- Click here for part 1 & here for part 2 -

After some reminiscing, I decided to compile a list of 15 artists that I indulged in this year.  This year was rather interesting because 2009 was the year that Korean pop culture decided to take over half of my life and reveal to me the beauty and awesomeness of K-pop.  It’s as if my taste in music did a back flip and transformed, honestly.  And this list is definite evidence of that.

This was a frustrating process, 1.) because I listened to VARIOUS artists – I didn’t even know where to begin, and 2.) choosing which songs summed up the top players of this year was an extra load of agony.  But I did it.  I even cheated a bit and added bonus contenders that were close to making my top 15 list.

[FYI: Many or some of these songs weren't released in the year 2009, but were listened to by my humble ears, regardless]

Here is part 3 of My Top Songs of 2009

FT Island – I Hope (바래)

FT Island is one of my favorite Korean boy bands.  Among all of the flashy idol groups, these guys have a pure, solid style of music and distance themselves from the other idols because they sing pop/rock ballads, rather than the R&B/bubble crap pop, very nicely.  Also, Jaejin made the bowl-cut look super trendy this year, instead of uber nerdy as it’s known for.  And it’s no surprise, but Lee Hongki is my favorite band member – I dunno why, but he has a genuine charm to his personality that sorta interests me.  He can really sing, too.  Besides that, though, they also play their own instruments!  Which, if you don’t know, hardly happens in the K-pop realm.  Their 2009 hit, I Hope, won me over with its cheerful undertones.  I wish I had discovered FT Island earlier because they are a bag of serious awesome.

DBSK – Bolero

Jesus Christ, Bolero is the one – THE one – song that made me like DBSK or TVXQ or Tohoshinki or what-EVER.  I had heard Mirotic early on in my journey of K-pop discovery and I was really not feeling it.  I kinda don’t feel it now, but Bolero sorta changed my mind about these 5.  One thing about me is that I absolutely adore ballads.  As much as I adore flan, I am that serious. I should post a short list of some hardcore ballads that I enjoy later on in the future. (btw, ‘flan’ is a dessert of sweetened egg custard with a caramel topping, and if you haven’t tasted it, um, you’re missing out on life.)  Bolero is everything that the great ballads in the world have been – overdone with the orchestration, woven with meaningful lyrics, and sung dramatically by grand voices.  I couldn’t ask for more.

SHINee – Ring Ding Dong

If SHINee’s Ring Ding Dong wasn’t literally ringing in your head this fall, then where the crap were you? – cuz this song took over my life for a second, and it definitely took this group of kids to a higher level of cool on my scale.  I had no expectations of this boyband before Ring Ding Dong, because frankly, everything else they’ve produced sucks eggs.  But, Hello~!  Transformation alert!  They literally went from fruity nobodies to trendy hipsters.  They’re handsome, sound good and, hopefully, they stay on this nice path, because I like it.  And although this song is repetitive and meaningless, I believe we’re all aloud to indulge in something that isn’t too serious or compelling at will.

Lady Gaga – Bad Romance

This is probably one of the only few songs I like from Lady Gaga.  She definitely has a vision – is she executing it as best as she can, I dunno, but this song was nicely made.  It doesn’t really sound like her dreadful debut single, Just Dance, which may insinuate that she’s maturing as a musician, I’m not sure.  Bad Romance sounds vaguely familiar for some reason.  Most of her singles kind of do, if I think about it.  I’m certain it’s due to the fact that she models her melodies from 90’s music, the decade of my childhood.  90’s pop was all over the place and WAY cheesy, which Gaga has managed to take and sorta modernize a bit.  I give her kudos for that, and I wont lie, this song is still in my head to this very moment.  It’s that damn ‘ra-ra ra-ah ahh, roma-roma-ma, ga-ga, ooh la la‘ – it has grown on me.

2NE1 – Fire

Aside from being a big admirer of 2NE1, I am particularly a big fan of Fire because it’s one of those songs I would love to see performed live.  It’s a song that is defined by its charisma.  Fire is an experience, and oh gawd, I wish I’d been there in its epicenter, when it was at its highest point of intensity.  The rest of the girl groups in Korean pop culture aren’t as remotely intriguing as 2NE1.  They found their niche in K-pop and they are, without a doubt, the HBIC’s (Head Bitches In Charge) of girl groups.  Yeah, and what~!?

