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tortillasconsal · 1 year

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Headcanons for Splendorman that I didn't get to put in my last post bc I didn't know where

Here we go:

He has a whispy voice with a slightly high pitch that softens when talking with children, but he easily turns low and direct when he's tired or upset.

He has a pretty theatrical talk, as if he's making a whole circus performance, though he usually sounds very disconnected from the people he's engaging with, as if he's daydreaming or in his own world.

Voice headcanons: Johnny Deph's Willy Wonka and Mad Hatter, and Tim Curry's lower pitch when tired/upset.

Splendor is probably the only faceless person who might be interested in having a relationship.

And I mean might because he doesn't really yearn for one, he's just open to the idea. But so far no one has caught his attention, there ain't many creatures who make the cut for a century-old cryptid's love interest anyway.

Even though he acts very upbeat and happy he's usually very tired when he's done for the day (which is almost never), taking care of many children and acting as a therapist for many people is draining, especially when you have none to talk to or hang out with.

He actually has a lot of pressure bc he feels like he needs to put on a happy face and a good performance for the sake of the people. He doesn't trust anyone else to do what he does or help him so he forces himself to bear that baggage alone. And since he doesn't have anyone for him and refuses to be vulnerable with his family he usually ignores those feelings or hides away.

Despite his fame of being the most emotional it is very rare to catch him crying.

It is unkown where he got his anger issues from. They know that he started showing symptoms since young, but nobody knows why.

Maybe is because he usually bottles up his emotions, maybe it's all the resentment he holds, maybe he got them from one of his parents or maybe they're the results of how he was raised.

His family speculates its the Faceless' "true nature" he's been holding back all this time, like a bomb. Which is not true.

They believe they are naturally evil beings, but that's because they've spent all their lives consuming toxic emotions and getting consumed by them they just think that's how it is.

I really get a lot of Will Wood vibes from him. Like as a fun guy that may or may not be a little messed up who has a level of deph and feelings he's not sure how to adress so he may look like he's deliring sometimes or he's speaking from the heart but not making sense other times.

His song? Dr. Sunshine by Will Wood

I mean, its even in the name.

He has complicated feelings about the proxies and the residents of Slenderman's mansion. On one hand he feels for them and wishes he could get them out of his brother's grip, on the other he knows they're bad people –maybe as bad as his family– and doesn't think they deserve another chance.

But in any way he doesn't trust any of them near the kids he takes care of.

Same with his brother. He loves Slenderman so much, but its really hard to see his little brother torturing people for whatever reason and acting very condescending towards him. He's still able to put his foot down when necesary, though it always comes back to zero.

Splendorman does not like Laughing Jack. Like- at all. They both constanty brawl over the children and Jack sometimes manages to sneak in Splendor's domain which angers him even more because nobody's supposed to do that.

Now. Laughing Jack is not a resident at Slenderman's mansion, he's mostly on his own. But Jack hangs out with Slenderman and his proxies a lot to have some protection from him. Slenderman is aware of that and he plays along to annoy Splendorman even more.

This just makes the relationship between the brothers ever more tense.

Faceless people understand and speak every human languaje. However, only Splendorman has bothered to learn sign languages, the faceless people usually talk through telepathy but he understands how this might be pretty upsetting to deaf people.

Slendorman is not a fan of technology. He just never could get a hold of it. He's an old man.

He's not a big fan of alcohol. Even though faceless people can't get drunk. He just doesn't like the strong flavor it has, but if he had to choose he would go for wine or any fruit-flavored licor or mezcal.

He owns a lot of walking sticks, he likes them a lot.

One time a kid told him that he looked like their grandfather and he stopped using them for a while.

He knows how to play various instruments, and although he isn't a singer himself he likes to make up songs for the kids sometimes.

He's also a good dancer and is a really big fan of Swing.

This is all I got 🧍‍♂️

I wanted to write more headcanons but I figured that might need a little bit more context of the lore I'm building for the Slenderbros. So I'll start working on a blog where I'll dive into all the mythos I got for them, but first I want to make some other blogs dedicated to Slenderman and Trenderman first to be a little bit organized.

#Splendorman #Splendorman headcanons #Creepypasta #Creepypastas #Creepypasta headcanons #Slenderman #Slender brothers #Slenderbros #Trenderman #Offenderman #jeff the killer #eyeless jack #ben drowned #nina the killer #Slender brothers headcanons #Slenderbros headcanons

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redwinterroses · 1 year

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genuine question here, in regards to not commenting on videos (and fics, and art, etc.) Is there, and if so, where is there, a distinction drawn between people who do not care about commenting, and people who literally do not have the spoons to comment? I can't speak for everyone obviously, but personally, every time I've decided "alright, it's time to be loud and supportive of the things I like through comments!" I end up stopping consuming that content completely, because I literally don't have the mental brainspace and energy to comment. (This isn't a conscious choice I make, either. What happens is I'll sit down, decide to read or watch something, but then when I remember that means commenting as well, I become suddenly actually unable to consume the content in the first place. Like regular procrastination, but guiltier and more bored!) Again, this is a genuine question and I promise I'm not coming from a combative position here. Just tryna get some clarification, because all the talk about it lately is getting a little... aggressive, without much in the way of nuance.

No no, this is a good question, and a good aspect to address. Especially on This Webbed Site where most of us are neurodivergent and/or low-spoons of some flavor.

Here's my short(ish), probably-not-nuanced enough answer:

You have to a) find a balance that works for you, personally, and b) don't take it too seriously.

The first bit of that means that you don't have to force it on days that are tough -- but also don't just say "well. it's not worth it because I 'never' can do it." All or nothing aren't the only two options. And you have to decide for yourself: at what point is it worth it to me to output a bit of extra energy to repay the person who is providing me with something that gives enjoyment? There's a certain entitlement that seems to come into play in the way a lot of people are talking about this, in a "how dare you suggest I make an effort when that's hard for me" kind of way. (to clarify: that's not this ask. It's just a vibe that comes up a lot anytime "leaving comments and feedback" comes up. As if people get insulted at even being asked. Beware: yon way lies the path of the Karen.)

So you have to find a balance that works on your level between "what this is worth to me" and "what I can do right now." That balance can change. Should change, honestly. But it's not a 0% or 100% option -- there's room for gradients.

And the second bit is something I'm seeing a LOT in the tags. People saying things like "I just don't feel like I have anything to contribute" and "I only comment when I have something to say" and "I just never have anything interesting to comment."

Ditch that notion. Literally write it on a piece of paper and toss it in the fireplace. Writing a comment on youtube or tumblr is not in any way a situation that requires meaningful or insightful wordage -- and I mean that in the most /pos sense.

Type "I loved this!" and hit post. "So excited for a [creator name] video today!" "These videos put a smile on my face." "Thanks for a great vid!" Heck. I've seen comments that are literally just "<3!!!!"

And you know what? Those count. Maybe more than the paragraph-length comments tbh, because they're quicker to read through and get that little bit of "oh, that's a drop in the positive bucket."

They help engagement. They contribute to CCs knowing their content is enjoyable and hitting the right audience. They help stats and tweak the algorithm in the CC's favor. It doesn't need to be a deep dive or an original suggestion or a clever quip or whatever. Don't put that pressure on yourself.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you "No, bud, you don't have a choice. If you want to be a good fan you have to push through your own struggles and leave comments, no questions asked, no quarter given." That would be ridiculous and actually cruel.

What I will say is... yeah. Don't take it too seriously. Just, whenever you can, drop a "Cool build!" comment. And let the fact that it really, genuinely can be that little and still make a huge difference to someone's day lower the spoon-rating a little. If you don't see it as That Huge A Thing, it might not require as much energy to actually do.

...anyway that wasn't short at all but I hope maybe it made some sense.

#redwinteranswers #long post

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if-confessions · 11 months

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if allowed to submit, to add to the demoless conversation...

sometimes we authors do flesh stuff out and then create an intro post but not a demo yet because we want to make sure there is going to be an audience. it doesn't have to be a ton but like, why would I want to spend months (in my case) making a demo only to post it and then find out everyone hates the idea or something?

I can understand where the others submitter come from, I absolutely feel the same. Like "dang it I wanted to drop everything and play now" but my suggestion is to find those games with no demo that you are really interested in and submit asks, engage, ask questions. As an author, that is the best way to motivate and energize me so I can get a demo done.

(no need to ask for permission to submit, I get to choose what ever I want post ;) ) The no-demo discussion is has its own tag. Not sure which ask this one was referring to though...

why would I want to spend months (in my case) making a demo only to post it and then find out everyone hates the idea or something?

Oh, I don't know... maybe:

because you were bored, and one day someone gave you a link to an IF game and you thought you could try that too (<- me).

because you had something to prove to yourself (creating a game, writing a whole ass story, learning a new skill, you name it!).

because you had a story that was important to you and you wanted/needed to share it with the world.

because you vibe with the medium and love to experiment with it, and most of all... do word crimes for the lolz.

because there is a competition in a few months and you really want to join but you need a complete(-ish) version to submit, knowing you'll get feedback for it.

because life is feeling and you are afraid of dying without leaving some sort of trace in this world (small reminder that the IFArchive is a thing, that will keep hosting your complete game even after your death)

because this started as a silly RP and now you are hundreds of thousands of words deep and by jove you will finish the project not matter what.

because.

because the story is for that only one person you are afraid to share it with, so strangers on the internet will do.

because you have bottled feelings and this is the only way you know how to process it.

because your friends are doing IF and you thought it would be entertaining to join in on the fun and complain with them how shitty CSS is being.

because you want a better understanding of the medium.

because spite.

because you want to fill a nice.

because you realised there's not enough representation with your identity and you want to add to it.

because you want to make something that will make everyone hate-play it.

....

You don't need a reason to create a game. You don't need a reason to spend months on something that makes you happy or that entertains you or that helps you grow.

Like you don't need a reason to reach out to other people about your project.

~~~~~

I do have to warn a bit about motivation being fuelled only by outside sources, especially when quantified with notes and numbers of asks and so on.

Starting a whole project with the goal/hope of getting a lot of following/readership quickly will often bring a lot of disappointment when it does not happen, or pressure if it does. Changes in the amount of interaction will also happen overtime, often without rhyme or reason. You could be very popular one week, and everyone moved on the next.

I know inward motivation is hard to muster (and I say this as someone who shruggedly created mini games for fun or pushed myself to finish an update out of spite, but still crave outside approval), but it does become less hard to continue a project if you do it for yourself first.

~~~~~

As for wanting to check for interest, if you are not comfortable publishing an intro post before having a bit more substance, or prefer waiting until you could release something, I would recommend joining a writer's group or small IF server (like the Interact-IF one) and pitch it there.

#confession time #if-confessions #demo or no demo

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 5 months

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🦇 Courting Samira Book Review 🦇

❝ I didn’t want my existence to rest on what everyone else thought about me or wanted for me. I wondered how long I had been this way: not really moving forward but sideways. ❞

❓ #QOTD What trait (personality-wise or physical) is a hard No during first dates? ❓ 🦇 As a 27-year-old Muslim girl living at home, Samira Abdel-Aziz is no stranger to arranged matches; first dates under the supervision of both sets of parents. As a fan of rom-coms, Samira knows it's unlike that her very own Palestinian Muslim Westley will come and sweep her off her feet, but a girl can dream. At least, it was dreaming until she meets Menem; gorgeous, charming, sweet...and the brother of her cousin's husband-to-be. Between work at a bridal magazine, helping her borderline Bridezilla cousin with the wedding, and officially courting Menem, it all feels like too much. Can Samira find her personal happily ever...and the truth about herself in the process?

💜 Subhan Allah, a book that finally speaks to the realities of growing up in a moderately traditional Muslim household (let alone a Palestinian one!!). I've read quite a few books featuring Muslim main characters, but this is the first that captured the authenticity. Samira endures arranged matches, the pressures of meeting parental expectations, and the stressors of singledom (as if our stories aren't complete until we're married). All my favorite, delicious Palestinian delicacies are mentioned (Samira, I feel you, wrapping warak dawali / stuffed grape leaves is HARD). I adored the comparison between Jane Austen / regency era England courtships and Samira's courtships to make the concept easy to understand (I've seen a few people tag this with the "arranged marriage" trope, and that's inaccurate). Much of Samira's internal dialogue is witty and fun, making her easy to empathize with. I'm also grateful for the RANGE of female Muslim characters portrayed in this book, from pious to less traditional to a little bit wild (mild by usual standards, trust me). It was also a joy to see a few familiar names (my mother's, brothers, aunt's...to name a few). I hope this story is a glimpse into Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab cultures to those who read it!

🦇 Unfortunately, the pacing really dragged. None of the plot points felt fully fleshed out. Samira's internal dialogue contains too many fleeting or repetitive thoughts to really give the story juice. A lot of the internal conflict she experiences lacks emotional depth. Is she feeling the pressure to meet potential matches because she's getting older (her cousin is getting married, which usually encourages family members to put pressure on the singles)? Does marrying a friend, even for a minute, seem like a good idea because it's easy; because she knows him? Despite her mixed emotions, we don't really feel the tension or stress she's experiencing. There's no real spark of chemistry between the man she's courting (or Samira and her friend) either, which is perhaps the most frustrating. Without that chemistry, the "love triangle" trope falls flat. The subplot of Samira realizing she wants to become a photographer, not a writer, is the only piece of her character that exists outside anything wedding-related, but there's no real payout there. I thought, and hoped, that would be the meat of the story; that Samira would realize she doesn't need to get engaged or married in any rush when she can focus on her own growth instead. The ending feels rushed and unnatural when Samira could have done the unexpected. Despite inching toward 30, Samira also comes off as juvenile (which I've seen some people say "perhaps that has to do with the culture" in reviews, which HURTS).

