#I'm absolutely not counting on it or emotionally investing in it; I'm along for the ride as always & this idle speculation is just for fun

[ariadne-mouse]

I know I made a comment about M9 animated series and that if there's new Essek content I'm not going to be normal about it, but if Essek actually shows up in C3 in the next bit here (if BH need to go to Aeor and M9 have found their way to the centralized allies camp with Keyleth, best tour guides would be Caleb or Essek, the chances are small but do exist) I am absolutely not going to be normal about that either. You're all in danger

[leofrith]

[20 Question Fic Writer Tag]

Tagged by @aeide and @ainulindaelynn 💖 I did this one a few months ago but a few answers have changed since then so I'll update those. 😊

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Six now! Four one-shots, a short-ish multi-chapter which was supposed to be a one-shot that got away from me, and my longfic which at this point I should have just waited to post but am definitely still chipping away at.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

33,030 which is almost double my count from a few months ago. Woaaaaaaaaahhhh

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Still Assassin's Creed, now dipping into Baldur's Gate 3 as well.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Still the same five fics in the same order but with slightly different numbers:

Hideaway - 149

Bright Skies - 139

Press On, Move Along - 94

Out of the Cold - 43

Honor Bound - 29

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! Always.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Still Press On, Move Along.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Still Hideaway.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Still hate-free, for now.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Sure do 💀 and I've posted some of it since the last time I did this. I think the only way I can really describe it is emotionally-charged, because if I'm going to horny jail it will at the very least be in service of some kind of character development. 😭

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Still occasionally poke away at the AC x Star Wars AU, but I'm not super invested in it right now. But I'm sure that will change as soon as a new Star Wars thing comes out. Since I last did this I also went digging through the depths of my writing folder and found a Walking Dead x MCU crossover that I must have started when I was like 14 years old. Absolute fucking horror show that I am so very thankful I never wrote enough to post. 🤡

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Still no, as far as I'm aware.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, except for yelling back and forth about ideas with friends. I would probably be open to it but also maybe not because I know I am extremely unreliable.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Saying "all-time" favourite feels a bit much, but as far as mental real estate and also just sheer number of words written, Leovor far surpasses any other ship I've been into. 🧍🏻‍♀️

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Since I did that ask game a few weeks ago, the Inquisitor Ahsoka/Rex starting a clone rebellion/post TCW AU has been on my mind. But I know that, realistically speaking, I'm unlikely to ever be invested enough to actually sit down and write it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm trying to make a point to read more fiction and while it's possible that the few books I've read thus far lately just haven't been particularly good, it's certainly made me way more confident in my ability to write dialogue that feels like it would be spoken by real live humans and not aliens pretending to be humans. Similar deal with internal monologues. I'm convinced that none of these authors read their work aloud.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Still generally the same—overthinking comma usage, editing while I write and therefore being very slow, going back and forth between being stuck because I didn't plan enough and feeling stifled because I planned too much. Etc etc.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I try to avoid it as much as possible, with the exception being words or phrases that are used a lot in canon.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Still Marvel :(

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Honor Bound is still my baby, but I didn't expect to actually like A Different Kind of Solace as much as I do, mostly because I didn't really go into writing it expecting to hit the emotional notes that it does. Also still Out of the Cold. There are some banger lines there.

Not tagging anyone because this one has gone around a few times recently but if you want to do it, you're welcome to pretend I tagged you. 😌

[tlcwrites]

Two Hearts Make a Whole

Prompt: “Kiss me again, like you mean it.” Photo prompt below.

Summary: NYC Pride is for celebration, and occasionally, long-overdue revelations.

Word Count: 2,001

Tags/Content warnings: Marvel. Stucky. If you have a problem with it, there's the door. SFW. Slight TFATWS spoilers so read at your own risk. Platonic Reader. Two idiots in love. Technically canon-divergent because I'm still in my everyone-is-alive-and-in-this-timeline happy place that I will never ever leave fuck you very much Russo brothers but not AU. Found family. All the feels. Complete and total LGBTQ+ support. Lots of bad language words because #me. Un-beta'd.

Author’s Note: Okay so yes this is technically 4 weeks late for @autumnleaves1991-blog's Writer Wednesday weekly challenge. BUT, it was incredibly important to me to finish this one before Pride month is over. Made it by the skin of my teeth.

Happy Pride, y’all. If you’re out, you’re amazing. If you’re closeted, you’re amazing. However you identify is valid and important. Trans folx are LGBTQ+. Bisexuals are LGBTQ+. Ace folx are LGBTQ+. Anyone who identifies or thinks they may be as queer is LGBTQ+. All are welcome in the family. You have the right to choose your pronouns and we have the responsibility to use them. Live whatever your truth looks like to you and love each other. Love is love is love is love. If your family doesn’t accept you for you, I’m your mom now and I’ve got mom hugs available on demand. Homophobes and TERFS can fuck off and roll in poison ivy. Always punch Nazis. Pride shouldn't be limited to the month of June. And don’t you dare forget that Black and Brown trans women were the ones who rioted at Stonewall, and we owe everything to their bravery. Don’t forget that much of popular ‘gay’ culture was appropriated from Black women. And for more facts about Pride that you should absolutely know, Rawiyah Tariq (@ mammyisdead on Instagram) has a phenomenally good overview.

