DOUBLE X | November 2015

november Table of Contents 1 Letter from the Editor 3 Happy Birthday, Leo! 4 Special Review: VIXX’s “Chained Up” Concept and MV 7 Starlight Poll Results: What was your favorite song off the Chained Up album?

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8 Special Review: The 2nd Album: All About the Music 10 Starlight Buzz: VIXX’s choreography

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12 NEW! VIXX Kickback 14 Member Spotlight: Hyuk It Up 16 VIXX Fashion: Get the Look

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18 Fic Feature: Fine China by wontaeks — Chapter One 22 SPECIAL! Fanartist Special 30 Serial Fic: Through A Dirty Window — Chapter Two: A Day In the Life Of

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36 Special Report: @VIXXSUPPORT: It’s a VIXX comeback! How do I support VIXX? 40 Contest information 41 Become a DOUBLE X affiliate!

41 DX open team positions information

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editor’s letter

letter from the editor V

ixx is back— and with their second full length album! The new Chained Up era has been amazing. Everything from the concept, to the music video, clothes, make up and hair has been absolutely spot-on.

Now, I have to apologize for the lateness of this issue. As the director of the zine, it should be my responsibility to make sure that I can finish the design on time; especially when it’s a special issue. I had a lot of struggles in terms of time and my own energy (I must be getting old), but since my school term ends next week, I should have plenty of time to deliver an amazing issue for December with the DOUBLE X team!

I’m actually quite excited to present this firstever special issue. This issue boasts a host of amazing special columns, one new monthly spread, a special report with the team of @VIXXSUPPORT, the start of a VIXX “get the look” series, and an absolutely AMAZING Fanartist Special. For me, the Fanartist Special is the most exciting— we were able to get some bigname fanartists to participate and contribute to the special, and we even got to interview two of our favorite participants. I really hope you’ll enjoy seeing art from some amazing K- and J-Starlight fanartists. The theme for the special was “the VIXX I’d like to see”, so please look forward to the creative interpretations!

drabbles will be featured in our December issue.

We are also launching a very special cover art contest for DX’s January issue! Again, more information can be found in the back of this issue. We hope to receive a lot of amazing submissions, so if you’d like to have your art on the cover of DX, check out this contest~ DOUBLE X also has some openings on the team!

Unfortunately, our fanartist Cha, whose art you saw in our first issue, has decided it would be best to leave the team. We wish him the best of luck and will miss him dearly! However, this does mean that we have an opening (or two!) for a new fixed fanartist for the zine. We are also looking for a new columnist to write about VIXX fanfic, be it tropes, reviews, or another amazing idea! Our columnist Sammi, who was in the hospital last month, will be taking a hiatus until February or March. This position she’s left open is yet to be decided if it is permanent or not; but it’s extremely likely that it will be a permanent position. For more information on these open positions, please look in the back of this issue!

There will also be information on other cool ways to get involved with DOUBLE X in the back of the issue.

Anyway, I really hope you’ll enjoy our first-ever special issue. A whole lot of love has gone into this installation of DOUBLE X!

I also have some announcements for the upcoming issues and some openings in the team!

For DOUBLE X’s December issue, we will be hosting a holiday and winter-themed drabble contest!

More information, including our prompts list, can be found in the back of this issue. We will also put out a Tweet with contest details. The winning

Best Wishes,

Thia

Editor-in-Chief and Director

contacts DOUBLE X

GUESTS

Twitter: @DOUBLEXVIXX ask.fm: ask.fm/doublexvixx Email: doublex.zine@gmail.com

Twitter: @ordinary_panchu

TEAM CONTACTS

Otsukariko Fanart Special

Panchu Fanart Special

@otsukare596

Thia Editor-in-Chief, Director

GAMO Fanart Special

Twitter: @kimwondick | AFF: wontaeks Kakao: huannng | Email: corinthiawarner@gmail.com

Twitter: @ga_mooo

Mel Serialist

Rose Fanart Special

Twitter: @wonshiktv | Tumblr: wontaektv | AFF: milk-tv

Twitter: @BlossomTears06

Ray Columnist

에스토 Fanart Special

Twitter: @taekwoonshik

Twitter: @XXGA_VIXX

Sammi Columnist

Twitter: @dandypop2 | Tumblr: dandypop2 Instagram: dandypop11

Khao Fanart Special

Stephanie Columnist

Twitter: @hyuktv

Yanie Columnist

PARTNERS

Twitter: @AGENT__STEPH | Tumblr: stepchanie Twitter: @vixxology | Website: yanie.net

Byulbeat Radio

Cha Fanartist

Twitter: @byulbeat | Website: byeolxbeat.wix.com/ byulbeat | Mixlr: mixlr.com/byulbeat

Twitter: @ravissnapback

Zeon Auxiliary Columnist, Assistant Editor Twitter: @hakyeons_tummy

Sam Assistant Editor

Twitter: @SAM_NNNNN

Meagan Chief Design Assistant

Please check in the back of this issue for advertisements for the following: • Becoming a DX affiliate!

• Participating in our upcoming December and January contests!

• Joining the DX team!

Questions or comments?

Please don’t hesitate to contact DOUBLE X or any team member! We would be happy to talk to you.

DOUBLE X does not own any photographs within this publication unless otherwise stated, and this publication is not-for-profit. All written, drawn and graphics materials are original and owned by their respective writers or artists. Do not plagiarize any original written content or repost original art. All other materials belong to their original sources.

DOUBLE X does not use any fantaken photographs in its publications without prior consent.

This magazine is fueled by Dr Pepper™

happy birthday, leo!

Our Leo’s 26th Birthday happy bday, leo

CHAINED UP by ray

VIXX is back, and they’re slaves to love

J

ust as we thought we were over LR... The teasers for VIXX’s group comeback started! And I don’t think any of us were expecting anything quite like Chained Up...! After all, we held a lot of high expectations for concept, being the concept idols that VIXX are; and even more so after Love Equation, since it didn’t have any big concept feeling around it like Error had. That’s why the excitement surrounding the Chained Up comeback was obvious around all the fandom, especially after the first teasers started to go around.

When I saw the first comeback picture teaser— the heart chained up— I didn’t really think that the title track and concept of the music video and comeback was going to pivot around literally being a slave to love and chains and all those other close-to-kinky things. It did remind me of Error’s heart, though, and made me wonder what kind of concept, music, MV, and general image VIXX was going to build this time.

Then, when the first group picture was released, I think the fandom quite possibly imploded. Because if there was something I wasn’t expecting at all, it was definitely

the chokers. I liked very much the completely neat, white and flawless suits as an outfit. It made not only made the chokers stand out much more, in that bright red colour, but also highlighted the different looks of the members.

The most obvious change, physically speaking, was some of the members’ hairstyles. Leo’s hair is blond again, and for someone who is rather pale, I think that particular shade of blonde suits him pretty well. His haircut hasn’t really changed a lot, but I feel like I should say thank you to VIXX’s styling team because blonde haired Leo is always a blessing. Along with him, we also have a blondhaired Hyuk. His haircut and style reminded me a little of his hair in the Rock Ur Body promotions, but he has grown up quite a lot since then

special review | 5 and his face has slimmed up and begun to show sharper features, and I think the shorter, razor-cut style fits him very well.

The rest of the members have darker hair colours. Ravi has gone back to black, and I think it fits him really nicely, especially when they style his hair parted and a little spiked. He also wears some grey contact lenses during this promotion and it just adds to the sharper style. Hongbin is also back to black, which looks very nice with his skin tone and features, but I don’t really think his hair cut is flattering, at least not with how it was styled for the promotional pictures. But, I like it when they keep his bangs down, as it frames his face naturally, and it’s shown in some parts of the video. I think it makes him look a little younger, but when it’s parted at the side like in the pictures, it makes his face proportions look uneven. I also really love the chocolate shade they picked for Ken’s hair colour, along with the undercut. It gives me the impression of a fresh cut that’s been nicely done. When he has it parted for the music video, I think it’s when he looks the best.

After the promotional pictures were released, we had to wait until November the 10th to be able to watch the music video, and to see if it lived up to all the expectations Starlights built up around it. And, well, it’s obvious that it wasn’t a disappointment!

If we compare the whole aesthetic of the video to the previous one, Love Equation— or even Error— it gives a completely different feeling. In a way, it seems to have a less dramatic weight than Error, in the way that it just has a lot of less acting scenes, and it doesn’t give the cheerful, carefree ambiance that Love Equation did.

It’s obvious that the whole music video, from the choreography, outfits, passing through the individual scenes of each member, and of course the lyrics, is focused on and built around the concept of being a “slave to love”, as well as being tied to the name of the title track and album, “Chained Up”.

At first sight, I thought that N’s hair was also simply chocolate, or light brown. It was when I looked at better and bigger pictures that I noticed the streaks of greenish…? I love them! They are very, very nice and reminded me of SHINee’s Key’s hair during Ring Ding Dong promotions. I really like random unconventionally coloured streaks of hair in natural-toned hair, and I think that out of the six of them, N looks outstandingly beautiful during these promotions!

I also like the idea, along with the pure white suits, that they seem to wear very subtle and natural make-up during the promotional pictures. They look like their face is freshly washed, and it’s probably on purpose so your focus could be directed towards their chokers, since that’s the point the whole concept seems to revolve around.

It also seems to me like there’s an idea of playing with the pure white outfits and the black ones, interlacing the scenes in which all the members are wearing the white suits or all wearing the black ones. Maybe this play on black and white, good vs. bad, or crazy vs. sane, is something which could be considered a theme for VIXX concepts? Because they used it as well for their Hyde music video, and in VIXX LR’s MV, too, even though I don’t believe those have the same feeling of bad versus good.

I said before that I love the white suits, but I think my favourite look in the entire music video is when they are wearing the black ones, along with the black and gold choker. It gives such a strong visual image when they are dancing and standing all together, and it fits really well with not only the concept, but the image of each of the members.

If there’s one thing I really like about VIXX, is how balanced their songs are, and so are their videos.

Chained Up is not an exception, and I really enjoyed watching how all of the six members have

6 | double x november 2015 not only enough lines but also equal screen time. I also believe the director of the video did an amazing job choosing the different individual locations for each of them, and it creates a good opportunity for being able to focus on each of them without missing good group shouts or dancing scenes. These separate “rooms” for each VIXX member was also slightly reminiscent of the Voodoo Doll music video, which was a fun and nostalgic feeling.

I have always been an admirer of VIXX’s dances and choreographies, and I think this one is actually really clever and it fits the theme and concept for the song perfectly. I like how certain steps and movements resemble the action of holding a leash or being pulled back by a leash.