🦇 Recommended to anyone looking for a light rom-com (with a few dashes of friends-to-lovers potential and meddling besties). Definitely ideal for fans of Bridget Jones's Diary.

✨ The Vibes ✨ ☪️ Contemporary Romance ☪️ Muslim & Palestinian MC ☪️ Love Triangle ☪️ Jane Austen / The Princess Bride References ☪️ Arranged Matches (NOT Marriage)

🦇 Major thanks to the author @amalmdawad and publisher @harperviabooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

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4dtk · 3 years

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anon: “hewoo !! umm can you make nct ideal type like age , apperance , height , cute or sexy etc 🌬️” let’s fuckin GOOOO. i’ll be using gender neutral terms for this! please tell me if i used she/her for any part as i’m more used to writing for fem readers!

sorry this took like almost a week i’ve been really busy lately, i apologise! under a cut because its so long lol

disclaimer: tons of “i feel”s and “i think”s; plus, this is just my headcanons of the boys! remember that all of you are beautiful and lovely and special in ur own way!! <3

TAEIL

i feel like taeil would want someone closer to his age (+/-), unless,,, UNLESS he finds someone he really clicks with (like haechan for eg) if they’re at a younger age

if he really does then taeil will 100% make the effort

ngl taeil would love a person taller than him, would worship the shit outta them

if he gets teased for being shorter he doesnt care LMAO this man will have his hand around your middle and eye the other person mockingly

would love when you own your appearance with confidence, he likes to be by your side to admire how comfortable you feel in your skin

see him being a more traditional man by dating a korean person, but if he’s attracted to someone not of his race, i can see him making the effort

appearance? maybe someone who cleans up well, in a sense who’s a bit proper in their hygiene and like hair or accessories ig. he doesn’t mind what you wear tho, personally leaning more towards the comfy styles of cardigans and baggy clothes.

JOHNNY

either wants someone younger or older… i’m leaning more towards a younger s/o though bc he naturally has a “taking care” kinda vibe, and it’s sweet to see since he naturally takes care of the younger members like mark and haechan

wants to SMOTHER his s/o so i also think he’d want someone shorter than him. the man is a fucking skyscraper lawd

generally likes to give love A LOT since he’s an only child and wants to share that affection with someone who aren’t his parents or the members

but, but, like taeil, i see him really liking being held by his s/o, not just in a small spoon but laying on your chest, lying in between your legs with his head on ur tummy… so cute

i feel like johnny wouldn’t care much for appearance, nor your race since he kinda has the freedom to engage in english conversation. likes a cutesy positive vibe that can share the positivity and happiness he radiates normally!!

TAEYONG

feel like he would go for someone a tad bit older than he is, bc he likes to be taken care of

looking over the members can become really tiring and he needs some sort of solace to relax in

honestly if you’re younger too, he wouldn’t mind, he just needs to be babied LOL

likes tall people… ngl…

would like someone more in tune with their emotion and just not afraid to speak their mind? he likes confidence tbh

can see him going for a foreign person if he’s really passionate about them, would learn english/your native language

taeyong likes a person that likes their outfits and doesn’t care what you wear out as long as you feel comfortable in it

would prefer more of a calm s/o, but easy-going and fun when they want to be

YUTA

doesnt really care for age tbh. if you’re able to bring him happiness and love him he doesn’t mind whether you’re older or younger

shorter 100%. wants to hold you very much, big spoon, the one holding you in the relationship

would go for a foreign person, but honestly, would want someone he can speak japanese with too. even he has shotaro now, he wants like just a closer person to confide in and also just share lil cute inside jokes with <3

yuta just wants his s/o to be themselves. just. yes. (i mean unless your personality is shit but he doesnt want someone to put on a front with him)

although he also likes cute people… he just wants to pamper u and make u feel like you’re the only one

KUN

goddamn, six kids plus three pets? this man is hanging on by a thread, but he would like a younger and shorter s/o

what’s one more right?

also naturally has the taking care vibes like johnny, but there’s just something so… dom… about him AHASHFHEHR

would lean more toward a chinese- or korean-speaking s/o but

doesn’t mind a foreign s/o IF they make the effort. he would if he knows you would too.

kun is lowkey energetic tbh and would want someone who can read the room of whether he’s comfy enough to let loose and remain the ‘parental’ figure

cute people i think will attract him, but oh my gosh when you’re self-assured? WHEW he really likes that, how you’re uncaring of people’s opinions regarding your appearance or personality

DOYOUNG

doesn’t mind older or younger or the same age, although i seem him gravitating toward an older s/o

this man is also 100% stressed. needs to be held, there’s a balance though in your relationship of who holds who though

would stay dating a korean/korean-speaking person i feel. not saying he wouldn’t make the effort but he takes his idol life very seriously and the outcomes if he were to get together with someone who doesnt speak his native tongue

he would want someone proper, like taeil, and would prefer his s/o to be cute and stuff

doyoung needs to know what you want though, so you’ll need to be sure of your choices basically

would like it more if his s/o was calm and just collected bc like taeyong, he needs a haven to relax in when he’s done for the day or when he needs to recharge

TEN

same age or older s/o !!! wants to be taken care of, this man also has a lot of love to give, altho they’re towards selective people like his members, pets, you

would gravitate towards tall people i feel

you need to love leon and louis. period. bella is a hot second.

ten would want an s/o who supports him wholeheartedly, seeing as he has so many talents that sometimes he gets caught up in showing talent for his idol life as opposed to creating things for himself. it’s easy to get lost in the pressure of the media to put out content that he feels is half- assed.

ten knows of his worth, but sometimes he just needs a bit of confirmation and support from the right people to truly create and post what he wants to

he would date a partner who doesn’t speak korean/chinese. he has english and thai and basic japanese baby!!! but yea, he def wouldn’t mind a foreign partner AND would go search up on resources to learn your native tongue!

another person who doesn’t care about how you dress. nor how you look as long as you’re being yourself!

JAEHYUN

oh, younger definitely and a shorter s/o

definitely doesn’t mind an english speaking s/o, although he would prefer someone who can speak korean as well. with s/o’s of other languages, he wouldn’t mind learning your language, although give him some time

the language barrier will be a bit awkward a first tho, but if you know minimal english, i think that’s more than enough for jaehyun to at least steer the convo!

jaehyun is the guy to always give me first love, love from high school vibes so he’s usually the one to embrace you, but LOVES it when you’re the one to initiate contact and affection

jaehyun knows he’s good looking, but he does want an s/o who loves him for who he is, who sees all his good traits as equal to his looks. he would also like an s/o who has a live in the moment mindset, bc he spends a lot of time in his idol life, that a carefree s/o to take him away from the stress of idol life would really help

a sucker for a cute style ngl, pastels and clips in your hair and stuff.

WINWIN

wouldn’t mind someone a tad bit older, although i can see him with a younger person/same aged person too

shorter s/o!

sicheng wouldn’t care much for appearance, but he likes it when his s/o is confident, or in general confidence attracts him like the other guys in this post. that confidence would allow for him to be ‘guided’ in the relationship

would lean more towards a chinese/korean speaking person, but would try forming a r/s with someone of a different race to see how the language barrier would work

someone who is respectful of his space 100%. winwin wants someone who knows their boundaries in a context that there’s this sense of “i know when he’s feeling upset and wants to be left alone”, something like unspoken exchanges that the other just understands

sicheng also likes when his s/o is a little playful and cheeky, but not to the extent of the boys. just the right amount of outgoingness i guess haha. he would accommodate a bit of wildness, but sometimes it tires him out so you’ll need to know when to tone it down

JUNGWOO

feel like he would lean to an older s/o, but not necessarily needing to keep him in check because you’d be on the other side entertaining his antics lol

jungwoo uses up a lot of his energy tho, so sometimes he tends to go quiet and just likes to slump in your embrace

when he’s not quiet tho, he’s pretty cheeky in a sneaky kinda way and would want someone to reciprocate that.

jungwoo would also like an s/o who cheers him on a lot. he’s a bit insecure naturally, so he would want someone who doesn’t miss a beat to tell him that he’s doing good that day and would like a random compliment sometimes

would like to be held more than holding someone tbh

he wouldn’t care much for appearance, but does lean more towards cutesy appearances

LUCAS

younger and shorter s/o

would want an s/o to just calm down and rest with at times. sure he likes to have fun with his members and with his partner, but most dates with his partner has him in their arms and usually involves a calm activity

i mentioned this in chenle’s one as well, but the happiness he feels with his members is different from the one he feels with his partner, although lucas’ one is more of a blur where chenle’s a bit more distinct. does this make sense

wouldn’t ask much in an s/o, tbh. even if they’re just doing nothing, as long as lucas know he’s making you happy then he’s content with that. like when you’re smiling and loving him, then that’s all he really needs to be honest

lucas would not mind taking up an r/s with a foreign s/o, although he would have trouble with language barriers. would prefer a chinese/catonese speaking partner bc then he’s able to practise his dialect. he’d have a korean-speaking s/o too, although he sometimes stumbles over his korean a teeny bit

would love a cute style definitely!!!

MARK

same age, probably. he would feel more comfortable in terms of affection and conversation i feel!

equal amount of who holds who, but loves when his s/o initiates and cuddles him first

likes baggy clothes on you tbh, likes to match appearances and styles with you

wouldn’t mind an s/o of any race. he’s dedicated to learning your language if anything, the man likes to learn about new things

mark just wants someone fun to be around who returns his laughter and jokes, kinda like how johnny does

he’s suffered enough from johnny though (“ah, mark! the smell!”) and would probably like it if you defend him instead LOL (sometimes you poke fun tho)

he would also want his s/o to just reciprocate him in terms of laughter and happiness level. mark is always so bubbly that he wants someone to smile at him and laugh with him

XIAOJUN

would like an older s/o ngl, i feel like he would want to be guided as well

doesn’t care if you’re tall or short tbh

but would like an s/o who brings him out of his shell like the members do.

he wants to be able to laugh without trouble around his s/o and let loose. xiaojun sometimes gets annoyed, mostly feigned annoyance, so it would be nice for an s/o to fit in like the members: making fun of his angry face and rolling eyes and then having some light banter

he’s also gonna need an s/o who’s not afraid to pull him back whenever he says out of pocket things. they’re not necessarily harmful just extremely blunt at times that makes you cringe and you have to pull him back to tell him of his comments LOL

xiaojun would... not go into an r/s with a foreign partner i feel, but he will TRY if the conversation is not too awkward, save for like activities and such. like others in this post, he’ll make an effort if he’s committed to you, and only if you’re sure of dating him as well

xiaojun loves a cute style lawd!

HENDERY

same age, younger, older, tbh i don’t think hendery cares that much

he would want a shorter s/o though, i feel

wants a fun and playful s/o, someone who’s just so enjoyable to be around that he sometimes forgets himself and gets lost in the happiness you two give out

he does also want an s/o who can make him shy and basically challenge his personality, but not in a headbutt way where it’s your same two personalities against each other. it’s rather two variations of the same feeling like your playful aura against hendery’s playful aura, which would be honestly quite fun to watch and experience bc you’re just trying to one-up each other

and idk, because he’s talkative quite often, he feels like it would be nice to be the flustered, eyes-wide one for once

hendery in a foreign partner relationship... he would try, but i think he’d be a little intimidated at the languages that he has to have some time to warm up. he would commit and make the effort if he was willing to, though

oversized fits are his shit!!!! he also doesn’t mind seeing you explore with your appearance and style, esp in the goth or rebel kinda style

RENJUN

same age or younger, wouldn’t mind if you were taller since he knows his height is not THAT high

renjun loves for you to hold him though

the cheeky lad wants a laid back s/o, who doesn’t take life so seriously as well and like hendery, would like it if his s/o was a bit goofy and playful

would also want an s/o who’s deep about the universe and stuff, kinda intelligent to debate alien life and what not, he wants to be able to talk to you about anything and keep the conversation going even if you’re talking about something simple and dumb like snacks

i also can’t exactly see renjun go for a foreign s/o, mainly because of the language barrier, but i can see him trying if he’s able to get help from mark hyung and if the situation allows for you to meet frequently

renjun would definitely like a cute style on his s/o, but also would like more flashy or out-of-the-box outfits. as long as you’re comfy then he’s fine

JENO

same age. he likes to be taken care of though, would maybe be a 60/40 split of you taking care vs him taking care of you respectively

i feel like jeno would like a shorter s/o!

cute s/o, maybe matching up to the personality of jaemin since he was his longest friend from before. enthusiastic while he takes the back seat and admires you

while jaemin loses his social battery over time, jeno wouldn’t mind if you were a literal menace like haechan bc he feels that would make the r/s really fun

see him preferring a korean-speaking person. kinda like doyoung but not quite, he’s more careful than serious (?) about his idol life, and he wouldn’t want to take the risk

HAECHAN

same age or older i feel. equal split of who’s the embracer in the relationship though

wouldn’t mind a taller person, although he’d prefer if you were around the same height bc he doesn’t want to be teased by his members lol

i feel like haechan would rlly like y2k outfits on his s/o? a mix of baggy outfits as well as cute ones

his natural outgoing personality allows him to get together with a foreign person i feel, bc he’d suggest things that don’t need talking like bowling or an arcade y’know? he struggles a bit with native languages tho, bc he’s so used to speaking korean

btw please egg him on, he loves it when you do it and also do dumb things with him. he would want someone who doesn’t take life so seriously while also possessing the ability to think deeply i feel, but mostly someone who can keep smiling and strong even through hardships. kinda a happy-go-lucky personality

JAEMIN

younger, i feel. like johnny he has a lot of affection to give like he usually does to jisung…. jisung is grown up alr tho so :”(

loves giving the cuddles, big spoon, etc. he just wants you to feel loved no matter what size you are

he also would love tall people ngl! although sometimes he can’t decide between short and tall people

jaemin would appreciate an affectionate s/o who’s committed to him and also a person who’s just naturally shy i feel

they don’t necessarily need to return the energetic bursts of aegyo or stuff (he’d love it though) and also someone who just enjoys life and the small little things in general

would not mind dating a foreigner, would love to learn about your native language actually!

he likes cutesy appearances i reckon, a bit of oversized styles but overall likes the pastels

YANG YANG

same age or older, likes to be taken care of tbh

yang yang is also someone who doesn’t care if you’re short or tall, and likes you either way :)

does not mind a foreign person, plus he’s moved countries a little and could maybe find solace in the fact that his homes are sometimes not fixed, esp with how many languages he speaks as well

yang yang would want an s/o who lives up to his excitement in jokes and memes. he would feel a bit down if you happen to not understand a joke although he cant blame you, but he would want someone almost identical to him?

create chaos together and then fall asleep together

can see him liking a cute style tbh, and also reaaaaally likes to match outfits with you in your own respective styles

SHOTARO

same age, def.

i think being in nct has made him a little shy as compared to before when he was in a dance crew, so he’d need someone to encourage him while also taking care of him!!

talking to a non japanese- or korean- speaking person might scare him, so he would settle just for that. shotaro wouldn’t mind in a sense if he knows the other person is committed, but the language barrier for the first few dates would be awkward

ooohhh likes it when people are confident definitely, comfortable in their own skin. shotaro is another person i feel would really be attracted to y2k fits

like i said earlier, shotaro just needs a little push, which would help with an outgoing s/o and someone who’s not afraid to try new things. he feeds off your confidence and uses that to boost his!

