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let-them-read-fics · 3 years

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Empress of the Heart (Pt. 2)

Synopsis / Request: “Reader is an actress, and she meets Jennie at an event. They have a one night stand afterward, and months later they meet again.”

Pairing: Jennie x Fem!Actress!Reader

Warnings / Misc: Smut (only in Pt. 1), Angst, Fluff

Here’s the second half of the request for you lovely peeps! Enjoy :)

Part 1

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

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"Y/N, more people are arriving and management wants us to greet them. Something about photo ops." Jackson, your fellow lead, says as he pokes his head into your dressing room. His entrance intruded on your thoughts of the beautiful brunette that effectively stole your heart away within a night, leaving you completely at her mercy despite being worlds away.

"Alright, just give me a second." He nods and goes to stand outside your door -- you're expected to be seen together for a good portion of the night. Thankfully, though, Jackson is a good guy; he cares a lot about you, always doing everything in his power to keep you happy. The feeling is mutual; it's nice to have someone in your corner in an industry as unforgiving as this one.

"Ready?" You ask, opening the door after you've checked yourself in the mirror and smoothed down any unruly hairs or clothing. Looking presentable is a must tonight -- you can't appear as wistful as you've been feeling lately.

"Sure am." His answer is a bit unnecessary, seeing as how you asked a rhetorical question, but you send him a smile nonetheless. He offers you an arm, and soon the two of you are walking back towards the entrance of the building.

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Waves of flashing cameras greet you for the second time tonight, now capturing you in your full glammed-out look. The first time had been a few hours ago when your team arrived to begin setting up and get all of you ready.

The entire cast now stands stretched out in front of the large screen that will air the movie later, your arms around each other as you smile for the cameras. Promotional pictures shine behind you on the screen, serving as a perfect backdrop as they cycle through their predetermined slideshow.

Eventually, you all disperse to greet some guests.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Choi. It's wonderful seeing you again."

"I hope you enjoy our performances, Mrs. Lee. Your support has meant the world to us."

"Ah, Jeong! How've you been?"

Countless faces pass by as you work hard to greet everyone, knowing full well your company will be upset if you slack off now. It's everyone's big night, so they obviously can't have their leading lady stopping for even a minute.

You're almost ready to run to the restroom in order to have a moment to yourself, free of prying eyes and judgemental stares; but what you hear next sends a chill down your spine, an all too familiar ache in your chest.

It's Jennie. She's laughing that wonderful laugh of hers, taking you back in time to when you first heard it. Her members must've said something really hilarious, because all of them are doubled over, clutching their stomachs with laughter.

"Hey again," Jackson greets, and for a second you almost want to tell him to leave you alone. You don't, though, knowing you have no right to pull something like that.

"YG's girl group just got here. Do you want to say hello?" Of course you do. You want to run into Jennie's arms and spin her around, reveling in the way her arms would surely wrap around you in that warm embrace that's so uniquely hers. You want to tell her a stupid joke to make her laugh again, like she had just a few moments ago. You want to talk to her.

But you don't.

"No, not right now. I'm going to visit with my family, if that's alright with you."

"Sure, sure." He says considerately, unwrapping his arm from you. You press a friendly kiss to his cheek as a thank you, letting it serve as a goodbye as well.

"Eomma!" You shout, squeezing through the crowd when you spot her at one of the banquet tables lining the front of the room. The rest of the space is filled with rows of chairs, already set out for when the movie premieres.

"Ah, baby girl. We're so proud of you." She says, holding you in a tight embrace as tears spill from her eyes. Her arms bring you comfort like no other, and you're beyond grateful to have her here tonight. Some of your friends stand behind her, too, waiting for their turn to say hello.

Jennie watches you interact with them from across the room, and she feels a pang of sadness run through her. She's not naive to how these things work: your other cast mates had come over to greet her and girls, snapping pictures and even starting meaningful conversations in some cases -- all of that meaning you had been given the opportunity to do the same, but turned it down. Do you not want to see her? Maybe she had misjudged your night together. You are an actress, after all.

She shakes her head, physically willing the thoughts to go away as she turns her focus to whatever new person was talking to them now. She continues stealing glances in your direction, finding you looking somewhere else every time. She'd give just about anything to have you look at her, if only for a moment. Just a glance, she thinks to herself, praying the universe hears her pleas. They seem to fall on deaf ears, though, because before she knows it the MC is calling all of you onto stage and the guests are directed to their seats.

"Let's welcome the cast of Empress of the Heart!" The MC says cheerily, tucking his notecard underneath his arm in order to clap along with the audience. "They've spent months working hard for this project, travelling to filming locations in different countries, learning new languages, and facing their fears. We hope all of you thoroughly enjoy their performances. Now, I'll hand it over to our leads."

You and Jackson bow towards the audience, waving at them politely as they applaud you again. He looks at you, a silent question of if you want to speak first, and you nod. Taking the mic from him, you say, "Firstly, I'd like to thank our incredible cast and crew. They played just as important a role in this movie as Jackson and I, and we're endlessly grateful for their hard work." More cheers ring out at your kind hearted show of appreciation, and you speak up again once they've died down.

"These past few months have been some of the best of my life, and I owe that to people like you, and my fans. Thank you for taking a chance on me and supporting me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." You say sincerely, looking into the camera that's recording all of this for exclusive content. When the movie drops for the public in a couple weeks, they'll be able to buy this tape as well and see highlights from the premiere. The thought of your fans watching it from the comfort of their own homes, yelling praises at their screens, makes you smile.

Jackson takes over now, smoothly transitioning into his own mini speech of thanks. You stop your eyes from meeting the one pair that they so desperately want to, always keeping them trained on other parts of the crowd. If you allow your resolve to crumble, you'll get lost in her all over again and potentially screw up one of the biggest nights of your life. You can't take a risk like that.

You laugh at something Jackson says, some joke about how you had to face your fear of heights for a scene in the movie, and Jennie takes a deep breath. She's not exactly jealous, but yet that's precisely the feeling that creeps its way into her chest. She knows that you're avoiding her for some reason, but she has no idea why. Did she do something wrong?

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Why, why, did they have to sit Blackpink in the row right behind you? It's karmic, the universe's way of pushing you back to each other, but you don't know how to feel about it all. You can feel her eyes boring into you as each new scene plays, silently begging for you to turn around and talk to her, even if it's impolite to do so in the middle of a movie.

You don't, though, fighting every fiber of your being to keep yourself from giving in.

Despite the emotions that swirl within her that pay little mind to the number they're doing on her heart, she actually finds herself enjoying parts of the movie. It's bittersweet, seeing you up there, but you command the screen in a way that seems to steal all coherent thoughts from her brain. You're truly skilled, and she gets a kick out of watching you hide behind your hands in embarrassment when your co-stars offer whispered praises.

During one scene in particular, though, Jennie's eyes drop to the floor, her teeth clenched together tightly. Your character just saved Jackson's from certain doom, and the two of you are sharing a long-overdue kiss. The rest of the crowd lets out approving noises at this, but Jennie is comforted by her members' soft smiles and reassuring touches. You feel guilty, for some reason, knowing that anything you were a part of made Jennie so upset. It shouldn't matter, though -- I mean, it's not like you and Jackson are actually together -- but still, it hurts Jennie to see him kiss you and hold you in the ways she wants to.

The rest of the night carries on much the same, but later on, once you get enough courage to look for Jennie, she's gone. The other girls are too, and a sinking feeling settles in your chest. Gone -- again -- just like all that time ago. Your reasons for staying away from her were legitimate, but they felt nothing of the sort as you glanced around the crowd again.

The movie ended earlier, already getting good marks and reviews from the critics who came to view it, and now the "afterparty" of sorts was kicking in. You hadn't expected the girls to stay long after the movie, but you'd at least hoped to utter a word to them, if nothing else. A smile would've sufficed.

Realizing she's really gone, you let out a sad sigh and make your way down the hall, towards the large doors that lead to the balcony. If anything can clear your mind right now, surely it's a chilly breeze.

You lay an arm against the sturdy railing, leaning on it as you massage your neck. All of the stress you've been put under is showing in the form of painful knots, far too many to get rid of in one go. You sigh, letting your head lull forward and lay against your arm.

"And here I was thinking I wouldn't see you again."

At the utterance, you turn around to find her leaned up against the stone wall of the building with a playful smirk on her lips. She's back to her old self in an instant, but you can sense the undertones of nervousness in her voice.

The darkness of the night that envelops you two makes her eyes look even more feline -- even more alluring -- and it takes everything in you not to lose your train of thought.

"Jennie." Her name comes out as a pleased declaration more than anything else, a familiar flutter taking over your heart at the sight of her. It's a warm feeling in your chest, and you never want it to go away.

You try not to focus on the sensual swaying of her hips or the teasing look in her eye as she pushes herself away from the wall to approach you.

"I thought you left." You breathe out, remembering how sad you were earlier.

"Without getting you alone first? How could I?" The implication behind her words gives you pause, causing a blush to begin forming on your cheeks. You curse yourself for being so easy.

"I've missed you like crazy," she confesses, allowing herself to be vulnerable again. Now in front of you, she brushes the back of her fingertips against your cheek as you look into her eyes.

"I've missed you, too -- more, probably," you say, the declaration sounding like an embarrassed sigh as it leaves your lips. She smiles at that -- her genuine, gummy smile that you've missed so much -- and your heart flutters again.

She debates on asking the question that sits on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be answered. "Why didn't you greet me before, at the party?" Her voice is small now, insecure, as she avoids your gaze and stills her movements.

"I-..." you start, finding yourself at a loss for words. Should you tell her how you feel?

"I was afraid you'd throw me off my game. You're pretty distracting, you know?" You reply, nudging her shoulder playfully. A hint of a smile tugs at her cheeks, unsure if it should finish the job and turn into a big one.

"I thought I did something wrong." She informs.

"Not at all. In fact, you did things a little too right, if you ask me. I can't stay away from you, Jennie." Her heart trips and stumbles over itself in its pursuit of gaining a steady rhythm again, thrown off course by your words.

Growing brave, she suggests, "Go on a date with me, then. I wanna have more nights like that with you." She whispers that last part, ghosting her fingertips over your skin to awaken the memories.

"I'd like that," you smile, leaning in to kiss her lips. It's soft and gentle, much like your first one, and your heart hammers in your chest. It seems to forget that you've done this before, choosing instead to subject you to the giddiness you felt that first time with her.

She pulls back to rest her forehead against yours, settling her arms around your waist, saying, "I've wanted to do that all night." You smile for the millionth time because of her, happy with how things have turned out.

"Do it again, then."

And she does.

#jennie kim #jennie x reader #jennie x fem reader #jennie kim x fem reader #blackpink #blackpink angst #blackpink smut #blackpink fluff #blackpink oneshots #blackpink imagines #blackpink scenarios #kpop #kpop girl group #kim jisoo #lisa manoban #rosé #park chaeyoung #let-them-read-fics

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yn-x-animeboy · 3 years

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Jungkook x y/n (as a famous artist) Pt.3

sinopsis: You are a popular artist in America, pretty famous, loved and well-known by the general public (actually you were one of the top 10 artists in the world but you are pretty humble and naïve to realize your popularity), one day during one of your fan meets you talk about how much you love BTS, and not only how you wish to meet them and work with them but how Jungkook is one of your celebrity crushes. During the meet you fangirled with other ARMYs in the crowd; video clips of you fangirling and talking about BTS at your meet where posted and reposted all over social media. This obviously broke the internet because you were not only a famous singer but you also were always accepted and loved by ARMY and this made a lot of people happy. Suddenly it felt like everyone wanted you to meet the seven handsome and talented idols and collaborate, but you could only wish, you believed they didn't even know who you were...or so you thought

pairing: reader x Jungkook

genre: fluff, romance, for entertainment purposes

BTS x Fem Reader

Parts: 1 here & 2 here

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Part: 3 - The Jimmy Fallon Show

A couple of months have passed since your fan meet episode went viral and since BTS saw the video too. A lot has happened since then tbh, you kept working hard, you just put out your 5th studio album which is doing amazing in the charts, it reached no.1 for album of the year and 3 of your songs stand in the first places amongst other artists on the top 100 songs as well. BTS have also been working on music and projects, not a lot of time for you all.

Even though it has been a long time since your ‘fan meet’ episode was aired the media still brings up your episode highlights where you talk about BTS, it is not another really, it doesn't seem to affect you. Neither you or BTS have openly spoken about this to the general public, to them, it seemed like a cute exchange between you and your fans where they got ‘close and personal’. The only difference now is that your fans and ARMYs now have a ship name for you and Jungkook, and they still wish their ship could sail someday….

Thanks to the success your album has had in the short time it was published, you have been invited to multiple talk-shows to promote your new music and to basically catch up with the media. As an artist the whole publicity thing is important for your team and company. Even though it can be hard to ‘do press’ as a celebrity, you enjoy it and always do your best for your supporters. Your fans and everyone who became a fan of your infamous episode would troll around twitter writing things like ‘will BTS be on this show appearing with y/n?’ ‘AYe y/n watch out, they are going to surprise you with BTS’; but you didn't really have time to see them, only your team was aware. Your days working + rehearsing + promoting don't really give you time to scoop around your social media.

Today on your schedule: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Tonight you will be performing and having an interview for the show. You love this show so much, you have been invited before, and you really feel comfortable on set in the company of Jimmy and his team/staff, they are always super nice and welcoming. You haven’t been there for an interview in a while and you are excited. (Even though it went viral, and it was your fantasy, the whole “I WISH I COULD MEET BTS AT A TONIGHT SHOW” was not really on your mind today, probablly because of how hectic your day was. You woke up super early and took a flight on your jet to New York, then you went to rehearsal to rehearse the song you’ll be performing tonight, went to the hotel and took a shower, went to two important business meetings for your record company, barely had time to eat, then went and had hair and makeup done for an afternoon interview for a radio show and finally some rest before you went to the Jimmy Fallon studio)

The Tonight Show starts at 10:00pm but you have to get there earlier to greet Jimmy and the staff, to quickly rehearse your performance, to go over details about the show, get ready, etc. You arrive on set at around 6:00pm in sweatpants, a baggy Ariana Grande merch T-shirt, sneakers and fresh hair from your second shower today. You walk through the door next to your personal bodyguard Lee and Manager Sam, followed by your stylist Meg behind you, you look around to see if you could recognize any familiar faces, The camera crew were setting up their high budget equipment, staff members cleaning, running around and preparing for tonight's live interview. Jimmy comes out from behind a door with casual clothes and messy hair, nothing like his sleek professional look on TV. Smiling he greets you and your team; he takes a step forward and hugs you tightly “Hi y/n it’s so nice to see you, it has been a while we have missed you, ever since your interview was scheduled for this week the staff has been excited to see you again, including me, you are one of our favorite guests to have over i swear” you look at him sweetly with hands on your chest from his hind words (the reason why they loved you so much was because you were different from other celebrities on the show, you were always super polite and nice to the staff and took time out of your schedule to greet everyone and introduce yourself, even though you were one of the biggest stars in the world you humble personality attracted many). “Omg stop Jimmy you are so sweet, I love your show so much it’s always an honor, thanks again for inviting meI wanna say hi to the staff, can I?” You said; Jimmy has been like a mentor to you when it comes to interviews and press, he was one of the first people to believe in you and interview you when you debuted. “Yes of course you go ahead, I’ll talk with your manager while you do so to catch up.” (They were good friends too)

While Jimmy and Sam catch up, and your stylist and bodyguard follow an assistant to put your stuff in the dressing room; you walk around introducing yourself to the staff; you visit the camera crew, the audio booth, the lighting crew, the producers, the PD, the meeting room, even the cafeteria. This helped you also to loosen up and feel more comfortable and confident for the show. After the greeting you quickly rehearsed with your talented backup dancers for the performance to get used to the ‘stage’ and the spacing.

One of the sweet staff members you just met offered to show you to your dressing room where Lee, Sam and Meg were waiting for you. You entered the spacious dressing room and sat at a small couch next to Lee (he was your bodyguard but sometimes even acted like a father/guardian to you, you were thankful you had a close connection with your team) You treated them all, including your dancers, to a mini banquet of food from the cafeteria and chatted about nothing before you had to start getting ready. Sam started getting constant phone calls, as your manager he was constantly busy on the phone, he ignored a couple of them but the caller seemed insistant, Sam saw the caller ID and shot up and ran outside to answer. “Ey no phones on the table mister” you teased as he was halfway out the door, he flipped you off and you back at him and proceeded to finish your snack; “Who would be so insistent, the company handles the calls when Sam has something to to with y/n… this interview has been scheduled for a month now…” Meg, your stylist commented, but you just just shrugged her shoulders as you swallowed the last bite of your sandwich, not really thinking too much about it. You stood up to brush your teeth after finishing eating. (what you failed to notice was Lee making a face to Meg basically telling her to ‘shut up’.... they knew something you didn’t but you didn’t see said interaction at all)

After 20-30 mins Sam came back as if nothing happened, you were now sitting in front of the large vanity mirror and Meg staring at your hair behind you. “Is everything okay Sammy?” You asked, thinking the call could be from a family member or an emergency, judging on the time it took. “No, yes- um it was just a catch up call, apparently the company did not answer their call in my place so they called me directly ignoring the fact that I was here with you.” he spoke. “Ah yeah, well that's good, well we finished our food and cleaned up so the girls (referring to the 2 backup dancers) and I could start getting ready but I left you and Lee some cookies and coffee on the table” you said pointing to the small coffee table in front of the couch that was previously filled with food, Lee, a 6’5 tall man sitting in a tiny couch with a cookie on his right hand and coffee on his left making space for Sam to sit next to him. cute.

You finish getting ready, hair done simple and comfortable for your interview and later performance, light natural makeup letting your natural beauty show off and fancy yet comfortable outfit that allows you to sit and dance comfortably. You felt really pretty and powerful. It was 9:30, only 30 mins before The Tonight Show started. before The live audience was allowed inside the studio you went over your dance quickly to make sure your outfit was safe to dance in, to make sure the music was the right one and to let the camera crew plan out their shots for the dance and interview segments. Once again you bought your head towards the staff and wished them good luck and a good show, you introduced yourself to the live band that accomplies Jimmy for the show as well and went backstage again for the final touch ups and waited for your turn to come out.

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“.... and now here is your host...Jimmy Fallon'' he was introduced as the audience clapped for him and he walked across the set to his desk. “Hi, everyone, and welcome to THE TONIGHT SHOW!!!” The crowd cheered again for Jimmy. “Normally we have multiple guests on this show and from 10:00 pm to 12:00am we talk to multiple guests but today is a little different, today we have a very very special guest who will be with us. the. full. show!!!” The audience was comforted by a lot of your fans since it was announced you would be the guest tonight they prepared, and as soon as they heard this immediately stood up and cheered knowing it was you he was talking about. “She is one of my favorite artists, she is the sweetest, most talented artist today. Everyone welcome…. y/n'' The crowd went crazy as you came out from behind the curtain. Seeing everyone you bowed down to the audience and waved your hands, then you took Jimmy's hand to help you up the steps to the couch next to his talk show desk and sat down again bowing your head and mouthing ‘thank you’ to the still cheering audience.

“Wow the people love you y/n'' Jimmy said. “Hahaha no, stop, Thank you all, I love you so much I don't deserve you all.” you said blushing a little from the overwhelming support. The interview started normally, Jimmy introduced you properly to the camera and audience, you spoke about yourself and answered the general questions (‘What have you been doing these days?’ ‘Tell us about your album’.... blah blah)

After a couple of questions you did a fun activity with Jimmy where you created a funny sketch similar to the ones on SNL, you followed the lines on the promter and it came out to be a really funny and light activity to interlude the show. Then after a small break you went back to your seats and continued the Q&A.

“It's crazy, y/n’s latest album is the number one album in the country and she also holds the first, second and third spots for the billboard top 100 hits. You even broke a record for this, to being the youngest and first woman to ever achieve this.” Jimmy said as you smiled and looked at the cheering crowd. “Its crazy, I never thought one day I could even hold a place in the top 100, and now I actually hold 3 places plus another 1st place for album of the country, Thank you all so much for supporting me, this would've happened if it wasn't for all of the people who supported my music, Thank you for giving my music a chance.”

“So actually the next billboard award show is tomorrow, and y/n, we heard you are going to be performing.. is that so?” Jimmy smoothly transitioned form question to question, topic from topic. “Yeah I was blessed to not only be nominated for an award but to also be invited to perform for the ceremony, I am so excited, It is an honor, it not my first time performing at the billboard’s but I have so much fun every time, hopefully the audience will like my performance and the other guest performers of the night, I can’t wait.

“What are you performing tomorrow y/n?”, “Shhh it’s a surprise Jimmy, I can give you a little spoiler, I am performing one of my new album’s songs, it is one of my favorite songs on it” You smoothly avoided actually answering what song you would be performing tomorrow. “Mhm okay how about you tell me in secret during the commercial break I have to know…” Jimmy insisted “Sure Jimmy I’ll tell you”. “Okay so guys let's go to a short commercial break, but don’t leave cause when we are back y/n will be performing live, don't you miss it!” Jimmy said and waved with you as the producer called for the commercial break.

After the commercial break you got to perform one of your hit songs next to your back up dancers, you let yourself go to the music and enjoyed the performance; you really got lost in the music and dancing every time you had an audience, you loved this so much. After your performance you received a standing ovation form the people present on set, Jimmy went over from his seat to you, he congratulated and complimented you. He then guided you to your seat and gave you some water; he made some ads/sponsorship bits while you grabbed some air and while Meg retouched your hair and makeup while the cameras weren’t on you.

Jimmy then came back after another small break to proceed with the interview: “So y/n I actually wanted to talk to you about something really big” you made a face at Jimmy’s word choices (you had somewhat of a dirty mind) “Hahahaha, Don't make that face y/n, it's not what you think… God.. what a dirty mind you have; I meant I wanted to talk to you about something that recently happened and I’m sure everyone wants to have an update on'' Jimmy made himself clear. “Hahahaha oh, okay sure, tell me”

“A couple of months ago you went viral on social media after you talked about BTS on one of your episodes, and your fans and ARMYs went crazy, not gonna lie even I got excited” As soon as you heard Jimmy say “BTS'' your face dropped making the audience giggle at your reaction, you started to get anxious. “Hah-, um yeah that happened, I didn't expect for it to become such a big thing tbh Jimmy” you said.

“So in the episode you got asked by one of your fans something about how you would want to meet them or something and you mentioned how you would like to meet then on a talk show… like this one” Jimmy said with a smug expression taking over his face. You quickly spoke before he could say something else “Omg Jimmy stop, I swear if I look behind this couch and BTS is hiding behind it I will have a heart attack, please don't play with me, I’m not ready, stop that''

The crowd and Jimmy laughed at your cute panic. “Don’t worry y/n, no, I swear they are not there” Jimmy treasured. “IDK MAN, I’m gonna look behind the couch….” you dared; “Go ahead y/n” Jimmy fired back; this made you more nervous, you made a ‘I’m tough’ face at Jimmy and moved your body sideways, “If there is someone behind here I will run Jimmy, I. WILL. RUN. I don’t know where or how far but I will run out..” Jimmy and the audience laughed again and stopped as you looked behind the couch….. and…… there behind the couch…… there was…….. nothing. You started laughing as you went back to your original sitting position, the audience looking curiously at you. “Hahahaha ahhhh there is nothing there” whipping some laughing tears off the inner corner of your eyes you looked at Jimmy who was too laughing at you. “I told you y/n! ahahahah”

Jimmy looked at the camera and directed to the audience “For the people who don’t know what we are talking about and/or haven't seen y/n’s latest episode we have some clips for you” You looked at Jimmy and at the crew wanting to refuse due to your embarrassment, you felt exposed. The video played on the screen, the screen was split so that while the episode clips showed on screen your reaction could also be seen at the same time. Only a small trailer was played, which made you confused, you thought they would play the clips where you deeply talk about BTS…

The video stopped and the audience clapped, “Well that's just a small trailer of the full episode if anyone would like to go over and watch it it was pretty fun… I really enjoy ‘y/n’s camera roll’ episodes, I highly recommend” you smiled and appreciated the free proportion but you went anxious again as Jimmy spoke, “But y/n I actually have a small surprise for you, actually BTS saw your episode and reacted to it on camera…” You went stiff…. he said what???? BTS saw your video? they learned who your where?.... wait. THEY SAW THE VIDEO????? THEY SAW YOU FANGIRLING OVER THEM AND THIRSTING OVER JK AND HERD YOUR STUPID FANTASY????

“OMG Jimmy no…. AHHH no….” You said as realization dawned on you and you covered your face with your hands.

