#when the audience is used for the purpose of pushing an agenda

[flurry-of-beaus-pop-pop]

Regarding the current discourse in the Critical Role fandom about the current storyline occurring in Campaign 3, I just want to address some of the main arguments I’ve seen...

Argument 1: The “gods are bad and should be destroyed” view is tiring and overdone and just attacks religion.

First of all, if you have the expectation that Critical Role should start paying attention to what all other popular shows do that stream their D&D Campaigns, then you may need to re-examine your expectations. 

Why do I say this? Because in regards to Critical Role, Campaign 1 was very heavy on worshipping the deities and Campaign 2 was very heavy on worshipping the deities. Like, I never watched Campaign 1, but in Campaign 2, I can’t remember a single point where someone questioned the purposes/importance of the deities, even when they themselves, didn’t believe. 

Campaign 3 is the first campaign where the majority of the party don’t have some sort of religious connection, so to say that the “gods are bad and should be destroyed” argument is overdone, is simply ludicrous because this is quite literally the first time it HAS been done on Critical Role. 

Argument 2: This entire storyline is ridiculous because it’s obvious that Predathos destroying the Gods/Goddesses would be bad and there’s no argument one could make as to why it would be good. 

Here’s the thing. To us? It’s obviously clear that releasing Predathos and allowing him to destroy all the gods/goddesses would be horrific and a tremendous mistake. Hell, I’m sure that to Travis, Marisha, Sam, Ashley, Laura, Liam, Taliesin, Christian, Aabria, Utkarsh, Emily, and Aimee, the idea of releasing Predathos to destroy the deities is a bad idea. But that’s because we have literally all of the background information on what the deities do and how instrumental they are into how everything works. 

The characters that are present in this campaign? They aren’t us, and they aren’t the players that are playing them. 

The decisions that are being made in this campaign are being made based on what the characters know not what the players know or the audience knows. And unfortunately, most of the players in the campaign don’t have any sort of connection to the deities and therefore, don’t have any sort of framework for why destroying the deities would be bad. They’re operating based on the information that they are given, and what they can deduce. 

Unfortunately, that might mean that when push comes to shove, they may make the decision to allow Predathos to be released because someone presents them with information that makes that decision make the most sense. 

Argument 3: Critical Role obviously has an agenda with this storyline because Laudna, Bor’Dor, Prism, Deni$e, Orym, and Ashton just blindly agreeing to help this group of villagers makes no sense

Except it does make sense. And if you were paying attention, they explained why it made sense. 

Right now, Laudna, Orym, and Ashton’s main goal is to get back to their friends and stop whatever is happening with Ludinous. 

In order to do that, they need to know where their friends are. How can they find out where their friends are? By using the scrying well and in order to use the scrying well, they had to help. 

As was pointed out, whether they helped or not, this coup was going to happen and so they might as well, especially since it was very clear that the presence of these individuals from the temple were not a positive presence. Plus if they participated, they could have some semblance of control over what happened. 

Honestly? I’m excited for this storyline. It’s not offering a fresh perspective that hasn’t been present in these campaigns (as mentioned before C1 and C2 were very heavily Pro-Deities), but it’s offering a very realistic depiction of the variety of moral dilemmas that arise when something VERY BAD is possibly about to happen and the lengths that you’ll go to in order to stop that bad thing from happening, sometimes to the point of doing things that you wouldn’t otherwise do. 

I’m excited to see where this goes, and even more excited to see what happens when the two parties reunite, especially if this second group ends up going down the road of “the gods should be destroyed” since Team Wildemount landed on doing whatever they could to stop Ludinous. It would be super interesting to see what happens if the party is truly split on a big decision like this because for the most part, they’ve always agreed, at least on the major stuff

#critical role #chetney pock o'pea #laudna #fresh cut grass #fearne calloway #imogen tamolt #orym of the air ashari #ashton greymoore #bor'dor dog'son #prism #deni$e #deanna leimert #F.R.I.D.A #marisha ray #travis willingham #Sam Reigel #ashley johnson #laura bailey #liam o'brien #taliesin jaffe #aabria iyengar #christian navarro #utkarsh ambudkar #emily axford #aimee carrero #matthew mercer

[sergeifyodorov]

matty tkachuk 4 character ask >:]

i learned of our dear mr daddyissuesrat from DRAICHUK PRIMERS of all things there were flamesposters determined to get us into it. crazey

IMPRESSION NOW

he is a far more complex character than some of u may think… actually im not gonna go that far there are too many machuk scholars on this goddamned web site. for the sake of gamegrowing i won’t lament too much more on that but anyway i think he’s really a testament to the power of charisma; if u are a dnd type of guy and u make a dnd character of machuk that is his number 1 stat. yes above strength. he understands more than i would say. Any hockey player out there. the power in knowing that the nhl is a show for people’s entertainment… the glory and gore of it all. he can dance the dance more than the rest of them can. it’s in his nature to play to the audience, love or hate. Very edmund kinglear. 

also watching him skate badly is entertaining as hell

FAV MOMENT

i think theres something really to be said about his failed smythe run… how his dad called the cats soft and then allegedly started the brady’s better chant (brady is better and it’s crucial mattylore that u know that) but he refused to listen and then the cats snuck in. and how after sniping that ot gamewinner he looked at his teammates and told them we will be back here for game seven, and he was right, and they won that too. and also his devastating amount of up-fucking during the carolina series and then the dramatic fall from grace when he broke his sternum in the cup final. war god…

IDEA FOR STORY

with his current status as the nhl’s protagonist what couldn’t u write w matthew in it… personally i think he’s too genre aware for something weird and bendy and full au-type so you’d have to go abt as mundane with it as u could. keep him in the real world let the people confuse him as opposed to the universe. i think a healthy dose of family drama would do him well. not that he’s not already experiencing that but we know so little about the REAL internal machinations of the tkachuk’s web you could make it go however you like

UNPOPULAR OPINION

he literally does not care about leon draisaitl at all (nor vice versa). it was kayfabe he was pushing a narrative…

FAV RELATIONSHIP

that being said. He DOES care about a certain soft-spoken finnish captain of his… he and sasha . sasha and matthew. tkacharkov. Marriage 4 the ages get ready because they have 7 more years together to get neASTY in the state of florida… 

FAV HEADCANON

now i dont know if u scrape the gossip blogs like i do when i need a little entertainment… i dont believe any of what they say naturally but when a pattern comes up that suits my needs i become intrigued. the gossip blogeurs are saying that matty’s girlfriend is a setup fake relationship for pr purposes and that brady and taryn (or at least brady) hateeee her. because it is not only funny but furthers my queer agenda i am compelled to believe it

#asks #matthew tkachuk

[ladyiristheenchantress]

Iris's guide to researching magic

Hello friends! I have been inspired by a witchy discussion and wanted to showcase something significant so This week let’s explore: how to research and study magic! First of all, congrats on continuing on your spiritual and witchy journey! You may have a lot of questions so let me show you how to get started

This first part is on how to formulate your question. If your using traditional means like google, bing, or a library database the first thing you need to do is understand how to formulate your question to get tailored results! Some things may require a language diffrence so using words like “metaphysical” “intentions” or “magical” in your search is going to be awesome! Another factor is keeping it short and sweet So, let’s say you want to know what Quartz does, if you put that phrase into Google your going to get information on LCD screens. Instead, try “Metaphysical properties of Quartz” When you're searching for concepts try looking up historical first! This can help you get used to the language they use to get tailored results An example is: you wouldn’t search “pagan religion” because you’ll get too many resources being thrown at you at once, instead try “how many pagan religions are there?” And you’ll get specialized terms and religions to look at.

The next part is general safety and making sure you are getting accurate Information from a trusted source! Using the CRAAP test can help you evaluate information based on currency, reliability, Authority, Audience, and Purpose! This can help you decipher the intentions of an article or book, like are they trying to sell a product? Push an agenda? This also can help you verify an author! Before reading do a quick search on the author to verify they are not an extremist.

Now, here is the final and one of the most difficult parts. You are going to find good and relevant information however they may conflict. There will never be a universal truth but there may be a culturally accepted truth, as you read don’t disregard conflicting opinions weigh what they are saying against each other and double-check that information! You can find where something is rooted in by checking if it’s historical, influential, or personal! Another rule of thumb to keep in mind is stay away from appropriation. Check out this great culture and religion guide for more information and especially be aware of harmful and cult-like rhetoric that is non-inclusive. Finally, something I need to mention is even if a source appropriate you have the potential to still learn from it, it just depends on how. There are degrees as to what you can and cannot use! An example is: Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck. She appropriated the system of chakras when she is actually using the system of energy centers! (For more information on the appropriation of chakras click here) You can still use all the info about the herbs but you may have the change some language or add some context in your mind. It’s a shame but almost 99% of books and resources written before 2017 appropriate to some level, being aware of how to catch it and what info you can use vs info you have to totally disregard is important. Example of changing language: The word —> what the author usually means Smudging —> cleansing Chakras —> energy centers Chi —> life force Karma —> cosmic Justice Somethings you just can’t mentally replace because the author is fully appropriating, like listing dream catchers, using awful terms like slurs or outdated language, or actively discouraging people to decolonize their practice these resources are the ones you should put down and let others know to be aware of Some lovely research ideas: Witchy and spiritual research Ideas Resources: Tips and tricks for new witches - The Mori Witch Beginners Guide to Spirituality - Kate Truong What should beginners be researching? - @serpentandthreads Being careful on witchblr and what constitutes being a beginner - cinnsmoondtone How can I practice without appropriation?