CHENLE

doesn’t mind an s/o who is the same age or a tad bit older, i’m not sure if i see him with a younger s/o

doesn’t care if you’re tall or short as long as you give him his damn hugs!!!!

outgoing personality? check. he would literally befriend anyone, and wouldn’t mind a foreign s/o who doesn’t speak korean or chinese. with his limited english, he could probably make an outing fun by doing activities together and will learn your language!!

an s/o who can calm him down. chenle uses up his energy a lot and can get worn out and just wants someone to embrace at the end of the day. i wouldn’t say its similar to taeyong who’s sometimes tired from taking care of the members, but rather in a way where it’s a little playful and bubbly in your own little circle.

it’s a different kind of happy that chenle feels with you as opposed to the joy that the members bring him.

chenle also would want someone who’s sure of themselves, more so in personality rather than apperance. he likes all sizes and colours and styles, altho leans more toward the oversized sector

SUNGCHAN

sungchan is bit mischievous, so i feel like he naturally lean towards an s/o who can kinda be the “mother slash partner” of him: either the same age or younger, leaning more toward a same aged s/o

lawd this man is so tall. i think he’d want a shorter partner, sometimes a bit awkward with the affection but overall likes to give it. plus point: he likes to see you struggle wrap your body around his to get all of him in your cuddles

he wants to be able to relate to them and wouldn’t want awkwardness, so i don’t think he would go for a foreign person as of now

sungchan likes someone to have fun with him, ofc he’s aware that he can’t take away all their problems but he would want his s/o to feel relaxed and content around him with his goofy personality

sungchan likes a cutesy style, maybe, BUT i always see him being really drawn to y2k fits!!!

JISUNG

leaning more towards the same age (+/-1). i think a noona would make him shy and a younger s/o would just feel weird to him idk.

this man is also very tall, so probs a shorter s/o,,,,, would not mind if you are tall though!! he just likes to have you in his arms instead of the other way round (so you can’t see his flushed face)

not sure if he’d commit to a r/s that is foreign, but he would try with the help of mark-hyung or something. the reason why he’d take it was because the members would help me, but if not, he wouldn’t take the risk with his idol life at stake.

jisung wants someone who’s self-assured as well, strong in mettle and who has a strong character that helps him build up his drive. seeing you in your element helps him achieve more and he appreciates that you are able to provide him with a source of motivation

jisung likes cute stuff, but he does like oversized fits!

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astrojoong · 3 years

Text

Seonghwa’s Birth Chart

☉ sun in ♈︎ aries

aries is the child of the zodiac so honestly its no surprise that this is his first life

he’s just so full of wonder and excitement its truly lovely to see

so excited about learning and exploring the world around him

second decanate so his subruler is the sun

aries with a touch of leo flair

the sun subruler adds in just a touch more dignity and pride to aries

reigns in a bit more of aries’ impulsiveness and recklessness

instead it adds to his hunger to succeed

it also really brings out his showmanship and ability to perform

when he performs he is able to show both raw aggression and passion while also maintaining poise and grace

holds an intense drive which can sometimes be to his own detriment

has the potential to push himself too hard, and put too much pressure on himself

can have little to no patience or attention span, needs things to be constantly moving and changing, with new challenges arising or else he’ll become bored and dissatisfied

☽ moon in ♋︎ cancer

(ayyy i have a cancer moon too)

basically... a whole Mom

ok so the moon is at home in cancer

she’s right where she wants to be so that just means that she is That much more powerful

cancer is a feminine sign and she adds a very soft dimension to his aries sun

cancer is the middle child of the water signs, which means it can either take on a more parental role or a more childlike role-it has the versatility that the youngest and eldest signs lack (same goes for all middle signs)

in Hwa you can definitely see that its taken on the parental role

he is very in touch with his feelings and the feelings of those around him

super intuitive and really just a whole ass caretaker

so incredibly loyal and sensitive and protective

on the flip side this may also make him prone to nagging if he’s not careful, and it likes to team up with his aries sun and make him WAY too hard on himself

can be Incredibly self critical and have the potential to get stuck in ‘moods’ which can bring down everyone else around them (there are actually four fucking cancer moons in ateez idk how they survive if one- or god forbid- multiple of them get moody, my dad and I are both cancer moons and we engage in something I like to call vibe warfare in which we accidentally throw off the Entire balance of the household if one of us is feeling moderately shitty or In Our Feels)

☿ mercury in ♈︎ aries

mercury is pretty happy in aries so theres a lot of benefits to this placement

a wonderful conversationalist

there's that underlying fierceness that aries brings

witty, outspoken, and very original

very jovial in his speech, good at joking around

also very good at arguing.

watch tf if you get on his bad side he can go OFF

very lucky person

normally doesn’t put a Whole lot of thought or planning into decisions but they usually just work out for him

♀ venus in ♒︎ aquarius

maybe not the best at expressing love

I think his cancer moon is a bit at odds with this placement, he feels all these emotions and can seem like he’s great at expressing them, but he’s really only showing surface emotions

I think he is very good at hiding his true feelings, even if he doesn’t mean to, he keeps certain things very close to his chest

very magnanimous, a great socialite

personal freedom is very important

people with this sign are a little notorious for not wanting to be tied down, maybe having some commitment issues, we haven’t seen Hwa in a relationship so who knows

did I say freedom was important because freedom is Super important

really is able to satisfy his urges to travel and experience exciting new cultures and situations through his career. He honestly seems super well suited for the industry.

♂ mars in ♈︎ aries

ok mars is at home in aries so you know shit is abt to get INTENSE

much like how his cancer moon makes all his feelings super strong

this is all abt aggression

essentially if Win by Ateez was a placement

an absolute force of nature

definitely some major self confidence coming through here

very courageous and honest, but potentially a little blunt, especially if he’s worked up

that's when he starts to lose his filter a bit

the good thing is, he doesn’t seem to let his anger build up or fester, he deals with it when it happens

this is also the ✨sexy✨ sign so lets just say he is very Active and... depending on where his houses lie, it could definitely point to him being more assertive in the bedroom.

♃ jupiter in ♓︎ pisces

Jupiter is essentially the planet that tells you what you should do with your life

I am not surprised he’s in music

pisces is like Known as the soulful, artistic sign, so the fact that he found his way into a career where he can play to his aries need for passion and power while also expressing himself and his emotions in a creative fashion, and in a way to help others? fucking incredible.

He has a healing ability to him

Just being around him makes others more at peace

Very interested in/talented in emotional healing

♄ saturn in ♈︎ aries

jfc final aries

its like his chart is just Oops! All Aries

if Jupiter is the planet of good luck, saturn is the planet of bad luck

saturn is what stands in the way

its not too bad though

it just means that he will have a lot of obstacles that he must continuously fight against in his journey to success

but good news! while it may seem like they’re never-ending, the difficulties begin to let up as he gets older and gains more experience

saturn in aries means he’s ambitious and determined

it may place these obstacles in front of him, but it also gives him the strength to persevere

♅ uranus in ♒︎ aquarius

ok from here on out, up until chiron, its more generational so I’ll touch on uranus, neptune and pluto in my overall ateez analysis since they all share those signs

♆ neptune in ♒︎ aquarius

♇ pluto in ♐︎ sagittarius

⚷ chiron in ♏︎ scorpio

chiron tells us what our biggest wound is

Seonghwa’s has to do with his self worth and emotions

scorpio is a very intense sign, it doesn’t half ass anything, pain or pleasure

he will go through or will have already gone through something that will be catastrophic to who he is as a person.

it will/has cause(d) a great deal of emotional pain

in his life he has to learn how to love and accept himself, how to control his emotions and how to make peace.

the lesson that must be learned is one of renewal and transformation, of endings and beginnings

⚸ lilith in ♎︎ libra

lilith is meant to represent our innermost psyche

primal urges and base desires

it also shows our fears

Seonghwa’s deepest fear seems to be one of rejection

he needs to find a balance in his life, learn healthy boundaries

he’s very susceptible to other’s opinions and influences

I feel like it may not be as much of a problem because he has so many other fortunate signs to counteract this but it could be an issue if he isn’t careful

#seonghwa #park seonghwa #ateez #atz #seonghwa ateez #astrology #kpop #kpop astrology #kpop birth chart #hwa #bc its my first shot @ this its probably a little rough #im not used to analyzing charts for ppl who aren't like requesting it #so its weird to write them for an audience #anyway #i hope it aint half bad #hwa astrology #ateez astrology #seonghwa astrology #ateez birth chart

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hes-writer · 4 years

Text

Insecurities (2)

Summary: Harry is good friends with Camille and Y/N is insecure

Warnings: angst (ish)

Word Count: 2.6k

Read part 1 here

Y/N did not have the best body but it was ‘good enough’. She didn’t have the brightest personality but it made her who she is. Her style wasn’t extravagant—it was simple and casual. And she wasn’t the best at anything. In fact, everything she knew was at the surface level—she couldn’t delve too deep into a conversation about politics, argue that Socrates was the better philosopher to Descartes or discuss how writing a song in F major gave off a happier vibe than a minor key.

All these proved that she can fit in but she cannot necessarily stand out. Maybe that was the problem. Y/N didn’t know much but she knew enough.

She knew that her insecurities were getting the better of her because she had never ended on friendly terms with an ex. Nor did she fall so deeply in love with anybody else aside from Harry. It was causing an inner turmoil in her tummy that made Y/N sick to her because something was wrong and she didn’t know how to fix it.

Y/N was aware that it would be unfair to him to say that he couldn’t communicate with Camille again. So what was she to do? Wallow in the depths of self-pity, hoping that Harry would magically read her mind and do it himself? Of course not.

Y/N bit her lip, hearing the door open and close as Harry exited her apartment. He said a quick goodbye to her, informing her of his whereabouts before leaving with a peck to her head. Harry assumed she was resting a bit—as she often did while she was studying. She could get moody most of the time too and maybe that’s why he didn’t think much of it when she hummed in response.

Alone with her thoughts, Y/N felt a tear drip to her hairline, cooling her skin with the path it took. Her chest crumbled with a shudder as a small sob managed to rip through her throat. The sound reverberated in the barren room to echo back in her ears and it reminded her of how weak she was. Very weak that she was doubting her self-worth for a man that was so stable, so sure, and completely unapologetic for being himself.

Y/N compared herself to a lot of people she deemed better than her. She didn’t predict that she would compare herself to Harry. To be so insecure and shaky with herself—unsure whether she was enough or not. It wasn’t right but she couldn’t help but feel unworthy of everything. Jealousy directed to Harry for having something that she wanted—confidence. Insecurity projected to Camille for being someone that she wanted to be because sometimes being yourself isn’t enough.

It was the sad reality of having a mind like Y/N’s and she so badly wished that she could specifically rewire her brain to not think like that. She should be happy with what she’s got. Her body, her mind, her little quirks that Harry absolutely adored but she despised. Not once did Harry explicitly cross-sectioned her and Camille to each other but it felt like his friendly words and supportive actions towards her told enough.

She can never be Camille and Y/N was disappointed in herself because of that.

------

When Camille answered the door for Harry, his mind was figuring out ways to comfort her as a friend. She greeted him with a small smile, wiping the grin off of his face, fully knowing that it used to be much wider, brighter in a sense that it made her face more angelic. He really did love her with the fullness of his heart. It made him frown a bit, toeing off his Chelsea boots beside the closet nearby. His socked feet pattering against the cold marble of her house, sending a chill down his spine.

“Want some tea?” Camille asked, noticing his shiver. She plugged in the electric kettle having been already filled with water beforehand despite his retorts. Camile never really listened to him. Regardless, he stretched his arms over his head, puffing his cheeks out as he situated them on his slim hips,

“How are you?” His quirked brow caused her to pause, slowly shutting the drawer that held the various teas she could offer. Her demeanour put him off--she used to be more lively.

“Better now that you’re here,” Camille responded, seeming to float on her feet to grab two mugs from the cupboard. Her feet tiptoed to the high shelf, failing to get the object and causing her to huff in frustration. A warmth behind her back and a small touch to her elbow made her freeze, Harry’s tattooed arm passing in her peripherals to help her out, his height easily becoming an advantage.