THAT ‘ S IT!

Although a lot of the 15 songs weren’t specifically released in 2009 (which wasn’t a rule or anything), I personally listened to them, and in addition, they also serve you a nice foundation to interpret my taste in music.  Obviously, loyalty to one definitive genre doesn’t really fly with me.  I listen to whatever I want.  A go go go~!

iBreatheLifeMusic is also subbing videos of SS501 & Kara’s Intimate Note…I’ll be putting those here as well

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Credits: Thanks to iBreatheLifeMusic @youtube for the videos and subs!

Thanks to Itstraus @youtube for the vid and subs!

Read Part 1 —-> MAMA

Read part 2 —-> PAPA

01.Count how many times the professor uses ?uh,? ?umm,? or ?like? during an entire lecture.
102.Try to hold your breath for as long as you can without passing out. Time yourself. Record your time. Repeat.
103.Do aerobic exercises in your head so that by the end of the day, you can think to yourself how ?athletic? you were today.
104.Write a play about an angry lobster, a happy penguin, and an evil genius.
105.Plug your ears and try to see if you can lip-read what the professor is saying.
106.Look at all the dots in the ceiling and try to find your favorite cartoon character.
107.Arm wrestle/play thumb war with yourself and accuse your right arm/left thumb of cheating.
108.Come up with a list of all the words you can make out of the letters in ?smorgasbord.?
109.Say a word silently to yourself (e.g. ?broccoli?) so many times that it loses meaning. Then try to remember what it meant in the first place.
110.Draw a flipbook at the bottom right corner of your notebook.
111.Keep your eyes open without blinking for as long as you can.
112.Re-enact or make up your very own 50-minute silent movie.
113.Look out the window and try to find cool-looking clouds that look like they came straight out of a Disney animated movie.
114.Start knitting yourself a scarf for the cold winter ahead.
115.Play cat’s cradle with the cute boy or girl sitting next to you. Who knows, you might get lucky and score a screen name.
116.Fold paper cranes so you’ll have a hefty collection by the end of the semester.
117.Switch seats in a clandestine manner every time the professor turns to face the blackboard. Count how many times you can do this without getting caught.
118.Stare at someone until they turn around. Then keep staring and give them a maniacal smile. Be sure your eyes are open real wide to enhance the effect.
119.Try not to fall asleep.
120.. Pretend you’re a tree.
121. Try to develop psychic powers, then use ’em.
122. Inflate a beachball and throw it around the room.
123. Sing Show Tunes.
124. Make loud animal noises then deny doing it.
125. Think of new pick lines. See if they work.
126. Pretend you’re flying a jet fighter in the Gulf War.
127. Churn some butter.
128. Conceive a brand new language.
129. Walls made of brick. Count ’em.
140. Plot revenge against someone.
141. Think of nicknames for everyone you know.
142. See how long you can hold your breath.
143. Take your pants off and give them to the professor.
14. Chew on your arm until someone notices.
145. Change seats every three minutes.
146. Think of ways to cheat at Trivial Pursuit.
147. Shave.
148. Run across the room, tag someone and say You’re it.
149. Announce to the class that you are God and that you’re angry.
150. Think of five new ways to use your shoes.

read Part 4 HYPERLINK

Defenders of the Faith (1984)

For six years, Judas Priest release a new album annually, managing to change things just enough to mostly be interesting and successful enough.  After the overall excellence of Screaming For Vengeance, the band had a good bit to live up to with Defenders of the Faith, an album that landed the band in hot water with “Eat Me Alive” appearing on the infamous Filthy Fifteen list.  Regardless, the album was out to be listened to and now evaluated.  On a positive note, this release proved to be a very competent one, showcasing a sound familiar and fresh to the band.  Other than the relatively worthless closing tracks, there really aren’t any “weak” songs to be found here.  However, after a few listens the tracks begin to feel less remarkable and this becomes a seeming superb album that shows its cracks after a couple revisits.  Overall, this is a solid effort that has some very memorable moments such as “Freewheel Burning,” “The Sentinel” and “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll.”