Not to mention, the gestures and steps are added to the outfits and the chokers, so the whole idea of ‘slave’ is lingering and impossible to overlook.

Needless to say, I think one of the reasons why I find the dancing and the music video so well composed and created is because it fits so well with the music’s lyrics, but once again, this is something that VIXX seems to do pretty well in all of their comebacks! Of course the main point of the entire choreography is the step in which they are holding onto their chokers (or that irresistible body roll Leo does so well), but it’s in general very nicely done how they have tried to match the lyrics to the choreography and in general to the entire concept of the video.

I am not sure if it was the intention of the choreographer when they were working on the dance for this, but certain parts of it reminded me of the choreography of Voodoo Doll. Like the part when Hongbin is held and thrown/lifted to the back as Ravi makes an appearance from below—and also

the part when they are holding his arms— as it reminded me of what happens to Ken at the beginning of Voodoo Doll’s choreography.

Additionally, something about the colours of the whole video and the change of scenery is incredible and fluid, like everything is washed with a cool-toned filter. The industrial place when they are dancing all together, the eerie curtains of Ravi’s solo scene, the vibrant yet muted colours of Ken’s flowers, or the gold chains surrounding Leo... everything works very well in a music video that ends up looking sophisticated and edgy at equal parts.

Overall, I think the Chained Up comeback and music video is just a continuation of what VIXX has been doing as a group; yet somehow, maybe because the concept is so intense, it gives me a feeling of matureness and seriousness. Even though it’s not as dark as concepts such as Voodoo Doll or Hyde, and definitely not as cheeky and playful as Rock Ur Body or Love Equation, I think Chained Up portrays nicely the concept of being a slave of love, without seeming too cheesy, dramatic, and overdone. And it’s done with impeccable looks! It’s a very well-built music video with astounding aesthetics, balanced scenery and fluid choreography, which fits perfectly with the mood of the song, the concept and the lyrics. •

! n i e r a s

t l u s e r e What was your favorite Th

song off the “Chained Up” album?

Chained Up - 15.7%

Now We - 18.6%

Spider - 7.1%

Heaven - 10% Maze - 7.1%

Stop It Girl - 7.1%

Disheveled - 7.1%

We asked Starlights what their favorite song off the Chained Up album is, and the winner is...

Hot Enough!

Mistress and Can’t Say didn’t even chart, with a total of 0 votes for both!

Hot Enough - 27.1%

was it hot?

SLAVE TO Special review of VIXX’s Chained Up album!

I

f you haven’t realized, VIXX hasn’t promoted as six since Love Equation. Well, they’ve had busy schedules since then, and they even formed a new subunit, VIXX LR, just a few months ago. But now they’re back, stronger than ever, with their second full-length album, Chained Up! VIXX is known for their distinct concepts— something that will always give them an edge in the K-pop industry. As VIXX revealed during their comeback showcase and as was shown in their track list, it is evident enough that Ravi is the mastermind for this “slave for love” concept.

There

are two versions of the Chained Up album packaging: Control and Freedom. Both versions of the album seem to be well assembled, featuring a magnetized lid. The albums include photobooks with a member-specific section of about five pages, member-specific photocards, either a member-specific love slave contract or instructions sheet, and a little temporary tattoo in the shape of the hexagonal pendant on VIXX’s chokers.

The cover for the first version, Control, merely shows N’s neck with a red choker on the cover.

The boxing for the Control album is primarily red and dark grey, and the photobook, photocard and contract all feature the photoshoot in which the VIXX members wore the all-white suits and their black and white outfits. The Control album includes a very interesting “love contract”, which defines the relationship of a VIXX member and someone else —stating that the relationship is mutual and wanted— along with a matching thumb print and signature from a random member.

On the other hand, the Freedom album has a

random instructions insert for each member.

The Freedom version’s packaging is primarily lighter greys and gold, and features a grungy, distressed-looking gold version of the hexagon pendant on the cover. Additionally, the photobook, photocard and instructions all feature the photoshoot where VIXX wore the casual, stylish street clothes, and the photoshoot featuring the all-black version of the white deep V-neck suits.

Now, moving on to the music itself, the album

starts with “Mistress”, which has a mysterious feel to it. It sounds like a creepy synth being played, and then there’s a transition to a sound that’s like someone walking through a hallway, accompanied by the sound of clanking chains, and the song appropriately ends with a door slamming shut.

But as for “Chained Up”, the title track doesn’t give as dark a feeling as what everyone was expecting. The song has an upbeat and fast -paced tune! Singing parts were well distributed amongst the members, and I’m very satisfied with that. The main vocals’ transition parts were amazing, and Leo never fails to impress us with his high notes. Chained Up also gave a new color to VIXX, since some of the rap-like parts were distributed to Hongbin and Hyuk, as well.

Also, if you examine the lyrics of Chained Up a little more closely, it will lead you to a subtle

LOVE

by yanie

undertone of BDSM (Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadism and Masochism).

“Maze” is kind of like a continuation of Chained Up, as it expresses the feeling of running through a maze where there is no escape and all exits lead to someone’s love. The lyrics say that love is crazy, but they’re getting used to it. It actually gives more a “dance song” feeling than Chained Up. It seems like a song from the 80’s; and although it sounds like there is some autotuning and that kind of upsets me, overall it’s a very catchy song!

A ballad song comes next on the album, entitled “Stop It Girl”; it is about telling VIXX telling a girl they love to stop smiling to others and proclaiming that they’re the only right guy for her. The song is light and romantic, and the melodic rise and fall of the notes gives the listeners’ a heart fluttering feeling.

Next is the most sensual song on this album, the one so hot that it has Starlights sweating: “Hot Enough”. VIXX’ sweet voices will make you insane while listening to this song (double combo if you’re reading the lyrics along it)! If you’ve noticed the themes of the songs up til this point in the album, they are more like VIXX is on the submissive side. But Hot Enough shows that there could be equality...!

“Spider” is somewhat close-ish to the plotline of

Hot Enough, but it expresses a man’s inability to escape the clutches of a woman, because she’s a poison spider and he’s trapped in her web. It started out sounding like a scary song, but as the song flows it continued into a fast paced dance track. Personally, however, I find some of Ravi’s screaming parts to be a little out of place. “부시시” (Disheveled) has a fresh, bright feeling with the smallest dash of a country vibe. This song is about adoring a girl despite all means! It’s refreshing and sweet, and easy to sing along to.

As you all know, Ravi participated quite a bit in the production of the Chained Up album, but the next song, “Heaven”, was written, composed and arranged by him. It’s really a sweet treat for us Starlights, since the majority of Ravi’s compositions have a somewhat heavy, orchestral and angsty vibe, but Heaven is a really fun and light song! The three words spoken at the first part of the song, “Eden, Vuela, Amor”, mean delight, fly and love. Spelling out the words “angel” and “heaven” make it seem carefree and fun, too!

It was also interesting to hear from Ravi as a producer that he had the VIXX members dance and jump around while recording Heaven, so as to get a bouncy, energetic vibe in the song.

For the last set of new songs, “지금 우린” (Now We) is the most emotional song in this album.

The song expresses that they are different now, and they will have more time together to be strong. Now We is also considered to be a continuation of VIXX’s older track, Love Letter. I think that Now We will become (if not already!) the kind of VIXX song that Starlights will all cry to at concerts. It’s a very sentimental song!

Eternity and Error were also included on the album as well, much like how Voodoo Doll included many of VIXX’s older songs on the fulllength album as well. Wrapping up the album, VIXX also included the Korean version of “Can’t Say”, which was VIXX’s first original Japanese release. Can’t Say is a bubbly song despite its meaning behind a sad one sided love.

So Starlights, how did you enjoy the new full album?! It’s certainly been a treat to hear all-new VIXX songs! •

starlight buzz by stephanie

VIXX has some amazing dances! We asked Starlights what they thought about VIXX’s dance style, and here’s what they said:

O

ne of the first things that drew my attention to VIXX was definitely their dancing. However, it was more than just mere talent that I was drawn to. It was seeing how much the members enjoyed it and the effort they always put into their performances. They have style, synchronized and theatrical choreographies that are always on point. From their signature dance moves right down to their facial expressions, I believe VIXX does it the best.

“It’s amazing and I love how they tell a story with every song.” -itsmerenataa In the beginning, their choreographies consisted of more electric, cute, yet memorable dance moves. It was something that fans could enjoy and dance along to, which is what I loved best about their older title tracks.

“Their ‘Ajil-Ajil’ dance move from Super Hero is so simple but so fun to do! And Rock Ur Body hands down was the most fun watching.” -@xBehbz Over the years, VIXX’s dance style continues to evolve. Whenever they perform, it’s like magic. Magnetic. It’s always beautifully done. I think that’s what Starlights appreciate and love the most about their dancing.

“Subtly powerful, entrancing.” -Elise “They have their own way to explain the whole storyline and lyrics.” -BiniKen22 “It’s not a stitch work of different dance moves that make no connection to the song.” -@teakwoon VIXX always took risks and I’ve always liked how daring they are because there’s always that one particular dance move in every song that leaves everyone stunned.

starlight buzz | 11 “I’d say ‘Voodoo Doll’ was the most shocking or surprising because of Ken’s dramatic entrance right from the beginning.” -@xBehbz

I’ve always hoped that one day, VIXX would venture out and try something completely new and mind-blowing. But if anything, I know I can always expect them to be amazing. •

The “wiggly-wave” dance in Eternity was also a real shocker. I think that is the dance move that definitely made every fan go crazy.

“They don’t follow the trend. They do choreography that suit them as whole and the music they produce.” -@xBehbz

Do you have a favorite VIXX choreography or a story about seeing VIXX perform live?

Write to DOUBLE X about it!

VIXX, in my opinion, has created their own unique style that we don’t often see in K-pop.

They’ve always done something that suited only them. So, I wondered... what other dance styles would fans like to see in the future?

“Lyrical hip-hop or maybe contemporary.”

-mymusicblogger “More difficult and quick dances but as long as they are okay with it.”

-itsmerenataa “I would want them to keep their style the same. But it would be pretty awesome if they would incorporate a bit of breaking in there.” -xBehbz “I’d love to see something similar to Hakyeon’s ballet from the group. Very powerful and fluid and meaningful, but also very pretty.” -Elise “Irish tap dancing.” -@teakwoon

Check on the DOUBLE X Twitter for a link to our Starlight Inbox, and your letter may be published in our next issue!

!

W NE

vixx kickback NOVEMBER what was VIXX doing in previous novembers?

We’ve introduced a new segment!