“oh y/n yes… and we have the video of their reaction here, for the first time ever, an exclusive for the Tonight Show…. watch the screen y/n'' The screen was again split to show your reaction + the video. You lifted your face from your hands and held on to Jimmy’s hand on the desk, bracing yourself for further embarrassment and probable rejection. The video played:

(BTS reacting to your episode. {the bullet points are your ‘present day’ reactions to BTS reacting to you})

The video started . “Oi, it’s y/n'' Jin immediately said as soon as your face appeared on their screen, “Is this a new episode?” Jimin asked out loud, “Wait what day is it? they normally go up on Friday, did we miss it?” Taehyung spoke.

“OMG no way, they know who I am, omg I’m crying Jimmy” You actually started tearing up and Jimmy squished your hands tighter as he read the subtitles added (you understood Korean).

“Hello everyone welcome to another episode of…. f** I don't even know what we call these videos, jajajaja” “Wait what?... jajajajaja omg guys thank you, I'm so sorry, yeah you heard them, welcome back to y/n’s camera roll, I can’t believe I forgot that, anyway today’s episode is a little different……” the boys chuckle at your genuine personality “hahaha gwiyeoun” (haha cute) Suga added, J-Hope agreeing with him as he gave Suga a piece of the food he was having. Kookie was currently watching the screen not even blinking, he hadn’t taken a bite out of his noodles or a sip out of his banana milk, Jimin noticed and pointed at him looking back at the guys with a silent laugh.

You kept crying and making faces reacting to them every time they spoke

“Hi, y/n, can I ask you another question?” “I saw that you liked an instagram post about BTS a while back uploaded by a fan account and I also saw that you actually follow their personal twitter account. ALSO in your behind the scenes video for your music video shoot you can be seen in the background dancing the Boy with luv choreo. So I wanted to ask if you were an ARMY and if you know them personally? and like should we be expecting a collaboration soon?”

“No way….Omg what she says she hates us” Jimin said. “Imagine if she said she hates us, is this why you guys are making us watch this?” Suga looked at the staff.

“OMG I could never, NO omg how could I hate them” you commented wiping away your tears and back to squeezing Jimmy’s stretched hand on the desk

“Can we keep watching hyungs…” Jungkook said looking around at the others, a bit desperate to find out what you said next. “Oi, wouldn't you want to know guki…” Jin teased him, wiggling his eyebrows and slapping the back of his head playfully. Before Jungkook could fight back RM reached over them and pressed play, preventing a ‘playful’ fight between the youngest and oldest member to take place.

You froze at the interaction between Jungkook and Jin… but kept watching not wanting to overthink it.

“OMG hahaha I love you so much, what an amazing question, Okay so first off no I don’t know them personally and sadly no plans of collaboration are on sight. Oh wow I have never been asked if I liked BTS before, I’m excited hahaha. Yeah I am an ARMY, I love them so much I am one of their biggest fans, and they are also one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to work ethic and professionalism, listening to them or watching them gives me motivation to keep doing what I love, which is this. anyway I am rambling I should stop; you guys can say y/n stop whenever I start rambling okay? hahaha''

RM stood up with hands on his head; Jin and J-Hope held on to each other with their mouths wide open looking at the screen; V was still sitting in the same spot, frozen, as if he was paused in time along with the now paused screen; Suga stood up with his hands on his mouth bouncing his knees lightly; Jimin reached to RM behind him and stretched his arms out with a ‘Did you hear that?’ expression; Jungkook leaned over the table and pulled the screen closer, he was smiling from ear to ear letting out a small “wow” under his breath, then he replayed your answer to listen to it one more time, rereading the subtitles under the video making sure he did not miss any words.

You chuckled at their individual reactions and resumed your crying at their reactions because you couldn’t believe they knew you and could be so cute towards a video of you

“y/n Okay so, who is your favorite member?” “Well first off, I don't have a favorite member. I really mean it when I say this. I love them all equally and I love them all as a group. I don’t prefer one over the other or like one better. I really do support them equally. I mean there is nothing wrong with having a bias, as long as you also respect the other members, hope that all made sense lol” Everyone seemed moved by your support towards them and nodded.

Again the boys reacted, they were so surprised they paused again and walked back and forth making sounds of excitement

Jimmy smiled proudly at you and helped you wipe a tear with a tissue

“Y/n so you don’t have a favorite, but do you have a crush on any of them?, like if you could date one of them right now, which one do you pick?” A fan asked. “okay...well...Like I said just to be clear I don't have favorites amongst the group members, but I do have a type…. I consider one of them to be my celebrity crush”......“So in that case, if I had to pick someone that I would date in real life...i would say…. Jungkook”

You put your forehead on Jimmy’s desk, you felt embarrassed, you knew what was coming, the audience was also reacting along and they got super excited at this part. You were scared over what BTS would think/say about this.

The. Guys. Went. Nuts. Jungkook immediately stood up and lifted his hands up in the air as if he had won an award, he paused the video and started smiling like crazy;

A staff member spoke to Jungkook on the video : “How do you feel Jungkook?” He lifted his face from his hands and ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes were glossy and his smile wide. “I-I don't know what to say, I can’t believe it,” he said as he sat down looking at the pause screen, looking at your still image. His hyungs patted him on the back; Jimin turned his head to the staff as he was rubbing JK’s back with one hand, “You know Jungook has had the biggest crush on y/n for so long now” Jimin told the staff.

you completely froze, you started shaking, Jimmy was looking at you happily, the audience was going crazy, even the crew was invested in the k-drama worthy content. You went numb, you kept looking at the screen frozen.

Jungkook looked up and spoke to the staff: “Yeah I remember listening to her debut song for the longest time without really thinking about who the artist was. When her first studio album broke records I decided to look her up, I watched a video of her talking about the album and her experience as a new artist and I think ever since then I have had a crush on her; she is my ideal type”

Everyone was going crazy in the Tonight Show studio. EVEN Jimmy let go of you and stood up pacing around his desk, no one was expecting this. You came out of your trance as Jimmy shook you and you wiped more tears clouding your vision.

“Why is she your ideal type?” a staff member in the back asked JK. “Ha. um. well I think my ideal type of girl is someone who is funny and has a bright and cool personality; someone who as soon as they step into a room they immediately light it up; someone who is goofy and isn't afraid to become a joke or mess up; A confident person; someone who isn't too girly or too boyish; someone who likes to learn new things and from who I can learn new things too; someone who is younger than me; Someone who loves dancing and singing a lot, etc. And y/n is kinda all that and more tbh;

You felt like you were dreaming… Totally forgetting you were on live television. The butterflies in your stomach felt more like birds. your heart pounding out of your chest and body glued to your seat.

The video of you time skipped again to the ‘fantasy’ answer’: “Okay so, my literal fantasy is to one day meet them at a talk show, you know how hosts like to surprise their guests with something/someone they like?, I believe Ellen has done it multiple times where she surprised a guest with their idol or celebrity crush, you know?” The group nodded, invested in your fake scenario “Well i would be invited to like the Jimmy Fallon Show, where he would just randomly surprise me with BTS. Then I would be given the opportunity to introduce myself and tell them how much I love and support them. I would also be able to show them my korean speaking skills, I learned Korean and Spanish back in school and I have never been able to actually use either them, lol, anyway...well after that we would all become really good friends, and we would collaborate and put out one or multiple songs for you guys. I mean that's basically it, I wish I could meet them, and become their friend and write songs with them, even produce songs with Suga or RM if I could''

you cringed at the sound of your voice, you were so embarrassed. The audience, crew and Jimmy found this and your reaction to be so adorable.

“What???? does she speak korean?” / “OMG Jungkook is she speaks korean marry her” / “OMG I wanna meet her now” / “That's so cute” / “She is so cool”

oMg, even after the video stopped you kept crying and sobbing, it almost felt like you had made it in life, you curled into a ball, you didn't care if you were live or not.

(end of video, camera was back to you and Jimmy only)

“y/n this is amazing, this was my first time watching the video too, how do you feel, hahahaha stop crying this is good y/n” He rubbed your hand and passed you a new tissue from his desk. You cleaned yourself up and accepted a new water bottle from a crew assistant.

“I- I’m at a loss for words Jimmy, I cannot even process it; I love them so much hahaha” You sniffed and looked at Jimmy innocently. “By the way I am so sorry for crying like this, ew I’m a mess right now, I so sorry for anyone watching”

“No no, you are good, your fans love you and love to see the real you; right guys?” Jimmy said looking at the crowd and once again they all cheered for you, this made you happy and you smiled again. “Thank You all so much, thank you to anyone involved in the making of this reaction video and this segment of the show AND FOR WHOEVER ADDED THE SUBTITLES FOR THE STUDIO hahaha, I am so happy, I want to keep crying but I will compose myself for now and once I go home cry some more hahaha”

“Y/N so obviously you are an ARMY, would you mind playing a small game with me?...” You nodded at Jimmy. “Okay so after the break we will be back with y/n, and she will prove how big of an ARMY she actually is…”

Another commercial break was called, Meg again came over and cleaned you up, she fixed your hair and makeup and then made you change into some sneakers (you performed in heels), fresh sweatpants and a shirt that compliment your figure. Your manager told you that for the next segment you needed comfy clothes. You had so much in your mind right now you didn’t even question it.

“Okayyy and we are back everybody, so right now as you can see y/n has changed into a more sporty outfit, right y/n?” you looked at him and at the camera and answered back. “Yeah, i’m in my natural form now” you said as you modeled your comfy wear

“So today I will put your BTS knowledge to the test, I will play a snippet of a BTS song, to your right you have two buttons ‘dance button’ or ‘sing’ button; you can either dance to the part being played when you hit the dance button or keep singing the song if your hit the ‘sing’ button.” Jimmy challenged you as he explained the next activity, to the left of you a small table with both buttons and a mic was set up, you accepted and started the challenge; the game went like this; Dynamite, dance; Mic Drop, dance; No more dream, dance; Daechwita, sing/rap; the crowd was super hyped and Jimmy was loving your energy and the way you executed the songs perfectly, suddenly you recognized Euphoria being played, you clicked the sing button and you started to complete the lyrics as the music was switched to ‘karaoke mode’… you started to sing and suddenly you heard a voice behind you singing with you, and you couldn’t even turn around to prove yourself you were not mistaken, you knew that voice too well, the live audience was losing it, the crew looked excited, you went numb, you looked back and it seemed like a joke, a complete dream…..

The seven guys were coming out from behind the curtain, being led by Jungkook, he was singing the bridge of the song, mic in hand and just looking at you. Your knees gave out and you curled on your knees as you cried on your knees, ‘there is no way’, you could even begin to process what was going on, The boys were a little shy and stayed behind you as Jimmy lifted you from the floor and made you look at them.....

----

PART 4 > HERE

AHhhh I love this part hahahhaha

Hope you liked it. PArt 4 is up; please give me a lil <3 if you liked this. :) Xx

#part3 #bts #bts x reader #bts x y/n #bts imagines #bts scenarios #jungkook #jeon jungguk #jeon jungkook #jungkook x y/n #jungkook x you #jungkook imagine

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killian-whump · 3 years

Text

Game Night! [Liveblog #4]

I’m gonna try to finish up the last game and the end of the video in this post, so we better get right to it!

The last game they’re going to play is called Quiplash. Okay, they’re going to be given a prompt... and whoever finishes the quip in the funniest way wins. Kat warns that she’s a master at this and that everybody’s going down. Colin seems impressed by her bravado, but incensed to win nonetheless. “Here we go,” says Sam unenthusiastically 😂

AND THE GAME IS ON!!!

...or it’s meant to be on. Sam’s not joined the game yet. Seems to be having some sort of technical difficulty. “You scared of losing, Sam?” Colin asks helpfully. “All the rest of us got in pretty easy...”

Sam has joined. His name is now Colonislosin 😂 It’s hard to see exactly how it’s spelled. I don’t think any of them can see it that clearly, either. Sam has to tell them what it says.

“We’ll see,” Colin says. “We’ll see.”

The game begins. “It’s more like Col-on is losin,” Sam says. “Col-on.”

The audio is breaking all up in this segment, and Josh even comments on “Low internet signal. We’re doing great.” Hmm. I paid $10 for this, you damn well better find a stronger internet signal.

ROUND 1! The first quip is: We can all agree that... The two answers are: “Covid sucks” and “Josh... is... hairy” “Covid sucks” wins ~ and Colin gets all the points.

The second quip is: A terrible name for a funeral parlor. The two answers are: “Happy Times Palace” and “We put the Fun in Funeral” “We put the Fun in Funeral” wins ~ and Kat gets all the points.

The third quip is: “Knock Knock” “Who’s There?” The two answers are: “Me DUH” and “Get the fuck away from my door” “Get the fuck away” wins and Josh gets most of the points. Colin gets some too, I think, for his answer, because Sam voted for it.

The fourth quip is: “Something that would make a creepy replacement for the horses on a merry-go-round.” The two answers are: “Mini Josh’s” and “Creepy Princes” AREN’T THOSE THE SAME THING?! 😂 “One and the same,” says Sammy. “You don’t want to sit on a mini Josh, do you?” Sam ponders. Josh forgets to even vote, and Sam gets points for “Mini Josh’s”

At the end of Round 1, Sam is in the lead, with Kat and Colin tied for second.

I wanna take this moment to apologize for how BORING this post is so far. During the games, all five people (the three stars, Josh, and Sammy the producer) are in these miniscule windows on the far right of the screen. You can barely even see them. And during this game, there’s little to no conversation going on between/during the quips. As much fun as this game might be to play, it’s not a lot of fun to watch. The last one was better, but even that tended to DRAG for the audience at home. Josh really needs to work on the games he’s having stars play if he plans to keep charging $10 a month to watch this stuff. Also, the audio keeps breaking up in this segment, so even when they talk, some of it’s hard to decipher.

“I respect that Colin is doing this instead of reading bedtime stories to his children tonight,” Josh says as everyone’s entering in their answers for Round 2. “[That’s] how committed I am,” Colin replies. Kat says something that is so broken up, I can’t even begin to figure out what it is. Something about bedtime stories and Colin’s kids. It’s probably funny. 🤷‍♀️ I’m getting mad about my $10 gift card being gone again.

Alright. Round 2.

Quip #1: It never ends well when you mix ___ and ___. Answers: “poo and oatmeal” and “Sam and Josh” Okay, that second one is gold. Who did that? Apparently Colin did “poo and oatmeal” and Kat did “Sam and Josh”. Bless her. Colin gets the points with more votes, though.

Quip #2: The worst car feature that ends with “holder” Answers: “penis” and “diaper” Sam is just blinking rapidly. Now he’s laughing. “How does that work?” he asks. No one answers. “But I wanna know,” he says. “How does it work?” Josh wins the points with his “penis” answer - which Colin voted for, by the way - but no one cares now. “Does it move?” Kat asks. “Or does it just-” “Don’t ask too many questions,” Josh says. “What kind of size is it?” Sam asks. “Is it stationary or is there a motor feature?” Kat asks. “Maybe it’s a good idea...” Sam concludes, as Josh laments the kind of dreams he’s going to have now.

The third quip is literally happening in the background now, as everyone talks about the penis holder. Colin is noticeably silent on the topic XD

Quip #3: Something upsetting you could say to the cable guy as he installs your television service. Answers: “you smell like fart” and “want to see my murder room?” I’m sitting here going, “don’t be Colin, don’t be Colin” while simultaneously knowing 100% that Colin absolutely typed “you smell like fart” into his phone and... Yeah. Yeah, I’m right. That was him 😂 And he got 0 points. “Oh, boooo,” says Colin. Honey... Honey, I’m sorry, but that was bad.

Quip #4: The name of the reindeer Santa did not pick to pull his sleigh. Answers: “ohdeer” and “tipsy” Neither of these are very good. I hate this game. Kat gets the points with “tipsy”.

OH WOW, YOU GUYS. The final points are tallied and...

WHAT IS THIS TOMFOOLERY?! Colin is LOSING?!?! I mean, I know “you smell like fart” was bad, but this is unbelievable! I call shenanigans!!!

Colin is literally sitting forward in his chair now, lmao. The determination is intense, you guys. I once again cannot handle him right now. I wish he wasn’t in the teeny tiny window so I could show you guys better, but look at him getting his fucking game face on:

This man is a peanut and I love him with every fiber of my being. Look at him being a competitive little somesuch in last place. I can’t, you guys. Bury me here, etc, etc, I’m just a goner for this ridiculous man.

O’DONOINTENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Round: Quip: Strange side effect to hear during a drug commercial. Answers: “cream cheese will come out of your butt” “seeing double horowitz” and “the screams of baboons” - there’s only three because Kat didn’t get her answer in before the time was up. Aaaaaaand the sound’s breaking all up again 😣 Josh is wondering what the point is of voting, if all you’re doing is giving points to your competitors. “Do you have to give all three votes?” Colin asks. “See,” Josh says. “Colin is thinking strategically, like me.” “Well, I’m not entirely sure the other two, I think, deserve any more than one point.” But it’s... it’s the WAY he says it, OH MY GOD, lol. Lemme... I gotta... Okay, I screen recorded it for you guys.

That O’Donosass is actually almost worth $10, you guys.

Which is good, because the audio is getting worse and worse on this and it’s starting to piss me off. Anyway! Everybody’s got a lot of points, because those were ALL good answers (Colin’s was “the screams of baboons” which I quite like). Let’s see the final tally...

Josh is the winner! But Colin managed a come-from-behind close second, so I’m really proud of him :D Sam mentions how Josh invited them all there to play games and then BEAT them. Josh is closing out the show, saying he hopes everyone enjoyed it... “I enjoyed it,” Josh says "But maybe that’s just 'cause I won at the very last second.” “No, well, you won ONE,” Colin cuts in. “You won ONE game.”

SERIOUSLY. BURY ME RIGHT THERE 😂😂😂

“Colin won the first round,” Josh says.

“...and then we have these two other people.”

Incidentally, I wish everyone’s webcams were as clear as Kat’s.

Anyway, now there’s some sweet summing up... and Josh hawking everyone’s current projects... (gee, it’s like this is promotional content or something) and the show closing down and-

“Can I win next time?” asks Sam Heughan.

~ The End ~

I hope you guys had fun reading this. I gotta say... this one video isn’t worth $10. I can see if you’re a huge fan of Josh’s or really into celebrity culture, $10 a month might be a fine price to pay for a bunch of this kind of content... but for a one-time video when your fave happens to show up on his channel? Nah. He really should have a “one time access” fee available for individual videos that’s a LOT less. Like, I’m talking, like... $1 or 2. This is literally a zoom call... and as such, the quality’s only as good as his guests’ webcams and audio and everyone’s internet connections. Also, I found the game format enticing... but ultimately boring due to the games chosen. The Would You Rather was the most fun of the three, because we actually got to hear from the stars and get some banter going. The games relied too much on the stars interacting with their devices instead of each other or anyone really engaging the audience. Honestly, if it was any of my faves other than Colin in this video, I might not have even watched the whole thing. Colin’s adorable competitive streak and eagerness to win play games is what kept me watching. The idea is cute, but it needs some work. And the price is too high - especially with the audio issues in the last ten minutes or so. That’s my final verdict.

#colin o'donoghue #game night #liveblog

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artificialqueens · 4 years

Text

Revelation Sunshine, Chapter 1 (Courtney/Vixen) - Veronica

A/N: Oh hi. Welcome to the Galactica sequel that I’ve been planning FOREVER. Like...literally since the time these two started interacting on Twitter, during season 10. Thanks to @artificialpuddle for the beta help, and @aqcitrus for brainstorming with me. <3

And of course, a HUGE thanks to @theartificialdane, for humoring me the whole way through and letting me explore this ship in the Galactica verse. It is mostly fluffy, fluffy shit, which is a bit out of my wheelhouse, but I love them so much and I just want them to be happy.

I think it can easily be read as a stand-alone story. The only thing you need to know from Galactica is that at this point in the story, Courtney is a wildly successful queer pop star and star of a fictional Disney franchise called ‘Glimmer,’ which costars Honey Mahogany as her love interest.

Challenge Notes:

Story is told mostly from Vixen’s POV

Her BFFs: Asia, Monet, Monique, Mayhem (who show up in person in Chapter 2)

The title is a song by Cree Summer. I’ve also made a playlist for this story, which can be found here.

#Vixney4Eva

TW: vague reference to past transphobia, sexual apprehension/nervousness that should in NO WAY be construed as dubcon

***

It was Honey who introduced them. Or, rather, Honey who handed Courtney the book that started everything, on the set of Glimmer 3.

BEWARE WHITE TEARS: Performativity and Racial Justice, by Toni “Vixen” Taylor enthralled Courtney so much that she barely slept for 3 nights, devouring it twice. And then she read the whole thing again, slowly, highlighting the parts that blew her mind the most.

On set, when she just couldn’t stop raving about it, Honey laughed at her.

“So...you liked it?”

“Omigod, yes!” Courtney exclaimed. “I mean, obviously I feel very called out. But in a good way? Like...this is making me rethink everything.”

“That’s good! I thought maybe you’d be offended,” Honey said, adjusting her crown.

“Offended? How long have we known each other?” Courtney giggled, bumping Honey with her hip. It was true: they’d been co-starring in the Glimmer franchise for 8 years at that point.

“Still.”

“But god, Honey, it was just...I mean, I don’t even have any words for how amazing it was. She’s so fucking smart and passionate, and so funny, and everything she says is like…” Courtney shook her head, starry-eyed.

“You should tell her,” Honey said with a saucy wink. “Send her a tweet or something.”

“She’s not gonna care what I think,” Courtney said. “I mean, hello? Chapter 4?”

“Okay, but she’s a professor. She’ll be thrilled that someone learned something. Besides, even if she doesn’t respond, maybe you’ll encourage your fans to read it.”

“That’s true…”

“And maybe get more people to listen to her podcast-”

“She has a podcast?!!” Courtney shrieked excitedly, then whispered, “Sorry,” when she saw the boom operator cringe.

Maybe Honey was right...but what should she say?

***

Vixen felt absolutely silly. There was really no reason for attention from a celebrity to make her so giddy. True, there’d been a phase when she hung on Courtney Act’s every word--but that was years ago. Early in her transition, when she felt like nothing she did was right. When she was desperate for any voice telling her that who she was was okay.

It was different now. She was 30 year old, for fuck’s sake. She didn’t need validation from anyone anymore, especially not a pop-star-come-Disney-princess. At least, that’s what she would have told anyone who asked.

But to herself, she couldn’t deny the thrill she got when she saw that first notification on her phone. The mild anxiety all day as she taught two lectures and graded a handful of thesis proposals--a nagging thought in the back of her mind wondering how she should reply. It wasn’t until late into the evening, after 2 glasses of wine, that she allowed herself to read it again, slowly typing out a reply.

Courtney Act @courtneyact ∙ 15h Just read @professorvixtaylor’s “Beware White Tears” and my mind is BLOWN. Everyone needs to read this game-changing book. E V E R Y O N E!!!! It’s so good, so informative, so powerful. AND I just found out that she has! A! Podcast!! #obsessed <3 <3 <3 <3

Dr. Vixen Taylor @professorvixtaylor ∙ 1m Replying to @courtneyact Glad you found it interesting! Thanks for the plug.

That was fine, right? Very chill. She went to sleep feeling pretty satisfied with herself. It wasn’t until the following morning when she saw Courtney’s response.

Courtney Act @courtneyact ∙ 6h Replying to @professorvixtaylor That is the understatement of the year!!! I LOVED it! You are BRILLIANT. I just listened to the first episode of your podcast and holy shit...it’s phenomenal.

Vixen put down her phone, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. It was shallow and cheap--being this enchanted by obviously exaggerated praise. But still...not a bad way to start the day.

***

Vixen was used to fighting. All of her life, it seemed, she’d had to prove herself. Scrape and claw for her voice to be heard. Shout into the void over and over, praying that someone would eventually listen. Demand attention and bang down doors and yell until she was hoarse.

Having someone at Courtney’s level of fame pay attention to her--emphatically describe her as brilliant, incisive, powerful, mind-blowing--Vixen’s impulse, in the beginning, was to lie. To say she didn’t need that kind of validation from anyone, especially a rich, famous, beautiful white girl. The embodiment of privilege. Someone whose coming out was celebrated in the media like a massive human rights achievement. Because how could someone like that ever really get it?

But on the other hand…she had to hand it to Courtney. She had excellent taste in podcasts.

And there was something soothing about a person who didn’t expect her to prove anything. Someone who respected her from the jump, who engaged with her book and her podcasts from a place of dignity, assuming that she knew what she was talking about. She didn’t demand back-up or further explanations when she came across material that was confusing. She did the work herself, looking up the articles and studies Vixen cited, posting them with a quote when something in particular caught her attention.