He took a couple of steps back, watching her turn around hesitantly, “T-thanks,” She ducked away from him to pour the boiling water in the mugs. She gulped, shaking her head softly to try to get rid of her thoughts. Harry had moved on from her-- that she knew for sure, but Camille couldn’t help the persisting thoughts overtaking her mind. She still wished that he held feelings for her. They were together for quite some time and she just couldn’t believe that feelings could disappear that quickly. Hers was still lingering around, like the ghost of a smile that he showed her right now. A relic of what they had, soon vanishing from her grasp and existing only her memories.

“Are you really okay? The tabloids can be a bit tough,”

The more she thought about it, the more she was sure of her answer and the problem that arose with it. The fact was she was okay, and frankly, she felt a bit guilty having Harry come over all the way here for a dilemma that he thought was about the media. She felt as though she tricked him just so she could see his built frame, hear his raspy voice, and fill her senses with his natural scent--just like she used to before they broke it off; before she let his good nature slip between her thin fingers to replace him with who she thought was better. Camille missed him to the point of desperation, a little white lie that had him caging her in a corner to help her alleviate the pressure of the outside world.

He spun slightly on the stool, pausing when he saw her lips stutter around her words.

“The media doesn’t bother me,” She admitted, lashes casting downward to the floor. His heavy hand cradled her shoulder, shooting her a gentle smile.

“Hey, you don’t have to lie. It’s me,” His voice was soft, piercing her insides with remorse. “Just Harry. You and me, remember?”

She stared at him longingly, yet he failed to notice the heart eyes she was currently oogling him with. It used to be her and Harry. Camille and Harry, together against the world. He used to say it when things got too rough; when the pressure of everyone drowned them from what was important--each other.

“Not anymore. It’s you and Y/N now,” Despite hating the fact that the curly-haired man wasn’t hers anymore, Camille couldn’t spit the couples’ name out in spite. Although her heart ached to have him back, the logical part of her knew that he was happier in the arms of someone else.

He furrowed his brows in a confused manner, wondering why Y/N was suddenly in the picture, “What was that?”

Camille swallowed harshly, deciding to rip the words from her throat, “I still love you, Harry.”

Harry dropped the hand from her should, eyeing the steaming cup of tea wafting in the air. He was taken aback by her words, not knowing what to say but aware that his feelings for her were nonexistent.

“C-Camille, you know I’m with her,” He began, hoping that his words did enough to comfort her. “I love Y/N.”

She blinked, a tear splashing on the counter, fully prepared of his response but it did not come any easier. It still hurt to hear him admit that what they had was in the past. “I know,”

“I’m sorry,” He pulled small body towards him, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, his chin resting at the top of her blonde head. Camille let herself be cradled for what she knew was the final time, savouring the moment that his strong arms protected her from anything that could ever hurt her, even though she hurt him first.

Harry felt a push to his chest, the blonde woman wiping away a few stray tears, chuckling at the situation, “You should probably go back home to her now,”

He admired her bravery, putting up a strong front for his happiness, unlike his petty self. “Friends?”

She nodded in agreement, pushing him towards the front door, “Yes. Now, go!”

----

The door creaked open, Harry’s head peeping out of the crack before carefully pushing the barricade to let his slim body through. His head whizzed in confusion as he saw the living room lights switched off, just as he’d left it, not seeing his love sitting on the carpet engaging in her studies. Usually, he’d be able to hear her before he saw her but silence met his ears tonight, leaving him scouting for an explanation in curiosity.

Small sniffles echoed from her bedroom door as he took timid steps, the floorboard weeping with each movement. He twisted the knob, gently revealing Y/N’s slouched body, back against the headboard. Her eyes widened at his presence, quickly palming her damp cheeks to her hairline in an attempt to hide her tears. The tip of her nose was blush pink and a little runny, but he couldn’t care less about her appearance. What matters the most to Harry right now was his little honey crying and he didn’t know why-- so he asked.

“And don’t say it’s nothing. You’re crying.” His lips were set in a thin line, turned down at the sides.

Y/N peeked at him through her wet lashes, hesitating with her words, leaving her mouth agape as they stared at each other. Harry’s face was mounted with worry, brows furrowing as if to weigh out the possibilities.

“Where did you go?” Y/N asked with a tone that Harry could not quite comprehend.

He strode to the side of the bed, shifting his bum on the soft mattress. She didn’t move farther away, yet she did not scoot over to his body like she usually would. “I went to see Camille,”

“Why?”

The moisture in his throat managed to vanish in the short time span-- he swallowed heavily. “S-she needed me,”

Y/N’s breath hitched, snapping her head down towards her hands fiddling with a minute stain on the bedsheet while Harry’s head flopped to try to catch her stare. He could always affirm what she was thinking off just by a glance at her eyes.

“Hey, hey, what’s this about?” Harry hummed mildly, caressing an arm across the expanse of her shoulders. “Need’ to tell me so I can fix it,”

And his words hurt, despite the meaning behind them because he was Harry and he is nice and kind to everyone he meets. Y/N’s clouded mind couldn’t help but think of the worse--what made her so special? Did she even stand out to him or was she just like everyone else? Before, she felt on top of this world special but to know that he could do the same for anyone else was a slap to the face.

“You come running every time she needs you?” She shrugged his arm off, moving her legs in a criss-cross position under the sheets to feel more stable. Harry tilted his head in surprise at the sudden change in her mood.

“She was sad about the tabloids, I had to go. She called me--,”

“I know. I heard.” Y/N snarked. Looking out to her window, she could see the sun slowly setting across the horizon--she couldn’t wait for this day to be over.

Harry didn’t know what to say, his eyes held confusion and wonder to what she was pertaining to. Was Y/N jealous?

“‘Said she was the ‘kindest, sweetest person’ you’ve ever been with’. I wonder where I’ve heard of that before--oh wait,” Y/N zeroed in on his figure, a crease was firm on her forehead. “Is that just something you say to everyone?”

The staredown she was giving him had him shaking in his boots; his mistake fluttering in every corner of his brain, alarm blaring that he truly fucked up. He didn’t even realize the gravity of his words, knowing that deep in his heart, he only wanted to make Camille feel better.

“Did you even mean it when you said it to me?” Her voice cracked a bit during the duration of her question, reminiscing the context to which he let the words slip past his pink lips. It was the first time he professed his love for her, complimenting her with butterfly-inducing graces that had heart thumping through her chest. “Did you mean it when you said that you loved me?”

“Of course I did,” Harry responded right away, shaking his head in rejection at her accusation. “Don’t you dare question it. I love you. Always,”

She breathed in deeply, letting his response sink in her bones, left to wonder where this conversation would go.

“I-I didn’t realize I said that to her,” He started off, scrambling for words without getting tongue-tied. “I swear I didn’t. I was only trying to make her feel better..”

“But you hurt me instead,”

“I didn’t mean to!” He almost yelled in frustration, voice dwindling when she moved away from him slightly. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

He took her hand in his, grazing his thumb against her silky skin. “I love you, Y/N.”

She didn’t move an inch, trying to categorize what was real and what was a shadow of her doubtful thoughts against him.

“Camille used to be that person but she’s not anymore--you are.” Harry stuffed a hand in his hair, tugging at the roots as he chuckled humourlessly, “I was blinded by love but not anymore. She didn’t feel the same way a-and she cheated on me.”

Y/N tightened her fingers around his, making him smile subtly, his dimples concaving against his cheek. He returned the squeeze back to her, “And then I found you. You showed me how to love again and what it’s like to be loved.”

His unoccupied fingers lifted her chin up so that he could gaze into her lovely eyes while he dictated honest words from to bottom of his heart, “I love you.”

Sometimes Y/N couldn’t help but let her insecurities drown her in distasteful thoughts. Words created by her saboteur to tear her down because she believed she didn’t deserve the love she shared with Harry-- because she was too plain, too broken to be given a love’s miracle that she forgot how much he did love her.

And at this moment, observing the emotions that flooded his eyes, his face and the aura he was presenting as if he would be lost without her---she knew that look. It was the same loved up gaze that he gave her across the console while he thought she was too distracted by keeping her eyes on the road. She felt it burning her cheek as she read the materials for her courses, deeming her too engrossed in learning that Y/N wouldn’t notice the admiration he held for her. The look that draped over her naked body when they made love, her hair acting as a curtain from the ministrations of the outside world while she rode him with passion. Harry stared up at her with ardent, her eyes blissed out and pink lips damp with their heated kisses--a look of love that she noticed despite the pleasure overtaking her body.

He loves her and only her.

——

hello! I’m not sure if you guys are liking the content I put out or if tumblr is just being weird 😩😫

anyways, I hope you enjoyed this!

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Insecurities (2) Taglist: @littlewolfieposts @zavidzobrik rik

#harry styles one shot #harry styles imagine #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you

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mediaevalmusereads · 3 years

Text

The Devil Comes Courting. By Courtney Milan. Self-Published (?), 2021.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: historical romance

Part of a Series? Yes, Worth Saga #3

Summary: Captain Grayson Hunter knows the battle to complete the first worldwide telegraphic network will be fierce, and he intends to win it by any means necessary. When he hears about a reclusive genius who has figured out how to slash the cost of telegraphic transmissions, he vows to do whatever it takes to get the man in his employ. Except the reclusive genius is not a man, and she’s not looking for employment. Amelia Smith was born in Shanghai, and taken in by English missionaries. She’s not interested in Captain Hunter’s promises or his ambitions. But the harder he tries to convince her, the more she realizes that there is something she wants from him: She wants everything. And she’ll have to crack the frozen shell he’s made of his heart to get it.

***Full review under the cut.***

Content Warnings: graphic sexual content, racism (mostly microaggressions), references to child abduction

Overview: I'm a simple girl. I see a new Courtney Milan book, I read it. I was expecting this book to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to be so raw, emotional, and satisfying in almost every way. If I had to quibble, I would say that I would have liked to see a stronger focus on developing the romance, but as it stands, The Devil Comes Courting is an engaging read that deftly deals with topics such as colonialism, racism, grief, and family.

Writing: Milan's prose, as always, feels effortless while delivering a lot of information. It balances telling and showing well, and evokes a lot of emotion without feeling burdened by flowery language.

The only criticism I have is that in the first half of the book, there are some phrases that characters use that start to feel repetitive. It isn't a big deal, as they're supposed to be repeated (as a way for characters to remind themselves of things), but as a reader, I felt a little irritated. Luckily, this repetition clears up by the second half of the book, so if you also feel annoyed, you don't have to wait long.

Plot: The plot of this novel revolves around Grayson Hunter, a Black man intent on connecting China to America via a transpacific telegraph network, and Amelia Smith, a Chinese woman raised by an English missionary and who has invented a way to transmit Chinese characters via wire.

The first half of the book follows Grayson as he convinces Amelia to abandon her mother's plans to marry her off. Appealing to Amelia's ambition, he convinces her to come to Shanghai to work for him, all while building up her confidence and inspiring her. The second half more or less focuses on the development of the telegraph line as well as Amelia's longing for her Chinese mother, Grayson's obsession with work to avoid confronting his feelings of grief, and the budding relationship between the two.

I really loved this plot. It showed us Milan's nerdy interest in a topic (the telegraph line) while also exploring complex emotions connected to the history of colonialism. I loved how Milan handled Amelia's feelings of being torn between cultures, all without excusing the actions of those who participated in colonialism; despite Amelia having complicated reactions to her past, Milan does come down hard on what's right and doesn't try to redeem people who refuse to admit they have done wrong.

If I had any criticism of the plot, I think I would have personally liked to see arcs more strongly defined. There were some moments when I felt like I was just following characters in their day-to-day activities, and while some of it was interesting, there were times when I was wondering what larger goal the plot was heading towards. This is a minor criticism, however; because of the rich character exploration, I didn't mind following Amelia and Grayson, but if you're a plot person (rather than a character person), you may disagree.

Characters: I love how this book proves that you can have a historical romance about people of color without focusing on suffering.

Amelia, a Chinese woman raised by an English missionary, is quirky in that she's scatter-brained, bright, and kind. I loved that she was portrayed as incredibly smart and ambitious, and that her main character flaw was needing to believe in herself. I also loved how she wrestled with her feelings about her past - Amelia longs to meet her Chinese mother and ask why she left her, and I loved how Milan used that longing to fuel her desire to connect China to the rest of the world via wire.

Grayson, a Black man who obsesses over the telegraph wire as a way to avoid coming to terms with his brothers' deaths, is similarly likeable in that he's ambitious and kind. I loved that he was ruthless in pursuing Amelia (to work for him) but also respected her boundaries and let her make decisions for herself (rather than manipulating her into doing something). I loved the way Milan handled Grayson's grief and how his work on the telegraph was both a worthy project and an externalization of his character flaws.

Side characters were charming as well as helpful for facilitating Amelia's and Grayson's character arcs. Benedict, who is a character from the previous two Worth books, was quite adorable and had a nice little arc of his own. I think Benedict's arc complimented Amelia's and Grayson's well, though it will have more significance if you've read the first two books in the series. I also liked Amelia's adopted brother, Leland, whose arc explores and exposes the immorality of missionary work. Grayson's cousin, Zed, was also delightful in that he pushed Grayson to spend time with his family, which was important for exploring Grayson's complex feelings about his mother.

The book's antagonist (if we can really call her that) is Amelia's adoptive English missionary mother, who I think exhibits the right combination of genuine love for her child and toxic, manipulative behavior. I liked that Milan wrote this character so complexly because it helped explore nuances in the actions of individual colonists. The subtle racism (microaggressions, superiority complex, etc.) worked better, in my opinion, than overt racism (slurs, etc.) because they painted a more realistic and interesting picture of someone who believes she is doing good while actually doing a lot of harm.