Meet VIXX KICKBACK: This spread will give you a monthly rundown of what VIXX did in the years before. For example, look how busy VIXX was in November 2013! How many Starlights remember the Novembers of 2012, 2013, and 2014? Drop us a letter in our Starlight inbox if you have any special memories of these throwback events and magazine shoots.

2012 November 30th, 2012: Special performance for the Salvation Army

Anyone remember VIXX in those adorable red raincoats?

November 8, 2013: Only U digital single is released November 8, 2013: The Milky Way Showcase in Dallas

2013

November 10, 2013: The Milky Way Showcase in LA Happy 24th Birthday, Leo!

November 17, 2013: The Milky Way Finale in Seoul November 20, 2013: The music video for Voodoo Doll is released November 25, 2013: VIXX’s first full album, Voodoo Doll, is released

NOV 2012 MAGAZINES November 2012: Vogue Girl Korea

2014 November 22, 2014: VIXX Showcase in Dallas November 23, 2014: VIXX Showcase in NY NOV 2014 MAGAZINES November 2014: Ceci

(right bottom)

Director Thia’s personal favorite magazine photoshoot!

November 2014: Marie Claire (right top) November 2014: The Star (left) Who doesn’t love VIXX with tats every now and then?

AND IN 2015...?

November 10, 2015:

VIXX “Chained Up” MV and album are released

Member Spotlight by thi a

A

s many Starlights would say: “Our Hyuk is growing up!”. Hyuk grew up quite a while ago, but he’s sure been getting busier! In the past year, Hyuk has been presented with many opportunities to showcase his talents and to prove to the world that he really is all grown up.

Hyuk kicked off 2015 with “Memory”— the duet track written by Ravi and recorded by Ravi and Hyuk on the Boys’ Record album.

Memory was an amazing show of Hyuk’s talent as a vocalist. Hyuk’s voice has matured a lot since Super Hero and Rock Ur Body days, becoming stronger, steadier and more matured. His voice has a beautiful and resonant timbre! Before Memory was released on Boys’ Record, it was performed during VIXX’s Hex Sign concert in Seoul; it was incredible to hear Hyuk’s vocal abilities live, thus proving that he’s gone through some immense improvement.

Then in late spring, Starlights heard the news that Hyuk would be beginning his journey as an actor, having landed a role in a feature-length film called “Chasing” (잡아야 산다), which will be a comedy action detective film. Hyuk was cast for the role of Won Tae, a young detective— Hyuk was cast for the role because he fit the fresh, young image of Won Tae. Although Hyuk has no prior acting experience, he worked hard and received acting lessons; the producers said he was very hard-working! It’s very exciting to look forward to Hyuk’s debut on the silver screen. The recent release of the official movie poster for Chasing reveals that it is set to premier on January 7th, 2016!

Hyuk has also started as an MC, having MCed for the Incheon Kpop Concert, and SBS MTV’s The Show.

We’re all so excited to see where Hyuk will go from here; he’s so talented and hardworking that I’m sure he’ll be able to achieve anything he sets his mind to! •

Hyuk with cast of Chasing

Seoul Fashion Week, October 2015

Hyuk with fansupport for Chasing

MCing for The Show

Seoul Fashion Week, October 2015

get their cold-weather looks!

Winter is nearly upon us,

and VIXX has had increasingly stylish outfits, be it at the airport, on their way to music shows, or at press events. Many of us can’t help but lust over VIXX’s wickedly expensive looks— so here’s how to get the looks of VIXX’s cold-weather airport fashion without spending more than a few pretty pennies on each piece of clothing. This issue will feature Ravi and N!

wonshik

vixx 1

2

3 6

4 5

1. cotton sweatshirt (hm.com) 2. oversized circle arrow sunnies (2020ave.com) 3. lexie tartan check scarf (boohoo.com) 4. black one button midi wool coat (yoins.com) 5. doc martens 3eye gibson oxfords (shoemall.com) 6. light distressed boyfriend jeans (express.com)

fashion 1

1. heathered baseball jacket (forever21.com) 2. grey check oversize v-neck top (riverisland.com) 3. moto blue ripped hayden jeans (topshop.com) 4. square clutch bag with slanted zip top (asos.com) 5. nike air max 1 ultra essential sneakers (farfetch.com)

2

3

hakyeon

4 tip!

5

instantly make your outfit look cozier and smarter with the addition of fashion glasses. or, flaunt your prescription glasses! check out how vixx sports glasses:

by wontaeks

“W

fine china

onshik,”

A voice drifts into Kim Wonshik’s foggy, still-asleep mind, faint and distant. Slowly, Wonshik rolls onto his side, stretching and yawning. Crisp late autumn sunlight spills in from his bedroom’s window, and Wonshik sits up, his covers falling off his lean frame. Rubbing his eyes, Wonshik looks around his room with blurry sight. His desk is an avalanche of papers and books and miscellaneous pencils, and there’s clothing cascading out of his closet and onto the floor. It’s horrendously messy, but it’s almost always been that way. Wonshik can’t remember the color of or the last time he saw the room’s nubby carpeting. “Wonshik?” The voice says again, and there’s a light rap on Wonshik’s door.

“Yeah?” Wonshik croaks, running a hand through his dark brown hair. It’s a little painful when he blinks, sleepiness still stuck in his eyes.

“You wanted to go to that film festival thing today, right?” The voice registers in Wonshik’s mind as his roommate’s and Wonshik drags himself out of bed, kicking aside cans of spray paint, cartons of cigarettes (bad habit, Wonshik knows), and ragged sketch books to make a pathway to the door. The acrid scent of aerosol paint hangs in the air heavily, and when Wonshik opens the door, there’s a blast of fresh air that smells like just-brewed coffee. Wonshik reaches up and cinches the hood of his sweatshirt tighter around his neck.

“Morning, Hakyeon,” Wonshik mumbles, shouldering past his roommate. Hakyeon jerks his cup of coffee out of the path of Wonshik’s lumbering.

“So did you want to go?” Hakyeon follows Wonshik into the kitchen, hovering as Wonshik pours coffee into his favorite mug.

“Yeah,” Wonshik says. His voice is groggy, and he takes a sluggish gulp of the bitter coffee.

“What time is it now?”

“About eight-thirty,” Hakyeon says, climbing onto the counter to sit cross-legged.

Wonshik grunts, leaning on the edge of the sink. He glances around their bare apartment with half-open eyes, and sighs heavily. It’s his second year at art school, and while there’s little furniture in the flat, the walls are covered with his acidic and colorful pop art, some walls dripping with graffiti, others with canvases. Art is Wonshik’s greatest love, along with music and his family. It’s his escape, his safe haven.

Swaying with sleepiness, Wonshik sips at his coffee again, Hakyeon staring expectantly at him with bright eyes. Hakyeon is studying graphic design as a third year, and he moved in with Wonshik at the start of the fall term after finding Wonshik’s newspaper ad about the spare room in his apartment he was renting out.

Hakyeon is a vibrant and exuberant person, and oftentimes Wonshik wonders if Hakyeon doesn’t shit energy.

fanfic feature | 19

“So are you going?” Hakyeon asks again, wiggling around.

Wonshik nods. “Yeah.” He sets down his coffee and pushes up his sweatshirt sleeves.

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Going,”

Hakyeon shakes his head, and tosses back the rest of his coffee. “No, I’ve got a seminar,” he says, jumping down from the countertop.

“I see,” Wonshik folds his arms. “You seem excited about it, though.”

“No,” Hakyeon huffs as he shoulders Wonshik out of the way to put his cup in the sink. “I wanna make sure you go, because you’ve been excited about it all week long.”

“Have I?” Wonshik laughs, moving out of the way for Hakyeon.

Hakyeon nods, staring at Wonshik with mock seriousness. His nostrils flare and Wonshik almost can’t keep a straight face. “Have fun,” he says after thumping Wonshik playfully on the chest.

Wonshik chuckles as Hakyeon retreats into the living room, moseying back into his own room shortly after to scratch up an outfit and do something decent with his hair.

It doesn’t take Wonshik long to put himself together and soon he’s hopping down the apartment steps and onto the sidewalk of the street below. Luckily, their apartment’s location is quite decent—on the edges of campus but also close enough to all the main buildings. There’s not many people out, and the air is bitingly cold. Wonshik pulls his parka tighter about himself and yanks his beanie lower over his ears. His breath fogs in front of himself, and he sets off in the direction of the film and television campus. The walk takes about ten minutes, and Wonshik is able to listen to three and a half songs along the way.

He pulls his earbuds out when he reaches a sparse throng of people waiting to enter the film festival, winding up the cord and zipping his MP3 into his backpack. Peering over the tops of people’s heads, Wonshik can see nearby the table where admission stamps and event brochures are administered. Wonshik reaches the table within a minute or so, and he’s handed a brochure with the festival’s schedule and his hand is stamped with a small blue star.

He enters the main building of the film school and dives into the growing crowd of people, looking at the schedule of student-made films showing in the lecture hall. There’s a particular feel to independent cinema and it hangs thickly in the air like dense golden sunlight, swirling and

dancing with the dust motes. The first film on the schedule for the lecture hall closest to Wonshik is playing at nine thirty, a short documentary-style film following the character of a man in love with a woman who doesn’t feel the same.

Wonshik pulls open the door to the lecture hall and enters the already dark classroom-turned-theater, and takes a seat in the middle bank of auditorium seats, at the edge of the aisle on the left. He struggles with the seat before finally flopping down, setting his backpack between his feet and rolling up the pamphlet in his hand. At the front of the room, a small team of students fuss with a laptop, setting up the film.

Slouching, Wonshik spaces out, drumming mindlessly on the arms of his seat until he hears the movie begin to play, looking up at the white-on-black opening credits as a light piano soundtrack plays. The film pulls Wonshik in for the first half, but soon his eyes begin to wander.

The lecture hall is only a quarter of the way full, Wonshik notices, and the largest concentration of students is on the right side of the hall. There’s only one other person on the far left side with Wonshik, sitting a few rows ahead and across the aisle. Wonshik’s eyes fall on the young man, illuminated dimly by the light from the screen.

Immediately, Wonshik can’t tear his eyes away.

He’s a student, Wonshik guesses, judging by the book bag at his feet and the tiredness about him. The student sits with long pale fingers splayed on his knees, elegant and ghostly, and Wonshik blinks with intrigue.

Wonshik takes in all he can of the other’s back, from the oversized black parka to his backlit profile. He’s very beautiful, Wonshik thinks, with his straight nose and poised small mouth. His angular eyes are guarded, holding back secrets and masking emotions. Wonshik leans forward to look as closely at the man’s cagey eyes as he can, wondering what exactly they might be hiding. For a sudden moment Wonshik gets a strange feeling that the young man knows he’s staring, and he tears his gaze away and fidgets in his seat.