I hope you all enjoyed!! if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Tip Jar

#witchblr #pagan witch #witch #magical theory #spells #witchcraft #baby witch #researching magick #grimoire #culturalexploration

[authoralexharvey]

INTERVIEW WITH A WRITEBLR — @angelsofprey

Who You Are:

Angel || He/they

I’m a queer black man fighting against the shallow nature of love. I tend to lean towards stories with loving GNC people. Being never-T as of now, this is important to me.

What You Write:

What genres do you write in? What age ranges do you write for?

Adventure, drama, fanfic, fantasy, horror, paranormal, psychological, romance, and sci-fi. Adult.

What genre would you write in for the rest of your life, if you could? What about that genre appeals to you?

Romance. As long as you don’t limit yourself you will have endless possibilities on what to write. This is from experience! The messiness on what romance can be is what really draws me in, how you can write a pair of world shattering lovers who are terrible apart, but would be destroyed if not together. Some find it disturbing—in real life it would be—but in stories it’s beautiful to see through my mind’s eye (maybe especially if it’s wonderfully queer)!

What genre/s will you not write unless you HAVE to? What about that genre turns you off?

Mystery. ‘Cause that sounds HARD! One day I might touch on a whodunnit, but as of now just imagining trying to weave and mislead a reader when I’m such a… literal(?) person would be difficult. I do have a story where it’s an “opposite mystery” of sorts where the killer is the protagonist and we watch as they stumble around to get away with it.

Who is your target audience? Do you think anyone outside of that would get anything out of your works?

GNC and Enby people would be my target audience, them and those who relate to mlm attraction I suppose? It depends on the project! I think anyone outside could get a kick out of the things I make from beta reading experience— as long as they have a tolerance for love.

What kind of themes do you tend to focus on? What kinds of tropes? What about them appeals to you?

For themes I for some odd reason drawn to religious imagery in larger projects and larger projects only… it’s odd. If I thought about tropes or anything my head would hurt so I kind of just do my own thing lol.

What themes or tropes can you not stand? What about them turn you off?

Nowadays I’m saddened by other’s intolerance. I find myself to be open to anything, really.

What are you currently working on? How long have you been working on it?

I have gay novellas in the works and a gay flash fic as well (at the time of writing), but my baby is Before Flowering Hands. BFH is a Wild West, cosmic horror romance where a young man falls in love with an older woman (this woman is in a relationship with three other men as well) who, not to his knowledge, is a ‘horror beyond comprehension’ as the saying goes. She has her own agenda or taking over her kingdom with her cowboy outlaws and, later, the world. He has his own agenda of finding himself and his purpose which he discovers through and after meeting her.

Why do you write? What keeps you writing?

To indulge myself. My own desires and yearning keep me going.

How long have you been writing? What do you think first drew you to it?

Around 2015, maybe earlier. I can’t remember if I was interested in writing and stories before Her, but I knew she really pushed me into it. It was math class in middle school, I was sat next to a beautiful girl and somehow we got to talking about kpop fanfiction and I said something like… ‘I like writing too’ and the rest was history.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Is that how you got your inspiration for your current project? If not, where did the inspiration come from?

Music, but not the lyrics. What a song makes me feel, not what it’s really about. The scenes that play in my head during songs are not at all related to what’s happening in the lyrics—it’s almost funny.

What work of yours are you most proud of? Why?

I’d say my recent flash fics “Vulgar” and “New ‘Us’” over on my tumblr. They absolutely flopped, but I love them dearly. I’m proud because I was able to really dive into two characters and their feelings after a three year hiatus, it represents that I’ve still got it in a way.

Have you published anything? Do you want to?

No… and I have grown to want my writing to be accessible. I want everyone to be able to read it. The closest thing to having a pay wall before my writing might be Substack if I decide to do it in the future. Actual publishing… considering I write erotica mostly it’s not very much in the cards for me. It’s kind of hard to exist even in an online space while writing erotica. Everyone is too ashamed to reblog for one, lol, but ‘tis their right.

What part of the publishing process most appeals to you? What part least appeals to you?

You have to pay to get paid. It’s like a scheme, a grift lol.

What part of the writing process most appeals to you? What part is least appealing?

I think I love outlining, it’s like a zero draft for me! I get to know exactly what’s happening and how everything feels with zero effort of pride or syntax! I don’t think I have anything I don’t like about writing; if I did I don’t think I’d write. I learned that art is about enjoying the process in the first place.

Do you have a writing process? Do you have an ideal setup? Do you write in pure chaos? Talk about your process a bit.

My process is nearly pure digital (quick notes go on my flip writing pad); I open a new doc on Pages and just start writing notes after a new idea comes to me. After notes I start outlining and after extensive outlining I start drafting. When I actually follow my process of deep outlining I sometimes only need one draft (this is based off of feedback)! I wish I listened to myself.

Your Thoughts on Writeblr:

How long have you been a writeblr? What inspired you to join the community?

I only recently rejoined at the time of writing. Three years ago I was writing fanfic and having a hell of a time! I wanted my writing to be seen; I wanted to make people feel things and hear about it. I wanted to hear what I did good and what I did bad, how I could improve. I want my writing to get to the next level.

Shout out some of your favorite writeblrs. How did you find them and what made you want to follow them?

@arijensineink was my first friend on here. I found her through tumblr live! @coffeewritesfiction I met through Ari, he’s just really cool with many great ideas!

What is your favorite part about writeblr?

The mini events where it forces everyone around to ask about each other’s W.I.Ps like W.I.P Wednesday!

What do you think writeblr could improve on? How do you think we can go about doing so?

We could ask each other more questions.

How do you contribute to the writeblr community? Do you think you could be doing more?

I think I myself could be asking more about people’s W.I.Ps. Think after this survey I’ll be doing exactly that… on anon cause I’m shy.

What kinds of posts do you most like to interact with?

Things directly about people’s stories like a bit of characterization or dynamic between OCs.

What kind of posts do you most like to make?

I post my writings and soon links to my writing on AO3. When I’m not doing that I wanna blabber on about my W.I.Ps and reblog writing things and sometimes visual art as that’s another passion of mine.

Finally, anywhere else online we may be able to find you?

I’m angelsofprey over on AO3. Time or writing nothing is there yet, but there will be!!!

#iwaw #writeblr celebration #writeblr event #writeblr #writing community

[hauntedwoman]

tagged by @youngestdaughtersyndrome to talk about five things i'm obsessed with recently

barbie and the feminist agenda ever since i saw the movie saturday it has baffled me that so many people are holding it to impossible standards. many ppl online are criticizing it for being surface level and a two hour long "toy commercial" when the film is literally being produced by fucking mattel, a multi million dollar corporation. one of the prominent messages communicated in the film is that, in today's day and age, women are expected to be perfect at everything they do all of the time and i think audiences expected the same of this movie. i think the people that went into this movie expecting something progressive and queer and groundbreaking had the wrong expectations. greta gerwig worked as hard as she could to make a movie that had a strong feminist message while also being accessible to mass audiences. yes, the whole feminist monologue is a little bit cheesy but you have to remember that a) children are going to see this movie and i believe that the messages communicated in that monologue are very easy concepts for young girls (and boys) to grasp. b) she had to work through a LOT of red tape. even the scene where barbie tells an old woman that she was beautiful (a non-revolutionary message) was threatened to be cut for run time purposes. with the material she had to work with, i believe that greta made a movie that is funny and forward thinking and something that will stick with audiences for a long time. no, it's not anything that's advanced, but it's still special and has brought joy to so many women. the sheer experience of barbie, being surrounded by women of all ages dressed in pink and unafraid to be feminine and find joy in what society shames us for, is so beautiful and special and i loved every second.

antique photos at the moment, i'd confidently say that my antique photo collection in the 30s. antique photos are probably my favorite thing to buy (besides clothing) when i go antique shopping. i love finding photos of families from the 1900s showing off their family homestead, a couple in the 1950s sharing an intimate christmas morning, a small boy dressed up as a cowboy. these memories might not belong to these people anymore - so now they belong to me. i just love finding these moments captured in time, moments that strengthen the fabric of humanity.

american individualism in the united states today there is no sense of community. outside of organized religion, it's hard to find a way to feel connected with other people. the heightened awareness of individual freedoms and rights that has been a byproduct of online spaces that urge users to bran themselves, there is nowhere for the youth of today to gather and find people that are like them. i believe that bc of this that is why labels for sexuality, gender, and even what mental illnesses we have, have developed online. there are no malls or internet cafes, or parks for our generation to be together in and it's making the average american individual feel as if they are entitled to certain treatment due to having certain labels attached to them. it's all so fascinating how aesthetics and labels and what you look at online shapes our worldview. and yes, capitalism is involved somehow.