Turbo (1986)

With the then-recent craze over hair/glam metal, established and renowned bands were often pressured into giving their own take of such a style.  It was at this time that Judas Priest got the concept for the Twin Turbo records, which would become scratched after the bittersweet response to the first part, Turbo.  While the band once again managed to open themselves up to a broader audience, the overall response to Turbo was a resounding “eh.”  Although I absolutely despise hair/glam metal, I wouldn’t say this release as all bad since tracks like “Turbo Lover” and “Reckless” are worthy of returning to.  However, this album is a complete and utter synthesizer overload whose messages are quite cliché and absurd.  What’s odd is that this album, one of the band’s weakest, came out the same year as Slayer’s Reign In Blood, Megadeth’s Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? and Metallica’s deemed magnum opus, Master of Puppets.  Look at the album on its own, and it’s at least tolerable.  Compare it to other releases that year, and it belongs in the trash.

Ram It Down (1988)

The second part of the original Twin Turbo double-record release, Ram It Down sought to balance rectifying the mistakes of Turbo while still keeping a bit of the core sound.  What we got is an album that’s overall a better package than its predecessor, but just barely.  Indications of a speed metal sound are definitely present, which would become a key reason for long-time drummer Dave Holland’s departure from the band.  At points, the style works wonders, with the title track and “Blood Red Skies” being the immediate standouts.  However, these points are matched by dull moments such as closing track “Monsters of Rock” and embarrassing, joyless cover of “Johnny Be Goode.”  As a result, Ram It Down proved to be little more than a fair improvement over Turbo.  But of course, Priest fans know that this wouldn’t be a proper sign of what would follow two years later.

Painkiller (1990)

Right from the drum intro the title track leading to the frantic guitar riffs, it’s clear that this isn’t the same Judas Priest fans had known for the past 20 years.  Painkiller is universally considered the Priest’s best effort to date, myself included.  One of the most immediate differences here is the welcome addition of drummer Scott Travis, filling in Dave Holland’s position.  His frantic drum work really helped to sell the speed and intensity that fueled the album with Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing providing arguably their best guitar playing ever.  For the entire first half of the album, nothing lets up.  As for the second half, Judas Priest slow things down just enough to let the listener gradually catch their breath before closing with “One Shot at Glory.”  Unfortunately, after the Painkiller tour, the band would find themselves taken to court over their cover of “Better By You, Better Than Me” on Stained Class and then see vocalist Rob Halford leave the band.

“And the winner is…”

Kabuto: I have a plan…

*mumble mumble mumble*

Get into positions!

Guys… what about me?

Kabuto: Over here!

Drossel: Your taking the fun out of my hunt.

*classic side strifing*

Now!

*pew*

*pew pew*

*drossel retracts hand…*

*bzuum!*

!                                  !                             !

Here i come!

.

.

(meanwhile)

Maybe this is the key to our victory…

and all i have to do is give her a taste of my mighty “rod”…

So they left me here because im important!

Yosh! Time to find the others and take down that freak!

…

-the end

XD

This was actually suppose to be an animated short that stopped at the “WTH” reveal lol but i got lazy to do the “filming” process and tried to extend it into a story instead. A little uninspired with the conclusion and effects in this final part ^^;; Well, hope you somewhat enjoyed this XD

]]> http://ohioskateuniv.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/nick-mullins-answers-your-questions/ Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:19:13 +0000 ohioskateuniv http://ohioskateuniv.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/nick-mullins-answers-your-questions/

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

 Nick mentions Dan Poulin so click the name if you are interested in seeing some of his footage.

Previously:
Nick Mullins Update 12/07/09
Nick Mullins, Steve Staffan and Steve Berra
The Berrics: Nick Mullins Update 11/20/09
A New Nick Mullins Update
Nick Mullins and Steve Staffan
Nick Mullins Interview 2
The Berrics: Nick Mullins Update 10/01/09
Nick Mullins Update 15
Nick Mullins Update 14
Nick Mullins Interview
Nick Mullins Update 13
Nick Mullins Update 12
Nick Mullins Update 11
Nick Mullins Day

Originally set for a December release, but now pushed back until the 9th of February. oh well, it WILL be worth it.