Wonshik tries to look at everything but the other student for the remainder of the film, having lost interest in the story. He doesn’t even notice the movie until the ending credits begin to roll, the same white-on-black lettering, another soft piano song—this time, a gentle voice sings, too. Wonshik can’t quite hear, but it sounds as though there are two voices. One recorded, one

20 | double x november 2015 live, and it’s captivating, creeping out over the mostly empty audience with tender emotion.

Wonshik’s gaze is drawn back to the pretty and mysterious student when an abrupt movement flashes in the corner of his eye. Wonshik looks away from the name of the soundtrack composer on the screen to look at the young man several aisles ahead, and suddenly something clicks in his mind. The only time the student moved was when the composer’s name appeared on the screen, and the quiet singing had seemed to be coming from his direction.

Wonshik remembered the name that he saw: Jung Taekwoon.

Uncannily, Taekwoon shifts in his seat when Wonshik makes the connection, sending a shiver riveting up Wonshik’s spine. In a daze, Wonshik stuffs his program into his backpack and stands up in synch with Jung Taekwoon, who gracefully slings his own bag over his shoulder. Taekwoon steps out into the aisle and turns to make his exit.

“Jung Taekwoon?” Wonshik ventures, voice weak, gripped with nervousness.

Taekwoon stops walking in front of Wonshik, but keeps those guarded eyes trained steadily on the floor.

“Are you Jung Taekwoon?”

Wonshik takes the lack of a reply as “yes”.

“You wrote that… the s-soundtrack.”

Wonshik points awkwardly at the screen, embarrassed at the stutter in his deep voice.

Wonshik waits for Taekwoon to glance in acknowledgment at him, but Taekwoon’s broad, slouching shoulders don’t even twitch. The black puffy jacket Taekwoon’s wrapped in makes him seem giant—he’s the same height as Wonshik, and definitely wider in shoulder. “It was good. I-I liked it.”

Wonshik freezes when Taekwoon blinks and slips a glance at him. “Thank you,” Taekwoon says, and the breath leaves Wonshik’s lungs.

Taekwoon’s voice is purely ethereal, soft and delicate and surprisingly lofty, Wonshik thinks, for his stature. Taekwoon gives a short and awkward nod, and strides off, shoving his longs hands into the pockets of his parka.

Wonshik stares after, mouth agape and breath shallow. He’s not sure what it is, but something about that Jung Taekwoon is painfully intriguing. Maybe it’s the voice. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of voice, frame and body language.

Weakly, Wonshik grabs the strap of his backpack and shoulders it on, the lecture hall’s lights flickering on and momentarily blinding him.

Wonshik blinks and drifts out into the hallway again, unconsciously scanning the crowd for

Taekwoon.

Until lunch time he drifts through the crowds, looking at this display and that display.

He doesn’t see another film; he’s too entranced by the soft voice of Jung Taekwoon. He wants to hear Taekwoon sing again. He wants Taekwoon to glance at him again. Wonshik stops in front of a tri-fold poster board display. He looks at it passively, without registering any of what it says, his hands clenched into fists and stuffed deep in his jeans’ pockets.

He glances up lazily when he hears a rustle behind the folding table of displays, but immediately returns his focus (or lack thereof) to the poster board. It’s a presentation about music composition for soundtracks, discussing the aspects behind composing a piece to accompany a visual. It’s moderately interesting, but Wonshik wouldn’t want to study the subject any further.

“I… can answer questions,” a feathery voice says, almost too quietly.

Wonshik lifts his eyes again.

Jung Taekwoon stands behind the display table, eyes fixated on the concrete floor. He’s not wearing his parka now; only a wide-necked cottony blue knit sweater.

“I don’t have any,” Wonshik mumbles, reaching up to fuss with his dark hair with one hand.

Taekwoon doesn’t budge. He looks paralyzed and almost fearful, and Wonshik wonders if it’s because of the crowds. Unconsciously, he takes a step backwards, and then another, and another, and before Wonshik can stop himself, he’s walking away, the image of Taekwoon’s porcelain face imprinted in his mind.

Wonshik isn’t aware of what he’s doing until his hand is on the doorknob of his apartment’s front door and he’s stepping inside and setting his bag down at the threshold.

“You’re back early,” Hakyeon chirps from the couch, laptop balancing precariously on his knees. He’s nested in a mess of papers and gridded notebooks, and there’s a bag of chips on the floor. “Was it fun?” Hakyeon asks, typing slowly and awkwardly with his pointer fingers.

He looks up from his computer screen at Wonshik, and his typing stops. “You okay?”

Wonshik stands in the middle of the living room, shock still. “Yeah,” he says, and suddenly snaps out of it, Jung Taekwoon’s face shattering in his mind. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He clears his throat and pulls off his beanie, mussing up his hair to eliminate hat-head. “I just… met someone, is all.” An awkward smile tugs at his lips before disappearing.

fanfic feature | 21

Hakyeon whistles and wiggles his eyebrows. “Finally met a lady friend?”

“No,” Wonshik huffs, flopping into the only arm chair in their living room, pushing aside a falling-apart French art anthology.

“Oh.” Suddenly Hakyeon’s face turns dark.

“So you’re like that.”

Wonshik shakes his head frantically and waves off the comment. “No, no! I’m not like that, I just…” Wonshik trails off. “Have you ever just wanted really badly to be friends with someone?”

Taekwoon’s face drifts into Wonshik’s mind again, with its high pale cheek bones and downcast eyes. Wonshik rubs a hand over his face.

Hakyeon thinks hard for a moment. “No,” he says after a moment with an oddly playful frown.

Wonshik sighs and stares at the ceiling.

“I’m gonna paint,” he says after a while, pulling himself upright and shuffling into his room. He shuts the door behind himself and his nose fills again with the chemical scent of art supplies.

Stumbling over things on the ground, Wonshik reaches for his window and slides it open, allowing for the cool fresh air outside to drift in.

He makes a space for himself on the floor and finds a box of cigarettes, putting one on his lip and rummaging for the lighter in his pocket. His lungs fill with the smoke and a warmth draws over him.

Humming low, Wonshik pulls close his box of acrylic paints and a mid-size gesso board, picking up a handful of paintbrushes from a mason jar. He selects one and squeezes a glob of paint directly onto the board, dragging the paintbrush delicately through the color. Wonshik knows he shouldn’t paint without water, but he doesn’t care.

Wonshik smiles when the comforting sense of peace that comes when he creates art washes over him, and he takes a long draw on his cigarette. Absorbed in his creation and floating in a smoky haze, Wonshik doesn’t realize the face forming on his canvas in shades of cotton cerulean blue, white and neon colors. He stubs out his cigarette when he’s half-way done and continues to work.

Finished, Wonshik sits back with a sigh and stares at the painting in his lap. “Jung Taekwoon,” he whispers, rubbing his now-aching forehead. He sets the painting aside, the soft piano music from the film stuck in his head, along with Taekwoon’s fine china voice.

“Who’s that?”

Wonshik jumps, gasping and laying a bony hand over his heart. Hakyeon leans on the doorframe to Wonshik’s room, munching on a handful of chips, his nose scrunched up. “You scared me,”

Wonshik croaks, his heart thundering.

“That the guy you met today?” Hakyeon presses. Wonshik exhales heavily. “No wonder you’re so affected, he’s gorgeous.” Hakyeon crunches noisily on a chip. “What’s his name?”

Wonshik sets down the paintbrush in his hand. “Jung Taekwoon,” he answers automatically before he stops himself and whips his head up.

“Wait. Why are you asking me this, huh?”

Hakyeon shrugs. “Dunno. Just curious.” He steps into Wonshik’s room to get a closer look at Wonshik’s new painting, coughing when he passes into the standing cloud of cigarette smoke.

“Yah, stop smoking in the flat,” Hakyeon wheezes, trying to wave the smoke out the open window.

“Is smoking even allowed here?” Hakyeon stoops low to look at the painting.

Wonshik scratches at his temple. “Not sure,” he mumbles.

“Wow,” Hakyeon says after a moment of ignoring Wonshik. “You’ve got good taste, man.

Good luck!” Hakyeon gives a thumbs-up and picks his way back to the door, coughing into his fist from the cigarette smoke. “Sheesh, the air in here…” Hakyeon mutters.

“Good luck with what?” Wonshik calls after, standing up as Hakyeon steps half into the hallway. “I told you I don’t swing that way.”

Hakyeon turns around at the doorway.

“Wonshik,” he says, face a little frustrated, “The color of your face is a little… telling, you know.”

Hakyeon points at Wonshik’s face, and Wonshik claps both hands over his warm cheeks.

“Don’t tease me,” Wonshik says, covering his embarrassment with a low, joking voice.

“Fighting!” Hakyeon chimes in a patronizing tone, pumping a fist in the air.

Wonshik can feel the heat in his face fluctuate as Hakyeon leaves. “It’s not like that,” Wonshik says quietly to himself, letting his hands fall away from his cheeks. He sighs, looking at the painting of the student Jung Taekwoon at his feet. It’s a mess of sickly bright colors, entirely unbefitting of the pastel-voiced Taekwoon. Slowly, Wonshik crouches before the still-wet painting and slaps his palm right into its center, cheap latex acrylic oozing between his fingers. Decisively, Wonshik wipes away half his creation. •

– To read more of Fine China, visit: asianfanfics.com/story/view/408914 Fine China has a sequel! Check out Polaroid by wontaeks after reading Fine China~

double x’s first-ever

FANARTIST SPECIAL interview questions by zeon interview jp & kr translations by thia

meet the special guests Name: Panchu Twitter: @ordinary_panchu Name: Saebyeoknyeok (Sudor) Twitter: @sudor2510 Name: Otsukariko Twitter: @otsukare596 Name: GAMO Twitter: @ga_mooo Name: Eseuto Twitter: @XXGA_VIXX Name: Rose Twitter: @BlossomTears06

T

he DOUBLE X team asked over fifty of our favorite fanartists from around the world to participate in this special— of the respondees, we were thrilled to see the names of some of our absolute favorites come through. We’re sure you’ve heard of them too, and love their work just as much as we do!

The idea to host a fanart special was born out of seeing so many creative and innovative artworks coming from global Starlight artists.

So we asked our invitees to draw “The VIXX I’d like to see”— each artist interpreted that in their own unique way! Either as a side of VIXX they miss, a current VIXX they want to see, or a completely new concept they’d like to see VIXX try out!

