#Continuous Intelligence Market

[martblogs]

Continuous Intelligence Market Research Report: Key Drivers and Restraints, Opportunities, Industry Share & Trend Analysis Report to 2028

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of current Global Continuous Intelligence Market based on segmented types and downstream applications. Major product development trends are discussed  under major downstream segment scenario.This report also focuses on major driving factors and inhibitors that affect the market and competitive landscape. Global and regional leading players in the Continuous Intelligence industry are profiled in a detailed way, with sales data and market share info. This report also includes global and regional market size and forecast, drill-down to top 20 economies.

 According to this survey, the global Continuous Intelligence market is estimated to have reached $ xx million in 2020, and projected to grow at a CAGR of xx% to $ xx million by 2028.

 Get Request Report @ https://martresearch.com/contact/request-sample/3/16941

 Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the supply and demand status for many industries along the supply chain. Global Continuous Intelligence Market Status and Forecast 2022-2028 report makes a brilliant attempt to unveil key opportunities available in the global Continuous Intelligence market under the covid-19 impact to help readers in achieving a better market position. No matter the client is industry insider, potential entrant or investor, the report will provide useful data and information.

 The Global Continuous Intelligence Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters

Chapter 1 displays the basic product introduction and market overview.

Chapter 2 provides the competition landscape of global Continuous Intelligence industry.

Chapter 3 provides the market analysis by type and by region

Chapter 4 provides the market analysis by application and by region

Chapter 5-10 presents regional and country market size and forecast, under the context of market drivers and inhibitors analysis.

Chapter 11 analyses the supply chain, including process chart introduction, upstream key raw material and cost analysis, distributor and downstream buyer analysis.

Chapter 12 provides the market forecast by type and by application

Chapter 13 provides the market forecast by region

Chapter 14 profies global leading players with their revenue, market share, profit margin, major product portfolio and SWOT analysis.

Chapter 15 conclusions

 Get Enquiry Report @ https://martresearch.com/contact/enquiry/3/16941

  Segmented by Type

l Proactive Push Systems

l On-Demand Systems

 Segmented by Application

l BFSI

l Retail

l Aerospace

l Healthcare

l Entertainment

l Manufacturing

l Other

 Get Discount Report @ https://martresearch.com/contact/discount/3/16941

Key manufacturers included in this survey

l TIBCO

l Swim

l SumoLogic

l Striim

l Splunk

l Qlik

l ITC Infotech

l InterSystems

l EVAM

l Alteryx

 Contact Us:-

+1-857-300-1122

 enquiry@martresearch.com

 sales@martresearch.com

[digitalwibe]

Europe Aircraft Leasing Market: Rapid Development and Value Trends Forecast (2024-2032)

The Europe Aircraft Leasing Market is on a trajectory of rapid development, driven by evolving value trends and a robust aviation sector. As European airlines and operators navigate the complexities of fleet management, leasing has emerged as a strategic solution to meet both current and future needs.

Europe Aircraft Leasing Market showcases the following key aspects:

Fleet Expansion and Modernization: European airlines are increasingly turning to leasing to expand and modernize their fleets. This approach allows them to quickly integrate new aircraft models that enhance operational efficiency and comply with environmental regulations.

Economic Uncertainty and Flexibility: Leasing provides airlines with greater financial flexibility amid economic uncertainties. It allows operators to manage capital expenditure more effectively and adjust their fleet size according to market demand.

Technological Advancements: The adoption of advanced technologies in leased aircraft supports better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. European airlines benefit from these innovations without the long-term financial commitment of owning the aircraft.

Regulatory Pressure: Europe’s stringent environmental regulations drive the demand for modern, eco-friendly aircraft. Leasing offers a practical solution for airlines to meet these requirements while minimizing financial risk.

Geographical Distribution: Key markets in Europe, such as the UK, Germany, and France, are at the forefront of the leasing trend. Their well-developed aviation sectors and strategic positions contribute to the overall growth of the market.

The forecast for the Europe Aircraft Leasing Market is characterized by robust growth and ongoing development. As airlines continue to seek flexible and cost-effective solutions, leasing will remain a vital component of the region’s aviation landscape.

About US

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. To stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.

Contact us:

Market Research Future (part of Wants tats Research and Media Private Limited),

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Sales: +1 628 258 0071 (US) +44 2035 002 764 (UK)

Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com

[realjdobypr]

Supercharge Your Content Strategy with AI Technology

Overcoming Challenges in AI Adoption In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a crucial aspect for businesses looking to stay competitive and innovative. However, this adoption is not without its challenges. In this blog section, we will delve into two key challenges faced by organizations in the process of integrating AI into their…

[jcmarchi]

The Current State of AI in Marketing 2024

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-current-state-of-ai-in-marketing-2024/

The Current State of AI in Marketing 2024

The use of AI in marketing has changed how businesses communicate with clients. It provides personalized client experiences and can automate repetitive tasks. According to a McKinsey study, around 75% of the value AI use cases could deliver falls across four areas, and marketing is one of these.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) in marketing size is expected to reach $145.42 billion by 2032. 

Despite AI’s potential to deliver substantial results in marketing, marketers are hesitant to fully adopt this technology. Hence, if you’re a marketer not using AI, you’re potentially missing out on the benefits of a highly transformative technology.

Let’s go over the current state of AI adoption in marketing and how marketers can benefit from it.

AI Adoption Among Marketers

The winds of change are sweeping through marketing departments worldwide. A recent GetResponse survey revealed that 45% of respondents already use AI tools in their marketing strategies. They stated that they employed AI to automate processes, personalize marketing, and gain deeper insights into the needs of their target audience.

Furthermore, another noteworthy finding from the survey indicates that approximately one-third of respondents (32%) either do not use AI presently (26%) or don’t even know what it is (6%). This underscores the necessity for enhanced awareness of AI marketing’s advantages. Marketers can truly attain success in their endeavors only by comprehending its potential and how it can boost their marketing efforts.

AI also offers marketers an exciting opportunity. Early adopters who properly leverage AI’s power can gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

The Potential of AI in Marketing

AI is changing the marketing industry by creating various new opportunities. Here are a few instances of how AI in marketing is altering how businesses communicate with their customers:

1. Data Analytics

AI enables marketers to monitor customer data and uncover hidden patterns and trends. This allows well-informed decisions by gaining a deeper grasp of customers’ behavior and preferences.

2. Content Generation

AI can generate personalized content, from product descriptions to social media posts, at scale. This frees up marketers to focus on creative strategy and ensures content resonates with specific audience segments.

3. Personalization

AI analyzes individual client data and behavior to allow hyper-personalized marketing experiences. Through dynamic content recommendations, personalized email campaigns, and tailored product suggestions, AI-driven personalization fosters deeper customer engagement and loyalty, driving conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

4. Audience Segmentation & Targeting

AI algorithms can segment audiences, identify high-value customers, and enable targeted marketing campaigns. This maximizes campaign effectiveness and ensures resources are directed towards the most receptive audiences.

5. Programmatic Advertising

AI automates the process of buying and selling ad space, optimizing bids in real time for maximum reach and ROI. This helps marketers to gain valuable time and efficiency while delivering impactful ad campaigns.

6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

AI can analyze search trends and user behavior to inform SEO strategies. This helps marketers identify relevant keywords, optimize content for search engines, and improve their organic search ranking.

AI Concerns that Hinder AI Adoption in Marketing

While AI offers numerous benefits, legitimate concerns exist that can affect its wider adoption in marketing. Here are some key roadblocks:

Data Security: Marketers handle a vast amount of sensitive customer data. Concerns about AI security, data breaches, and misuse of information with AI tools can be a significant deterrent.

Vague AI Regulations: The legal domains surrounding AI are still evolving. Unclear regulations can create uncertainty and hesitation around data privacy and consumer rights within AI-powered marketing strategies, concerning 30% of respondents.

Lack of AI Strategy: Many businesses lack a clear roadmap for AI implementation. The technology’s potential can remain unrealized without a well-defined strategy aligning AI with overall marketing goals.

Implementation Cost/Pricey Technology: Advanced AI tools can come with a hefty price tag, posing a challenge for businesses with limited budgets. As GetResponse shows, 35% of respondents are concerned about AI costs. Additionally, the cost of implementation and integration with existing infrastructure can be a barrier.

Skills Gap/Upskilling: Using AI effectively requires a new skillset within marketing teams. Moreover, upskilling current employees or recruiting individuals with AI and data analysis expertise might require additional investment.

Strategies to Overcome Challenges Related to AI Adoption

AI’s power in marketing is undeniable. But, dealing with roadblocks to adoption is key. Here are key strategies to navigate these challenges:

Education and Training

Equip your marketing team with the knowledge and skills to work effectively with AI. Invest in training programs or workshops to demystify their misconceptions and address concerns regarding AI, building their confidence in using it.

Collaboration with AI Experts and Consultants

Team up with AI experts for guidance. These professionals can help you integrate AI into your existing processes. Hence, with their expertise under your sleeves, you can create a strategic roadmap that will help optimize the effectiveness of your AI plan.

Pilot Projects and Testing Phases

Start small. Implement pilot projects with specific goals to test the effectiveness of AI tools in your marketing efforts. This method lets you experiment with AI safely and highlights its benefits for your organization.

Transparency and Communication

Openly communicate the benefits and limitations of AI in marketing to all stakeholders. Addressing privacy concerns and promoting a sense of trust in AI implementation is important for its successful adoption.

Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitor AI performance regularly, analyzing results and adapting strategies as needed. This will help you understand whether you are on the right track and ensure that AI tools deliver optimal results and meet your evolving marketing goals.

Staying Informed on Evolving AI Regulations

Stay proactive and updated on emerging AI regulations, such as the EU’s AI Act, to ensure compliance and mitigate legal risks. Building a culture of responsible AI use can strengthen consumer trust and promote long-term success.

Ready to use the power of AI in your marketing strategy? Visit Unite.ai, a leading resource for AI and marketing news and insights today. Explore the latest advancements in AI technology and discover how it can transform your marketing efforts.

[chloedecker0]

Maximizing Retail Profits: Harnessing B2B Price Optimization Software

In the ever-evolving world of retail and e-commerce, businesses are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge. Among the many strategies employed, B2B Price Optimization and Management Software stands out as a game-changer. Price optimisation and management (PO&M) software solutions enable businesses to oversee and optimize the prices of their goods and services. These services also provide a growing range of sales intelligence advice, such as best-next-action suggestions and customer churn warnings. In the industry, vendors either focus on back-office price management and product management roles, or they focus on providing real-time sales intelligence to sales representatives and B2B digital commerce websites, or both. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, a leading global advisory and consulting firm, has recognized the significance of this technology in their report, “B2B Price Optimization and Management Applications, 2023”. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions focuses on helping clients in achieving business transformation goals with Strategic Business, and Growth Advisory Services. 

Download the sample report of Market Share: B2B Price Optimization and Management Software

Understanding the Retail and E-commerce Landscape 

The retail and e-commerce industry is a highly dynamic and competitive space. Companies within this domain face the continuous challenge of pricing their products right to maximize profitability while staying attractive to their customers. In this context, pricing becomes a critical element of their strategy. Let's delve into some of these challenges: 

Rapidly Changing Market Dynamics: Retail and e-commerce markets are highly volatile, with ever-shifting consumer preferences and market trends. Adapting to these changes in real-time is essential to stay competitive. Without the right tools, businesses risk making pricing decisions that are out of sync with market realities. 

Intense Competition: In retail and e-commerce, competition is fierce. With numerous players offering similar products or services, pricing becomes a key differentiator. Setting prices too high can drive customers away, while pricing too low can erode profit margins. 

Complex Supply Chain and Cost Structures: The retail and e-commerce sector often deals with complex supply chain operations and cost structures. Understanding the true costs associated with a product or service is essential for setting optimal prices. Traditional methods of cost calculation can be time-consuming and error-prone. 

Customer Behaviour and Expectations: Today's consumers are more informed and price-sensitive than ever before. Their buying behaviour can change rapidly in response to various factors, including promotions, discounts, and market trends. Retailers must be agile in responding to these changes. 

Competitor Pricing Strategies: Keeping a constant eye on competitor pricing is crucial. Businesses need to respond promptly to pricing moves made by competitors to remain competitive. Manual tracking and analysis of competitor pricing are arduous and inefficient processes. 

Download the sample report of Market Forecast: B2B Price Optimization and Management Software

B2B Price Optimization and Management Software: A Necessity 

B2B Price Optimization and Management Software is the solution to these challenges. This technology leverages advanced algorithms, data analytics, and real-time market insights to help businesses make data-driven pricing decisions. It empowers retail and e-commerce companies to optimize their prices efficiently while taking into account factors like demand fluctuations, competitor pricing, and customer behaviour.

