mystery drinks deep at a college frat party. Makoto probably still hasn't forgiven him for dragging her to that madhouse, but in his defense, she’d all but begged him to take her to an American college party in the first place.
“It’s… complicated.” He hedges off. “My eyes just help me understand how to use my powers; they’re not actually what creates my barrier.” 
Makoto squints at him suspiciously. “... What’s your mom’s quirk again?”
He chuckles awkwardly. “Oh, she can convert energy from the sun. Mine’s a mutation, obviously.”
“Could just be a strange combination.” Makoto muses. “What did you say your dad’s quirk was?”
“I, uh, have no idea.” Satoru coughs, keeping his eyes on the road in a vaguely panicked manner. 
“Shit, that’s right, I’m sorry.” Makoto jolts in her seat, apologetic. “You still haven’t heard anything? I thought your mom said… I mean, they’re not on bad terms, right?”
Frankly, Satoru almost wishes she would continue pestering him about becoming a hero over this particular topic. 
“They’re not on bad terms, no.” He hedges off, shifting in his seat. Why couldn’t his best friend have a normal quirk, like fire breathing or water bending? Or anything besides being a human lie detector when he has so much he needs to lie about? “But they don’t talk much. I’m not sure she even knows what his quirk is herself.”
“Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter anyway, your quirk is what it is.” Mercifully, Makoto lets the subject drop. “Even if it makes no damn sense.”
Satoru laughs that off. “Does any quirk ever really make sense, though?” 
Makoto just clicks her tongue, then launches into a spirited rant on the laws of quirk science. Satoru breathes a quiet sigh of relief as the conversation devolves into a nonsensical argument on what would be the most useless quirk in history. 
One of these days he’s going to have to cave and tell Makoto the truth, but he’d really rather not do it when he’s hungover and facing the prospect of a miserable hike for the next few hours. 
//
And to be fair, nothing he said to Makoto was a lie. 
His parents aren’t on bad terms. Or rather, they’re not on any terms at all, as he doesn’t think they’ve even spoken once in the twenty-two years he’s been alive in this world. But according to his mom, they hadn’t parted on bad terms. They’d been college sweethearts, and his father had always been honest about his intentions to return to Japan. His mother had been adamant about staying in America and pursuing her own career. They’d split up for practicalities sake, unaware he was already on the way, and his mom looks back on that time of her life fondly. 
His mom would go on to have him several months after his father had left the country, and raise him as a single-mother as she built a life for them. His father would go on to be the world’s strongest hero. 
His mother had only ever known Yagi Toshinori as All Might, unbeatable and unbreakable, with a quirk so strong it would have him going down in history as one of the strongest heroes of all time. As far as she— and the rest of the world knew— he had some kind of strengthening quirk. 
But Satoru had seen him before, on one of his trips back to Japan. It had been from a distance, as he’d taken down a villain to the delight of the cheering crowds around him, but it had been enough for Satoru’s Six Eyes to see his quirk wasn’t quite as straightforward as the strengthening ability listed on his hero profile. All Might’s core— where most humans had a swirling mass of plus alpha energy— was as empty as Satoru’s. Satoru was quirkless because his father, All Might, had been born quirkless. The quirk All Might had now must have been  given to him when he was older, growing around that empty space and spreading through his body almost like a parasite. Or a curse. Satoru honestly couldn’t tell.
Satoru honestly didn’t care. 
He has no opinion on All Might, or what choices he may or may not have made to wield the power he has. 
When he was much younger, and saw how much his mother struggled to raise him on her own without help, he would resent him a bit for leaving her on her own like this. But his adult mind could understand the logic in both his parents’ motivations. They both made their own choices, and did what they thought was right with only care and consideration for each other. 
And it’s not as if Satoru’s childhood was lacking in any capacity.  
Actually, his childhood was awesome. 
To be entirely honest, he doubts he would have wanted All Might around even if that was possible. He can’t imagine a better way to grow up than the way he did, rocking out in the garage with his mom on the weekends, surfing in the mornings (with adequate sunscreen), skating from school to the skatepark in the afternoons, and having the complete and utter autonomy only a latchkey kid could have. His mom did what she could to make sure he grew up comfortably and well-cared for, and that included putting in long hours at work that had him on his own for most of the week. It was the best. There were no rules against using quirks in America— someone finally got their act together on personal bodily autonomy and all that— so he’d use his ‘quirk’ to teleport himself all across the world in his spare time. As long as he was back by dinner time, his mom didn’t need to know if he decided to spend the afternoon wandering the streets of Seoul in search of the best hotteok. 
He tried to keep his excursions on the down low, and keep his grades up and his nose out of trouble. While he adored his freedom, he never wanted to worry his mom. She was honestly too good for this world— and for him too, if he was being honest. The least he could do is be as good of a son as possible.
Well, he can try to be as good of a son as possible. As it stands, the majority of his chaotic existence usually gets in the way of that. 
“Oh, Sacchan, you’re home already?” His mother peers out of her office, thick, horn-rimmed glasses making her purple eyes look comically large on her face as she pokes her head over the wall. “Where’s Makoto-chan?”
“Probably on the plane already, unless it got delayed.” He tosses his keys into the basket by the front door, toeing off his shoes. 
She frowns at him. “You drove her to SFO, right? Don’t tell me you let her go by herself!”
He rolls his eyes. “She had a rental car to drop off, ya know. But yeah, I drove her from the rental place to her terminal.” 
Not that she deserved the consideration, after dragging him on a hike of all damn things yesterday. They’d just stayed out the whole night drinking beforehand, what madwoman does that? 
She gets up out of her chair, stretching her arms over her head as her hapless bun spills silver-white hair over her shoulders. “She’s such a nice girl,” his mother enthuses, as she cracks her neck. “I wish you’d bring more of your friends around, Sacchan. Your poor mother worries.”