We also asked a couple of our guest artists to answer some small interview questions; take a look at the following interviews to learn more about global fanartists in our Starlight community. Check out our short interviews with fanartists Panchu and Saebyeoknyeok (also known as “Sudor” among many i-fans) on the next page!

The DOUBLE X team thanks all the artists who participated! Even in the face of language barriers, thank you for participating~

fanartist special | 23

Interview with Panchu

Interview with Saebyeoknyeok

Q: Can you introduce yourself~?

Q: Can you introduce yourself~?

A: I’m Panchu. I post art on Twitter and the like.

Saying stuff like “leoleoleoleo”, I’m a human who really likes Leo. Because I also like Ravi, I see LR in a favorable light, too.

A: Hello I am VIXX fanartist Saebyeoknyeok!

Suddenly I become awkward trying to do a selfintroduction... I’m an ultra N-loving Starlight.

Q: How did you become interested in VIXX? A: I learned of VIXX’s existence from a friend... my genuine interest began during Voodoo Doll.

I was charmed that Leo’s inside contradicts his outer appearance, it seemed really cute. I wanted to draw it. Because I like to draw.

Q: How did you begin drawing VIXX fanart?

A: I started posting scribbles/doodles on Twitter.

Q: How would you describe your art style?

A: Basically, I draw everything digitally in Paint Tool SAI, then I process it in Photoshop and add letters and text.

Q: What kind of advice would you give to new or other fanartists?

A: I don’t really know what advice, but... I think a picture you’ve drawn enjoyably is the best picture you can draw... I think if you draw a picture that you like and that expresses comfortably, then I think you’ll naturally draw a good picture.

Q: Among the things you’ve drawn, do you have a favorite piece?

A: I like the first Ken I drew. Because Ken is easy to draw... There’s no picture I’ve drawn of Leo that I like. (laughs) Q: Any other comments?

A: I’m grateful for being given a place like this, and thank you for looking until here!

Q: How did you become interested in VIXX? A: My eonni showed me the Voodoo Doll MV, saying that it fit my taste, and that was the beginning mm) Q: How did you begin drawing VIXX fanart?

A: I was originally a painting major, so naturally I was going to create art ㅎㅇㅎ) Q: How would you describe your art style?

A: Well..... If I’m to just pinpoint something to tell you, the things I want to emphasize are the color blue, outer space, and stars! If you look at my pictures you can see that because I like those three things, I put them in my art a lot ㅎ_ㅎ) Q: What kind of advice would you give to new or other fanartists?

A: When drawing Cha Hakyeon, if you want to be ambiguous, try lengthening his neck (...)

Q: Among the things you’ve drawn, do you have a favorite piece?

A: Among the pictures I’ve drawn... Recently the one I like best is the 3 year anniversary picture I drew for VIXX! It had been a while since I drew a picture of 6VIXX... I think it’s more special since it appeared as the header on the fancafe.

Q: Any other comments?

A: I want to ask other fanartists the points you care about when you draw VIXX! I’m curious.

panchu

saebyeoknyeok

otsukariko gyamo

khao

GAMO

E S E U TO

r

o

s

e

by me l

Through A

Want to read more of Mel’s work? Check out her writing blog and AFF!

homoerovixx.tumblr.com | milk-tv on AFF

Dirty Window

Chapter 2: A Day in the Life Of

The first thing that registers in Hongbin’s brain is yelling. For some reason, most mornings, it’s always yelling. He doesn’t know if it’s at him or maybe one of the other kids in the house, but its always yelling.

It used to be unpleasant and awful, but this last year and a half, he’s gotten used to it— he kinda has to, since he lives here.

He smacks his lips a few times, sleepiness coating his mouth and drying his throat, and reaches around for the bottle on his nightstand. Rolling over, he pops the cap and takes a swig, blinking away sleep and glancing to the other bed across the small room. Empty.

What time is it... How much time did he have to get ready for school?

A banging on the door made him jump and almost spill his bottle. He narrowed his eyes at the door, trying to get a grip again.

“Fifteen minutes!” told the voice of his foster mom.

Hongbin yelped, closing the bottle and clambering out of bed. He glared one more time at the empty bed and wished he would’ve at least been woken up.

He wobbles his way out of the room, down the hall, and to one of the four-bedroom house’s two bathrooms. He knocks on the door and a hum lets him in. Hyeri is there brushing her teeth.

She scrunches her nose at him, reaching for his

toothbrush.

“Why didn’t anyone wake me up too,” he complains, trying to smooth down his bedhead.

“We’re not your babysitters.” she jokes around a mouth of foam.

He grunts, getting to work on his own teeth. Hyeri bops him on the head on the way out, giggles following her down the hall. Next time he’s up before anyone else, guess what, he’s not waking any of them. He scowls into the mirror.

By the time Hongbin’s made it down the stairs, the yelling has stopped. Hyeri is giggling some more, hovering over a book with Yeri and Sehun is petulantly sitting next to them, glasses on the edge of his nose. They must’ve taken it from him, but Hongbin can’t find it in himself to care right then. He probably should, being one of the oldest in the house.

He slides past them instead, reaching for the cereal box and milk.

“You two, that’s enough.” The voice that woke him up is now calmer, but more tired and strained, like it’s holding back. It usually is, Hongbin thinks, but he can’t comment on it because it’ll start on him too.

He looks over his shoulder and there’s their foster mom, sinewy hair pulled into a loose ponytail with wisps out, pulled probably from stress.

He waves at her once and she nods at him as he continues pouring his bowl. Hyeri goes strangely

serial fic | 31 silent (thankfully) but he doesn’t care about that.

At least Sehun isn’t brooding anymore.

“If none of you hurry up, you’re going to be late.” she says, putting dishes in the sink.

A chorus of Yes, moms fills the kitchen and Hongbin begins scarfing down his cereal.

Why didn’t anyone wake him up earlier? He scowls into his bowl as the table empties.

He’s out the door with the others not too long after, hanging on to Hyeri’s backback so he can look at his phone without running into anything. He has five messages from Jaehwan and a missed call from Hyuk. He decides to look at the messages first.

Jaehwan’s warning him he’ll be late and also begging him to clear attendance because he really needs it because auntie will strangle me if not and im just really busy today and I will be there swear it but you haVE TO FILL IN FOR ME PLEASE BIN MY FAVORITE BIN MY ONLY BIN

Oh my god. is all Hongbin thinks to himself, rolling his eyes. He decides to call Jaehwan.

“Did you not get my messages?!” Jaehwan sounds frantic and Hongbin wonders what it is this time. “I’m kinda—OW!—b-busy, right now!”

There are things being thrown and crashing in the background.

“What are you doing?” Hongbin asks, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“J-Just some, y’know like, spring cleaning!” he replies, and something heavy hits the ground. “Fuck! Okay, Binnie, I really gotta go—just please-please fill in for me!”

Before he can answer, the line goes dead.

He rolls his eyes again. That dope...

He’s gonna fill for him anyway, but still.

Where Hongbin is almost already at school, Jaehwan’s not even out of his pajamas yet. It’s just that the worst thing is happening! He can’t find his auntie’s bag! Holy shit, if he doesn’t find that thing, he’s going to get his ass whooped so bad he won’t be able to walk for a month.

She didn’t know he had it or ever took it in the first place. In his defense, she had several and he thought he could get away with it, but with her telling him last night that it was just her favorite and that she might use it today—”Fuck!” he exclaims as a basketball falls on his head— he just really needed to find it or she was going to kill him.

Okay, the only reason he had it was because they used an older-looking lady to nab some things for them the other day... It was apart of a genius disguise thought up by yours

truly, and everything went smooth!... Until he came home and put it down somewhere in his somewhere in his danger zone of a room, and suddenly bam—it was gone.

“Why me,” he complained, tossing his phone onto the bed.

He thought about waiting until after school to try and find it, but no. He knew that if his auntie spent more than five minutes having to look for it, she would suspect something and then he would really get it. He dove under his bed to look around—Dammit, nothing.

Movement in the other part of the small house tells him that she’s awake, just barely anyway. He still has a little time because she’s such a zombie before having her coffee.

He shoves everything back where it probably came from and yanks some clothes out from the closet, still looking everywhere he can for that stupid bag. He begins to wonder if these mini-heists are worth his precious butt’s life.

“Jaehwan,” his auntie tiredly singsongs, but she’s just letting him know she’s awake instead of actually calling for him.

“Good morning!” he calls back, ripping off all his clothes and trying to shove his limbs into the right ones of his school clothes.

“Baby, aren’t you going to be late like this?”

“No, no!” he laughs, trying not to sound nervous. “I’ll be fine, I told Hongbin to cover for me for a sec, I won’t be late, I promise!”

She laughs tiredly. “That’s my good boy.”

Jaehwan stops for a moment and lets that soak in. Even though he’s in panic mode at the moment, that sort of thing feels good to him.

Auntie feels good to him... She’s such a good woman.

But she wasn’t gonna be if he didn’t find that stupid bag!

His socks end up mismatching and his shoes get put on the wrong feet, and it’s hectic and all over the place until he leaves his room.

Suddenly, he needs to play it off real smooth so that she doesn’t suspect anything.

Casually as he can, he looks around the house, trying to think of every place he could have left the bag. The only thought he had though was that he lost it. Game over, man. Tell Wonshik to find a new writing partner and tell Taekwoon-hyung to find someone else to pick on... I can’t believe I lead such a short life.

“Are you alright, sweetie?” His auntie asks him as he trudges into the kitchen. He’s halfaccepted his fate right now... He really has lead a good life: good friends, good snacks, semi-good

32 | double x november 2015 grades...

He sighs dismally. “Yeah, I guess,” he replies with slumped shoulders.

She frowns at him, walking around the table to both ruffle and smooth out his bedhead he didn’t even bother with. “Aww, no you’re not.

Tell me what’s bothering you.”

He bites his lips, wondering if he should bring on his own demise or if it could at least wait until after school. She did teach him a little better than that though. He should remember to tell her all that before she kills him for losing her bag.

“Don’t be shy, I don’t want you going to school in a bad mood.” she insists, finally styling his hair the way she likes it.

He lays his chin on the table, watching her take a seat and look at him with the utmost care. He should never steal again.

“Do you...” he begins slowly, “remember that one bag you told me about? The purse you said you really, really liked?”

She raises an eyebrow, clearly wondering how his awful mood could have anything to do with it. “Yes?” she replied just as slowly.

He pouted down at the table, hoping his cute looks might lessen his punishment a little.

“W-Well I—I...” She furrowed her brow and he can just feel it coming, Death. “I think I m-might have... l-lost it...”

