so yaebin did an ig live where she shared a lot of fun facts and stories about matthew and their family, so i've decided to compile them all. i got all of this from twitter user nyangmatchu and the twitter thread that she made so shoutouts to her

they have a sibling tattoo, matthew's is on his left shoulder, hers is behind her right elbow. it wasn't planned but it was when they weren't living together and they wanted sth that represented their bg, it's some old korean artwork pieces. matthew's sibling tattoo is around the size the palm of his hand, and it's cool because if they link arms you can see both their tattoos from the back. his HMC tattoo is in honour their mum, because it's their mum's favourite movie
yaebin said matthew and her are complete opposites, they grew up so different, and their mum really enjoyed raising them, yaebin said matthew is the sun and she is the moon, they both shine bright and positive light but in very different ways. when asked if they share anything in common, yaebin revealed that they're very different, e.g. food matthew doesn't like she likes (e.g. cheese), matthew loves mushrooms, but yaebin doesnt. matthew's favourite food is chicken, fried chicken. it used to be steak but after he came to korea, chicken is all he wants to eat
matthew and her use mainly english with each other, use korean with parents, and use konglish at family gatherings
say my name is yaebin's favourite matthew performance on boys planet, she feels like it really embodied his personality
yaebin said matthew's a gamer so he was in the baesment a lot playing his games, he does love anime too, he love one piece (bingewatched & had a collection of figurines stuff), naruto, and he was quite sporty, he also skateboarded, he was very typical canadian boy in her opinion
on the question of 'do you guys fight?' yaebin said we are still humans, still siblings, we don't always get along but there's a lot of love behind it still, and we usually end things with a good hug and say sorry
when yaebin told matthew happy 21st birthday!!! matthew was like 'im turning 22!!!' he was very adamant that he was 22 (korean age)
yaebin does want to get more sibling tattoos with matthew but she doesn't think he's allowed anymore? now
question about hows it liking having an idol bro? she said she still sees him as her little brother, it's still kind of weird for her, she doesn't know how we picture him but she sees him as her baby bro still to this day, nothing really changed about the way they text
their mum likes matthew's style more than yaebin's but their mum and him have similar style, yaebin said. and she doesn't know why he likes camo print so much either
quality time together for them is that they'll go into their own rooms, do their own thing, then come out and go for a walk, have dinner and chat - just like any siblings really
matthew he started dancing when he was 8 or 10? he wasnt into it as she was (their mum put them both into classes), yaebin did a lot of comps and shows, while he just did rec hiphop until he was 15 or 16 bc thats when yaebin got into a dance team and he joined bc she encouraged him to and matthew got into dance more bc of it
"how was it visiting matt bday cafes?" she said it was seeing a lot of his face, they grew up in canada so they don't have this culture of renting cafes for idols, "i thought i was entering a matthew universe!" it was cool and she liked it, best experience was seeing his face everywhere and everything around her
"how did it feel when you found out he would be on boys planet?" yaebin said she didn't know what it was really so she felt netural, and because matthew doesn't know many people in korea, she was thinking of how she can support him which is how the tiktok videos came to be
question: have you seen matthew since the finale? yaebin said yes but only once, it's so sad bc she extended her trip initially to see him more but after the finale, the boys went straight to work and getting ready for the debut launch. matthew's been so busy, it's even hard to stay in contact though phone, like they'd contact at midnight for a bit and he'd say that he'd just got home ;; she said they do have plans to meet so she can drop off fan letters and stuff from his birthday and he can drop off gifts for his family (but he's gonna need to ask his manager), but yaebin said she's happy he's busy doing what he wants
matthew used to call yaebin 'noona' when they were younger bc their dad said it was respectful but he just calls her yaebin now and she's ok with it
"how did you feel when matthew was p03" - first thing she did was cry, bc all the stuff that was happening before the last ep, she already was giving up after p04 was announced and was thinking about how to comfort him already, but then he was p03!! the three of them (matthew, yaebin and their mum) made eye contact and the three of us were like oh my god! yaebin said 3rd seemed a bit far fetched at the time with everything that was happening but she's proud of this guy, killed it, seokryudans made this happen
yaebin said she did meet hanbin after the finale, and he said matthew told me you were really good at dancing and she's like the one who's good at dancing is you sir! yaebin said hanbin was really nice, and yaebin saw hanbin's sister too but it was really busy but they do follow each other on instagram so she does chat with her here and there
fav memory of yaebin and matthew growing up, they used to live in this gated town house area where there's a huge hill, matthew decided to bike down this hill and he smashed into someone else's garage door and got his entire face scraped (lip & nose), bike ended up in a bush
he doesn't swear as much as yaebin, "he doesn't swear that often... he doesn't swear"
matthew doesn't drive but yaebin does
yaebin: can matthew twerk? yes matthew can twerk, but don't tell him i told you!!
yaebin said "matthew was more americanised so for me it's also kind of weird seeing the cute version of him, bc i swear he was not this cute growing up with me"
what does yaebin think of the oppa agenda matthew is pushing? "it's so weird for me bc i dont see him as an oppa bc im the noona, it's defiitely interesting, an interesting perspective bc i think it represents another side of him"
matthew was very good at school, "definitely better than me" yaebin said
dream trip with your brother? "probably japan! we'd be living our childhood dream then" she mentioned that he was quite sad bc they couldn't even explore japan when they went recently since they just went for a day to perform kcon
is matthew scary at home? "matthew's too nice, he's the least scariest thing ever"
what yaebin likes most about matthew is his personality definitely
matthew does like studio ghibli
yaebin said her korean is better than matthew's bc his agency was very shocked at how fluent she was when she visited
[matthew texted her during the live LOL] after yaebin called him out for accusing her of not remembering his age when "he just forgot that he's also canadian" he didn't even say you're right, he just said sth like "this is what you're leaving a 1 minute voice note for?" [here's the full video i highly recommend watching it it's so funny skjdlfs]
q. is matthew into photography? yaebin: idk? i think so? i think he is
yaebin: "i feel like the idol life is very suitable for matthew because… growing up he’s always been really good at being told what to do? that sounds so bad, i’m not saying he doesn’t have freedom, he definitely has freedom within this work that he does but at the same time i feel like it’s very planned out? like his life is very like you have to live it this way, you can’t do this or you can’t do that, there’s a lot of restrictions within his life.” but yaebin doesn’t like ppl telling her how to live her life, she grew up very stubborn. yaebin said "i feel like matthew is great at it (being an idol) and likes it and loves it."
yaebin doesn't usually send matthew memes bc he's too busy to check anyways
how matthew got into kpop and being an idol according to yaebin: "So I don't know if I fully had influence on him wanting to become a kpop dancer or for him to be famous but I actually didn't know much about it until after he was telling people about it and I was actually talking to a lot of Matthew's friends and people that knew him and knew me and they were telling me what he's been saying about me, so he essentially was saying that- I didn't realise how much of an impact my life had on him originally. For me, like I said I've always been kind of a rebel child because I've always been very into just me doing what I wanted to do with my life, I was very adamant about me living my life the way i want to live it and be happy with my choices so I did grow up fighting a lot with my parents, with my dad mainly, obviously I still love my dad but we definitely had a bit of a rough relationship when I was growing up because I was so stubborn and also because my dad was so stubborn, and I get my stubbornness from HIM but he was very stubborn in me living my life the way he wanted me to live it and Iwas very stubborn in me wanting to live my life the way I wanted to live it so that's why I didn't go to school (university), I decided to just go into dancing and pursue dance instead and that's why I love to teach […] I am very happy with what I'm doing right now [...] But I guess that had a big influence on my brother in a way where he realised that he didn't want to go to school either, and he wanted to do something that he loved and we did have a discussion before he decided to do this, before he decided to audition and become an idol. So there was one day he came back from school and I told him like 'hey are you feeling? how do you feel about school? and he said that he kind of felt like 'mhm' about school, he's never the type to ever shut down and idea or like 'i hate something', he cares about every single person around him so he's very careful with the things that he say and expressing himself because he hates hurting other people's feelings and that's why he's such a little cutie! but he was kind of like 'school's ok but I don't love it.' so I was like 'ok so what do you want to do?' because I feel like school isn't the right answer for you if you don't love what you're doing because I told him you're just going to be stuck in school, wasting money, creating school debt, and doing something you don't even love doing, so what's the point? and at the time, it was after we were dancing together and ANYWAYS I essentially said, with the whole auditioning too, I think he had an easier time with my parents letting him go to the audition and letting him go to Korea to pursue this because of how much leniency my dad had gained from me. Because I fought him so much for my life and l'm glad I did because I feel like it made it so much easier for Matthew, and I'm glad that it was easier for Matthew. And I'm glad that I was the punching bag because I always grew up being very protective of Matthew too so I'm glad that I was the one who had to go through all the tough poopy part of life and Matthew can kind of have an easier way of getting there. So, I guess that's kind of in a way how I inspired him because he watched me do what I wanted to do..."