“I’m in college now, mom.” He rolls his eyes. “We don’t really bring our friends around to meet our parents.”
More to the point, he wouldn’t want to anyway. College boys are emphatically the worst, and his mom is a very pretty woman. That’s just asking for trouble. And beyond that, he doesn’t have anyone at school he’d feel close enough to introduce her to anyway. He has plenty of people in his orbit to pair up with in labs, hang around the quad with while he’s killing time between classes, or drag to various house parties, but those are superficial bonds at best. 
He’s a young, handsome boy who surfs and skateboards and is good at all sports and plays rock music and still ranks at the top of his class; suffice it to say, he’s never wanted for friends or popularity. But he’s also a full grown man living through a second life; he has very little in common with the people in his age group. It’s gotten better now that he’s a full-fledged adult again, but he still tends to find the petty struggles of his fellow undergrads to be a bit pedantic. 
“You never brought any around in highschool either.” His mother laments. “Sacchan, you’re not embarrassed over your mother, are you?”
“Not at all.” He protests, then adds, because he doesn’t want to worry her, “I just don’t want people knowing exactly where I live. They seem nice enough, but you never really know with people these days.”
He says it to assure her that he’s a perfectly well-adjusted and well-liked kid who has plenty of deep and genuine friendships (entirely untrue) but only serves to worry her even more. 
She frowns at him, eyes downcast. “Oh, Satoru,” she says, in a sad tone that automatically has him lurching forward to comfort her. “I know things with your father are… complicated, but I never wanted to make you feel like you had to hide yourself from the world. I want to keep you safe, but I want you to have fun too, you know?” 
“Yes, I know.” He rushes to reassure her. “And I do have fun— you know I do! You came to my show just last week!”
His mother gives him a watery smile. “Yes, and your bandmate Kenji nearly started a bar fight, and the crowds got so unruly that the fire department got called in.” 
“That guy deserved to be slapped around a bit.” He returns, unapologetic. “And the fire department was just there to make sure we stayed under capacity— we weren’t causing any trouble!”
“No trouble, he says, when the cops were still called by the end of the night.” She teases him. 
He rolls his eyes. He can’t control whether or not two drunks decide to get in a brawl over baby mama drama outside the venue, that was totally not his fault. And also probably not the best show to take his mom to, but it was one of the few local performances they’ve ever done, and she was always making noises about finally seeing his band play in person. Unsurprisingly having two bandmates that live across the ocean and one that hops between two countries means they rarely play shows on this side of the Pacific, and he still hasn’t found a way to admit to her that his teleportation radius is a lot larger than he’d originally told her as a five year-old manifesting his ‘quirk’. 
“Cops or not, it was still a good time.” He grins, adamantly. 
“It was indeed a good time.” She nods, grinning back. She leans up to pat his cheek. “You looked like you were really enjoying yourself up there, Satoru. I always knew you’d be a star.” 
“It was a weekday performance at a local bar, I would hardly call myself a star.” He protests, helplessly. 
Her eyes twinkle behind her glasses. “Maybe not yet.”
--
Yes the title is from All Star by Smashmouth 😂 this fic has the most millennial playlist I've ever made
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violettduchess · 1 month
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A/N: This is my gift for the wonderful @claviscollections as part of the @flash-exchange💜
Clavis x Reader, my prompt was "Affection 101". Here are eight little ways I think Clavis would show his dearest one affection.
WC: exactly 700
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You’re standing in front of the floor-length mirror, taking a moment to admire the amethyst necklace Clavis gave you for your first anniversary. It’s breathtaking. It’s delicate. It’s….a pain in the arse to get on. You fumble, brows knitting with ever-growing annoyance as you try to close the clasp at your neck. And then he’s there, gently admonishing you, dear one, for not calling him to help you with such a tricky task. His gaze holds yours in the mirror as he effortlessly closes it, his fingers trailing away from the thin chain to rest on your shoulders. A soft kiss at the base of your neck is his final touch before stepping away.
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Yves has really outdone himself. The table is set with so many delicious confections, you hardly know where to look. Clavis is engaged in telling a story, entertaining the others, his words winding through the air like music notes. You carefully select a golden puff pastry filled with rich pink cream and……ahhh you sigh with pure delight as the taste of sweet strawberries hits your tongue. You’re contemplating taking another when Clavis, without missing a beat, reaches for one of the delightful cream puffs and places it on your plate.
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You leave your meeting with the king, heading to your office while perusing the long list of books he has asked you to procure for the royal library. When you get to your desk, you stop. Waiting for you is a warm cup of rose tea and a decorative sprig of lavender. Setting down your notebook, you pick up the note that lays beside the tea cup, written in the loopy handwriting you’ve become fluent in: After a meeting with him, my dear wife deserves a treat from her devoted husband.
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You’re heading down the staircase, pulling your cloak around your shoulders as you silently review your market shopping list. Clavis turns the corner, in conversation with Cyran. When your eyes meet, he breaks into a sunny smile, his eyes practically glowing at the unexpected encounter. “Just a moment, Cyran, I must greet my wife in the manner she deserves.” And instantly you’re in his arms and he’s kissing you in a way that leaves you utterly breathless. “And as this is also goodbye…” Another kiss as his arm supports your back, his hand tenderly cradles the back of your head. You’re released with a glowing smile before he continues up the stairs, motioning for a beleaguered Cyran to hurry up and follow him. 
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The meeting is running oh so long as the visiting nobles make sure to use their audience with the king to the fullest. Your hand aches from writing, trying to capture all the essentials of what is said. When it’s finally over, Clavis instantly reaches for you, taking your hand in his and gently but firmly begins massaging your palm, the sore spaces between your fingers, his expert touch trailing down to your wrist. The pain ebbs away under his care and he smiles at your sigh of relief. 