Quiet.

His heart begins pounding in his ears.

She stares him down.

“...Excuse me?”

Time to die. It’s been a good one guys, see you next time.

“I’ve learned not to be worried when Jaehwan-hyung doesn’t pick up his phone.” Hyuk tries to reassure Hakyeon around a mouth of food. “Dude, you’ve seen his room... If you drop something in there, it’s gone for good.”

Hakyeon frowns at his phone, his recent calls list. It’s already the middle of the day and Jaehwan still hasn’t shown up for school. It’d be a normal thing, but Jaehwan usually texts or something; he knows how Hakyeon worries.

Setting his phone on the table in defeat, he steals a piece of fruit from Hyuk’s tray, to his dismay. “C’mon hyung, our lunch money is always spread thin as it is—I’m a growing boy!”

He reaches across the table, trying to grab it before it goes into Hakyeon’s mouth, but fails.

Hakyeon laughs, but then raises an eyebrow at how Hyuk winces.

“Are you alright?” He suddenly asks, going

from Jaehwan-mode to Hyuk-mode.

Hyuk blinks at him, confused. “...Yes?”

Hakyeon furrows his brow, chewing thoughtfully on the fruit. He shrugs then and Hyuk goes back to eating.

“Ah, I’m so tired . . .” Hakyeon lays his head down next to his phone, expecting a phone call, a message, anything from Jaehwan.

He didn’t know why he was so tired today; he’d gotten plenty of sleep last night, didn’t stay up that late on homework and there wasn’t any frantic, threatening screaming to wake him up too early. He had a good breakfast, which was strange, because he barely wanted to stay in the house long enough in the mornings to eat, and even got to class on time.

“It’s ‘cuz you’re old.” Hyuk snickers.

Hakyeon glares up at him, bopping the side of his head. “Hey, watch it brat. I’ll take all your food and then you’ll be a shortie forever and I won’t care.”

Hyuk rolls his eyes, fixing his hair. “Yes, mom.”

Hakyeon lays his head back on the table, closing his eyes. Ugh, I hope Yoona and Jackson have sorted out whatever that thing was... If the morning was peaceful, he’d really like if if he came home to a peaceful afternoon too.

“Hey Hyukie,” Hakyeon begins, straining to move his jaw against the table. Hyuk makes a sound of ascent around more food. He really never stops eating, does he? “How many other kids live with you and Hongbin?”

Hyuk makes a thoughtful noise. “It changes... Doesn’t it change for you?”

“Yeah, but I never really pay attention.

They all start getting real, like, defensive and stuff because of the house mom.” He snorts at the term because that woman never acts like a real mother.

“I think there’s like eight of us?” Hyuk answers. He starts mumbling names to himself, trying to remember everyone, but Hakyeon just waves his hand.

“I was just asking. I feel like they shove so many of us together under one roof, you know?”

He sighs.

He picks his head up when Hyuk doesn’t reply and looks at him and his stony face. Oh, I didn’t mean to—

Hakyeon puts on a smile, pinching Hyuk’s cheek. “Hey, but you know I’m the most special in myyy house,” he singsongs, and there’s that smile on Hyuk’s face. Much better.

“Hyung,” he laughs and whines, trying to get Hakyeon’s hands off him.

serial fic | 33 It’s only later that Hakyeon realizes he probably shouldn’t talk to Sanghyuk about any sort of thing like that. He’s the oldest, and he shouldn’t try and pronounce their situations... He should make them easier, for all of them.

Ah, sometimes he just can’t help it. He gets stressed with his foster siblings and their “caretaker” most of all, who starts screaming at the drop of a hat and blames everyone but herself when they start acting out. It’s him and Boa who always take the reins for the others when it starts becoming too much, but... They’re getting older soon.

He shares a room with Minhyuk, but that kid’s almost never home—not that he blames him (he wishes he could stay out all the time too, but he has things to do so it can be better.)

The room is practically his own since Minhyuk spends all his time with his little—What did he call them? Blockbusters or something?—gang-y friends.

The house is still pretty quiet aside from Boa’s singing down the hallway. He wishes it would stay this peaceful all the time.

He looks from his notes to his corkboard of photos with his friends and spies one in particular. Wonshik is jumped on his back, arm slung tightly around Jaehwan, whose fingers are in Hongbin’s hair, whose arms are linked with Hyuk’s, and Taekwoon is under them all (they fell on him right after that and he didn’t buy them anything for two weeks.)

For them, he thinks, and then goes back to studying his notes.

Okay, seriously man, I keep quiet for them, can’t they do that for me?

Wonshik groans in frustration as he drops his head on the desk and flicks off his lamp. There’s just no escape, and none of the others can hang out today because somehow, dammit, they’re all busy with school and other shit. And then, he just has to be a nice guy and let Gongchan borrow his headphones because they all live in this house, they’re all paying rent, and they gotta stick together.

But when the stupid walls are thin as paper and Taemin is banging god knows who, it’s every man for himself. Gongchan doesn’t wanna give him his damn headphones back, and unlucky for him, Taemin’s room just happens to be next to his. He doesn’t know who the other dude—girl—person, is. He just wishes they would be more quiet.

He snatches up his phone from his bed and looks for any missed messages, any saving

reasons that would get him out of the house, but there’s nothing. No one’s gonna save him from Taemin’s bitchy high-pitched moans and goddammit, he’s gonna dream about them tonight, isn’t he?

Wonshik groans again as the bed in the other room hits the wall and dust falls from the ceiling. That’s it man, I gotta get the hell outta here...

He snatches up his jacket and shoves his phone in his pocket, leaving his room and trying his best to ignore the moans. Taemin’s lucky he doesn’t get Yongguk to just call the police on his ass so they’ll at least stop or something.

His phone vibrates in his pocket when he reaches the kitchen door. It’s Jaehwan.

hey so, u rmbr my aunt’s bag right? like the one we used when we did that thing at the place that one time

Wonshik blinks at the message, trying to remember that one thing at the place that one time, but there are too many times like that. He’s still not out of the house and whoever Taemin is fucking is just as loud as he is. He reaches into the fridge for a bottle of soda before replying.

u have to be more specific than that dude we did a lot of things in places I dnt remember

He can already hear Jaehwan groaning and wonders if this message has anything to do with why he wasn’t at school today. Hakyeonhyung wouldn’t stop worrying about him and he almost got Wonshik worrying too.

ok well we did this thing and we used this lady and i used 1 of my aunt’s fav purses but then i LOST it so now i have to buy her.... …. .. another 1.. .. .

The only thing he can think to ask then is How much will it cost? He knew Jaehwan’s aunt and how she sorta had extravagant tastes (he could sympathize with that) but if all six of them were in on it and Jaehwan just so happened to... sell them out, that means all six of them are responsible for getting her a new one.

“Taemin, will you keep it the fuck down?!”

Wonshik was just about to leave when he sees Yongguk walk into the kitchen, hair a mess, covered in grime and something questionable staining his clothes. Wonshik doesn’t ask, but they look at each other and share sympathy because damn, Taemin, their housemate for god knew how long, was a real screamer.

“Don’t ask me hyung, I feel like crap because I gave Channie my headphones...”

Wonshik mourns, heading for the door again.

Yongguk ruffles his hair as if to call him a good kid for it, and then trudges out of the

34 | double x november 2015 room. Wonshik escapes.

The air outside is crisp and fresh. It’s nice when it’s like this at night, especially when funny smells start making the apartment too suffocating to stay in. The sky is almost clear for once, the usual smog settling down because a lot of the factories are closed for the night or running on lowest power to still make a buck.

Wonshik pulls his jacket tighter around himself, taking another sip of soda and sighing.

It feels much better to be here when there’s no one having sex or smoking or drinking around him... This is kinda what he wants all the time; not just for him, but for Hakyeon-hyung, Taekwoon-hyung, Jaehwan, Hongbin, and Hyuk too. He feels like they all deserve this, all the time.

Ah man, he thinks to himself, gotta keep going...

He pulls out a small and tattered notebook, a present from Taekwoon-hyung a long, long time ago, and then a pencil too. He’s got a new idea for a piece him and Jaehwan can do.

Maybe this one can keep them going...

And speaking of going, Taekwoon regrets not going to the grocery store that day. He knew when he woke up, something was amiss; he always had a sixth sense for whenever their refrigerator was running low on food, and he usually told his dad so that they could keep it full as possible, but with five hungry teenagers coming over all the time...

He sighed as he stirred the frying vegetables in the pan. His dad knew they were always coming over to eat, and sometimes he would say rude things about them that Taekwoon could never rebuttal—it was better to let it slide. At least his dad never acted on that small irritation though, and Taekwoon wanted to think that maybe it was out of sympathy for all their home situations.

That was probably such a lie, but Taekwoon preferred getting through the day with a clear mind.

Occupying his body with flipping meat, he begins thinking about the others and what they might be doing. He wonders if Jaehwan’s aunt has put him six feet under yet because yes, he did hear about the missing purse (the one they all—apparently—had a hand in using and losing,) Hakyeon wouldn’t stop crying to him about it and how It’s all my fault, Taekwoonie, I should have said no about the purse! Hakyeon did that though; tried to blame everything on himself instead of letting others be at fault for it.

Taekwoon is sure Jaehwan is just fine.

If they have to, they’ll find a way to buy his aunt five new purses. One for every dummy Jaehwan was friends with, and Jaehwan? They’ll find a way to stuff him inside them as an apology gift to her. He smiles to himself. They have fun.

A familiar engine sputtering on the ground alerts him that his dad is home. He inhales slowly to calm his heart. He quickly pulls bowls from the cupboards (such as they are) and utensils from the drawers. Thankfully he has this certain part of the day down; plates on the table before he walks in, food ready to serve by the time he’s changed out of his dirty work clothes.

Taekwoon... wouldn’t say that his dad was a bad person. It was only that things between them became marginally more difficult after his mother died and one of his sisters eloped with a secret boyfriend. He understood that there wasn’t much of an outlet for the negative feelings stirring in his father, and while most of it dissipated while he was at work (he was thankful his dad’s job was physically demanding,) the rest of it was brought from the bottom of a bottle. Some of it landed on Taekwoon himself.

It’s just how things were, he supposed, and he was grateful it was no worse than it was, and probably never would be. He didn’t need to add another routine to his life; he needed more time for his friends.

The front door opens just as the beeper to the rice cooker goes off and his dad grunts in approval. Tonight will be a good night. He’s sure they’ll figure out some way to replace Jaehwan’s aunt’s purse.

As his dad walks across the apartment to the bathroom for washing up, Taekwoon chuckles to himself. Maybe they can just steal another one; it’s worked for them before.