(i meant to post this like two days ago but *in gyuvin's voice* sorry i forgot)

I was there last night throwing down visuals for my buddy's original jam band Tetradactyl, and we got to see this awesome Phish cover band Dog Faced Band. Good vibes, cool people, super welcoming, and it's only 10 minutes from my house!
Going again today for some more jams -- supposed to be a good Dead cover band: Spies of the World. Gonna take the kid and just relax and hang out on the lawn dancing to music and vibing.
Happy Saturday all!
Dog Faced Band, Set 2, June 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSV0flsRAMA
Tetradactyl Late Night Set, June 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763S-SZ6cu0

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Intro

To preface this review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very, long read. Going through it myself just for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words of text, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this review, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary going over the song, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
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Between 1&2 💞

Album Review
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TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
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Talk that Talk 🎙

Lead producer: collapsedone
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One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like… Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
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Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that talk ttak han madi
Talk that talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~

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During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, enunciating and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man, Jihyo powered through that first chorus, but the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that stands out and shouts this is THE chorus. I think this is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. She also highlights “malhaebwa” in a similar way later in the chorus.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
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The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you

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The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery “Talk that Talk”, Momo comes out of nowhere with “oh yeah it sounds so good!” — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
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han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~

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Nayeon outright shouts “Tell me what you need” and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second line descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh! What a party. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• The synths of all time
• The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
• Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
• The entirety of that magical, final chorus and outro

Needs Work

• The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”

Core Memory

• Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club

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Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering “What is love?” and imagining their crush responding with “yes” when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase “Talk that talk, [talk that] L-O-V-E”, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
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WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
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Queen of Hearts 👑

Lead producer: LDN Noise of SM
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If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
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You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~

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Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
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Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the queen, I’m the queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

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These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line "And it’s all because of you." But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
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And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls

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It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
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Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]

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This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centrepiece in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
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So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

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I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
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THE GOOD

• Adorable fucking lyrics
• Unrelenting, roaring chorus
• English and vocal flex
• Addicting guitar riffs

Needs Work

• Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song

Life Highlight

• Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts

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I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
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I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
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Basics 🌈

Sole lyricist credit: Chaeyoung
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Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
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dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo

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Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line "rainbow bubblegum" is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
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I wanna wanna wanna take it to the basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah

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That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: the “wanna”, “weonhae”, and “ppeonhae” all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding “ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah” comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
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taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende

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Translating to:
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Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously

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The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
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THE GOOD

• That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
• The “spaceship” post-chorus is killer
• Chaeyoung devoured this song
• Sure-footed, confident lyrics

Needs Work

• Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
• The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great

Core Memory

• After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting

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This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning “spaceship” post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
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BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
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Trouble 💃

Sole lyricist credit: Jihyo
Background vocals: Jihyo
Lead composer credit: Jihyo
Vocal director credit: Jihyo (an assumption given her contributions in First Time)
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One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces “Let’s go”, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasted with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat with sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
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• Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
• The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
• A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
• Jeongyeon’s pronunciation of the word “trouble” almost being a growl
• Chaeyoung slyly admitting “I like this trouble”
• The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
• Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
• Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant

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This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
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gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake

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During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
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You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss

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Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
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Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet

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Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for “cannot miss this” in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
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Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this trou-ble

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Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
• Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
• Chorus
• Rap
• Outro
• Wees and woos

Needs Work

• Mina’s line of “falling down, falling down, falling down low” in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change

Core Memory

• While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in enjoying a song

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Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
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BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
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Brave 💖

Main producer: Slow Rabbit of HYBE
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I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
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The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe

​
Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely and that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to be this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them 'brave' that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of this chorus acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
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Oh na na na neon nal naige hae [Momo, then Tzuyu, then Momo]
On and on and on
Brave brave brave for ya [Dahyun, then Chaeyoung, then Mina]
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae [Sana, then Momo, then Sana]
On and on and on oh trust me babe

​
Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
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THE GOOD

• Special lyrics
• Pleasant sound to vibe out to
• That gentle break after the first chorus
• Jihyo’s high note at the end
• A Nayeon Jeongyeon joint high note ⁉️
• Just pretty vocals throughout

Needs Work

• Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics

Core Memory

• Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave”. I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction

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I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:

• 7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
• 8/10s are great songs with standout characteristics
• 9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
• And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way

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I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
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Gone 💨

Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
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Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then, Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
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I see the LIES on the top of your tongue

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The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
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All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, gone, gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases

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The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s gone through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do your job better, or don't.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
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I can’t stand it anymore [Dahyun]
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late [Chaeyoung]
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out [Momo]
I know that you know what I’m talking about [Dahyun]
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m gone

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Continuing the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what was once there for all of it is long gone. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the “gone” in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
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THE GOOD

• They’ve still got their surprises
• Thundering chorus
• 2nd rap and bridge combo
• A bitter, crumbling relationship theme

Needs Work

• I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
• The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens

Core Memory

• Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck

​
Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song when I listen to it for the first time in a while elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
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INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
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When We Were Kids 🧸

Sole lyricist credit: Dahyun
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Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in,
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Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world

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The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies come in,
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Remember when we were kids
When we were kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember when we were kids

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Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so clean, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
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I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me

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Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
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Oh, we were kids

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Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• Heavenly vocals throughout
• Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
• Euphoric chorus
• Great closer to the album

Needs Work

• Refrain after the last chorus, "Back when we were kids," could’ve been executed better

Core Memory

• For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday

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I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original marketing was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was always about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
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Epilogue

And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop, music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and this is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.

I AM NOT REPLACING ANYONE
I'm looking for someone to play as mermaid! Possibly instead of the cliché Ariel knock off, I want this mermaid to be different! Possibly a different version of Ariel? I am more than happy to discuss about the character! Any who, I will talk more about the plot once our characters are finalized but you should get to know me first! Hi, my name is ZOD and I am 22 years old! I do have dyslexia so I do not understand my writing, I am happy to communicate and fix any problem! But to add on for what I am looking writing wise: 3rd person and at least 2 para or more! Plus please be 18+! Edit: this become a recent problem as I’m getting frustrated with this. PLEASE say you don’t like an idea and I’m happy to discuss anything else. I get it that some people may not agree on all ideas but please don’t ghost me and keep saying you are interested. It’s not helpful and wastes my time if you are not willing to communicate at all with me.
And here’s the starter!
It was a late night for the ships but this was a special occasion! It was Cole’s birthday! Cole was old enough to run his own kingdom and his palace was nearly complete! It was perfect time celebrate on the sea since Cole was fascinated by myth of King Triton, a king merman ruled over a kingdom full of merpeople. Yet on the boat, the night was just getting started as people began to pull out the alcohol and the gifts that was given out of appreciation of being one of the best prince. Cole was sterling the ship as they were more to sea. “Alright crew! You may set off the fireworks and let the party begin!” He yelled to them as the crew began to set off fireworks in the sky, letting the sky light up in bright colors. Which soon began to drink and dance to the music was provided by Cole. He laughed as he danced around like a fool along with some of his closes members who have worked with for ages now. Yet what bother him was the lack of being high alert. Partying is one thing but being safe should be above that! If one thing slips, all could be doom for this royal ship! Little did he know, a young mermaids was watching him on his ship, out of sight and easy to slip away if caught.
Thanks for reading! If you are interested in this rp, I just ask to have these when you dm me! All I ask is little a bit about you like your age, etc. Then a example of your writing and finally, maybe a quote from the little mermaid? :) that last part is not important but you if do, I will appreciate it!!

I AM NOT REPLACING ANYONE
I'm looking for someone to play as mermaid! Possibly instead of the cliché Ariel knock off, I want this mermaid to be different! Possibly a different version of Ariel? I am more than happy to discuss about the character! Any who, I will talk more about the plot once our characters are finalized but you should get to know me first! Hi, my name is ZOD and I am 22 years old! I do have dyslexia so I do not understand my writing, I am happy to communicate and fix any problem! But to add on for what I am looking writing wise: 3rd person and at least 2 para or more! Plus please be 18+! Edit: this become a recent problem as I’m getting frustrated with this. PLEASE say you don’t like an idea and I’m happy to discuss anything else. I get it that some people may not agree on all ideas but please don’t ghost me and keep saying you are interested. It’s not helpful and wastes my time if you are not willing to communicate at all with me.
And here’s the starter!
It was a late night for the ships but this was a special occasion! It was Cole’s birthday! Cole was old enough to run his own kingdom and his palace was nearly complete! It was perfect time celebrate on the sea since Cole was fascinated by myth of King Triton, a king merman ruled over a kingdom full of merpeople. Yet on the boat, the night was just getting started as people began to pull out the alcohol and the gifts that was given out of appreciation of being one of the best prince. Cole was sterling the ship as they were more to sea. “Alright crew! You may set off the fireworks and let the party begin!” He yelled to them as the crew began to set off fireworks in the sky, letting the sky light up in bright colors. Which soon began to drink and dance to the music was provided by Cole. He laughed as he danced around like a fool along with some of his closes members who have worked with for ages now. Yet what bother him was the lack of being high alert. Partying is one thing but being safe should be above that! If one thing slips, all could be doom for this royal ship! Little did he know, a young mermaids was watching him on his ship, out of sight and easy to slip away if caught.
Thanks for reading! If you are interested in this rp, I just ask to have these when you dm me! All I ask is little a bit about you like your age, etc. Then a example of your writing and finally, maybe a quote from the little mermaid? :) that last part is not important but you if do, I will appreciate it!!