So reluctantly, over the next month or two, Vixen found herself warming to the idea of a real dialogue. It was January 1st, sitting on her grandmother’s plastic-covered sofa, when Vixen finally bit the bullet and slipped into Courtney’s DMs, so to speak.

Courtney had been tweeting up a storm over the holidays. Gobbling up her podcasts rapidly and hungrily, heaping her and her guests with praise and incidentally, making her subscriber numbers climb. She opened a direct message window, typing out a message that she hoped would make Courtney laugh.

@professorvixtaylor: Alright, already. This is getting embarrassing...

The response came within minutes.

@courtneyact: LOL! Listen, nobody ever accused me of a lack of enthusiasm.

@professorvixtaylor: I bet not ;)

It took one afternoon of DMs before Courtney gave Vixen her phone number. “Twitter’s great, but it’s probably easier to just text, right?”

Well.

Vixen had to admit, she had a point.

***

“So listen,” Latrice said, heaving a deep sigh. “I hate to be the one to tell you this. Like, I really, really hate it.”

“Oh shit,” Courtney said, wrapping herself in a blanket and preparing herself for whatever horrible news her manager was about to deliver. “Go ahead…”

“This isn’t coming from me, okay? It’s coming from Disney.”

“Just tell me, Latrice. What? Is the tour cancelled? Do they hate the new video? Do we need to do reshoots? What?”

“No, all that’s fine. They just...they’re a little uncomfortable about your interactions with this Vixen person.”

“Why?” Courtney sat up, ready to get extremely annoyed, extremely fast.

“Well, it’s just...she’s apparently got some very radical ideas, and-”

“So? Maybe they’re amazing ideas? Have you read the book?” Courtney countered.

Latrice sighed.

“Courtney, listen. It’s just...not what they want while they’re trying to promote this last movie.”

“It’s a movie that ends with a gay interracial marriage!” Courtney exclaimed. “So why the fuck do they have a problem with me complimenting a Black political science professor on Twitter?! This is beyond idiotic, Latrice, you have to admit that! And by the way, I’m not gonna stop. She’s amazing and her book is important and more people should know about her, and if they want to fire me, then fine!” Courtney’s heart was racing as she tried to catch her breath.

There was a pause before Latrice spoke again.

“I assumed this would be your response.”

“Yeah, so. Now what?!”

“Now, I tell them that you feel very strongly about this, and that you’re not breaching any contract, and if they try to silence you on this issue, you’re prepared for a very public, very embarrassing fight,” Latrice said.

“Okay…” Courtney waited for the catch.

“I’m pretty sure they’ll drop it.”

“Just like that?” Courtney asked, confused. She’d gotten herself well and riled up, prepared for a real battle.

“Yeah, baby,” Latrice said. “Just like that. Chalk it up to white privilege.”

Courtney couldn’t help but laugh at that, head falling back on the sofa cushions.

“Good one, ma’am.”

After they hung up, Courtney opened Instagram, delighted that Vixen had updated her story. It was just a casual picture, her and two other professors getting ready to speak at a round table discussion. Courtney smiled, replying to the picture with heart eyes and the question, ‘Is that top from my collection?’

She responded a little while later, while Courtney was on the elliptical, saying, ‘I was hoping you’d notice. ;)’

Courtney giggled to herself, wondering when she’d get to meet this amazing, glowingly beautiful woman. All she wanted was to finally talk, face to face. Maybe in the spring, when her tour hit Chicago? Which, as far as Courtney was concerned, couldn’t happen soon enough.

***

It may very well have been a love letter, Vixen thought, finding her cheeks blazing hot at the thought. She’d woken up to a video posted on Courtney’s Twitter feed. “How To Be a Race Ally.”

Vixen watched the whole video with a healthy amount of skepticism. It was great, actually. Humble and informative. Cleverly incorporating some of the points from her podcast (with proper credit given) and even some things she’d said over text recently (also with credit, and a wink straight into the camera that made Vixen feel things she wasn’t prepared for at 7:30 in the morning).

Dr. Vixen Taylor @professorvixtaylor ∙ 1m Replying to @courtneyact Okay fine, you can come to the cookout.

As usual, Courtney's response was lightning fast, an emoji wearing a party hat and about 10 exclamation points. Vixen couldn’t resist teasing her a little bit more.

Dr. Vixen Taylor @professorvixtaylor ∙ 1m Replying to @courtneyact I don’t know how vegan-friendly it’ll be, though.

Courtney Act @courtneyact ∙ 1m Replying to @professorvixtaylor You really think I’m there for the food? ;P

Vixen rose from her bed, an almost giddy feeling filling her chest. She really needed to calm the fuck down. What was with this silly schoolgirl behavior? And on a public platform? Every interaction ran the risk of absolutely ruining the street cred she’d spent years building up. (Monet was already making it her personal mission to screenshot every exchange and then tease her mercilessly, and Asia had begun to join in.)

Besides, what were the odds that it would ever be anything but a short-lived flirtation? Courtney was bound to become captivated by something else soon. An animal rights group, perhaps. Or funding for the arts in public schools. There were a billion issues competing for her attention. How long would Vixen’s moment in the sun possibly last?

And yet, when Courtney tweeted that she was on her way to New York, Vixen found herself taking a shot of liquid courage and then sending a text.

VIXEN: Hey...how long are you gonna be in New York?

COURTNEY: A couple of weeks, why?

VIXEN: Well, I have a conference at Columbia on February 23, and then I’m gonna stay for a few days. Maybe we could meet up?

COURTNEY: YES

COURTNEY: I mean, sure. Sounds lovely. Tell me what day you’re free. <3

***

It was strange, seeing Courtney in person after all this time. As much as Vixen enjoyed chatting with her, and as validating as it was to get so much attention, she had reminded herself over and over again that this was all just friendly banter. A bit of lighthearted flirting, maybe, but the possibility of a genuine romantic connection was absolutely out of the question.

But then.

When Courtney first emerged from the elevators, smile bright, it was like time ceased to be linear. Nothing...not pictures, not video, not even that concert she’d attended all those years ago, prepared her for how heart-stoppingly beautiful she was in person.

Vixen stood, in slow motion, knees shaking a little, suddenly hugely aware of her height. Was Courtney always this little? Why had Vixen worn heels?

It must have taken Courtney less than 10 seconds to cross the lobby to where Vixen stood, but for some reason, it felt like 10 years. Excruciatingly slow, and yet somehow, Vixen was still caught off guard as she bounded up and grasped both of her hands.

“Thank you so much for coming!” Courtney exclaimed, that dazzling smile still on her face. “It’s amazing to finally be in the same room!”

“Yeah, it’s…” Vixen offered a smile of her own, swallowing hard. Her hands were warm and soft, and as Vixen gazed down at her, she could feel her heart racing faster than ever. “How was your day?”

“Crazy…” Courtney linked an arm through Vixen’s, leading her towards the hotel bar.

It took a concerningly short time for all the weirdness to dissipate, for Vixen to forget that she was across the table from a celebrity, a person she’d been following for years, a person that she’d idolized at one point in her life.

She was just a girl. Granted, she was a beautiful girl, but one who seemed incredibly excited, even honored, to be talking to Vixen—about her book, her podcast, her life. Where she came from and what she cared about and who she looked up to. A girl who wanted to get to know her.

After awhile, when Vixen was finally relaxed enough to really open up, she told Courtney about hearing ‘Kaleidoscope’ for the first time. How, at that point in her transition, it made all the difference in the world to see Courtney so open about the fluidity of gender and sexuality. To hear those magical words. ‘This is who we are.’

Courtney nodded along, listening to her, tears filling her eyes. She covered Vixen’s hand with her own, and said, “I needed it too.”

As the hours ticked by, they talked about everything. Passion, art, travel, identity. She wanted to know when Vixen began to question her own gender, how she knew that she wanted to transition. She was delighted by the story of her brief foray into drag during the early college years, the source of her now permanent nickname. In spite of all the questions (or maybe because of them), for once, Vixen felt like she wasn’t on the defensive. She found herself being more sincere and honest about all of it than she’d been in a long time.

“I’m not usually this open,” she admitted at one point.

Courtney laughed, eyes glittering, and said, “I’m usually too open.”

“I think you’re just right,” Vixen replied, giving her a generous smile.

They talked about their childhoods. How much she loved pretend and fantasy as a kid.

“I went through a phase—that’s generous, it was like 3 years—where I really wanted to be a dragon. I had this dumb...dragon hoodie, that I wore all the time. And when I finally grew out of it, I cried.”

“Aww,” Courtney said, reaching for her hand. “I bet you were adorable.”

“I think I just really, really didn’t want to be me.”

Courtney took in a slow, deep breath, and then let it out even slower.

“I’m not gonna pretend that I really get it. Everything you’re talking about. I don’t know if I ever could. But...I get that part.”

Vixen raised an eyebrow.

“You? How do you get it?” Vixen let out a chuckle. “I’m not trying to judge you, but I just...look at you. You’re this perfect, sparkly princess. Everything the world wants a girl to be.”

“Yeah...I see what you’re saying. But...sometimes it feels like that’s all the world wants. Is the sparkly princess part. And I’m more than that. Or, I hope I am. But…” Courtney trailed off, wrinkling her nose. “Do I sound really dumb?”

“You don’t sound dumb. You sound like a very intelligent, thoughtful...sparkly princess.”

Courtney threw back her head and laughed.

“I can’t believe you laughed at that,” Vixen said with a shake of her head. “It was such a cheap shot.”

“Well, I’m an easy laugh,” Courtney said, shrugging unapologetically.

“Yeah I’ve heard that about you,” Vixen couldn’t help saying, and Courtney’s giggles continued.

They stared at each other for a few moments, eyes burning in the dim light, with matching, goofy grins decorating their faces, until Vixen broke, shaking her head.

“This is so surreal…”

“How so?” Courtney asked, voice lilting in a way that felt almost like a tease, resting a chin on her hand.

Vixen hesitated. It felt so cliché to say that it was because Courtney was famous, or because she once cried at her concert when she was 23.

“I mean...you’re not even really my type,” she finally answered with a small shrug.

“Oh yeah? What’s your type?”

“Ummm...I normally go for curvy Latinas,” Vixen said, lashes fluttering.

Courtney’s eyes widened, smile deepening, as she exclaimed, “Oh my god, me too!”

They both started laughing again, clinking glasses for good measure.

“So, um...do you have to go back to Chicago tomorrow?”

“Actually, no. I decided to stay a few more days,” Vixen replied. “See some shows, meet up with some friends. There’s this museum in Brooklyn that I’ve been dying to check out for years.”

“What museum?” Courtney asked.

“It’s, uh, called the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts,” Vixen said. “Kind of a mouthful but-”

“Sounds great. I wish I could see it.”

“You wanna come? I’m going tomorrow after lunch.”

“Ugh, I wish!” Courtney said, stretching her neck. “But the press tour schedule is insane. I’m doing two more interviews tomorrow, and then I fly to LA to kick off the tour.”

“Tough breaks.” Vixen tried, unsuccessfully, not to sound sarcastic.

“Listen, I’m not complaining. I’m very lucky.” Courtney smiled, tilting her head. “But it would’ve been cool to see that museum.”

“Next time,” Vixen promised.

“I’m holding you to that,” Courtney said, gaze fixed on Vixen’s face as she downed the rest of her drink.

Vixen gave a small nod, finding her eyes hypnotic. Surreal indeed.

They ordered yet another round as hotel patrons trickled out, crowd thinning, closing time approaching. By the time they stood up to leave, they’d knocked back quite a few--more than Vixen realized at the time. She grabbed Courtney’s arm to steady her as the blonde swayed in her heels.

“You alright?”

“Mmhmm…” Courtney gazed up at her, lashes fluttering.

“Do you want me to help you upstairs?”

“Okay…”

In the elevator, Courtney wrapped her arms around Vixen’s waist, leaning a head on her shoulder. Vixen’s heart hammered in her chest, one hand gripping the railing for support.

At the door, Courtney looked up at her, eyes bright, breathing out, “You know, we don’t have to be up until 10 tomorrow…”

“What are you…‘we?’”

It took Vixen a moment to catch on to her train of thought, a wave of nerves washing over her.

“Listen. Um. I think you’re great,” she began, wincing as she saw Courtney’s blissful expression crumble. “But...I just, I never hook up with girls who’ve been drinking. It’s just…”

Vixen didn’t want to explain the whole story. The girl in the lesbian bar, years ago, who danced with her all night, flirting and rubbing against her, inviting her back to her apartment. Only, when they began to undress, and it became clear that Vixen’s body was a little different, the girl flipped a switch. Went from a delightful buzz to drunken rage. Accused her of taking advantage, called her...Vixen didn’t even want to think about that. Or about how she’d left her apartment as fast as possible, terrified and choking back tears. How at home, she’d collapsed into Asia’s arms and sobbed most of the night, wondering if she’d ever fit in, anywhere.

Courtney wasn’t that girl in the bar—Vixen knew that. But she was clearly tipsy, and some things, some decisions, required a clear head.

“It’s not you,” she finished lamely. “You’re amazing.”

Courtney nodded, swallowing her disappointment like a champ and saying, “You’re amazing.”

Before she left, Vixen leaned in and brushed her lips against Courtney’s cheek.

She walked toward the elevator, regret stinging the back of her throat. She had no idea how long it would be before they saw each other again, and suddenly her arbitrary rules based on one shitty asshole in a bar 7 years ago seemed...absurd. She turned back around. Courtney was still leaning in her open doorway, watching her walk away.

“Hey, how drunk are you, actually? Can you recite the Pledge of Allegiance?” Vixen asked.

“No—” Courtney said, brow furrowed.

“Oh.” Vixen’s heart deflated a bit.

“—Because we don’t have the Pledge of Allegiance in Australia.”

“Right,” Vixen laughed.

“But what about, um, okay...so...here's a story from A to Z. You wanna get with me, you gotta listen carefully. We got Em in the place who likes it in your face. You got G like MC who likes it on a. Easy V doesn't-”

Vixen strode forward and silenced her with a kiss, soft and sweet, almost chaste at first, both of them giggling. As the kiss deepened, Vixen grabbed Courtney around the waist and pushed her backward into the room, letting the door slam shut behind them.

Vixen was so enamoured that she barely registered Courtney’s massive hotel suite, the entry hall or huge living room that Courtney led her through on the way to the bedroom. Guiding her by her hips to the bed, Courtney pushed her into a seated position and stood between her legs, chasing her lips as she took hold of her collar, fingering the little pearl buttons down the front of her shirt dress.

“Is this okay?” she asked, and Vixen nodded.

“Yeah.” She watched Courtney’s heavy-lidded eyes as she quickly opened the buttons, skin prickling as she pushed it off Vixen’s shoulders. She kissed Vixen again, deep and messy, sucking on her bottom lip.

Panting, Vixen reached around, fumbling for Courtney’s zipper. Once she pulled it down a few inches, the cotton dress easily came off over her head, and then there she was, standing in front of Vixen in nothing but a pair of baby blue panties.

Vixen swallowed, eyes sweeping over Courtney’s body, dying to touch her but nervous as all fuck.

“Listen, um...I should tell you…”

Courtney paused mid-way through opening Vixen’s belt to look at her curiously, face earnest and alert. The perfect student.

Vixen sighed. The fact that Courtney was so willing to listen, so considerate, should have been a bonus. But in this moment, it just made her feel startlingly inadequate. She hated this. The feeling of not being enough, or being too much. She didn’t even know anymore. All she knew was that she was about to make herself more vulnerable than she’d ever been, and she was terrified.

“So...Okay, um. I guess...it’s just been a long time since...I was with a girl.”

“Tell me about it,” Courtney said, grinning.

“No. A really long time,” Vixen said.

“Okay. Does that mean you don’t want-”

“No!” Vixen burst out, a little too emphatically, and then lowered her eyes bashfully, adding in a calmer voice, “No, I want to be with you, I just...might be a little out of practice.” It was an understatement, a lie of omission that unsettled Vixen’s stomach a bit. But it was all she felt comfortable with revealing at the moment, and she hoped that she’d be forgiven later.

“Hmm…” Courtney took Vixen’s face in her hands, tilting her chin up. “I think I can work with that…”

She bent down to kiss her again, soft as a whisper, fingers stroking Vixen’s cheekbones, before pulling back and gazing down at her.

“God,” Courtney breathed, “You are so beautiful.”

Vixen took in a shaky breath, her hands finally lifting to slide around Courtney’s hips. Something about the way Courtney looked at her was different than anything she’d ever experienced. She’d been the object of lust before, and sometimes very much enjoyed it. But this was more than that. She felt more than sexy, more even than beautiful. She felt seen.

But for once, rather than get all wrapped up in anxiety about what it meant, Vixen acted on instinct. She gripped Courtney's waist and pulled her forward, flinging her onto her back on bed. Courtney squealed delightedly, pulling her along.

Courtney smiled up at her, reaching a hand out but then pausing, letting her fingers rest on Vixen’s shoulder.

“Am I allowed to touch your hair? ‘Cause I’ve heard...”

Vixen couldn’t help laughing as she nodded and said, “That rule doesn’t really apply here.”

“Okay,” Courtney giggled, fingering her twists gently.

Vixen turned her head, pressing a kiss to Courtney’s wrist, then slowly moving up her arm, and finally nuzzling into her shoulder. Her skin smelled fresh and almost sweet, like she’d recently been in a doughnut shop. It wasn’t sugary like some kind of food-based perfume or soap, just a gentle, vague deliciousness that Vixen became addicted to immediately, burying her face into her neck to inhale deeply.

She found a soft, tender spot, just below Courtney’s ear, that made her sigh when kissed, and began to suck. Courtney inhaled sharply, hips thrusting up against Vixen’s, hands tightening in her hair.

“You like that?” Vixen asked, emboldened, hands sliding up from her waist to scratch gently at her ribcage.

“Uh huh,” Courtney breathed, arching up again as Vixen kissed her, thumb brushing over her hardened nipple. A whimper fell from her lips.

Vixen’s dress was half off at this point, pushed down around her waist, and when Courtney’s fingers began to trail lightly up and down her back, she shivered. Courtney pushed the dress further down, wriggling it over Vixen’s hips to her thighs, and Vixen pulled it off the rest of the way.

She was expecting to feel uncomfortably exposed, both of them now just in their panties—a situation she hadn’t found herself in with a woman is a very fucking long time. Especially a woman she liked this much. But instead of feeling awkward, she found her pulse racing with excitement, nearly breathless in anticipation of what might come next.

She realized that she’d been frozen for a few moments when Courtney raised herself up on her elbows and asked, “Are you alright?”

Vixen nodded, and Courtney sat up further, reaching out to touch her cheek.

“You want to take a break? Slow things down?”

“No,” Vixen said simply, slipping her fingers under the sides of Courtney’s panties. Her hips lifted, allowed Vixen to slide them off easily, heart in her throat when she saw how glistening wet she was already. She knew that she was potentially in over her head, but there was also a strong urge to keep going, pulse racing with desire.

“Come here.” Courtney stretched out her arm, pulling Vixen in for a kiss, tongues tangling together. She rolled Vixen over, onto her back, grinding down against her.

As much as Vixen wanted to please her, ceding control to Courtney felt liberating. She watched through heavy-lidded eyes as Courtney lavished her with affection, layering kisses against her skin. When a warm tongue swirled over her nipple, her hips jerked up, a stifled moan escaping from her throat.

Courtney sucked harder on her nipple, hands sliding down her torso, lips following as they trailed over Vixen’s tense abdomen. She hooked her fingers into the sides of Vixen’s panties and then looked up questioningly.

“Can I...?”

“Go ahead,” Vixen replied, straining to raise her hips, finding her core muscles in a weakened state, skin so flushed and hot that for a moment, she barely remembered to be self-conscious. Until Courtney began to slide her panties down, and suddenly she remembered exactly what she’d been dreading. When the reality of who she was would confront Courtney, more than theoretical, more than an idea.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she watched Courtney’s face. If she had any qualms about a girl with a dick, she certainly didn’t show it. She simply continued to suck soft kisses into her skin, warm hands resting on her thighs.

Vixen finally relaxed backwards, eyes falling shut. She let go of all her worries, all her stupid insecurities. At least for now. At least while Courtney took her dick into her mouth, tongue flicking delicately at her. Vixen’s hips thrust upwards, hands gripping the comforter tightly, moans dripping from her lips like honey.

It had been so achingly long since anyone had touched her this way. Maybe no one ever had, she realized as she arched into the soft caresses. She’s certainly never experienced this kind of loving attention from a woman, a woman treating her like she was precious and beautiful, turning her into a gasping, quivering mess. Vixen felt herself falling apart quickly, losing control, nearly gone before she had the wherewithal to choke out a pained warning.

“I’m-I’m gonna-”

“Mmhmmm…” Courtney made no move to stop, swirling her tongue again, then taking her deeper, sucking harder.

“Oh fuck,” Vixen moaned, hips pumping uncontrollably as she came, gasping for air.

The way Courtney’s hands stroked her thighs, continued to suck softly as she melted backwards into the pillows, every muscle in her body going slack--the small part of her that was still conscious shivered with delight, thrilled with the feeling of being spoiled.

It wasn’t until her body was completely still, bones feeling like jelly, when Courtney began to work her way up her body once again, hands sliding over her skin until she came nose to nose with her once again.

Courtney smiled, kissing her cheeks, down along her jaw, the corner of her mouth. Lips rousing her from a state of sheer exhaustion into warm, sleepy affection. Her hands circled Courtney's waist.

“How are you feeling, baby?” Courtney murmured.

“Uh huh.”

Courtney giggled, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger as she pressed more kisses against her.

Vixen sighed contentedly, pulling her in close, not caring how clingy and pathetic she might seem, just wanting the warmth of Courtney’s body against her own. Courtney snuggled into her arms, slipping to the side of her, legs still tangled together.

After a few slow, lazy kisses, Vixen started to sense a shift. Courtney’s breath grew hot and ragged, hips rutting against her. She cautiously moved a hand down, working it in between her thighs, fingers seeking out her wet heat.

“Show me what you want,” she urged, desire to give Courtney pleasure finally outweighing her fear of looking like an amateur.

Courtney lifted her head, giving her a sleepy grin and reaching down to guide her. She patiently showed Vixen exactly where to touch her, what to do to tease her, when to speed up and circle her clit, how deep for her fingers to go and exactly how to curl them to make her tremble. Vixen followed her breathless instructions, guided by Courtney’s own hand, thrilled at the way her body responded.

Soon, Courtney’s eyes were rolled back, muscles straining, tits brushing against Vixen’s chest as she thrusted against her fingers, fucking down into them, breathy moans music to Vixen’s ears. Her hips moved faster and faster until she stopped, whimpering, just barely grinding against the heel of Vixen’s hand, lips pressed to her neck.

Vixen had never made a girl come before, and it was so much more beautiful than she’d imagined, from the way her lashes fluttered against her cheeks to the slick sheen of sweat on her forehead, to her ass flexing, muscles still twitching against Vixen’s fingers. And the best part, the way she looked up at Vixen at the end, eyes locked with hers as the waves of pleasure radiated through her body, fingers wound tightly into her hair.

“Fuck,” Courtney sighed, collapsing against Vixen’s body, trapping her hand for a few moments before realizing it and letting her wriggle free with a sleepy laugh. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Vixen said, tilting her chin up for a kiss. Her whole body had suddenly become soft and pliant, and all Vixen wanted was to wrap her into an embrace. She wasn’t expecting it to feel this intimate. A part of her had even worried that this whole affair would be wrapped up in a one-night stand. But as Courtney cuddled against her, heart still hammering, she felt closer to her than ever. “I should probably tell you…”

“Mmm?”

“What I said earlier, about not being with a girl in a long time?” Vixen swallowed. “I uh...I haven’t really had a girlfriend since high school. And I guess I’ve come close since then, but never really went through with it...as me. The real me.”

Courtney lifted her head, fingers trailing down Vixen’s arm, a smile playing on her lips.

“Thank you for trusting me with the real you,” she said softly.

Vixen nodded, not sure what more there was to add, when a clap of thunder outside scared the living shit out of her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. So much for a warm and fuzzy moment.

Courtney laughed, pulling up the covers and cocooning them both, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” she said, snuggling tight against Vixen’s body.

“You better,” Vixen replied.

#rpdr fanfiction #the vixen #courtney act #honey mahogany #latrice royale #courtney x vixen #trans!vixen #fluff #smut #mild angst #lesbian au #galactica au #fic challenge #black girl magic fic #diversity fic #revelation sunshine #veronica #trans character #tw mention of past transphobia

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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years

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JOHNNY CARSON

October 23, 1925

John William Carson was a television host, comedian, writer, and producer best known as the host of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” (1962–1992). He was born in Corning, Iowa, and moved to Nebraska at age 8. Carson joined the Navy in 1943. He attended the University of Nebraska and studied journalism but with a keen interest in comedy writing.