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You step out of the steaming rose-scented bath and into the oversized, fluffy towel Clavis is holding for you. He wraps it lovingly around your body and pulls you close, kissing the tip of your nose. “Mine,” he murmurs with a grin. “All mine.”
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You stare down at the plate of food provided by your hosts. It’s fish. The kind you really, really can’t stomach eating. Politeness has you taking a small bite, forcing it down. A shudder rolls through you from your protesting stomach. And then in one fluid movement, your plate is now in front of Clavis and his plate, minus the fish but with all the salad, is now yours. 
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The sun takes a bow, leaving the stage to evening. A long day has your head falling into your soft pillow, heavy with exhaustion. A moment later, you’re being pulled back against Clavis as he curls himself around you. His arm protectively encircles you, his lips press a kiss to the back of your neck. “Good night, beautiful wife of mine. May you sleep well and dream of me.” You smile softly because you always do.
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Tagging: @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @aria-chikage @redheadkittys @tele86 @dear-mrs-otome @olivermorningstar @writingwhimsey @mxrmaid-poet @silver-dahlia @wendolrea @nightfoxqueen @myonlyjknight @ikesimpleton @namine-somebodies-nobody @greatstarlightstarfish @cellophanediamond @whatever-fanfics @justpeachyteastea @chirp-a-chirp @got7igot7family @kookie-my-little-sunshine @mastering-procrastinating @portrait-ninja @queen-dahlia @themysticalbeing @nightghoul381 @whitelittlebunny @chi-the-idiot @bubblexly
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i-cant-sing · 6 months
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President Overhau talking to the belly about taxes was actually so relatable 😭
I’ve been talking to my pillows about the housing market lately
He is like crazy on a normal day, but when you became pregnant, he became even more ridiculous 💀
Like Kai is also having mood swings when you're having mood swings, except his are because you don't sit still and let him bond with the triplets in your belly. Like how dare you try to blast music over his lecture to "Taxes and How the Government can scam you 101"??? How else will his kids learn????
What do you mean you're bored when he's quoting word for word the ammendments? No, take a nap if you need to, but he's not done teaching his babies the super secret nuke codes😤
And when the babies are born, it's actually Dabi(much to everyone's surprise) who can somehow remembers most of the lectures Kai gave him. Himiko only developed her obsession for sharks (because u watched baby shark doo doo and accidentally left it on repeat while you slept), and Tomura, well he only remembers the need to be close to you like his life depended on it (as it did when he was a fetus inside you).
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mournersandfunerals · 2 months
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Friendly reminder that people are allowed to be apprehensive about the Wicked movie. Fans of the Broadway show have been waiting YEARS for this movie to be made, but unfortunately it's being dropped during a time where adaptations of Broadway shows just aren't hitting the same, because they're not being catered to the right audience.
Even if you overlook the casting, and the fact that they're not even being marketed as the genre (the saving grace with this one is that most people know that Wicked is a musical), the actual musical aspect is enough to trigger a fear of the unknown.
I've seen a lot of people defending the most recent Mean Girls movie by saying, of course the music is going to be different, because it's a different medium and the stage version won't translate well on screen. And I do partially understand that, I get that changes need to be made for it to work better, but they changed the arrangements of the songs entirely, and I think that has more to do with trying to hit a different audience than it does about screen translation. It's a weak excuse when you look at the bigger picture.
Movie adaptions of musicals have been made throughout cinema history, and SO many of them have been successful for the right reasons, and some of them were even recent. Grease, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Chicago, The Sound of Music, In the Heights, Matilda—the list is endless. And, sure, there are issues with each and every one of them, things we can complain about, stuff we can pick apart, but the one thing that's consistent is that they all have the right energy. Changes were made because they needed to be, but the music and the vibe stayed the same. There's no excuse to revamp the entire thing.
Which brings us back to the fear of how they're going to handle Wicked. If "movie musicals shouldn't have as much music in them to balance it out" then what are we doing here? Because Wicked, in particular, is a musical where the score acts as a driving force for the plot, and if you're going to take half of that out to cater to an audience that doesn't like musicals, or change the arrangements, revamp the numbers etc. then it isn't going to work.
Obviously, we can't judge it too harshly yet, because we've had a 1 minute teaser trailer, but please remember that fans are allowed to be apprehensive.
And, side note, creators of movie musicals need to stop trying to make musicals for people that don't like them. If they focus on their target audience, then they'll be successful—that's filmmaking 101 and should not have to be said but here we are.
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transboysokka · 3 months
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So my favorite character in The Brothers Sun is Taiwan. Like yeah Taiwan has its own shows and movies but it just feels Different to see Taiwan in a big international/American show! It’s SO cool actually and so um here are some thoughts I had and things I Noticed about different Taiwan scenes and things in the show idk
Episode 1
the opening shot of Taipei tells us this is a Thursday- the top of 101 is green and is a different color every day of the week
that corkscrew-shaped apartment building we see Charles living in is kind of an urban legend here in Taipei. They say it’s the most expensive place to live in the city, that each apartment has its own swimming pool, and that there’s an elevator specifically to bring cars up to display in your living room. No idea if the interiors look like that for real though
I was gonna say it’s pretty crazy he has an American-style oven in Taipei bc nobody does but actually in that apartment… yeah he probably would
afaik there’s not a way to (“legally”/officially) stream any of those famous British baking shows here rip
I do wonder if they actually filmed the opening scene in the corkscrew building or if they just really pay attention to detail because the skyline seen out the window matches up to what it would really look like from that part of the city
the shoes, I mean we all know about shoes-off houses but yeah
豆漿. Soy milk. Yeah
They definitely eat Hi-chews in one of these scenes
Episode 2
It makes way more sense for the guys to have snuck out for shaved ice as kids than youtiao… I’m just saying… like would *I* do that yes but it’s usually just like. A thing you eat with soup or breakfast
Episode 3
“Are you sure you can handle-“ “the heat? I’m from Taiwan.” lmfao BITCH Taiwan has some of the blandest cuisine I’ve ever tasted (he does think it’s too spicy tho lol)
“Keelung. A fishing village just north of Taipei.” Okay like I can see how the older generation would call it that but it’s actually a whole ass city…
Episode 5
Not a Taiwan thing but the Maotai made me laugh. It’s like the Coca Cola of Chinese baijiu and imho it’s just as awful as every other brand
Episode 6
ok the episode that made me want to make this list
the Costco shit IS funny because vitamins, baby formula, that’s all the good stuff you want to bring back from abroad BUT actually we have Costco in Taiwan and can easily get a lot of that stuff? This concept imo would fit a lot better for China than Taiwan. It’s still very much a thing to load your suitcase up with baby formula on the way home to China, and there’s actually a huge smuggling business bringing it in through Hong Kong but I digress
Idk why I’m happy to hear Changhua and Douliu mentioned in an American TV show… Seriously, I don’t know. They’re kind of like nowhere places I’ve never even been. I just feel like everyone’s grandparents live there.