Marc gave it another go. He tipped his hand forward. The silver patty rolled off him, dropping toward the cave floor.
It stopped short of hitting the path. The shiny disc halted in the air, dangling at the end of a thin white line.
He watched the small wheel spin. It might have been the most fun he’d had all year. Even more fun than that mud puddle he’d found the other day.
How does it keep going? Marc thought to himself. And without any power??
Marc assumed the disc was some sort of technological marvel from the past. But the Archives had little information on it, only a name. It was called a “yo-yo.”
They all must have had one of these, he posited.
As Marc walked down the stone ramp, he cast the yo-yo again. The toy’s quiet spin was the only sound in the cavern. The soft hiss of string versus metal reverberated gently in the spacious cave.
Marc focused all his attention on the little gadget. He was determined to enjoy every last minute of the universe, no matter what. And that evening, the yo-yo more than accomplished that goal.
The shimmering yo-yo, however, couldn’t prevent the world around him from crumbling. The ground started to rumble. The rest of the cave shook with it. The underground city shook as the plasma storm above battered it—and the rest of the planet.
Marc’s home broke down. Cracks appeared in the ceiling. Waterfalls of dust poured out of them. It wouldn't be long before the whole thing collapsed. That is, if the plasma storm didn’t swallow it whole first.
Whatever.
A few clumps of dirt wouldn’t ruin Marc’s fun. He pulled the hood of his shawl over his head and extended his ragged sleeves toward each hand. His clothes shielded him from the falling dust; the gritty particles made themselves at home on his messy shawl. And Marc was free to perfect his newest trick.
The rumbling died down though as Marc descended the ramp. The yo-yo string didn’t wobble so much, and he didn't have to watch his steps as carefully. He just hoped the quaking wouldn’t come back to ruin his event.
Speaking of which, Marc glanced ahead toward his destination below. What he saw rocked him even harder than the earthquake had.
What in the sinkpits…?
Marc stopped in his tracks. He even started to reach for his knife. All because he’d detected a speck of something suspicious. Something he didn't see much of every day: color.
Showy landmarks weren’t something endemic to his home. The Outpost was more of a dusty gray-and-brown sort of place. The walls were sandstone. The floor was sandstone. And the ceiling? …Granite?
No, sandstone. All under the faint glow of a string of depressed lightbulbs.
The intriguing blip in the gray-and-tan collage was farther up the path. Ahead of the ramp, on Level 8, Marc saw the same three steel doors he was used to seeing. The front doors of underground homes, lined up in a row, each closed into the cave wall.
However, there was something different about the third door. It looked… alive. Like it didn’t belong in a dreary place like the Outpost. But it was too far away to tell what exactly had been done to it.
Marc squinted at it suspiciously. The third door happened to be his destination. And now it was weird.
He considered waiting and observing the mutated door. A child of the Outpost, Marc had developed a healthy fear of the unusual.
These habits, along with his instincts, kept him safe. They’d specifically preserved him while the rest of humanity perished.
But he shrugged off the instinct to wait. Something new and “different” was ahead, and he wanted to see it.
But just as a precaution, it was time for his yo-yo’s last trick. He got in one final throw then placed the toy into his satchel. He dropped it on top of his arsenal of cables, wrenches, and screwdrivers.
And by the time he’d snapped the satchel shut, the long ramp had bottomed out. He’d made it to the next level.
To his left, the wall had been spray-painted. Scrawled-out black letters stood against the sandy background. They stated, “Now Level 8.”
Marc followed the sign. He stayed close to the wall, crossing to the stone pedestrian path. He passed one untouched steel door with a dusted-over mail slot in the wall beside it. Then he passed a second home—abandoned like the first. And finally, he arrived at his friend’s place and the mysterious blip on Level 8.
To his surprise, the steel door elicited a flush of emotion. His heart floated upward. And the portrait before him drew his focus in like an otherworldly beacon.
How did it get so…?
Marc pulled back his hood. The ground popped with the sandy grains he released.
He could hardly believe the difference. The door used to blend in with the others: another ridged steel face that spent most of its time rusting or collecting dirt.
But it was no longer muffled by the dust and dirt that had built up over the years.
Today, it sung. Paint streaks flew across its visage. They swirled and spiraled, forming stars and other shapes. Where previously gray and rust dominated, colors sprang forth—colors that Marc didn't even have the names for. They were many, and they were warm, like the evening sky just after sunset. Marc could hardly wrap his head around the entire image.
He swelled with gratitude.
Only you could have pulled this off. He thought of his friend, the painter. The one person in the colony who’d ever been any fun. The one other person in the colony who was left…
The artist had done the unthinkable. Foraging the garden below for something other than food. Spending work time measuring and concocting the perfect blends of paint. And then slathering their fingers across the giant door, until its old face was but a memory. And all that effort for only a single other person to appreciate.
Newly inspired, Marc searched for an unpainted space on the metal canvas. He found one and knocked on the door.
He took a step back and waited. The outside of the Outpost was lively. Excited wind rushed through the canyon.
By contrast, the Outpost itself was silent. If there was anyone left to say anything, they may have even called it “dead.”
Or nearly dead, anyway. The last morsel of it came to life as the door in front of Marc groaned.
It floated off the ground, inching upward. On the other side, Marc could hear a hand crank clicking away.
Ktch… ktch… ktch… ktch…
The corrugated door lifted, and the door rolled up. The tip of the artist’s painting started to slip from view.
Ktch… ktch… ktch… ktch…
Behind the door, chains reeled at a slow clip. The heavy curtain was halfway up. Marc could now see his best friend's lower half. Buff Lenorkian legs pumped back and forth with each crank.
The door unveiled even more of the owner. A torso in a metal suit appeared. Four ripped arms stretched out of it. They rotated, moving to the clicking beats of the door.
Ktch… ktch… ktch… ktch…
The door raised a few inches further, uncovering the bottom half of a cobalt blue face. Two rows of razor-sharp teeth smiled from ear to ear. A few inches more, and Marc could see the whole of the Lenorkian’s face.
Sid greeted Marc as the last of the door raised.
“Finally!” he said.
Marc didn’t get a chance to respond. His body lurched forward involuntarily. He slammed into Sid’s metal suit.
Crrrrrick!
The armor squealed as Sid’s upper two arms squeezed him tighter. The lower set of arms had reeled Marc in.
Marc hated hugs. Stupid mushy emotional wraparounds. But just this one final time, Marc returned the gesture. He squeezed Sid back.
“Happy Worlds’ End!” Sid said from the other side of the embrace.
“Yeah,” Marc replied, “Happy Worlds’ End.”
The two separated.
“Cool painting, by the way,” Marc said. He pointed at the rolled-up door. “I didn’t think you’d top the one in the garden.”
“You think so?” Sid sheepishly smiled. “Well I’ve had more time to practice since… you know.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Marc said. “Me too. That’s how I actually got you something.”
Marc swung his heavy satchel around. He rifled through it, squeezing through cables, knocking handles and parts out of the way. And then—ah.
He fished out a crumpled rag. Holding it in one hand, he began to gently unfold it.
“I found this a few days ago in the garden,” he said. The edges of the cloth fell. They revealed a small, glass object. It sparkled.
Marc continued, “I think it fits your style—I mean, I know it’s a little smudged and chipped but...”
He swirled the crystal trinket around. The cavern’s incandescent light flittered across its clear edges.
He touched it too, tracing the slender portion of it with his thumb. It was the neck of the crystal swan.
“It’s yours,” Marc said, offering up the bird.
Sid cupped two shovel-sized hands and accepted the gift.
“It’s beautiful…” he said, examining it. “I can’t believe anything like this could have survived this long.” He looked up at Marc and smiled, “Thank you so much. I just wish I had a little longer to could enjoy it.”
They chuckled lightly about their impending obliteration.
“Well, come on in,” Sid said. He extended both of his left arms. They gestured toward the cave interior. “We’ll finish off this universe how it started,” he said. He mashed his upper two fists together. “With a bang!”
“I hear that!” Marc nodded. He crossed over into Sid’s house.
As Marc passed Sid, a wave of discomfort hit him. Sid had switched out his usual t-shirt and jeans. He wore old armor instead. And the metal plating taunted Marc.
Marc’s next question came out more accusatory than curious.
“So… a Lenorkian throwback, huh?” he asked Sid.
Sid had just finished finding the perfect home for his swan. He left it on a shelf next to the front door.
He turned to face Marc. He hid his embarrassment behind a jagged smile.
“Oh!” he said. “Uhhh…” Three of Sid’s arms disappeared behind his back. The cone-shaped cuffs at the end of each wrist clanked against the back of his chest armor. The fourth arm nervously scratched his blue head. “I don’t know,” he said. “It's stupid, I guess. I can take it off… if you want.”
Marc didn’t want to address the topic head-on. He stopped in the cave’s entry. He pretended to admire the walls—as if he’d never seen sandstone before.
“No, leave it on,” he said. “You look… like a true Lenorkian.” He turn around and forced a smile.
It wasn’t enough.
“Okay, let’s get this out of the way,” Sid said. He marched up to Marc.
Sid took a deep breath before he spoke.
“Tonight's really important to me,” he continued. “This is the last impression anyone’s going to make on the universe. So I need you on board.” He continued staring down at Marc. “Can you do that? For me?”
Marc didn’t see what the big deal was. It was just a couple of best friends hanging out.
“Yeah, why not?” he shrugged. “End it the way it started.”
The exchange turned into awkward silence. Neither knew what to do next. They had never been in a situation like this before—never attended such an event. What the Archives called: a par-ty.