Hit the jump for some classic wu to tie you over until feb.

Wu-Tang Clan – Protect Ya Neck

Here’s the third part of SS501 on Star Golden Bell with English Subs:

Thanks to iBreatheLifeMusic on YT for the vid!

For the first two parts go here: http://kpopuniverse.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/ss501-on-star-golden-bell-part-12-eng-subbed/

- Vii cu mine?

- Unde? spune ea pe un ton plictisit!

- Sa ne plimbam prin parc! ii raspund eu simpatizand ideea si gandindu-ma ca in cazul in care refuza, e clar ca nu isi doreste sa stam impreuna.

- Da! si intr-o clipa intoarce capul si priveste pe fereastra, ofteaza si se intoarce spre mine cu o privire dezamagita. Privindo am banuit ca poate fi ceva legat de vreme, ca poate e intuneric afara si ca poate gasi orice motiv pentru care sa nu ma insoteasca. Ea tace cateva secunde se uita la mine si intreaba incet:
- Tie iti plac lilieci?

Nu am auzit niciodata o intrebare atat de simpla care sa ma faca sa zambesc. Tonul pe care am fost intrebat despre preferintele mele generale asupra liliecilor care adesea isi gaseau prin traseul lor si parcul in care as fi crezut ca vom merge. Nici nu stiam ce sa raspund la intrebare, primul instinct a fost sa ii raspund direct parerea personala asupra liliecilor, care dealtfel nu e una rea, dar apoi m-am gandit ca schimba subiectul intentionat, sau ca nu stie cum sa ma faca sa renunt la ideea de a merge in parc. Am raspuns scurt si i-am dat de inteles ca nu ma deranjeaza lilieci nicidecum, ba chiar dimpotriva le consider niste animale destul de fascinante. Ea imi raspunde putin speriata si cu o energie fantastica incepe sa imi povesteasca despre disconfortul si repulsia pe care i le provoaca aceste animale. Nu cred ca ne-am mai oprit din discutie in urmatoare ora, vorbind despre lilieci si despre ceea ce o sperie, sau ceea ce apreciez eu la aceste animale. Nu ne-am dat seama cand a trecut timpul, insa eu in timpul discutiei ma intrebam care a fost motivul pentru care nu isi dorea sa mergem in parc, sa fie de vina oare doar niste simple animale care in calatoriile lor pe deasupra parcurilor nu isi dau seama ca intr-o zi in drumul lor cineva se va speria de el, nu stie ca o fiinta pe care el doar o zareste in zborul si preocuparile lui, isi construieste imaginea unui animal infricosator. Sa nu ma poata refuza doar pentru ca am ajutato de cateva ori? iar acum facand un compromis, a mai ramas cu mine o ora sa vorbim despre lilieci, dealtfel un subiect nu atat de apreciat de ea, asteptdand din moment in moment sa poata folosi orice scuza pentru a pleca spre casa, sau in directia in care ar fi trebuit sa plece. Nu stiam care este motivul pentru care am renuntat la plecarea in parc insa discutia noastra despre lilieci ne-a facut sa radem si sa zambim, chiar daca printre expresiile de dezgust, pentru a intari afirmatiile in legatura cu lilieci, zambetul se lasa greu descoperit, atunci cand zambeam nu puteam sa nu ma abtin sa nu ii privesc insistent buzele arcuite.

(cotinui tu .. ca mie imi este cam somn..! .. neatza micutza mea si te sarut ca in fiecare dimineatza in care imi lipsesti atat de mult, ba chiar mai multe decat intr-o zi normala pentru ca nu vreau sa consider o zi normala, ziua in care imi este dor de tine.. ci ziua normala este atunci cand pot sa stau cu tine .. !!!:D …. )

Micutza mea iubita imi lipsesti mult, imi lipsesti si sper ca fiecare secunda in care nu suntem impreuna sa ne faca bine, si sa ne dam seama ca tinem unul la altul, si sa nu ne indeparteze!