caledon hockley if you've been following me any amount of time you know that i've already written many thinkpieces on the antagonist of the 1997 film, titanic. notice how i didn't say villain. that said, i think people tend to forget what cal is like when we first meet him. yes, he's arrogant and pompous ("god himself could not sink this ship") but he doesn't do anything to outwardly control or harm rose. i'm pretty sure he was aware of the fact that she's miserable - sans suicidal. when he brings her the necklace he knows that something is wrong. he really tries in the only way he knows how to get close to her and yet she continues to push him away. i doubt that this is because she's unattracted to him but, rather, more the realization of what her life is going to become once they're married; being a wife and mother to his children, never experiencing any of her dreams. i want to theorize that when they met up until the engagement they were "happy" or at least what could be close enough and what we see in the movie is rose falling out of that happiness and yearning to find it in something or someone else (i.e. jack). i guess what i'm trying to say is that cal doesn't begin to shed light on his more undesirable traits (selfishness and possessiveness) until he can see rose pulling away from him and towards jack. the cal at the beginning of the movie, while he can be annoying and shallow, he's not necessarily a bad person. i think somewhere inside of him he wants to be good. but i mean there's also the whole sexual tension between him and jack and cal's hidden desire to live a life that's so free and easy and emotionally healthy. we also have to remember that he has his own suicidal tendencies - but we don't have time for all of that.

sylvia plath i'm just so so so interested in her personal life and her writings. im slowly making my way through her journals (unabridged bc fuck you ted hughes) and we are both libra moons and have prominent scorpio placements !!! i feel like i identify with her work very deeply and im excited to start reading a biography i got abt her the other day at the used bookstore !! she was such a genius and really set such a precedent for poetry today and just female artists in general she's like the patron saint of girls on antipsychotics and i love her for that

tagging: @truelovewaitsmp3 @sweetsweetjane @jonismitchell @serethereal and any other mutuals inspired to do this !!!!

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #84

Yuri!!! on Life

Sayo Yamamoto x Mitsurou Kubo conversation

Part 6.

K: But actually even when we talk about manga, it's not that I draw it because there is like a particular meaning there to why I draw it. It's all about using your libido/life energy, making it explode, and channeling it into your works… If you don't do this, there's only death. That's the essence of being a creator. You've said Daisuke Takahashi stirs up your imagination, but I don't think that the message you wanted to convey is necessarily that you want to make everyone watch all Takahashi's performances or to compare them [either she means "to other skaters' programs" or "one of his programs to another of his programs", it's not clear], right?

Y: These two are completely separate matters. The thing that made me the happiest, is that anime fans who weren't at all interested in figure skating, started to watch figure skating together with us. I absolutely didn't think that I want our viewers to do it, or should I say, I believe that wanting your viewers to behave in a specific way is such an impertinent thing to do, that I don't ever think that at all, but after the anime has ended a lot of people did start to have an interest in real-life figure skating and that's what made me the happiest.

K: Yes, yes! It's not that it was the only purpose in making Yuri!!! on ice, but I'm very happy that after watching Yuri!!! more people go on "pilgrimages" to see "sacred places" connected to the anime or watch real-life figure skating.

Y: Schedule-wise, we were creating the anime at the very last minute. That's why there are also scenes, which were created because we had to make the production easier. For example, because we have those Instagram pages and images from Sleeping Beauty during Popovich's monologue an we were using this specific editing technique called "cutting", I was told that it's impossible to include any more skating scenes, so I just said "okay, then wait a moment. I'll draw [the new version of storyboards] now" and I drew the storyboards on the spot, so then I could have [more skating scenes] included in the editing process. This is how we were creating the anime - writing it was like a "rush construction work" kind of thing. That's why there isn't anything so wild like a "agenda/a specific aim [we wanted to achieve]" by making this anime.

K: An agenda/aim… You can think that because of "reasons", we had to make certain decisions, but sometimes it's like "no, not because of those reasons".

Y: We were in a place where we didn't have much choice. I was working with this belief that if we didn't include as much skating scenes as we are able to animate then making this anime would actually be pointless. That's why, while causing the staff members a lot of troubles, I was working as hard as I could at that time, sincerely giving my best.

K: That's what I'm saying… There isn't a single creator out there who includes as much scheming in their works as the audience believes they do.

Y: No, no, no, there isn't. Absolutely, there isn't. But, it's still true that I have an enormous respect for figure skating, so while working I was thinking that as long as I stay true to that, then it's all fine.

[Notes: I'm not a big figure skating fan or anything, but afaik, at least in Jp, Takahashi's fans and fans of that other Japanese figure skater, who became ultra popular after Takahashi, didn't like each other very much. While fans who don't read interviews and so on may think that Yuri!!! was inspired by that other skater, as you can see in this conversation (especially part 4.), the creators (especially Sayo) while being explicit about supporting all skaters, seems to be a big Takahashi fan... So this and some other things led some people to believe that the creators are actually anti-that other skater and instead push their faves agenda in the show. I believe this may be why Mitsurou's mentioned Takahashi in this context, that "oh maybe the anime was made to influence people in specific way", to which they answer "lol, conspiracy theories".]

#yuri on ice #yoi translations #yuri on ice translation

[danidaydreamdawn]

A lot of people don’t like how Marvel Phase four isn’t really “white male” centered. As much as I understand wanting to escape from “woke” agenda and “every female is strong and worthy regardless of if they’re weak”, I think the backlash marvel is getting from this phase is pathetic.

Just because you don’t see yourself on a screen doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the material. Yes, this phase isn’t for you (stereotypical audience), it’s pulling from source material whose whole purpose was to appeal to a broader audience.

But also

Just because you DO see yourself on a screen doesn’t mean you should gatekeep the material. It’s unfair to other fans who genuine want to support this phase and the people involved and further divides the fan base. And it makes you no better than the people who tried to gatekeep the previous phase.

To my niggas: Telling white people that they can’t enjoy black panther just pushes us further away from inclusion and understanding. Stop trying to segregate Hollywood and fandoms.

To my not niggas: saying that a whole phase or franchise or show sucks just because you don’t see yourself in the show, just seems tiring. You can enjoy stuff that wasn’t originally intended for you. in the same vein, if you don’t enjoy it, don’t be an asshole about it. It’s not fair for you to throw a tantrum when you’ve had your phase, don’t be a party pooper. Stop tryna segregate fandoms and Hollywood.

Note: if the fans keep politics out of a franchise, the franchise will keep politics out of it.

**please signal boost this**

#wakanda forever #marvel phase four #ms marvel #marvel #she hulk #red pill #woke #i woke up and chose violence #blm blacklivesmatter #blm #yt people #yt ppl #comics

[outrunningthedark]

Not a rant but, regarding AK’s comment:

I really don’t get why she STILL keeps pushing the BL agenda, while she herself said ‘why can’t Lucy be her own character instead of a love interest’. I guess that’s the only way for her to stay relevant since that’s her character’s only purpose in the show as of now. But it’s not doing her any favors to keep teasing at BL while 90% of the audience hated the idea of it.

Now I have distanced myself from the show for a month, I find it funny how insignificant her character was in general, and i too worked up about it at times. I’m now in a position that just don’t care about Lucy or BL, but I’m already getting a headache just thinking about the fandom drama IF she indeed is returning for S6 AND keeps talking about about BL.

Okay, first off, it's not like she volunteered information about BL next season. She was asked and she answered. Secondly, the show won't begin production for about another month, right? Meaning when AK did that interview last week, the script for 6x01 hadn't been handed out yet? (And likely still hasn't?) What good would it do her to "confirm" they're staying platonic/they won't be a focal point when she doesn't know what's coming? That might just make her look like a liar. Again. "I think everyone’s watching to see what happens, and I think that’s exactly where it should be right now.” was nothing more than an admittance of these things: - she realizes the general audience isn't convinced BL are off limits - she's thankful/hopeful that people will tune in to "see what happens" because it will mean good things for her moving forward (in terms of publicity and using this role to further her career)

#anonymous #tina speaks #anti bucklucy

[uftghjbhjbh]

"MAXIMIZE EVENT ENGAGEMENT AND GET MORE REVENUE: HOW DO CUSTOMIZED MOBILE EVENT APPS ENHANCE ATTENDEE EXPERIENCE"

Do you want to drive more traffic for your upcoming event or wish to have an event with good attendance? No matter what you want today, a MOBILE EVENT APP for customizing events is best because it can help you bring traffic maximum engagement and smoothen out the event tasks. In the present era, people have witnessed that there is more demand for smartphones, and people use them for a variety of purposes. Irrespective of the fact whether they host a hybrid or an in-person event, you must have EVENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE; otherwise, you will be missing multiple things.

There are endless benefits when it comes to having custom event apps; right from ticketing to registration to getting engagement and networking, everything can be done at a go. A mobile event app is built professionally to bridge the gap between in-person and virtual events. The main idea behind this is to get maximum engagement from the audience and keep them informed about the details by putting everything in a mobile application.

Below, let us discuss the benefits and uses of these event apps and why it is the best investment.

Planning event schedule

Mobile event apps can help you schedule the event agenda. Therefore, a customized EVENT MATCHMAKING APP should have an agenda and planning feature enabling you to maintain the agenda and schedule of your upcoming event.

Interactive maps

Maps are very beneficial for both hybrid and on-ground events because, with the help of a customized EVENT MANAGEMENT PLATFORM, you can provide attendees navigation so that they can easily reach the event venue. Undoubtedly, maps are a mandatory feature for all event apps.

Push notification feature

You can have a push notification feature allowing the event organizers easy interaction and sending them all the necessary information, updates and details so they do not miss out on anything important. You can easily make wide announcements through this feature.