His first on camera credit was an afternoon television show called “The Squirrel’s Nest” in 1949 in Omaha. Carson also wrote the program.

Carson’s first brush with Lucille Ball came in February 1961 as a panelist (along with Betsy Palmer, Harry Morgan, and Bess Myerson) on “I’ve Got a Secret”. Guest Lucille Ball was then starring on Broadway in the musical Wildcat. Moore tells Lucy that her secret will be to get the panel to imitate her based on words that appear on the screen. During Carson’s turn, the word is “ROMANTIC” and then “TIPSY.”

In May 1962, Carson is host of the 14th Annual Emmy Awards, at which Lucille Ball is a presenter.

They would also be host and presenter for the 23rd Annual Emmy Awards in 1971. Lucille Ball is not nominated for “Here’s Lucy”, despite the fact that there were only three nominees in her category. Gale Gordon lost to Edward Asner (”The Mary Tyler Moore Show”) and the writers were nominated for “Lucy Meets the Burtons” but lost to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Lucy attended the Awards with her husband Gary, her daughter Lucie, and her then son-in-law Phil Vandervoort.

At the 36th Annual Emmy Awards in 1980, Lucille Ball was again a presenter, but this time Carson was a nominee, not the host. The hosting duties were taken by Tom Sellek.

A few weeks later, Carson and Ball are on hand at the 14th Anniversary of “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Lucille Ball makes a cameo appearances riding atop an elephant!

In “Jack Benny’s Carnival Nights” (March 1968), Benny’s all-star cast includes Johnny Carson as a carnival barker introducing Luscious Lucille (Lucille Ball), the red-headed bombshell.

Barker: “The girl who made Little Egypt surrender to the Israelis, Luscious Lucille is the most fantastic dancing girl in all history. When Lucille made her first appearance, Gypsy Rose Lee retired, Lily St. Cyr burst her bubble, and Sally Rand grabbed her fans and flew back to Capistrano.”

Later in the special, Carson plays Jack Benny’s son, Jackie, an aspiring TV comic. Lucy played Jackie’s worn-out mother, Agnes.

In July 1968 Lucille Ball made her first appearance on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” having already been a guest on the show hosted by Jack Paar. She was there to promote her new show, “Here’s Lucy.”

She returned to the guest chair in August 1969, and November 1969, where she brought rehearsal footage of Carson on “Here’s Lucy.”

“Lucy and Johnny Carson” (HL S2;E11) aired on December 1, 1969.

Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon play themselves as Lucy Carter goes to see “The Tonight Show”. In fact, the episode was not shot at the set of the “Tonight Show,” but one replicated by “Here’s Lucy” on their soundstage at Paramount.

Lucy Carter is picked to play Stump the Band, a staple audience interaction sequence of “The Tonight Show.” Lucy sings “Snoops the Lawyer” a song she says she learned from her father.

Speaking of parents, sitting just across the aisle from Lucy is her real-life mother, Dede Ball. Carson even directs some of his lines toward her.

After the show, Harry and Lucy see Johnny and Ed at the Brown Derby restaurant. The Brown Derby scene is very similar to the Brown Derby scene in “Hollywood at Last!” (ILL S4;E16) aka “L.A. at Last!”.

In “Lucy and Johnny Carson,” Lucy jumps up when she sees Gregory Peck and causes the waiter to spill a tray of drinks on Carson.

In “Hollywood at Last!” Lucy jumps up when she sees Gregory Peck and causes the waiter to spill a tray of cream pies on William Holden.

The episode opens with a spoof of the TV series “Mission: Impossible” (1966-73), which was a Desilu / Paramount series.

In 1970, Lucille Ball made two more appearances on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”: in February and November.

In between, in September 1970, Carson, Ball and other stars helped Dean Martin kick off the sixth season of “The Dean Martin Show.”

Lucile Ball made several more appearances on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” throughout the 1970s:

1971 ~ May and August

1973 ~ November

1974 ~ March (with surprise guest Desi Arnaz Sr.)

1975 ~ December

1977 ~ April and November

1980 ~ February

In 1976, Carson was happy to participate in "CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years” recalling his time on her show in a segment titled “Being Upstaged.”

In 1978, Carson and Ball did two tribute shows: “A Tribute To Mr. Television Milton Berle” and “Happy Birthday, Bob!” a celebration of Bob Hope’s 75th birthday at the Kennedy Center.

On May 6, 1979, Johnny Carson received an award from the Friars Club during a testimonial dinner at Waldorf-Astoria and friends such as Lucille Ball was accompanied by her husband Gary Morton and daughter Lucie Arnaz.

In 1980, Lucille Ball made the momentous decision to break with CBS and sign a contract with NBC. The event was publicized by a fact meets fiction special titled “Lucy Moves To NBC” in which the NBC stars welcome Ball to the Peacock Network. Carson played himself. Lucy’s Secretary announces Carson’s entrance into her office just as Ed McMahon did on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”: “Heeeeeere’s Johnny!” Carson comes in with the “Tonight Show” theme music playing. Breaking the fourth wall, he cuts off the studio audiences’ applause with a sweeping gesture and they instantly fall silent, just as he did on his talk show. Carson delivers some one-liners about his favorite target, Burbank. There is also some innuendo about Johnny Carson’s work schedule at NBC. In 1980,after more than a year of speculation, Carson finally re-negotiated his contract with the network for a shorter work week, only doing one hour a night, four nights a week. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the evening this special aired, Johnny’s guest was Bob Hope, who will be the next NBC star through Lucy’s office door.

Although Lucy’s tenure at NBC yielded very little, she did join Bob Hope on numerous specials, including “Bob Hope Buys NBC?” in May 1985. Ball and Carson both have cameos in the tongue-in-cheek program.

As years went on, Ball and Carson were often part of tribute shows for other celebrities:

“AFI Achievement Award: A Tribute to Billy Wilder” ~ March 6, 1986

“America’s Tribute to Bob Hope” ~ March 5, 1988

“AFI Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Jack Lemmon” ~ March 10, 1988

Their final appearance on screen together was for “The Fifth Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame” on January 23, 1989, just a few months before Ball’s death. She inducted her friend Red Buttons into the Hall of Fame. Both Lucy and Johnny were former honorees.

Johnny Carson was married four times - twice to his second wife Joanna. He had three children. He died in 2005, age 79, of emphysema. He will forever be known as “The King of Late Night”.

Carson received six Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.

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goldstarnation · 4 years

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JULY 2020 GOLD STAR MEDIA SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of August 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

Threads do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: June schedule posts are due by the end of July 7 KST. Please do not post schedule posts in the fmdschedule tag.

OVERALL COMPANY

All Gold Star idols are scheduled for a meeting with upper management the day before the news of the upcoming base Culture Complex is leaked to the media. They’re given a more detailed rundown of plans for the facility than the public is, although not all the details are made clear. In the meeting, everyone is informed Gold Star has partnered once again with BC and Dimensions to fund the construction of a new building in Gangnam meant to become the ideal location in the world for fans of idols. The building will include a museum with exhibits dedicated to the history and music of each group and soloist, a handful of theatre venues for intimate concerts and company-sponsored musical productions, a merchandise mall, a cafe, and many other fan experiences. (admin note: For reference, imagine something similar to SM COEX Artium —with over three times the budget.) The idols won’t spend much time there even once it’s finished being built, but content starring them is critical to the financial success of the venture, so the next several months leading up to its opening will have all three companies’ idols working hard to make its opening a success. This month, that mostly involves producing photo shoots: all idols will attend a photo shoot session this month where three categories of photo will be tacked: profile pictures for the artist wall (grayscale, professional and serious tone), images for life-sized cutouts of each idol (wardrobe will consist of jeans and a single-color top for each idol, fun and bright tone with fanservicable poses such as here and here encouraged) and 3D imaging for 3D-printed figures of each idol.

Important dates:

July 5: base Culture Complex briefing meeting.

July 12-July 31: Photo shoots for base Culture Complex, as individual muse schedule allows, at unspecified photo studio in Gangnam (admin note: muses may encounter idols from other companies while there).

GOLD STAR SOLOIST 1

Now that “Blueming” promotions are complete, it’s time for her to prepare for her concert tour. The set list includes her latest songs as well as older favorites. This month, the focus is making sure she has the performances of each song down with hours spent in the practice room, with extra time and focus spent on the ones that involve back-up dancers.

Important dates:

N/A

GOLD STAR SOLOIST 2

Now that her concert tour is done, she’s been granted a vacation from the company. She’s allowed to schedule her vacation as she wishes throughout the month (she may travel abroad if she wishes, with or without a manager), though she will need to be in Seoul a few days out of the month to listen to demos for potential new songs as Gold Star has been throwing around the idea of a holiday release at the end of this year for her.

Important dates:

N/A

GOLD STAR SOLOIST 3

The release of his English-language album approaches and as the track list has now been finalized, he’ll be expected to spend long hours in the recording studio this month to finish laying down the final vocal tracks on the album before he heads into the final stretch of album preparations next month.

Important dates:

N/A

SILHOUETTE

On their tenth anniversary, they receive a rare video by way of their manager’s phone from CEO Bang Sunyoung herself congratulating them on ten years. In it, she gives encouragement for their comeback and thanks them for their dedication to the company for ten years. On the same day, they host a mini outdoor fanmeeting for fans in honor of the occasion. Their new comeback releases on the third and it seems Gold Star’s marketing of a reinvention of Silhouette for their tenth anniversary worked, as the song climbs up the charts to a Gaon number one in its third week

Important dates:

July 1: Ten year anniversary mini fanmeeting.

July 3: Release of “Sixth Sense” & Sixth Sense album, music show promotions continue through August 3.

July 6: Guesting on MBC FM Starry Night radio show.

July 13: Guesting on SBS PowerFM Youngstreet radio show.

July 15: Radio Star appearance filming (to be aired: July 22).

ARIA

Aria finishes off music show promotions mid-month after a busy schedule of music show promotions. Before that, they make an appearance on School Attack, where they’ll visit a middle school. At the beginning of filming, they’ll split themselves up into pairs of their choosing and be given a mission where they pick three Korean consonants and must find a food with at least two of the consonants in it in order to eat before they leave for the school. If they fail, they have to walk to get to the school instead of riding the bus with the rest of the members. Once they are all at the school, the members must find clues to lead them to start the school attack performance for the students. They’ll also be filming the first two episodes of Queendom on July 16 and July 30 (the latter date also happens to be their debut anniversary), and they’ve been asked to prepare a performance of their representative hit song, “Ah-Choo”. Full details of Queendom filming for this month can be found here.

Important dates:

July 6: School Attack appearance filming (to air: July 13).

July 15: End of music show promotions.

July 16: Queendom episode one filming (introductions).

July 30: Queendom episode one & two filming (representative hit song stage).

ORIGIN

July is a month of filming for Origin. In total, five music videos will be filmed for their comeback this month, though only three will consist of the full group. Those three videos will be filmed while Origin is on a trip to California from July 21 to July 27 and will include their “Black Swan” music video, to be filmed at The Los Angeles Theatre, their “On” Kinetic Manifesto, to be filmed near the Sepulveda Dam, and the week-long filming of their official “On” music video, to be filmed at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park. The members will continue to practice their performances while abroad.

Important dates:

July 8: “Shadow” MV filming (lead rapper only).

July 16: “Ego” MV filming (main dancer/rapper only).

July 21-July 27: “On” Official MV filming in Agua Dulce, CA, USA.

July 21: “Black Swan” MV filming in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

July 22: “On” Kinetic Manifesto MV filming in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

IMPULSE

Before Impulse makes their comeback at the end of the month, they need to shoot their comeback teasers along with the music video for their comeback. Shortly after they make their comeback, they’ll need to return to the dance studio to record a name tag survival dance practice for fans in addition to their standard dance practice, which will be filmed before their comeback.

Important dates:

July 1: Comeback teaser photo shoot [2] [3] [4].

July 7: “You Calling My Name” MV filming.

July 27: Release of “You Calling My Name” & Call My Name album, music show promotions continue through August 27.

FUSE

Their comeback date is finalized for the end of next month, meaning they have to begin to wrap up preparations this month. In addition to fittings for outfits that are quite a change from their “Zimalabim” and “Umpah Umpah” concepts, they have the album photo book to shoot and, near the end of the month, the music video. Fuse’s creative team and management begin to feel more pressure for Fuse’s comeback to do well after the company sees the success of Silhouette’s comeback, which could threaten Fuse’s place on Gold Star’s priority list, and the pressure management is feeling is evident as their own comeback gets closer.

Important dates:

July 6: MV and stage outfit fittings.

July 15: Album photo book shoot.

July 25: “Psycho” MV filming.

ELEMENT

To keep fans entertained while Element is away from activities, Gold Star will have them shoot a video for Youtube of them playing a game of Mafia in the first half of the month. For their third anniversary, Gold Star has planned a day of livestreams for Element to interact with their fans. Each member will be asked to do a solo thirty minute to one hour livestream some time when they’re available on July 19 before 6pm KST, at which point, all four members will hold a one to two hour group livestream where they’ll talk to fans and play games and reflect on the last three and a half years since they released their first pre-debut single.

Important dates:

July 10: Mafia Youtube video filming.

July 19: Third debut anniversary VLive.

FEMME FATALE

Femme Fatale only have concert dates in one city this month (as they continue to film for their video diaries series), which is a change from all of the traveling they’ve been doing since the beginning of the year. While they’re in Seoul, they’ll lay down the needed vocals for the upcoming release of the Japanese version of their Kill This Love EP, but other than that, they’ll have some downtime this month, though they’re still busy enough they won’t get a true vacation.

Important dates:

July 17: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

July 18: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

July 19: Femme Fatale In Your Area World Tour concert at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

#fmdschedule #queued post

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reylo-trash-4ever · 4 years

Text

The Game Part 4

LOLOLOL so it’s been years and I bet everyone thinks I’ve fallen off the face of the earth but no bitch, I still live. Quarantine has given me time to write so whoo hoo!! Also, I will for sure be trying to set up an Ao3 account in the near future and that will most likely be my new main source to post this story, so look out for that!

In the mean time, please enjoy the newest installment, and sorry it’s so short. As always, shout outs go to my lovely and wonderful queen beans @scav-eng-er and @mojona1999. Y’all are the GREATEST! Happy Star Wars Day everyone and May the 4th be with you!

The Game: Chapter 4 Rating: PG

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to get my stolen laptop back.” Rey spoke matter-of-factly, her arms crossed over her chest and a defiant look in her eyes as she stared unblinkingly, and unwaveringly, up at Ben.

“I told you, you’d get it back tomorrow,” Ben responded, leaning on the left side of the doorway and blocking any possible entry.

“Yeah, that’s what you wanted, but I decided on something different, so… here I am.”

Rey started out strong, her voice fierce and determined, but she began to doubt herself and feel the weight of his amused gaze getting under her skin once again. She felt awkward standing there without moving, his tall frame towering over her in that intimidating way that she hated.

“And what exactly did you decide?” Ben challenged, raising an eyebrow incredulously at her.

“Let me in and I’ll tell you.” Rey knew it was a long shot, but she was banking on his curiosity to take over common sense and meet her demands. Or maybe she was playing towards the pride he obviously had too much of, either way, she knew she was taking a risk.

Ben’s amused smirk slowly fell from his lips and he didn’t try to hide the annoyed and inconvenienced look that followed. Rey held her breath, waiting for him to slam the door in her face or to yell at her for being so insubordinate, but instead, he let out the smallest of huffs and stepped aside. She took that as her cue to go in and nodded her thanks as she walked past him.

Rey didn’t know what she expected his place to look like, but it certainly wasn’t this. She probably had some idea of a classic ‘rich boy penthouse’ apartment filled with luxuries that no one really needed, like game tables, a hot tub, racks on racks of expensive liquors, but she was wrong. A few steps down the small entryway hall led into a spacious living area with floor to ceiling, tinted glass windows that lined one side of the wall. Further to her left, Rey spotted an open kitchen with a small island in the middle. To her right was another hallway that most likely led to a master bedroom and bathroom. Another ajar door revealed what looked like a study, or some kind of office space. The decor was minimalistic, but definitely nice. Black leather sofas, a massive flat screen television, and marble countertops were just the most noticeable displays of wealth, although she could only assume there were plenty more not as easily seen.

Truth be told, the place had a bit of charm to it. If you could call that uneasy ‘bring one spec of dirt into my home and you’ll be punished’ feeling “charm”. It was more like a picture perfect apartment, something you might see in a magazine.

“So, are you ever going to stop ogling or are you finally going to tell me what you’re really doing here?”

Rey turned over her shoulder and looked back at Ben, who was pushing the door closed behind him. It shut with a click and Rey felt her breath hitching in her throat again. Her plan was shaky, and being alone with a stranger in his apartment was only the beginning of how dangerous this could get. She couldn’t believe she was putting her job, and the possible promotion, at such a risk as this, but there was something about the opportunity that she couldn’t resist.

“Well, Ben,” Rey began as she walked further into the room, pretending to keep her attention anywhere but on him and knowing that if she didn’t, he might see right through her ruse, “you obviously think I’m an idiot and incapable of keeping up with your ‘oh so wonderful’ self.”

Rey paused to wait for his reaction, but he only raised an eyebrow and cocked his head slightly to the right in defense. She took his silence as a cue to continue.

“Why else would you have given me your laptop after already taking mine? you could have easily just walked off with both and left me on my own, so what would you gain by giving me a key piece in learning more about you? Well, that’s when I realized that the answer was probably nothing, and I highly doubt you’re the kind of man who does anything if there isn’t something in it for him. So, then I thought that the laptop switch might be one big show to try and keep me off the trail of what you’re really planning.

“But then I came over here, and from the look of things,” Rey scanned around the room again, letting her watchful eyes linger in the direction of the bedroom and then the front door, “you were a little ‘preoccupied’ to be doing any real work at this point.”

“So, you two met after all?” Ben asked, taking the opportunity while she was in between thoughts to make his way closer to where she now stood. He moved past her and bent down, opening a drawer and pulling out the bottle of wine he intended on having by himself.

“We didn’t, and it’s really none of my business,” Rey said quickly, dismissing her interest and his curiosity on how she might have reacted to his personal life, “I just thought you’d be going through my laptop to get more information on me, since you went through all the trouble of taking it. Except, I can see that my bag lays untouched over on your end table, which means you haven’t even opened it. Why is that?”

While she spoke, Ben walked to some cabinets with see through glass doors above his sink and took a long stemmed glass from them. He returned to the counter and popped the bottle, pouring himself a healthy amount of the dark liquid. Finally, when Rey finished with her question, he returned his attention back to her and gave her a smirk.

“Because I already know everything there is to know about you, sweetheart,” Ben replied, tipping his glass towards her in a mocking salute before taking a sip.

“I told you to stop calling me that,” Rey snapped, not missing a beat, “and there’s no way that could be true. You can’t learn every aspect about a person through just the internet and newspapers, that’s just ridiculous. Especially in our profession, genuine human interaction and connection makes all the difference in how a person will act or behave. And you, of all people, should know that as a lawyer, it’s our responsibility to find that out for ourselves. It’s why we have to have such personal relationships with our clients.”

“But I’m not your client, Rey, I’m your superior,” Ben said slowly. His voice dropped to an almost threatening level as he leaned both elbows on the counter across from her, making them finally at eye level. She stared defiantly back, refusing to be scared off.

“Except that you’re also supposed to be my partner,” Rey said, tilting her head and giving him a sickly sweet smile, “Partners don’t have anything to hide and don’t go behind each other’s backs. They put the client first and they get what they want by working together.”

Ben squinted at her reproachfully, and took another sip of his wine that he still refused to politely offer to his guest.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Total honestly. At least, while I’m here, you can ask me anything you want and I promise to answer it with the truth. But you have to do the same with me. It eliminates any reason to doubt each other or to think that one of us is working against the other. We’ll both get what we need to know, and we don’t have to go snooping around each other’s personal items to get there. It’s a win-win situation, and this way we save the most time and energy so we can get to working on the real case as soon as possible.”

Rey watched Ben listen to her, and she could tell that there were many points where he wanted to argue, but she must have kept his interest long enough, because he let her finish.

“And how will I know you’re telling me the actual truth?” Ben questioned, standing up to his full height and looking down on her once again.

“Because I’m a terrible liar, and you’ll see right through me if I do.” Rey shrugged her shoulders and looked away, trying to sell the ‘innocent’ look as best as she could. She really was telling the truth though, she may be as sneaky and stealthy as a Black Cat, but she wasn’t as clever as one.

“How can you be bad at lying if you want to be a lawyer?” Ben scoffed with a smirk.

“Because I win my cases by being right.”

It was Rey’s turn to lean in and she looked up at Ben through her long, dark lashes. He wanted to speak, to make some retort about how ridiculously childish her and her ideals sounded, but something about those intensely dark eyes made him want to play along. He couldn't explain it, but she intrigued him. He had to give her that.

“Fine, I’ll play your little game,” Ben said, and Rey let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding on to, “Except, if I’m going to do something so asinine, we’re going to need to make it a little more enjoyable.”

By the glint in his eye, Rey was hesitant to let anything be on his terms, but she knew that if her plan was to work, she’d have to keep playing into his arrogance a little. It wasn’t very hard seeing as he had a lot of it.

“How do you suppose we do that?” Rey asked.

“Alcohol,” Ben said simply. He turned his back to Rey and bent to retrieve another bottle from the cabinet.

“Too bad I’m not a big wine fan,” Rey muttered, mostly to herself, but Ben must have heard because he swung back around and placed the bottle rather loudly on the counter.

“Oh, it’s not wine,” he chuckled, “this is a particular brand of bourbon that happens to be my favorite. Care to join me for a drink?”

Rey could hear the sarcasm in his voice, and the joke of the situation wasn’t lost on her seeing as she was already in his home and already agreeing to have the drink. She simply widened her eyes, took a deep breath, and shrugged an ‘okay’ with the shake of her head. Ben nodded once and grabbed more glasses from the kitchen. When he came back he directed them towards the living area taking a seat on the longer of the two couches. Rey sat across from him on the very edge of a large arm chair, ready to bounce up and make a break for it if she had to.

Ben, on the other hand, leaned back comfortably. One of his impossibly long legs reached over the other, his calf resting on the opposite knee. Even sitting down, he couldn’t hide his body's sheer length. Rey noticed the bottle and glasses on the table between them and took his lounging as an indicator that she was supposed to pour the drinks.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn’t his maid and he was perfectly capable of getting his own, but she did as she was expected anyway. Let him think she was just another woman willing to do his bidding. Any and all “sucking up” she could fake in this moment would give her the upper hand.

“So, what are the ‘rules’ to this game, exactly?” Ben asked, as she passed him a glass with one shot full of the slight smokey smelling liquid. He took it, his hands wrapping around hers for an instant, and Rey felt a weird spark of energy pass between them. She recoiled, but not before seeing him tense up.

The moment was over in an instant and Ben acted like nothing had happened. He looked to the glass now in his hands and swirled the liquid, waiting for her to respond to his earlier question.

“Okay, it’s a simple drinking game mechanic, really,” Rey said, pouring herself the exact same amount, “you ask me a question, and I have to answer. If you think I’m lying, you can challenge it. If I am, I have to drink.”

“Ah, so you do lie.”

“I said if I lie, then I drink. If you’re wrong about the challenge, then you have to take the shot.”

Ben shifted in his seat and squinted at her again in the way she was beginning to recognize as trying to figure her out. She found herself loving the idea that he didn’t know as much about her as he thought, and her chest puffed out in pride. Ben huffed a short laugh and leaned further back.

“Well then, one for good measure?” He lifted his glass.

“And for poor judgement?” Rey teased, a smile on her own lips despite herself.

“Exactly,” Ben said, tilting his drink slightly towards her, “cheers.”

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rubyleaf · 4 years

Text

Look at that, more Carole & Tuesday! This time, Angela and Katy because, yes, rarepair, but they have potential. Don’t believe me? Allow me to convince you.

“By the way,” Angela asks Katy one night as they sit together watching an old movie. “Why did you come back to be my manager?”

Katy looks up, the movie temporarily forgotten. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I fired you.” Angela adjusts herself on the couch. “For something you didn’t do. So why?”

Katy thinks back.

---

“So that’s what happened,” Katy says into the phone, unsure what to think.

On the other end of the line is Dahlia. Not Angela; of course someone as cool and famous wouldn’t bother getting back to her personally. Then again it wasn’t Angela who hired her in the first place. She just fired her.

“And you’ll keep being her manager for the time being?” Katy repeats the explanation. Deep down she’s a little disappointed. Even if it all ended in a mess, she still got to be close to her idol, at least for a little bit.