Vroiam sa completez afirmatiile de azi de la telefon in legatura cu faptul ca ma “simt in plus”, dar cred ca va fi mai bine daca am vorbi despre lucrul asta cand ne intalnim! nu de alta dar nu vreau sa inventez un nou fel de a comunica cu tine, adica un panou urias pe langa casa ta, unde sa ma duc sa afisez tot felul de intrebari pentru tine. Bine .. nu e greu de facut si poate intr-o zi .. te vei trezi ca in loc sa vezi vreo reclama pe vreun panou o sa gasesti vreo intrebare si un doar ca sa te fac sa zambesti in ziua respectiva !!

Te ador, si mi-as dori si tu sa simti acelasi lucru…

Drake – Download – Heartbreak Drake Pt.3

Well, I personally haven’t heard Part 1 or 2, but that’s my fault I guess..anyway, I like most of these tracks, its worth a DL. remember where you copped it from! B2P up!

“We’ve been walking for hours,” I whined.
Suede grumbled, “I want a Mt. Dew!”
“And we left the wedding so fast I didn’t get any cake,” ~PK~ complained.
Elisabeth sighed. “OK, let’s take a break here.” She plopped herself on a park bench.
Faithful2thecall sat down beside her. “Do you know where we are?”
“India?” Peter suggested. “Russia? Maybe even Japan?”
Elisabeth glared at him. “We’re NOT lost, OK? I know where I’m going!”
Linz sat with her back against a tree, her map unfolded before her.
“I don’t think there’s much left to it,” said Kris. She fingered the weathered edges.
Linz nodded mournfully. “At the wedding someone spilled punch on it, so I can’t tell South America from Africa.”
“Oh, boy,” HPA mumbled.
Aunt Sam pointed. “We could ask those two girls where we are.”
HRAD stood and stopped them. “Hi, we’re, uh, kind of lost. Could you tell us where we are?”
One of the girls squinted at HRAD. “I’ve seen you somewhere…”
The other girl nodded her head. “So have I.”
HRAD shrugged. “My name’s Laura. Some people call me HRAD, though–”
The first girl froze.
“HRAD?” shrieked the other. “From the forum?!”
HRAD looked stunned.
Aunt Sam, Sparkling, and Hy exchanged glances.
“Who are you?” asked PinkQT.
The second girl giggled.
My lips spread out in a grin. “Prissy?”
She bobbed her head up and down. “I can’t believe this is happening!”
“Wow. Wow.” The first girl shook her head. “I’m Hannahbanana!”
“Incred–” ~PK~ paused. “I don’t think we’re in Australia anymore.”
A look crossed Elisabeth’s face. “How on earth did we cross the ocean?”
“Who cares?” Linz got up to give Prissy and Hannah a hug. “We just came from Alli’s wedding.”
“Oooh,” Prissy softly sighed. “I bet it was pretty.”
“What are you all doing?” questioned Hannah.
Faithful2thecall explained. “We’re traveling around looking for the other members. Care to join up with us?”
“Sure!” Prissy and Hannah said excitedly in unison.
“Who are you looking for next?” Hannah wanted to know.
PinkQT laughed. “I don’t know. The members just seem to walk right up to us!”