Speaker profile

Another crucial feature of the event application is having a speaker profile. Speaker profiles assist, helping the attendees know more details about the speaker. Even if there are more speakers, the attendees can decide whose session they would want to attend and whose session they do not wish to participate. As such, having a good speaker profile is necessary for both in-person and hybrid events.

Branding and personalization

A mobile event app provides ample scope for branding and personalization; they even develop white labeling features that smoothen out branding and personalization much better. An excellent mobile event app eventually helps in enhancing the brand presence.

Seamless EVENT TICKETING and registration

Event apps have various ticketing and registration features that allow people to take ticketing on a digital level, even for on-ground events. Here, event managers offer registrations and tickets through mobile applications; it becomes easier for event organizers to get more audience to their event. EVENT APPs ease the registration process for event attendees where people can register, make the payment, and get the ticket on their mobile application.

Integration of third party

Integration of third parties is a vital element for every event app as third-party integration of events helps organizers to easily integrate various social media platforms, social walls, and payment platforms into the EVENT MANAGEMENT PLATFORM to coordinate everything.

Mobile event apps are a crucial tool that provides event organizers with a good platform for connecting and coordinating with the attendees, helping them to interact better, thereby making the event process easily manageable. It will help event organizers to get more revenue because there will be better communication between the attendees and organizers, where organizers can quickly boost customer support and create more brand awareness with a smooth event.

Get an extraordinary event experience across various formats through a customized CONFERENCE APP!

#event ticketing #event app #conference app #mobile event app #event matchmaking app

[digitalmota]

Here’s How You Solidify Your Cannabis Edible Marketing Strategy Online

Marijuana legalization has so far changed the way we approach many things, including in business. And cannabis edible marketing, for one, is an offshoot of that change and will likely remain relevant in the coming years in the future of digital technology. Especially if you’re a dispensary owner, it would benefit you a lot to leverage digital marketing and make it part of your initiatives. In doing so, you will also want to solidify your cannabis edible marketing strategy, and this article will give you some ideas on how to do that. Aim to Educate While it is true that medical cannabis is now widely accepted by society more than ever, it is still a taboo subject matter for certain people. We’re talking about older parents who lived in the age of prohibition and the “Reefer Madness” propaganda. They still believe that cannabis – a plant known for numerous medicinal benefits – is a gateway substance to harder drugs. Given this, you’d want your marketing strategy to be educational. You’re not pushing a particular agenda, but you’re presenting facts in a way that would educate the misinformed. Social Media Is Only For the Added Push Because cannabis is still illegal on a federal level, promoting its users via social media is also prohibited. That means your social media use for edible marketing will also have its limits. In this case, it should only be used as an added push to promote your content. Instead of promoting products directly, use them to build a tight-knit community around your brand or dispensary. From there, you create awareness for your products. Social media for this purpose is also for interacting with your audience. This makes you easily accessible to inquiries and any show of interest. Tap Into Both the Recreational and Medicinal Cannabis Market When one thinks of medical cannabis, space cakes and cookies will automatically come to mind. Some will veer away from them because of the horror stories they’ve likely heard from people and their traumatic experiences from ingesting weed. While there is a big market for recreational users, don’t forget about those on the medical marijuana team. They, too, could use valuable information about edibles and how they can safely integrate them into their lives. As long as you equally tap into both markets, you increase your chances of success. Let Us Help You With Your Edible Marketing Strategy If you prefer to seek help from seasoned professionals, we at Digital Mota can help you out. We offer three service packages for you to choose from, each one catering to your specific needs. For more information on what we’re all about, check out our website.

[straighttohellbuddy]

die mad about it {Dream/Reader/Sapnap} // Part 1

1. 2020

Summary: A retrospective on the interconnected timeline of Dream, Sapnap, and TV and film star Y/N, via social media.

2020. Dream first mentions having a housemate and refuses to say anything else, and when it turns out Sapnap knows more than he's letting on to his audience, he plays along too. Meanwhile, Y/N brings their housemate to events and yet somehow no-one seems to even know his name.

Need to Know: They/Them. Explicitly Non-Binary!Reader, early-20s!reader, reader is an incredibly well known film & tv star and has been living with Dream for several months/just over a year. Polyamory.

{ masterpost : 1/3 }

A/N: 3794 words. OKAY HELLO FRIENDS GUESS WHO'S BACK AT IT AGAIN??? its me. but also considering this is already almost 4k i decided that splitting it up into the 3 years was a good call. it's an interesting style but i like it :)

Taglist: @esylwen @ihatesunfl0wers @theghostpeach @rainyaheysoe @magicastle

Taglist is always open! Feel free to message or comment if you'd like to be added! xx

· JUNE ·

In June of 2020, Dream mentions that he has to keep his voice down during a stream, so he doesn't wake his housemate. It is the first time he's mentioned any sort of housemate. He does not mention them again.

Twitter, abuzz, seems to all share the same sentiment:

can you imagine being Dream's roommate? Do you think they know?

· JULY ·

The first trailer for Paramount's upcoming modern, dark fantasy, thriller HELIX, directed by Robert Eggers, and starring Y/N Y/L/N and Amandla Stenberg is released on July 12, 2020. After sweeping the 2019-2020 festival circuit, finally the film will see wider release in mid-November 2020. Described as a stylistic feast, the film appears to accent it's overall Film Noir aesthetics with moments of Psycho-Pop colour and movement, and proffers itself as a deconstruction of the the modern franchise villain. It's an exploration through metaphor of the idea that both the narrative and metanarrative that a villain finds themselves in pushes them to violent extremes in spite of, or even sometimes because of, the valid critiques they make of society, which often bely an anticapitalist agenda. Alongisde this, it offers critique of the modern superhero franchise's thinly-veiled role as military propaganda in Western media. The trailer is set to an orchestral cover of Mother Mother's Body with vocals by Halsey.

· AUGUST ·

In August of 2020, Y/N attends the premiere of their new movie, The New Mutants, seen here on the red carpet with Co-Star Charlie Heaton, accompanied by a friend, who declined to share his name for privacy reasons.

Twitter user @.Y/NS_EYELASH posted the following, among retweeting other, similar supportive sentiments from fellow users:

I love Y/N knowing their needs, cos I saw an interview they did a few years ago talking about how they need someone to help them stay grounded and not anxious on red carpets /1 | but also the fact that they brought their housemate, who is for all intents and purposes Just Some Guy, who won't even give his name? Yes King, Give Us Nothing /lh /2

Several tabloid articles are written speculating about the nature of Y/N and their housemate's relationship. Y/N does not respond, but does like several tweets that discuss how the media bastardises friendships and can ruin them.

----

On an alternate channel stream on August 31st, 2020, Sapnap confirms that both himself and George know, have spoken to, and consider themselves friends with Dream's housemate, but claims 'it's a bit weird sometimes, you know...' and though he trails off, he does not elaborate.

The exact reason about what Sapnap find weird about it all and why is hotly debated for a solid week. The reigning theory is jealousy that the housemate is able to see Dream in person.

· OCTOBER ·

In October 2020, at the beginning of a Zoom interview with MTV, the interviewer gives an offhand compliment about their setup and background. Y/N laughs and admits that they asked their housemate's friends for advice, and that the microphone itself is their housemate's; he also lets them borrow it for voice over work.

----

Halloween 2020; #DreamWasHaunted trends on twitter after Dream mentions that his housemate dressed as a sexy ghost for Halloween. Sapnap mentions that the mysterious housemate sent him a photo of themselves in costume, again confirming that they are good friends, but also calling it surreal. The twitter @dreams-housemate-updates is created.

Also Halloween 2020, Y/N posts photos of their costume, which consists of a sheet ghost, fishnets, and high heels, captioned 'do you think they'd still let me be in the sequel 😈💖'.

----

When the stream ends, and Dream has said his goodbyes, the only sound in the apartment is his PC cooling in the darkness. In moments like these he barely feels real, like he's given everything to his friends and his fans and he's only existing through wishful thinking.

Outside, he's sure countless people his age are losing themselves to the night, cool air turning sticky-hot in the modern day masquerade that was Halloween. His PC is silent, the LEDs of his set up have long since dimmed. He finally relaxes his shoulders, and in that moment the weight of the world slips from them.

Finally, he feels like he can stand.

The rest of the apartment is marginally cooler than his office, but it's still just as dark; pitch black and growing ever closer to midnight, so he turns on his phone light.

It's quiet enough that he half wonders if you've left to join the revelry for yourself, but thinks better of it. You would have at least texted him.

In his room is the only other light in the void darkness of the apartment; you're in his bed, on your side, reading something on your phone. Before he'd started the stream, you'd been going through the photos he took of you in your ghost costume, the two of you laughing hard enough to wheeze, but those few hours feel like a lifetime away. You cast enough light, he turns off his own.

Patches is curled up, purring, and refusing to move where she's decided to curl up practically on your forehead. Her eyes are alert, eyes shining in the glow of your phone screen; the minute she sees Dream she stands, stretches herself into a strange, tall shape, and nimbly running towards him, run just past him, and stand between his legs in the doorway, her tail wrapping around his shin.

Dream looks at Patches, and you look at him.

Yesterday the first episode of The Mandalorian had aired, and of your expansive audience of friends, fans, and followers, he was the only one who saw the way you were almost sick with nervous worry.