Dinner is quiet. His dad only grunts a few questions asking about school and strangely enough, his friends. Somehow, Taekwoon feels like the second part of that is some sort of bad omen—because whenever his dad is talking about his friends, he’s never saying nice things.

“They’re fine.” he replies, eating carefully and trying to gauge his reaction.

His dad hums, continuing to eat.

There’s suddenly a very bad feeling festering in the pit of Taekwoon’s stomach and he hopes it’s only unwarranted paranoia.

When he begins washing dishes that night, he cuts himself on a duller knife and then manages to break a small plate. His dad yells at him for it, understandably, but he’s too busy eying the small wound to seriously be affected.

It’s probably nothing.

serial fic | 35

It’s nothing that bad...

Sanghyuk locked himself in the bathroom, still struggling with trying to keep a straight face while he even moves. He’d kept up a pretty good front all day if he said so himself, and the only time he slipped up was at lunch, with Hakyeon.

It wouldn’t happen again—he could already hear Hakyeon-hyung panicking, asking all the questions (probably the wrong ones, but Hakyeon always jumped too much when he was scared.)

He turned on the shower, not looking at himself in the mirror again. His foster mom told him to hurry up because the hot water was going to run out soon. He was surprised it hadn’t already since everyone else took a shower before him, but he didn’t say anything because hey, he could have not been allowed to take a shower at all.

The water is only at a lukewarm temperature even though he wants it to be as hot as it can; the redder his skin is, the less the other unusual colors on him stand out. This feels good too though, he thinks as he leans against the tiled wall, a little too tired to stand on his own.

He’s really tired, more tired than normal.

Maybe it was karma for poking fun at Hakyeonhyung too much, calling him old and stuff, but he can hardly stand. His blurring vision and closing throat don’t make it much better either.

Before he can make a noise, he covers his mouth, curling in on himself to try to settle the tight feeling in his chest. He wants to believe that maybe he’s being a little dramatic, but it’s not just his body right now—everything hurts.

He washes his hair on the ground of the bathtub and tries to scrub his skin off, but it just ends up more red. Which is fine too, since that’s sort of the goal.

When he thinks he’s calmed down enough, he turns off the water that’s gone pretty cold. It helps soothe the puffiness in his face so no one else will see that he was crying.

The shower really helped unwind him, and he breathes out more freely after wiping his face and drying his hair.

He hears their foster mom calling for lights out soon and starts to hurry so he won’t be caught outside his bed and punished.

Lotion applied, clothes on, hair combed, Hyuk hangs up the towels and cracks open the door to let the steam out. It’s cold and he shivers because crap, she’s already turned off the heater.

Rubbing his hands together, he flicks off the light and tiptoes down the hall. The door to Hyeri, Yeri, and Namjoo’s room is still open and

he passes by it. Yeri’s already crashed out, and Hyeri and Namjoo are huddle on the bed; Hyeri looks like she’s crying, or she was, just like him.

He clears his throat awkwardly and they both look up in a panic. When they see it’s just him, they relax.

“A-Are you...” Hyeri begins to ask, sitting up.

Hyuk nods, rubbing his arm. “Uh, sorta.

You?”

She wipes her eyes, trying to act like she wasn’t crying in Namjoo’s arms. “I’m fine! We have to be quiet. I’m fine...”

Hyuk knows the tone of her voice... because it sounds like the one in his head.

He glances at Namjoo, whose eyes are watery too, but he shakes his head, trying to smile a little. “I’ll uh, bring us some stuff home tomorrow. Yeah?”

It’s quiet for a moment, but before anyone can say anything, they all hear steps coming up the stairs. Both girls motion for him to go, and he hurriedly shuts their door, rushing past Junhong’s and Sehun’s room.

“Oh heck, you’re here!” Taehyung exclaims, poking his head out from under the covers.

Hyuk shushes him, rushing into his bed.

The steps get closer and they can all hear doors opening and closing in the hallway. They hold their breaths and then the moment comes when their door clicks open, stays open for a few toolong moments and then finally, closes again.

Hyuk hears Taehyung fall back against the bed. “I always feel like she’s gonna turn into a wild beast and eat us if we’re not in bed!” he whisper-shouts. Hyuk doesn’t reply, but he definitely agrees with him.

“Hey, what took you so long? And why didn’t you freaking wake me up this morning?”

“Every man for himself.” Hyuk jokes as he throws a pillow in the newly-revealed Hongbin’s direction.

Hongbin rolls his eyes. “Don’t expect me to wake you up next time, brat.”

Hyuk snorts, thankful for the darkness hiding him—if Hongbin sees him wincing and cringing in pain so much, he’ll start asking questions. And all Hongbin knows ends up with Hakyeon-hyung, and he doesn’t need that. He doesn’t need Hakyeon-hyung to worry about him when he’s always so busy worrying about literally everything else.

“Hey, I don’t be caught dead here in the mornings, thank you very much.” he retorts, finally comfortable.

Though sometimes, he thinks maybe he will be caught dead here eventually. •

Special Report

@VIXXSUPPORT We got the inside scoop with @VIXXSUPPORT on Twitter to see just what kind of legwork it takes to radically support VIXX.

DOUBLE X reports on how you can support VIXX during comebacks with VIXXSUPPORT:

reported by thia

W

hen comeback season starts up, I often find myself wishing that it were easier to figure out how to support VIXX when it comes to things like voting on music shows, streaming and other ways to support VIXX. It can get crazy, convoluted and confusing trying to navigate all the websites, voting rules, music charts, Twitter hashtags, and so on. But this is where Starlights have something very beautiful they can rely on: VIXXSUPPORT! VIXXSUPPORT is an amazing resource for all Starlights who are looking to put in every scrap of effort they can to give VIXX the wins and support they deserve. DOUBLE X had the chance to get in touch with and interview the VIXXSUPPORT team... all fourteen members and then some! I asked the team some questions about what it means to be a part of VIXXSUPPORT, what it’s like behind-the-scenes, and various other things, including what kinds of plans they see forming for the future.

First, let’s meet the VIXXSUPPORT team!

THE BOSSES Boss D: Leader and founder. The mastermind behind VIXXSUPPORT’s website. Makes tutorials and graphics. Handles communication with V Project.

Boss G: Founder. Currently on semi-hiatus, but helps with VIXXSUPPORT JP. Boss M: Founder. Started the VS blog.

THE ADMINS Admin A: Twitter; handles inquiries, giveaways, KR-EN translation.

Admin Lu: Handles inquiries and hands out IDs. KR-EN translation.

Admin Li: YouTube Q&A. Handles YT comments.

Admin Y: Some tutorials, some tweeting.

special report | 37 Admin E: Handles inquiries on VS Staff account, hands out IDs. Admin M: VIXXSUPPORT JP; EN-JP tutorial translation.

Admin J: Tumblr; runs VIXXSUPPORT on Tumblr.

Admin Q: Tumblr; assists with VS Tumblr, makes some graphics.

THE TRANSLATORS Translator L: KR-EN translation. Communicates with V Project.

Translator S: KR-EN translation. Translated charts.

Translator Y: CHN-EN translation. Knows Weibo C fanbases.

In addition to the big team, VIXX Support is more than just the people listed above. We’ve received help from a lot of people and we are grateful for the support they have offered us along the way.

We would also like to give a shout-out to our ever so passionate and dedicated team of IDgenerators. (-VIXXSUPPORT)

Now, VIXXSUPPORT started with the intention

of being a “guidebook” of sorts for international Starlights who may have difficulties navigating the deep, dark waters of voting sites and streaming apps. ‘VIXXSUPPORT was built for I-Starlights so that they can contribute to supporting VIXX during VIXX promotions and activities (not only for Music Shows but other events, like the latest one is Fandom School) and make them win,” Boss G said. When it’s comeback time, it’s most important to prioritize and make a list of the things to do in order to give VIXX as many wins as possible.

I asked VIXXSUPPORT if they wouldn’t make some kind of small “Supporting VIXX 101” for DOUBLE X, but I’ve learned that there’s just so much that goes into supporting VIXX at such a high level. Boss M suggested the best first steps to take when VIXX has a comeback would be to make an itemized list of ways to support VIXX, and to share it with other Starlights— of course, VIXXSUPPORT will be sharing every kind of list imaginable, and Boss G urges everyone to follow VIXXSUPPORT in order to receive all the information you need to know! “Best way I can simplify it is to stream on Melon/Genie/Youtube as much as possible, vote on music shows when voting opens, and comment on/like their Youtube MV as you stream it. Then rinse and repeat for the remainder of the promo cycle.

Participate in VIXXSUPPORT events and keep up

with all the daily reminders and you should be good to go. But the most important thing is for people to really actively participate,” Admin Li added.

Additionally,

we frequently hear about “IDgeneration” from VIXXSUPPORT; but what is that, exactly? It’s an integral part of what VIXXSUPPORT does, in that it’s the production and distribution of a large volume of voting IDs for music shows that VIXXSUPPORT and their volunteers create; the sheer volume of voting IDs is more than likely what carries most of the votes VIXX receives. Admin Y explains: “Generating IDs isn’t as simple as it seems, it consumes people’s time and they also put their effort into it. I hope everyone that got IDs from us are using them daily to support VIXX because our ID generating volunteers are working hard to generate those IDs for you. Show Champion IDs are harder to make than Mcountdown ones but Mcountdown has more restriction regarding how many accounts you can vote on per IP address where Show Champion doesn’t have that.”

Admin Li and Admin Lu both started out with VIXXSUPPORT as ID-generators, and Admin Li mentions that “It’s a smart way to try to help boost the voting percentage during mass votings or to maintain the top position throughout the voting week. There can be a lot of fluctuation throughout the week depending on the fanbase we’re competing against so the generated IDs are a way to provide some backup for those possible fluctuations in addition to fans daily votes through their own accounts.

[It’s] very important that fans create their own accounts and vote on them daily without relying on VIXXSUPPORT to provide these IDs. These IDs are meant as an aid, not a substitute. All fans are encouraged to make their own accounts and vote on them so hopefully everyone does their part.”

Additionally, here is a collective comment from the team of ID-generators: “In all honesty, we never really thought that we would be dedicating a lot of time for this. Becoming an ID-generator never really crossed our minds but when we saw one of the Admins on VIXXSUPPORT asking for people who can help them make more IDs, we didn’t really hesitate to lend them a hand. At first, it is overwhelming.