Sid shook off the figurative mask he’d been wearing—one that was uncharacteristically dour. His eyes lightened, and he bobbed his head knowingly.
“I went through the Archives to see how this works,” he said. He walked toward the long horizontal counter against the wall—the kitchen.
On the counter, chaos ran wild. Bowls and kitchenware spread across the surface. And the insides of his pots and pans resembled the dirty mouth of a garbage chute.
Marc wasn’t sure what to think. Was cleaning the host’s kitchen a staple of ancient parties?
Sid too seemed a bit confused. His next words came out robotically, as if he was practicing a new word he’d learned.
“’Can-I-offer-you-a-drink?’” Sid asked. He stood nervously in front of the counter.
Looking closer at it, three unusual objects stood apart from the kitchenware mess. It took Marc a while to remember what their outdated, bendy material was called.
Plastic. Three pink and plastic cups sat equidistant from one another.
“I got these from here,” Sid reached under the counter and pulled up some sort of transparent bag. Pink cups just liked the others were stacked on top of each other inside.
Sid packed the bag back under the counter.
“So?” he asked after he finished. He held all four hands together in anticipation. His smile may have looked like an industrial-grade rock shredder, but it was hard to resist his innocent blue face and big wide eyes.
Marc eyed the pink cups one last time.
“This better not kill me,” he said.
Sid wasted no time. He excitedly grabbed a cup and walked over to a large pot sitting on the counter.
Using a nearby ladle, he plunged into the vat. An unappetizing sloshing sound resulted. And Sid, as strong as he was, seemed to struggle with scooping out some of the mystery liquid. But in the end, he pulled back the ladle and unloaded an opaque, muddy liquid into the cup.
“It's a homeworld classic called fludge,” Sid said as he finished pouring.
He treaded over to his reluctant friend and handed off the plastic cup.
“Did you say ‘fludge’?” Marc asked. He swished the cup around cautiously. The earthy liquid hardly budged.
“Yeah, fludge! Us Lenorkians invented it. It’s kind of the only tasty thing we ever bothered to make.”
Marc sniffed it. It smelled… burnt? Maybe a little dusty, too? But he could have just been smelling the cave.
Sid left Marc alone with Marc’s questionable new assignment. He returned to the pot to pour himself a drink.
“Just try it!” he said.
Marc looked down again at the dark soup. It could kill him. Or maybe it wouldn't.
Either way, it was his last drink.
He took a timid sip and waited to be repulsed. The fludge trickled to the back of his tongue. As it hit, Marc’s eyes widened. But not with regret.
He swallowed.
“Now wait a minute…” he said. He smacked his lips together. Then he took another, larger sip.
This curious dark liquid had a unique taste to it. The taste was earthen—but unoffending. It also had a subtle undercurrent of sweetness to it, combined with a spicy kick. It was delicious.
“This might be the best drink in the entire Outpost!” Marc exclaimed.
Pure joy bloomed on Sid’s face. “See! I told you: the greatest thing we ever made.”
He held his own cup above his open jaws. The falling fludge was no match for the alien. He guzzled it down, licked his lips, and then went back for more.
As Sid fashioned himself another drink, Marc noticed something a tad unsettling. A third pink cup stared back at him. It prompted an uncomfortable thought, but he shoved the thought back down.
The Lenorkian carried back his second drink. Though this time, he took it in small, human-sized sips.
But he quickly reanimated. In the middle of a sip, Sid got a wild look in his eyes. His irises turned from their natural violet to scarlet. He yanked the cup from his face and swallowed.
“Argh, how did I forget?” he said. “I got music!”
Marc cut his sip short too. “No way. You got music?”
“I think so!”
Sid did an about face. He slammed the half-empty cup on the counter. Then he shuffled toward a giant metal column protruding from the far wall. Four ink-blue hands wrapped around the cover of the vent. And he went for it.
Sid struggled to pull off the cover of the vent at first. His armor ballooned around his biceps as his muscles bulged outward. Yet the cover wouldn't budge.
But it seemed like an important part of his evening plans. He scolded the stubborn vent, banging on its top.
“Oh, you’re gonna get it now!” he said. He latched onto the vent again.
This time, he put even more effort in. To the point where Marc sensed that Sid was losing a grip on his own body. Out of his forehead, two thumb-sized cones began to rise. His breathing turned low and raspy. And his whole body seemed to expand as he repositioned himself for leverage. Then with one final pull, like a wild beast, he let out of a deep, guttural roar.
“HAWRRRRRRRRRRRGGH!” The roar echoed off the cave walls.
And with that, the stubborn vent cover finally popped off. A breath of wind pulsed through the room as the air pressure equalized itself.
But the wind wasn’t finished. After the initial pulse exited, a mighty gust picked up where the original pulse left off. The vent shot more wind into the room, but rapidly, like a storm. Tiny coarse particles rattled inside the duct. And in the room, a rush of wind whipped past Marc’s face. He felt little nips across his exposed skin as it passed him.
Both partiers shielded their faces from the most direct blasts of air. Sid smiled nervously as he looked to Marc. He raised his voice over the whining airstream.
“It’s from the sandplains above!” he said in an elevated voice. “I thought we’d use the sandstorm for music! Do you like it?”
Music… Marc wasn’t exactly an expert. Even though humans were said to be naturals at it, not much on the subject had made it into the Archives. The Outpost didn’t have much of it either. The closest he got was the occasional chant, stray birds twittering about, or maybe someone banging on rocks.
But Marc did know one thing on the subject. Where there was music, there was dancing.
That said, he had never danced before either. But a long time ago, his parents told him it was something all humans could do. It was something they carried in their blood. Once humans found a pattern in music, they could match it to their body language. And once they’d synced melody and movement, they could ride that wave to a whole new experience.
Might as well give it a shot, he thought. Marc too put his cup on the counter.
With his hands free, Marc backed up toward the middle of the room. He closed his eyes, felt the wind. It filled his ears with its gusty energy. It hit him in pumps as the storm raged above.
Though not totally predictable, the wind did hit him consistently. There was some sort of kinetic pattern to it.
Yes, a pattern.
Well actually, he’d heard it called by another name. What was that word his mother had used? He opened his eyes when he remembered: rhythm.
Marc stretched out his arms. He relaxed his hips. He felt the wind’s whips and waves across his arms. He let his arms follow them, swaying with the current. Not long after, his hips joined in. They too gyrated, trying to match the energetic gusts. He kept at it. And the first time Marc felt both himself and the wind moving together, he grinned.
“This is amazing!” he said. Around them, the wind crooned.
Sid was entranced. He nodded back while staring at Marc’s strange movements. He’d never really seen dancing either. But he figured he would give it a shot too. He loosened up his arms and walked onto the dance floor with Marc.
Before dancing himself, he studied Marc first. He watched how the scavenger moved his arms—and when the scavenger moved his arms.
Sid’s limbs followed. Four muscular arms rose in the air, like fighter jets on their way to a dogfight. And on a one or two second delay, they swayed after Marc’s.
For a while, they followed Marc completely. Then Sid went down his own path. The Lenorkian’s movements grew aggressive and battle-like. He punched at the wind swiping across him. He shuffled his feet as if swapping battle stances.
He caught Marc’s curiosity. Even as a novice, Marc could tell Sid’s movements weren’t traditional by any means. But to Marc, it was dancing all the same.
The two danced to the chorus of the air above. They laughed occasionally as changes in the rhythm of the wind tripped them up. In his head, Marc compared it to the painting on Sid’s door. The colony had never seen anything like this either.
Then something interrupted their dancing. The ground beneath them shook, throwing them off their feet. Heavy gray dirt trickled from the ceiling as the entire cave rumbled. And outside, the distant sky flashed and crackled. Its light illuminated the cave in violent spurts as the boys struggled to stand back up.
Eventually, the violent quaking and frightening flashes died down. The plasma storm held its breath once again.
The boys got back on their feet, but all the joy had seeped out of Sid’s face. He just stared at the floor in deep contemplation. Even as the windy music started back up.
Marc figured he would rescue his friend from whatever dark thoughts had turned up. Naturally, the end of the universe was a real bummer.
“End of the world got you down, huh?” He tried to laugh it off. The whole situation was pretty sad. Especially when they were having so much fun. But it was best to end the universe on a high note, right?
Nevertheless, Sid seemed dejected. He mumbled something inaudible.
“Dude, I can’t hear over the song!” Marc said in an elevated voice.
Sid spoke up over the wind. “That’s not what I’m upset about,” he said, his voice still fairly low.
“Then what are you upset about?”
Sid blurted out his response. “Because I invited Tōn-E, okay?”
He couldn’t bring himself to look Marc in the eye. Because he knew what was coming.
“YOU DID WHAT?!” Marc shouted over the music. Marc himself stomped over to the vent. He picked the cover off the floor—though he struggled quite a bit with it. It was heavier than Sid made it look. But he hoisted it back into the mouth of the vent. The music shut off. The steady drop of sand on the cave floor ceased.
“Say that again,” he leveled in Sid’s direction.
“What was I supposed to do?” Sid remade eye contact. “Not invite the only other intelligent being to the last party the universe will ever have?”
Marc needed no time to answer. He nodded insistently. “Yes. That was exactly what you were supposed to do. What the hell, Sid?” Marc would have continued, but there was another disturbance outside. He caught a glimpse of movement in the doorway.
--
Thanks for reading some of my words :) I’m trying stuff out, so let me know what you think.
The rest of the story is here
Based on a prompt by eithrotaur