Now, your thumb on the screen keeps it from timing out, keeps your face aglow and tired eyes visible. His duvet is pulled up to your nose. He hadn't really expected this, but he's glad for it. No words, no sounds, the ringing in his ears in the darkness.

He pulls off his shirt, leaving him only in sweatpants, and he eases the phone out of your grip. In the moment before he locks your phone, he sees you've been going through your Twitter DMs. There's no light now, his curtains drawn, and the apartment quiet. You shuffle over to make room for him in the dark.

His touch is gentle in the dark, at first to make sure he doesn't collide with you, but then he doesn't let go. You shuffle back. The space lessens between you, and with his hand on your hip, you carefully lean to rest your forehead against his.

"I'm so tired," your voice is a weak, forlorn whisper, and he wraps his arm more securely around you.

Both swallowed by the darkness, by the silence, you know the world can't get to you here. This is a sanctuary.

There's no grand gestures, no declarations, but nothing is quite the same once you both wake up. Not different, just better.

· NOVEMBER ·

FIlming for the upcoming CW show 'Walker' starring Jared Padeleki commenced in Austin, Texas commenced in mid-October of 2020, however in early November, Y/N has been announced as an upcoming guest star in it's first season, and is travelling to film on location. Among various updates on Twitter and Instagram, they post 'turns out i can't 'Netflix and Chill',,, my friends and colleagues going on well produced adventures in the background kinda ruins the mood lmfao'.

----

@.dreams-housemate-updates: SAPNAP HAS MET UP WITH THE HOUSEMATE [quote tweet from @.sapnapalt: can confirm @dream's secret housemate is real and also they're mine now sorry no takebacks]

----

On his stream on November 3rd, 2020, Sapnap announces that Dream's housemate has been in town for work. While his chat is clamouring for answers as to who they are, he says they're sitting next to him, but communicate by text, not wanting to be identified by their voice.

"Did you take the job just to visit me?" In a clip from the stream, Sapnap's voice is overwhelmingly fond. After a moment, he adds, "I knew it, you're such a simp, you could have just asked- I won't take it back," he laughs loud and bright, "you literally took a whole job as an excuse to come visit me; you're a simp." And we can hear what is the the first and only, to this point, distinct clip of Dream's Housemate as they laugh.

Three days later, November 6, 2020, Sapnap tweets from his alt account about an impromptu watch party with Dream's Housemate for The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 2, just after it releases:

@.sapnapalt: excited to be able to watch the new #TheMandalorian episode with dream's housemate since they know more about this series than anyone else i will probably ever meet | @.sapnapalt: #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty yeah sure but also i don't think you all fully realise WHY this is the best and worst thing ive been a part of | @.sapnapalt: immediately after watching the recap "i feel like I should remember more of that happening. or any of it." off to a GREAT start #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "not to give anakin skywalker any props but he was right about sand" #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "prop department my beloveds" #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "costume department my beloveds" #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "Pedro Pascal and his tiny muppet child my beloveds" #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "tell your followers i just have a lot of love in my heart" #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "tweet @.Disney that i (HousemateWasTaken) should kiss pedro pascal in season 3" #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "dont tell dream tho. not because i think he'd be jealous, but id feel bad if i got to kiss pedro pascal and he didn't." #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.sapnapalt: "i don't know if he wants to kiss pedro but it'd still feel unfair to me" #HousemateMandalorianWatchParty | @.dreamwastaken: i give it five minutes before they've forgotten about the episode and just actively start simping for the cast and crew ❤️

Y/N also tweeted on 6 November, 2020. As a guest star on The Mandalorian Season 1, who had been promoted to series regular for Season 2, each week they retweet several posts around the time the new episode airs. This week, they also tweeted 'it doesn't matter if ive known you five minutes or five years, if you ask to watch an episode of #TheMandalorian with me that i tell you im in, you should know that one of the things i tell you when we watch it will be 100% false and i will not tell you which' followed by 'brb tryna convince this cute guy that some of baby yoda is repurposed Kermit the Frog'.

----

As of the middle of November, 2020, there is wild speculation about who Y/N was rumoured to be seeing whilst in Texas, though no evidence beyond two tweets from the beginning of the month point to them being close to anyone. Several Instagram story posts have highlighted their love of the people around them in the state, and also deriding the several paparazzi they've had following them.

----

"You wanna come with me to New York?" Sunday brought with it the cruel anticipation of Monday just around the corner, but with your face pressed to Sapnap's chest it's easy to shut out the rest of the world, "all expenses paid." Your can't even be bothered to hold back your yawn.

"You want me at your premiere?" There's a smile in his voice that you've come to love the sound of, and his fingertips are tracing patterns across your shoulders. You give a hum of confirmation; his hand stills, palm warm against your back even through your shirt.

"Just got you all to myself, I don't wanna leave yet," it comes out as a contented mumble, holding him a little tighter, "I missed you, dude."

"What, yesterday while you were at set?" He huffs a faint laugh.

"Before that, before we were all, you know," you finally raise your face to look at him, "I... yeah I missed you." There's a flush on his cheeks that you hadn't been expecting, and his eyes are so warm and kind.

"I can't go to New York with you," he says so very gently, which you'd been expecting, but was still faintly disappointing to hear, "it'd be too much of a giveaway, for you and for Dream." And you knew he was right, but you'd still wanted to offer. Still, after a moment, you see the regret in his eyes, "I can't believe I'm turning down meeting Chris Evans," he groaned. At this, you propped yourself up on your hands so you could lean in and give him a soft kiss.

"There's always next time," you assured, and that seems to be enough for him, as he's grinning when he pulls you back in.

----

'HousemateWasTaken | Dream's Housemate (Video Blogging RPF)' is now a recognised character tag on ArchiveOfOurOwn, with thirty-four fics; twenty-nine were posted between November 6 and 30. There are thirteen fics in the tag 'Clay | Dream/Sapnap/HousemateWasTaken', and two in the tag 'Clay | Dream/Pedro Pascal/HousemateWasTaken'.

----

HELIX premiered in New York on November 17th, 2020, and Y/N attends wearing a black, impecably tailored suit with blood-red embroidery and neon pink accessories, as a stylistic homage to the film itself, and matching their co-star Amandla Stenberg, dressed almost identically with sienna embroidery and neon orange detailing. Highlights from the red carpet interviews and photos include:

The moment Y/N and Amandla first see each other and practically run to hug one another in greeting, beaming.

Y/N posing with Chris Evan and Katie McGrath, like the child in an awkward family photo.

Any and all interviews with both Y/N and Amandla being so bright and joyful that it's almost incoherent, the most notable of which is, after being asked what it was like filming with Chris Evans, both leads turn to each other and just start asking 'Dad Evans?' in a loop, as if its the continuation of some long-running inside joke. It culminates with Chris Evans himself joining them, and both of the young leads cheering 'Dad Evans!' when he does. He regards them both very fondly, seemingly used to this behaviour, and both Y/N and Amandla both then answer the interviewer's initial question with glowing praise for Evans. He gives them both a kiss on the top of the head before they all move on to the next interview.

Y/N arm in arm with the director and the writer, standing tall and looking unshakably confident.

From rogerebert.com:

HELIX (four and a half stars)

In an age where no month is spared from the new release of a slick, shiny blockbuster made for the masses, we are constantly fed black and white morality, and worlds where even shades of grey never seem to stay that way for long. Director Robert Egger's genre-defying 'HELIX' is the refreshing and eloquent open hate-letter to this cult of personality that is the modern, franchise, superhero film, that we as a society didn't realise we so desperately needed. It's a film that will leave you feeling sick and cynical as you walk out of the theatre, but before you're even halfway home you'll be craving a second viewing, whether it be for the style, the story, or the meaning behind it all. From the desaturated design populated with violent, sparing colour, to the masterful way we slip and merge between an ironically upbeat, alternative soundtrack and deeply unsettling orchestral, it all serves to augment the oftentimes chillingly grounded performances which carry this heavy story.

Y/N in the role of protagonist, the supervillain Woolfe, is a masterclass of subtle discomfort unto themselves from the very moment the film begins. Their nuanced idiosyncrasies are relatable and believable as we spend time with them going about their day. The moments linger perhaps a second too long, which, while easy to consciously miss, subtly adds to the distinct impression that Woolfe is out of sync with the rest of the world. As we continue on, and Y/N continues to captivate us as we watch Woolfe's moral, mental, and ethical decline into violent hedonism and depravity, its terrifyingly easy to understand and believe their character progression and decisions, even if we don't agree with it, even if it's completely reprehensible. There's a queasiness that comes the moment you start seeing Woolfe as both a monster and a mirror.

[read more]

It should also be noted that in the afternoon of November 17th, 2020, just hours before the premiere began, Y/N tweeted the following:

my stylist is worried that im nervous for the premiere (which you should all see; wide release across North America with midnight screenings tonight) but idk how to tell her im actually fucked up over yesterday's events in a minecraft youtube rp | me 🤝 @.WilburSoot playing characters whose rapidly declining mental state and increasing disenfranchisement have lead to extreme, violent, detrimental outcomes, and being villainised by our narratives. | askdashkldf my housemate just messaged me 'why are you like this'.. its funnier with context, but its also funny without because honestly im kinda asking myserlf the same lol | MY CUTE FRIEND FROM TEXAS JUST ASKED ME IF I KIN DREAM I HATE IT HERE | edit: dream is FINE okay?? having kins is ALSO FINE,, none of that is the issue but i can't elaborate on what is the issue asakdfjlsdkjf i have a premiere to get to .. | i cant believe people think i have a PR team lmfao anyways | but also hello to dsmp enjoyers who might be finding me now, if u watched yesterday's events and were rooting for either wilbur or especially techno, boy do i have the movie for you! .... also everyone else! HELIX slaps and im excited to share it wit you all!