Talk To Analyst: https://quadrant-solutions.com/talk-to-analyst

[drnic1]

Burnout, Brilliance, and the Road Ahead

Reviving Healthcare This week I am talking to John Fryer Chief Revenue Officer Lumeris. John discusses his journey in healthcare, starting with his entry into the finance world before being influenced by innovator Neil Patterson to focus on healthcare and ended up joining and cutting his teeth at Cerner Corporation with health systems and technology, and the emergence of value-based care. We…

[sayruq]

Israel organized and paid for an influence campaign last year targeting U.S. lawmakers and the American public with pro-Israel messaging, as it aimed to foster support for its actions in the war with Gaza, according to officials involved in the effort and documents related to the operation. The covert campaign was commissioned by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, a government body that connects Jews around the world with the State of Israel, four Israeli officials said. The ministry allocated about $2 million to the operation and hired Stoic, a political marketing firm in Tel Aviv, to carry it out, according to the officials and the documents. The campaign began in October and remains active on the platform X. At its peak, it used hundreds of fake accounts that posed as real Americans on X, Facebook and Instagram to post pro-Israel comments. The accounts focused on U.S. lawmakers, particularly ones who are Black and Democrats, such as Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader from New York, and Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, with posts urging them to continue funding Israel’s military. ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, was used to generate many of the posts. The campaign also created three fake English-language news sites featuring pro-Israel articles. The Israeli government’s connection to the influence operation, which The New York Times verified with four current and former members of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and documents about the campaign, has not previously been reported. FakeReporter, an Israeli misinformation watchdog, identified the effort in March. Last week, Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and OpenAI, which makes ChatGPT, said they had also found and disrupted the operation.

[SOURCE]

Israel’s bot army was so obvious the New York Times had to write an article about it

[codetrusoftwaredeveloper]

TOP TECH TRENDS TO SHAPE YOUR CAREER IN 2022

2022 Top technologies to shape your career

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) , although started gaining popularity a decade ago, still continues to be one of the new technologies today because its remarkable effects on how we live, work, and play are still in the early stages. AI is already popular for its use in applications for image and speech recognition, navigation programs, smartphone personal assistants, voice assistants, and much more.

A B2B research firm “Markets and Markets” suggested that the AI market is expected to grow to a $190 billion industry by 2025. So, with AI spreading its wings across sectors, new jobs will be created in development, programming, testing, support, and maintenance. Even the salaries provided for these jobs will be quite high, thus, AI technology is the trend to watch out for.

Robotic Process Automation

Just like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is another trending technology that is automating jobs. RPA in general is the use of multiple software and applications used for automating business processes such as data collection and analysis, customer service, and other repetitive tasks, which were managed previously through manual processes.

RPA is a rapidly advancing technology that generates many jobs across different industries. It offers several new career options and trajectories such as a programmer, project manager, business analyst, or consultant.

Edge Computing Cloud computing previously was a new technology trend to watch, however, with major players like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform dominating the market, Cloud computing has become mainstream.

Although organizations are adopting Cloud solutions today, they have found several limitations in this technology. And thus, it is not an emerging technology trend. Edge is.

Edge computing is designed to help bypass the latency that Cloud Computing causes and helps organizations to get data into a data center for processing.

Click for more information "2022 Information Technologies" -https://codetru.com/TechTrends

[estellan0vella]

Dating Them ❀ includes: Gojo, Geto, Nanami, Choso, Sukuna, Toji, Yuta, Yuji, Megumi & Toge with special addition: Maki (REQUESTED) Masterlist

Satoru Gojo

Adventurous Dates: Gojo loves excitement and adventure, so expect dates filled with thrill-seeking activities like skydiving, bungee jumping, or exploring abandoned places. He'll always keep you on your toes.

Sense of Humor: Despite his serious demeanor in battle, Gojo has a playful and mischievous side, so be prepared for lots of witty banter and playful teasing during your dates. He'll keep you laughing all night long.

Spontaneity: Don't be surprised if Gojo suddenly whisks you away on a spontaneous road trip or decides to try out a new restaurant on a whim. He loves living in the moment and hates sticking to strict plans.

Confidence Booster: Gojo's confidence is infectious, and he'll always make you feel like the most important person in the room. He's not afraid to shower you with compliments and affection, boosting your self-esteem whenever you're feeling down.

Listener and Advisor: Despite his carefree attitude, Gojo is a great listener and always offers sound advice whenever you need it. Whether it's about school, work, or personal issues, he'll lend a sympathetic ear and help you work through any problems.

Protective Nature: As a Jujutsu Sorcerer, Gojo has a strong protective instinct, and he'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe from harm. He'll always have your back in dangerous situations and will go to great lengths to ensure your well-being.

Intellectual Stimulation: Gojo is incredibly intelligent and well-read, so expect deep conversations about a wide range of topics, from philosophy and history to pop culture and current events. He'll challenge your mind and keep you intellectually stimulated.

Romantic Gestures: Despite his playful demeanor, Gojo knows how to be romantic when the occasion calls for it. Whether it's surprising you with flowers and chocolates or writing you heartfelt love letters, he'll always make sure you feel loved and cherished.

Respect for Independence: While Gojo loves spending time with you, he also respects your independence and understands the importance of having your own space and interests. He'll never try to control or smother you, allowing you to pursue your passions freely.

Unpredictable Romance: Dating Gojo is anything but boring. With his unpredictable nature and boundless energy, every day is a new adventure filled with surprises, laughter, and love. Get ready for a whirlwind romance unlike any other.

Drabble: You and Satoru Gojo are strolling through a bustling street market, the air filled with the aroma of exotic spices and the chatter of vendors. His hand is intertwined with yours, his thumb gently tracing circles on your palm as you browse the colorful stalls.

"Hey, check this out," Satoru says, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he leads you to a stall selling handmade jewelry. You watch as he sifts through the intricate designs, his enthusiasm contagious.

"This one would look perfect on you," he declares, holding up a delicate silver necklace adorned with a small sapphire gemstone. You smile, touched by his thoughtfulness, and let him fasten it around your neck.

As you continue exploring the market, Satoru's attention is constantly drawn to the most peculiar items—a jar of glowing fireflies, a mysterious-looking mask, a book with a tattered cover. He's like a child in a candy store, his curiosity endless and infectious.

Eventually, the sun begins to set, casting a warm glow over the bustling market. Satoru suggests grabbing dinner at a nearby ramen shop, and you eagerly agree.

As you sit across from each other, slurping noodles and sharing laughs, you can't help but feel grateful for moments like these—simple yet unforgettable, filled with love and laughter. With Satoru by your side, every day is an adventure worth savouring.

Suguru Geto

Mysterious Dates: Suguru is not one to reveal everything about himself easily, so dates with him might involve a lot of mystery and surprise. He enjoys keeping you on your toes, planning unexpected outings or adventures that make every moment with him thrilling.

Intellectual Conversations: Geto is highly intelligent and well-read, so conversations with him are never dull. Whether you're discussing philosophy, literature, or the latest supernatural phenomena, he always has something insightful to contribute and enjoys engaging with your ideas and perspectives.

Dark Sense of Humor: Geto's humor tends to be on the darker side, often laced with sarcasm and wit. He appreciates someone who can match his dry humor and isn't easily offended by his sometimes macabre jokes.

Protective Nature: Despite his aloof exterior, Suguru cares deeply for those he's close to, and he's fiercely protective of his loved ones. He'll go to great lengths to ensure your safety and well-being, even if it means putting himself in danger.

Occasional Disappearances: As someone involved in the dangerous world of curses and sorcery, Suguru may occasionally have to disappear for extended periods to deal with supernatural threats. While it can be worrying, you understand that it comes with the territory and eagerly await his return, knowing he'll always come back to you.

Emotional Walls: Suguru has his fair share of emotional baggage, and he's not always quick to open up about his feelings. It takes time and patience to earn his trust, but once you do, you'll find a deeply caring and loyal partner beneath his stoic facade.

Romantic Gestures with a Twist: Geto may not be the most conventional romantic, but he has his own way of showing affection. Whether it's leaving cryptic messages for you to decipher or surprising you with a carefully curated selection of dark poetry, his gestures always come with an air of mystery and intrigue.

Drabble: You sit across from Suguru at a dimly lit cafe, the ambient chatter around you blending with the soft jazz music playing in the background. His piercing gaze flickers over the menu, lips quirking into a faint smirk as he considers his options. You watch him, captivated by the way his mind works, always calculating, always one step ahead.

When he finally looks up, his eyes meet yours, a hint of amusement dancing within them. "What do you recommend?" he asks, voice low and smooth like velvet.

You suggest a specialty coffee, and he nods, signaling the waiter with a subtle gesture. As you wait for your drinks, conversation flows effortlessly between you, shifting from mundane topics to the esoteric mysteries that both fascinate and haunt Suguru's world.

He leans in closer, his breath brushing against your skin as he confides in you, sharing glimpses of his past, his fears, his hopes. It's a rare moment of vulnerability, one that you cherish, knowing that he trusts you enough to let you in.

When the coffee arrives, Suguru takes a slow sip, savoring the rich aroma before meeting your gaze once more. "Thank you," he murmurs, a genuine warmth softening his usually guarded expression.

In that moment, you realize how much he means to you, how his enigmatic presence has woven itself into the fabric of your life. You reach across the table to brush your fingers against his and he grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers with a small quirk of his lips.

Kento Nanami

Loyalty Above All: Nanami values loyalty immensely, so in a relationship, he's the epitome of a faithful partner. Once he commits, he's all in, prioritizing his partner's happiness and well-being.

Reserved Affection: While Nanami might not be overtly affectionate in public, he shows his love through thoughtful gestures and actions. It could be something as simple as making your favorite meal after a long day or leaving little notes around the house.

Understanding and Respect: He's someone who deeply respects his partner's independence and space. He understands the importance of individual growth and encourages you to pursue your passions and dreams.

Quality Time: Despite his busy schedule, Nanami makes a concerted effort to spend quality time with his partner. Whether it's a quiet evening at home or a spontaneous weekend getaway, he cherishes these moments together.

Shared Interests: Nanami appreciates having common interests with his partner, whether it's enjoying a good book together, going on hikes, or simply binge-watching your favorite shows.

Trust and Communication: Trust and communication are non-negotiables for Nanami. He believes in open and honest dialogue, discussing any concerns or issues that may arise in the relationship calmly and respectfully.

Sense of Humor: Despite his serious demeanor, Nanami has a dry sense of humor that catches you off guard. He loves sharing witty banter and inside jokes with his partner, finding joy in those little moments of laughter.

Supportive Partner: Nanami is your biggest cheerleader, always there to support you through life's ups and downs. Whether you're facing challenges at work or personal struggles, he's by your side, offering guidance and encouragement.

Surprising Romantic: While he may not be the most overtly romantic person, Nanami has his moments of surprising you with heartfelt gestures or unexpected romantic outings, showing that he truly cares and appreciates you.

Security and Stability: In Nanami's arms, you feel a sense of security and stability. His calm and composed demeanor serves as an anchor, providing you with the reassurance that no matter what happens, you have each other's backs.

Drabble: As you walk through the bustling streets, the weight of the day's stress begins to lift at the mere thought of returning home to Kento Nanami. The door creaks open, revealing the comforting glow of the living room lamp, casting soft shadows against the walls.

"Welcome back," his voice, warm and soothing, washes over you as you step inside. His presence alone brings a sense of calm, grounding you in the present moment.

You watch as he sets aside his paperwork, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. It's a silent invitation, one that you eagerly accept as you join him on the couch.

In the quiet intimacy of the evening, you find solace in each other's company. His hand finds yours, fingers intertwining effortlessly as if they were made to fit together. There's no need for words; his touch speaks volumes, conveying a depth of affection that words could never capture.

As you rest your head against his shoulder, you feel a sense of belonging wash over you, a feeling that this is where you're meant to be. In this moment, surrounded by his love, you realize that home isn't a place—it's the warmth of his embrace, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, and the unwavering presence of Kento Nanami by your side.

Choso Kamo

Protective Nature: Choso is fiercely protective of his loved ones. When in a relationship, he would prioritize the safety and well-being of his partner above all else. Expect him to always have your back in any situation, whether it's fighting curses or dealing with everyday challenges.

Reserved yet Affectionate: Choso may come off as aloof or distant at first, but once he opens up to you, his affection knows no bounds. He expresses his love through subtle gestures, like cooking your favorite meals or silently watching over you when you sleep.

Deep Conversations: Choso is not one for small talk. He prefers deep, meaningful conversations where both partners can share their inner thoughts and feelings. Whether it's discussing philosophy, the mysteries of life, or simply sharing personal stories, he values intellectual stimulation in a relationship.

Physical Affection: Despite his stoic demeanor, Choso craves physical affection from his partner. He may not initiate it often, but he appreciates moments of closeness, whether it's holding hands, cuddling, or sharing a comforting hug after a long day.

Respectful of Boundaries: Choso respects boundaries and understands the importance of personal space. He won't pressure you into anything you're not comfortable with and will always communicate openly about his own needs and boundaries.