“Are we there yet?” Suede asked for what seemed like the 100th time.
Elisabeth swung around and glared at him. “If I hear that one more time, I’ll–I’ll–”
“You’ll what?” Suede crossed his arms.
“I’ll–”
“Guys.” Hy stepped between them. “I know you’re tired and hungry, but fighting will not solve anything. Let’s take a break and look for something to eat.”
“Why don’t we all chip in and I’ll order a pizza?” Linz suggested. She fished around in her pocket. “I’ve got a dollar-fifty.”
“Two dollars.” ~PK~ held them up.
“I’ve got a quarter.”
“Here’s three dollars.”
As Linz was counting the money I looked over my shoulder and shuddered. “This part of town gives me the creeps. It’s so dark and gloomy and dirty.”
“I know.” Sparkling rubbed her arms. “I wonder where we are…”
“OK,” Linz announced, “I’m going to call for the pizza! Is supreme OK with everyone?”
We all sat down on the curb and listened to Linz talking to the pizza place.
“Yes, three large supremes, please. Correct. And you do delivery, right? Good. I’d like it delivered to the phone booth on South Cranberry Lane.” Linz paused. “No, no. South Cranberry Lane. It’s a street, not a bowling alley.”
Hannah snickered.
“Yes. Yes, that’s right. South Cranberry Lane. There’s a phone booth right in front of an old abandoned diner. No, I don’t know what the name of the diner is–the sign’s gone.”
“Ask them to bring Mt. Dew,” hissed Suede.
Linz waved her hand at him. “I’m sorry, what? What do you mean, you can’t deliver? It’s a public place!”
Peter groaned. “Somehow I knew this would happen.”
“C’mon, please?” pleaded Linz. “I’ve got some hungry people here.” Linz paused. “Oh, thank you so much! Can you bring a Mt. Dew too? Oh, you’re all out. Yes, the phone booth at South Cranberry Lane. Thank you!”
“It’s coming?” asked Faithful.
“It’s coming!” Linz grinned.
About fifteen minutes later a pizza delivery car pulled up. A pretty girl with dark wavy hair stepped out. “Three large supremes?” she called.
“That’s us!” HPA answered.
The girl handed them to Kris. “That’ll be $30.”
Sparkling leaned over Linz’s shoulder as she counted the money into the girl’s hand. “Do we have enough, Linz?”
“Linz,” the girl repeated. “That’s a pretty name.”
“Thanks. My real name is Lindsey, but I go by Linz on the forum I’m on.”
The girl frowned. “What forum?”
“At the Feet of the King,” I said.
“You’re not!” the girl exclaimed, her eyes wide. “Are you all from the forum?”
“Yeah,” nodded Hy.
“I’m Dramaqueen–”
“727!” Prissy finished with a shriek. “I thought I recognized you!!
Dramaqueen laughed. “This is wild.”
“Do you want to come with us?” Elisabeth asked. “We’re headed for Texas.”
“I’d love to! Who lives in Texas?”
“Song and Russ and Wan–um, Hill,” I said.
“Wan Hill? I’m not familiar with that one.”
Hannah giggled, “You will be soon. Let’s go!”
Dramaqueen left her car parked at the curb–our’s was her last delivery for the night–and we walked down the street toward Texas. Or so we hoped.

“HEY! HEY!”
We turned to see a girl waving her arms and walking swiftly toward us. A young man lagged behind her.
“Who is that?” Peter muttered.
“I’m not sure,” Elisabeth answered. “Maybe she thinks she knows us….”
The girl caught up to us and flung her arms around Hannah. “Oh, Hannah! You look even better than your picture,” she laughed.
Hannah stumbled back, a stunned look on her face. “I–um–don’t think I know you.”
“Oh, sorry,” the girl apologized, brushing her blonde hair back. “I thought maybe you’d recognize me. I’m Leesbeth! Lee and I have been looking all over for you guys!”
My jaw dropped. “How on earth–?”
“You all are in the newspaper!” explained Beth. “Look…”
Lee took a folded newspaper from his back pocket and handed it to Faithful. “Read the headlines.”
Faithful cleared his throat. “‘Forum Members Trek Across US and Ocean.’ Hey, cool! They even have our names in here!”
“No way…”
“Let me see!”
We crowded around him.
Linz read outloud, “‘Among the members are BurntTire–’”
“BurntTire!” I yelped.
“‘–Linz, Elisabeth, PinkQT, His Polished Arrow, SuedeKnight, Kris, HRAD, ~PurpleKryptonite~, Vigilance009, Faithful2thecall, Aunt Sam, Sparkling4Him, PrincessHy, Prissyprincess, Hannahbanana, and Dramaqueen727. The members attended the wedding of fellow member Queenbee in Australia. They plan to end their trek in Texas.’”
“Wow,” Prissy breathed. “How did they find out about us?”
“I don’t know,” said Beth with a shrug, “but we’ve been looking for you ever since we read this. Can we come along?”
“Of course,” said PinkQT. “We’d be glad to have you.”
“Wait…” HRAD looked throughtful around her. “Does this mean… we’re in Alaska??!”
Lee nodded. “You didn’t know?”
“Awesome!” I crowed. “Let’s go see my Uncle Kenny. He’s a personal friend of Todd Palin, you know–”
Hy held up her hand. “Wait, wait. My husband will be wanting supper in a few hours, so we need to hurry.”
“Right,” said HPA. “Is Texas directly south?”
“More southeast, I think,” replied Kris.