“Oh my god.” You gasp loudly. "Oh my GOD. Is that-"

“What?!” Instantly in First Avenger Protective Mode™️, Steve surveys the crowd, wishing he had an actual shield instead of the screen printed one on his shirt. “What is it?”

You gasp again, smacking Sam’s arm repeatedly. “OHMYGOD IT IS HOLY FUCK.”

“First; ow.” Now-Cap rubs his bicep. “Second; clue in the class before Steve has an aneurysm, please.”

Vibrating with excitement doesn’t begin to describe your current state. “HER ROYAL HIGHNESS MISS LEMON MERINGUE IS STANDING RIGHT FUCKING THERE.”

With the finesse of a shampoo commercial, Bucky's dark locks fly as he whips around. “What?!”

“RIGHT THERE RIGHT THERE RIGHT THERE.” You abandon a relieved Sam and latch on to Bucky’s vibranium arm. “Oh my GOD I love her so fucking much.”

“She was robbed, absolutely fucking robbed,” he agrees, craning his neck to get a better view. “Divine Tension’s lip sync was shameful.”

Sam glances at Steve, who is slowly coming out of protector mode. “What the ever-loving hell are they talking about?”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Nat flicks more confetti at both Cap-the-former and Cap-the-current. “They watch it every week.”

“Really, Steven, for a guy with enhanced super senses, you miss a lot.” Tony hefts a bedazzled Morgan higher on his back. The toddler, accompanied by Scott playing air-piano on the ground, sings along with the ABBA song being blasted at full volume through the street. Tony continues as if this is an everyday occurrence. “Why do you think both of your People disappear every Friday evening?”

Ears pink, Steve mumbles something.

“What?!” The only other one with hearing enhanced enough to hear a murmur over the cacophony of several thousand people belting out the chorus of ‘Dancing Queen’ at the top of their lungs, Bucky turns to stare at his friend. “You thought we were datin’?”

Steve’s blush extends down his neck.

You and Bucky stare at each other for a moment before you both collapse on each other, exploding into stomach clenching, thigh slapping laughter.

“I’m gonna guess that’s a ‘no’?” Clint confirms with Nat.

“Oh, a big ‘no’.” She watches affectionately as you and Bucky calm down enough to look at each other, breathe for a second, and both promptly dissolve into hysterics once more. “Like, the biggest ‘no’.”

Sam crossed his arms across his chest, his stoic stance so reminiscent of Steve it’s amusing (as well as a beautiful disparity to the sequined crop top he’s sporting. Oof, those abs.). “How do I not know about this?”

“Because you’re not a former super spy?” The usually-Black-but-today-Rainbow Widow tosses the last of her confetti at Tony, who spins a jubilant Morgan into it. “Or because you and that leggy barista from the lobby coffee shop are too busy playing hide-the-“

“-Baby Shark!” Morgan suddenly shrieks, flailing towards a guy on roller blades wearing a fin and tail (and not much else).

“Yeah,” Nat finishes with a smirk, “Hide-the-Baby Shark.”

Sam flips her a gesture that makes Clint laugh and Bruce sigh.

You and Bucky have finally managed to pull yourselves together. “Oh my god, Steven Grant,” you gasp, wiping tears from your eyes. “That’s the funniest fucking shit I’ve ever fucking heard.”

“Language!”

Steve glares at Tony. “One. Time. It was one. Time.”

Bucky slings his flesh arm around Steve’s shoulders. “Oh, punk. You may have perfect vision now, but sometimes you’re still as blind as you were before.”

Visiortn himself nods sagely. “Humans can be quite unperceptive when it comes to matters of the heart.” Vision casts a fond smile at Wanda, who is using her powers to make Pietro’s tinsel wig fly on and off. “Sometimes you have to look harder to see what’s right in front of your nose.”

A confused frown on that handsome face, Captain Clueless looks at Bucky. “Why do I feel like everyone else knows something that I don’t?”

His bestie sighs deeply. “Because, Stevie, almost everyone else on this planet knows that my tastes tend towards tall, blonde, blue-eyed knuckleheads who have zero sense of self-preservation.”

“And an ass you could bounce a quarter off of,” Scott helpfully supplies.

“And that,” Bucky agrees.

Steve frowns.

You press your palms to your eyes in vexation. “You, Steve. He’s talking about you.” (Seriously, how has this idiot survived for over a century while being so dumb?)