Even the way they film Mama Sun on the plane. Like the Mandarin music in the background with the announcement for Taoyuan airport… to me it feels specifically like a transpacific flight to Taiwan lolol but that’s definitely like a bias probably
Okay not to be SO nitpicky but so when she looks out the window on the plane to see Taipei 101 etc I’m not sure about that? The airport is actually in another city and I feel like I usually come in around and over the ocean or something?
But WOW the taxi scene my favorite scene it’s SO visceral and SO Taiwan… the street, the lights, the Cosmed/Mos Burger/7-Eleven, the street noises, like I can FEEL Taiwan through the screen and HER FACE taking it all in I WANT TO SOB
The temple, beautiful like this episode makes me believe Michelle Yeoh is Taiwanese lol
I appreciate the viscerality of the night market shots too but it seemed a bit empty
Okay so Mama Sun’s mom is super rich too based on where she lives which I guess it makes sense. But what I am curious about is the story about why they’re speaking Cantonese because Taiwan has a lot of languages but that’s not one of them like officially at all. I wonder if there’s a character backstory there or they just like. Didn’t want to bother teaching Michelle how to speak Minnan or something
The cemetery too is so fancy, I mean it fits but wow that’s expensive real estate
In the hospital scene, Taipei 101 is lit blue out the window, making it a Friday. Has everything in the show so far happened in only 8 days?
Episode 7
“Last night the Boxers made their move” 101 says it’s Tuesday for anyone keeping track
I LOST it at the Foodpanda driver assassin the first time I saw this… So Taiwan
Big fancy church in Taipei? I know they exist but I’ve never seen one in person (like 2%? of the country is Christian)
A mom bringing back tea as a souvenir from Taiwan? 100% real
Episode 8
RAW is a real restaurant in Taipei. It’s very fancy and very expensive and had I think two Michelin stars. I don’t know ANYONE who’s actually been there lol
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zoesblogsposts · 3 months
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o 625 words to know in your target language o
There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order
• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal
• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation
• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,
France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location
• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing
• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color
• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person
• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job
• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God
• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art
• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage
• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food
• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool
• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio
• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body
• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature
• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material
• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner
• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective
• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction
• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season
• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number
• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time
• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift
• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous
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lazystar · 8 months
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Play Like a Gangster
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Lee Felix x Fem!Reader 
University AU, Bad Boy!Felix Other idols mentioned: Other SKZ members, ITZY, Lily of NMIXX, Soobin of TXT Warnings: Alcohol consumption, use of unhealthy coping skills, negative self-image on reader’s part, Felix being a slight ass, Miscommunication!!! ANGST!!! Comfort tho is there! Word Count: 5K+ (~5400?)
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Your first day of year four of university had finally arrived. The hot August air weighed you down like a blanket of humidity, your thighs chafing as they rubbed against one another at the hemline of your denim shorts. You had chosen your classic first day of fall semester fit, a logo tee from the bookstore, and a pair of shorts along with your Converse. Comfortable, easy to fish out of your still packed suitcase, and cute. 
Fishing your schedule from your student portal app on your phone, you found your first lecture of the day. To your horror and dismay it was a gen ed course you had been dreading, Statistics 101 with Professor Park. You abhorred math more than anything and even more so when you threw in the Greek alphabet. You huffed and walked faster to the lecture hall to get a good seat, and when you arrived you guessed every other student had the same idea because the only seat left was one in the middle of the hall next to an intimidating looking boy with a sharp jawline, silver earrings and dusty blue hair. He looked the complete opposite of you. He was in all black, black tee shirt, long black cargo pants decorated with chains, and black converse. The shoe choice was the only identical fashion choice you both had made. 
“You gonna keep analyzing my outfit like this shit is project runway or are you going to sit down?” His deep Australian accent cut you out of your thoughts. 
“Oh sorry! Ummm I’m sorry — I already said that didn’t I? Anyways I’m Y/N nice to meet ya…” You stuck a hand out to him after setting out your notebook and laptop.
“You are far too cheerful for a 10 AM math lecture. Anyways the name’s Felix, before you ask I’m a senior graphic design major this is just a gen ed for me.” He seemed to notice you deflate as he answered your icebreakers before you could ask. He let out an almost placating gruff laugh after his introduction.
“I’m a senior as well, music marketing major so as much as I wish this wasn’t a required gen ed for me it sadly is. I fucking HATE math!” You sighed as the professor walked into the room. You didn’t notice Felix smile at your extroverted behavior. He knew he was about to become your friend, not by his own accord but he knew that he was now the familiar face in your Monday-Wednesday-Friday morning hour of hell. The professor droned on about the usual syllabus week materials and you began doodling some new logo ideas for your friends’ music group on your notebook paper. Your dissociation was cut off by the professor clearing his throat with an announcement. 