Romance: In my opinion, the romance in this book was less interesting than the independent development of the characters. Don't get me wrong - I loved Amelia's and Grayson's interactions. I loved how they teased each other, I loved how Grayson inspired Amelia to believe in herself, and I loved how Amelia pushed Grayson to find happiness. I also very much enjoyed the little numbered letters that they wrote to each other and how their character arcs paralleled one another (both had to do with family).

But personally, I didn't feel like the romantic aspect of this relationship was passionate enough. I got the vibe that Amelia and Grayson were close confidantes rather than lovers - but it may be my own tastes or even unconscious bias, so I don't think readers should take this as a damning criticism.

I did appreciate, however, that the romance didn't fit the mold of a lot of other romances. Amelia never asks Grayson to change re: settling down, and both respect each other's boundaries. They also both don't want children, and neither of them face pressure to change their minds. As a result, this romance felt unique, and the fact that neither character was an upper class person in England helped a lot, too.

TL;DR: The Devil Comes Courting is a rich, evocative romance that explores colonialism, family, and grief without wallowing in misery. The unique, likeable characters on their own are enough to love this novel, but the deviation from romance genre norms (such as setting, social class, etc.) will surely satisfy readers looking to expand their horizons.

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cloveroctobers · 4 years

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(A/n: this might be a little biased since I’m in love with this man & I’m basing the relationship parts of this on my mc/myself so hope y’all don’t mind 😬)

IG info/bio: @/lucas.koh | 93.1k followers | for business inquires please visit: kohptr.com

LUCAS KOH —

27 (28) years old

From Oxford, England

Father is Korean & a car salesman at a Nissan dealership, he’s a strict/serious man who has high morals but beyond that he can actually be a softie in rare moments (+ that’s who Lucas gets his height from 🤤)

Mother is actually Chinese but lived in Korea studying abroad and eventually became a successful chiropractor (s/o to doctor mondragon on YouTube who I watch to help me sleep some nights and wish I could see! Lol) with her own practice. She’s a firecracker, intelligent, and quick to say what’s on her mind and doesn’t care if you like what she’s got to say. Most patients like that about her, she’s honest and her family is used to her ways but in the same way it’s more loving than offensive? (Smol woman but will remind you when she’s cracking your body she’s got enough power in her)

Either he’s a only child or he comes from a family of all boys with two younger brothers (they’re all in their 20’s) or he has one younger brother and one younger sister idk you decide

I’m feeling like he’s a Sagittarius? Carefree in the terms of he wasn’t viewing finally getting with MC when she’s dating someone else as cheating. Mans was READY to risk it all for me okay and I was down for it but ofc I had to react realistically and NOT “cheat.” *sigh* one part of me was debating ‘are we really dating tho bobby? We’re on reality tv. We’re not gonna die without each other if we hang out in seperate rooms’ *cough* Nope. but I’m a woman about her loyalty

He’s definitely adventurous. I don’t see him as the type to want to stay home all the time even tho his work definitely keeps him busy/exhausted. He’s down for road trips 💯

Occupation? Physicotherapist. His mother inspired him to get into the field and watching sports + the way players got their injuries always intrigued him? So to provide the best plan to have someone heal was something he loved to do plus being hands on while teaching/helping was a passion for him + I feel like he would also use a massaging technique instead of the usual exercise part of it

Now as someone who suffered a ACL & Mensicus tear & is STILL dealing with this BS pain years later, I would be so thankful to have him around! I feel like he’d have a optimistic attitude towards his patients and that’s what people need not someone that’s insensitive (like my surgeon/PT’s I had)

He models from time to time, when he was first approached about it he was upfront about not wanting to do it. It was much different than getting your picture taken for the office. That’s usually quick, the whole modeling process felt longer but somehow he was talked into it by his brother who’s a photographer and his mother. “Do you think you’re ugly? ‘Cause I’m not and you’re a part of me, so therefore there’s no such thing. Just look at your cheekbones, your jawline! I gave you those. The only good thing your father gave you was height.” Which filled the house with snickers while Lucas’ father just rolled his eyes and continued reading his newspaper for breakfast

Has a motorcycle and some luxurious car—not a Tesla those are basic now 🤷🏽‍♀️

Loves his motorcycle so much he’s got a tat of it on his right bicep

He has two available parking spaces in his parking garage at his penthouse but keeps his bike away in a storage unit due to a neighbor scratching it after his girlfriend broke up with him? Saying she was off to date Lucas? But that wasn’t true at all. He barely knew the girl, they didn’t live on the same floor. People were crazy but if you push him his temper might come out

Owns a leather jacket that he paid a lot for

Believes in “treat yo self” if it means in quality when shopping and has no issue being a big spender but he knows how to manage it well (his father told him all about how his own father dealt with bankruptcy)

Since he’s often at the office the whole day, he’s usually a night owl. He loves night drives and night dining. That’s usually when he finds the best places to eat

There’s this one pho spot that he loves and it’s his go to spot when he wants something quick on the way home

Cannot sleep with his entire body covered in covers, either his arms/shoulders have to be out or his legs, which would be a issue for me/mc since I sleep with the covers over my entire body...yes even in hot weather with the AC cranked up😂

He also makes great kimchi fried rice & loves Italian food

Will wine and dine. I believe it. I envision it! He loves going out on dates with his significant other (If he’s single and not with me, I think he’d try out speed dating)

Will dress to impress, will buy you a new fit he wants to see you/us/mc in especially if it’s your anniversary

Loves taking bubble bath’s with infused oils or flower petals with significant other

He’s the type that takes long showers & it brings him a true sense of freedom. He’s never able to take a quick shower, he gets lost in his ideas of what to do next in this world & it’s limitless

If he’s in for the day, which usually doesn’t last long—he’s either in sweats or in a robe all day

Only drives his bike on the weekend or if he’s going out of town but if he’s going on a trip for a couple of days with MC & if she’s got a bit of anxiety like me? He’ll stick to his car to make them comfortable

I feel like he enjoys the winter season. Maybe if it’s a slushy rainy winter more than a blizzards/snowy season. He loves bundling up, much to people’s surprise. He’s more than just his good looks and body love island fans!!!

Doesn’t post much on his socials. If you need to see what he’s about then you should do so in person or already know who he is. The internet can’t tell you much, in his opinion

Keeps himself in good health, I mean duh what kind of PT would he be 😉 goes on night jogs with reflector clothes on & occasionally morning jogs & at home workouts

Probably will date someone younger than him. Not by much, I don’t think he can take immaturity well. (That maybe how he views it) The most is 4 years younger than him

Henrik is his best bud from the show. They hang out all the time, crash at each other’s places, and vacation together all the time. They will be each other’s future best men forsure

Doesn’t go out of his way to talk to the rest of the guys from the show but if he happens to browse his feed and sees something he wants to comment on then he’ll carry a conversation of course

Far as the girls? He talks to Hannah & Priya from time to time. He also follows Hope and they like each other’s posts but not much communication is there either?

Either has a mint or black phone case, probably a Samsung galaxy user

Likes pistachio frozen yogurt but he’s lactose & doesn’t want to believe it :(

Smokes cigars when he’s out with his boys

Has a tight knit group of friends, majority of them are from the medical field since they all went to uni together + most of them are also married so the pressure is so on

*He’s the oldest out of his sibs so according to his parents he’s expected to be married first yet his baby sis is engaged and she’s 23*

wants a family...eventually. Probably will happen in his early thirties? The max for children is 2 for him. He knows they can be a HANDFUL due to his own friends who have kids + he’s a godfather and he’s babysat before so he knows how it goes!

enjoys his freedom as stated which further proves he’s a sag lol

Enjoys going to saunas to cleanse his pores/ get rid of toxins. It’s the easiest way for him to do so even tho his brother clowns him for it

His love language is deff physical touch. He loves hugs and resting his chin on top of your head, forehead to forehead, his nose pressed in between the space of your neck and shoulder, gentle squeezes, sitting next to each other with your legs touching, cuddling, sleeping on top of you or you on him, etc

He loves kissing. It’s automatic for him and it can also easily rile him up

Has strong opinions & will show them but will feel like he’s being attacked if it brings on a confrontation/argument

Will forgive and forget

Plays strategy board games

Makes his own natural healing creams & gives samples to his patients depending on their needs

His fav colors are: blue, white, & grey

Will grow a bit of facial hair in the cooler months if it’ll make mc happy (I’m a sucker for facial hair but hate it on myself lmao) but if he dislikes the feeling on his face he will shave and finds he likes a shaven face better, the facial hair makes him look a bit older—which is okay but that’s just his preference

When he stops putting gel in his hair/styling his hair in a quiff hairstyle it shocks fans with mc commenting on one of his pics, “you’re welcome x”

Likes going to the Hard Rock Cafe on causal weekends

also likes getting freaky in public, down for whatever 🤪

He’s a traveler so if he leaves the UK, I’m seeing him land in Toronto, Canada first and falling in love with it. I feel he would vibe well with the culture there, might even consider getting a vacation home in that location

Celeb crushes? Anne Hathaway, Beyoncé, Lupita Nyong'o, Anna Diop, Imaan Hammam, Jodie Comer, Megan Fox, Shay Mitchell, & Cassie Ventura Fine

Oh Lucas. I feel like we have similar tastes? Somewhat. He probably listens to more rock than I do? Maybe 80s rock moreso? & He listens to: WALK THE MOON, Allen Stone (his fav) , Emily king, Gavin Turek, Melanie Fiona, THEY., DPR live, & Sik-k

Anthem = Young the Giant, “Something to believe in”

#litg #litg2 #litg s2 #litg lucas #litg henrik #litg mc #litg au #litg headcanon #litg headcanons #litg hannah #litg hope #litg nope

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septiembrre · 3 years

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Get to be mine: 4, 8, 9, 12

4. What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

I’ll pick a Ch 2 goodie:

“So, then what are our other rules for touching?”

His eyes travel down her frame, what’s visible behind the counter at least. “Like if I can touch your—“

“No!” Beth says, exasperated.

Quickly, he backs off, playing faux-chivalrous, “Oh, so you just mean holding hands and whatnot?”

“Yeah.”

Rio’s eyebrows scrunch together and he slowly shakes his head at her in disbelief.

Beth’s voice comes out embarrassingly small. “You don’t want to hold hands?”

“Yeah, you can hold my hand.” He says it like the most obvious thing in the world. Beth flings her gaze out into the storeroom, willing for some supernatural force to spirit her away.

“Okay.”

“O-kay.”

They’re back to awkwardly nodding in silence. She looks back at him. At this point, eye contact is still really too much for Beth to handle, but she refuses to look away again.

“You can also touch my--“ Her eyes dart down to her hips. “You know. If you insist.”

Rio’s back to biting his lip. The expression on his face is amused? Pained? Beth can’t quite say.

“‘Kay. You can grab my ass, too.” Beth squawks. “Y’know, so it’s fair.”

She eyes him reproachfully. “Fine. I will.”

Look y’all, I know what show I’m watching!!! But, can they please have a normal-person conversation about boundaries oh my god. Not that the above is a normal-person conversation. My larger scale point is that this lack of boundary articulation really came to bite Beth in the ass in Chapter 4.

8. Did any real people or events inspire any part of it?

My OC Marjorie is absolutely based off of someone I’ve met in real life who went to law school, hated being an atty and then became a pretty successful romance novelist. IRL Marjorie is in fact the coolest human.

The grief subplot in the story is also inspired by losing my grandmother last year. It was an expected loss — one my mom and I had anticipated for years — but of course, despite bracing for it, her death was still somehow sudden and her passing really reconfigured the dynamics our family. I wanted to write about exploring the way relationships shift after a family member dies, the way that this part of life is really normal, but also really sucks, and how complicated it is for individual family members to process grief differently.

Lol, GTBM isn’t that deep or anything, but it is fun to play around in that space for the scenes the OCs are “on screen”. It was really born out of… how do I not make this boring for myself to write? And I hope it’s interesting for people to read!

9. Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

The idea was always that Beth was going to get her hands on a printing press and there would be fake dating.

My first idea was that Beth would buy the press from a community printing press going out of business and the fic would explore the repercussions of lost community space, Detroit as a location was going to be more of a presence, and Beth navigating to be a responsible business owner while also doing her shady dance with Rio. In that version, Rio was going to be playing up his art heaux-vibe to scoop the press (and he was going to win the bid). It was also going to explore the history of community presses as feminist, queer and POC spaces and ~intersectionality. But navigating that and the crime plot was Too Much.

I like what I went with — its themes feel more closely aligned with the show.

I also wrote this excerpt below as the first thing for the fic. I ended up retooling some of it for the first kiss that actually appears in GTBM.

She turns what she knows what Annie calls her Bambi eyes at him, can’t help but beseech him. She pulls herself flush to his chest and gingerly threads her hand at nape of his neck - like before.

She can’t read the emotion on his face. His whole body is tense.

Beth dully notes that this might be what finally gets him to shoot her.

She follows her fingers as they trace his cheek bone, his jaw, the cleft at his chin, and then his lips, playing her bit. A few inches from his mouth, her gaze darts back up to him and she murmurs. “I’m sorry.”

Like most of their interactions these days, she can’t tell if he’s pissed, bored, or… or if he wants it.

It makes her pause.

“May I?” Anyone else in the room would think it was a whispered nothing. She’s violated so many of his boundaries and the thought of how much he might not want this makes her feel sick.

She wants to save their lives. She wants to keep them safe. She wants them to win. She wants them to be a team.

He eyes her steadily. “Go for it.”

Well. Fuck it.

She brings her lips to his.

She had only ever kissed him that one afternoon. She had tried to quash the feelings of that day down deep inside her. But, sometimes she would find herself in the middle of a thought and there would be an echo of his lips against hers, a hand tugging at her hips, another gripping at her ass, the firm heat of him pressing against.

On days when she was alone, her husband at work, left unsatisfied, she touched herself thinking about what it would be like to kiss Rio again. She had imagined something furious, angry, biting, nothing quite so soft.