Adventurous Spirit: Dating Choso means embarking on thrilling adventures together. Whether it's exploring new places, trying exotic foods, or facing dangerous curses, he enjoys the excitement of discovering the unknown with his partner by his side.

Loyalty and Devotion: Once Choso commits to a relationship, he is fiercely loyal and devoted. He values honesty and integrity, and expects the same from his partner. Trust is paramount in his eyes, and he will do everything in his power to uphold it.

Emotional Support: Choso may not always know the right words to say, but he's a great listener and offers unwavering emotional support. Whether you're celebrating successes or facing hardships, he'll be there to lend a comforting shoulder to lean on.

Drabble: As you stroll through the bustling streets of the city, Choso walks quietly beside you, his presence both calming and reassuring. The neon lights illuminate the night, casting a soft glow upon his stoic features. You steal a glance at him, marvelling at the way his eyes gleam with a quiet intensity.

"Have you ever been to this part of town before?" you ask, breaking the comfortable silence between you.

Choso shakes his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "No, but I'm enjoying exploring it with you."

His words warm your heart, and you find yourself drawn to him even more. As you continue your journey through the labyrinth of streets, you can't help but feel grateful for this moment, for the simple joy of being by his side.

Suddenly, a gust of wind sends a flurry of cherry blossoms swirling around you, creating a magical spectacle of pink petals dancing in the air. Choso reaches out and catches one, his hand closing around it gently.

"For luck," he murmurs, sliding the flower into your hair.

You blush, feeling a surge of warmth spread through you at the simple gesture. In that moment, you realize how lucky you are to have Choso in your life

Ryomen Sukuna

Protective Nature: Dating Sukuna means having someone fiercely protective by your side. He may not openly admit it, but he's always keeping a close eye on your surroundings, ensuring your safety without you even realizing it.

Unexpected Gentleness: Despite his fierce reputation, Sukuna has moments of unexpected gentleness reserved only for you. Whether it's a soft touch, a tender word, or a protective arm around your shoulders, he shows his affection in subtle but meaningful ways.

Adventure Seeker: Sukuna isn't one to shy away from adventure, and dating him means embarking on thrilling journeys together. Whether it's exploring ancient ruins, seeking out powerful adversaries, or simply wandering through the wilderness, every moment with him is an exhilarating experience.

Shared Secrets: As someone with a complex past and deep-seated secrets, Sukuna doesn't open up easily. However, as your relationship grows, he begins to trust you with pieces of his past, sharing intimate details and vulnerabilities that he hides from the rest of the world.

Fiery Passion: Passionate doesn't even begin to describe Sukuna's intensity in both love and war. When it comes to you, his passion blazes like wildfire, consuming everything in its path. From heated arguments to fiery embraces, every moment with him is electrifying.

Balancing Act: Dating Sukuna requires a delicate balance between his human and demonic sides. While his demonic nature can be intimidating, his human side craves love and companionship. You find yourself navigating the complexities of both, knowing that even the slightest misstep could have dire consequences.

Mutual Growth: Despite his centuries of existence, Sukuna is still capable of growth and change, especially with you by his side. As you navigate the ups and downs of your relationship, you both learn from each other, evolving and becoming better versions of yourselves in the process.

Unwavering Loyalty: Once you earn Sukuna's loyalty and affection, you have it for life. He may be ruthless to his enemies, but he's fiercely loyal to those he cares about. Knowing that he would do anything to protect you gives you a sense of security like no other.

Drabble: You sit beside Sukuna, watching the flames dance in the darkness. His presence is both comforting and electrifying, his aura tinged with a dangerous allure that draws you in like a moth to a flame.

"You're awfully quiet tonight," he remarks, his voice low and rumbling like distant thunder.

You glance at him, a small smile playing on your lips. "Just enjoying the moment," you reply, leaning into his warmth.

His gaze softens, a rare tenderness flickering in those crimson eyes. Without a word, he pulls you closer, his arm wrapping around your shoulders protectively.

In that moment, surrounded by darkness and danger, you find solace in his embrace. With Sukuna by your side, you know that no matter what challenges may come, you'll face them together, bound by an unbreakable bond forged in fire and passion.

Toji Fushiguro

Quiet Moments: Despite his rough exterior, Toji enjoys quiet moments too. You'll often find yourselves enjoying peaceful evenings together, maybe watching the sunset or stargazing. These moments allow him to open up in his own way, sharing thoughts and stories he might not otherwise.

Late Night Talks: Despite his busy schedule, Toji cherishes the quiet moments he gets to spend with you. Late at night, when the rest of the world is asleep, he'll open up about his past, his dreams, and his fears, trusting you with his deepest thoughts and feelings.

Cooking Together: Toji might not be a master chef, but he enjoys cooking together with you. Expect lots of experimentation in the kitchen, with varying degrees of success. Even if the meal doesn't turn out perfectly, the experience of working together and laughing over mishaps is what matters most.

Protective Nature: Toji's protective instincts run deep. He'll always prioritize your safety and well-being, sometimes to the point of being overly cautious. While it can be frustrating at times, you appreciate knowing that he always has your back.

Surprising Affection: Toji may not be the most outwardly affectionate person, but he has his ways of showing you he cares. Whether it's a gentle touch, a stolen kiss when he thinks no one's looking, or a thoughtful gesture that catches you off guard, his love for you is undeniable.

Equal Partners: Toji sees you as his equal in every way, and he'll treat you as such. He'll never belittle your achievements or dismiss your ambitions, and he'll always support you in pursuing your goals, no matter how big or small they may be.

Respecting Independence: Toji respects your independence and values your individuality. He'll never try to change you or smother you with constant attention. Instead, he encourages you to pursue your passions and dreams, offering his support every step of the way.

Blunt Honesty: Toji is known for his straightforwardness, and that doesn't change in a relationship. He'll always tell you exactly what's on his mind, even if it's not what you want to hear. But his honesty also means you'll never have to second-guess where you stand with him.

Unconventional Romance: Your relationship with Toji is anything but conventional, and you wouldn't have it any other way. From his blunt honesty to his unexpected gestures of affection, every moment with him is an adventure filled with surprises and excitement.

Drabble: You're sitting together on the rooftop of your apartment building, the city lights twinkling below like a sea of stars. Toji's leaning against the railing, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The night air is cool against your skin, but his presence beside you radiates warmth.

"You ever think about the future?" he asks, his voice low and contemplative.

You tilt your head, studying his profile in the dim light. "Sometimes," you admit. "But right now, I'm just happy to be here with you."

Toji quirks an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Smooth talker," he teases, but there's a hint of fondness in his tone.

You reach out and gently bump your shoulder against his. "Seriously though," you say softly. "As long as I'm with you, the future doesn't seem so scary."

For a moment, Toji is silent, his gaze softening as he looks at you. Then, he stubs out his cigarette and turns to face you fully, his hand finding yours in the darkness.

"Guess we'll just have to take it one day at a time," he says, his thumb tracing circles on the back of your hand. "Together."

Yuta Okkotsu

Protective Nature: Yuta is fiercely protective of those he cares about. He'll always have your back in any situation, whether it's a dangerous cursed spirit encounter or just offering emotional support during tough times.

Adventurous Spirit: Yuta loves to explore and try new things, so dates with him would often involve exciting adventures like hiking in the mountains, exploring hidden shrines, or trying out exotic cuisines at hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Gentle and Considerate: Despite his tough exterior and his past struggles, Yuta is incredibly gentle and considerate towards his partner. He'll always listen to your thoughts and feelings, and he'll go out of his way to make you feel loved and appreciated.

Shared Interests: Yuta is a big fan of movies, especially horror films, so movie nights with him would be a common occurrence. You'll find yourselves curled up on the couch together, popcorn in hand, watching your favorite films or discovering new ones.

Training Together: Yuta takes his training as a sorcerer very seriously, and he'd love to share that part of his life with you. You might find yourselves practicing martial arts together or studying curses and exorcism techniques side by side.

Supportive Partner: Yuta understands the weight of carrying burdens, and he'll always be there to support you through yours. Whether it's helping you overcome your fears or chasing your dreams, he'll be your biggest cheerleader every step of the way.

Quiet Moments: While Yuta enjoys thrilling adventures, he also cherishes quiet moments spent together. Whether it's sitting together under the stars, taking a leisurely stroll through a park, or simply cuddling up together on the couch, he treasures these peaceful moments with you.

Unwavering Loyalty: Once Yuta commits to a relationship, he's in it for the long haul. You can always count on his unwavering loyalty and dedication, knowing that he'll stand by your side through thick and thin.

Surprises: Yuta might not always be the most vocal about his feelings, but he shows his love in thoughtful gestures and surprises. Whether it's leaving little notes for you to find or planning spontaneous weekend getaways, he's always finding ways to make you feel special.

Growing Together: Yuta believes in growing and evolving together as a couple. He's open to communication and compromise, always striving to strengthen your bond and build a future together filled with love and happiness.

Drabble: As you sit together in the dimly lit room, the soft glow of the TV casting shadows across the walls, you can't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over you. Yuta's arm is draped around your shoulders, pulling you closer as you both watch a suspenseful horror movie. Despite the tension on the screen, you feel safe and secure in his embrace.

Every now and then, Yuta steals a glance at you, his eyes filled with warmth and affection. You catch his gaze and share a smile, a silent exchange that speaks volumes. In moments like these, words seem unnecessary. It's the quiet comfort of being together that matters most.

As the movie reaches its climax, you find yourself instinctively leaning into Yuta, seeking solace in his presence. He tightens his hold around you, offering silent reassurance. And in that simple gesture, you realize how lucky you are to have him by your side.

Yuji Itadori

Food Lover: Yuji has a huge appetite and loves trying different foods. He'd enjoy taking you to his favourite food spots and would always be open to trying new cuisines together. Expect lots of foodie adventures and maybe even some friendly competitions to see who can finish their meal first! (Spoiler alert: it's never you unless he lets you win)

Supportive Partner: Despite his tough exterior, Yuji is incredibly caring and supportive. He'd always be there for you, whether you need someone to listen to your problems or just want a shoulder to lean on. He's a great listener and would go out of his way to make you feel loved and supported.

Training Buddies: Yuji takes his training seriously, and he'd love having you by his side as his training partner. Whether it's hitting the gym, going for runs, or practicing martial arts together, you'd both push each other to become stronger physically and mentally.

Goofy and Playful: Yuji has a playful side and loves goofing around. He'd enjoy teasing you in a lighthearted way and would always be up for silly antics and inside jokes. His infectious laughter and cheerful personality would make every moment spent together full of joy and laughter.

Protective Nature: As a Jujutsu Sorcerer, Yuji has a strong sense of justice and a desire to protect others. He'd prioritize your safety above all else and would do whatever it takes to keep you out of harm's way. Knowing that he's always looking out for you would make you feel safe and cherished.

Heart of Gold: Despite facing many hardships in his life, Yuji remains kind-hearted and optimistic. He'd always see the best in you and would love you unconditionally. His sincerity and warmth would melt your heart, and being with him would make you feel truly cherished and valued.

Drabble: As you stroll through the bustling streets, Yuji's hand finds yours, fingers intertwining naturally. His infectious energy radiates, filling the air with excitement.

"You hungry?" he grins, eyes sparkling with anticipation. Without waiting for an answer, he leads you to a cozy ramen joint he's been raving about. Inside, the aroma of savory broth and spices envelops you, and you can't help but smile at Yuji's enthusiasm.

As you slurp noodles and share laughs, you realize how effortless it feels to be with him. His presence is comforting, like a warm embrace on a cold day. You find yourself drawn to his kindness, his unwavering optimism.

Later, as the sun sets and the city lights twinkle like stars, Yuji takes your hand again, his touch gentle yet reassuring. In this moment, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city, you feel a sense of peace, knowing that wherever life takes you, Yuji will be there, holding your hand every step of the way.

Megumi Fushiguro

Reserved Affection: Megumi might not always be the most expressive verbally, but he shows his affection through small, subtle gestures. Expect random acts of kindness like making you tea or remembering your favorite snacks.

Quiet Understanding: He's a great listener. Megumi may not always offer advice right away, but he'll listen intently to whatever is on your mind, and when he does speak, it's often profound and thoughtful.

Adventurous Spirit: Despite his serious demeanor, Megumi enjoys exploring new places and trying new things. He might surprise you with impromptu trips to quaint cafes or hiking trails on weekends.

Protective Nature: Megumi takes his role as your partner seriously and will go to great lengths to ensure your safety and well-being. He might not show it overtly, but he's always watching out for you.

Shared Interests: He appreciates having common interests but also respects your individuality. Whether it's a shared love for animals, literature, or martial arts, he enjoys bonding over mutual passions.

Balanced Independence: Megumi values his independence and understands the importance of giving you space to grow and pursue your own interests. He's supportive and encouraging of your personal goals and aspirations.