“Okay everyone! This lecture has 100 students, and unfortunately for me the department requires us to have you all complete a semester long project going over a trend of choice through data analytics. So you all will be working with the person sitting directly to your right! No, don't go switching seats, I see you in the back row!” You laughed as your classmates groaned around you at the news of being involuntarily being partnered up. You looked to your right where Felix was already looking your way with a raised brow and a smirk gracing his freckled face. 
“Please tell me you won’t be as high energy all semester” Your new statistics partner sighed almost defeatedly. “Now hand me your phone so I can put my number in it so we can work on this shit or whatever.” You laughed at his statement and handed your phone over to him. 
“Felix, just for the record,  I’m gonna change your contact to Grumpy Pants if you keep acting like this.” You stated as you looked at him through your peripheral vision as he texted himself from your phone. 
“Okay Bubbles.” He chuckled, handing your phone back to you. He had simply texted himself a ‘Hey :) – Bubbles’ making an involuntary grin stretch across your face as you turned to look at him.
“Bubbles?” 
“Powerpuff Girls? Did you grow up uncultured?” He raised a brow at your lack of knowledge of the cartoon. 
“I was only allowed to watch educational stuff as a kid.” 
“It shows.” 
“HEY!” You playfully punched his arm and flipped him off as a deep chuckle emanated from him. This was going to be an entertaining semester for sure.
The semester rolled along, like a slow cross country train ride. Throughout it you and Felix grew closer, much to the chagrin of your friends Lia and Yeji who had said the boy was “bad news”. You didn’t understand how they could judge him without knowing him like you did, how could anyone with such a beautiful smile be “bad news”. Sure he had some bad habits like sneaking a flask into the library for your study sessions, but could you blame him? Statistics would drive anyone to drink unless they were a math wizard like Pythagoras or Einstein. 
“Y/N are you texting him again?” Yeji groaned as she flitted about styling your hair for the party she insisted you attend with her and the other girls from the music group she and Lia were in. It was at the Sigma Kappa Zeta fraternity and you knew Felix was a brother of the frat, so regardless of your girls you always had an in. This though, was a secret from your dear friends as they had prejudged Felix and you didn’t want them to suddenly change their minds so they had an excuse to party.
“Yeah we have that project remember? Plus he was showing me this funny video from that one guy I like on instagram.” You fibbed. This seemed to satisfy her as you two finished getting ready for the ride to the frat house. Lia met you two in front of the dorm and your ride was outside just as you left. You were in for a good night, you could feel it in your bones.
Unfortunately for you, your bones were wrong. The stench of alcohol, weed, and body odor hit your nose like a freight train, you had lost your friends upon entering and Felix was nowhere to be found. One of his frat brothers, Hyunjin had saddled up to you as you made your way to the kitchen for a drink. 
“You’re Felix’s girl right?”He asked as he poured you a vodka and cola...very heavy on the vodka. Concerningly so actually You made a mental note to never ask him to bartend for you again, lest you want a new liver by twenty-five. 
“Oh no we’re just friends, we have a Stats class together, 101 with Professor Park.” You replied sipping on your drink and grimacing at the overly pungent taste of the cheap liquor in it. 
“Oh duh you’re Bubbles then! He always talks about how obnoxious you can be, he asked me once how anyone can be so… I shouldn’t have said that. Don’t-don’t listen to me,disregard anything I just said! I'm wasted.” Unfortunately for the panicking dark haired boy, you were not wasted. You were far too sober for this. Obnoxious? You? You were used to being sometimes a bit too extraverted for some peoples’ tastes but obnoxious? That stung. 
“Heh. No worries Hyunjin, I'll see you around.” With that the boy left. You stayed in the kitchen as your body went into autopilot, you downed your drink then snatched the vodka bottle up before wandering through the crowd to the back porch to find a corner to hide in. You didn’t know why you chose to chase the bile like feeling in your chest down with alcohol. You didn’t usually cope with your emotions in this manner. You were level headed, a marketing student, someone who dabbled with psychology courses for fun, someone who was the advice giver to her friends. Not someone who chose to use unhealthy coping mechanisms. But here you were bottle in hand walking to the porch to sip away the pain. 
“Y/N? Bubbles? What are you doing?” The Aussie you had been searching for before had somehow found you. His voice was riddled with concern, laughable amounts of it in your mind. How could a friend find you obnoxious but then act so caring? Friend, the word now made you almost nauseous. Fuck friends, fuck Felix, you thought. All you wanted was to be numb and alone. 
“Trying to not be obnoxious or something I don’t fucking know.” You grumbled taking a long swig of the liquor from the bottle. You didn’t even grimace this time as the taste had grown too familiar to you. 
“What’s that supposed to mean? Who upset you? Why the fuck are you chugging vodka like water? Who hurt you? I’ll kick their ass!” He barraged you with questions as he tried to slip down to sit beside you and take the bottle out of your hands. You fought back and held the bottle close to you, eventually he gave up seeing that you clearly were unwilling to let go of your vice. He was worried and he just wanted to see what was wrong. An uncomfortable silence filled the space between you two for a moment, until you cleared your throat and turned toward him with an unsettlingly dark look in your eyes.
“Felix, tell me why one of your frat brothers told me not even like twenty minutes ago that you found me obnoxious. Apparently you’re always talking about it. Fuck, the girls were right I should’ve just stayed your project partner and not your friend.” You hissed out and tried to stand, but the large amount of booze in your system made you stumble and nearly fall over like an unstable desk ornament.
“You’re not about to walk away from me in your condition in the middle of this conversation Y/N.”