This marks the first time Y/N has acknowledged any part of the MCYT community publicly. It's the breakdown of a barrier; several content creators had been following you already due to your status as a public figure, but you now follow several content creators back, including both Sapnap and Dream.

----

A fanfiction titled 'did you mean it (when you said i was better off dead)' was posted to Archive of Our Own on November 30, 2020 with the following tags: Dream SMP - Fandom, HELIX (2020), Woolfe (HELIX)/Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It Fic, Implied Suicidal Ideation, self aware!woolfe, ghostbur - freeform, FUCK dr michael chris evans all my homies HATE dr michael chris evans, inspired by a tweet, Crack Treated Seriously, on GOD we're gonna get woolfe some love and affection.

· DECEMBER ·

With December of 2020 comes a vague update to Y/N's public relationship status in the form of a photo of a sleeping tabby cat, curled up at the bottom of an unmade bed, posted to Y/N's Instagram story with a poll; Is it morally wrong to date a guy just because you're sad his cat chooses to sleep at the end of his bed and not yours? [Responses: YES (38%) | NO (62%)]

----

Throughout December, various interviews and clips from the press junket for HELIX are released on various websites and platforms while the film is still in theatres.

"Are you bringing your roommate to the premiere?" Amandla asks in what appears to be a little bit of down-time between questions while the camera is still rolling.

"That lovely, tall fellow?" Katie McGrath leaned past Chris Evans to look at you, and you smiled brightly but shook your head with bemusement.

"I do like it when he can join me but he does this, like, freelance media production stuff and he's kind of part of this huge project right now, so I have no idea how he'll be for November," you explained with a shrug and a smile.

"Do we know his name and I've just forgotten or is he still cultivating that air of mystery?" Amandla snorts, leaning against you further on the sofa. You shift to make yourself more comfortable, tipping your head to hers.

"Still a man of mystery," you laughed fondly, and the interviewer quickly cleared his throat, next question prepared.

----

On a chill stream near the middle of December, 2020, Dream mentions that his housemate technically has Technoblade fanart printed and stuck up around their room.

"I think they're making a shrine," he says mildly, trying to stay neutral even as Sapnap is wheezing with laughter.

"Oh man, they're so gonna hate that you called it that!" He crowed, just as there comes a loud, insistent banging on Dream's door. Sapnap's passed the point of audible laughter.

"Can I help you?" Dream sounds all kinds of smug and teasing, despite how quiet he seems to have gotten since moving away from his microphone. Whoever is at the door, presumably his housemate, is not audible, "it's a little bit of a shrine," he appears to counter some sort of silent argument, "it's his quotes, like three seperate- more than one is a shrine -" there's the faintest sounds of movement, and something that sounds like a hand coming to slap a door or wall, "if you're gonna have a shrine of anyone it should be me or Sap," as if that's somehow a logical argument, "no, like an official one with candles, and the pictures closer togeth-" and his words are cut off very suddenly. Then, after a considerable amount of silence, and to much the shock of everyone both in and watching the stream, the housemate can be heard.

"You're lucky you're cute." It's so quiet half the words can't even be properly heard, and it's not enough to reveal the true identity of the housemate, but it's not hard to figure out what had been said.

The door closes; Dream clears his throat when he's back by his computer.

"They have photos of me up?" Sapnap's tone is all fond and warm, completely ignoring the fact that the stream had heard the housemate's voice very faintly... and were also quickly jumping to conclusions about how they'd shut Dream up so quickly.

"Yeah, the cute ones from when they visited last month."

----

The Archive of Our Own tag 'Clay | Dream/Sapnap/HousemateWasTaken' has 22 fics by the end of 2020, and while there are around 27 fics in 'Clay | Dream/HousemateWasTaken', approximately 15 are also tagged with some variation of 'Clay | Dream/Reader', 'Housemate!Reader', or both.

----

And shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve, bringing 2020 to a close, Y/N posted the following on Twitter:

EVERYONE SHUT UP ITS 2021 IM MAKING A HIT TWEET ahem. 🥰 this year's midnight kiss was a dream 🥰

#dream x reader #sapnap x reader #dream imagine #sapnap imagine #dream x reader x sapnap #dreamwastaken imagine #dreamwastaken x reader #dreamnap x reader #mcyt x reader #dsmp x reader #cc!dream x reader #cc!dream imagine #cc!sapnap x reader #cc!sapnap imagine #cyltlanp #Spotify

[caker-baker]

Interview

The show host shifted uncomfortably in his seat, watching the pair watching him as they were about to be cued back in.

Once the cameraman counted down to three, the host put on a smile.

“And welcome back! A little recap for those just joining in, we have welcomed Hero and Villain to the studio today to answer some questions.” He cleared his throat. “I think we’d all like to know is if you two have a natural hatred towards each other.”

“No.”

“Not even a little.”

The hero and villain shared quick glances before the host continued.

“Then, all the fighting, the boom pow! That’s just show?” He asked, flashing a smile at his audience.

Oh, he had these two now. Their little charade of destroying the city and rebuilding it. They were nothing more than gold diggers, and this interview would boost his ratings.

“Show?” The hero laughed. “I can show you the broken arm x-ray if you want. It’s not a show. It’s never been a show.”

“I- I think what my cohort here is trying to say is that, we, as a people, have no particular quarrel with each other. It’s just a job.” The villain waved their hand in the air with a lazy motion, as if to say ‘ya know?’

“Yeah, it’s the same as having an office job nemesis. Someone who doesn’t clean the microwave. Someone who gets on your nerves, sure, but at the end of the day, no harm no foul.” The hero finished for the villain.

“No harm no foul?” The host echoed, putting on his most affronted face. “I would beg to differ. I mean you, no offense, Villain, but you destroy lives, you- you, I mean,” He motioned to the audience. “Right?”

The audience, in conjunction, began to boo, the sound dying down when the hero raised their hands.

“Yeah. They’ve done awful things, but that’s why I’m here. I’m not saying we should forgive and forget, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying there’s no reason for me to seek them out to kill them. What have they done other than topple a few buildings? Was anyone inside? I’m right there afterwards to fix it anyways.”

“Shockingly,” The villain cut in. “I have bigger goals than killing civilians. Death actually complicates things.” Their eyes narrowed at the host. “You speak as if I don’t have plans, like my entire purpose is to cause destruction. But the truth is, both of us are just extremists. One of us just happens to take the rockier path.” They made another dramatic hand motion.

“So, what?” The host felt a sheen of sweat, the glare from the villain hotter than the lights. “We just sit back and let you do your thing? We just pretend it’s ok for Hero to do a half assed job?” He quickly looked at the hero. “No offense.”

The hero shrugged.

“Well, as far as their track record goes,” the villain sighed, and leaned back in their seat. “Let’s see. I don’t think they’ve ever failed to put a building back up, I have ended up in prison more times than I can count, and so far, no civilians, yourself included, have been maimed or mortally wounded.”

“And that’s impressive, surely, but-” the host began to say.

“But nothing.” The villain cut off. “You asked why Hero doesn’t kill me, you asked why we aren’t at each other’s throats right now, which, by the way, we will be doing once this is over, and you implied I want to rain hellfire over you.”

“Don’t worry.” The hero said. “We’ll be on the rooftop. Less damage that way.”

The villain swung around to face the hero quite dramatically. “That’s why you always lead us there? I thought it was an aesthetic thing.”

They blushed, slightly, folding their hands in their lap. “No. But, uh, keep going, please. I interrupted.”

“Right.” The villain swung back around. “It’s like you’re trying to push an agenda, Host.”

The host chuckled. A movie star type thing. Practiced, timely.

“Of course not. I didn’t get this far by whispering in people’s ears. I got this far by pushing for truth.”

“And you got it.” The villain stood. “So sorry to do this to you, Chuck, improper interview etiquette and all, but I think we’re done here.”

“Villain, please, I didn’t mean anything by-”

The hero also stood. “Yes, I’m sorry, Host, but this has crossed a line or two. Killing someone is…well…I don’t see you trying to kill them.” They laughed, slightly uncomfortable as they stepped away from the elevated platform.

“Hold up!” They called after the villain. “You can’t fight yourself!”

The hero was certain that the host was desperately trying to scramble some semblance of order to his studio, that some executives were blowing up his phone and the views were plummeting, but they had bigger things to worry about. One little charismatic host wouldn’t stand in the way of that. The hero could write an apology letter tomorrow.

Somehow, the villain already made it up to the rooftop, but they were turned away from the hero, hugging their arms.

“Hey! You’re speedy today. Ready?” The hero asked.

“You-” The villain swallowed their words. “I mean- you aren’t- that’s to say-”

“He was pretty pushy.” The hero interrupted, keeping their eyes on the villain. “You ok?”

“You’re not a bad person!” The villain blurted out. “For not killing me. That doesn’t make you morally gray, or whatever the host was implying. It makes you capable of drawing your lines and staying behind them.”