Trust and Loyalty: Once you earn Megumi's trust, he's fiercely loyal. He values honesty and integrity in a relationship and expects the same in return.

Emotional Depths: While Megumi may appear stoic on the surface, he has deep emotional complexities. He's not afraid to open up to you about his fears, dreams, and vulnerabilities, trusting you with his innermost thoughts.

Comfortable Silence: Sometimes, the most comfortable moments with Megumi are the ones spent in silence, just enjoying each other's presence without the need for constant conversation.

Slow-Burning Romance: Megumi's love is steady and enduring. It may take time for him to fully express his feelings, but when he does, it's genuine and unwavering. He's in it for the long haul.

Drabble: You stand beside Megumi Fushiguro, his quiet presence both comforting and intimidating. The sun sets, casting a golden glow over his dark hair and serious eyes. You try to catch his gaze, but he’s focused on the horizon, deep in thought. There’s a certain stillness to him, a calm that makes your heart race and your thoughts scatter.

“Megumi,” you say softly, almost afraid to break the silence. He turns to you, his expression softening just a bit. You reach out, your fingers brushing against his. For a moment, he hesitates, then his hand closes around yours, warm and reassuring.

“Let’s stay a little longer,” he murmurs, his voice low but filled with something you can’t quite name. You nod, squeezing his hand gently. In this fleeting moment, under the fading light, everything feels right. You don’t need words to know that he feels it too.

Toge Inumaki

Communicative Gestures: Toge uses a mix of hand signals, notes, and texts to communicate with you, and over time, you become fluent in his unique language. A simple tap on your shoulder or a gentle squeeze of your hand speaks volumes.

Protective Streak: Despite his calm demeanor, Toge is incredibly protective of you. His cursed speech is a last resort, but he won’t hesitate to use it if you’re in danger. He’s always watching over you, ensuring you’re safe.

Quiet Comfort: You two enjoy a lot of quiet moments together. Whether it’s cuddling while watching a movie or sitting in a café reading books, Toge’s presence is soothing, and you find peace in these silent moments.

Thoughtful Surprises: Toge loves surprising you with little gifts and notes. He might leave a flower on your desk, a favorite snack in your bag, or a sweet note with a simple “Salmon” to brighten your day.

Cooking Together: He enjoys cooking with you, using his knowledge of food to whip up delicious meals. You bond over trying new recipes, and he loves seeing the smile on your face when you taste something new and delicious.

Supportive Partner: Toge is always supportive of your dreams and ambitions. He listens attentively when you talk about your goals and offers silent encouragement through his actions and expressions.

Playful Side: Though he often seems serious, Toge has a playful side that he shows only to you. He enjoys teasing you gently, making you laugh with his quirky sense of humor.

Shared Training: You train together, and Toge teaches you techniques to improve your skills. These sessions bring you closer, and you appreciate his patience and dedication.

Protective Hugs: Toge’s hugs are tight and reassuring. He pulls you close, wrapping his arms around you in a way that makes you feel safe and cherished. Drabble: You sit beside Toge Inumaki on the grassy hill overlooking the city. The sun is setting, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange. Toge hands you a bento box he prepared, filled with your favorite foods. His eyes sparkle with a hint of mischief, and you can’t help but smile.

“Salmon,” he says softly, his way of telling you to enjoy the meal. You take a bite, savoring the flavors, and he watches you with a contented expression.

You reach out and take his hand, squeezing it gently. He responds with a light squeeze back, his thumb tracing small circles on your skin. The silence between you is comfortable, filled with unspoken words and shared understanding.

He pulls out a small notebook and writes something, then shows it to you: "Beautiful evening, beautiful you." Your heart swells at his words, and you lean in, resting your head on his shoulder.

Together, you watch as the stars begin to appear, one by one. In this quiet moment, you feel completely at peace, knowing that Toge is by your side, silently loving you in his own special way.

SPECIAL ADDITION: Maki Zenin

Training Together: Maki values strength and skill, so training sessions together become a regular part of your relationship. She pushes you to your limits, but also knows when to offer encouragement and praise.

Tough Love: Maki has a tough exterior, but she shows her affection through small acts of care. She might grumble while bandaging your wounds after a tough fight, but her touch is always gentle.

Competitive Streak: She’s fiercely competitive, and you often find yourselves in playful contests, whether it’s sparring, running races, or even silly games. The banter that ensues is always light-hearted and fun.

Supportive Partner: Maki is incredibly supportive of your goals and dreams. She understands the importance of fighting for what you believe in and stands by your side through thick and thin.

Protective Nature: Maki’s protective nature means she’s always watching out for you. She won’t tolerate anyone who disrespects or threatens you, and she’s quick to step in if needed.

Soft Moments: Despite her tough demeanor, Maki has a soft side that she shows only to you. Quiet moments together, like watching the stars or simply holding hands, are when she lets her guard down.

Cooking Together: Maki enjoys cooking with you, though she’s more practical than creative in the kitchen. She loves seeing you happy, especially when you’re enjoying a meal you made together.

Shared Interests: You bond over shared interests, whether it’s training, strategizing, or discussing the latest mission. Your conversations are always engaging and meaningful.

Genuine Laughter: Maki has a dry sense of humor, and you cherish the moments when you make her genuinely laugh. Her laughter is rare but precious, and it makes your heart swell with joy.

Affectionate Gestures: Maki isn’t big on public displays of affection, but in private, she’s more affectionate. She enjoys holding you close, resting her head on your shoulder, and stealing kisses when no one’s looking.

Drabble: You find yourself sparring with Maki under the dappled light filtering through the dojo’s windows. She moves with precision, her every step calculated, her eyes never leaving yours. You’re out of breath, but you push yourself to keep up, driven by her relentless determination.

“Come on, you can do better,” she taunts, a smirk playing on her lips. There’s a challenge in her gaze, but also an undeniable warmth.

You manage to land a hit, and her eyes widen with surprise before she grins, a rare and genuine smile. “That’s more like it,” she says, her voice softer now.

After the session, you both collapse onto the mats, breathless and laughing. Maki’s laughter is a sound you cherish, rare and beautiful. She reaches over, her hand finding yours, fingers intertwining. The callouses on her palm are a testament to her strength and dedication.

“You’re getting better,” she murmurs, her tone filled with pride. You squeeze her hand, feeling a rush of warmth at her words.

“Thanks to you,” you reply, meeting her gaze. There’s a moment of silence, charged with unspoken emotions, and then she leans in, pressing a quick, soft kiss to your lips.

“Let’s keep pushing each other,” she says, determination and affection mingling in her eyes. You nod, knowing that with Maki by your side, you can face anything.

[maxwellatoms]

Hello Mr. Atoms, I'm an animation student in college and fan of your work. I got this assignment in which I need to ask questions to a professional in the area. Could you pretty please answer them? It'd mean a lot to me.

1- Are you happy with your career? How it's going.

2- What are your opinions, expectations and hopes about the independent animation industry that's developing?

3- What do you think about the advent of artificial intelligence? Do you fear for the future of animators?

4- If money wasn't a problem, would you still do what you do?

5- Any animators you admire and would like to mention?

Okey dokey.

1- Are you happy with your career? How it's going.

Not really, in that there seems to be no career left.

The animation industry swelled its numbers greatly before 2020. Almost immediately after that, corporate greed synergized with a pandemic to reduce animated programs and the number of people working on them to almost zero. It takes almost a year from beginning to end to make a single episode of an animated show (by the modern standard). There was nothing being made in 2020 and four years later, we''re not in a much better spot. It's going to be a long drought for (especially) Kid's TV Animation.

Recently, many of my former co-workers have hit the financial wall and can't continue, moving away after (sometimes) 20 years in the industry. I begin to wonder if I'm very far behind.

A "bounce back" a year from now would need to start today. There are still some animated shows being made now, but those are almost universally "library" properties. That means it's an existing I.P. (Intellectual Properties like Garfield/Mario/Batman/Star Wars) so as an artist you're immediately in that box. Depending on the property and the studio, it can be an unpleasantly tight box. I grew used to holding and maintaining the vision for a show, but it's less fun when it's not my vision. It's even less fun when you can't inspire someone to follow your vision because they've been so ruthlessly abused.

I'm pretty sick of how big media corporations treat their employees. If I inherit one more burnt out crew due to mismanagement, I'm gonna lose it.

Over a decade ago I fought hard to get board artists story credit for the episodes they were actually writing, and felt like I'd won a big victory for everyone. The second my back was turned, it all reverted.

Mostly... what is the point now? My career is/was developing ideas, crafting those ideas into a workable show, then managing teams of thirty to seventy people to produce a couple of dozen episodes per year. Studios actively do not want new ideas right now, and are actively searching for ways to eliminate what artists from the process. I'm not sure what my job would be under this new system, but it feels like they decided to hang onto the anxiety-inducing deadlines while removing anything remotely pleasurable from the experience.

2- What are your opinions, expectations and hopes about the independent animation industry that's developing?

It's the only way to get anything done, currently.

The current state of the industry is not sustainable. I (along with a lot of other animators I know) are trying to decide what's next, and pretty much everyone agrees that "you just have to make something".

It is (in that very specific way) a great time to be a young animator. The system was never going to treat you well anyway. If you can get something like a Hazbin Hotel happening without studio help, you can currently write your own ticket. I'm super proud of Vivsie, because that's a LOT of stuff to handle. I never had to handle my own marketing or drum up money to make Billy & Mandy happen.

There are opportunities there, but it's definitely "Hard Mode". The best idea is probably to team up with a few other people you like and like to work with.

Hopes? I hope that the young animators take over and make something new on top of the bones of the old industry, rather than just allowing that industry to patch its rotting hide with their collected works.

3- What do you think about the advent of artificial intelligence? Do you fear for the future of animators?

I suspect true AI might just peace-out like ScarJo in "Her", but we're not there yet. What we have now isn't Artificial Intelligence at all (though I do believe it may be the underpinnings of the Artificial Suconscious of what may one day become an actual Artificial Intelligence.)

The LLMs and "Generative AI" are (so far) a big dumb waste. They consume tons of energy and aren't great for doing anything creative. If you've sat down with Chat GPT for a creative writing session, you've probably run into the "out of the box" limitations which prevent it from talking about sex or violence-- which happen to be a major component of most stories.

Still, the technology has come incredibly far in an incredibly short amount of time. I imagine we're going to hit the point where we're being hazed by artificially generated political ads way before Generative AI can produce a consistent and usable character turnaround, so that'll be the test. Whatever the legal fallout is from this stuff over the next few years will set the tone.

Still, studios have a vested interest in pleasing their shareholders. Generative AI potentially has the capability of not only replacing swaths of money-eating artists, but handing that control directly to the billionaire studio heads. Mark my words: We're headed straight for billionaire-generated content.

I don't think the public at large will want to watch Elon Musk's fever dreams, so there's that. So law and general distaste might stave it off for a while, but I think there's just too much impetus for studios to continue to try to please their investors. "AI Art" is here to stay.

Eventually that will lead to millions and millions of bots generating millions and millions of songs and paintings and movies all day every day. Most of it will be utter trash. Right now (so I'm told) viewers are already burnt out, and will generally only click on what they already know. On Netflix, where there are twenty things you've never heard of and one you have, you're more likely to pick the thing that gives you comfort and gives you a guarantee you're not wasting your time. With exponentially more A.I. trash, how would you even begin to filter it out?

You'd need absolute control of an already existing distribution system. We currently have a few of those, and all of the media companies are desperately trying to merge with them to insure their own survival.

To me, the post-Gen-AI landscape looks a lot like old-school Cable, but with endless I.P. and fewer masters.

4- If money wasn't a problem, would you still do what you do?

The real question is, maybe, "What am I even doing?" These days I try to do a lot of gardening. I'm trying to learn new art skills, because suddenly twenty five years of experience managing, drawing, and writing isn't worth much. I recently worked on Jellystone until Zaslav lost 2.5 billion in the wash and had to find justification for his new yacht. The show before that? Also culled midway through to save money. The days of multi-year gigs seem to be over, and if I'm going to scrape by doing freelance, maybe I can do that somewhere else.

I'll always make art. I can't seem to help it. Ideas aren't my problem-- it's executing those ideas without the help of a structured pre-existing system. I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to pull that off. My strengths are great, but were always supported by friends I worked with.

Can I start an indie cartoon with all of these cool friends? Sure, maybe. Most of those people have gone on to have other careers of their own and got used to being paid. Now nobody is getting paid and no one can pay anyone else. My immediate circle are all now middle-aged people with families and no jobs. Convincing them to give up a large chunk of their day for an idea that's not guaranteed to pay off is going to take some real effort.

I technically have fifteen years until I can claim my "retirement", assuming that still exists by then. That's a pretty big hole to fill with... I don't know what.

The difficult "What comes next" discussions at home are really just starting.

5- Any animators you admire and would like to mention?