“Fine then I’ll— I’ll fucking crawl away just leave me alone and find my friends for me. My actual friends who like me and don’t tell their friends I’m fucking obnoxious, too much, too loud, too happy, too bubbly, too ugh whatever you told your friends I’m too much of. Just. Leave. Me. The. FUCK. Alone.” The bite in your words made Felix physically flinch. He had never seen you so angry, especially not at him. You were usually so kind and uplifting to those you met. Not so, so aggressive. It hurt him to see your Y/E/C eyes, all tearful and rage filled. The beautiful eyes he was so used to seeing filled with unbridled happiness. 
“Okay, I’ll-I’ll go. Please just promise me one day you’ll allow me the chance to explain myself to you.” He pleaded, his head hung low, tears filling his own gaze. You have a noncommittal affirmation and he went off finding Yeji and Lia. While you clung to your knees with cries wracking your body, Felix was facing the wrath of the music group you knew as your best friends. 
Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and the newest addition Yuna all glowered at him from the couch as he explained you had gotten mad at him over a mistaken confession he had made when you two had just met. He had not experienced such unbridled happiness from one person before you stepped into his world and he was unsure how to feel. He had chosen his usual method of brisk dismissal and annoyance when discussing you to the frat members those weeks ago. But over the course of the past month or so you had wormed your way into his heart and he had grown fond of your random animal facts, boisterous laughter, and bright sun rivaling smiles. 
“Lee, you fucked up and she was correct in saying we warned her about you. Remember you broke our other friend, Heejin’s heart? You lead her on. You’re not about to do that to our Y/N. She’s our angel, and you sir are some demon for hurting her now. We’ll let you try to make it up to her but I swear to all that is holy if you don’t, you’re fucking dead.” Yeji’s voice carried over the bass that was shaking the house, her voice shook Felix to his very core. “Don’t expect any help from us, ITZY protects our friends, and Y/N is our best friend. Girls go get our baby. I know she needs you right now, I’ll call the uber. Lee Felix you go fess up to Chan and the boys that you fucked up.” She gave Felix a dismissal with her hand and collected you along with the girls in a tight hug. She had her own plan, she was going to recruit her other friend Lily and their mutual friend Soobin into a “Get Y/N over Felix” plan. She had detested the Australian for leading her friend Heejin on the previous fall. She hadn’t known though that it was honestly just an unrequited crush on Heejin’s part and that the Aussie and the other girl had made up. She was so focused on playing the role of mother to her friends she forgot sometimes to look past the details of the story as it was on the page, she didn’t read between the lines. What she witnessed had to be the truth, right?
The days after the party felt like you were in limbo, you had emailed your professors that you had a family emergency and would be out for the subsequent week. Thankfully they all were accommodating and gave you the materials to study in your absence. Felix hadn’t called or texted regarding your project which soon would be having its mid semester check on your progress. You had done your share and emailed him your part so he could work off of your work, you had practically done all you could to avoid him. But now it felt like you were doing too much, caring too much about someone who you had misjudged as someone who was more caring than their hard outer shell. You had read between the lines of who he was a bit too deeply, you had looked to find some sort of positive in someone who had portrayed himself as harsh and cold. Maybe he was just that, cold, uncaring, harsh, a liar. Yeah that’s what he was, a liar, an expert one at that.
You were lounging in your misery of stuffed animals and rewatches of Legally Blonde as Yeji, the girls, and your newer friend Lily barged into your room. 
“Go away girls, leave me to my misery and Elle Woods’ slaying the courtroom!” You groaned out into your pillow.
“Bitch if you don’t get your ass up! You have a date, no don’t give me that face you need some socialization.” Yeji pulled you out of bed and shoved you into the shower before you could protest. Two hours later your hair and makeup were done, you were dressed in a nice cropped sweater, jeans, and boots and shoved out the door to your demise date.
At the campus coffee shop with your favorite iced chai latte in hand sat Soobin. He was a fellow music marketing student and student musician you’d met through the girls. He was someone you’d known in passing, an acquaintance, not someone you expected yourself on a blind date with. But here you were, laughing at his jokes, cooing over photos of his pet hedgehog Odi and enjoying yourself in his company. It felt like getting to know an old friend from years gone by, not like a first date. But you knew in your heart feelings were unlikely to develop. You felt too platonic, too friendly, not flirty, flushed, not like a swarm of butterflies resided in your stomach. You didn’t feel like you did when Felix would offer to rest his jacket across your shoulders when the cold air conditioning of the library would kick on. 
As you sat on your couch talking with Yeji you came to the realization of why it hurt so bad to find out Felix has shit talked you. You liked Felix. His freckles, his smile that would take over his whole face, his blunt sarcastic sense of humor, his playful jabs, his affectionate teasing, you adored it all. 
“Yeji, don’t tell the others please but… I realize why I was so messed up over what happened at Sig Kap.”
“You liked him didn’t you?” She saw your eyes well up with tears as your head fell in what you could only describe as shame. 
“Not just like, I think I fell for him.” She only gave her best sullen smile as she walked across the living room to engulf you in a hug as tears fell like a torrential storm down your cheeks. She softly assured you that you would move on, like you always did when you fought the overwhelming urge to sink into your bed and not get out for days due to the weight of the world crushing your soul. You were strong, but love seemed to fight like a heavyweight champ, hitting you with blows left and right. Chaeryeong walked out of her room as the sound of a broken croak of tearful lament came from you. 
“Y/N baby girl what happened? Did he say something wrong again?” The other girl sat on your left and wrapped her arms around you effectively making you the saddest sandwich ever seen.
“Yeji… I think I really love Felix. I think that’s why I’m so hurt, I owe him a chance to explain himself to me. He looked like bad news but he was the sweetest guy I’ve ever met. I’ve had time to think about it all and I can’t just shut him out, it hurts worse than it helps.” Yeji froze, her comforting hand that had been rubbing your arm ceased, her heart tightened with a sense of urgency. You loved the man that effectively shattered one of her friend’s hearts. You deserved to know what he was like. You NEEDED to know. Before you let him back in, before he broke you more. 