12: What do you like least about this fic?

I’m getting in my head about making sure that it’s “good”.

I’m writing GTBM to:

1. Become a better writer.

2. To get the experience of taking a daydream and fleshing it out into an absurd, lovely fanfic novel.

3. To have fun while hanging out in my house during the pandemic.

4. To keep myself busy and my partner company as she slogs through 70+ hour workweeks.

However, because I am spending so much time with this story, I am also putting a lot of pressure on myself to create some sort of idealized, “perfect” fic. I want people to like it. I want it to be 100% clever. But, this is the first time I’m tried long format and engaged with writing a meatier plot, multiple arcs, and utilizing a cast of characters — it’s not going to be perfect but it’s still a worthwhile endeavor.

But I spend a lot of time thinking: Is this good enough? The question is healthy to a certain degree — editing is a necessary skill. But, I have a hard time remembering it’s not going to be perfect and it doesn’t need to be perfect.

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p1harmonyofficial · 3 years

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[📰] P1Harmony Gets Candid About Music, Bonds, and P1ece (INTERVIEW)

By Aedan Juvet

It’s only been a few months since the debut P1Harmony, however, the next-gen K-pop group radiates a wonderful sense of promise for the future of the industry. From their cinematic debut to their second veteran-like sound on the new EP DISHARMONY: BREAK OUT, P1Harmony has revealed major respect for bold concepts that fuels each step of their creative trajectory. The group has carefully presented some of the most in-your-face tracks in recent years, with “That’s It” (from their debut album) being a song that remains untouchable for its uninterrupted flow. The fast-paced verses, blended talent, and group unity introduced by P1Harmony helped manufacture their perceived work ethic, and the group now aims to expand on that with new and exciting content. While it might be the safe choice to keep music limited to pop-music constructs, P1Harmony has proven they aren’t in this for the lifestyle – but the six-member groups desires to leave an impression on the world through music. The group has openly stated they would ideally spotlight societal flaws and honesty through high-energy tracks, or softly delivered somber songs, because of an authentic penchant for narrative-building. The group’s newest release DISHARMONY: BREAK OUT polishes their trademark sound, still managing to begin an exploratory trek. On the new EP, there’s such a strong coalescence of rap, R&B, and pop music components in P1Harmony, that the group has grown in spades with just two releases in a matter of months. On tracks like “If You Call Me” the singers have a melancholy approach to a high-caliber R&B energy. Others on the EP like “Pyramid” or “Scared” play up the group’s self-assured state, offering a look at the confidence required to take on such a changing industry. The group’s vocal prowess plays a pivotal role in their new music, getting a chance to not only push their own limits as artists but to push the context in which their music is received. To attentively show such a dynamic range with their sound this early into their careers suggests that the group has taken an unflinching approach to their craft. With momentum like that, there’s reason to believe that P1Harmony will continuously push limits as they explore their potential legacy. With their new album out now, we were able to speak to P1Harmony about who particularly impressed the group this EP, their favorites tracks, their relationships with one another, and much more – because there’s a lot to break down.

We first met you through a film that leads into music, which was a first for a group. What was that transitional period like leading from a film to a debut album? KEEHO: We started preparing for our debut album right after the movie, so we just trained a lot. JIUNG: It was an exciting time because we were all very curious as to what the response would be like since it was a unique & interesting way to debut as a K-pop group with a full-length movie. INTAK: We spent a lot of time training and practicing for our debut album. It was probably one of our busiest times. SOUL: We did nothing but prepare for our album! JONGSEOB: I think it was an interesting way to introduce ourselves as a group and our worldviews. During the time in between, all we really did was prepare for the album You then dropped your EP and debuted in the top 5 on Gaon with over 35,000 albums sold. To debut so strong must have been an exciting kickstart to your careers! Did that add any pressure to you with this second album, or did it give you more comfort in knowing that you already had an audience who understood your music? KEEHO: It’d be a lie to say that we didn’t feel any pressure. We have full confidence in our music and work, but there were some concerns as to whether or not our fans would like our music. We also felt a bit pressured knowing that there may be a chance that more people would hear our music this time around, so we definitely worked harder to make sure we had high-quality music and visuals. THEO: I think our 2nd EP really shows how much effort we put in, and the quality of our music proves it, so I felt more confidence than pressure. JIUNG: I think it was both for me. I wanted to show how much we’ve improved since our first album, so there was definitely pressure while working on the album, but I was also excited to give our fans something they would like and find comfort in. INTAK: I was a bit pressured but confident at the same time! SOUL: I didn’t feel any pressure. I just wanted more people to hear our music, so I was only focused on training harder. JONGSEOB: To be honest, I felt less pressure for our 2nd EP than I did with our first. I was rather more calm and excited that more people were listening to our music and recognizing us.

This newest album was such a spectacular showing of what you can do and totally well-represented your group’s sound. However, if you each had to pick a single to represent your own individual DISHARMONY: BREAK OUT vibe, what would you choose? KEEHO: For me, it’s “If You Call Me.” I love the vibe and ambiance of this song very much. THEO: I would pick “Scared.” Not only is it our title track, but also because I think it’s a song that best represents the album. JIUNG: It’s “Scared” for me too. I think as a lead single it carries the all-around, general message of the album very well, and the vibe of the song is really addicting. INTAK: I would say it’s “Scared” too because it really delivers the message we want. SOUL: I would say it’s “Pyramid” and “Scared.”

JONGSEOB: I agree with Soul! I firmly believe that “If You Call Me” is one of the best tracks of 2021 so far, so is there any special memory about that track’s creation that stands out to you? KEEHO: Thank you! It’s a very meaningful song for us because it’s based on what we felt and heard while we were doing charity work. THEO: I agree with Keeho. We tried to convey exactly what we felt while we were doing charity work. JIUNG: Thank you! Honestly, the process of making this track wasn’t easy and there were a lot of edits, especially while we were making the chorus because we couldn’t really figure out the melody line. I remember being in the studio, and we just had the song on repeat while Keeho sang [impromptu] until we finally figured it all out. INTAK: I wanted to write something that would last in peoples’ hearts, so I looked up a lot of videos on people that are volunteers for all kinds of non-profit organizations. I was so inspired that I think I was able to write lyrics that were truly touching and meaningful. SOUL: For me, it’s special because it’s a song that we all worked on together as a team. JONGSEOB: First and foremost, thank you so much for selecting this song as the best track of 2021! I think the song turned out to be one of the more impressive songs, because we all worked on it together. What is really special about this song is the creative process; we all brought melody lines that we personally liked, and from there we as a team worked on what would be our individual parts and made edits together to complete the song. Was this EP something that had been worked on prior to debut, or was it right on the heels of your debut EP? KEEHO: There are songs that we worked on even before our debut, so I think we worked on it for quite some amount of time. THEO: We worked on it for a long time. JIUNG: We worked on our 2nd EP even before our official debut, so it took longer than we had anticipated because we wanted it to be flawless.

INTAK: It took some time because we also had to prepare and create performances for each track. SOUL: We spent a lot of time working on the album, but we also spent a lot of time learning the choreography for all the tracks. JONGSEOB: We started actually preparing for our 2nd album right after our debut promotions ended, and spent a lot of time editing [lyrics], and creating and training our dance performances. If you each had to name a member who surprised you most while working on the new album, who would you pick? KEEHO: I pick Soul! I think Soul really evolved during this album-making process and his efforts really stand out. His solo, freestyle performance for “Scared,” is so amazing and it’s a must watch! THEO: I’d say it’s Jongseob because the melody line he crafted for “If You Call Me,” is the best. JIUNG: I say Soul. His freestyle performance for “Scared,” is shocking, in a good way, because it’s so impactful [in a short period of time]. It’s hard to pull off a dance move that intense and impactful at the same time, but somehow, he always nails it. INTAK: I would say Soul, too! If you’re curious to why, then please watch our “Scared” performance and you will see! SOUL: I was surprised by Theo’s dance moves. JONGSEOB: I pick Soul as well! The solo freestyle performance for “Scared” is very short but has a lasting impact. You’re still so fresh in the industry that you have a lot of time to get to adapt and evolve! What are you most looking forward to discovering together as new artists? KEEHO: I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to perform in many different countries! It’d be awesome to be able to perform and have a lot of people listen to our voice. THEO: I really want to launch our own world tour and want to perform on a big stage. JIUNG: I am looking forward to doing our own tour. I want to be able to feel the energy of a live audience and feel what it’s like to be able to engage with our fans in real-time. INTAK: I am looking forward to doing our solo concert as well. I think it’d be an amazing experience to be able to engage with our fans in person. JONGSEOB: I am looking forward to every single one of our live performances! Because you debuted during the pandemic, you probably got to spend a lot more time together without the distraction of others, or day-to-day events that come with launching your careers. Did that time give you a chance to get closer in-between projects? KEEHO: I think we got closer because we spent so much time together. But even if we weren’t under social restrictions, I think we would have gotten closer no matter what, because we just get along so well. THEO: I think we are too close! [laughs] JIUNG: We were close even before the pandemic, so I don’t think we got closer. We do spend most of our time together, almost every day, so I think we get closer as we spend more days together. INTAK: We are family, so I don’t think there is a particular reason as to what made us close or a special occasion that made me feel like we got closer. SOUL: I agree with Intak, I think of my members as family. JONGSEOB: Because we work and live together, our bonds and friendships are inseparable. Your dance covers, teasers for the new video, every visual presentation you deliver is so precise that I can only imagine the rehearsals are rigorous! Is it safe to assume that studio time is an everyday occurrence for P1Harmony? KEEHO: We feel a lot of responsibility for our work and output. We really try to be as perfect as we can be, so we are always practicing and refining our skills. THEO: We do spend a lot of time practicing because we all want to improve.

JIUNG: Like Keeho said, it’s a profession that requires a lot of responsibility, so we try to focus and spend our free time practicing. INTAK: We are ALWAYS practicing. SOUL: Yes! JONGSEOB: I think our everyday routine includes practice. It’s our main focus. If you had to characterize what you’ve learned about your growing fandom so far, what would you say you’ve discovered? KEEHO: I think our fans are particularly funny and want to engage a lot, so we have so much fun connecting with our fans. Seriously, they’re so fun to talk to, and we get a lot of energy from P1ece. THEO: I think it’s beautiful how supportive they are! JIUNG: I think our fans are amazing because they love us just for who we are and always trying to be more supportive than they already are! I am so grateful for them. INTAK: I think P1ece finds us cute [laughs]. SOUL: I have so much fun talking to our fans! They really are the best. JONGSEOB: I am always grateful for our fans because not only do they love our music but also love us for exactly who we are.

P1Harmony’s new EP, DISHARMONY: BREAK OUT is officially available now!

#p1harmony #ot6 #t:news #era:disharmony : break out #210609

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t100ficrecsblog · 4 years

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an interview with @burninghoneyatdusk (she/her) What are you working on right now? Right now I’m prioritizing prompts for the Bellarke Writers for BLM Initiative, which is a mix of new prompts and requests for WIP updates. I just posted a chapter update of my fic Voices in the Water, which is a canon-verse/everyone is a grounder arranged marriage AU with a bit of a twist, and next I’m working on a new prompt. After that, I’ve got three chapters of All Because of You requested. All Because of You is a modern AU with bellarke as *platonic* coparents. The story is told in alternating flashbacks and present day (every other chapter). The flashbacks focus on them growing closer during Clarke’s unplanned pregnancy and the present is seven years later, where they have to come to terms with their feelings for each other when Clarke gets engaged to someone else.

What’s something you’d like to write one day? I would love to publish a novel one day. For years I had a YA dystopian/time travel trilogy kind of planned but I poked too many holes in it and want to start from scratch in that regard. Another novel I want to write is one that covers three generations of women, looking at mother-daughter relationships, women in society, generational trauma… a lot of stuff. It was inspired by learning about my grandmother’s life more and thinking about how it impacted her relationship with my mother, and in turn my mother’s relationship with me.

For fanfiction, beyond my current prompts and WIPs, I have two other fics outlined. One is an AU inspired by the movie Plus One. The other is a soulmate AU that’s a bit dark and involves immortality, magic, and essentially Bellamy as a villain with a redemption arc.

What is the fanwork you’re most proud of? I think All Because of You will probably remain my most popular, but right now I’m most proud of Voices in the Water. More so than my other fics, it has a more concise plot and I’ve done a deeper dive into Clarke’s character as an Azgeda assassin and I think the reader really gets into her head more than my other multiple POV fics. It’s also my first canonverse fic and I’ve enjoyed diving into that world and expanding upon it where I want.

When did you first start writing fic? I didn’t start writing fic until the beginning of 2019. I first published in February 2019, which was Homesick (It’s a Bittersweet Feeling). It was my first fic and the only multichapter WIP that’s complete right now, so it’s a special story for me.

What frustrates you most about fic writing? I’ve mostly had only a positive experience with fanfic writing. With the exception of a couple stray comments, my readers have been gracious, kind, and most importantly, patient. But I guess it can be challenging when you self-impose pressure because you’re aware that people are waiting for you to publish so sometimes I rush things. I haven’t personally experienced this, but I think that fic writing can also be frustrating when readers feel like you owe them something or unnecessarily offer negative comments that aren’t at all constructive. Some people forget that people are publishing stories for free, in their spare time, often in addition to full-time jobs or school and parenting.

What are your top five songs right now? 1. castles (freya ridings) 2. maniac (conan gray) 3. fired up (grace carter) 4. I am not afraid (g flip) 5. wanna be (betty who)

What are your inspirations? (books, songs, other fic) I take inspiration from all of those things but I would say mostly quotes and random photos on tumblr. I wrote Homesick because I liked the step-siblings/forbidden trope and wanted to write in a small town setting like the one I grew up in. All Because of You was honestly the classic “this is my bedtime daydream story I think about every night” so it’s pretty self-indulgent with the tropes I wanted to use. Voices in the Water was started because I loved the grounder!Bellamy / arranged marriage trope. The wanheda twist came from me reading the 4x11 script to screen with Clarke trying to force herself to shoot Bellamy to save humanity, but realizing that she can’t.