There are a lot of cool animation people out there. I already mentioned I was proud of Vivsie. I was also reminded recently just how great C.H. Greenblatt and Mr. Warburton are. I know they're my friends. They're both just really upstanding, creative people who take good care of their crews.

The treatment of animation industry professionals by the studio system has been one of the most demoralizing and heartbreaking parts of this demoralizing and heartbreaking time.

---

So there ya go. If you want to look for someone whose attitude is a little more upbeat, I won't blame you a bit.

Wherever you are, I wish you the best of luck. For me, just climb up there and crush it. I would very much like to add you to #5 someday.

[komsomolka]

The Ukrainian state is US/Western controlled and, in its alliance and arming, is effectively NATO-like. Washington, according to coup-happy Victoria Nuland in 2014, pumped some $5 billion into Ukraine since the Western-intelligence induced “Orange” revolution in 2004; an additional $15-$18 billion in arms, loans, and grants (from the US and EU) were poured into Ukraine since the 2013-2014 CIA-backed, far-right enforced regime change of the democratically elected Ukrainian government and until before the war began.

With on-the-ground CIA direction, power in Ukraine was consolidated among a small sociopolitical base of venal Russophobes, political pluralism representing genuinely alternative visions to the essentially nationalist, ultranationalist, pro-NATO parties disbanded. The Ukraine army, neo-fascist death squads, and small, Nazi-throwback extreme right-wing parties, celebrated by the new leaders and incorporated into the Ukrainian state, went on a repression spree, a terror campaign, to crush protests and dissent against those who were unhappy with what transpired and to erase all things Russian, including an eight-year shelling and sniping war on civilians designed to create terror and ethnic cleansing in eastern Donbass. This was not a democracy but a monopoly on power to consolidate a vociferously, fanatically anti-Russian state.

Ukraine is (or now, was) merely a platform for a Western proxy war against Russia, a forward operations base, a front line state, its “foreign policy” directed by the American proconsul, its institutions “advised” by American/Western intelligence functionaries and embassy officials, whose job since 2014 was to ensure continuing aggravation and antagonism in Donbass to elicit, in fact, a Russian response justifying long-prepared sanctions, escalation and pretext for “confronting” Russia. [...]

The Russian offensive, therefore, occurred for a much more ominous reason than the Ukrainian state terrorism visited upon eastern Donbass: the US/West’s wordless wish is no less than demoralizing, weakening, bankrupting, and territorially fragmenting the Russian Federation, controlling its markets and resources, indebting its people and rendering them dependent on US-dominated financial institutions, and bringing Russia under American dependency.

A pivotal principle of American hegemony is to obstruct and destroy friendly, normal ties, much less integration, between Russia and Europe, Germany being the fulcrum.

More simply, the strategic US/CIA goal is to ensnare Russia in a protracted war, deplete it, damage it, regime-change it, install a supine leader—all as a prelude to the big fantasy: bringing down China.

The multifaceted war on Russia has been ongoing since at least the late 1990s, but really, it never stopped with the Soviet state’s disappearance. This veiled hostility and aggression certainly existed when Boris Yeltsin was in power (a good vassal according to Washington, this silly and funny man that made Bill Clinton laugh) but took off around 2005, after Washington understood that Vladimir Putin was putting Russia on an independent course, reversing the conditions overseen under the preceding, deplorable Yeltsin era, including steep economic, social, military, and developmental decline and the immiseration of the vast majority of the population, looting oligarchs, and economic “liberalization” designed in Washington. [...]

Russia has literally allowed itself to be cornered since 2014, though it needed time to achieve a conventional and nuclear deterrent. It’s not hard to see reality: Russia is given no quarter, no voice, its real concerns and grievances dismissed, its leader demonized, its marginalization doggedly pursued at every level of international and bilateral social and cultural interactions. No appeal to reason, to international law, to security, to evidence will do for the West, no amount of patient legal argument, explanation of Russian concerns, appeals, professional warnings, consummate diplomacy and transparency of Russian interests made an impression. Instead, the Western response was and is always to double down. [...]

Finance capitalism, the system of speculative bubbles, derivatives, debt, declining standards of living, and hyperinflation, is ruining Western economies, states and societies, destroying the middle classes. The US cannot tolerate Eurasian integration and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, determined to stop any alternative development model to hyper-capitalism enriching the few, cannibalizing the many; that reduces the US to one of a handful of important multipolar players.

Washington’s grave mismanagement of international relations, its self-defeating policies, has actually weakened genuine American interests and national security and the well-being and safety of the American people, a phenomenon that cannot be naively attributed to Democrats or Republicans, this or that president. Instead, the war-state is deeply embedded in the American political economy, in factions such as the “intelligence community,” the military-industrial complex, influential establishment neo-cons, and liberal interventionists, all living in a world of yesterday.

We are rushing headlong into extremely dangerous times in which facts are a threat to the state narrative and any dissent or differing opinion is treachery. Fascism does not come from below, always from the top.

[skrrts]

& action! (oneshot) mature!

✧ afab!reader x choi san ✧ reader is an unknown actress & san is a popular actor ✧genre: non-idol, show business, strangers, from dislike to interest ✧ word count: 8k ✧ warnings: san’s an asshole in the beginning, rude comments, insecurities, deep kiss with tongue and teeth but it's short, she/her for mc, nickname "pretty girl", mdni!

after countless boring little acting roles, you are finally cast as the female lead for an upcoming streaming series. everything would be perfect, if not for learning that the male lead is none other than choi san, highly praised for his skills but known to harshly criticize and even look down on his female co-stars.

a/n: this oneshot taught me i am not good at writing mean san. i wrote this 2 weeks ago but i didn't like it. now ended up editing the parts i was iffy about. it's a cliche plot of the mean guy going soft for you. i hope it still might be a fun read 🫶 this was inspired by a ranking of "top worst k-drama actors behind the scenes". there are no suggestive scenes but since there's rude/behavior talking, i will consider it mature, so mdni

As a child, you dreamed of becoming a musical artist, standing on stage and singing beautiful songs that made others cry. But reality was always by your side. Your family made just enough to give you a decent, average life, something you were thankful for, and you never blamed them for being unable to afford vocal lessons. Instead, you joined your school’s theatre group, went to college, and started affordable acting lessons in between several part-time jobs to pay for a dream that kept changing. Maybe you couldn’t perform the way you wanted, but there could still be a way to be out there. It was a fool’s dream, but a part of you thought maybe if you just became a successful actress, you could chase your original wish when money was less of a problem and names opened doors.

Of course, you knew it was just as foolish, with hundreds of thousands of desperate souls trying to become the next big name in the acting industry. Your family wasn’t fond of it, but after receiving the long-desired college major in marketing, they gave their blessing, and you were lucky. A small agency was looking for what they called ‘fresh faces, raw and with unique talents.’ You had low expectations when you auditioned because your special skill was singing, but it seemed your dream was still there. The casting manager was in tears when you finished one of your favorite musical songs. A magical moment.

One that was over by the time you signed your contract and faced reality. You were a nobody, and the tiny roles you got weren’t enough to pay the bills. You started working part-time in a higher-class clothing store with brand names every child knew and you likely would never be able to afford if your streak of poor roles continued.

Two years of playing background store visitor, neighbor’s girl, the average student thirsting over the main lead for three seconds never to be seen again, and your biggest hit so far: the quick flirt of a vet who was weak for you before shaking his head remembering the female lead.

There was no doubt, you slowly questioned your own intelligence because why were you doing this? Years after graduation and in an office, as boring as it would be, you already could lead a decent life with a larger apartment that wasn’t smaller than your college dorm and wearing your hair however you wanted.

So what changed? The popular actor who played the vet invited you and five other actors to join a TikTok dance challenge and for some reason, it went viral because people asked who this girl was who pouted so cutely. And when they started to research you, seeing that you were hard-working rather than a foolish girl thinking beauty alone carried it, you were supported rather than a meme.

It all could be so perfect if not…

“You know, I have never seen anyone as dejected about being cast as the main female lead in one of the biggest productions of popular streaming platforms as you. You went from being ignored for too long to getting one of the best big debuts. I mean it, the plot of this is decent, you won’t just play some poor and confused girl who meets the rich lead.”

Yeosang was both a curse and a blessing. He was one of your agency’s managers and in charge of you for years, often complaining how the agency did not give you the role castings they should in favor of their bigger names when he saw the potential in you. Maybe it seemed odd to some, but the former child model had a good understanding of the industry, and you always appreciated his insights and advice. He had come to prefer being behind the stage rather than in the spot light.

On the other hand, Yeosang was awfully honest, sometimes a little too much when you just wanted to sulk while being driven to the table read in the fanciest car they had given you so far.

“It’s because of the male lead,” you muttered, and Yeosang frowned.

There had been a very short-notice casting change of the main lead, and you went from absolute excitement about a well-respected and liked name in the industry to pure horror. Choi San likely had one of the most dedicated fan bases out there, but among actors, it was no secret that he wasn’t shy to speak his opinion. No, there even was an incident where he managed to convince the production company to switch the female lead in the middle, and they had to start over. The writers wanted somebody more classy on the cast, and thus, you only learned about it yesterday.

“You have heard all those stories. He calls you out if you do not live up to his expectations, he will call you out and make the entire filming process a nightmare. It will be the worst three months of my life.”

If you messed this up, that would be it — no second chances for female leads who did not win over the viewers.

It was worse because there was also a rather intimidating scene where they would get close after some incident, and he would make her feel a certain way, lots of kissing and partly undressing. They promisedit was very professionally but … How were you meant to film something like that with a man who would look down at you?

Yeosang snapped his fingers in front of your face, and you blushed.

“Y/N, breathe! Let’s wait and see how it goes. I am sure the casting director considered that or else, as harsh as it is, they also would have replaced you. Being a new name for the larger audience, it would not have been a big deal for them.”

Maybe his honesty was good after all.

“You are right, sorry. Ignore it, I guess I am just nervous.”

Yeosang squeezed your hand. “And that is fine, this is your big chance, and I know you will give it your all.”

You didn’t expect just how many people would be there for the first official reading. While you had already received the script, considering filming was about to start in less than a week, it surprised you how not only the main cast was there but also the makeup team, stylists, and a few people you didn’t know but assumed were in charge of the infamous indirect sponsoring of brands who likely decided if they were interested in wasting money on you.

The story was mostly told from your character’s perspective and suddenly, you understood why they spent an hour on your makeup: fresh but natural, your hair braided over your shoulder, and a casual outfit of jeans, a tank top, and a denim jacket, giving you a confident but youthful look. If they looked at you today and decided you did not live up to their brand’s expectations, that was it for them.

A particular male lead, on the other hand, did not have to try; he looked like a god even without any makeup. Jeans and an oversized white shirt, slightly open to reveal some of his chest, with glasses that made him look elegant, and hair styled back.

The moment Yeosang and you entered, all attention was on you. You smiled politely, as you always did, advised not to act any different from the much more casual and small readings the ‘npc of the acting industry’ usually received.

“Miss Y/N, I am very excited to see you,” said Mister Nam, the leading producer, whom you had already met during the casting process.

You accepted his hand and bowed: “It is nice to meet you again, Sir. I am very much looking forward to working with you.” And like that, you went through a row of people to greet, bow, and thank, even though you had no idea who they were. It was the manners; you were a nobody among somebodies.

The faces you paid extra attention to were Seonghwa, the leading makeup artist for not only the production but also the promotions that would follow, and Hongjoong, the lead stylist. They seemed kind, curious, and outgoing.

Then finally, the one you did not want to see but were meant to pretend to wildly fall in love with for the following three months.

“Mister Choi,” you bowed politely. He was a senior of yours and likely expected the usual treatment. As you looked up, you caught him staring, quite openly, as if making a judgment about whether you suited his aesthetic.

Officially, all those shows were from the female lead’s perspective, but they really just served as self-inserts for the mainly female viewer base who fell hard for the handsome man. There was a small grin on his lips, but he did not even waste a breath to greet you, like he decided in that moment to test your limits.

You managed to keep it together and sat down next to him. The reading was long and unnecessary, mainly the producer talking, with several inside jokes in favor of your co-actor and details already known to those involved. It was almost at the end when everyone was supposed to go and take photos for the press announcement, and they looked at you.

“We do have a small unexpected moment planned, one that actually isn’t in the official script yet but when I found out I could not resist. Miss Y/N is a very talented singer.”

Oh no.

“So we added a scene. We currently have a well-known songwriter producing a few lines for us, and the song will bring some tears.”

“Aren’t we all looking forward to that?” San added lightheartedly, likely noticing how you grabbed your jacket under the table a little tighter. They all laughed.

With that, everyone left the room except you and your male lead, as it was tradition to give the two of you a few minutes to get to know each other. While you were trying to find anything kind to say, this asshole did not even bother. Instead, he leaned closer.