“Y/N did I ever explain why I don’t like Felix?” You shook your head as it rested on her shoulder, her comforting hand resumed rubbing your arm in an almost motherly way. “Remember Heejin? My friend from my hip hop class? They used to talk, like last year. He was like how he was with you, romantic, kind, and sweet. But one day he just drops this bomb. He only saw her as a friend, he lead her on for like ever, they almost made out at the date party SKZ hosted last winter. She was messed up over it for a long time. I don’t want him hurting you more. Also Soobin really liked your date. Did you have a good time?” Her explanation stunned you that you didn’t even register the topic change. Felix was a player. You always picked the wrong guys. You had fallen for an act, a ploy to probably get into your pants and be left in the dust. That’s probably all it was. You shook your head from your spiral of misery and looked over at your friend as she playfully nudged you to encourage you to discuss the date she masterfully put together.
“Soobin was sweet, and really cute! But it felt more like a friendship than a potential relationship. I didn’t really see it going anywhere. On the bright side I think he’s going to make a great friend.” You sighed and sunk more into the couch. The overwhelming urge to cry came over you once again as Chaeryeong and Yeji hugged you tighter and cuddled you. They gently played with your hair and cooed comforting words to you trying to ease the stabbing pain in your chest.
Meanwhile at the SKZ house Chan was consoling a devastated Felix. Weeks had passed and the only word from you he would receive was an email with your slides from your project and some notes on the materials. You had gone from the girl he would destroy a city for to a stranger. It hurt him beyond words, your playful teasing and bubbly affirmations were ripped from his life so abruptly it was like his organs had been ripped out. 
“Chan I fucking love her, I didn’t realize until I lost her. Her friends only see me as a player because of the whole Heejin thing. I wish Heejin just explained that we’re cool now so I have a chance at winning my Bubbles back.” Chan nodded solemnly. 
“I know Lix, I hope she lets you explain soon I hate seeing you like this.”
Jisung overheard the conversation and had an idea, he walked over, bending down he whispered it to Chan with an expression that just screamed that he was some kind of love genius. “Han, that is so stupid it might just work.” Chan called a meeting for the five other house residents to join them at the couches. Operation Y/Nlix was in motion.
As night fell you sat in bed once again sadly watching Legally Blonde. You were about ready to recite the perm monologue as a loud thud of something hitting your window startled you. Going over to gaze out you couldn’t believe your eyes. Out on your apartment complex lawn stood all eight SKZ house residents holding up signs reading Y/N please hear Felix out! We beg! Felix held up his own sign, I know I’m an ass, just one chance please. Once they noticed you were looking at them Changbin cued up a speaker and I Want You Back by the Jackson 5 began blaring out for the whole neighborhood to hear. The girls all piled into your room and gave you the affirmative to go talk to him. You raced down the stairs to run over to the dancing and singing men. 
“Fine! Five Minutes.”
“Y/N uh shit I didn’t think this would work. Okay so I had been having a rough day just after we met and I couldn’t understand how someone could have so much energy and be just so positive all of the time. Your adorable ways of finding some good in everything honestly scared me. That’s why I’d ranted about you. I’m sorry.” He clutched your hands and had tears swelling up in his brown eyes, you gave him a nod and a small sad smile. 
“That doesn’t explain why you never told me about the Heejin situation. Ya know considering I have several mutual friends with her.” 
“Heejin and I talked things out in the spring, she liked me more than I liked her. We discussed how it was a whole misunderstanding.” He paused at your raised brow and doubtful expression. “I’m being serious, it was really a one sided crush and her being genuinely hurt. I understand that finding out someone you liked not liking you back really sucks and how she felt led on. I apologized and we’re cool now, she and I aren’t friends but we’re not enemies either.”
“Mkay I’ll take your word for it for now, you have some work to do to earn my trust back but I’m willing to give you a second chance.” His lanky arms engulfed you and he began rocking you side to side his laugh and smile warmed your heart once again. You knew he would have you falling for him all over again, and the thought didn’t scare you like it used to. It didn’t terrify you, it filled you with hope that your happy ending may actually exist this time around. 
The cool autumnal air began to make you shiver as the seasons changed, the semester’s end was closing in as the days flew by. The warmth of summer’s end was something you yearned for as you pulled your jacket closer to your body, your steps increased in speed as you made your way to the cafe you had met Soobin at previously. He had asked you on another date, one you had thought would be another friendly hang out. What you didn’t seem to realize was that your cheerful disposition had enamored the tall, bespectacled boy. He saw you as a radiant, angelic, hilarious, and of course beautiful girl. Someone whose mission it was to make those around her always happy. His analysis of you wasn’t incorrect by any means, however you were not reciprocative of his feelings. 
To you Soobin was sweet and adorable. His catlike smile, cute laugh, and goofy personality made you feel like he was someone you could be comfortable around. His energy was fairly similar to yours in a way that made you feel like you’d met yourself but as a boy. This made catching feelings for him a challenge for you, so alas Soobin’s crush on you was unrequited. Today, he was going to confess, so he had asked you to join him for coffee.
“Oh Soobin you didn’t have to buy my coffee for me!” You admonished as you sat across from him at the campus coffee shop. The pastel wall decor seemed to give you an angelic glow as he shyly smiled at you. 
“Of course I did angel! I invited you here after all! Now I have something I need to tell you.” You nodded and took a sip of the caramel flavored latte he had picked for you. You let out a soft sigh at the warm feeling it put in your chest after the cold air had frozen your bones during your walk. “Y/N, I-I like you um a lot. You’re beautiful, kind, funny, a wonderful listener, a genuinely wonderful person. I was wondering if I could get the chance to take you on an actual date?” His warm eyes reflected his desire for an affirmation that you reciprocated his emotions. 