“Yes,” Dahlia answers. “For now. But probably not forever. And when that time comes, I’ll enlist your help again.”

“I see,” says Katy. “Thank you.”

She doesn’t have the courage to ask if Angela is happy with any of this.

---

Katy doesn’t expect to hear back from Dahlia at all. Not even when she hears of Angela’s sole parent and manager ending up in the hospital, in critical condition. Not that she cares about the job. She has seen Angela’s face on the news: tired, sad, afraid, not a celebrity but a normal teenage girl, uprooted, terrified for the life of her only family. How can she care about a management job when all she worries about if Angela?

Although, part of her thinks, if she were her manager, at least she could be there for her. Comfort her, somehow. Even if she has no idea if Angela would let her.

Then the call arrives. First, that Dahlia is dead. Second, that they left behind all the paperwork to make Katy Angela’s manager again, if she’ll take the job. And if she’d still like to do it?

It’s a no-brainer.

---

For days and days she tries to speak to Angela in the hospital. For days she calls her name, talks to her about the world outside, asks if she can hear her. No response. Angela Carpenter, the same girl who looked dazzling and happy mere weeks ago, is a shadow of herself.

It’s almost enough to make her give up. But just when she seriously considers quitting, Angela speaks.

“I can’t sing anymore.”

Katy turns around. Relief washes over her, joy to hear her speak again. It’s quickly replaced by surprise, worry, heartbreaking sympathy.

She doesn’t expect Angela to say anything else. She doesn’t expect her to open up. Why should she? Angela is Angela, and Katy is just a fan. Just a face in the crowd, accidentally promoted to her manager.

But Angela does speak. She pours her heart out, tears streaming down her face, and Katy doesn’t know what to say. She never knew someone who’s loved by so many people, someone so beautiful and radiant, could feel so alone in the world.

“You’re not alone,” she tries. “All your fans are out there waiting for you.”

It physically feels like she said the wrong thing. Angela sinks back into the pillows. “They’ll forget about me,” she says. “They don’t really care. Give it a bit of time, and I’ll be forgotten.”

Katy wishes she could hug her, but she doesn’t feel like that is her place.

---

Mother has been broadcast out into the world. And Katy sits in the crowd, shamelessly sobbing with joy.

On the stage Angela is finally smiling again, pulling Carole and Tuesday into a group hug. Katy feels like a giant weight has fallen off her shoulders. She’s so glad these two are here. Without them, Angela might never have recovered the way she did.

Then the girls pull away, and Angela steps off the stage. Briefly her eyes meet with Katy’s. Katy looks down. She wonders what will happen now. Will Angela talk to her? What will she say? Despite their heart-to-heart at the hospital, she’s still a manager hired against her will. Will Angela fire her again?

A shadow falls on her. Katy lifts her gaze, afraid of what she will find.

Angela’s expression is hard to read. Their gazes meet again, then they both look away. There’s an awkward silence.

“Aren’t you coming to the stage?”

Katy jumps in her seat. Out of all the things Angela could’ve said, she didn’t expect that one at all. “Huh?”

“It’s crammed with celebrities.” Angela points over her shoulder. “If you want any autographs, you should use your chance.”

Still sniffling, Katy shakes her head. “It’s fine,” she says. “I’d just look stupid right now.”

Another pause. Angela doesn’t sit down beside her, but she makes no signs of leaving either.

“...You need a tissue?”

A sob shakes her that turns into a laugh. “Don’t mind me,” she says. “I’m just so happy you’re doing okay again...”

And suddenly Katy is crying again. Before her Angela remains standing, suddenly looking very doubtful and very small.

---

It’s almost morning by the time they head back to Angela’s place. They haven’t spoken much since, though Katy has talked quite a bit with Carole and Tuesday. She’s still a little intimidated by their stardom, but they’re both so sweet that she almost forgets about it when she speaks to them. They’re good girls. Exactly what Angela needs right now.

Angela herself, meanwhile, she still doesn’t understand.

The cab stops in front of Angela’s house. Angela begins to step out, then stops when she finds Katy not moving.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, well, there’s no reason for me to get off here, right?” Katy smiles sheepishly. “I’ll just head on to my place.”

Angela drops her gaze.

“...You’re not staying at mine?”

She sounds...disappointed. Why is she disappointed? Katy is just her manager, of course she won’t invite herself.

“It’s just, the house is so empty.” Angela wraps her arms around herself, as if cold. “Can’t you at least stay for tonight?”

Katy nearly trips over herself scrambling out of the car. Her heart drums in her ears as she follows Angela into the villa. Their footsteps echo off the walls. The house is gigantic and completely deserted.

“You can sleep wherever,” Angela says. “I can get you one of the guest rooms or something.”

But Katy shakes her head. “I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

Angela’s face falls.

---

When she wakes up in the afternoon, Katy finds Angela sitting on her bed in her pajamas, watching an old movie she recognizes at once.

“Whoa!” she bursts out before she can control herself. “Is that Kill Bill?”

Angela turns around, pausing the movie. “You know it?”

“Yeah! I love action movies,” Katy gushes. “I didn’t know you knew it!”

For the first time in any of their interactions, a slight smile crosses Angela’s face. “I like action stuff too,” she says. “Especially martial arts stuff. You know how I watch pro wrestling?”

Katy nods excitedly. “Of course! I read the interview,” she answers. Angela’s smile falters, and Katy adds, “I checked it out after that, but I still prefer action movies.”

Angela smiles again. She pats the spot beside her on the bed. “Wanna keep watching together?”

Carefully, cautiously, Katy sits down. At first she feels out of place, but as the movie continues, she quickly forgets about everything around her. For a few precious hours she and Angela aren’t a star and a manager; they’re just two girls in their pajamas sitting on the bed, laughing and gasping and cheering at all the same scenes.

“Wow, I wonder what people would say if they knew I watch this stuff,” Angela says when the movie is over. “It’s so wild.”

“But so fun!” Katy answers.

They both burst into laughter. “Let’s watch another one,” says Angela. Suddenly her expression turns wistful. “I’ve never really done that before,” she mutters. “Watching movies with someone.”

Katy smiles. Again she has to fight off the urge to hug her. “It’s been some time for me too.”

“This is like a girls’ movie night,” Angela remarks and sounds surprised at her own words: how normal they are, maybe. “Wait, don’t they normally have food? We should order some food.”

“Maybe popcorn,” Katy jokes.

“Great idea! And something solid, too.” Angela has already pulled out her phone. “What do you say about pizza?”

---

After that day, staying over becomes a regular occurrence for Katy.

There are, after all, plenty of movies to watch and rewatch, and it doesn’t look like they’ll run out anytime soon. Sometimes it ends with them staying up all night and struggling to stay awake at work the next day, but neither of them has any regrets. Sometimes Carole and Tuesday join them too. But most of the time it’s just the two of them, enjoying their girls’ night in and having the time of their lives.

“Hey,” Angela says one evening in between installments of The Fast and the Furious, “don’t people also...do other things at sleepovers?” She looks awkward about her own question. “Like makeup and painting nails, and all that stuff?”

Katy blinks in surprise. “Well, yeah,” she says. “But you’re a model, so...I don’t know...”

“That’s work,” Angela says dismissively, sounding slightly disappointed again. “This is different. And I don’t see you ever wearing much makeup.”

Katy looks down. “Well...”

“Care to try some of mine?”

She nearly jumps off the bed. “What?” she splutters. “But—No way—But yours is so expensive!”

“It also dries up before I can use all of it. I don’t mind.”

“But...” Katy curls up where she sits. “But I’m so plain...Ow?”

Angela has flicked a finger against her forehead. “Relax,” she says. “Would you like to try it? Aside from all that not-pretty-enough-to-pull-it-off crap?”

Katy’s insides feel warm. “Yeah...thank you.”

Excited like a preteen girl at her first sleepover, Angela rummages through her drawers, whipping out palettes of eyeshadow, eyeliners, lipsticks, and an endless assortment of nail polish. She purses her lips, as if trying to determine which colors would suit Katy. Finally she picks out a shade of red that’s more flashy than the entirety of Katy’s wardrobe.

“Hold still,” she says.

And Katy does. Angela sits before her, breathtakingly close, cupping her face and holding it in place. Her fingers are soft. Her hand is warm. Katy can see every single detail of her face, her bright eyes, the long lashes, the smooth skin and the full, soft-looking lips. How she wishes she could touch those lips. How she wishes she...

Have their faces always been this close?

Angela’s breath tickles her face. It smells faintly of mint. Katy closes her eyes, tries not to think about it as those slender, flawless hands work their way across her face, her lips, her eyelids, her lashes, her cheeks.

Her hands are shaking.

Finally Angela pulls away, and Katy tentatively opens her eyes. She turns towards the mirror and barely recognizes herself. The magic of Angela’s hands has transformed her into a girl she has never seen before...one that radiates glamour and confidence, one that’s almost cool enough to deserve her place at Angela’s side.

Angela smirks appraisingly, proud of her work. “Now you do mine,” she says.

Katy nearly has a heart attack, but she complies. She has no idea what she’s doing. So she just goes with the color she has always associated with Angela: vivid purple, like her eyes, like the aura that seems to surround her wherever she goes.

Her hands are still shaking. It takes all her willpower to keep them steady enough to not mess up the makeup, but she must, it’s so expensive. Angela holds expertly still under her hands, a celebrity at work, though the corners of her mouth twitch whenever Katy’s fingertips accidentally brush her cheek.

Finally she’s done, and Katy can breathe again.

Jumping in front of the mirror, Angela inspects herself, her eyes widening as she turns this way and that. Katy wonders if she has gone overboard with the lip gloss or the touch of glitter on her cheekbones. But Angela’s face lights up, and she turns back towards her beaming.

“Now let’s take a picture like this!”

They huddle close together for the selfie. Well, Angela does, whereas Katy is still busy keeping her feelings in check. She’s so beautiful, and so close. And she’s here. Right beside her. So close the warmth of her body seeps into Katy’s skin.

If she had even an inch of spine, she might turn her head now and kiss her. She knows she wants to. Every part of her body and mind wants to kiss her. Not the idol Angela, but the girl sitting beside her in her PJs, warm and enchanting and smiling from ear to ear.

But she’s still just her manager, and so she restrains herself.

---

“...Katy?”

Katy snaps out of her thoughts. Right, the question. Why she came back, or maybe the real question would be why she stayed.

“Well,” she says. “Dahlia explained everything, and then—”

“Not that, stupid.” Angela nudges her in the ribs, not meeting her gaze. “I mean, why did you want to? I never even really apologized for firing you.”

“What? Oh no, that’s okay!” Katy lifts up her hands. “It was a misunderstanding, and it’s nice that you cared so much about your rivals. And, well, I didn’t think someone like you would bother to apologize in person anyway, so I assumed—”

“Katy. Cut that out.”

She closes her mouth. Suddenly Angela looks angry.

“You’re still treating me like some kind of idol,” she says. “Just quit it, okay? I’m just Angela.” She crosses her arms. “And if you can’t get that into your head, I’m firing you for real.”

Something about her tone tells Katy she means it.

“Sorry,” she bursts out, suddenly feeling like crying. “It’s just...it’s not like I don’t see you as a friend or anything. But you...you’re so cool, and so beautiful, and so mature, and you’re just...you’re so perfect.” Her voice cracks. “How can I feel like an equal next to someone like that? I’d just feel arrogant!”

Something in Angela’s expression softens and melts away.

“Can’t you at least try?”

Leaning forward, she buries her face in Katy’s shoulder, her voice as choked up as Katy herself feels. “I’m so tired of just being the person people look up to,” she says. “It’s so stupid. We’re both just girls.” She drapes an arm over Katy’s body. “So what if I’m famous? I don’t want you to look up to me. I want you to be the girl I watch action movies and have sleepovers with...the friend I never had when everybody else did that stuff.” She shifts closer. “So can’t you just try to treat me like a normal friend?” She swallows. “For me?”

Katy’s defenses shatter.

With a muffled sob she pulls Angela in, hugging her so close she almost sits in her lap. “You have no idea how much I wanted to do that,” she says. “It’s just...I was so scared...”

Angela pulls away just enough to look her in the eyes. Their faces are inches away from each other. They both look a little messy, but Angela is still beautiful.

Not the celebrity, Katy thinks again. Just Angela. Her friend.

“Hey,” she says, suddenly feeling brave, “can I do something else I’ve been really wanting to do?” She swallows hard. “Something really selfish?”

Angela’s smile is encouragement enough.

Katy takes a deep breath and kisses her.

It’s just supposed to be a brief, careful kiss. But Angela responds. Cupping her face like she did that night, she deepens the kiss until they both pull apart again, blushing and breathless.

On the screen the movie continues, unheeded.

On the couch, two girls form the silent decision to not go anywhere else tonight.

#oh my god how did this get so out of hand #carole & tuesday #angela/katy #angela carpenter #katy kimura #me and my writings #headcanons

12 notes · View notes

okashiras · 5 years

Text

Notes: Supplementary reading and a sequel of sorts. Enjoy.

KPOP AU PART 1

ao3 link

30 March 2014

If you had told me 4 years ago that Sasuke and Sakura would never officially confirm that they’re dating but would instead, out of nowhere, announce their engagement, I would have laughed my fucking ass off.

Anyway, I’m briefly back from my hiatus. Cheers to all of us! We did it. :’) (Or rather, they did it?)

tags: #CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!??!!, #I CAN’T BELIEVE ITT, #text post

cherry-shadow asked: you are a fandom high priestess!! ur blog is like my sasuke x sakura bible. i missed ur blog, thank u for bringing it back. bless you!!! have a nice day!! :-*

You’re very kind! Thank you!

tags: #cherry-shadow, #ask

sumuwu asked: sandy here, i’m not even that big on kage or kunoichi but i’m so glad for them and for you guys!! i support their mutual hotness. i’m sure they’ll have beautiful and talented babies in the future!!

Thank you so much for your support for our favorite couple!

PS: I love SuMu sibs, too. I just haven’t posted about them (because I’m always on a SS high). Looking forward to their comeback.

tags: #sumuwu, #ask

Anonymous asked: OH MY GOD YOU’RE BACK!!!!!1 will ur inbox be open for info/translation/general questions?? Asking for a friend. Lol ok bye!!! I love u ;A;

Haha, yes! For now. I just needed an outlet for all this excess energy and excitement. Thanks for still having me! I’ll try to reply as much as I can. But no promises that I can answer them all. ;;

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Anonymous asked: now that they’re confirmed to have been dating for years (!!!!), i couldn’t help but want to review their interactions. do u recall moments in shows and such where it looks like their members are teasing them??

The members of Kage and Kunoichi have been kind of friends in varying capacities since before they even debuted so they’d always greet and bow to each other during shows and events. Nothing really special there. Unless we reach. Which, as you know, is exactly what this blog is for.

Since Anon specifically mentioned members (plural), I will only address moments where multiple members do the teasing.

(2007) Kiba and Naruto are rowdy hype men while the three members are more reserved, except when Sai does weird dances at select performances. Which is why when Kunoichi did their first performance ever at the KChart Music Awards, we can see Sasuke in this fancam (link) looking like he’s reprimanding Kiba, Naruto, and Sai because it distracts him from watching the girls (or just one girl?) perform.

(2010) This Kunoichi fancam from Konoha Music Awards in November (link) shows the girls standing while Rock Lee performs on stage. On Sakura’s side, you can see members of a boy group who keep moving and shuffling around. Another fancam (link) revealed that it was actually Kage members trying to switch places with each other.

So the member order was as follows: Tenten, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Kiba, Sai, Sasuke, Naruto, Neji. When Kiba realized who he was next to, he walked away and tried to get in between Sasuke and Naruto. The two finally budged after a while, but Kiba was still unsatisfied because Sai was still between Sasuke and Sakura. So he went back and whispered something to Sai who promptly moved away and followed Kiba to stand between Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke is now beside Sakura. Mission accomplished, guys.

(2011) In this Kunoichi fancam reaction to Kage’s stage on the KChart Music Awards (link), everyone was standing up. Unfortunately, the members were situated at the back, and Sakura, wearing combat boots, was at a height disadvantage. But the members came to her rescue when it was Sasuke’s turn in the spotlight. Ino who was the tallest member of the night thanks to her sky-high platforms, and Tenten the actual tallest member were whispering to Sakura, and looked like they were reporting and giving her a blow-by-blow account of what was happening on stage.

(2013) In this fancam of Kage’s reaction (link) to Sakura accepting the Best Female Solo for Courage at the Golden Leaf Awards, we see Naruto and Kiba who are smirking as they turn to a decidedly blank-faced Sasuke. Neji turns to their direction too, looking mildly exasperated.

tags: #masterpost, #Anonymous, #ask, #all of naruto’s teasing warrants a post of its own tbh

Anonymous asked: “#all of naruto’s teasing warrants a post of its own tbh” DUDE??!! please make that post a reality!! please!!!! i’ll give u my first born!! :)))

Haha! Okay, since there’s a bunch of you asking in my inbox: yes, the Naruto masterpost is underway. It’s gonna take a while but please look out for it if not by the end of this week then next week. Kinda swamped with work at the moment.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Anonymous asked: love you’re blog! :) Just wondering, who’s you’re bias in Kage??

Thanks! My bias is Neji because he’s the most fabulous.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Anonymous asked: hi!! do u have a link to the interview where they talk abt that line from shadows?? thanks

There were different articles with varying quotes from that interview (during SAGE album promotion, the one held in Konoha Mountain Villa back in March 2012) so I’m translating by combining the info from these articles: (x,x)

Q: Naruto, was the line “You are the sunshine in spring” from “Shadows” written for someone in particular?

Naruto: Uh, that’s— It’s not my place to say, sorry. Sasuke?

Sasuke: No comment.

Q: Is it perhaps about Hinata? She has the ‘sun’ character in her name.

Naruto: She does?

Sasuke: I wrote that line.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

SS movie date in Wave Country (2012)

I just needed to update this post in light of new information.

In the Kage Konoha Mountain Villa interview 2012 (the one I linked in the previous post), Sasuke was recorded saying: “I like classic action movies. The most recent one I saw was In a Grove (藪の中 Yabu no Naka).”

Two months prior, Sakura uploaded a video of the instrumental ‘Prologue’ originally from the soundtrack of a film Rokurota. Both In a Grove and Rokurota are films by the director Makino Chikao which led people to speculate if the connection ends there or if there’s more. So I did a little investigating.

Sakura posted the video on the evening of 31 January 2012. During that time, Sakura was in Wave Country where she was a guest performer for Kage’s show in Sector D District. I searched the cinemas around that area and found one that at the time was having a director Makino Chikao retrospective. (You can check out their site here: link) I wasn’t able to see the list of films exhibited to confirm but I have no doubts that both In a Grove and Rokurota were screened there, especially since both films are critically-acclaimed and universally loved. And it’s likely that Sakura and Sasuke went to these screenings together.

Furthermore, you know what’s in front of Kaiza Theatre? An Owson grocery mart, aka the same one where those pictures of Sasuke and Sakura were taken the same year (link). See the side by side comparison (link) and note the same shelves and wall paint. And of course, those photos led to Danzo’s damage control denial of the dating rumors, and then Sasuke’s infamous “[KGE] is just a workplace” statement. Y’all know the rest.

tags: #text post

Anonymous: any opinions on danzo? lol

None. Hope he enjoys retirement.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

yrzra asked: Hi! What’s your favorite Sakura era/hairstyle?

All Sakura is good Sakura to me! But if I have to pick one, I’d say when she came out with chin-length hair on her solo debut. It signified a new era, a new sound, and I was honestly blown away when I first saw it. That’s why it holds a special place in my heart.

tags: #yrzra, #ask, #little known fact: i prefer sakura’s solo songs, #but i still love kunoichi very much, #ino can step on my neck anytime

Anonymous asked: Wasn’t there an analysis of Heaven and Earth mv about Sakura’s romantic relationships? Or do you know the post I’m referring to?

Hm, sorry, I don’t remember that.

tags: #Anonymous, ask, #i personally don’t think it’s about her relationships at all?, #just about striving for self-improvement?, #which is a common theme in her lyrics

Masterpost of notable moments of Naruto being the SS fan club president

Note: As promised, here it is. If you have anything else to add, please don’t hesitate to reply/message me.

Let me preface this with a little background on Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto and Sasuke are the closest to each other in Kage not only because they are the two youngest members of the group, but also because they started training in KGE in the same year. The other trainee who started the same year they did was none other than Haruno Sakura. The three of them were said to be friendly even after they debuted in their respective groups. And it’s because of this that I believe they are privy to each other’s lives and relationships, and would, like any regular friends, every now and then tease the crap out of each other.

(2007) [VIDEO STAR] - Naruto talks about Kage members + colors 20070728

Naruto’s first solo guesting in Video Star variety talk show. There was a part where he was asked to describe the members of Kage via color association. (@ 2:11)

Izumu K: So black for Sai-kun, red for Kiba-kun, white for Neji-kun—

Naruto U: Yeah— Oh, no, not white. Ivory. Neji is very specific about this, you see.

Kotetsu H: Right, right.

Izumu K: What about Sasuke-kun?

Naruto U: Sasuke is... pink. Yeah. Pink. Pretty and memorable color. Lots of energy. (laughs)

Kotetsu H: Pink? For Uchiha Sasuke-kun? Really? Isn’t that a bit— (laughs)

Naruto U: Oh, you know what, scratch that. He’s gonna send me angry texts if he sees this. Okay, I’ll change it. Let’s see...

Kotetsu H: (laughs) Why would he?

Naruto U: Got it! Green. Nice, refreshing green.

Izumu K: Konoha green.

Naruto U: Yeah, yeah. Sure, green. (turns to the camera) I changed it, Sasuke! If you’re watching this, don’t be mad at me. (laughs)

Kotetsu H: Sasuke-kun, please take it easy on Naruto-kun.

Izumu K: Okay, what about you?

Naruto U: Orange, of course!

Pink is too obviously referring to Sakura/her signature hair color which is especially obvious since Kunoichi just debuted around the time of this interview, so Naruto changed it to green to prevent Sasuke’s wrath. But you know what else is green? Sakura’s eye color. Thanks, Naruto! Your subtlety is unparalleled.

(2007) KAGE reaction to KUNOICHI performance - MINDBLOWER + BLOOM @ Konoha Music Awards

Sasuke is a famously stoic cold city guy at award shows, especially when sat beside Naruto who dances exuberantly to every other performance. That is, until Kunoichi debuted. Sasuke would begin showing signs of life whenever Kunoichi performed, like foot tapping, some head bobbing here and there, and some stray finger flicking actions during the Mindblower chorus.

Anyway, in this particular performance, Naruto elbow nudges Sasuke on his side (pretty hardly, if Sasuke’s annoyed expression is anything to go by) just as Sakura’s verse is about to come on. (@ 1:32)

(2008) [FULL/ENG SUB] [HD] 080805 Idols Weekly EP 56 - KAGE Part 1

KAGE’s appearance in Idols Weekly where Naruto said he would join Kunoichi because his group kept betraying him, and then he said he would drag Sasuke along with him. He didn’t get to elaborate on why exactly because he was cut off by Sasuke’s glare.

Okay, this is kind of a reach but they were all just previously nailing the Bloom choreography, and then Naruto was dragging Sasuke specifically to join Kunoichi. Why just Sasuke? All of Kage are on friendly terms with Kunoichi members. That’s why I’m inclined to believe Naruto was teasing him because Sasuke has eyes on someone in Kunoichi. And we all know who.

(2009) [Music Bank K-Chart] 2nd Week of January - SN, Sound5

Sakura had the opportunity to host Music Bank for January. At the time, Sasuke and Naruto were promoting their subunit single “The Valley.” On the one episode that month where they performed, during the K-Chart announcement part, you can see Naruto subtly (not really) pushing Sasuke to his right. When the camera switches to wide shot, it appears that Sakura was on standby from hosting duties a few feet away over at Sasuke’s right side the whole time. (@9:42)

(2010) Sasuke was in Snow Country on a personal schedule and posted a rare picture of himself. Well, kind of. It was him looking like a hypebeast cryptid wearing multiple layers of winter clothes and scarves, against the backdrop of flower trees in Land of Spring (Snow Country’s capital). Captioned: ”wish you were here.” (My god he is so basic sometimes, I can’t.)

Anyway, on the said post, Naruto left a comment of around 15 cherry blossom emojis.

Cherry blossom = Sakura. King of subtlety…

Sasuke deletes this post five minutes later (which would have been suspect if he wasn’t such a serial post deleter). But luckily, we still have a screenshot which includes Naruto’s comment.

[IMAGE: @sasuke_deleted]

(Also note that a month prior to the announcement of their engagement, Sasuke and Sakura were reported to have had a rendezvous in Snow country. That place must be significant to them and Naruto being in their inner circle probably knows why this early on.)