“Listen, pretty girl. I have worked with your kind before. You were lucky and somehow caught the interest of a producer without any real passion, skill, or will to go through this properly. This show will be my last one before I go abroad; I cannot let it flop because you think your face does the job.”

He tilted his head to show you how unimpressed he seemed by you up to this point.

“You better not waste my time. I give you one day. If your acting is shit, you are out. Do you get it? While he is charmed by you, I have worked with Nam before and his moods change like the weather. A good friend of mine would suit this role perfectly, and she and I share great chemistry. She’s just one call away.”

You wished he would just intimidate you to the point where you were scared, but somehow, something in your mind decided to be insane instead.

You spat at his expensive-looking clothes, leading him to yelp and withdraw.

“What the fuck’s wrong with you?!” he cursed.

In your mind, this was it. You just ended your very fragile career, but you were too terrified to act shy now. You had walked into the fire; now you couldn’t hope somebody would save you, so all you could do was… act.

“Talk to me like that again, and I will sue the hell out of you,” you replied, with no lack of hesitation in your voice, perfectly hiding how you wanted to scream or slap yourself.

It was unfair how he could be like that just because he had major successful roles in the past few years.

With that, you grabbed your phone and walked out of the room. Yeosang seemed surprised that you were so quick to return. He expected the two of you would have a proper conversation, as the chemistry was important, but you told yourself you’d just see if you really were cut out for this by faking chemistry that certainly was not there.

“Do I want to know?” he asked, brows furrowed when you shook your head eagerly, leaving.

“I can’t believe she just spat at me,” San replied, sighing at his friend who was slowly fixing his makeup.

“To be honest, I’d probably have done about the same, you know? Why do you always have to be such an asshole? Once upon a time, you were a nobody. I remember your first role, the son of the teacher. You were so adorable, struggling to catch any role until you decided to bulk up a few years ago. Now, you steal the dreams of women and men alike.”

The taller one only leaned back once he was satisfied with the natural makeup again, just gaining a stare from the actor.

“Yes, exactly. People pointed fingers at me, so I proved them wrong by working hard, changing myself, and then actively going for roles. I got cast for my looks AND my skills. Those female leads they give me, they chose them because they are pretty, or ended up going viral for some nonsense not because they enjoy the craft.”

Seonghwa sighed as he slowly stood up: “Sannie, you are far too hard. You know, just because somebody took longer than you and received fewer roles does not mean they did not try.”

Of course, he knew as much, but there just was no way around it. If this drama would be a success, he’d finally be able to leave this market and branch out. San wanted to be remembered as an actor, not the face of some k-dramas of the early 2020s.

“At least, give her a chance. That would be fair, yeah? If she really is such a poor actress as you seem to want to believe so desperately, then I will not be in your way. But should she show to have actual passion and talent, I’ll be in your way, handsome.”

San just watched as the makeup artist walked out, and he looked in the mirror again. He looked great; that was what they all told him. But sometimes, he felt like the look and the roles he often was given — the cold and rich asshole who only warmed up in the last part of the series —somehow it seemed to start swallowing up the one who was once Choi San, the one who dreamed of walking on international carpets.

Such a silly dream.

“Tsk, she will be thankful. I will be a much kinder way out of this before she wastes all her youth only to learn that she is just one of those many stupid people thinking they wanted to be on a screen.”

You looked in the mirror. This was not how you imagined the first day of recording to go. It was natural not to start with the first episode, but the idea to film a major scene as the very first seemed insane.

At least, for two actors who had never worked together before.

Maybe this was the point? Did damn Choi ask that they do this so they could kick you out because there was no way you could play the dreaded separation of the lead characters as your first time with this man?

The makeup was fantastic. You looked like you had cried for days, but your natural beauty was still there, your hair far too pretty for someone who had run through a rainstorm to speak to the one she loved, begging him not to just leave.

“You are beautiful and stubborn. This is more fire than I have seen in any rookie in a while,” Seonghwa hummed, giving you an encouraging pat on the shoulders. Somehow, you started to wonder if he knew what happened the other day.

“Your makeup is stunning. I will give my best,” you promised and watched him give you a playful wink. Your outfit took another half an hour, and you prayed quietly not to get sick because, unlike San who looked like he just walked out of a magazine, your character was supposed to be soaked in rain water. At least that scene would be shot on another day and location.

As you were positioned, you had to wait for a few minutes before San finally appeared. As it was a tradition in dramas, later on, when the male character softened up, it was shown in his hair being less bothered by products, and you could not deny, if not for knowing how he was, you’d think of him as cute.

“Everyone ready? Good, we are starting in five!” The entire set was moving in one big crowd, and you took a deep breath in, exhaling as you looked up.

It was like you were looking at another man.

San’s eyes were so soft, it almost broke your heart, and you had to remind yourself you were shooting a scene. Fuck, he really was worth that damn money, wasn’t he?

“Summer,” his warm hands cupped your cheeks, and maybe it was good how this surprised you, how different this version of that rude guy was was because it was exactly the way the scene was meant to be.

“You are so foolish. Look at you,” he whispered, his big hand brushed over your cheek, and he looked up and down, taking in your appearance. “To run all the way through the rain, what if you get sick? Silly girl, you always get cold so quickly,” his voice was so soft, you could feel the emotion, the worry he put into every word.

“I am scared,” you whispered when you felt his thumb brush over your chin, and you tried to make sure not to fuck up the pace of the scene.

“You were just going to leave by telling your sister to let me know I’d not have to worry anymore. How am I not to worry? You are gone, it’s worse than what happens if we push on… with this. I need to do this with you. Please…”

You thought about how badly you needed this acting role to work. This was your last chance before you likely really had to give up because you were almost in your mid-20s now, and soon roles would get even tougher without a name and fame.

So you begged, and for a moment, there was something hinted behind his eyes like he was actually touched.

You likely just really were going crazy because of how impressed you were about it. Seeing it in person and working with this was different.

“I’m just trying to keep you safe,” he whispered. The camera was zooming in. You started to cry, just as scripted, grabbing his shirt.

“This isn’t yours alone to decide,” you tried to push more energy in because in theory, you were meant to do just that, give him a desperate shove but San’s weight was shifting forward, making it impossible. You were slender compared to him.

“I am sorry.” he breathed.

And then Choi San acted entirely out of script. You were meant to rest your foreheads together, embraced in a deep hug before the scene would zoom out. Instead, he kissed you. The surprise in your face was anything but fake, how your body just sank against his because the arm around your waist tightened, and the way the set fell utterly silent except for the fake rain.

Oh no, he wouldn’t get you with this!

Your arm finally reached out, curling around his neck, and you kissed him back like your life depended on it.

Because it did.

Maybe all of those feelings did lead to helping with this because you needed him to be accepting of you as much as you hated it.

When the director cheered and everyone clapped because the scene was so much better with this unplanned kiss, you could only hear him whisper.

“Come, see me later. I will leave the address in your dressing room,” he removed himself, smiling and walking off with his stylist. This was the only shared scene for the day. All you could do was stare and wonder.

You cursed when you found yourself touching your lip, the sensation of kissing him still on your lips.

San found himself looking at his own reflection in the mirror. You seemed to be quite weak for his natural hair, which was amusing. Every time he went anywhere, whether for a personal event or a public appearance, people always asked him to style it back. Maybe it was because it gave him that particular mature and handsome vibe they all liked, sparking their imaginations. Yet here he was, keeping it down.

He paid great attention to detail. The suit pants went perfectly with matching shoes, but the tight, long black sleeve shirt accentuated every muscle underneath the fabric, giving plenty to look at.

San made a decision. He was simply going to mold you the way he needed you for this to be a success. After the little shot earlier today, he started to have an idea of how this arrangement might work. He’d still rather have worked with someone he knew, but there were worse options, and he had to admit, there was no denying you were pretty to look at.

The address he invited you to was one of his label’s many seminar apartments, a place for their top actors to work with whatever coach they desired. With you still being no big name in the industry, nobody would pay you any mind for showing up here, and he trusted you enough to be somewhat discreet.

He poured two glasses of an alcohol-free drink and looked at the clock. A small frown appeared; San didn’t like the possibility that you might not show up. Why would you reject a private invitation from him? He looked at his watch again, twenty minutes over the time.

“Don’t tell me she’s still trying to make a point? She really doesn’t understand when it’s just a little better to swallow her foolish pride.”

If he was honest, turned tables, he'd probably have done the same...

As he hissed, there was a small peeping sound coming from the door, he had given you the code to enter. San turned around, his head tilting slowly as he watched you enter the loft.

Your hair was down, flowing over your shoulders, likely to deal with all the water styling for your shoot today. This was the first time he saw you wearing a dress, and it suited you well, especially as the neutral makeup highlighted your natural beauty, complemented with the soft green color of the dress.

He couldn’t deny that the little angry frown on your features was endearing.

“What’s this all about? It’s highly unprofessional for the two lead actors of a drama to meet like this. Yes, I still came because …” you paused, seemingly trying to come up with a good defense, but was there one?

“I … don’t care. I just wanted to tell you that. I do not care if you deem me unfit to be an actress. We get told that all the time. This is harder for us than for you. We aren’t allowed to make mistakes; your type, on the other hand, gets away with most.”

San hummed as he listened to you, picking up the two glasses and offering one to you. “Alcohol-free. Now, why don’t we sit down and chat? I agree with you, it’s unprofessional and risky, but I do it for the success of the show if you want.”

There was confusion on your face when you still accepted the glass and watched San sit down.

“After today, I am willing to admit, I see potential in you, maybe even a hint of talent if polished properly,” he hummed, taking a sip from his drink, and pointing to the couch opposite for you to sit down.

He enjoyed all of your reactions, wondering if you were aware just how expressive you were with them.

“I don’t understand…”

Finally, you started to listen and joined him.

“Your character, Summer, she’s all about being relatable and raw. You can capture this perfectly, and your way of showing emotions — not many actors have that these days. However, you need to learn to control them, for them to come out when you need it, not when they want to.”

It seemed you took a sip from the drink just to deal with your confusion. You swallowed while San placed his glass on the table.

“How do you mean that?”

Now, he had no intention of suddenly being all kind and polite. Truths were there to cut so you learned not to do it again.

“You are like a puppy that learned to roll over and play dead, but you’re still wiggling your tail out of control so everyone knows. You need to learn to use your skill of expressing emotions so openly to your advantage, when you want it, and not because you are reacting to your co-actor. You were almost melting when we kissed.”

Your cheeks took on a dark red shade not even the makeup could hide, and San just grinned almost sweetly at you.

“Do you ever say anything nice?”

“I just did. I told you that you have potential and I invited you here. You asked me to give you a chance, your way, and I am willing. I believe if you learn how to guide your talent a little, we can benefit. The viewers have a much easier time connecting with an actress who seems to feel like that, and I need the good views. I will help you be a bit more in control. In two days, we will shoot the scene that likely will go viral if we do it right and decide if the viewers ship us, our chemistry.”

It was meant to be THE kissing scene, the one they would use for the preview and trailers, to convince everyone of their great chemistry, and their characters were meant to be lovers, not seeming lost and confused unlike in the scene today.

“The kiss was promising today, but in that scene, we will actually have to make sure we capture the chemistry on point. No emotional moment occurred to explain why it would be different I will show you how to do it, so that when we shoot it, all will be quick and easy.”

San finally settled down by your side, and he could see how you just stared at him.

“I ask kindly for your permission so that you do not spit at me again,” he chuckled but leaned in close, ensuring you could feel his breath tickling your skin.

“Y/N, would you let me teach you how to play that scene perfectly, so that people may adore us when the episode airs?”

“Fine.”

He was still rude, but the truth was you had come here hoping that maybe the two of you could find a middle ground. San did not need to madly fall in love with you; all you were asking for was a chance. Yes, you knew what you were doing was a little below the belt, but show business had never been easy.

Besides, he was not forcing you. Here he was, asking, and maybe, in a way, you both depended on it.

San still seemed too pleased, but he was relaxing back, giving you another look: “I take it you have studied the scene already. The benefit of us speaking ahead of the record is we can see to adjust it our way. Take it as advice for the future; you are the actor, and you can act in a way that makes those scenes a little more endurable.”

He reached out and played with a few strands of your hair. Maybe this would be a good idea; if you got comfortable with him, acting in those love scenes you were soon going to film could be easier, and you would no longer have to overthink if he was going to trick you.

“Episode five, after Baek and Summer go to the auction to save his mother’s necklace from being sold off, they return to her place. It’s before he intends to run away, so the atmosphere is playful and sensual. Baek admires her beauty from afar before slowly moving over. He places the necklace around her neck, his finger playing with it, and then he loosens her hair, and they kiss, tongue and biting."

Any time San was surprised, you felt a level of satisfaction that you managed to do just that, but quickly, it turned into a pleased smile.