“Oh wow Soobin I. I don’t know what to say. You are a wonderful guy, I genuinely do like your friendship a lot! You are someone I like being around. But, I just don’t see you the same way, I’m sorry.” You hung your head down apologetically and looked over to him to make sure he was okay. He nodded and gave you a half smile showing his dimples. You reached across the table for his hands and took them in yours. “I hope we can still be friends! I really like being your friend!” He smiled and nodded at that. You two stood and the tall boy wrapped you in a warm embrace. 
“I would love to still be your friend Y/Nnie you are so sweet.”
Meanwhile outside the cafe stood Felix, his dark attire reflecting the darkness that poured into his heart. He saw the way your face nuzzled into the taller male’s chest and how the pair of you seemed to clutch the other’s clothing to get closer. Who was the boy in the glasses? Why were you hugging him like that? Why did he get to hold you? Why were you smiling up at him like that? Why wasn’t it him? 
Felix’s inner turmoil began to swell as he watched the exchange, he couldn’t tear his eyes away as you and the taller boy interacted so happily. As you pulled away from Soobin your eyes locked with the brooding male’s through the cafe glass. Your eyes widened in surprise as the Australian visibly sighed and began to walk away, his head held low. You quickly excused yourself and bolted after the boy calling his name. 
“Felix! FELIX! WAIT!” His steps only seemed to grow faster as he marched away. Panic began to creep into your mind as you picked up the pace. You grabbed his shoulder and yanked him to a halt via his jacket. His eyes grew steely as he looked at you. 
“Did you just ditch your new boyfriend for me? Not a good look Y/N.” He grumbled as he tried to peel your grip off of him.
“Boyfriend? Huh? Felix, that's Soobin. Ya know? He’s a friend of the girls?” You tilted your head in confusion and scoffed lightly at his conclusion.
“You two looked awfully close. That’s all I’m saying Y/N.” His hair shook and his eyes grew cold and harsh as he cocked his head toward you.
“You almost always never call me by my first name what’s going on with you?” Your eyes grew pleading and you began to wring your hands anxiously as you silently begged for an explanation.
“Y/N, you offered me a very public second chance, then not even a week later I am seeing you acting like another man’s girlfriend. I thought I made it clear to you-” He cut himself off, shaking his head and scuffing the toe of his black combat boot against the ground. He let out a heavy sorrow filled sigh and slowly began to walk away. “Forget it. I’m happy for you, I’ll see you in stats.” Before he could step away your hands caught his wrist and you tugged him toward you. 
“Made what clear to me Felix? You’re jumping to conclusions like it’s an Olympic sport here! I’m confused.” You looked at him, your eyes swimming with hurt and confusion. With Felix everything felt one step forward, five steps back. You never seemed to move past the hurt you both felt from the party incident.
“Y/N don’t. Don’t do this.” His voice was barely a murmur.
“Do what Felix?”
“Don’t make me say it.”
“Say what Felix don’t play games with me.” Your voice grew laced with agitation and annoyance. He wasn’t like this what was going on? Who was this aggravated almost gangster like boy you knew as your friend? Why was he sad yet angry? 
“Please don’t make me admit how fucking in love with you I am.” With that you grabbed his face and pulled him into a heavy tear soaked kiss. Your arms wrapped around his neck as one of his hands found its home holding your waist and the other cupped your cheek. Your lips danced against one another as soft giggles and smiles made the kiss grow more playful. 
“You didn’t think I loved you too Grumpy Pants?” You teased as he sneakily tried to grope your butt with his hand. “Aye paws off the goods mister!” You laughed. 
“Well I clearly wasn’t thinking correctly seeing as you basically just swept me off my feet Bubbles.” He poked your cheek and wrapped his arms around you swaying you side to side gently. The cold autumnal air made you shiver slightly. 
“Y/N! Glad to see you found your person!” Soobin cut into your moment as he called from the cafe doorway. Your cheeks grew flushed as you hid your face into Felix’s neck. The boy just laughed and gave Soobin a nod as an acknowledgment. The next thing you knew your phone in your pocket began buzzing like a swarm of bees as your friends were all informed by the tall dark haired male of what happened. Felix encouraged you to check the texts. The only one that jumped out was Heejin on instagram wishing you well, she said she was happy that you as a mutual friend of hers found happiness. She also said she wanted you and Felix to find happiness together. It was sweet and you sent along your thanks.
The rest of the messages were just congratulatory ones from the SKZ boys and ITZY girls. As well as some teasing from both groups to not make them uncles and aunts any time soon. A smile graced your lips and you tilted your head as to give Felix another chaste kiss. 
“My place or yours baby?” You whispered into his ear. 
“For what angel?” He smirked thinking you were implying a rendezvous.
“Snuggles, video games, avoiding our project, and some snacking! What else?” You laughed as you saw a blush creep across his cheeks. “Oh you pervert! You wanted to hook up? At least ask me to be your girlfriend and buy me dinner first!” You bopped his shoulder and acted all scandalized which made Felix grow even more red faced and he sputtered out apologies mixed with deflections as to not make a scene. 
“Baby! Baby! Okay let’s go get dinner and I’ll get you some flowers and ask you the right way!” 
“Hmph. Fine!”
“Bubbles?”
“Yeah Grumpy Pants?”
“I love you!”
“I love you too! Now come on!!!! I want a penguin plushie and my flowers! Did you know penguins propose with rocks?”
“Your lack of good TV as a kid is showing.”
“HEY!” You both bursted into laughter, ear-to-ear grins stretched across your faces as you looked into one another’s eyes with pure adoration.
All was well, except for the fact that the two of you still had to do math work and not get distracted by your infatuation with the other. But, that’s tomorrow’s problem now isn’t it?
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