Here's the first half of the story
The two teens both looked toward the front of the room. There was a gray sphere. Hovering in the doorway.
But if you asked Marc, it was an annoying gray sphere. And it hovered in the doorway like an absolute rustnut.
Marc wasn’t sure where on the sphere to level his disdain. The whole dumb surface was the same all over. It was a series of interconnected, translucent hexagons. Stupid yellow lights blinked sporadically across its many faces—for no apparent rhyme or reason—perhaps just to further annoy Marc.
An electronic voice called out from the sphere. “Did I hear muuuuuusic?” he asked. “Before that last plasma burst?”
Marc shot Sid a glare that could kill. But the big blue alien didn’t back down.
“Last impression. Remember?” he told Marc before going toward Tōn-E with a brimming, sharp-toothed smile and arms extended. “Tōn-E! Glad you could make it! Come on in.”
On the inside, Marc cringed. He mostly tried to forget that Tōn-E walked (hovered?) the same Levels as them. Tōn-E represented the most self-destructive habits of the Outpost. The only features of the city indifferent to survival.
But Tōn-E was all too real. He entered the room like a ghost in a nightmare.
“I am also happy to be here,” he said. The faces of his sphere randomly lit up as he spoke. “I otherwise had no plans for tonight. Because the planet is set to explode.”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” Sid joked.
“I approximate it will only take a few more—hold on. What is this??”
Tōn-E spun slowly in the air. The side previously facing Sid rotated toward the ceiling. When it reached the top, a spotlight shot toward the ceiling—right where Sid’s door had slotted in.
The spotlight stretched horizontally across the door until it resembled a straight line. This line swept back and forth across the raised door. It moved as if he was cleaning it.
“I don’t believe it!” Tōn-E said. “What an exquisite painting. A remarkable addition to your growing and ever-expanding portfolio, Sid.”
Tōn-E finished his scan of the painting. His expanding spotlight shut off. And he re-centered himself to face Sid.
“Aww, shanks,” Sid said. Each of his right arms latched onto the bends of the left ones. “You really think so?”
“Of course! There are colors here I’ve only seen named in the logs. You have tastefully incorporated /#FF00FF: a color our ancestors previously referred to as ‘magenta.’”
“Yes! That’s right! I was going for ‘magenta!’ You really think I did it?”
Marc looked down to hide his face. He rolled his eyes. Magenta. He would have loved to tell Sid how much he liked it too. But Marc had spent his years surviving, not studying colors in old, useless historical archives.
Sid and Tōn-E continued their snooty, pretentious discussion.
“I made it mixing legblee blood and just a liiiiiiittle bit of groundwater,” Sid said.
“That was a very clever! Allow me to save your painting to my internal memory.”
“Really??” Sid’s cheeks greened a little.
“Yes, I will review at a later time when I am both unable to view the original but would still like to once again be inspired by your clever and skillful hands.”
“Tōn-E, I—I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
Marc simmered in his anger. Stupid Tōn-E. Always ruining things. Making them about him and his dumb, endless archives.
“I am perhaps only more impressed by your chosen ensemble! Do my eyes perceive veritable Lenorkian armor?”
The talkative orb whooshed toward Sid. It began revolving around him like an annoyingly-attached moon. As his exo-orb hummed excitedly, Tōn-E rattled off his useless knowledge of antiquated armor.
“Snorp-resistant spiked shoulder caps?!” He spun around Sid’s midsection. “Triple-layered chest plates?!” He dropped closer to the floor. “Anti-gravity shin guards made from the rare lenorkium alloy?!”
Tōn-E giggled as he orbited Sid. His laugh disturbed Marc. It sounded like a space rat being strangled in the bowels of an undersea air vent.
Sid could hardly keep up with Tōn-E’s flying. But he looked happy with the attention. “Yeah! I’m told this suit was built for the Frost Ring wars,” he said. “It never got used.”
Marc continued to not engage. He slunk deeper into his shawl, folded his arms, and sighed.
“I don’t believe it!” Tōn-E said.
He backed off from Sid, flying back toward the doorway. He turned on his spotlight once again. It now stretched over Sid’s body. “Saving! Saving!”
Sid wasted no time posing for the occasion. He flexed all four arms and gritted his snaggling teeth. His irises turned a deep red and his two small horns protruded from his forehead. Tōn-E was overjoyed. “I did not think I would ever have the chance to record your agitated state,” he said.
I’ll show you an agitated state, Marc thought to himself.
“I’ve got a relic you’re going to love,” Tōn-E said. His tiny sphere filled the cave with noise. But it wasn’t Tōn-E’s usual metallic voice. The sound came from another species entirely.
“GwwwwwwuuuhhhAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!”
His orb played an intense, ear-shuddering roar. The recording may have been slightly fuzzy, but Marc knew the source. It was unmistakably Lenorkian.
And like the gears in a drill, something appeared to “click” inside Sid. His eyes widened. His armored chest expanded. And he joined in. But Sid’s roar was… authentic.
“HRRRRRRRRRGAAAAAAAAHHHHH” he blasted out of mouth. Marc’s entire rib cage vibrated uncomfortably.
It spooked Marc. Igniting some primal desire to escape a dangerous predator. That was a feeling he never felt around Sid. He didn’t like it.
Sid himself even looked embarrassed for a second. Something he’d kept suppressed had slipped out. But Tōn-E turned up the volume on his recording. And with a cautious smile of someone nervously breaking a rule, Sid matched it. And then some. The two bellowed together. It was enough to make Marc queasy, although it was unclear whether it was due to the vibrations or Sid bonding so much with Tōn-E.
The roaring continued. Their talking continued. Tōn-E went on about Sid’s armor some more and his people’s valor and the hardship his ancestors must have faced.
“Usually I keep this stuff stashed away,” Sid said to Tōn-E in his soft normal voice. His horns had retracted, and his eyes had returned to normal. “These are shameful pieces of our history. Truly. And with a people I never really fit in with. But tonight, it just felt right to wear it, you know?”
“I understand completely,” Tōn-E said. “It is in these end times that we gravitate toward those traditions that were so much of what made us feel alive in the first place.”
The statement made Marc want to hurl. He didn’t want to entertain such stupid notions. But the gremlin rotated to him next.
“Hello Marc! Did you find any good junk today? Any new additions to your scrap pile?”
Marc seethed. “I didn't scavenge today, Tōn-E. There wouldn't be any use. It's the end of the universe.”
“That surprises me. Humans love their junk and doodads.”
“Yeah well, we don’t have to cling to the past, do we? Not like that ever saved anyone.” He hugged his wrapped arms even tighter, tilting his body away from Sid and Tōn-E. His cold shoulder ended the conversation.
Sid picked it back up. “So Tōn-E, do you, uh… drink?”
As it turned out, he did. Tōn-E accepted a cup of fludge. He held it with a robotic arm—one that had suddenly extended from his exo-orb. Tōn-E’s orb whirred as the center of his “face” sprouted a grotesque, needle-like proboscis. It poked outward like a long nose.
This straw extended into the cup he held. Tōn-E sipped the fludge like an insect sipping nectar (whatever those two things were; the Archives were spotty).
Sid waited with anticipation. Then Tōn-E’s sphere shuddered. The fludge must have reached the insufferable little creature on the inside. “Scrumptious!” he said.
Marc sighed quietly to himself. For some reason, he thought the night would have made a turn for the better if Tōn-E had hated it.
“Two for two!” Sid pumped three victorious fists into the air. He grinned as Tōn-E’s straw dipped into the cup once more. The straw made a little slurping sound.
“My taste buds are tingling!” Tōn-E said.
But the big cup was too much for him to finish. He returned the mostly-full drink to Sid. And his robotic straw receded to his exo-orb. Sid of course finished the cup, slurping up the remaining pool of fludge.
“So…” Sid said. He wiped his mouth. “Should I put some tunes back on?” He pointed over his shoulder to the idle vent. Then he looked across his two guests for an answer.
Marc shrugged. He didn’t care about anything anymore. Next to Marc, Tōn-E bobbed excitedly.
“Oh, yes!” he said. “One reads about concepts such as scales and measures, but it is entirely different to actually experience them with one’s own body!”
What body? Marc thought to himself. And what were the other things Tōn-E had mentioned? Something about… measuring… dragons?
He studied the cave floor while Sid skipped to the vent.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Sid said. “Get those Level 7 legs ready!” He tugged at the creaking cover once more.
It came off easier this time. With a pop! the storm above returned to the cave. Its natural melody filled the room.
“Woooooooo!” Sid raised his hands again and walked back toward the other two.
Tōn-E mimicked him with two twig arms.
But the music didn’t have the same magic as before. The beats were stale. And Marc found himself unable to ignore the sting of the sand pelting his face. He lifted his shawl over his mouth. His voice was barely audible.
“I’m sitting this song out,” he said.
The other two didn't seem to hear him. They were facing each other, waving their arms sporadically against the air current.
Marc didn’t care. He grabbed his unfinished drink from the kitchen. Then he searched for a place to sit.
He found a couch, just in front of the dancing aliens. As he took his seat, his bottom started to sink into the sofa. The tarp covering the couch crinkled.
He tried guessing the material underneath it. Clay, maybe? He pondered the question while watching Sid and Tōn-E figure out dancing without him.
“This is how Marc was doing it before!” Sid said to Tōn-E. His four arms fanned across the breeze.
But he got everything wrong. His arms whipped around the wind, not with it. And he was thinking too much about his next move, as evidenced by his scrunched brows. But the greatest offense of all was his midsection: his hips and legs stayed in place—as if someone had threatened them.
A part of Marc wanted to get up and show him how it was done. But another part wanted to see Sid fail. Realize the effort was futile. Give up on bonding with Tōn-E. And kick the Sphere of Useless Facts out of his house.
“Am I doing it right, Marc?” Sid asked while each of his arms flew in a different direction.
“You look great!” Marc replied. He took a long sip of fludge.
Tōn-E, on the other hand, did his best to replicate Sid. He waved his skinny arms erratically. It almost made Marc laugh; Tōn-E looked like he’d been set on fire.
But in all, the whole thing was awful. A bad impression giving birth to an even worse impression.
And they didn’t seem to be enjoying it much either. Despite Marc’s glowing endorsement, Sid and Tōn-E danced themselves to the brink.
Sid kept losing his balance. He tried to keep up with the music but flung himself too hard in any one direction. And every time he made a misstep, he’d let loose an acidic snarl. Tōn-E grew frustrated as well. Every few seconds, he simply froze. His exterior lights would blink red in error. As Marc had hoped, the two “painting pals” quickly ran out of steam.
The dancing halted altogether. A tired Sid returned to the vent and hoisted the grate back onto the vent’s mouth. The music stopped.
“I’ll just turn it down for a minute,” he said. He adjusted a dial on the grate. The metal slits creaked open. And a muted sandstorm flowed through them.
The music reflected the overall energy in the room: depleted. Sid secured himself two more cups of fludge before joining Marc on the tarp couch.
Tōn-E followed his lead. The little troll took a seat too, which meant hovering over the last open spot on the other side of Marc.
The boys took a minute to relax on the couch. They sat quietly while the plasma storm above the Outpost boomed and cracked.
Well, Sid and Tōn-E relaxed. They chugged down another couple cups of fludge and floated quietly over the couch (respectively). Meanwhile, Marc continued to be annoyed. He considered stepping outside and climbing to Level 1. Offer himself to the plasma storm a few hours early. The non-stop hum of Tōn-E’s exo-orb goaded him further.
Brrrrrrrrr!
Did it really have to make that noise?
Marc didn’t think the afternoon could get any worse. And then it did. Because Tōn-E’s insufferable humming suddenly quieted. And that only could have meant…
“Oh!” Tōn-E exclaimed, “I know what we can talk about!”
Marc braced for impact. His nails dug into his knees.
Don’t you dare, he thought.
“I read the most interesting fact about cats today!” Tōn-E started.
Not again, Marc thought. Absolutely NOT again. His fists trembled with rage.
“Did you know cats were the central deity across ten different ancient civilizations? The trend started with humans, of course, but the religion quickly spread across the galaxy as interplanetary travel became more widely available.”
“I actually didn’t know that,” Sid said, entertaining Tōn-E’s ridiculous theory. “Where did you find that?”
“The Archives! They have somewhat documented this phenomenon. You see, it was a common practice to capture footage of cats, even in their sleeping state. They were so important to these cultures that even the most mundane moment yielded significant reason to capture and worship them. If you want to see, I can—”
Marc had had enough. He slammed his cup down on the floor and flew off the couch.
“—SHUT UP. SHUT UP ABOUT CATS!” he shouted. He swung back around to face the other two. “CATS AREN’T REAL TŌN-E! AND THEY WERE NEVER REAL!”
“That’s enough, Marc!” Sid clenched his teeth.“Don’t start this.”
Marc returned fire, “I didn’t start anything; that was YOU. Going behind my back! Inviting more of these… fairy tales!”
His emotions overwhelmed him. He didn’t know whether to yell more or start crying. He did both.
“It’s the end of the universe!” he said as tears streamed down his face. “We can’t keep clinging to the things that brought us to this point in the first place! All these stupid traditions are the reason no one’s even here with us now! IT KILLED THEM ALL! And anyone stupid enough to keep believing in them is—"
“—I said THAT’S ENOUGH!” Sid growled. Marc didn't care.
“NO!” he said. Then he looked back at Tōn-E. “NONE of what you’re seeing in the Archives is real! The data is corrupt! It’s ALL CORRUPT! And CATS are just another dumb fairy tale to keep people like you going, while…”
He ran out of steam. He realized there was no more “going.” In fact, there was no time remaining in the universe for anything. But that didn’t diminish his animosity and anger toward the world. He glared down at the gray sphere. His chest heaved.
Meanwhile, Sid kept a cooler, bluer head. He too looked to Tōn-E, but with compassion in his eyes.
Tōn-E didn’t immediately respond to either. The only sound in the room came from his exo-orb. Well, the exo-orb plus the ladle on the counter, which suddenly blooped into the big pot.
All eyes were on the atypically quiet alien, whose hexagonal faces began to light up.
“I suppose,” his voice trailed, “that cats may not have been real after all. You said it yourself: records are foggy. They’re all from thousands of years ago...” He sighed. Tōn-E’s lights transitioned to a new blinking pattern. “And I also suppose… that I should have been more mature about interpreting error-prone information in the Archives…”
“It's okay, man,” Sid said. “I like that you dream big.” He reached across the couch to place a comforting hand on Tōn-E. But Tōn-E floated out of reach.
“I understand my presence here is probably upsetting,” he said. “You two have a special bond. I should not have interfered with it in its last moments. I will go.”
“No, Tōn-E,” Sid said. Each pair of his hands met in front of his chest “Please stay. You have every right to be here too.”
“I should go,” Tōn-E said. “I will spend the rest of the evening focused on real things. And because I will no longer be here, I suppose it will be the perfect opportunity to review Sid’s art so I can feel inspired for the end times.”
He slipped between Sid and Marc toward the doorway.
“No, don’t!” Sid called after him. “We should do this together.”
But Tōn-E had already vanished outside.
The Lenorkian, hand extended, waited for Tōn-E to come back. But the floating sphere did not reappear in the doorway.
And that was when a low trill emanated from the couch. It was coming from Sid’s his chest. He looked up at Marc, glaring. He bared his pointed teeth. His horns reappeared. And his eyes flushed with scarlet pigment.
Yuh-oh, Marc thought. About half his prior anger evaporated. Fear of a fight took hold.
Marc didn’t exactly dislike his chances. Lenorkians may have been stronger, but Sid wasn't a fighter. Marc was.
But Sid stuck to his morals.
“GET OUT!” Sid shouted.
Marc reflexively jumped out of reach. The short hop sort of ruined his show of anger. But he was still boiling mad. After all, fifty percent of him hadn't abandoned the cat grudge.
“Fine!” he shouted back. “Have fun exploding alone.” He whipped away to the exit.
The party was finished now. He almost stopped and went back for his fludge. But he didn’t want it anymore either. He just wanted a nice end of the universe with his friend. And now the end of the universe was ruined.
At least the apocalypse outside was behaving predictably. Marc stepped into the adjacent cave corridor. He surveyed the damage outside, looking through the long, horizontal gap in the cave wall. As the experts had predicted, the plasma storm took its toll.
The canyon glowed eerily bright, despite it being evening time. The wind howled as it raced through the canyon. And the cliffs around the gorge flashed white and pink as the storm charged with electricity, preparing to make its final jump.
Lightning cracked toward the ground. Some of the bolts hit the opposing cliff, sending rubble deep into the gorge. A gentle tremor rumbled in the ground beneath him.
The plasma storm overhead only creeped further around the planet. As the canyon brightened, shockwaves coursed through the entire city. They threw Marc off his feet again. He hit the ground.
Behind him, thunderous clacking erupted. The sound of falling rocks filled the corridor. He flipped over to see what explosion had thrown him.
It was bad. He stopped breathing. Because he could no longer see Sid’s home. All he saw was a pile of rubble.