What first attracted you to Bellarke? What attracts you now? I’m not sure I remember a specific moment but I think I remember bellarke being all over my tumblr dash when I started s2 so kind of paying close attention to them during s2. s2 was of course a great season for them and by the ‘knocking on heaven’s door’ scene in 2x16 I was a goner.

Regarding what drew me to them, I think I’ve always loved a good slow burn with the partners/”I’ve got your back” vibe that they have. My first (and biggest) OTP before them was tony & ziva from NCIS which is a really similar vibe although a very different show.

Besides Bellarke, what character or pairing do you like best on t100? I think that Memori is probably my second place ship. Before s7, I would say there was a HUGE gap between my love of Bellarke and Memori, but this season has made me an even bigger Memori fan. I have to say that while I don’t think there was ever a chance of Murven happening, I do understand why people ship it. I think they have great chemistry/a great dynamic and in another life, so to speak, I would have shipped them.

Regarding characters on their own, I just love all my delinquents, but I think that Murphy is solidly my third favorite character. Raven and Octavia are probably tied behind him.

Why did you decide to start bellarkefic-for-blm? I credit the reason to Kara ( @queenemori ). (Sidenote: everyone go follow her! She’s an amazing fanfic writer and overall just a really positive, awesome person to have in the fandom). I remember reading her post - and I won’t try to paraphrase, so please take the time to read her it - but in general it got me thinking about how we as a fandom could support the BLM movement in a substantial way that is more than just spreading posts on social media, and in a way that doesn’t lose momentum as time goes on and the movement becomes less “trendy.” I thought about how many people collectively read our fanfiction and how we provide it for free, and if people could just pay a few dollars or however much they can afford and donate that to the cause, we collectively could make a huge difference. So that’s what I’m hoping this is - making a substantial difference in a way that doesn’t fade in time and also uses the power of fandom in a useful way. We have a lot of power if we collectively put it towards something like this instead of fighting over ships or actors or whatnot. I also figured that maybe we’d have readers who weren’t paying attention to the movement and that maybe because they want to submit a prompt, they’d do some research on where to donate, and that in turn helps educate them on the issue - or is at least a start.

Has it been as successful as you’d hoped? So on the positive side, I do think it’s incredible that in about six weeks we’ve raised nearly $1250 and have been able to donate to a variety of organizations. I’m incredibly grateful for the authors donating their time and the enthusiastic readers participating. I don’t mean to sound negative at all, but if I’m being honest, I do feel a little frustration at the lack of participation across the fandom as a whole or maybe more specifically across the AO3 readers. I know that my WIP chapters average about 1k hits per update. That’s a lot of people. Even if you cut that in half because maybe people are rereading, that’s still 500 people. So why are only about 20 of my readers donating to this initiative? I think it’s a bit discouraging when you look at the percentage in that way.

That’s not to say that I don’t understand that some aren’t financially in a position to donate, but I’ve made it clear that there are other ways to contribute (e.g. signing petitions, writing to politicians) and there hasn’t been traction with that either. So I think that in general, something is always better than nothing and it has in no way discouraged me from continuing this. But I’m hoping that more people are able to participate as time goes on. It’s truly a win-win situation of generating more fanfics for readers and donating to an important issue, so I hope to see the percentage of fanfiction readers submitting prompts increase and am doing what I can to continue spreading the word about it.

I guess in summary what I’m saying is, I’m proud of what the fandom has done so far, but let’s step it up. We can do more, we can do better. Maybe people will get pissed I said that, but idk. If you read fic and can buy a $3 coffee, you can donate to this cause. It’s important. As was Kara’s point, let’s not see this momentum fade when the BLM movement becomes less ~trendy~.

What are some things you’d like to recommend? Instead of writing an essay about all the fics I love, I’d like to link both my bookmarked fics which is my complete list of bellarke fic recs.

I also want to recommend visiting the Bellarke Writers for BLM Initiative writers’ page - these writers are incredible so please go check out their existing works and continue requesting prompts for the BLM movement!

On the note of BLM, I'd also like to link this article. It's older, written in the aftermath of the Charleston attack, but it remains one of the most thought provoking pieces I've read on race in our country.

it was my honor to interview burninghoneyatdusk! honestly, if you aren’t reading Voices in the Water, which is Bellarke except Clarke is an assassin, you should be. it haunts me. she also organized the very cool bellarkefic-for-blm.

#bellarke fic #bellarke #the 100 fanfiction #memori #clarke griffin #interview

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rvdispatch · 3 years

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EPISODE TWO SUMMARY

Episode Two aired on May 7th, 2021, on MNet.

Episode Two gave us our first big challenge, dividing the trainees into teams and getting them to learn nine songs-- which songs they would be performing, however, wasn’t up to them. The goal of episode two was to see the trainees bonding, tensions rising, and to show how the trainees acting under significant pressure, seeing as this turned out to be the biggest challenge in the history of all three seasons. But little did they know, so much more was about to happen.

The episode started with the trainees waking up in the dorm. Shots were shown of various trainees getting ready, be it alone or in groups. Then producers lead them to the main stage, so they can be given their next challenge. Before that happens, however, each grade group votes for their team leader, with the results being Hwa as A grade leader, Ilhoon as B grade leader, Hope as C grade leader, and Minah as D grade leader.

When the challenge is announced, most trainees meet the description with a look of confusion– to help the viewers understand, MNet provides step-by-step graphics on how the episode play out. And then the teams are made. They are all are assigned a laptop with the songs, lyrics and choreography loaded and a room to practice in for the week, with many trainees noting in their confessionals that they had been given these songs to practice before the show started-- some of them revealing that they perfected the songs, and others revealing that they hadn’t practiced at all.

All the groups watch the nine performances together in their respective rooms, with competitors ranging from excited to focused to scared. The trainees from Liberty, in particular, seem especially stressed about learning so much choreography so quickly.

In Team One, Hyunjoo takes the reins as the natural leader of the group. Not only did he compete on the previous season, where they had a challenge much like this one, but he and Eunyeol are the only trainees in this group that aren’t foreigners, and Eunyeol is a Liberty trainee. Despite how Hyunjoo typically comes off, he is a very helpful and patient leader to his teammates, going the extra mile to re-coordinate choreography formations so everyone gets a part that they know somewhat well.

Team Two is definitely a little more split-- While Ilhoon, Minsuk and Inho all are familiar with working with each other, it leaves the other two trainees feeling a little left out. Ilhoon does his best to keep everyone included, but when the choreography is being put together, it’s clear that there’s a disconnect between the Higher trainees, and the other two.

Team Three skews particularly young, with Haebi, Kahoru and Shiyin all being underage and fairly new to being a trainee. With Hwa being primarily a vocal trainee, a lot of the pressure falls on Hope to lead, which adds added difficulty with the language barrier. All five members of this team seem very eager to do well, and after some big bumps in the road, they manage to figure out how to communicate efficiently.

Team Four is very split from the beginning. It’s clear that Mirae wants to take control, and in confessionals, Minah and Yoora both agree that Mirae is the most qualified, as she is the highest rank, however Taeri seems to fight her for control, causing Mirae to snap and tell her off. Tension are very high for the entire time they are rehearsing.

And then the show comes screeching to a halt. Many confessionals are shown of the trainees explaining what happened and why production shut down, as well as how they coped with it. And, whether or not they thought the show would return at all. The trainees get back to work, though, and it’s easy to see which trainees kept practicing during the break, and which ones gave up and are rusty. Finally, however, shots are shown of the audience filling into the building for performance day, and Adonis (as host) taking the stage.

The teams are all brought onstage. The host spins a wheel, and it picks Team One to go first. It is spun again, and Team Six is set to go against them. All teams are sent back to the dressing room to get ready for their respective first stages, and the host reveals that Juliette’s Lion Heart is first on the docket.

Team One performs first, and their hard work is apparent. Hyunjoo did a great job making sure any wobbly parts are hidden. This team has the vocals to pull this song off, too-- despite Hyunjoo’s voice being a little too deep and standing out a lot, this team does very well. Some of them fall into the trap of making feminine choreography a bit of a joke, but most of them try their best. Team Six does a fairly good job as well, however their vocals aren’t strong enough to do the song justice.

Teams Two and Three are picked to go next, with Team Two out to perform first-- their song being Merci’s Lady. Inho in particular really stands out; despite being the youngest competitor, he has a lot of confidence and charisma, and does Jiae’s part well. Team Two has the right attitude for the song, however they don’t have the vocal power-- the whistle note in particular being hard for their vocalists.

Team Three had the opposite issue-- with none of them being rappers, and most of them having language barriers, the rap parts left a lot to be desired. However Hope did a very good job carrying the chorus, with Yihwa proving once again that she is one of the strongest vocalists in the competition.

Team Four and Five are the last to perform, with their first song being Pirate King. Team Four has some trouble with choreography, with many of them noticeably lagging behind Mirae, who for her part, did the song very well. Team Four’s inexperience and lack of synergy overall brought the song down. Team Five wasn’t memorable, but they put in a solid effort.

None of the winners of the matchups are shown– MNet keeps that footage until the end of the episode, to build suspense. While in real time, the trainees got to watch their stages after the first day, it is edited so that all nine matchups are first, trainee reactions are second, and the rank and matchup winners are last.

The editors continue as if it were the same day, and Team Four and Team One await onstage as their song is picked– Love Me Right. The production team has a fun time squaring up trainees against each other, with Mirae and Hyunjoo competing, as well as Eli and Mint. Team Four performs first, and while the choreography still seems a little out of some of their leagues, they have an easier time with this one than on day one. Thet has some trouble carrying the song, however Mirae nails the vibe of Love Me Right and gives an engaging performance. Team One does equally well, with the hosts calling this one one of the most even matchups yet. Hyunjoo, like Mirae, seems to fit the song very well, and his extra work with the formations shines through once more-- while the choreo is clunky, it’s disguised.

Team Two and Team Six both perform Venus’ Breakthrough. Adonis comments that this is one of the least well-known songs on the docket for this week, which could prove to be difficult, seeing as the other songs might be ones trainees practiced at their companies for evals.

Team Two goes first. While they do a very good job and their choreography in particular is top notch, Eda critiques Inho specifically, telling him that while he is a very good rapper, he went too hard for this song, and that beign a good rapper also includes tone and knowing when to go hard and when to be softer to suit the music. In a closed-door meeting between the judges, She comments on how she personally thinks a bit of unintentional misogyny is at play, with Inho not wanting to sound too feminine, or thinking this style of rap isn’t good (though she clarifies that she’s just speculating). Team Six is full of Venus fans, and while they do a good job, they get a little to excited, and their stage is a little sloppy

Team Three and Team Five compete with Empire’s Bang Bang Bang. In a confessional, Hope says that this was the song she wanted to do the least, since Kyuyeol and DK were both judges, and would be nitpicking people doing their own song. Team Three notably shifts the line distribution around, splitting both Prince and DK’s parts so that Yihwa gets the power notes and Hope gets the lower difficulty ones, and it works to their favor, with this team performing a near perfect stage. Team Five does well, but they had a particularly hard act they had to follow.

As for day three, the performances start with Team Two and Team Four performing I Am The Best by Reign. This is Team Four’s best stage, with Yuan commenting that it’s likely because of the less difficult choreography. Kyuyeol states that they had the right sort of confidence for this stage, and for this song in particular, that was what was most important. As for Team Two, the boys from Higher do well, but the other two lag behind. Adonis comments that since they are from Higher, they’ve likely had to perform this song before, and that it showed-- their performance came out a little hollow.

Team Five and Six go head to head with Inferno’s Devil next. Both performances are mediocre at best.

Finally, to finish off the performances, Team One and Team Three perform Haze’s Electric Shock. This is Team One’s best performance-- it’s the easiest choreography they’ve had to do yet, and while Hyunjoo’s voice is a touch too deep for the song, they all seem to be having a lot of fun. It’s a tight race, though-- Team Three has the same amount of fire and bubbliness to their performance, with DK mentioning that this one is going to be a photo finish.

MNet plays the shots of the trainees watching their own performances back, and then more random clips are thrown in too. The trainees are gathered in the Main Stage area with the coaches and the host, to see who won each match up. The votes for each trainee are to appear on the screen one by one, and then at the end, the overall tallies, to indicate who won.

For Lion Heart, Eli got the most votes, with Team One winning the match. For Lady, Hwa gets the most votes, however Team Two brings home the win. For Pirate King, Mirae gets the most votes as well as the win for Team Four. For Love Me Right, Mirae gets the most votes once more, but Team One wins. For Breakthrough, Minsuk gets the most votes and Team Two bags another win. For Bang Bang Bang, Hope gets the most votes and the win for Team Three For I Am the Best, Mirae once again is voted the highest, and Team Four wins. For Devil, Xueying gets the most votes, and Team Five gets their first W For Electric Shock, Hyunjoo gets the most votes, however Team Three wins.

The ranking is then revealed to the trainees and the audience, and the episode ends.