(2010) [20102310] Naruto’s KLIVE Chat

Naruto was promoting his solo mini album and did a KLive broadcast where he called some Kage members. During his phone call with Sasuke, out of nowhere, Naruto mentioned Sakura. (@ 40:07)

N: Anyway, Sasuke, aren’t you preparing for your final show this week?

S: Mm.

N: All Kage members are supporting you. Not me, though. But the rest of them do, apparently.

S: Make yourself useful and promote my show.

N: I’ll do you one better. I’ll call Kunoichi and ask them to come to your concert.

S: What?

N: Yeah, I’ll personally pick Sakura-chan up and make sure she’s there.

S: [unintelligible]

N: Sasuke, what?

S: I said you’re an idiot.

(2011) Sakura was reported to have fainted from exhaustion after the last set at Kunoichi’s concert late October 2011. (This was the third time it had happened [that we know of!!!] and it honestly says a lot about what little regard KGE had for their artists.)

Meanwhile, Kage was doing their second to the last fanmeet scheduled in Earth Country. But on that night, Sasuke and Naruto took a red-eye from Iwa to Konoha. There are no pictures, only some K-netizens reports of Sasuke and Naruto entering Konoha General at around 8 am. (Some eyewitness accounts said that Sasuke appeared to be bringing a pillow.) At 10 am the same day, Naruto was spotted in his orange BMW convertible hanging around the KGE building, while Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

It can be surmised that Naruto, being a good friend, accompanied Sasuke so he can visit Sakura. But there’s more.

Konoha General to KGE building is a one-hour drive, but seeing how Naruto got his car and a new set of clothes, he most likely headed to his apartment first, which would add more or less 30 minutes to his journey. If he arrived at 8 am in Konoha General, but was already in KGE building by 10, that would mean he only stayed in the hospital for about 15 to 30 minutes at most.

I imagine what happened was: Naruto accompanied Sasuke from Iwa to Konoha, probably said hi to Sakura for a bit (if she was already conscious by then), and then promptly left them alone to have their moment. :’)

(2011) 30 October. Sasuke’s K-D Magazine photoshoot previews were released. Sakura liked one of the posts from the K-D account. Later, she posted a cute video selfie with heart eyes filter with ねぇ聞こえますか？(Can You Hear Me?) an old love song, playing in the background. Her timeline was probably filled with Sasuke’s pictures that she just had to post some kind of lovey-dovey reaction to it. A few hours later, Naruto commented with a (very knowing) smirking face emoji.

[IMAGE: @narukage_likes]

(2013) 8 August. Naruto posted a picture of two mochi (pink and blue) from Amaguriama, with the caption, “Look how sweet my friends are.” He tagged Sasuke in the blue one. Who else could the pink one be?

[IMAGE: @narukage]

That’s all I know for now. Naruto hasn’t updated his account with anything SS-related since the engagement was announced, which is really odd for him. (Maybe he’s still busy partying because his OTP is canon?) When he posts something, I’ll update this accordingly.

tags: #masterpost, #text post

bl00m asked: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT MASTERPOST!! My life is significantly better because of it! But just wondering, since Sakura and Ino refer to themselves as best friends, do we have an Ino-teasing-Sakura-about-Sasuke moment, too?

Seems to me like Ino is much too professional to tease so I only found a couple. Hope that’s okay.

(2007) K-D Kunoichi Feature (magazine issue published around the time after Kunoichi’s debut):

Q: Out of the four of you, Ino and Sakura were the first ones to sign under KG and become trainees. What were your first impressions of each other? Has it changed now?

Sakura: I thought Ino was full of confidence and charisma and that hasn’t changed until now.

Ino: Sakura used to be really shy and quiet but clearly she has bloomed since then.

Sakura: Having someone my own age really helped, I think. We pushed each other to work and get better. It was kind of a friendly rivalry.

Ino: Yeah, rivalry, not just in terms of work, though. I used to have a crush on another trainee at that time, and then one day, Sakura announced that she—

Sakura: Oh my god! Can we not?

They didn’t outright say that it was Sasuke whom Sakura and Ino were crushing on, but it’s kind of general knowledge that Sasuke was quite popular with the KGE trainees not only because he was the younger brother of Akatsuki’s Uchiha Itachi but because he is good-looking and talented, so it’s not a stretch to assume Ino was talking about Sasuke and was teasing Sakura about it.

(2009) [VIDEO STAR] - Kunoichi (FULL EP) (@14:23):

Izumu: Any music you’re currently listening to?

Tenten: Believe it or not, I’ve been listening to a lot of trot music recently, like Might Guy, and stuff. I like the joy in it and I would like to also bring that kind of energy on stage someday.

Sakura: Creation , the album by Tsunade. I’m interested in albums that have some sort of narrative or a theme that makes everything cohesive, as opposed to trying to make hits after hits and then just compiling them all in the end. She’s certainly not the first to do something like it, but I thought it was groundbreaking for a pop artist, so…

Ino: We like Kage, too, don’t we, Sakura?

Tenten: (laughs)

Sakura: I— Well, everyone likes Kage for sure.

Kotetsu: Right, you did collaborate with them on a song in their album last year.

Sakura: Yeah.

Ino: (quietly) Is that what the kids call it these days?

Tenten: (laughs)

That innuendo, though.

tags: #bl00m, #ask

Anonymous asked: it’s funny reading your posts now and realizing how much it all makes sense like how did no one else (but us) seE THIS COMING??? we’ve endured being called DELUSIONAL for years!!!! i feel so vindicated now so i’m literally never gonna shut up about this LMAO

RIGHT?! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has remained quiet and kept to myself when I’m with other fans because I’m in the minority for shipping Sasuke and Sakura while most of them shipped the boys with each other. I don’t really mind it, but, you know, when it’s real, IT’S REAL.

And it feels so good to be right.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Anonymous asked: how’s life for a grown ass adult still projecting on other people’s relationships like ur 13 lmfao

How’s life for someone who has to type with only 2 brain cells?

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

kageyah asked: gawd, what a rude anon that was. don’t let those lowlifes bother you. i’ve been enjoying your recent posts a lot and it’s so fun to see you back again on my dashboard. i missed you sm. ^_^

Kags!! Thank you! I missed you, too! Nah, don’t worry. Sasuke and Sakura are getting married so I’m unfazed and unbothered by virtually anything. Haha!

tags: #kageyah, #ask

lildonut: i love your blog!!!! that masterpost gave me life!!! i was wondering if you have any fic recs?? Thanks <3

Thank you! I don’t really read fics, sorry. I have a very little scope of imagination so reality is enough to keep me interested. But maybe someone here can help you? Anyone?

edit: Thanks, @darliang!!

These, our bodies, possessed by light by RikkudoS — “‘Tell me we’ll never get used to it.’ Sasuke and Sakura through the years. Canon.”

Cherry Bombs by xXxFullMoonxXx — “Double dates are easy enough. That is, until you end up falling for the wrong person. High School AU.”

Of Demos and First Kisses by sugimura — "5 times Sasuke and Sakura wrote songs together and the 1 time they didn’t. Canon."

Under the Same Sky by msshkshmt — “Uchiha Sasuke expects to die in battle. But seeing this pink-haired girl cry for him (again and again), makes him wish that wasn’t the case. Ninjas AU.”

tags: #lildonut, #ask, #fic recs

Anonymous asked: Do you have any idea as to when and how exactly Sasuke and Sakura started dating? Other than the 5 years that Sasuke mentioned in his fan page message? Thanks! Love your blog!

Thanks!

By the way, I love how Sasuke is known to be very private with his personal life and relationships but would, intentionally or not, obliquely reveal details like how they’ve been dating for 5 years already.

Anyway. Well, I can’t really say anything with certainty but if I were to extrapolate and make an *educated guess*, I’d say they probably started dating officially mid to late 2009. As far as I can recall, that’s also when dating gossips about them started popping up. Also the fact that they started wearing matching white gold bands late ‘09-early ‘10 (I’ll make a separate post about this later) just solidified to me that they really did start dating in 2009.

Prior to my projected time, their collaborations have been frequent, starting with Sakura helping to write a song for Kage, and then both of them being featured on each other’s solo projects. And even before that, it’s kind of general knowledge that they’ve been fairly close as trainees (not to mention, Sakura has allegedly been crushing on him before), so they already had that foundation. There’s that mutual respect for each other and each other’s talents that, over the course of their collaborations, probably grew into something more.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Anonymous: re: how sasuke and sakura started dating, i would also like to add that since they are the most hardworking out of the members of their respective groups, they are probably the trainees who used to work overtime the most and got close because of it, probably helped and looked out for each other too. sakura used to say dancing wasn’t her strongest suit while it came naturally for sasuke so maybe he helped her with that. conversely, since sakura is reportedly an A+ student, she must’ve helped him with studies as well. they probs already have a mutual understanding but couldn’t be official cuz of the dating ban. ^_^

Ah, I’m actually not entirely sure if the dating ban is real, but what you’ve said is possible. Can’t say anything conclusively, though.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Anonymous asked: wher do sassuke and saura have sex???

How tf would I know lol

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

List of alleged Sasuke x Sakura couple items

These are only the more important, more unique items. So don’t bother sending me pictures of them holding identical paper bags from Sannin. They aren’t the only idols who shop from that brand.

***

(2009-2010) White gold band

Sasuke is not that big on accessories. If we do see him fully accessorized, it’s because he is styled for promotional materials, and stage or music video looks. Otherwise, he doesn’t wear much accessories other than a standard watch, etc. That’s why it was so glaringly obvious when he started wearing a white gold band on his left pinky finger (note: pinky = pink = Sakura, lol!) in December 2009, which led fans to speculate if he is in a relationship. Everyone was suddenly on the lookout for a similar ring worn by idols and celebrities. Especially Sakura whom Sasuke was rumored to be dating that year.

Sakura accessorizes quite a bit but has never been seen wearing the said band. That is, until she had a fan meet in March of 2010. Sakura fansite First Love took HQ pictures of her in the event. In one of them, she leaned over while signing an autograph for a fan and consequently revealed the necklace she’s wearing inside her blouse, and behold, the white gold band hanging on it. It took quite a lot zooming in and adjusting the photograph which is why the legitimacy was contentious among fans, but you can see it for yourself here.

[IMAGE: White gold band]

[IMAGE: Sasuke Konoha airport pic white gold band]

[IMAGE: Sakura necklace zoom in]

***

(2011) Chair

Sakura posts a picture of her succulents by the window of her house, the chair from Sasuke’s Heavenly Hand music video is seen in the corner. It’s a one-of-a-kind modern chair by Konoha master carpenter Kanna, so it couldn’t have been a duplicate.

[IMAGE: MV screenshot]

[IMAGE: @sakurah]

***

(2012-2013) Ceramic vase

Sasuke posted a picture of a Hanasaki-style ceramic vase by Masho’s protégé ceramist, Kanyu, which was exhibited and auctioned at Leaf Gallery, and captioned it (now deleted) “Mine.”

[IMAGE: @sasuke_deleted]

The following year, Sakura posted a photo of her bed after a concert tour with the caption “Home Sweet Home.” On the bookshelf on the right side, the same vase is seen. Note the pure white color and cracks on the surface that resemble intertwining flowers.

[IMAGE: @sakurah]

Did he give it to her or was she able to procure an identical one? I’m inclined to believe in the former, but either way, cute.

***

(2013) Chambray shirt

Sakura was photographed at Konoha airport wearing a chambray shirt, which is similar to a shirt that Sasuke was wearing in the behind-the-scenes photo of his album back in 2009. The shirts have an identical tear at the left collar.

According to fashion fansite SakuraCloset, this shirt is from Sannin Men’s chambray shirt. This is how it originally looked on the runway. No tear.

[IMAGE: Sannin RTW F/W 2006]

So it’s either a huge coincidence that Sasuke and Sakura have identical tears on the same brand of shirt, or it’s just the same shirt that they share for some reason*.

*They were dating.

tags: #masterpost, #text post

Anonymous asked: you forgot the beanie that often sasuke wears at airports which was spotted worn by sakura.

You mean in the Road of Life webisode from last year? No, it’s the same color but they’re different. Sakura was wearing a fisherman beanie, while Sasuke usually wears a slouchy one.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

mindbl0wn: do you know what the strong 100 will be about? Love ur blog ^_^

Sorry, it took a while to answer this. According to these articles (x,x), it’s gonna be a heist film with an all-female cast. Sakura’s appearance will be brief (a cameo maybe?) but apparently she does her own stunts.

tags: #that’s my girl, #mindbl0wn, #ask

Anonymous asked: lol i still keep seeing antis tryna say sakura might be doing it for attention and sasuke is just pity marrying her or using her as a beard to cover up another relationship or sth man i can’t with them anymore

I really worry about people who spread stuff like this. Like, please give your faves the credit they deserve!

Sasuke “ I-take-relationships-very-seriously” Uchiha marrying someone for shits? They can’t even make him forego his IG feed aesthetic to promote his group/members’ stuff, let alone force him to marry someone out of pity or publicity or whatever.

And Sakura. Why would she marry for publicity? She’s already famous and influential on her own, and not to mention, rich from all the songwriting royalties among other things. She doesn’t need clout. Least of all from Sasuke or the Uchiha. Like 90% of the hate directed towards her come from ugly Sasuke/Hoekage stans and weirdos who have conglomerate boners. She need not subject herself to all that.

They are also, by the way, at the height of their respective careers. If they cared all that much about their image, wouldn’t they wait until they’re in their early 30s to marry like most idols? They could potentially be throwing away endorsement deals from brands who prefer celebrities who are single to appease the fans who feel like they have some sort of ownership towards idols.

And yet! And yet despite everything, they chose to make their relationship public in their own terms.

(Also, note the timing of their announcement. It’s a few months after Hatake Kakashi became the new CEO. It’s like the management up until then has been the main reason that has kept them from coming out with their relationship, which is why the ‘secrecy’ of it felt kinda half-hearted and they’ve been [knowingly or not] dropping hints.)

Clearly, they just didn’t care and they couldn’t wait to spend the rest of their lives married to each other. It’s not that deep. You don’t have to like it. But if you love them as you claim, then respect their decision and stop spreading rumors like that.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

WAIT WHAT

tags: #text post

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

tags: #IS THIS REAL, #AM I DREAMING, #GUYS!!!!!!!!!!, #text post

THEY REALL YDID IT OH MY GODD!!!!11 ;;;

tags: #text post

Un-Follow Me Now, This Is Gonna Be the Only Thing I Post About For The Next Week. Ive Wanted This For Years Fuck. What The Fuck.

tags: #text post

Anonymous: Lol theres still a few months before the wedding date so they might still cancel it and break up lmfao xD

I delayed answering this to avoid jinxing it but guess what, babe:

BREAKING: UCHIHA SASUKE AND HARUNO SAKURA OFFICIALLY GET MARRIED

July 17, 2014

Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura have made it official!

Yesterday, the two were reportedly spotted at the Konoha offices to file for their marriage registration. On July 17, the two officially got married in a private ceremony.

The couple initially announced their engagement last March, with the wedding that was supposed to be held November 5 later this year.

Representatives say that the newlywed couple “opted for a small and private wedding along with their loved ones, in favor of donating the expenses that was supposed to be for their ceremony to the pediatric ward of Konoha General Hospital.”

Uchiha Sasuke is best known as a member and the primary lyricist of boy group Kage under KG Entertainment. Haruno Sakura is known as a member of girl group Kunoichi under the same company. Both have gone on to have successful solo careers.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

source: knewsdaily

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Sasuke and Sakura: We will get married on November 5 this year.

Also, Sasuke and Sakura: sothatwasafuckinglie.jpg

tags: #WHEN WILL THEY LET ME LIVE!!!!!, #text post

I’M SHAKINGG;;

tags: #REFRESHING EVERY 30 SECS FOR UPDATES, #text post

SAKURA IS SO BEAUTIFUL

tags: #THAT’S IT, #THAT’S THE POST, #text post

Attendees’ social media posts (so far)

Kakashi: posted a photo of the still empty venue, but everything is prepared already. The flower ceiling is especially striking. (There appears to be not more than 30 chairs for the guests. I guess it really is a small wedding.)

“I’m on time for once. #SasuSakuCouple #AmIDoingThisRight #lol”

[IMAGE: @kh_tactics]

Ino: posted picture of Sakura holding a bouquet of Baby’s Breath flowers, smiling contently.

“My baby girl is married! I’m so emotional right now and can’t even form a proper message. I’m proud to have seen you blossom right before my eyes, and I feel lucky to get to call you my best friend. I wish you all the happiness in the world. I love you!”

[IMAGE: @xxinoxx]

Sai: posted a video of Naruto and Kiba having a dance showdown at the reception.

“#lit”

[IMAGE: @sai_00]

Hinata: posted a picture of the flower arrangement at the table.

“Congrats”

[IMAGE: @hinata_hyuuga_official]

Kiba: posted a group selfie of the Kage boys being rowdy, Sasuke and Neji looking unimpressed in the back.

[IMAGE: @kibakage]

Tenten: posted a group selfie of Kunoichi being cute.

[IMAGE: @10ten]

Neji: posted a photoset of miscellaneous aesthetics of the wedding (floral ceiling, the food, the lights, details of Sakura’s veil), and a selfie.

“S/S 2014”

[IMAGE: @neji_]

Itachi : posted (1) a photoset of the groom’s and bride’s parents—first photo is a formal one, on the second one, they’re doing finger hearts.

“#familyphoto”

(2) a picture of the silhouettes of Sasuke and Sakura facing each other, seemingly in a happy conversation.

[IMAGE: @itachiuchiha]

tags: #no update from naruto yet, #king of being late, #masterpost, #text post

I know it’s a private affair and I respect that but...

But would it seriously be too much to ask for a proper picture of the newlyweds??

tags: #i love you itachi-nii but what the heck was that??, #do you need your eyes checked perhaps?, #or am i too pedestrian to appreciate the high art-ness of it, #probably that, #in any case: i need the pics PLEASE, #i’ve been a good person, #i deserve this, #text post

Anonymous: do think it’s possibel that sakura is pregnant that’s why they were so quick to marry. Pls reply

Highly unlikely. She would’ve been showing by now and looking at the photos we’ve seen, her stomach is very much flat. Moreover, she was just shooting an action movie where she does her own stunts. You think they’d allow a pregnant woman to do that?

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

Anonymous: YO DID YOU SEE SAKURA’S UPDATE JUST NOW?!?!??!!111

YES!!!! I’m translating it but I’m trying to wait if Sasuke posts something so I can translate that too and (rightfully) post them together.

tags: #Anonymous, #ask

SASUKE

tags: #text post

Sakura and Sasuke post-wedding social media updates

Sakura posted a pic of their hands with the rings, a bouquet of flowers visible on the side, with the caption:

“Today we got married.

We had deviated from our original plan because we wanted to do something meaningful and more like us. As a result, we have decided to just keep the ceremony quiet but, rest assured, full of love.

I’ve never felt so loved as I do at this moment and that’s in huge part because of all of you who have been congratulating us warmly, and have been so patient and understanding of our decisions every step of the way.

Please continue to look kindly upon us as husband and wife. Thank you.

- Sakura“

[IMAGE: @sakurah]

Sasuke, of course, never does what you expect so he didn’t post a message. Instead, he cleared out three rows of his feed with plain white tiles to have a single picture of Sakura looking beautiful in her wedding dress in the middle. The colored picture especially stands out in his generally grayscale feed.

Moreover, he is now following 1 account: @sakurah.

[IMAGE: @sasuke]

tags: #text post

Masterpost of notable moments of Naruto being the SS fan club president

Note: As promised, here it is. If you have anything else to add, please don’t hesitate to reply/message me.

EDIT: Naruto posted a photoset: (1) the newlyweds smiling arm in arm, Sasuke gazing warmly at Sakura, (2) same as the first but they’re looking at each other and smiling, (3) Naruto gets in the picture to pose with the two.

“Why I believe in love”

[IMAGE: @narukage]

Tags: #MY JOB HERE IS DONE, #update, #masterpost, #text post

END

#apparently u can't underline on tumbl......#so maybe reading on ao3 is cuter but do whatever u please #fic poop #kpop au #this is uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh #sasusaku

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zdbztumble · 5 years

Text

“Kingdom Hearts II” revisited, Part V

Having only ever played XIII out of the Final Fantasy series, I only know characters like Cloud, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith through their roles in Kingdom Hearts. In that capacity, I like them quite a bit, and I was upset along with all the FF fans that they were left out of KH III, for spurious reasons. “We didn’t need them because we have original characters to fill those roles” basically amounted to handing off the job of exposition dumps to Ienzo, as if it were simply a matter of trading out corporate spokesmen. From KH I to II, Leon, Yuffie, Sid, Merlin, and Aerith establish themselves as a group, each with a distinct personality, notable interplay among themselves, and each with a unique relationship to Sora and friends. Cloud, on his own, did the same. To toss them aside in favor of a character with no personality, and no connection to Sora, makes the exposition dumps in KH III far more tedious to get through, not helped by the fact that the exposition itself is so much more ridiculous by then. The character dynamics lost are hardly worth the promotion of one unremarkable figure just on account of his being “original.”

But KH II has the opposite problem with its FF guest stars: at a pivotal moment in the story, an excessive number of cameos make unavoidable appearances, creating a painful drag on the pace of the game and distracting from the main story just when major events get underway.

This is unfortunately evident as soon as Sora arrives back in Hollow Bastion after his first pass at the Disney worlds and runs into Cloud. I have absolutely no objection to Cloud being included in this game, and I love that he’s in Hollow Bastion with the others. But Cloud’s history with Sephiroth - and with Aerith, and with Tifa - have nothing to do with the main KH II story, and when the game is building toward King Mickey’s reintroduction, the twist with Ansem, and a shift in power among the villains, being forced to take time out for cutscenes teasing conflicts and relationships from a different series is most unwelcome. The scenes of Tifa rifling through the castle are, if anything, even more of a distraction - one could at least argue that Cloud’s conversation with Aerith has some thematic connection to Sora and Kairi, and that his relationship to Sephiroth has some thematic relevance to Riku and “Ansem.”

A far better reintroduction for Cloud, and a first introduction for Tifa, would have been to have them with the others when Sora first comes to Hollow Bastion. Cloud could be aloof, if that was desired, and Sora could have been surprised to see him there. Tifa could have been introduced as another member of the Restoration Committee, with a line from Aerith or Yuffie or somebody about how “it’s not just us, y’know.” Their first appearances would thus have come at an appropriate moment in the game, and they would have already been established as part of the Hollow Bastion world before Sora returns after completing the first pass at the Disney worlds. If Sephiroth, Tifa’s desire for Cloud, and Aerith’s relationship with him were all things the staff dearly wanted in the game, that all could have come in the form of completely optional material unlocked after the big Heartless battle, just the way that Sephiroth was an optional fight in KH I. There was no reason to make this material mandatory.

Worst of all are the appearances by the Gullwings. My understanding is that Final Fantasy X-2 is a controversial title in the series, and all I know of it comes from this game and a comedic “review,” but I can still wholly understand if any fan of that game had a problem with their cameo here. Besides the pixie makeover, they are, more than any other FF characters, completely irrelevant to what’s going on. A gift of a Keyblade after the fact does not a justification make, and I really can’t believe that they were included, just for the sake of Nomura’s notion of doing “not human yet human” versions of the characters.

(I hate to say this, but Stitch’s introduction is pretty appalling too. He’s just there, no rhyme or reason, and there’s no relationship established between him and any other character before he jumps down. At the very least, Merlin could’ve introduced him a “a stray I picked up along my travels” or something.)

But, I’ve gotten ahead of myself - and while this issue is a substantial one, it’s my only major gripe with this middle portion of the game. There’s a medium-sized one as well...but we’ll get to that.

Since I tend to play “in character” as Sora, I can sometimes find myself reacting to certain things in unusual ways. In the case of the first return to Twilight Town, I started to get excited at the thought of seeing Kairi again even as I knew how the story plays out, which makes me very grateful that I was alone at home while playing the game. Kairi’s brief interaction with the Twilight Town trio is nice, though having been introduced to the KH II manga, it’s hard to watch her being taken by Axel and not wish she showed the sort of fight she puts up in that adaptation.

Twilight Town is also the first time in quite a while that signs of Roxas appear, as he asserts himself from within Sora with the blue stone. At first, I found this moment a little jarring - Sora has just been learned that Kairi was kidnapped, after all - but given that it’s a moment for Roxas to briefly take control, I made peace with it.