“That’s exactly it. I see you memorized it. The scene is early on, and if we manage to carry over the chemistry there, the heartbreak later will be efficient. Good for us; your outfit is perfect. You just have to tie up your hair, and we can move over to the door and begin right at the start. It will help us if we play through the entire scene. We go through it, but any time you feel uncomfortable, voice it. We can practice and cheat with the perspective, so the kiss is not too awkward but satisfying to the producers.”

You slowly rose, fixed your dress, and cleared your throat as you tied up your hair loosely while walking over to the door. San was right there, relaxing against the door, grinning at you: “Are you ready, pretty girl?”

Really? You hissed a little: “What’s up with the name? Can people not come up with better insults?”

San hummed, shrugging a little: “Not an insult. You are that, a pretty girl. What’s wrong with it? I mean it, but if you want to strictly keep it professional, think of it as a way to warm up. The characters return from the auction, they managed to reach their goal, and now, in a mood of celebration, a couple all comfortable and confident. We have to get in the mood.”

That was fair, so you grinned: “All right then, hottie. Shall we get going?” He wasn’t annoyed at all, more pleased that you got the point, or so you guessed.

You walked to the door, taking his hand as San seemed to inhale before just falling into the role. It was like there was a switch, leaving his personality behind and becoming his character entirely.

“I can’t believe we really did it, seeing their faces when you just jumped up and then did the final bid the second it was about to end,” San sighed in relief as he turned around and looked at you.

It was silly, you looked at him, and your heart was beating a little; this was the most passion you had worked with yet. Not that the other actors had been poor at their jobs, but it felt more routine, like they just got it done because it was written in the script.

You smirked: “Of course, I told you. Never underestimate my talent! I knew they would not see that one coming, but now it’s done. I am glad we were able to get the necklace back. I know how much it means to you.”

Your arms curled around his neck, and you went on your toes to get closer to his face. San’s eyes wandered all over your face like you were the most beautiful person he had ever encountered.

“That is because you truly are the most amazing person I have ever met, Summer,” he whispered and allowed one of his hands to wander up, placing it very gently underneath your chin. Your gazes locked for some time.

“Stay the night?” you whispered, your tone more playful now. Slowly, you let go of him, turning around playfully, giving him an inviting look as you settled down on the couch. Right, Summer was about to take out her earrings. You did not wear any, but you wore some hair clips, so you gently removed them, placing them on the table.

San was watching you, leaning against a door. The two of you did everything extra slow since shooting a scene meant you did it more than once quite often if the camera needed a different perspective and did not always capture it right away on the first try.

As he moved slowly to you, your gaze lowered a little, and he sat down next to you.

“You are starring, Sir,” you teased. This actually wasn’t part of your dialogue, but somehow, it felt natural. Your character was supposed to be a little all over the place but not shy, at least not in this scene. If San was permitted to add as he wished, why not you?

“What can I do? It’s hard not to look at you,” he smiled softly and reached out, brushing over your chin before his gaze lowered, resting on your neck.

San seemed to think for a moment before he slowly leaned back. The moment when Baek would take out the box with the necklace, your co-star replaced it by unclipping the one he had been wearing underneath his tight long sleeve.

“And maybe that is because seeing you in this really is a dream come true,” he whispered, and as he leaned in, you felt his breath tickling your skin, the scent of a perfume you had never smelled before. He gently placed it around your neck. In the show, this would be some kind of elegant piece, but San had given you something long with a metal tag on the end.

Curiosity was fought back to look at it. Your fingers only touched the cool metal chain around your neck.

“But… this is your mother’s. You should keep it…” you tried to insist, but San moved closer.

“My mom wanted it to be on the neck of my future wife, and while we are both too young to think about it just yet, it is right where it belongs, Y/N,” he was so close now that you naturally leaned slightly closer.

The fact he called you by your name was surprising, and there it was again, the moment he did it on purpose. Was it to teach you the lesson of trying to control your emotions rather than being controlled by them or something else?

“I love you, Y/N,” San said so passionately that you needed to swallow hard. It was good that from this point on, the scene was only meant to be carried by acting and no further words.

His big hand moved and pulled the hairband out, allowing your hair to fall over your shoulder.

“You truly are beautiful, you know?” he breathed, and he was close to kissing you now. The camera was meant to capture the teeth and tongue, just to give the viewers some imagination without breaking what was acceptable for an evening show.

“Is it comfortable like that, or should I move a little?” he asked, and his voice was warm and sincere. What was wrong with the guy? Couldn’t he always be so kind and supportive?

“It’s okay like that, thank you,” you whispered, a little shy. San just smiled and nodded as he leaned in.

Your arm carefully moved to rest on his back, and then you kissed him harder than intended. It started slow and soft, but somehow you felt encouraged to show him that you could do this because you wanted to, and the force you used was a bit stronger than intended. You wanted to play with the camera too, capture the tease without too much. Your teeth bit his lower lip, and you gave him a challenging look, your tongues met in a playful dance.

You had his attention entirely. San was grinning and about to depen the kiss a little further than intended based on script but then the door opened.

The two of you instantly froze, and it was hard to say if it was relief or shame, but it was Seonghwa who stepped inside, looking beyond alarmed.

“What are the two of you doing here?!”

Now that you thought about it… you could imagine what this would look like.

“San?!” Seonghwa was strict, and the way he spoke like that with him made you wince.

You were about to sit up, trying to say something when San stood protectively in front of you.

“This was my idea. I thought it would help her relax since we are shooting this scene in two days. It’s tough, being expected to film this kind of kiss with a person that’s an asshole.”

Seonghwa and you both stared at him, and you wondered why that was. Did San never do this before, or was there something else to it?

The makeup artist sighed, shaking his head: “If anyone would have… never mind. We just got a call, and we have to shoot one of the night scenes tonight, so you have to come with me.”

You cleared your throat, fixing your dress again.

“Yes, you should go. Thank you for guiding me through the scene.”

San was looking at Seonghwa before looking back at you, and somehow, he seemed oddly displeased.

As you started to take the necklace off your neck, he shook his head: “Keep it. Think of it as a poor apology gift for insulting you during the table read. I'm sorry for that. I’ll see you on set tomorrow.”

San stepped out without even giving you a chance to say anything. Seonghwa only offered a small smile before he followed out.

As you were alone, you sighed: “Yeosang will murder me if he finds out about this.”

You played with the necklace and finally remembered the tag. As you turned it around, it was a name that said nothing to you until something came to mind. You pulled out your phone and browsed through San’s filmography.

Right, his first role was playing the son of a very popular actress at that time. He only had two scenes, enlisting into the military to be written off in episode three. The name on this tag was of that character. San just gifted you something from his very first set, likely very special if he bothered to wear and keep it after all those years.

“This guy, can he please decide what his personality is like?”

“Hey, Joong, do you think San has the celebrity sickness?” you asked while standing still, watching what the stylist was trying to decide for you to wear for the preview photos.

It had been a strange month. You had barely filmed with San, or at least it felt that way. Most of your scenes had been with the other cast members first, and only now were they starting to focus more on the actual ones with the romantic interest.

However, ever since that day, San seemed different. He was polite, greeted you, and a few days ago, you could have sworn he even smiled at you when you accidentally spilled cappuccino over the expensive jacket that was a product placement.

The man laughed: “I didn’t take you for somebody who uses such words.” He was obviously amused while holding a few blouses against you, trying to see which one he liked best with your hair color.

“I mean, I did read how some actors have it when they find success and then later look back, realizing they have been little rich monsters.”

Hongjoong had once said he enjoyed that you were still quite uncaring with your words around the staff who were not the ones making big choices, and it likely reflected in this moment as well.

“Little monster, you say? Well, I admit that San has changed over the years. I worked on some previous projects with him, but I wouldn’t say it was fame. You see, San had to work really hard and change quite a bit to get where he is now. He’s not the height producers want, and he used to be a very soft personality. When he was rejected for a really important role after first being announced as the pick, he sat down, bulked up, and changed to the way he is now. I do not think he has celebrity sickness, but show business does change people, not always for the better, especially if you do not have somebody to keep you grounded. You see, his best friend moved abroad after college. He was the one who always balanced him, but these days, San spends a lot of time alone. How do you like this one?”

You had gotten used to going with Hongjoong’s outfit recommendations and Seonghwa’s makeup guidelines. You were about to be a lead actress for the public, and even your social media had to match it.

“I think I like the mint one,” you said, more lost in thought and aware of Hongjoong’s little grin.

“It’s your color. Now, how about we say this set is the most relaxed I have seen him in a while, yes? Anyway, it is getting late, and I know the actors are meant to go out and have barbecue together today. Half of the filming is done now. You work hard and should relax a little. Get some rest tomorrow. In two days, we will take the most beautiful photos.”

The stylist winked and sent you off. All you could do was sigh as you pulled on your thin jacket again. You wore jeans and a blouse gifted by a brand, your hair up in a modern bun, and delicate earrings finishing the look. Underneath, the gifted necklace was hidden. Everyone else was likely already there, and you realized how you were the only one without a car or a driver. Now that filming was going well, there was no reason for Yeosang to be by your side the entire day.

“Need a ride?”

San’s voice made you look up, and for a moment, you thought you might be imagining it. His hair was undone, glasses sat on his nose, and he had a very lazy smile on his lips. The jeans and oversized hoodie with a jacket on top were quite different from the always very styled actor you knew.

“I… would like that, thank you,” you cleared your throat. He nodded and led you to his car, which was parked not too far away. To your surprise, it was also quite on the average side, but then it made sense. If you were famous, you would likely try to keep some privacy.

San waited for you to get in and get comfortable before he started to drive. You were silent until the first red traffic light forced the two of you to stop.

“Do you have celebrity sickness?” you blurted out and did not dare look at him, sinking into your seat when he laughed softly.

“Do you think so?” he asked, and you were relieved to see he was taking this incredibly dumb question with a humor you hadn’t expected. He was tapping against the wheel, and eventually, you dared to peek over. To your surprise, he actually seemed to be thinking about it.

“You were an ass when we first met. Sure, I am not really the super-experienced actress, but it was a bit too strong,” you mumbled.

“Maybe I did. Wooyoung always kept me grounded, but when he moved abroad, I guess I just got so used to showbiz, I forgot what it meant to be me or to show any compassion toward people who likely started acting for the same reason I did: dreaming to play a specific kind of role, a stage, or maybe go somewhere. Then, it takes somebody bold to call it out so you wake up and realize it.”

Your gazes met briefly before his focus returned to the road ahead.

“I did mean it. I am sorry I was like that, but I am thankful you dared to point it out. It won’t make up for it, but I will try to do better now. I actually contacted some of those I worked with to apologize. I don’t really think they will answer me back, but who knows?”

If he really did that, San must have gotten over a lot of pride. Even if you felt sorry, doing something like that was surely not easy.

You drove into the parking lot, and he just leaned back. “I guess you were my cure, Y/N,” he replied with a gentle smile, and the two of you stared. For a moment, it was almost as if he wanted to say or maybe do something, but you just got too nervous, opening the door of the car.

“We should go.” Before he could say anything else, you were out of the car and rushing off.

Everyone seemed surprised to see San so relaxed and wearing such a casual outfit, but there wasn’t much time to think about it. You were seated between some other cast members, and all you could do was glance over at him now and then, noting how he smiled and seemed more at ease.

Hours flew by, and before you noticed, everyone slowly excused themselves. Tomorrow would be your first free day in over a month, and you couldn’t wait to sleep in.

San and you were among the last to leave, and as you stepped outside, the night was much colder than expected. Before you could even joke about it, the weight of a leather jacket rested on your shoulders.

“You shouldn’t get sick,” he mumbled, then suddenly took your hand, walking you back to the car. It was hard to say why you let him; maybe you had gotten used to his spontaneous actions after filming several scenes together that felt quite similar.

The walk to the car suddenly felt long, and he was swinging your arms like some middle schoolers in love. He turned his head to look at you.

“Is this okay with you?” he asked, as if remembering to check in with you. It was sweet and innocent, and he almost looked troubled, fearing you might pull your hand away. You tapped a finger against your cheek, pretending to think about it before laughing.

“I guess. You still have a few weeks before I get so famous you’ll have to hide me,” you joked. Somehow, his expression told you he had thoughts about it, but those likely did not matter. Maybe he would tell you next time.

“I shall make the most out of it then, and for all else, people do love the story of two actors who played love interests admitting they fell in love on set… in theory. So, what if, once filming is wrapped up, you’d go out with me?”

“Somebody is getting bold,” you replied without thinking, cursing yourself for letting your emotions get the better of you. But then, you thought about it. There was no denying that you had grown fond of him, enjoyed working with him, and treasured his little gift. The way he looked at you made you feel certain ways, but you couldn’t say exactly what it was just yet. Not to forget, the rough start.

Then, maybe you needed to be the one now guiding San, to find himself back again.

“I guess I wouldn’t mind seeing where things might go between us.”

That was all he needed to hear. You saw it in the way he looked at you and nodded.