“I think we went a little too far east,” Kris said thoughtfully as we studied what was left of Linz’s map.
Elisabeth chewed on her bottom lip. “Where’s MapQuest when you need it?”
“We could ask for directions,” suggested Prissy.
“All the lights on this street are out,” Kris said.
“Except THAT one.” Linz pointed to a house on the corner. A light shone from the big picture window by the front door.
We walked in a single-file line up to the door. PinkQT knocked.
A blonde girl peered out the window, then opened the door a crack. “Yes?”
PinkQT smiled. “We were wondering if you could give us some directions.”
“Sure.” The door opened wider. “Where to?”
“Texas,” Dramaqueen answered.
The girl’s eyebrows raised. “Texas?”
“What do they want?” a voice called from inside.
“Directions to Texas.”
“Texas?!” said another.
Two other girls appeared at the door.
“You guys wouldn’t happen to be from the forum, would you?”
“Uh, yeah,” Sparkling sputtered.
I laughed. “I guess we should know you three then?”
The girl who had answered the door grinned. “I’m Butterflychicka and these are–”
“Musicgirl!”
“Sseca!”
Musicgirl held up the newspaper that had written about us. “We were just about to go look for you!”
“I guess it was convenient of us to come to your front door,” said Thomas.
“So, can we come along?” Sseca asked.
“You bet.” PinkQT stepped back so they could join us.
“Oh, by the way,” said Butterfly as we walked back down the dark street. “I don’t know where Texas is…”

“Do you hear something?” Musicgirl cocked her head to one side.
We had stopped to rest on some stairs that led up to an old vine-covered court house. To anyone peeking out their windows, I’m sure we looked like a bunch of homeless folks stopping for the night.
Hannah rubbed her arms. “No, I didn’t.”
“Neither did I,” said ~Pk~. “What kind of sound?”
Musicgirl shrugged. “It was probably just my imagination.”
“Probably,” Hy nodded. “Wandering around in the dark like this could unnerve anybody.”
Elisabeth glared at us. “We are NOT lost!”
Hy looked up in surprise. “What did I say?”
“Wait!” Musicgirl held up her hand. “There it is again!”
We sat perfectly still for a moment. Finally Peter said, “You know, hearing noises and seeing things is nothing to be ashamed of…”
Something clanged on the pavement.
“See?” hissed Musicgirl. “Somebody’s out there.”
“I bet whoever’s out there is looking for us,” I said. “You know how Beth and Lee walked right up to us.”
“That’s right,” agreed Sseca. “Maybe we should call out and tell them we’re here.”
“Hello?” Dramaqueen called loudly. “Hello? We’re here! Here on the steps!”
“It’s us!” yelled HRAD.
Two girls appeared from the shadows. They walked hesitantly towards us.
“Hey,” Sparkling smiled. “We just thought we’d let you know that we’re here!”
“That’s… nice,” one of the girls spoke. She exchanged glances with the other. “Look, if you need a hot meal and a place to stay, there’s a shelter about a block away on Smithton Ave.”
“A shelter?” Suede echoed. “Do they have Mt. Dew?”
“Uh, probably,” nodded the second girl.
“Wait,” broke in PinkQT. “Don’t you know us?”
“Should we?” asked the first girl.
“Well, yeah! We’re from the forum,” explained Linz.
“How nice. Well, if you’ll excuse us–”
“Are you sure they have Mt. Dew?”
“Suede,” Reserved muttered.
The girls stopped. “Suede? Wait–what forum were you talking about?”
“‘What forum?’ she asks,” Suede snickered. “At the Feet of the King!”
The second girl smacked her forehead. “Of course!” She walked up the steps. “I’m sorry. We thought you guys were a bunch of, uh…”
“That’s OK,” Butterfly laughed.
The first girl introduced herself. “I’m Whit7.”
“And I’m Lily Among Thorns. You’re headed for Texas, right?”
“That’s right,” said Kris. “Are you two coming with us?”
When they said they would, we continued our journey down the street.