Out of all the Disney titles used for Kingdom Hearts worlds, Tron is the one I have the least amount of experience with; I’ve only seen it once, I didn’t care for it very much, and I never bothered with the sequel. Here in KH II, the level is fun and colorful, it isn’t too stiff a recap of the movie from what I remember, and it represents a clever way to tie Disney material in with the original elements of the KH universe. Though I do wonder if Tron was only selected as a world because it offered Nomura and company a platform to indulge in nonsensical techno-speak dialogue.

Tron is also the catalyst for that medium-sized complaint I mentioned before: I see no good reason why Sora’s talk with King Mickey about Ansem had to wait until after Sora goes back into Space Paranoids. There’s no clear ticking clock demanding that he go back right away, and all this does is undercut the reunion with King Mickey and the sense of revelation in the air over the true identity of “Ansem.” When we do finally arrive at that moment, however...it’s not bad. It has to be admitted that there is no real set-up for this twist. You can’t even go back to KH I and find lines equivalent to “there’s too much of his father in him” in Star Wars to retroactively make into foreshadowing. Nothing from KH I, or CoM, is negated by the revelation that “Ansem,” Seeker of Darkness was really Xehanort the apprentice, however. For a twist that exists just for the sake of having one, it’s innocuous, and well-placed within the narrative to give an appropriate jolt to the proceedings. Certainly it’s better-handled, and more benign conceptually, than later “twists” in the series.

This leads us into the long battle with the Heartless, and there’s a lot to recommend this whole sequence. As clumsy as Cloud’s reintroduction was in this game, the moment of him and Leon fighting back-to-back was fantastic; I imagine that scene is an even bigger thrill fro FF fans. What’s more, it’s appropriately placed to be both cool and relevant. The run down the hill that sees Sora fighting alongside one FF character after another is just as delightful. I’d completely forgotten about this part of the game, so it was a pleasant surprise...and a painful reminder at the lack of effort put into giving the other Keyblade wielders some time with Sora in KH III. I will note, however, that Aerith’s absence from the line-up in this run is a problem, and that by rights Merlin should be there too.

The villain material in this section isn’t bad, though it would have been more powerful if their respective plots hadn’t been in such a long lull in the back half of the Disney worlds. Maleficent battling the Nobodies, and ultimately confronting Saix to buy Sora time, is a wonderful idea, and helps to illustrate her story as one of a long and ultimately fruitless climb back towards the top of the villain totem pole, but a larger presence for her in some of those Disney worlds would’ve helped build to that more. Some appearances by the Organization would’ve done the same for the battle with Demyx. It’s not a bad fight, for the first serious boss battle with a member. The shorter time trials got pretty aggravating, though.

There are also some character beats in this section that are on the whole nice additions, if imperfect in execution. Sora being conflicted over whether to help Leon like he promised or to go search for Kairi and Riku is fine - it’s a conflict Sora’s faced, in various guises and degrees, since the beginning of the series, and he’s well-established at this point in the story as someone who goes where the greatest need is over his own desires. But the scene is just a little overdone. I’d say the same about Goofy’s fake-out death, which is cleared up just a little too soon. On the other hand, it’s in the midst of all that that the 1000 Heartless fight takes place, and that’s just as much fun as I remember.

(While I’m on this section of the game, I want to air a nitpick with the gameplay that pops up before, during, and after this section. What is the point of these “runs” where you take about two seconds’ worth of steps after one cutscene just to trigger another? Just go straight to the next scene!)

This section also reveals that Kairi managed to get away from Axel. As an idea, that’s fine. But why isn’t it a scene? Give me one reason why that wasn’t a serious enough story beat to warrant a cutscene. Of course I’m advocating for more material for Kairi, but - and I can’t believe I’m saying this - such a cutscene might have even given Axel some development. I’ll be talking more about the additions to Final Mix in a later post, but the fact that a long-ass walk down hallways was a priority over expanding on this plot point tells you something about the warped priorities the creative team developed in the years after KH II’s release.

We leave this section of the story with Sora, Donald, and Goofy on the retreat, guided out of darkness by Riku and guided by the Keyblade to some unknown destination. But when that lane opens, Sora declares “not yet! I have to look for Kairi!” thus setting up the second pass at the Disney worlds. How often in this series does Sora voice an urge to follow his own desires over the call of duty? I thought it was an impressive moment for his character.

EDIT: corrections made (thank you @khtrinityftw.)

#z's crits #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts 2 #critique #commentary

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dc-translator · 5 years

Text

[ENG TL] K-POP GIRL's Dreamcatcher Interview, Discography

Notice: This translation was completed without any permission or endorsement from the copyright holder. As such, a license cannot be specified. This translation will be taken down if the copyright holder wishes so.

Interview

Our concept is "Nightmare." At first, it was so terrifying that I screamed. Kya!

Dreamcatcher (commonly called Deukae) is a 7-member Korean girl group that made its debut in January of 2017. Their arrival was an impactful one. Though there are countless girl groups in Korea, they generally fall into a few categories: the innocent type, the sexy type, or the so-called girl crush type. However, Dreamcatcher put forth 'Nightmare' as their concept, refusing to fall into any of these categories. The music video for their debut title, Chase Me, is horror themed, and features the ghosts of 7 beautiful girls that appear in an old hotel. Everything about the dance track, laced with a strong rock beat, from its heavy metal style guitar sounds, sinister pianos, to its emotional vocals, was fresh and shocking. Even in their music show appearances, Dreamcatcher kept their performances cold and threatening. Even so, I didn’t fall for Dreamcatcher on first sight. It was at K-CON (a convention that showcases Korean culture, with a focus on K-Pop), held in Bakuhari on May 2017, that I fell for their charm. It was Dreamcatcher’s first time in Japan, and before the main stage, they performed on the convention stage for about 30 minutes. In addition to Chase Me and Good Night, the girls also sang ballads. Their ability to express – their near-perfect group dances, as well their vocal mastery—had done me in. Not only that, the girls, so cold and threatening on stage, were unbelievably cheerful and friendly off stage. This gap is also charming. It’s better if you just see them in real life. You have to see them in real life. Dreamcatcher is made up of 7 members, starting with the Leader, JiU, there's SuA, Siyeon, Yoohyeon, Dami, Gahyeon and the Chinese member Handong. They have diligently built their career in Korea, being nominated as a candidate for first place on music shows with YOU AND I (May, 2018) and again with What (September, 2018). Between 2017 and 2018, they toured in Europe and Latin America. Dreamcatcher is a rising star, with a growing popularity overseas. In that period, after meticulous preparations, they finally made their debut in Japan on November 2018. We interviewed the girls during their stay in Japan at that time. [TL’s Note: I’ll abbreviate names from here on out. JiU will be JU, SuA will be SA, Siyeon will be SY, Handong will be HD, Yoohyeon will be YH, Dami will be DM, and Gahyeon will be GH.] images that feel like being in nightmares Yoohyeon, seated closest, was whispering things into the microphone of the recorder. As such, the interview started with her que. YH: Interview Start!

-First, can you introduce yourselves as a group? ALL: (In Japanese) One, two, Hello! We are Dreamcatcher!

-Great! Could you also introduce yourselves individually? YH: I am the Lead vocal and the puppy of Dreamcatcher, Yoohyeon. DM: I’m the rapper of the group, Dami. HD: I’m the cat of Dreamcatcher, Handong. I’m a vocal. JU: I am the Leader of the group, JiU. SA: I am the main dancer of Dreamcatcher, Kim SuA! GH: I am the lovely Maknae of Dreamcatcher, Gahyeon. SY: I am Dreamcatcher’s main vocal, Siyeon. -I noticed you were all trying to pronounce Dreamcatcher in the Japanese way (Kyatcha-). JU: Thank you! (laugh) YH: That’s a relief. -This is our first interview, so let’s start with the basics. First, what is Dreamcatcher’s concept? ALL: Nightmare! -So what does that mean? (laugh) JU: On stage, our performances are somewhat dark and very charismatic. We show everyone images that feel like being in nightmares. That’s our concept. -When you first heard of this concept, how did you feel about it? SA: At first, I wasn’t sure how to embody the concept. I couldn’t get a feeling for it. YH: I thought that we’d be doing a bright concept for sure, so I was surprised that it was so dark. I thought it would be somewhat difficult. -However, it is a concept that is uniquely yours. SY: Exactly. I think we present a team colour that no other group shares. JU: At first, it was so terrifying that I screamed. Kya! (laugh) -Your debut was amazing, with the lead single being Chase Me. How did the guests and listeners respond to the song? JU: We were worried, but the response was more positive than we thought. We were told that the choreography felt fresh, that the song felt new. The part where we grab our hair during the dance was also well received. -The music video also felt new and different. Chase Me and GOOD NIGHT seemed to be connected. Were they filmed at around the same time? ALL: They were filmed separately. SY: When the promotion for ‘Chase Me’ was almost over, we filmed the GOOD NIGHT music video. -Were they filmed at the same location? YH: No. They were filmed on different sets. -Ah, I see. JU: The director (Digipendi) was the same person. -In the music video, Jo Donghyeok, the actor who starred in dramas such as “Bad Guys” makes an appearance. Within the video, what is his relationship with Dreamcatcher? SA: He is the ‘Nightmare Hunter,’ who tries to catch us. JU: So you could say that mr. Donghyeok is our enemy. -In the end, Dreamcatcher wins. SY: Yes. We trap him in the mirror. This is us, completed - on May 17th, after the release of GOOD NIGHT, you attended KCON in Japan. How was your first visit to Japan? SY: While on the bus, I was looking at the buildings and the towns of Japan. It was as though I’d wandered into a fairytale.

-Was it your first time in Japan, personally? GH: It was my first time. JU: I’d been to Japan with my family before. -It was during this time that I first saw Dreamcatcher in real life. You were unbelievably cute, your dances were great, and you sang well. I fell in love with you girls. ALL: Oh! Thank you! (Clap) -At the time, you sang ballads too. I thought ‘wow, they sing ballads well too.’ SA: Did we sing a ballad number at KCON? -Not during the main performance. It was on the convention stage. ALL: Ah! Thank you. -Moving on, Let’s talk about Fly High. Looking at the music video, it seems to take place before Chase Me. ALL: Yes it does. -The music video was mysterious, but the CD booklet felt a bit refreshing. SY: We have two concepts. The album has two versions, one for each concept. SA: The album’s concept is us before we became nightmares. -I’ve heard that you got cursed for killing the spider in the music video, or something like that. JU: We didn’t mean to kill it. We were curious about what it was, and the spider got killed while we were looking at it through a magnifying glass. By its curse, we became Nightmares. -In a sense, your origin story is like Spiderman’s, then. ALL: Ah. (Laugh) -Also, you have been on world tour since September. How has it been? Which place left the deepest impression? GH: At Columbia, our fans came to meet us at the airport. They screamed loudly, and warmly welcomed us. That was memorable. YH: Since Japan was the first concert of the tour, I found Japan memorable. -Next up is YOU AND I. I felt that YOU AND I basically completed Dreamcatcher’s concept, in terms of the makeup, fashion, choreography and musical style. What do you think? YH: I felt the same way. JU: Definitely. During the production, I really thought that this was us, completed. -In ‘YOU AND I’, Dami revealing the stick while rapping was very memorable. Weren’t there times when you dropped the stick? DM: During the actual shows, nothing happened. But during rehearsals, the stick sometimes wouldn’t open, or get flung up high. It was pretty hard.

-In the same vein, every member waving a scarf during the dance was also very memorable. Didn’t you drop it at times? ALL: Ahh. (Laugh) JU: During the live shows, we are in such a hurry that one time, I forgot to take the scarf with me. I did the dance while pretending to have the scarf. (Laugh)

-With “Nightmare: Escape the ERA”, the album that contains YOU AND I, you reached 7th place on the Billboard world album charts. Aren’t you gaining popularity worldwide? JU: We are just so grateful for it. YH: With YOU AND I, we were also nominated as a candidate for first place on a music show for the first time. -Ah, yes. You can also vote for that music program in Japan using a smartphone app. I voted too. Being able to interact in Japanese would be beautiful -You made your splendid formal debut in Japan with “What – Japanese ver.” Could you tell us more about the track for Japanese listeners? JU: ‘What’ is an addictive song that combines Symphony with Rock, conveying a powerful message. -The Japanese music video was very similar to the Korean version. Were they made at the same time? SY: We filmed on the same day. -Does that mean that by the time of your comeback in Korea, the Japanese version was also completed? JU: We prepared for both versions at the same time. -I see. The regular version of this album also contains “I Miss You”, your first original Japanese song. What are your feelings towards this track? ALL: We love it! -‘I Miss You’ feels like it would be very moving at concerts. JU: Yes. It is a special number, being our first original Japanese song. If we could perform on a concert in Japan, that would make it a very special day. -Now that you’ve debuted in Japan, what are Dreamcatcher’s ambitions? JU: Ambitions? (Laugh) I want us to do be able to do a Dome tour. SA: I’ve heard that Korean styles and fashion have become popular in Japan. If possible, I want to become something of an icon in fields like makeup or fashion. I also want to be involved in those fields. YH: I think it’d be beautiful if I was able to communicate and interact with Japanese Somnies in Japanese. I want work hard to be able to do more in Japanese.

-Thank you. YH: The end! Dreamcatcher released their 4th mini album, “The End of Nightmare” on February 13th. They are currently energetically promoting with the lead track, “PIRI.” At the time of this being written, they were already nominated as a candidate for first place on a music show. Sadly, they did not win first place. It would be great if they won first place by the time this book gets published. In addition, around the time of this book’s release, on March 13th, the Japanese version of PIRI will be released. On May, the group’s Asian tour, “INVITATION FROM NIGHTMARE CITY”, which goes through 6 cities in 5 countries, is planned. As part of the tour, Dreamcatcher will hold concerts in Tokyo on May 2nd, and in Kobe on May 4th. Opportunities to meet Dreamcatcher in Japan will continue, it seems. You need to see Dreamcatcher in real life! November 23rd, Bunkyou-ku, Kawaguchi.

Discography

Nightmare Label: Happyface (Kor) 2017.1.13 Lead Track: Chase Me The first installment of the Nightmare series is a shocker that set Dreamcatcher’s image. In the Lead Track, Chase Me, the members lead the listeners into a dream, while playing mischiefs on them. They provoke us, telling us to “Catch me.” But try as we might to capture them, they slip through our fingers, and play more tricks on us. They sensually grab their hair, as if to goad us, saying “try to touch even one hair on my head.” The track exhilaratingly gallops towards the end, utilizing metal sounds. In a sea of undistinguishable girl groups, Dreamcatcher successfully manages to set itself apart. Nightmare: Fall asleep in the mirror Label: Happyface (Kor) 2017.4.5 Lead Track: GOOD NIGHT Dreamcatcher toys with us again in the second installment of the Nightmare series. If you just listen, you are sure to be encaptivated in a blissful state of sleep paralysis, unable to wake up from the terrifying dream. The Lead track, GOOD NIGHT, convinced fans who suspected Metal to be a gimmick, of the sincerity of the members towards Metal. Though the seven members openly admit to being fans of BABYMETAL, they are no simple followers. Fierce sounds, the horror concept, and the dynamic choreography blend together to open up a new playing field that is unique to Dreamcatcher. Lullaby, a track that seems to calm and gently comfort the listener, is on the B-side. Prequel Label: Happyface (Kor) 2017.7.27 Lead Track: Fly High Released as Dreamcatcher marked their sixth month, their first EP serves as a prequel to their two previous singles. It goes back to a time when the members were all students living in the same dormitory, and shows us how the Nightmare series began. The lead track “Fly High” was written by SEION, the hit maker for female singers. Under his influence, the track features a sprinting feeling, instead of the darkness of the previous singles. It would fit perfectly as an opening theme for an anime. It widens the spectrum of the Nightmare series. On the B-side, Sleep-walking, a song that could be called “the golden standard for lives”, which features cool Drum-and-Bass tunes, and ‘It’s Okay!’ a rock ballad number that comforts fans, are listed. Nightmare – Escape the ERA Label: Happyface (Kor) 2018.5.10 Lead Track: You and I Yoohyeon burning the spider to death was the start of everything... This much was revealed in the previous track, Fly High. This time, Yoohyeon is cursed by the spider, which transformed into a woman. The spider woman takes over her body. To free Yoohyeon, the members form a circle and perform a ritual. On stage, this is translated into magic. It’s like watching Princess Tenko’s (a Japanese female magician) illusions! Dami’s stick tricks and the seemingly magical scarf dance of the members bring Metallic K-Pop into a whole new dimension. Alone in The City Label: Happyface (Kor) 2018.9.20 Lead Track: What In the previous album, Dreamcatcher ended an era of the Nightmare series which focused on the killing of the spider, which happened when the members were young. The Nightmare series enters a new ERA with the lead track of this album, ‘What.’ Even in the visual images which were released before the album, the members, with the night streets of Shinzuku and Shibuya as the background, hint at a new theme. That theme being the distress of young adults living in the cities. Dreamcatcher’s clothing, which had been unified up to this point, became more vivid, rock-inspired and individualized for each member. Dreamcatcher renews its image and conveys a strong will to free oneself from the nightmares of modern life through hard sounds. What – Japanese Ver.- Label: Ponycanyon (Jap) 2018.11.21 Lead Track: What -Japanese ver.- On July 2018, during their Tokyo performance, Dreamcatcher announced their upcoming official Japanese debut, to the excitement of fans. 4 months later, their Japanese debut single, ‘What -Japanese ver.- was released. The sound remained identical to the Korean version, and the lyrics also stayed true to the original Korean lyrics. However, the Japanese music video had subtle changes added, making comparison between the two versions interesting. You can enjoy two tastes with one bite! The B-Side contains the Japanese version of Chase Me. Thus, their first Japanese single contains the song that represents the first two installments of the Nightmare series. With this ‘Best of Dreamcatcher’-esque album, which contains both the starting point and the Latest installment (at the time of writing), Dreamcatcher makes a strong debut. The End of Nightmare Label: Dreamcatcher (Kor) 2019.2.13 Lead Track: PIRI This is the End of the Nightmare Series. The intro elevates your expectations to the max with Drum-and-Bass sounds, and then the album explodes into excitement with the lead track, PIRI. “PIRI” means flute in Korean. On top of a heavily electronic rock base, the flute sounds used in the chorus add a folky taste. Another point of note is Sub vocal Gahyeon creating freshness overload with a cool rap part. Suffering from solitude and uncertainty, Dreamcatcher sends out an SOS call through the sound of the flute. But nobody realizes, and the nightmare known as solitude comes to an end. But the Nightmare isn’t quite over. The End of Nightmare was merely a prologue for the nightmare that is the second Japanese single.

#dreamcatcher #translation

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h50europe · 6 years

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Hawaii Five-0 thoughts - I wanted to wait until the season is over but I couldn’t help myself as I have so many thoughts in my mind and at some point, they all wanted out. Forgive me for this verbal diarrhea.

Where do you go to, my lovely?

I was pissed when they came up with Danny talking about retirement. I felt it was not a good idea. His character has deteriorated over the years, and the retirement talk didn't help at all. And I wondered what this trash talking was all about. Soon, we should learn that Danny already had a plan for his retirement. He wanted to open a restaurant. At first, we thought it was cute when he opened up and told Steve about it. We also thought it was cute on their rally through the jungle with a bomb strapped to the bed of their truck. Last but not least we couldn't help but smile when Steve came up with the idea to call the restaurant Steve's shortly before the bomb was about to explode. And we finally laughed out loud when the bomb exploded, and Steve's and Danny's hearing was impaired due to the blast and Danny said, "You can't name a restaurant Steve's." And Steve was close to tears and so full of joy that he thanked his friend from the bottom of his heart because he had considered it.

So far so good. This was back in season 7. Before season 8 aired PL was gushing about the upcoming events and what he had planned for it. With two main casts leaving there was room for a reboot of the reboot. Two new members were found shortly and also almost every character on the show that practically guest starred from time to time was upped to recurring. I remained skeptical but was totally open to giving it a try. I was still open for anything when PL babbled about the restaurant. Though I had my doubts, and here I have to quote Uncle Vito:

"What the hell are you guys thinking, anyway? Open up a restaurant; it is a terrible idea. And then into the fact that you know nothing about the business because if you did, you would know that it is a fulltime backbreaking grind just to squeeze out a few bucks of profit. Not something you do on a side like a hobby because you think you know about a thing or two about good food. Any schmuck who watches the food network thinks he's an expert. But you're not special. You're not even average. And when it comes to stuff like this…you are terrible."

That said, I could not agree more. What still bugged me were PLs remarks about that plot in TV-Line's interview from August 2017:

“It’s a longterm thing,” Lenkov affirms. “And who knows — the way they’re sort of going at each other, and given their different points of view with regards to building this business as something to retire into, it may never even happen! Because it’s just one hurdle after another.” - Lenkov

But in success, I suggested, maybe the stage can be set for a workplace sitcom offshoot that would cause less wear-and-tear to Alex O’Loughlin’s famously weary joints? - TVLine

“Yeah, down the road,” Lenkov responded with a laugh. “Many years down the road. Season 15!”

As much as I love Alex and as much I want him to do less action stuff, a sitcom, especially a poorly written one, is not what I have in mind when I am watching H50 and the interactions of Steve and Danny.

In another interview with CBS.com PL had also promised THIS, also from August 2017:

Fans love Danny and McGarrett's "carguments," will we keep seeing those next season? - CBS

Absolutely. Alex and Scott do a great job riffing off of each other, so it's always fun for us to write around the rhythm they've built over past seasons. - Lenkov

Sorry, but that was a flat-out lie. By this time he had already known in which direction McDanno was heading and it was definitely no carguments.

For me, it looks that they came up with the restaurant plot as a substitute for said carguments.

Let's go back to the beginning of season 8 when we were curious about it. The newbies were introduced as well, and things seem to work out fine. We were happy and so full of hope that this season was even going to be much better than season 7. Unfortunately, it happened that Scott hurt his arm while he was on the mainland and so they had to make some rearrangements as he was wearing a brace for some time. Like with his knee injury his real-life health issue was woven into the plots. What I didn't like was the reason for this timely addition; Danny blamed it on Steve because he bought a cheap ladder. Sorry guys, couldn't you have written that Danny was clumsy and caused that to himself? Is it really necessary to make Danny look like an ass who considers Steve incompetent to buy a ladder that is not safe enough to work with? Guess, they could've done better with that (and did when I think about the good old days).

But that was just the beginning of the endless misery called restaurant plot. It was clear that Scott couldn't do much action stuff with that brace on his arm. So we got a little more intel – probably more than we wanted – on the restaurant thing. And why all of us were hopefully waiting for some progress an some more McDanno action when the brace came off, we became disappointed with each episode that passed by. Steve and Danny were now reduced to the restaurant with their, sometimes, nasty bickering – because we haven't seen much of the witty, fluffy, easy –going banter from the early seasons lately. While we were eagerly waiting to see them working cases together, PL had, as usual, other plans.

A 3 episode arc was launched shortly before Christmas. It started with a case on a boat where the teamed was exposed to a biochemical weapon. Soon all of them were affected by this nasty stuff but Lou, assisted by Adam – who meanwhile returned to Hawaii while Kono was still deep undercover – managed to get an antidote.

The episode led into of the most wonderfully written and out carried episodes we've seen in a while 8.10 (for me, it is still my fav episode ever) though it started with a huge shock for everyone as the team was still in quarantine and Danny got shot by a stranger. While Steve, Tani, and Junior did all that they can to save Danny's life, he's in and out while one of his lungs is collapsing and he's about to choke. In this life-threatening limbo, Danny hallucinates about the future.

The first scene of this episode shows Steve's in full swing. Both guys have obviously retired and are now running a beautiful Italian restaurant. While Steve is taking care of the staff and the welfare of the guests, Danny has taken over the kitchen. You can see how Scott and Alex enjoyed playing these parts as they were so different from what they usually do on the show.

Later we see Danny with Grace at her wedding (the reception is held at Steve's house), and in another scene, Steve and Danny are at Charlie's promotion as a police officer with the HPD. We learn that Tani and Junior are married and that Tani was now leading the task force.

The last sequence of Danny's trip into the future presented him and Steve in their late 70s. Both are sitting on the chairs in Steve's yard and having a conversation about Danny's grandchild and other stuff.

Even without wearing McDanno goggles, these scenes touched most of us, as we see that in Danny's mind the two of them grew old together and lived in the same place. There was no mentioning of girlfriends or wives, which caused some protests from the not so McDanno friendly part of the fandom. But I don't want to get into that because the haters gonna hate.

This episode led us into the Christmas episode that was also nicely written but had not as much significance for me as 8.10.

With that said I thought it could only get better. And I wondered how they would top such an episode. Speaking frankly, they didn't. Instead, they sucked and messed up badly.