Hi, I'm making a wearables project using ESP32 boards and WS2812B LEDs for a festival. I'm trying to build a circuit board/schematic that will work in a small(ish) box 80mm x 45mm x 18mm where there won't be too much tension and strain on the wires connected to the board. There will be a lot of dancing! Here's a video of the prototype https://imgur.com/a/jjDXdyt
I initially planned to wire the LEDs straight to the board, but I'd rather have them be slightly modular for future upgrades and maintenance. The ESP32 is connected via standard 2.54mm (0.1") pitch socket headers. But the LED connections are causing the main issue. I'm using 30AWG wire for the LED to LED connections, but could stretch to 26awg for the LED to board connections as they will be under the most strain (I imagine).
So I've bought some Molex PicoBlade connectors but they are too small to manually handle on a larger scale (I'm making around 20 of these), require a custom PCB (not the standard 2.54mm pitch) and also use a very expensive tool (which I thought mine covered but it doesn't). I've looked at the Molex KK series, and also the Micro Fit 3.0 but I'm really struggling to understand what connectors and combinations are actually available and what I need for Board to Wire connections.
Here's the stuff I've already bought which I have not had success with:

• Molex Hand Crimp Tool 20-30AWG 0638190000 https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0638190000/1873800
• Molex, PicoBlade, 53048, 3 Way, 1 Row, Right Angle PCB Header https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/3191092/
• Molex, PicoBlade Female Connector Housing, 1.25mm Pitch, 3 Way, 1 Row https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/3191036/
• Molex, PicoBlade Female Crimp Terminal 28AWG 50058-8000 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/6706414/
• Molex, CONN PLUG HSG 3POS 3.00MM https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0436400301/268985
• Molex, CONN RCPT HSG 3POS 3.00MM https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0436450300/268975
• Molex, CONN SOCKET 26-30AWG CRIMP TIN https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0430300010/252480
• Molex, CONN PIN 26-30AWG CRIMP TIN https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0430310010/252484

I'm also very happy to switch to JST or any other connector brand! I'd just need to know the full package of socket, connector, terminal and tool to buy.
This is my first venture into the world of connectors, I've been asking around other subreddits and Discord servers and been met with a very unhelpful "use JST", so please be give some actual recommendations and if possible real life use cases.

I’m 21 and have been working since 17. I had one horrible job as a horseback riding instructor for over 3 years that was completely inhumane, like no breaks, not allowed to sit, dirty, talked down to + disrespected all the time, free labor. There were times where we had to work in the summer heat for 8 hours, no breaks. We were allowed to get water, but they’d have a “sigh, okay hurry up” attitude about it and we had to pay for our water. It was so bad one of my coworkers fainted from heat exhaustion. And also if we had 1 lesson that day, we only got paid for that lesson but were FORCED to stay the entire day unpaid and do free labor. So yeah that was job #1
Then job #2 was an MLM (of course I didn’t go into it knowing it was an MLM) where I was putting in all my time and effort and only losing money. I have a 2 part storytime on it on my page, but I didn’t include all the details because I didn’t want my former upline to find it and know it was me but I don’t even care anymore. They made me be an unpaid assistant to them, texting 30 people every other day about trainings, making calls that I wasn’t ready for and didn’t know what to say and I always had to stay on hold for 20-40 mins, and then eventually they wanted me to start calling all of their 30 associates every other day instead of the text (mind you, all unpaid. and I was the ONLY one being exploited like that). So I just fuckin quit because I couldn’t take it anymore.
My life has been a random series of side quests from singing in a performing arts high school to horseback riding instructor, digital marketing, life insurance, and now I’m unemployed because every time I send out job applications I don’t even get contacted despite feeling 100% qualified for what I apply for. I feel miserable no matter what I do and I feel like I just do not want to live because I hate the way society is and don’t want any part of it.
HOWEVER
Every single day of my life I’ve danced and lip sang to music in my room pretending I’m performing for a crowd (like 4 hours per day because I love it so much), everyday no matter what I’m doing I’m humming.
I remember what it felt like to perform on stage, it’s the only thing that’s ever made me feel like “This is what I’m meant to do.” I remember the first time I ever performed on stage it felt like that moment in my little pony where ponies get their cutie mark.
I tried for so long to be normal and have a normal life but it’s just not who I am. I had no clue what to do because I had been invalidated so many times on my choice to be a singer that it stopped being an option in my mind. But towards the end of job #2 I broke down because I realized no matter what I do, I’m a singer. It’s just who I am, no matter how hard I try to pretend, this is who I am.
I don’t care if I never get famous and live paycheck to paycheck, I’ll be happy as long as I can perform on stage again.
My parents would never support my decision and I know 0 people in the industry so I really have no clue how to make a career out of it. Any suggestions?