The hero tilted their head to the side. “You’re worried about me? My reputation?”

“No. Well, yeah.” The villain sighed, and finally turned around. “Not really your reputation. It’d help me, actually, if your reputation was bad. But you, yeah. You’ve never given me any reason to hate you, I’ve given you plenty to hate me. And that’s it, we’re just coworkers, right?”

The hero took a step forward. “He really got to you, huh?”

“I’m sorry for breaking your arm. It wasn’t intentional.”

“I know. I’m sorry I keep getting in your way.”

“No you’re not.”

The hero smiled. “No, I’m not.”

“I promise, if I end up on top some day, everything will be different. You won’t have to push for a good reputation and being a good person. You won’t have to go out of your way. Things will be better for capes.”

“If you end up on top?” The hero repeated. “There’s an idea. You’ll get rid of hosts and talk shows?”

“First thing to go.”

Silence.

“I- I can’t tell you that you’re not a bad person, Villain.” The hero admitted upon seeing the villain’s anxious eyes.

“I know. I do bad things for good reasons, but that doesn’t make me a good person. I’m not crazy, Hero. I know. I just wish you could see it my way.”

“Convince me through different methods. Come find me when it’s in a safe way. Run for office, maybe. No one knows your identity.”

The villain looked down to conceal their smile. “I don’t think they let politicians get rid of talk show hosts just for the hell of it.”

“Maybe you’ll be the first.” The hero’s cape began to flutter from the wind. “Hey, you still up for this? I know you needed some roads cleared for something, so if I could-”

“No. Not today, Hero. Get some rest. I’ll see you at some point.”

“See you, Villain.”

The hero was alone. The camera was rolling.

#another draft! #another one bites the dust except for my drafts #another one from the drafts. and another one down and another one down. another one from the drafts #hey! at some point I’ll! work on my asks! #hero x villain #villain x hero #host #I don’t like the idea of heroes and centralized media. so here’s the real villain #agendas #propaganda #influence. #or. it’s not that and don’t read into this #hero #villain #heroine #villainess #heroes and villains #not really a bad guy #just #immoral #maybe that’s the definition of bad idk honestly I’m going to look that up

[wordsnstuff]

10 Mistakes to Avoid in Action

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Over-Describing

When it comes to action, it helps to remind yourself that readers like to inject action with a hint of their own imagination. They can fill in the blanks very easily with written action scenes, because unless otherwise stated, a reader will assume that the characters are moving quickly with a lot of precision and a lot of energy. Try to comb through all of your action scenes and ask what your reader can and can’t infer. By all means, hint at the highlights and intensify focus on important details or symbolic moments, but the action is not why they’re here. They’re here for the progression the action creates. 

Superhuman Pain Tolerance

As it turns out, getting hurts is painful. Getting hit or kicked or stabbed or shot is painful, and unless the injury was very light or minor, it’s gonna hurt for a while. Even if your character is the type to repress their own feelings and ignore their pain, some inability due to pain or injury is unavoidable, especially if your character is simply human. 

No Internal Events

Action scenes are about more than what the characters are doing with their body. It’s mentally taxing, and incredibly revealing how an action scene plays out. Use this to your advantage. Use body language, pacing, emphasis, and expression to show how your character is feeling, what they’re thinking, and portray the larger implication of the scene overall. 

No Stakes

Every action scene needs stakes. It’s a simple truth, but one that is often ignored or excused away. Even if the action scene is for “entertainment”, it needs to play a role in pushing the story forward somehow. Create a smaller conflict that the characters attempt to solve, resulting in the fight scene, and then revealing a larger truth about the overall plot or developing the characters themselves. Someone needs to have something to lose or something to gain. 

Scene Accomplishing Nothing

I touched on this in the last point, but any scene whose sole purpose is “entertainment” will probably be cut in the final draft because out of all moments to make up the final product, a meaningless action scene is the quickest to cheapen it, at least to an audience. There must always be an immediate purpose, and an overarching place in the story. 

Thoughtless Character Actions

What your characters do is revealing. Body language is the hardest to manipulate to suit one’s own agenda, so the way your character fights can do an incredible and efficient job of developing them. Be intentional in your choreography of action scenes. Question why your character would choose to lunge at that moment and shy away in another. Why does this character avoid the physical confrontation versus another character who actively seeks it out as the ultimate solution to the problem?

Destroying The Suspension Of Disbelief

Your reader can let a lot of improbabilities slide, but not everything. There has to be some logic in the way action scenes play out. Where did that helicopter come from and who sent it? How are they all communicating with each other despite being miles apart? Where is this endless hoard of enemy soldiers materializing from? 

Editing Too Kindly

Cut out what doesn’t develop the story or the characters. World building can be an iffy task during an action scene, but occasionally those moments are valuable. Action scenes should never occupy too much space, because there’s only so many words a reader can read in one sitting in which characters attack each other. 

Muddy Descriptions

Be succinct and precise in your description. Avoid filler and excessive context, and please don’t spend paragraphs describing the city center before the upcoming action scene results in it being destroyed. 

Be Intentional With The Tone

Tone is everything. Where the tone begins and where it evolves to is so, so telling about your story and the characters within it. If your action scene starts with a funny moment that is interrupted by an abrupt and unexpected attack, follow through with an appropriate tone like smug victory. If it starts with a devastating loss, the ending should be equally impactful.

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#writing #writeblr #writespo #writing resources #writing tips #writer #write #action #adventure #combat #how to write #writing advice #writing help #resources for writing #resources for writers #writing reference #resource masterpost #writing inspiration #writing research #writing motivation

[hageny]

Hi! I love your Gerri and Roman analyses, so I was curious if you had any thoughts about Gerri's relationship with Laurie. We're introduced to him as she's using him for info about the DOJ investigation but by episode 8, he's apparently become her boyfriend. Which I think is kind of interesting because we've never seen Gerri with a partner at any of the other events before. At least I don't remember any. What do you think is Gerri's motivation behind all of this? Is it to push Roman away? To present a certain kind of public persona? Or maybe it's just simply for personal reasons that started out with an agenda? I'm not really wedded to any answer, I was just curious if you had thoughts. I just think the timing of it is interesting to me. I might be overthinking it though lol. Thanks for listening, either way. Have a great day!

Thanks for the question!

I posted about Gerri and Laurie a few weeks ago in one of my Succession Thoughts posts, musing about how far Gerri would go to get what she wanted from someone (i.e., dating him, sleeping with him, etc.). I think her partnership with Laurie served multiple purposes: 1. to keep Roman at bay, since she felt things between them might be dangerous now that she was CEO, 2. to manipulate Laurie into doing what she wanted, and 3. to showcase how far she's willing to go to get what she wants professionally. She's introduced as a "stone-cold killer bitch" for a reason; when it comes to her work, she does whatever it takes to get what she wants and stay in power: lying, manipulating, and just generally constantly plotting. It's interesting that by the finale we don't see Laurie with Gerri at the wedding, I don't believe, and I think the show leaves it to us to interpret why. I think that her relationship with Roman exists, partly, to showcase how much her personal feelings for him sometimes blur her otherwise fine-tuned business lens. He softens her, makes her question herself, makes her feel many conflicting things. Her relationship with Laurie is basically designed to showcase that the polar opposite part of her still exists, the one who will use--and likely has used--people to get what she wants. That cold part is still there, and her relationship with Roman succeeding depends largely on whether or not she can conquer and change the more vicious side of her personality (the same goes for Roman; to be clear, they can still be bad people and be together, they just have to change emotionally in order to accomplish getting together). I've always argued Gerri is not a nice person--even though sometimes I feel the fandom paints her in a better light than she deserves--and I really think the whole Laurie plotline was used to remind the audience to not forget what Gerri is deep inside. Nobody gets that far being a good person.

#gerri x roman #gerri/roman #gerri kellman #roman roy #succession hbo #hbo succession #succession thoughts #asks

[bloodstained-ballgowns]

‘The Morning Show’ rewatch thoughts: Part 1

I started rewatching The Morning Show in preparation for season 2 in September and I think the halfway point is a good point to scream some thoughts into the void. Spoilers for eps 1-5.

One of my personal favourite storytelling techniques is something I like to call the ‘impartial camera’, and this show uses it so effectively while handling really sensitive and volatile subject matter. The basic key to the ‘impartial camera’ in my book is that it forces the audience to make up its own mind because nothing is clear cut. There are no heroes and villains, all the characters are on the same playing field, and their actions are more being broadcast to the viewers instead of framed in certain lights. Like this show definitely has an agenda, is definitely pushing a certain narrative, but it lets the audience work through the nuances in that narrative in their own minds with everything unspoken onscreen rather than completely spelling it out for them. For example, I would say that the camera doesn’t condemn Mitch Kessler, Mitch Kessler condemns himself through his actions and his words that are shown onscreen, if that makes sense.

That being said, it’s not like the camera is just floating around. I really like a lot of the camera work here because you can tell that the direction is very purposeful while getting really personal. You definitely feel like you’re inside a character’s head when they’re at the centre of a scene.

Why has Jennifer Aniston acted in so many crappy romcoms when she can do stuff like this? She’s so good here! The acting overall is great, if a little melodramatic at times (seriously, everything is pretty much at a screeching ten, 100% of the time), but that’s partly a symptom of this crazy journalistic celebrity world where no one means what they say and everyone has a thin skin and keeps their knives sharp. Maybe melodrama is just what that world is like. 