We didn’t really have any idea how this and that works. But then, after creating our first set of IDs, it made us feel rather happy. It made us feel

38 | double x november 2015 proud that ‘Hey, we’re doing this for VIXX and if they’re working hard for Starlights, we have to do the same as well.’ And aside from that, we met new friends. We gained new knowledge.

There’s always a learning curve in everything you do. Overall, it is a fun experience!”

It

talked about VIXXSUPPORT JAPAN, and other fanbases in Latin America, China and Iran that work closely with VIXXSUPPORT. The VS JAPAN representative also joined in the interview: ‘I’ve never thought that I would run an account like VIXXSUPPORT JAPAN. Many Japanese Starlights said they are thankful because there is no other Japanese fanbase like this and it used to be difficult to find information in Japanese. It does take time, but I am proud that I made the decision to be a part of VS team, and also very happy to meet many Starlights who are willing to support VIXX,” they said. Additionally, if you’re an international Starlight and would like to get involved with VIXXSUPPORT to give the Starlights in your country the information VIXXSUPPORT provides in your country’s language, please feel free to give VIXXSUPPORT a holler!

definitely seems like a lot, and I thought that surely the VIXXSUPPORT team would have certain parts of the whole ordeal that would be easier, harder, more boring, the most fun, and so on. Since there are so many components and so many staff handling different things, each team member had something to say about that they enjoyed the most, and what they had the hardest time with. Admin A mentioned: “We always get sidetracked but coming up with the ideas is actually fun... it’s trying to materialize all those ideas that’s “The most rewarding part is to see that Starlights are trying hard. It’s one thing to to use VIXX Support resources and guides to vote for the boys say, ‘oh we need this tutorial, and this and that and that the fandom as a whole is taking part in getting the would be really cool thing boys 1st on music shows,” to do for the site’, but another to actually try and bring those ideas to life. Tutorials are especially tricky, thank goodness I’m not assigned to that. Admin Y and Boss t also came up that it’s possible for all the D have the pleasure of doing those fun stuff. inner workings of VIXXSUPPORT to get confusing (laughs)”. for the VS staff; however, it seemed that most of the staff agreed that it doesn’t get too And many of the team members talked about confusing, since everyone does the job they’ve how fun it is to participate in hashtag parties been delegated, and there are so many team on Twitter! “I’m mainly only active on the main members that it makes it easy for everyone to twitter when it’s time for hashtag parties so I’ve help everyone out if needed. Admin J of the mostly experienced all the fun of interacting VIXXSUPPORT Tumblr said: “Everyone in the with fellow fans and getting to know each other team has pretty much assigned positions and if better. That’s the best part, Starlights are pretty anyone in the team needs support on his or her hilarious,” Admin Li said. On the other hand, respective platform we can always ask for help Boss G also mentioned the difficulties of getting from the other team members.” international Starlights to participate and moving towards not relying so heavily on K-Starlights.

I also asked in the interview if anything about joining the VIXXSUPPORT team was surprising, or “The most rewarding part is to see that Starunexpected, as sometimes it happens that you lights are trying to use VIXX Support resources blindly jump on board a project, only to discover and guides to vote for the boys and that the just how much goes on behind the scenes! Most fandom as a whole is taking part in getting of the VS staff mentioned the sheer amount the boys 1st on music shows,” Admin Y said, of work that goes into doing their parts, to the touching on what the most rewarding parts of point of being unable to catch up on VIXX activiworking for VIXXSUPPORT are. In the end, the ties themselves. “You come expecting things like most important thing that should come out of knowing it takes a lot of time and effort. What I VIXXSUPPORT is the awards VIXX has a chance didn’t quite realize is that the time that will be of winning because Starlights worked hard for spent working on VIXXSUPPORT means less time VIXX. It’s an international effort to push VIXX to be used for catching up on VIXX activities. I’ve towards victory, and the VIXXSUPPORT staff also

I

special report | 39 given up trying to livestream shows or watching and reading their interviews as they are released. I certainly have a lot of catching up to do once promotions wrap. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, this has been a truly unique and fun experience as a Starlight,” Admin A said. And Admin Y commented: “I thought I would be like a super small minion that just does something small but ended up doing some big jobs >o< I’m a big minion!”

Interested in getting more involved with VIXXSUPPORT?

Additionally, Admin Li expressed what a great experience it’s been helping VIXXSUPPORT: “Honestly, just the fact that I’m in Vixxsupport when I’ve been part of the fandom for less than three months is shocking in itself (laughs). I definitely did not expect to be here or get involved as much as I have, let alone in such a short time span. I’ve done more and spent more (in time and money) during this comeback alone than I‘ve done for anything Kpop related in the 5 years I’ve been a Kpop fan combined.

Which is great! It’s rare for me to invest so much energy and resources into something unless I really truly care, which means I’m in this for the long haul. This was an amazing way to experience my first Vixx comeback. Definitely a memorable time in my life and I’m really grateful for all the fans who’ve been really open and helpful in welcoming me into the fandom. This is the most fun I’ve had in all my years in Kpop!”

Check out these places for more information on what you can do to support VIXX, or to find out more about what it takes to volunteer for VIXXSUPPORT:

VIXXSUPPORT

really does a lot, and it was great to hear the inside scoop from those who work on this amazing project. It can be a little difficult to look to the future when so much of VIXXSUPPORT’s work is so focused on what’s happening in the fandom currently, but I did ask about what kinds of plans VIXXSUPPORT has for the future. Most of the admins and bosses agreed that they’d all love to see VIXXSUPPORT grow bigger and better than ever, gathering more Starlights and streamlining all the information they can gather. Personally, I hope too that more Starlights will participate in helping VS, and strengthen and fortify VIXXSUPPORT for future VIXX comebacks! •

VIXXSUPPORT on Twitter: @VIXXSUPPORT VIXXSUPPORT Website: vixxsupport.com VIXXSUPPORT Staff on Twitter: @V_SupportStaffs VIXXSUPPORT Japan on Twitter: @vixxsupport_ jp If you have any further questions about VIXXSUPPORT, please don’t hesitate to send VIXXSUPPORT or VS Staff a mention or DM; they would be happy to answer your questions!

Congratulations, VIXX, on all your music show wins with Chained Up!

HOLIDAY DRABBLE CONTEST! It’s the holiday season, and what’s more awesome than holiday-themed VIXX fanfiction?

We want to hear our readers’ holiday VIXX stories, so the DX team will be launching a Holiday Drabble Contest! Choose from our list of 25 prompts, and write a short drabble (up to 700 words)! Multiple entries are allowed, so feel free to choose multiple prompts! Entries do not have to be strictly Christmas— since we have readership from all over the world, we would love to hear VIXX stories about all kinds of holidays and winter festivities!

Please keep an eye out for the submissions form on the DOUBLE X Twitter~ Deadline for entries will be December 17th!

THE PROMPTS 1. Snowball fight 2. Building a snowman together 3. Trapped in a cabin during a snowstorm 4. Caught under the mistletoe 5. A decorating disaster 6. Warm in front of a fire

7. Nobody Told Me This Eggnog Was Spiked 8. Baking holiday cookies 9. Finding the perfect gift 10. Oh no we have to go your mom’s party but your family hates me 11. Trying to hide presents from each other 12. I love you very much but your Christmas sweater is stupid 13. Spending the holidays at the cemetery 14. Forced matching lame holiday sweaters 15. lmao i’m drunk and i’m going to sing ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ as a declaration of my love 16. Going caroling 17. It’s our last Christmas, let’s do something nice.

18. Dear Santa, I have only one wish this Christmas 19. Getting caught out in a snowstorm and trying to warm up together at home 20. Apart for the holidays, celebrating by long distance 21. Touched by a Christmas angel 22. We’re both going to be alone during the holidays, might as well be alone together.

23. Fighting over the last item in stock at the eleventh hour 24. I’m taking you ice skating because you can’t possibly be better than me but it turns out you’re a natural on the ice and this is the Worst because I can’t stop falling 25. I’m taking you to see the holiday decorations and they’re beautiful but you’re with me and you’re the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen

JANUARY COVER ART CONTEST DOUBLE X’s FIRST COVER CONTEST It seems like our end-of-the-year theme is contests! Following our Fanartist Special in this issue, we’re looking to feature one Starlight fanartist’s work on the cover of DOUBLE X! Our January issue’s theme color will be dark blue; other than that, there are no rules about subject. We will, however, be looking for something celebratory, fun, and New Years-themed!

(And featuring VIXX, of course) The tentative deadline for fanart submissions is January 15; please keep your eyes on the DOUBLE X Twitter for a concrete date and a submissions form!

We’re looking forward to seeing some amazing submissions <3

BECOME A DOUBLE X AFFILIATE DX is looking for friends!

DOUBLE X is making some baby steps towards growing; as such, DX would like to extend hands of friendship to other VIXX fansites, fanblogs, fyeahs, ongoing VIXX projects, and even one-time projects! We recently partnered with Byulbeat Radio, but we’d like our affiliate relationships to be slightly different.

For our affiliates, we’d love to offer pages in our zine— meaning that any VIXX sites that would like to become an affiliate will have the ability to regularly write columns, post notices, or run advertisements in DOUBLE X. All we ask in return is for our issues to be shared when we publish.

(Basically, promo 4 promo...)

For affiliation inquiries or to beome a DOUBLE X affiliate, please email Thia at doublex.zine@gmail.com

We are also always welcome to new partnerships! For us, partnership includes collaboration on occasional special projects, interviews, or other fun stuff.

DOUBLE X CLASSIFIEDS Team opening: Fanfic Columnist Requirements: • Kakaotalk account • Writing experience (any kind) • High level of activity in the VIXX fanfic scene • Ability to dedicate enough time during each month for the following: writing your column, assisting in planning each issue, participating in group conversation, possibly other miscellaneous tasks.

• Good time management and the ability to work within a monthly schedule Bonuses, but not required: • Being a fic author is a plus!

• Familiarity with multiple fic platforms (i.e. AFF, AO3) • Previous experience writing for editorial • Twitter account Please note that it is uncertain if this position will be permanent or not!

To apply, please fill out the form on the DOUBLE X Twitter, or email Thia at doublex.zine@gmail. com with links to your two favorite VIXX fics and your Kakao ID!

— Team opening: Fanartist Requirements: • Kakaotalk account • A love for drawing • Ability to dedicate enough time during each month for the following: creating your art, assisting in planning each issue, participating in group conversation, possibly other miscellaneous tasks.

• Good time management and the ability to work within a monthly schedule • Regular/reliable access to your preferred medium Bonuses, but not required: • Twitter account A fanartist for DOUBLE X would contribute a whole or half page fanart for each issue; we would love to see a serial comic! We have no preference for artistic medium~

dx