#rivalzip #ip3 episode 002

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thepucegoose · 4 years

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idk if you remember your "starsky & hutch is adhd/autistic solidarity" post (its like a year old whoops) but if you have more thoughts about hutch being autistic i would love to hear them 👀

okay it’s been a while since i rewatched s&h and generally when i said this i was just like, thems the vibes - with this said i think hutch does have those vibes for a reason so i’ll try and figure it out and if anyone else would like to contribute that’d be very welcome!

i think mainly hutch has a particular kind of relationship with empathy? when i think about episodes like vendetta or black and blue or any countless others, hutch is always very personally invested in the lives of those in the cases he’s involved with and really seems to take on the weight of these experiences i guess? which like, by the time you’re getting to season four he’s so burnt out by just all of it (bc the way to help in the community is not through the police btw lol! but that’s by the by) and i think that you could easily chalk a lot of that up to hyperempathy - i think we do see this also with starsky in episodes like nightmare, starsky’s lady, manchild on the streets, and blindfold, but frequently these examples are when starsky has a very personal investment in the case (and lead to significant emotional impulsivity in indignation bc he’s adhd babey) whereas hutch just sees someone sad and he seems to be feeling it right there with them (is this due to childhood abuse? i think the crying child means you can make a very valid argument that it is. is this due to autism also? yea.)

this said, despite his hyperempathy in relating to these inter-personal scenarios, this doesn’t necessarily translate into awareness regarding specific social boundaries. i think hutch often struggles with recognising what’s too far in his jokes and competition with starsky and he frequently does things that suggest he hasn’t really factored the emotional impact his actions might have on starsky. this is perhaps most evident in partners, although it’s a running theme you can see from the beginning on through (please don’t make your partner think he’s bad in bed jeez? stop stealing his gfs?? also babe starsky isn’t trying to trick you with this bet thing, you’re literally dying). these scenarios often run in line with the fun joking that s&h have in their relationship, and yet the extent to which he takes it, seemingly in good fun and without subsequent apology, suggests he just doesn’t recognise how far can be too far in a joke before you can end up really hurting someone - he just doesn’t seem to be aware of where the line is

in partners, hutch is mad at starsky’s impulsivity and the way in which he felt out of control and the negatives consequences that resulted from this and so he feels the need to demonstrate those possible consequences - i think this reaction kind of suggests a black and white approach to thinking as well as some difficulty expressing emotions: he hurt me by being so impulsive so i’ll make sure he knows that he went too far and that i was really hurt by it by making sure that he faces the worst of the possible consequences since this is what he deserves - without then recognising what pretending to have amnesia would do to starsky and the extent to which it would cause utter terror and profound distress, as well as compounding his guilt in an unfathomably unbearable way (i think hutch’s difficulty expressing emotions, particularly when he’s feeling hurt by starsky, also makes starsky vs hutch more coherent as a culmination of this and the relationship dynamic they’ve developed - to quote my own fic, “I tried to make something real with every girl I came across; you grew a moustache and fucked my girlfriend to prove it really wasn’t. Real that is.”)

just as a side note, i think it’s interesting that starsky didn’t respect hutch’s boundaries re: the driving bc of his impulsive reaction, and hutch didn’t respect starsky’s boundaries re: not like, faking amnesia to punish him bc he didn’t understand the emotional implications of this for starsky - sometimes being neurodivergent can make relationships hard!! but they work it out bc they’re in love and their minds are grooving on that neurodivergent plane together :’‘)) i think they can be conscious of the other’s difficulties and this helps them be understanding of each other, most of the time acknowledging when something was the other not meaning any harm and acting accordingly, but also recognising and responding when the other was clearly disregarding respect and care for the other, as is the case with both starsky and hutch in partners - it’s about being understanding whilst still being clear on what isn’t appropriate behaviour and what you’re not willing to put up with from someone

also starsky is just very neurodivergent and frankly (from my personal experience) it can be hard to like, vibe w someone in the way starsky and hutch do if they’re not also neurodivergent - they can follow each other’s thinking, skipping over the steps that other neurotypical people might need to follow, and they’re both good at finding unique perspectives on cases and noticing details that others might not

also just, hutch’s approach to healthy living as part of a regimented routine?? that’s autism babey. he likes things done in a particular way and he always has the same grim shake for breakfast? that’s autism babey! he’s constantly trying to inveigle starsky into his healthy living thing about which he is evangelical? sounds like a special interest to me and he just wants his bf to know just how cool it is!!! would anyone who isn’t neurodivergent drink cold clam chowder out of a can?

and like,,, murder on stage 17??????? the way he mimics john wayne when he’s anxious and under pressure to speak?????????? need i say more????????

s&h as a show also i think has a greater relationship to neurodivergence as a whole which i have so many thoughts on and will one day manage to write up but essentially i think the show has a running theme about respect, understanding, compassion, and care for neurodivergence and this is really shown through both starsky and hutch’s actions - i’m not saying that starsky and hutch need to be neurodivergent to show the compassion they do, but i do think it helps that they are able to relate to the other neurodivergent characters on the show and their responses are in line with this

essentially: hutch has hyperempathy, but a difficulty recognising where he’s crossing social boundaries. there are suggestions of some black and white thinking at times, a difficulty feeling out of control, and he can have struggle with expressing the ways in which he’s been hurt by something. he vibes with starsky bc they have similar modes of thinking and he notices details and makes connections that others may not be able to, as well as being able to follow starsky’s reasoning when he does the same. he likes a routine and a regimen, and this feeds into a special interest in healthy living, about which he is very enthusiastic and can’t see why starsky wouldn’t agree. he sticks to the same shake for breakfast every day, suggesting not only consistent routine but also a particular sensory affinity and i can’t remember if we see him eat other breaksfast foods but he doesn’t want to eat pastries in the mornings which could be related to sensory difficulties. he struggles under the social pressure of being on camera, at which point there’s some suggestion of using echolalia to help script a response. he also is very able to relate to others who are neurodivergent. he’s autistic!

(like i said it’s been a while since i engaged with s&h so if i’ve got any episode titles wrong or made erroneous assumptions please chip in bc i have not double checked!)

#i love it when yall ask me questions like this #suddenly i'll have Opinions on things i've never even thought about before lol #starsky and hutch #hutch is autistic #Anonymous

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kindred-is-obsessed · 5 years

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Reasons you should be watching Craig of the Creek

Not enough people are watching this wonderful show, so I thought I’d do my best to introduce people to it. It’s made by former Steven Universe crew Ben Levin and Matt Burnett, so if you’re missing Steven Universe while it’s on hiatus this is a great way to keep away the hiatus blues, or if you just enjoy in cartoons. It’s great for a whole list of reasons, which broadly fall into the two categories of great representation and great storytelling:

Canonical queer representation

- The witches premiere in the episode The Curse. If you aren’t sure if you want to watch this whole show definitely watch this one at least! It’s my absolute favourite not least of all because it’s about teen goth girls in love. It has a sequel The Last Kid in The Creek which is also wonderful, and the witches cameo throughout the series. I don’t want to spoil too much but The Curse is essentially about the two not wanting to be separated and struggling to admit their feelings for each other. (Spoilers: they do and walk off alone, blushing, staring at each other lovingly, while the kids aww at them)

- Bernard and his girlfriend watch a cooking show hosted by a gay couple.

- Other cameos, hints and coded queer kids such as JP’s sister (who has fancy dinner reservations with Kat, a woman with a shaved head who compliments Kelsey’s fake sword). There’s also Raj and Shaun (two very close friends), as well as several very boyish tomboys, including Handlebarb and Turner.

- All public bathrooms I’ve spotted in the show have gender neutral signs on them which is nice.

POC representation

- Craig, the main character, is black and has a loving family explored in depth, including an activist grandmother working for the council, a wise and fun grandfather, a supportive fun dad who loves his amazing wife, an adorable assertive little sister, and an angsty overachieving older brother who just wants to be a good grownup who loves his family and girlfriend.

- There are MANY characters of colour. There are black and brown characters, Raj is Indian, Stacks is Hispanic (and it’s implied she is an immigrant), there are several Asian characters, Kelsey is Hungarian and Jewish, a persistent background character wears a hijab (I’m pretty sure she was named at some point but I can’t find her name anywhere. She definitely has lines at one point). I’m sure there are others I have missed. No one is a stereotype as far as I am aware.

Subtle neurodivergent representation

- JP is possibly on the autism spectrum. I’d love neurodivergent people’s opinions on this, but while the representation isn’t canonical or obvious I think it’s good that while JP is represented as having different thought processes from his friends, he isn’t made fun of for it, at least not by them. It’s noteworthy I think that he’s the eldest of the core trio, probably because he finds it easier to relate to younger people who still share his imagination and care less about his unique way of thinking. His neurodivergence is explored most explicitly in the episode Jextra Perrestrial, so if you’re interested in this kind of representation definitely check that episode out.

Non-nuclear family representation

- While the main character is a member of the typical nuclear family you see on TV (except black, and actually interesting) most of the other families we see are not.

- JP is raised by his mother and older sister. His father is never mentioned and their house is definitely in worse condition than the others we see. His family works hard to take care of each other. His sister is a nurse and both her and her mother are away a lot of the time, but they both love JP very much. JP’s sister also happens to be really openly body positive. I love them a lot.

- Kelsey’s father is an only parent. There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding how Kelsey’s mother passed away. It’s a very subtle but important part of Kelsey’s character and comes through in really bittersweet adorable ways (not limited to Kelsey using her “half-orphan”ness to guilt trip a man into giving her money)

- Other kinds of families are scattered throughout the show, including families that move around a lot, a home-school kid with a strict mother, and more.

Unique approach to fantasy and sci-fi

- You know how most kids show will take a kid’s fantasy and bring it to reality? Well Craig of the Creek keeps the fantastical and nostalgic element of that line of thinking but never confirms or denies whether the kids fantasies are real or in their heads. And not in a Scooby Doo way where the fantastical elements are explained away, but are hinted as a possibility right at the very end. Instead, two perspectives (the fantastical perspective and the realistic perspective) are woven into every episode.

- This means there are two ways to interpret every episode. You can view the witches as real witches, or as goth teenagers. You can view Helen as a kid from another dimension, or a home-school kid who is never at the creek at the same time as the other kids. You can view Deltron as a cyborg from the future, or as an imaginative kid from a big city.

- This is super unique and fun to watch. They come up with so many new ideas and its always fun to figure out what’s actually happening, while still getting to relive childhood fantastical nostalgia.

- Almost all of these episodes use this to talk about an issue, but these issues can get quite complex and are definitely not shoved down your throat.

Overarching mystery plot about a colonialist kingdom / cult

- Love the slow burn storytelling of Steven Universe’s Diamond Authority? Love putting together the mysteries of Gravity Falls? Then you’ll love this plot about colonialism, classism, bullying, peer pressure and more and its mysterious build up including cryptic graffiti art and flower symbolism.

- Even before this arc properly begins, Craig of The Creek primarily centers around the microcosm of the Creek. Many of the episodes have a lot of commentary on society, politics and how different factions of people form and interact.

- The show is over 50 episodes in and this arc is only just starting to kick off so now is the time to catch up and watch.

- Fun complex villain(s)

Complex relatable characters

- Want commentary and nostalgia about horse girls, children’s tea parties, weird kids, angsty teens, young weebs, dweebs and more!? Every childhood obsession is represented in this show.

- Adults! All the parents and older teens in this show are just as rich and complex as the kids. They are all so interesting and fun.

- Want characters with arcs, aims, fun relationships and complexity!? Look no further! Redemption arcs! Revelations! Found family! It’s all here!

Great art and soundtrack

- Cute background and character designs that make you nostalgic as hell and are also beautiful and well thought out.

- Sometimes the art design is changed up for a particular episode to portray a certain fantastical / sci fi element. It’s very fun and engaging.

- An opening song that’s fun to sing along to, bittersweet ending song that makes me want to cry, a couple of musical episodes including a super fun rap musical episode, and a great OST

Queer headcanons

- There are tons of ways to interpret the show but here’s some of my head canons just to get an idea.

- (Note that despite my headcanons I use the pronouns for the kids that they use in the show cause I’m not certain about any of it and they’re kids who haven’t come out yet and also for clarity and consistency’s sake – I’m not saying trans people are not their genders. Don’t worry I’m nonbinary)

- I headcanon that all the main trio grow up to realise they are queer. They strike me as that weird group of friends that doesn’t fit in with the other kids and aren’t quite sure how they all came to be friends, only to later realise they all showed early signs of breaking gender roles and that’s why they stuck together.

- Craig definitely grows up to realise he’s gay, bisexual or queer. His admiration for characters like Deltron and Green Poncho are definitely crushes that he mistakes for a strong sudden and eager desire for friendship.

- Kelsey probably grows up to realise she is nonbinary, a trans boy or a WLW. I mostly headcanon this because I relate to her a lot and I’m nonbinary and queer so I said so. She reminds me a lot of myself as a kid. She throws herself into books, mostly fantasy for escapism. She fantasises and writes a lot for the same reasons. She dresses like a tomboy (She always wears her hair up in the same bun which strongly reminds me of my own childhood hair dysphoria) and she hangs out solely with male friends.

- JP gives me strong trans lesbian vibes, or to a lesser extent nonbinary vibes. (I know his sister is WLW coded but take it from me there can be more than one queer in a family). He is interested in girls, specifically Maney the horse girl (he even joined the horse girls for one episode). He wears a long V-neck shirt that is essentially a dress ALL the time. He’s aware that he’s different and while self conscious sometimes, mostly just wants to express himself the way he wants to. He also chooses to go by initials JP over his very gendered name Johnathan Paul (In a recent episode he names a ship after himself, calling it “The SS Johnathon Paulina”).

- (Sidenote if you do start watching this show and I see any nasty shipping of these characters in non puppy-love fashion so help me god)

Other reasons

- The show is at times very intertextual and references Princess Mononoke, Super Smash Brothers, Sailor Moon, Lord of the Rings, and a billion other things. It also has some fun cameos, including background images of the Tres Horny Boys from The Adventure Zone, a TARDIS from Doctor Who, and a Cookie Cat from Steven Universe.

- Honestly, this post hasn’t done the best job explaining why I love this show so much. You honestly just have to watch an episode to understand fully what I’m talking about, so give it a go! Watch The Curse at least, it only goes for 10 minutes.

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