I’m 21 and have been working since 17. I had one horrible job as a horseback riding instructor for over 3 years that was completely inhumane, like no breaks, not allowed to sit, dirty, talked down to + disrespected all the time, free labor. There were times where we had to work in the summer heat for 8 hours, no breaks. We were allowed to get water, but they’d have a “sigh, okay hurry up” attitude about it and we had to pay for our water. It was so bad one of my coworkers fainted from heat exhaustion. And also if we had 1 lesson that day, we only got paid for that lesson but were FORCED to stay the entire day unpaid and do free labor. So yeah that was job #1
Then job #2 was an MLM (of course I didn’t go into it knowing it was an MLM) where I was putting in all my time and effort and only losing money. I have a 2 part storytime on it on my page, but I didn’t include all the details because I didn’t want my former upline to find it and know it was me but I don’t even care anymore. They made me be an unpaid assistant to them, texting 30 people every other day about trainings, making calls that I wasn’t ready for and didn’t know what to say and I always had to stay on hold for 20-40 mins, and then eventually they wanted me to start calling all of their 30 associates every other day instead of the text (mind you, all unpaid. and I was the ONLY one being exploited like that). So I just fuckin quit because I couldn’t take it anymore.
My life has been a random series of side quests from singing in a performing arts high school to horseback riding instructor, digital marketing, life insurance, and now I’m unemployed because every time I send out job applications I don’t even get contacted despite feeling 100% qualified for what I apply for. I feel miserable no matter what I do and I feel like I just do not want to live because I hate the way society is and don’t want any part of it.
HOWEVER
Every single day of my life I’ve danced and lip sang to music in my room pretending I’m performing for a crowd (like 4 hours per day because I love it so much), everyday no matter what I’m doing I’m humming.
I remember what it felt like to perform on stage, it’s the only thing that’s ever made me feel like “This is what I’m meant to do.” I remember the first time I ever performed on stage it felt like that moment in my little pony where ponies get their cutie mark.
I tried for so long to be normal and have a normal life but it’s just not who I am. I had no clue what to do because I had been invalidated so many times on my choice to be a singer that it stopped being an option in my mind. But towards the end of job #2 I broke down because I realized no matter what I do, I’m a singer. It’s just who I am, no matter how hard I try to pretend, this is who I am.
I don’t care if I never get famous and live paycheck to paycheck, I’ll be happy as long as I can perform on stage again.
My parents would never support my decision and I know 0 people in the industry so I really have no clue how to make a career out of it. Any suggestions?

Hi, I'm making a wearables project using ESP32 boards and WS2812B LEDs for a festival. I'm trying to build a circuit board/schematic that will work in a small(ish) box 80mm x 45mm x 18mm where there won't be too much tension and strain on the wires connected to the board. There will be a lot of dancing!
I initially planned to wire the LEDs straight to the board, but I'd rather have them be slightly modular for future upgrades and maintenance. The ESP32 is connected via standard 2.54mm (0.1") pitch socket headers. But the LED connections are causing the main issue. I'm using 30AWG wire for the LED to LED connections, but could stretch to 26awg for the LED to board connections as they will be under the most strain (I imagine).
So I've bought some Molex PicoBlade connectors but they are too small to manually handle on a larger scale (I'm making around 20 of these), require a custom PCB (not the standard 2.54mm pitch) and also use a very expensive tool (which I thought mine covered but it doesn't). I've looked at the Molex KK series, and also the Micro Fit 3.0 but I'm really struggling to understand what connectors and combinations are actually available and what I need for Board to Wire connections.
Here's the stuff I've already bought which I have not had success with:

• Molex Hand Crimp Tool 20-30AWG 0638190000 https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0638190000/1873800
• Molex, PicoBlade, 53048, 3 Way, 1 Row, Right Angle PCB Header https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/3191092/
• Molex, PicoBlade Female Connector Housing, 1.25mm Pitch, 3 Way, 1 Row https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/3191036/
• Molex, PicoBlade Female Crimp Terminal 28AWG 50058-8000 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/6706414/
• Molex, CONN PLUG HSG 3POS 3.00MM https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0436400301/268985
• Molex, CONN RCPT HSG 3POS 3.00MM https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0436450300/268975
• Molex, CONN SOCKET 26-30AWG CRIMP TIN https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0430300010/252480
• Molex, CONN PIN 26-30AWG CRIMP TIN https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/molex/0430310010/252484

I'm also very happy to switch to JST or any other connector brand! I'd just need to know the full package of socket, connector, terminal and tool to buy.
This is my first venture into the world of connectors, I've been asking around the Arduino subreddit and Discord servers and been met with a very unhelpful "use JST", so please be give some actual recommendations and if possible real life use cases.

I’m 21 and have been working since 17. I had one horrible job as a horseback riding instructor for over 3 years that was completely inhumane, like no breaks, not allowed to sit, dirty, talked down to + disrespected all the time, free labor. There were times where we had to work in the summer heat for 8 hours, no breaks. We were allowed to get water, but they’d have a “sigh, okay hurry up” attitude about it and we had to pay for our water. It was so bad one of my coworkers fainted from heat exhaustion. And also if we had 1 lesson that day, we only got paid for that lesson but were FORCED to stay the entire day unpaid and do free labor. So yeah that was job #1
Then job #2 was an MLM (of course I didn’t go into it knowing it was an MLM) where I was putting in all my time and effort and only losing money. I have a 2 part storytime on it on my page, but I didn’t include all the details because I didn’t want my former upline to find it and know it was me but I don’t even care anymore. They made me be an unpaid assistant to them, texting 30 people every other day about trainings, making calls that I wasn’t ready for and didn’t know what to say and I always had to stay on hold for 20-40 mins, and then eventually they wanted me to start calling all of their 30 associates every other day instead of the text (mind you, all unpaid. and I was the ONLY one being exploited like that). So I just fuckin quit because I couldn’t take it anymore.
My life has been a random series of side quests from singing in a performing arts high school to horseback riding instructor, digital marketing, life insurance, and now I’m unemployed because every time I send out job applications I don’t even get contacted despite feeling 100% qualified for what I apply for. I feel miserable no matter what I do and I feel like I just do not want to live because I hate the way society is and don’t want any part of it.
HOWEVER
Every single day of my life I’ve danced and lip sang to music in my room pretending I’m performing for a crowd (like 4 hours per day because I love it so much), everyday no matter what I’m doing I’m humming.
I remember what it felt like to perform on stage, it’s the only thing that’s ever made me feel like “This is what I’m meant to do.” I remember the first time I ever performed on stage it felt like that moment in my little pony where ponies get their cutie mark.
I tried for so long to be normal and have a normal life but it’s just not who I am. I had no clue what to do because I had been invalidated so many times on my choice to be a singer that it stopped being an option in my mind. But towards the end of job #2 I broke down because I realized no matter what I do, I’m a singer. It’s just who I am, no matter how hard I try to pretend, this is who I am.
I don’t care if I never get famous and live paycheck to paycheck, I’ll be happy as long as I can perform on stage again.
My parents would never support my decision and I know 0 people in the industry so I really have no clue how to make a career out of it. Any suggestions?

The butt of everyone's jokes from Family Guy, Hercule's love interest from the Disney adaptation of the classic Greek tale, the android also known as Rockman who fights against Dr. Wily's devious plans, the villain who needs to save the city from an even bigger villain, the main antagonist from the Transformers series, or the final evolution of the Gen II starter Pokemon Chikorita?
View Poll