“There won’t be any rush. I think I might reconsider the importance and urgency of my plans for a little while now that I’ve refocused on what really matters.”

San looked up at the cloudy sky; the stars were never visible from here.

You let him be, and the two of you just enjoyed the small walk before you got back in the car. Your apartment was quite close, and soon, he was standing in front of your building.

“Thank you for driving me and, you know, being nice,” you chuckled.

“Thanks for healing me,” he winked, but there was no obvious tease in his voice.

You exhaled as you got out of the car, leaving the door open as you turned around to look at San.

“I will see you the day after tomorrow for the photoshoot. Sleep well.” You flashed him a final smile before stepping back.

“You too, pretty girl,” he answered, his eyes not leaving you even as you closed the door and headed toward your tiny apartment.

But then … You turned around on your heels, walking back to the car, and as if reading your mind, San was opening the window.

You looked at each other playfully as you grinned: “Maybe you would like to come upstairs and have a cup of water, handsome?”

San laughed, turning off the engine. “I like the sound of that.”

[wondersinwaynemanor]

Does Tim forget he's officially a Wayne now? That, or his mind is too full with many ideas and he's easily distracted from one thought to the next. I think it's all of the above.

During a board meeting at Wayne Enterprises, employees try to get his attention cus sleep-deprived Tim is analyzing stock markets and investments, and planning on what he should to Mr. Freeze tonight because that bastard almost blasted Damian with his freeze gun, and he's wondering what country he could explore with Kon on the weekend.

When Jason asked, "How do you handle everything, Timmy??" Tim answered, "It's quite easy." Dick worries for his younger brother's mental health. Bruce constantly checks in on Tim on how's he doing with his different responsibilities and if he needs to step down as CEO for now and let Lucius handle it for him. But Tim is full of determination and intelligence- Bruce admires that about his son. Those traits are very present in his family.

Employee 1 - Mr. Wayne, what do you think of this project? Do you think it can benefit us?

Tim - ..... (on his mind - "I'm gonna rip that suit from Mr. Freeze till he apologizes for what he did to Damian. I'm gonna kill-").

Lucius - Mr. Wayne. (he doesn't usually call Tim this way but they're in a professional setting right now so it's a given).

Tim is fnally out of the trance from his own mind - Yes, Mr. Fox. Sorry, my apologies. That project is amazing... (and he continues to speak about the project like he didn't just get lost there).

And the board of members continue to be impressed by young Timothy Wayne.

[solarecliipse]

it is canon that kuroo has an older sister, so let m’ just introduce…

look at me !

timeskip! kenma kozume x kuroo’soldersister!reader

you and tetsurō were just two years apart from each other, and were always really close, thus you’ve known kenma since he was a little boy, and he’s had a crush on you ever since. in the beginning it was kinda obvious, since kenma was more clumsy and tended to blush around you, so both tetsurō and you knew, but you thought of it as puppy love, he was just going to grow out of it.

later on their high school days, when you thought kenma was over his silly crush, he proved you wrong.

you were in the living room, painting your nails and watching a repetition of your favorite movie, when someone came downstairs, “‘m going to the mini market, want something?” your brother’s voice was raised as he took his keys.

“mm sure” you answered absentmindedly before looking up at him, “bring me a lychee soda and some chips please! i’ll pay you later”

as the door was locked you continued to paint your nails when someone else began to come downstairs, you looked up to see kenma, with his pants tucked into his socks and his hands in his pockets, he was standing on your direction looking at his feet.

“everything alright, ken-kun?” you asked, with a soft voice that made him shiver, getting back some sort of muffled response, “i’m sorry, i didn’t hear you, do you need anything?”

“I really like you kuroo-sama” he said then, in a voice still really low, but now recognizable, as he looked up at you, his cheeks a deep red. he wasn’t over it.

you opened your mouth, feeling unsure on how to respond, then looked back down as you thought of what to say, when his voice interrupted once more.

“look at me!” he said, now in a louder voice, thinking you hadn’t heard him, “I said I like you y/n-san!”

this time your face was slightly red too, and you finally couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, “i know, kenma-kun, since you were 8” his face turned redder, “but you're too young for me, maybe when you grow up”

you finally wink at him, making him blush even more, and before he can come out of his shock, tetsurō is back.

from then many years passed, in which you still saw him every once in a while, his college years along tetsurō meant you inviting them both over for dinner every other night, and he came most times, then he became famous and you barely saw him. later on, he went viral for a reason, a confession on stream, that’s what every single thread in twitter was named.

the video begun with him laughing, then reading another question from the chat, chosen randomly —or not?

we already know you don’t have a lover, but have you ever had one? he reads it and chuckles to then let out a sigh, “well, not really” he says, and contrary to what everyone expected keeps on talking, “but, there’s this person i had a crush- have had a crush,” he corrects himself as he plays with his hands, “since, like, forever? they’re really amazing, intelligent, kind” the chat is going crazy over the small smile on his lips and slight blush that creeps up his cheeks, “super hot, black hair, they’re kinda bossy too, and of course if they see this they know I’m talking about them” he know looks directly to the camera, “you thought it was puppy love, but i’m really still down bad for you, and i’m older” he chuckled as he said that, “so, if you see this, give me a call”

tetsurō laughed as he saw your blushed face, you were on a restaurant when he mentioned he had something to show you, “so? are you going to call him?” he said, in between laughter.

“w-wh.. how did- i don’t even have his number” you say in a breathless voice, making him laugh harder, and some people around look at you, “god! why would he do something like that? he’s really grown up”

as you ramble to yourself, tetsurō takes your phone and starts typing something, then gives it back to you with a snarky smile. it’s —you suppose— kenma’s number.

it’s not until later, when you go back to your place, that you finally decide to call.

one tone.

two tones.

three- “yes?”

you hear his voice, notice he might be doing something else as he answers.

“hey, ken-kun, it’s me y/n” you say, with a nervous smile that he can hear from the other side, making him smirk, “i’m calling for- well, that video is all over the internet.. what i meant to say, is if you’d like to have lunch, tomorrow?”

“sure, tomorrow’s perfect, i’ll pick you up y/n-san” and of course, the chat goes crazy at the honorifics, next day, every thread on twitter is called, kenma x cougar?, and, you’re not that old but, who cares?

i thought this was a really fun take in relationship with (timeskip) kenma. thank you so so much for reading, i really hope you liked it, once again english is not my first language so I’m really sorry for any mistakes. 

pt 2.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The degrowthers are right: There needs to be a lot less physical stuff produced, especially in the way of fossil fuels, and, for anyone with the least sense of justice, this means rich countries consuming less and poor countries consuming more. Such an apparent threat of rich-country austerity meanwhile contains, in truth, the promise of abundance: fewer but more durable goods, less work and more leisure. (Already in the 1990s, the French-Austrian ecosocialist André Gorz wanted to “build the civilization of liberated time” in place of that of wage labor.) The fact that any such global rebalancing of consumption patterns can’t plausibly take place so long as the rich countries of the Global North dictate world history is one more reason that degrowth remains a dead letter under capitalism. It is not, however, the working classes of the Global North that must drastically curtail their lifestyles: The world’s richest 1 percent are responsible for as much carbon emissions as the poorest two-thirds of the global population. Much of the work of degrowth would be accomplished by the dispossession and destruction of the class represented by this sole percentile. As for the idolaters of growth, their god has not only failed but, Cronus-like, has started devouring its children as if these were so many chicken wings. “Growth” fantasizes one kind of fake substance, and “degrowth” another; real intelligence demands attention to how the ingredients of this world are different, not the same. Even so, the advocates of degrowth (a more attractive English word might be Samuel Beckett’s “lessness”) can boast of a sounder moral and political intuition than can the usual apologists for growth: Less stuff, more life! Such an argument may be obviated soon enough, either way, by the specter not of degrowth communism, but of prolonged capitalist contraction. Voters and politicians whistling past the graveyard being prepared for our children may have neglected to consult a recent article in Nature which holds that “the world economy is committed to an income reduction of 19% within the next 26 years independent of future emissions choices” (emphasis mine). Important factors in this bleak outlook include the declining agricultural yields and the massive and unpredictable damage to infrastructure attendant on climate collapse. In other words, even if carbon emissions are somehow reduced through the magic of the market, climate change can be expected to cause about $38 trillion in damages annually by the mid-century, enough to render overall economic growth infeasible. The choice facing the 21st century, then, is likely not between degrowth and growth. It is more likely between a form of capitalist contraction in which prosperity endures for a few but evaporates for the rest of us, and some kind of socialist or communist degrowth in which the well-being of everyone in general prevails over the wealth of anyone in particular. The precise politics of egalitarian degrowth are no more clear to me than they are to Saitō. But universal crisis will license strategies that theory alone could never discover.

26 August 2024

[hemipenal-system]

aww, what’s the matter? why are you crying?

you’re scared? what of, morsel?

me? why are you scared of me? you asked me to hold you in my mouth until we got somewhere warmer, and my mouth is plenty warm…

don’t worry about me, morsel… i’m your friend, i would never eat you… at least not permanently.

hey, hey, no, don’t worry! i said i wouldn't hurt you and i meant it!

come out? i'm sorry, morsel, i can't let you out yet! it's so cold out here you'd practically freeze to death if i let you out! besides, all that saliva you're soaked with now... it'd just make you colder. i think it's best if i just hold on to you for now.

besides, i think you're enjoying this more than you want to admit to me.

oh, come on. you think i can't feel how you squirm when i curl my tongue along your back? how you grab onto my teeth desperately when i curl it over you and scrape the rough side against your bare legs?

you know, my tongue was designed with a purpose. every part of a creature as beautiful as me is. those hard keratin spikes you enjoy so much? they’re meant to grind against bigger creatures than you, shearing flesh from bone and slathering what’s left in enzyme-loaded saliva that begins to melt you down to bone shadows even before you’re swallowed…

oh, no, not for you. you’re very small, small enough i could swallow you whole. you’d like it more that way, wouldn’t you? alive and conscious for the whole thing?

yes, morsel, i know why you were so eager to climb into my mouth- and i know it’s not fear of heights like you claimed. we may be a mile above the ground with only my wings and internal fire to sustain us, but my blood runs through me everywhere and my claws would have been more than warm enough to keep you safe from the biting cold at this altitude.

don’t worry, this is what you’re supposed to want. you’re from a prey species. sure, we have peace treaties now and you have enough weapons to fend us off now, but for millennia that’s how it went! you ran, you got pinned down, you struggled, and then we tore you limb from limb, reveling in the blood and adrenaline of a meal well hunted…

you don’t have to be embarrassed, morsel! you’re allowed to want me to devour you! i know you find me attractive – in the same way a mouse finds a cat attractive, of course. you’ve always had an affinity for dragons. i’ve seen how you look at the other riders who’re more… open about what they do with their mounts. you can tell me those things, you know.

i told you, i’m not going to let you out! it’s not safe for you at this height or temperature!

yes, obviously i've thought about doing this to you. never seriously, but... enough. humans make wonderful prey... your gentle struggling because you're intelligent enough to trust us and know we won't really hurt you even if we draw a bit of blood... it's very different than tearing the horns off a deer and swallowing it whole, you know.

i've eaten your kind before, you know. i wasn't always so... docile. your nomad convoys made such wonderful buffets: chicken, beef, pork, human – and you always had such wonderful fruits and spices in those little covered wagons of yours! i enjoyed cracking them open like nuts, devouring everything inside.

no, you're not nutritious at all. your meat is really stringy. the terrified shaking and pleading is tantalizing, though...

what do you mean, "what are you doing?" all this talk about food is making me hungry. i'm just savoring your taste is all. you're like one of those hard candies you humans buy from the market to suck on, except warm and salty and savory and-

i could swallow you. it'd be so easy.

no, no, not digest you. stop writhing like that – or continue if you want. it feels nice. i'd just swallow you and hold you in my first stomach for a while. think of it as a warm, damp, dark hug from me. no pain, no flesh itching and melting off, just a gentle squeeze.

hold still, morsel. i need to reposition you a bit is all. that's right, legs like that, arms go that way - yes, exactly! now don't move.

yes, i know it's a bit tight. my prey is a bit more chewed, usually. stop complaining about it or i'll pull you back up and bite you into small pieces so you'll fit better. is that what you want?

there. is that comfortable? i can adjust a bit if you want. hey, no, stop squirming. you're not going to die. that is not stomach acid. if you don't stop panicking i'm going to have to squeeze to hold you still.

i told you. i'm very much stronger than you. stop trying to push out. you're going to sit in there whether you like it or not, morsel.

stop calling you that? why should i? you're literally in my stomach. are you not food, at least for the moment?

don't even tempt me. i am hungry.

just go to sleep or something. we're going to be in the air for a while. if you stop wiggling around in there i'll let you out when i land. i know how soothing it is to be in there. i was a hatchling once too, you know.

i can literally feel you relaxing as my crop massages you. you're yawning. don't even lie to me.

good night, morsel...