Looking back at this episode, I think the only reason they showed it was to dangle the McDanno-carrot right in front of our faces. This episode's sole purpose was to egg us on, to keep us watching. As much as I love this episode if it were something on the internet it would be called click bait. Yes, we were baited into keep on watching. While we were waiting episode after episode that the restaurant thing was picking up pace nothing really happened. On the contrary. 8.12 had been a pivotal episode for this season because the new big badass was introduced to the audience. Or better his actions to make sure he could rule every dirty business on the island by killing all the crime bosses who got incarcerated in a special facility after an FBI agent along with his family was killed by a bomb. It would've been a really good episode if Danny wasn't missing. It wasn't even mentioned where he was when the whole thing went down. And given to what happened in the episode and Steve's state of mind afterward he would have needed Danny badly, and so would've had the team, as they could've used every helping hand.

This is not about Scott and his agreement of doing five episodes less/season. It would not have been a first that episodes were filmed out of order due to scheduling or other reasons. Why didn't they do it in that case? At some point, I stopped wrecking my brain about it.

Therefore in the upcoming episodes more precious screen time was wasted on the restaurant plot that meanwhile turned into a never-ending story. Because of the boys facing so many obstacles that any sane person would've given up already. I think it is no fun watching someone going bankrupt or being a nervous wreck and arguing all the time. Whereas cases are worked by someone else or pairings, we haven't had on the show before, as Danny was and is constantly MIA without any explanation. So was Steve in episode 8.17 (but in his case Alex was prepping for his directional debut in episode 8.18). Maybe it would've been wiser to choose an episode where we could've overseen his absence more or less.

Though it was nice to see Danny taking over the lead when Steve is not there it is exactly the issue I am dealing with.

Going back to the early seasons, we always had Steve and Danny working together. Even when GP and DDK were added to the team, it was well written and happened smoothly. Nowadays, I have to admit that sometimes it feels like the introduction of the newbies is forced down our throats. Not that I don't like Tani and Junior. Both are nice characters with some potential but many plots of season 8 feel written lackluster. And often I have the impression it even shines through the acting. Means the actors look bored in certain scenes or something like that. I can't point my finger at it; it just feels off.

As much potential season 8 was offering, in the beginning, it deteriorated at some point. Steve and Danny aren't working many cases together. The restaurant plot feels like listening to a broken record. There are pivotal episodes where Danny is God knows where. Adam's plot is kind of wobbly, and I wonder where this is going to lead us as his plot is interlaced with the entrance of the still unknown big badass that is looming over the island like dark clouds on a stormy day.

Furthermore, the episodes are crammed with different arcs; currently, we have three of them running parallel which is not working. It is like TPTB knows that the show might come to an end at some point – no surprise after eight seasons – and they have to squeeze in whatever is possible, instead of focusing on core relationships and plots. I wonder if we will learn who the new King of crime in town is by the end of the season or if they leave it open to cause a major cliffhanger to make sure all of us are tuning in when season 9 starts. I do not doubt that we get a renewal, as some people are eager to make it up to episode 200, no matter what the price might be to get there.

As for episode 8.18 and aside from Alex directional debut it will be the episode where the secret of who shot Danny (we got the name of the guy in episode 8.17, but that's it with info so far) and why will be revealed. Because the incident that triggered this guy's actions lies at the beginning of Danny's career way back in Jersey. Means, we will have some flashbacks. Nevertheless, it is also going to be a multi-arc episode. But I do hope it focusses on the right arc. As we all know hope dies last.

If you made it that far, congrats. You've earned yourselves some nice brownie points. Also, I want to point out that this only reflects my thoughts.

See you on March 30th, 2018 with Alex directional debut in episode 8.18.

#H50 #H50 season 8 #McDanno #Ocaan #Steve McGarrett #Steve and Danno #Steve/Danny #Danny Williams #Scott Caan #alex o'loughlin

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revengeisalwaysanoption · 6 years

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ITAINSTITUTE CON 2 - THE M&Gs

Featuring: My confused memories of the M&Gs with Matt&Dom and Alberto.

PARABATAI M&G

Okay, so... The real reason I bought this M&G is because Matt’s were sold out and from other conventions I know that is the experience I enjoy the most even though I spend those 30 minutes taking in the actors’ more than actually interacting with them. but whatever. I’m really sorry I can remember only very little from this M&G. - Matt was lovely and always gives long and in depth answers to what is asked, sometimes he takes detours and you start wondering ‘Is THIS what I asked him?’ but you can’t help but love how passionate he is when is talking (and how he can’t help using his hands... Italians can relate X°D) - Some people disagree but BOTH Matt&Dom were a bit sorry the parabatai bond is underdeveloped even though it's (supposed to be, I would say) a deep platonic relationship. They DO understand that couples are more important, especially Malec for what it means to so many people. According to them it should be like the feeling you have with a best friend, when you can tell that there’s something wrong just by the way they say “Hi” to you but I personally believe it didn’t come across so well. - Don’t expect them to talk about what happened in the 3A finale: the writers have decided that everything has been said already with Alec acknowledging that who nearly killed him wasn’t Jace but the Owl in 3x10 and that’s it. They were quite disappointed about that. - Someone pointed out that the bond is quite unbalanced and they agreed. They used a simile that I liked, saying that Alec is like oxygen to Jace not in the sense that he is vital to his survival but rather that he takes him for granted and realizes it only when he is fighting for breath while Alec is different ‘cause he has learned to hold his breath for quite a long time by now. - They were asked if there’s room for improvisation and they said that while it was much more accepted in S1, they can’t add their own twist to it now. I can’t recall if Matt said something about his scenes but Dom said that apart from the ‘ILY’ in 2x20 (Matt was ENTHUSIASTIC about it and argued that IT HAD TO BE SAID) he also put in the ‘Please, don’t leave me, Alec’ line in 2x03 that was unscripted. - They were asked if they ever have disagreements writers/directors about their characters, because they feel Jace and Alec would never do something like what is written on the script. They said they discuss it with the writers and sometimes it turns out it would all make sense in a couple of episodes, and sometimes their foot down like Dom did with the Owl (I didn’t quite get in what capacity, I’m sorry) and Matt about having Alec crying: it’s a cheap way to show emotions. - Matt also said you don't only cry out of sadness but also out of frustration and selfishness (to make the other feel bad, I believe) so yeah, writers should be wary of using crying too much especially with Alec. (it was then that they asked the question about the lack of balance in the parabatai bond, I think) - The last question was mine, and I find it doesn’t quite fit what he said to the individual M&G Shumdario news reported (see here: https://twitter.com/ShumDarioNews/status/1019666993920774144) but what Matt had said about not wanting too have Alec breaking down in tears, so it was like: “Connecting to what we have previously said about showing emotions on screen... I felt a bit underwhelmed by the way Alec acted in the finale, especially when he was saying goodbye to Magnus before he went to Edom, so I was wondering if we can expect to see a less restrained Alec in 3B. ” He told me that since Alec was on duty as a Shadowhunter - even during the goodbye to Magnus before he goes to Edom - he wouldn't let anything show and just soldier on. Unlike the 2x18 scene where he was just Alec off duty and so taken aback that he didn't know how to react. "That's why I asked you.” (about more emotional scenes for Alec, because I KNOW he can shows a wider range of emotions that what he we have seen during 3x09-3x10) He said that yeah, we can expect some in 3B. - I believe someone asked about Alec’s role as the HOTI in 3B and Matt went off on a rant about the Clave. I’m 99% sure it was in the M&G because it would have popped out already on someone’s Twitter if he said in the panel, since he originally said “It’s a FASCIST organization.” He immediately backpedaled on the term not because he found it too negative for the Clave but for its historical/social connotations (especially in Italy: I was really impressed that he felt the need to immediately correct himself even though nobody said a word about that or glared at him or anything) so he said he wishes Alec could just quit that “Prejudiced and self-serving organization’ that thrives on the subjugation of Downworlders under the pretense of keeping them safe. ****** ALBERTO M&G********************* So first of all I want to say that Alberto went overtime by, like, 10-15 minutes because he wanted to answer everybody's questions... Such a sweetheart ç_ç <3 !!! He got into the room by walking in queue with us, so we played along and even complained that he was jumping the queue :D - Alberto talked a lot about his brother Diego and how him being a director gives him a different insight on his work as an actor, the process of their work together and how inspired they have been by their parents now following their dreams.

- Since he is so passionate about literature he isn’t ruling out becoming a Professor in the future. - He also said that it was his mom who made him realize he was always prioritizing acting over everything else so he started to organize his part-time jobs so that he could audition for Shadowhunters. He encouraged to find the thing we prioritize without even realizing (acting for him) and hold on to it, give our all to it. It's never too late; he talked how his mom is now embracing her dreams as a painter and is Dad is getting a PhD. - He does want to go back on stage and do musicals. If he could, he’d love to star in Newsies and Dear Evan Hansen (he mentioned another title as well but I can't recall what it was 'cause I'm not familiar with it) - I asked him how it was playing those few scenes he has with Harry. Like many others at the Con, he is a big fan of Harry too. Right after saying that those scenes were awesome to shoot, he went on gushing how great Harry is and how hard he worked to be a professional in so many different fields. And how Harry knows a lot more about the business related to TV shows as well so in a way he sees him as his mentor on the show. - Alberto hopes to have an opportunity to direct in the future, maybe starting from a show not too distant from SH, kinda like what happened for Paul Wesley. Concerning directors he said that Matt Hastings is the one who has to make sure the ‘mood’ of the show is not lost (that it doesn’t become CSI - Brooklyn, for example) when they have a guest director on the show. - He agrees that his scene in 3x09 was one of the best ever (and his usually very critical about his acting) but he gave much credit for it to Christina Cox and the writers who made it so tragic and poignant. Similarly to Matt in the M&G he said that you don't necessarily need to cry rivers to show emotions. Alberto compared that to spilling water on the floor (which he did) against keeping it in the bottle which gives you more room to work. - He wasn't happy with how the scene where Simon goes to ask Raphael infos about the Mark went. In the editing Simon's hesitation and different tactics to approach Raphael didn't get across... So it looked like Simon was annoying Raphael in a very delicate moment. He had prepared the scene well with David and also had argued that the stakes didn't seem , to him, so high that Simon couldn't save it for a moment when Raphael wasn't suffering that much.

- He wants to use the Rosende Book Club to promote initatives like the Bibliocicleta (https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/projects/52670-bibliocicleta)

#matthew daddario #dominic sherwood #alberto rosende #shadowhunterTV #itainstitutecon2

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jonathantaylorthomas · 6 years

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Taylor Swift, Entering a New Era, Sticks to a Safe Space: Tumblr

For a megastar approaching the release of her latest blockbuster, Taylor Swift, the human, has been eerily quiet.

Yes, she’s put out four songs and two music videos from “Reputation,” her sixth album, out Friday, and her visage currently adorns a racecar and a promotional fleet of UPS trucks. But Ms. Swift hasn’t given an interview in 18 months, and she has performed in public only once this year, at a pre-Super Bowl event for a corporate partner. (She will be the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend.)

Judging by the relatively reserved rollout for “Reputation,” it’s easy to assume that Ms. Swift is pulling a Beyoncé — communicating only strategically, if at all, and mostly letting the work speak for itself. That is, unless you know where to look.

“The general public has not seen much of Taylor, really, in the last year and a half,” said Caitlin Buckvold, 28, who along with her twin sister, Megan, runs a fan blog dedicated to the singer on Tumblr. “But we’ve seen a lot of Taylor. We interact with her on a daily basis.”

At perhaps the most fraught moment in her storied career — after a tense sexual assault trial and amid ceaseless celebrity beefs and internet dramas that threaten to overwhelm the music — Ms. Swift, 27, has recommitted to engaging with her most faithful followers, known as Swifties, cocooning herself in the vibrant, supportive community they have built on the social-media platform Tumblr.

The artist is far from just an observer: Since taking personal control of her official Tumblr page in 2014, Ms. Swift has “liked” some 27,000 posts, stoking hype for her new songs, registering support for fan theories and lyric interpretations and signaling that she remains an ever-watchful eye to her devoted listeners.

Even in an age of unprecedented connection between stars and their public on social media, Ms. Swift goes beyond typical interaction on Tumblr, a niche blogging platform that, with its multimedia flexibility, including images, GIFs and text posts, is conducive to obsessive fandoms. She follows some 5,000 blogs, where users can upload original creations or “re-blog” the work of others with or without adding their own two cents.

While Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have become largely promotional megaphones for the singer (outside of a few sly surprises), she has posted more than 100 times on her Tumblr since October, often re-blogging content from Swifties and adding her own commentary (typically including their first name and a string of excited emojis).

Ms. Swift also participates in inside jokes (ask a teenager about “no its becky”), dotes on pet cats and monitors the life events of her devotees, sending flowers and making breakup playlists for those in need. There’s even a term for her omnipresence on the platform: #Taylurking.

“This is how she knows the pulse of her fan base,” said Nate Auerbach, the former head of music strategy and outreach at Tumblr, who helped Ms. Swift join the platform ahead of the release of “1989,” her previous, Grammy-winning album.

Tatiana Simonian, the current head of entertainment partnerships at Tumblr, said: “She’s just not using it like a celebrity uses it,” and called Ms. Swift “a star who behaves like a fan on the platform — she’s a fan of her fans.”

By tending to her base with such bespoke dedication — and with the looming possibility of firsthand contact — Ms. Swift can breed loyalty in listeners while focusing on positive vibes only. She plucked hundreds of fans from social media to hear “Reputation” early, at Secret Sessions held at her homes in Rhode Island, Los Angeles, London and Nashville.

“Tumblr allows her to focus on the people who matter to her,” said Megan Chesney, 17, who blogs as ohtaylorswiift. “She gets to talk directly to her fans and eliminates all of that drama and excess hate on Twitter or Instagram.”

Ms. Chesney said she joined Tumblr because Ms. Swift did, and the singer followed her page about two years ago. Like most Swifties, she remembers exactly when and how many times Ms. Swift has interacted with her blog.

“It’s, like, crazily overwhelming because it’s just hard to believe that some iconic superstar celebrity decided to take time out of her day to make someone else’s day, even with a single emoji,” Ms. Chesney said in an interview during her school lunch.

Though the Taylor Swift Tumblr was originally set up as yet another online marketing vehicle, to be run by staffers, it was Ms. Swift’s decision to take the reins herself that made it a valuable resource. “Taylor here. I’m locking myself in my room and not leaving until I figure out how to use my Tumblr,” she wrote in September 2014, following in the footsteps of artists like Lorde and Frank Ocean, who were Tumblr users before they were famous.

“The impact was immediate and didn’t taper off,” Mr. Auerbach said, noting that few stars with Ms. Swift’s reach have really dived in and sustained such a presence. “She was learning about herself in the eyes of the fans,” he added. “No one did it like her. She was incredible at it.”

The generous, loose and jocular version of Ms. Swift that fans get on Tumblr can be a far cry from a public persona that some see as meticulously calculated and overbearing. On Monday, Ms. Swift was criticized in some corners after the ACLU of Northern California pushed back against a letter from Ms. Swift’s attorney demanding the takedown of a small-time blog post that linked the singer’s music to the alt-right and white supremacy.

While the ACLU called out Ms. Swift’s “intimidation tactics,” the topic spurred civil discussion on Tumblr. Wrote one fan: “I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you (not your attorneys) publicly denounce alt-right neo-nazis who take it upon themselves to use you, your lyrics, and the imagery in your music videos to bolster their disgusting beliefs.”

But many Swifties ultimately defended the singer. “Have people out there seriously not caught on to how taylor has decided this era to NOT interact with the media?” another user wrote. “She doesn’t want to give in and tell them where she stands politically. She’s done with them. And if she were to say something, we all know she’d still get torn apart anyway.”

Like Beyoncé’s BeyHive, Swifties can be rabid in their allegiance, especially in the virtual presence of their hands-on queen. (“Taylor always says that she sees everything and knows everyone and exactly what’s going on with her fans,” Ms. Chesney said.) This week, ahead of the release of “Reputation,” fans on Tumblr urged one another to be vigilant about reporting leaked music to the singer’s label and management team.

“They’re doing a lot of work for her in many ways,” said Linda Ryan Bengtsson, an assistant professor of media and communication studies at Karlstad University in Sweden. Ms. Bengtsson is currently conducting research on fan behavior across social media, with a focus on Swifties, whom she called “really loyal” and generally “very friendly and positive.”

She added, “They really lift each other and share each other,” often with the goal of reaching Ms. Swift’s field of vision.

“Everyone’s just helping each other out to get noticed by Taylor,” said Ani, 15, a high school student in Hong Kong who blogs as rosegardensthorns and asked that her last name be withheld because of college admissions.

“She followed me back in February and I freaked out,” Ani said. Months later, when Ms. Swift finally reposted a photo from her page, “I definitely cried in the metro station,” she said. “And then I showed my friend and she cried, too.”

Such gestures, executed in a public but largely unseen ecosystem, allow Ms. Swift to do good-natured brand maintenance and outreach without oversaturating a more skeptical general audience.

“She was very ubiquitous for a while there,” said the man behind the analyzingtaylor Tumblr, who writes under the name Matt to protect his professional prospects. “I just think that she knew it was time to not be as omnipresent as she was with 10 magazine covers and five different interviews.”

After all, Ms. Swift, at her best, has always been both sweet and savvy. “I think in 2017, you’ve got to appeal to your most die-hard fans, because they’re going to to do the promotion for you,” Matt said. “It’s a smarter way to go about business.”

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goldstarnation · 5 years

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JULY 2019 GOLD STAR MEDIA SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of July 31 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Overall Company

Gold Star’s family concert is next month, so this month is full of serious rehearsals. There will be several days where all Gold Star artists spend the day at the building rehearsing separately and together in order to rehearse the family-like atmosphere in addition to the songs themselves..

Important dates

July 15, 18, 30, & 31: Gold Star Nation concert rehearsal days with all idols coming in and out to rehearse throughout the day.

Gold Star Soloist 1

She continues to have studio time for her next album as she has for a while, but the biggest change is the Gold Star Nation concert rehearsals, where Gold Star has tasked her with taking the lead on filming a small part of a behind the scenes video to be uploaded to Youtube following the concert. The concept of her being assigned the role is to show the senior-most Gold Star idol interacting with and taking care of her hoobaes during rehearsal.

Important dates:

N/A

Gold Star Soloist 2

The first concert dates of her South Korean tour have been set for September, so this month will be the beginning of serious rehearsals. Finally, progress is being made on her album too, with the mission to narrow down the set list by the end of this month as she’s brought in to record real versions of songs that have made the short list for the album. Gold Star has decided to go for a full album due to how long it’s been since her last album. She’ll also be appearing on a soloists-only special episode of Weekly Idol.

Important dates:

July 16: Weekly Idol Soloist Special filming (also appearing: Dimensions Soloist 1 and Gold Star Soloist 3, special appearance by BC Soloist 1, to air July 24)

Gold Star Soloist 3

He’s coming back with a single next month which means this month is comeback preparations before anything else. He has a break in his tour until after he’s done promoting his new single, so he’s Seoul-based for a little while again. This month, he’ll record the single and take promotional pictures, as well as appear on a special soloists-only episode of Weekly Idol.

Important dates:

July 16: Weekly Idol Soloist Special filming (also appearing: Gold Star Soloist 2 and Dimensions Soloist 1, special appearance by BC Soloist 1, to air July 24)

Silhouette

Now that they’re back in Seoul following their brief tour in Japan, the members are focused on finishing their Japanese comeback album Trouble which will release next month. Their title track has already been recorded so they could perform it, but they’ll finish recording the b-sides and film the music video that will accompany the comeback during July.

Important dates:

July 7: Trouble MV filming.

Aria

Aria starts off their month filming their beach-set music video for their comeback shortly before it releases and promotions for the special summer single begin the following week. Marketed as a special release for the fans, there’s not a lot of pressure for the song to perform or even an overly busy promotion schedule. In the absence of fan signs and radio or television appearances, they‘ll continue filming their Aria’s Parallel Universe series using the alternate lives they chose last month. The scenes will be mostly scripted with some improvisation opportunities and they’ll get individual scenes and scenes of their parallel lives crossing. (admin note: muns have creative license over the details of the scenes based on what career/lifepath the muse chose, but they should be realistic and similar to the scenes found here.)

Important dates:

July 1: Wag-Zak M/V filming.

July 7: Release of “Wag-Zak” & showcase, promotions continue until August 7.

July 27: Performance at 2019 Ulsan K-Pop Festival in Ulsan (also performing: Lucid).

Origin

Two weeks at the beginning of the month will be spent continuing their stadium tour before they return to Seoul. Upon their return without many public schedules, they’re in high demand again and will not only be filming CFs for two brands, but they’ll also be filming their Japanese MV and drama-like scenes for an upcoming mobile game, Origin World, slated for global release late this year along with similar music video scenes for an OST that will be released with the game. Their new Japanese singles come out at the end of the month to precede the Japanese leg of their tour early next month.

Important dates:

July 6: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

July 7: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

July 12: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Stade de France in Paris, France.

July 13: Speak Yourself Stadium Tour concert at Stade de France in Paris, France.

July 15: Lights MV filming.

July 17: Hyundai Palisade CF filming. (unit CFs align with line distribution)

July 19-29: Origin World and “Heartbeat” MV filming.

July 20: PLAY / UP CF filming.

July 31: Release of Japanese single album Lights/Boy With Luv.

Impulse

Now that album recording is finished, July is spent learning choreography, shooting the album jacket, and filming the music video. In addition to all of this and company concert rehearsals, the members also continue rehearsals for their own upcoming world tour. Impulse will be one of the groups spending the most time at the Gold Star building this month, with multiple over-nighters and endless meetings about the expectations they’re expected to reach to satisfy the company.

Important dates:

July 20: Eclipse MV filming.

Fuse

The final track list has been picked from the songs recorded last month, so, early in the month, the album jacket shooting will be done and the MV will be filmed in preparation for their comeback at the end of the month. The title track is experimental and risky, but Fuse has been assured that Gold Star is confident that they’re experienced enough to handle it and make it a hit in a way few other groups could.

Important dates:

July 4: Zimzalabim MV filming.

July 23: Idol Room filming (to air August 1).

July 24: Release of “Zimzalabim” & The Fuse Festival, Day One album showcase, promotions continue until August 24.

Element

Their appearance on Immortal Songs last month did bring Element some new attention, though not quite to the extent Gold Star had hoped. Still, they’re moving on to preparing for their Seoul concert next month on top of the company concert rehearsals. They’ll be performing many of their own songs, some classic covers, as well as two new unit cover stages. The main rapper/lead dancer and main vocal will be performing a cover of “Sriracha” and the main dancer/lead rapper and maknae/lead vocal/lead dancer will be performing a cover of “OMG”. (Admin note: In-’verse they didn’t already perform these at their Tokyo concert.) They’ll be doing a few scheduled VLives after and before rehearsals to hype up fans for the concerts and tease the set list without giving it away.

Important dates:

July 8: Group pre-rehearsal VLive.

July 23: Group post-rehearsal VLive.

July 29: Group pre-rehearsal VLive.

Femme Fatale

As the month goes by and Ddu-Du Ddu-Du sweeps music shows and remains strong on the charts, it becomes clear it’s Femme Fatale’s biggest hit yet and could even be a possible song of the year contender. On one hand, that confirms Femme Fatale’s place as one of the top girl groups and Gold Star’s most favored girl group, but on the other hand, it all but confirms Gold Star won’t give the group another comeback before the end of the year in order to ride out Ddu-Du Ddu-Du’s success and reap the monetary benefits. There’s a big focus on the radio circuit this month to push the song and push general public favor while also strengthening their fan base with fan signs, but they’ve also booked two big photo shoots, one for Vogue Korea and one in collaboration with Louis Vuitton. On top of everything else, they’ll be in the studio recording a remix of BEE’s “So Hot” that will be released after they perform it as a special stage at the Gold Star Nation concert next month.

Important dates:

July 1: Guesting on KBS Cool FM radio show.

July 2: Guesting on MBC FM4U radio show.

July 3: Photo shoot for Vogue Korea (August issue).

July 4: Guesting on SBS Power FM radio show.

July 5: Filming of Idol Room episode (to air July 16).

July 6: Fan sign in Goyang.

July 7: Fan sign in Seongnam.

July 8: Photo shoot and video filming for Elle Magazine x Louis Vuitton.

July 9: Guesting on SBS Power FM radio show.

July 10: Guesting on MBC FM4U radio show.

July 11: Guesting on KBS Cool FM radio show.

July 12: Guesting on SBS Power FM radio show.

July 13: Fan sign in Yeouido, Seoul.

July 14: Fan sign in Sinchon, Seoul.

July 19: Guesting on SBS Power FM radio show.

July 21: Fan sign in Yeouido, Seoul.

July 28: End of music show promotions.

#fmdschedule #queued post

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