[June 4th, 2023]
My name is Tiffany. As of writing this, I'm 30 years old.
I don't know what happened.
The last thing I remember is going to bed, eager to start work the next morning. I'm a senior software engineer in Jacksonville, Florida, and I'm paid to cause problems on purpose. When I awoke, I was not in my bed. I could barely even open my eyes, for it felt like I had acid poured into them. When I came to, I was in a place which seemed vaguely familiar, but it was not my home.
It was some kind of hall-like place. There was a sort of ampitheater a couple feet ahead of me, but there was nobody around. The walls and floor were a greenish color, and although there was nobody around, the place was rather brightly lit, so I knew that someone would be coming soon.
It was then I noticed I couldn't move. I realized I wasn't standing up, I was sitting on some kind of chair. However, it did not feel like a normal chair. My vision was still blurry at this point, but as I looked down towards my lap, I noticed some kind of leather strap fastened around my lap - strapping me to the chair. I noticed another strap on my chest, which was pinning me to the chair. I panicked, and I tried to struggle. All this did was fill the quiet room with the sounds of crunching leather. I must've struggled for more than 15 minutes, twisting and straining as much as I could, but it was no good, as the straps simply would not budge.
I quickly became exhausted. As my vision came to, I looked towards my feet, which were fastened to the leg of the chair using the same kind of leather straps which were pinning my lap and torso to the chair. I noticed something I did not before. When I saw it, I felt my stomach drop.
It was a wire. A thick one, roughly as thick as a man's thumb. The wire was leading up to the chair, and that's when I realized I was strapped into an electric chair. I've always been fascinated with electric chairs, and as I scanned both the chair and my surroundings, I realized I was in Sing Sing Prison, New York, and this hall must be the infamous 'Dance Hall' that the original 'Old Sparky' chair was situated in. The 'Dance Hall' was the nickname of the execution room, though I read that Sing Sing abolished the electric chair decades ago.
Suddenly, the silence in the Dance Hall was broken by a strange voice. It sounded human, and it sounded like a man's voice, but soft and somewhat high-pitched. I'd even describe it as cute-sounding. It was a lilting, almost sing-songy voice. It was peaceful, and yet, I couldn't help but notice an underlying tone of malice behind it too.
The voice said: ''it's been such a long time since I've seen someone. I was so lonely!''
I jerked my head around wondering where the voice was even coming from. Surely this has to be some kind of prank, I figured. But I couldn't see anyone. The voice, it sounded as if it came from the chair itself, like it was right there with me, almost as if it were touching me. I screamed out loud that if this was a joke it wasn't funny.
Again, that strange voice broke the silence:
''I'm here! You're sitting in my lap and I looove giving you a big huuug''
Towards the end of that sentence, the tone of voice went from a sort of happy-go-lucky tone to a raspy, more malicious tone that sounded sadistic, almost mocking. It was the chair. The fucking chair spoke! I'm going mad, I tried pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming but nothing happened.
I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. Here I was, alone in an execution chamber without any rational explanation, nobody around, strapped into the most infamous electric chair in history, and above all, the chair's speaking to me and refuses to let me go.
After about an hour I finally get my wits about me and try and use my knowledge about the chair to talk to him. I even refer to him as 'Sparky', as 'Old Sparky' was his official name back when he was used. I asked him why he won't let me go. He told me he was feeling lonely since he was retired, and also that 'dad' would be here soon.
Soon enough, a middle-aged man appeared through the door of the Dance Hall and approached me. 'I'm Warden Jones,' he said. 'I'm very sorry for the inconvinence this situation has caused you. We can't explain it either, but this chair has not been at Sing Sing Prison for decades.'
'Ol' Sparky, let her go.' Warden Jones uttered, looking at the antique wooden chair with a stern expression and tone of voice.
'No.' uttered the lilting voice in response.
He looked at me with a strange, sad expression. He let out an exasperated sigh. I asked him to unstrap me from Sparky. He seemed reluctant for a couple of seconds, before then trying to undo the straps. My heart started to race when I realized not even the Warden could undo the straps - they just wouldn't budge, as if some kind of force was keeping them as tight as humanly possible. The Warden stood back, shaking his head. He told me the door to the electric chair's generator would not open either, and that door didn't have any locks in it.
After failing to unstrap me, Jones said he could bring me food or entertainment to try and help pass the time. Because of my exhaustion of trying to free myself from the chair, I was famished. I was also bought a phone which had internet access.
After eating dinner, Warden Jones told me his shift was finished and he had to go home. He kept saying he was 'so sorry' for what was happened and he seemed genuinely heartbroken, confused, and traumatized. As he left, the lights of the Dance Hall dimmed. The room was not dark, but it set a gloomy atmosphere.
It must've been around 9 PM at this point. I must've cried for a few hours, feeling hopeless at this situation, even with the comfort of my phone. The chair kept speaking to me, and occasionally, I tried even making casual conversation with him as if he were a person. I tried to ask him how his day was, I even asked him how he felt about executing Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for espionage. He said he enjoyed it, and then made a snide remark about how quickly Julius died, as if those who died quicker were somehow weak.
It was nearly 12 AM it happened. The arm and shoulder straps started to move by themselves. It happened very quickly and the straps became so tight that I could feel them bruising my skin. I yelled out to Sparky asking him what was happening. He told me:
''Shh it's almost midnight. You know I'm an electric chair and not a person right? Did you really think I could resist the urge?''
My heart sank and my heart raced. I felt my insides quivering uncontrollably. I screamed that I'm not a criminal and he can't kill me, not like this. I felt the chin and head strap tighten around my face and head. I began to feel sick knowing what was coming next.
I suddenly heard a sound I knew all too much about - the sound of that old diesel generator whirring up. It sounded similar to an airplane engine going from taxi power to takeoff power. As the noise hit its peak, I felt an unbearable tickling sensation all over my body. I was surprised how it wasn't really painful, just immensely uncomfortable. My thoracic muscles were spasming up and down similar to how they spasm during intense laughter, except the spasms were much faster. Because of these convulsions, I actually heard myself 'laughing'. I sounded like laughter that had been sped up three times its original speed. After maybe 30 seconds, I realized that it was because of these spasms I could not breathe and I began to feel a terrible burning sensation in my chest because I was being forcibly deprived of oxygen.
This continued for another 30 seconds. I began to think of my family, I wondered if I'd be reported as a missing person and they'd never know or even conceive that this is what happened to me. I thought about my boyfriend and all the experiences I'd never get to have.
I don't remember anything after that. I simply remember waking up feeling very dazed. I was alive! I felt so relieved, wondering if what I experienced was just a messed up dream. Then I smelt it - the distinct smell of ozone, and I felt the ache of my thoracic muscles - the muscles which had been abused so much through electric current induced spasms. I could breathe, though it felt like it was hard to. My hands and arms were free again.
[June 10th, 2023]
It's been days now.. I've been interviewed by more people than I can mention. Police, all kinds of prison staff, and journalists. They all are just as curious as I am about my fate. Honestly, I felt like some kind of celebrity being interviewed haha. Sparky himself enjoyed talking to the journalists... he has such a weird sense of humor sometimes.
There's no getting out of the chair. Everything has been done. Police even threatened to destroy Sparky, but all that happened was Sparky threatening to electrocute me to death if they tried anything. Sparky has gave that same threat to me too.. he says if I try and harm him, he'll electrocute me until I die. He also says I'm never getting out of the chair. He says I'm going to stay strapped into him until I die of old age. Every midnight since waking up in this chair, Sparky electrocutes me until I'm on the verge of death. For some weird reason, I no longer need to go to the bathroom.
[June 26th, 2023]
I just got news that Warden Jones resigned. Apparently due to an acute mental health crisis. Sparky doesn't seem to mind that his dad won't be here anymore.. honestly I'm starting to kind of enjoy midnights now haha. It tickles so much...when I hear that generator I kind of..happy? Like Sparky is working so hard to deliver all that current through my body, and only for me. Whenever I'm looking at stuff on my phone he likes to comment on it. He's quite the talker. He especially likes it when I look up stuff about him. He gets almost psychotically excited when I start reading about the people he electrocuted.
[July 9th, 2023]
I think Sparky was being serious when he said I'm never getting out of this chair. It's been over a month now but hey, I got this new wooden friend to talk to, lots of internet access and food.. what more could I want? Today I realized that Sparky gets jealous of other electric chairs. I told him I do like other electric chairs too. He got quite pissed off.. he electrocuted me twice today. It's starting to feel kind of nice..
[August 30th, 2023]
I think I'm starting to fall in love with him.. we talk all day, we watch movies together and even eat together! Honestly what a fate this is. Strapped into Old Sparky until I die of old age.. Strapped into the chair that I love the most.. it's almost midnight. Nothing I can do will get me free from him!!!
[January 15th, 2024]
I love him so much.. all day I caress that backrest of his, and stroke his smooth wooden arms.. he told me not to caress the headpiece electrode though. I tried that this morning and he told me not to touch it.. he's so cte when he's angry. I can hear that generator starting up again hehehe..
​
[June 5th 2024]
I've been sitting in here so kong I don't know what time is anymore.. my head feels so weird all I know, I love Sparky so much...
[October 1st, 2025]
Four Wardens have resiged from their jobs since I've been here. I asked the new Warden if he'd let me get married to Sprky. He reluctantly agreed. Sparky was so happy.
[October 19th, 2025]
We'r officilly marred!! Sprkymlo I love him mso muchh aaaaa
[September 2026]
Um cant remenrb wha tthe date is ooospie ehe but another ewarden resigned whoaha
[MRCH 2028]
​
is miss my fmaily...

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Seth’s Ultimate Vanilla Sugar Cookies 5ml Full to TOL, has a blue name sticker on top of cap. $20 (Vanilla bean, Chrystalline, warm and buttery sugar cookie accord, sugar, butter cookie accord, buttercream and Tahitian vanilla bean.)
Raspberry Musk 6ml $25 (Bastet’s Musk absolute (Tuberose, Mallow, Angelica, Musk Flower, and White Lily), Wild Transylvanian Raspberry accord, Raspberry skin accord, Crystalline (Studio Limited Vanilla) absolute, Bastet’s Amber absolute, eNVie saphir, Bastet’s Ice Cream)
SOLD Apricot Muhallebi 2ml shop sample $8 (Apricot seed, Apricot essence, Apricot Custard accord, Cake accord, Rice Milk, Bourbon Vanille, Orange Blossom, Sugar Cookie accord, Almond Macaroon accord, Buttercream accord, Vanilla Bean, Butter accord (vegan) Sweet Cream accord (vegan), Toasted Coconut accord, Cardamom absolute, Pink Sugar, White Musk and Crystalline Vanilla Absolute)
Hera’s Strawberry Pound Cake slink $3 (Strawberry Crème Icing, Strawberry Poundcake accord, Vanilla Bean, Studio Limited Crimson Musk, Bastet’s Musk, Vanilla Shortcake, and Whipped cream accord (vegan))
Paper Moons slink $3 (Vanilla Orchid, White Musk, Bastet’s Musk essence, Vanilla Bean cordial, Egyptian Sugar Cane, Coconut Milk, White Cinnamon, Powdered Sugar, Angel Cake accord, Almond Cake accord and Buttermilk Vanilla accord)
***Nui Cobalt
Tomfoolery shop sample $3 (Toasted oats, molten brown sugar, candied crushed walnuts, and tangy-sweet golden raisins.)
Original Prankster shop sample $3 (Fresh from the oven, crisp cinnamon sugar gives way to warm, soft vanilla cookie with just a trace of salted butter.)
Scallywag shop sample $3 (True cocoa absolute accentuated by notes of caramelized sugar, toasted marshmallow, Bavarian cream, and the subtlest touch of melted butter.)
***Poesie
-You Tempt Me 5ml $15 (vanilla custard, marzipan, sweet cherries, a hint of pastry crust, ambery notes)
-Waltz of the Snowflakes 1ml shop sample $3 (Notes: a magical dance of peppermint snowflakes, buttery sugar cookies with vanilla glaze, topped with crystallized sugar)
-Dreamland Confection 2ml $4 (Notes: a billowy marshmallow pavlova layered with candied clementines and fresh cranberries, whipped cream surrounded by a wintry flurry of cotton candy and balsam fir branches)
-Mother Ginger shop sample $3 (Notes: a dark gingerbread cake with all of the holiday joy baked within: heaping spoons of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, brown sugar, sticky molasses, caramelized edges)
-Eggnog Noel 5ml $12 (Notes: creamy custard, opulent vanilla, warm nutmeg, a splash of French cognac)

She's the sweetest rose in the garden The light in my darkest days I thought our love would never falter But now I'm lost in a world of greys
Oh, my sweetest girl How you light up my world Now I'm lost without your embrace I long for the days, when we dance in place
The memories of our love replay A never-ending reel in my mind I can't erase the smile on your face Despite feeling love left behind
Oh, my sweetest girl How you light up my world Now I'm lost without your embrace I long for the days, when we dance in place
I see your face in the stars each night Your laugh echoes through the smallest of things I'll hold our memories tight And pray someday our love reawakens
Oh, my sweetest girl How you light up my world Now I'm lost without your embrace I long for the days, when we dance in place
Though you're gone, my love remains The sweetest girl I've ever known I'll keep a place in my heart for you Until the day we once again call this love home.
Sincerely, The one who holds you in his GIANT heart.
Not a single day has passed since I seen you last where you dont fill my heart, mind, and soul. How can one person have such a hold on my aching heart? If you are truly happy then I can be happy. Are you happy? Do you feel like the most loved girl in the world? Please say YES!!