Alex Levy is superficial and insincere and selfish and such a good character. She’s a professional (in that her job is her life, not that her tantrums are workplace appropriate, but oh well) and ambitious woman who is a complete bitch, a prejudiced feminist, and literally the embodiment of that “well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequences of my own actions” meme. Her power grabs are pretty pathetic and she has no idea what she’s doing most the time (mood) but it seems to work out for her okay mostly so I’ll give her that.

BILLY CRUDUP OH MY GOD. He’s like lightning whenever he’s onscreen, it’s amazing. Cory is probably my favourite character as well because he’s so undefinable, everything you expect and everything you don’t at the same time. His and Bradley’s friendship(?) is also fascinating and so heartening. I think they mesh so well because to viewers, they both seem like outsiders, and they definitely see that in each other too. I think they are the only characters who are ever fully, truly honest with each other. I hope season 2 doesn’t drastically change their dynamic.

I love Claire. I just really love Claire. Part of me wishes I was more like her.

Mia irritates me but you know what at least she’s good at her job (unlike some people *cough* Chip *cough*).

As long as Yanko gets to keep his eyeliner in season 2 we’re good.

I relate to Bradley on a deep level because she says what she means and gets annoyed when other people don’t do the same.

“What the fuck is going on right now.” “I don’t know but it’s weird and fascinating and I’m super into it.” Yanko and Daniel are me while watching Cory and Alex duet lmao.

Alex’s whole monologue to her daughter in the taxi about women and power fell flat to me because a) the reason the network isn’t giving her more power isn’t because she’s a woman (for once), it's because she uses that power, when she has it, entirely as a weapon for selfish means and as a slave to her very volatile emotional state, b) Alex’s ‘feminism’ is very self-serving so I don’t care and c) it was so cheesy. I liked Bradley’s one in the department store to Cory about women and media though, that was good. 

“Maybe you just have to lose it sometimes for people to take you seriously.” Debatable but it worked for Alex so...

“You sound like an ice cream flavour” She’s not wrong, Chip.

“I’m one of those strange men who only likes sleeping with women who are actually attracted to me.” askjddhjksndsk i’m still torn as to whether cory wants bradley in that way because no she’s not attracted to him and he seems to find her fascinating instead of alluring and they gel really well friendship-wise but then i feel like that’s exactly the kind of person he would fall for idk i have no idea where anything is going in s2

‘The Morning Show’ rewatch thoughts: Part 2

#the morning show #alex levy #bradley jackson #cory ellison #mitch kessler #jennifer aniston #reese witherspoon #billy crudup #impartial camera #apple tv #my post

[princeescaluswords]

I think another reason fandom treats Deaton so abysmally is, like your tags point out, he's the only person to remind Scott he's just a teenager shouldering so much responsibility. And that doesn't work for fandom. They simultaneously deem Scott unworthy of being the lead and hero, yet also say he must constantly exert himself and protect everyone without fail. He must be a living teddy bear for Stiles, attending every mental and emotional need. He must prioritize being the (unpaid) Town Protector over schoolwork but must keep his grades high. They don't like Deaton reinforcing Scott's humanity which they're dead set on denying.

There's a scene in Raving (2x08) that I think addresses what you are talking about succinctly as well as sets the stage for Deaton's role throughout the entire series.

Ms. Morrell: I can't decide if I admire your sentimentality or despise it.

Deaton: If I want your opinion, I'll make an appointment with the guidance office.

Ms. Morrell: From the state of things, I think you could use a little guidance. Are you really going to leave all of this up to a couple of kids?

Deaton: They're more capable than you think.

Ms. Morrell: And are you going to tell them what's coming?

Deaton: They've got enough to worry about.

Now, on one level this scene serves to reveal that Ms. Morrell as involved at a deeper level than the audience might have thought previously and suggests that she mistranslated the Argent bestiary on purpose. It also serves to warn us -- extraordinarily early if you give it some thought -- about the approach of the Alpha Pack. But this scene does far more than that. Each line tells us about Alan on a fundamental level, insights into character that will be repeated.

"I can't decide if I admire your sentimentality or despise it." Marin's initial jab separates Alan from her, from Derek, from Gerard, from Peter. The latter characters all see the teenagers involved in the ongoing action as, borrowing from a third season motif, pawns on a chessboard. Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Allison, and the betas are all treated like soldiers in a war. In a battle like this, characters like Marin see treating these children with respect is "sentimentality." I can't be absolutely sure why Marin lied to Allison in Venomous (2x05), but I suspect it was intended to disrupt Gerard's plans for the kanima by encouraging Scott and his friends to think that it can be saved. She actively deceives them rather than trust them with the truth. We'll learn later that she works for Deucalion and "this isn't the first time [she's] gotten her hands dirty."

This ruthless use of teenagers is a trait she shares with Derek, Peter, and Gerard. They all have goals, some good and some bad, but they feel that these ends justify those means.

"If I want your opinion, I'll make an appointment with the guidance office." Deaton is repulsed by her attitude and, in response, draws a clear boundary between them. Deaton may not share his entire life story with Scott and his friends immediately, but he doesn't actively deceive them to serve his own agenda. He's not trying to shape them under false pretense, as Marin and the others are doing. He will call Derek out in Fury (2x10) for this behavior.

Derek: I don't trust anyone.

Deaton: I know. If you did, you might be the Alpha you like to think you are.

Derek doesn't trust Scott or even his own betas to work with him if they know the full truth, so no matter how noble Derek believes his intentions are, this fundamental deception ends up getting him nowhere.

"From the state of things, I think you could use a little guidance. Are you really going to leave all of this up to a couple of kids?" Marin offers a riposte, criticizing Alan for being unwilling to do what's necessary. People are dying and a lot of people are probably going to die, and here is her brother, hoping that teenagers will make the right decisions and do the right things when he could push them into what is needed. In an echo of Peter's and fandom's criticism of Scott, she's arguing that Alan isn't willing to do what's necessary to protect others. If stopping Gerard means manipulating teenagers into danger, the reward is worth the risk (another motif from season 3). After all, as Gerard will tell Scott in Battlefield (2x11): "You want to play chess, Scott? Then you better be willing to sacrifice your own pawns."

"They're more capable than you think." Alan's answer is that he has no intention to push Scott and his friends to do what he wants. If he trusts them, if he supports them, they're going to do what's right anyway, because that's the quality he sees in Scott, which Deaton believed in from the first moment he knew Scott was bitten.

This is the key difference between the show's antagonists and Alan Deaton. He's willing to trust people, to believe in them, rather than manipulate them into doing what he wants. It's a fundamental respect for Scott and his friends as people, that the antagonists and the villains fundamentally lack. It's one of Scott's strengths as well, though he sometimes fumbles at it because he's not perfect. Scott consistently believes in his and his friends' ability to overcome obstacles, from finding a way into a bank vault to rescuing Mason from the Beast. This shared virtue is not a coincidence.

"And are you going to tell them what's coming?" This is both a defensive move from Marin -- are you going to tell them about the Alpha Pack, in which I am involved? -- and a challenge from her. If Deaton believes in Scott and his friends so much, why doesn't he tell them about the pack of murderous alphas who are undoubtedly on the way here, and that Derek knew about it.

"They've got enough to worry about." This line further marks Deaton as a wise and benevolent mentor: he recognizes that they're still teenagers. The Alpha Pack is not their responsibility, so he's not going to make it their responsibility. The antagonists and villains almost always use what their enemies are capable of as levers to try to force or convince the teenagers (and sometimes even adults) they're trying to exploit. We see this a lot out of Derek in Seasons 1 and 2, "it's what they do, and it's what Allison will do," "we have to find it first," "this is what they do, and this is why you need me," and "either you kill with it, or it kills you." Indeed, one of the first signs that Derek's redemption arc has begun is when he tries to avoid telling Scott and Stiles about the Alpha Pack, because he's learned his lesson about using fear to motivate teenagers.

Too often, the adults in Teen Wolf push teenagers, over which they have influence, into actions that the adults believe are for the greater good, using fear and/or authority to make them do what they feel is necessary, rather than treating them as individuals with their own choices and believing in them to make the right choice. This is epitomized by Peter, who constantly manipulates and fear mongers everyone around him into doing what he wants, including his own relatives, Derek and Malia. He despises Scott because Scott seems to win most of the time because of his belief in his allies. (And no, Derek was not his ally in Master Plan, he was a villain.)

Fandom too often misses one of the themes of Teen Wolf that a character achieving their goals through abusing authority or manipulation is not 'doing what's necessary,' it's fear. It's cowardice. The Anuk-Ite, a creature so powerful that it had to be imprisoned in the Wild Hunt, its manipulative abilities so potent and far-reaching as to turn the entire town against the pack, was ultimately scared. Its motivation turned out to be "I won't be trapped again!"

Standing against that attitude is Alan Deaton, from this scene in Raving to the scene in Pressure Test (6x15) where he is able to enter the cell and discover the identity of the Anuk-Ite when no one else could do it. He trusts in himself and others, and he won't let desire or fear pressure him into manipulation or deception. He consistently holds to that belief and he instills it in his protégé, as Marin describes him.

#alan deaton #alan deaton defense squad #teen wolf meta #teen wolf fandom problems #scott mccall #scott mccall defense squad