Whatever he was expecting, it was certainly not that. “He-“ The Man With A Plan gapes as he turns to his oldest friend. “You-“

“Me,” Bucky says gently.

Even though you’re slightly surprised that Bucky is going to do this in such a public forum, you can’t help but be so proud of your friend. It has taken a long time for Bucky to believe he deserves to be happy. There are days he still sinks into that dark place, where his inner demons whisper that he should have fought harder against his Hydra captors, and that his past actions were still somehow his fault. Those are the days no amount of baking or Modern Marvels will bring him out of his funk. You, Steve, Sam, and Nat have all held those strong shoulders as they shook with sobs, overwhelmed by the shame and horror at what his hands had done without his consent.

But he’s here. He’s free. And he’s smiling nervously at his best friend.

“I-” Steve is short-circuiting. “Me?!”

“Stevie.” With the kind of tender patience that can only be born of a lifetime of keeping (or attempting to keep) an idiot such as one Steven Grant Rogers from flinging himself headlong into every fight he comes across, Bucky moves his flesh hand to the back of Steve’s neck. His face is full of such soft affection that you almost want to look away for fear of intruding on this suddenly intimate moment. “What do you think ‘til the end of the line’ means, you idiot? You’ve been it for me since I was thirteen-years-old.”

Blue eyes are locked with blue eyes as Steve processes this revelation. “I-” He shakes his head as if to declutter his thoughts. “This whole time?”

“Since the first time I saw that asshole knock you down, and your scrawny ass climbed right back up.” A wry chuckle escapes as Bucky reminices. “You were ninety pounds soaking wet, and you stood there, against a guy who was three times your size, and never waivered for a second. It was magnificent.”

“I don’t like bullies,” is Steve’s quiet response.

Bucky’s grin is adoring. “I know, sweetheart.” He gently strokes the back of Steve’s neck with his thumb. “You’ve always had a heart way bigger than your brain.”

Steve is still back on the first part of Bucky’s admission. “If you’ve felt- if you-” He’s practically pleading. “Why didn’t you say anything then?”

Bucky shrugs, attempting and failing nonchalance. “It was a different time, you know?” He’s uncharacteristically unsure of himself, the subtle waiver in his voice revealing the anxiety born of a lifetime of being forced to hide his truth. “I mean, you remember how it was; you didn’t talk about, no one talked about- about being- about people like...” He swallows thickly.  “And I was so scared you didn’t, that you weren’t-” His voice breaks.

Even though you’ve all been emotionally invested in this love story for years, the entire team respectfully pretends not to listen as the former Winter Soldier quietly admits his deepest secret to his closest friend. It’s enraging as Bucky confesses yet another way he's been a victim of his circumstances, and denied his right to live freely without derision. Once more, you’re awed by his resilience.

“-it was a risk I couldn’t take,” Bucky finally gets out, that stubborn fire back in his eyes. “I couldn’t lose you, Steve. I couldn’t chance it. I could live with just being your friend and only your friend so long it meant you were in my life.”

Stunned silence meets the end of his confession. Steve’s face is impassive, those cerulean eyes uncharacteristically inscrutable.

You can all tell Bucky is heading steadily towards dread and heartbreak the longer Steve takes to respond. You and Sam exchange a look, both ready to intervene if Steve demonstrates any of the abhorrent attitudes that were so prevalent in the society of his youth. It would be completely out of character for him, but...

Finally, Steve speaks. “You’re telling me,” he says, his words slow and deliberate, “that you made me wait ninety-three years to tell me you’ve felt the same way about me as I have about you since the day you picked me up out of that alley?!”

The whole found family breaths a collective sigh of relief as Steve pulls Bucky even closer, broad chest to broad chest.

“Okay, to be fair, you were an ice cube for most of that time and I wasn’t exactly available for a relationship.” Bucky’s grin stands in contradiction to his mullish defense. “But yeah, that’s the gist of it.” There’s the Bucky you all know and love, biting his lip with those perfect white teeth. “Now, punk, I’d really like to kiss you now, but first I need you to say you want me to.”

“You-” Steve’s throat works as he attempts- and fails- to rein in his emotions. “You jerk.”

And then the Star Spangled Man seizes the president of the Sometimes-Former-Assassins Club by his ridiculously perfect face and crashes their mouths together.

At any Pride event, seeing two men kissing is, obviously, to be expected. But seeing The First Avenger and The White Wolf attempting to swallow each other’s tongues is not at all routine. As people realize what is happening, the crowd is whipped into a frenzy the likes of which is usually reserved for the aftermath of sporting events and elections that defeat fascists.

Watching the two men embrace, Scott sniffles loudly. “I’m gonna cry, I’m so happy.”

He’s certainly not the only one. Wanda has a watery smile as she wraps her arms around Vision and Pietro; Pepper, Tony, and Bruce are watching with fond parental energy; you and Sam sandwich Peter between the two of you, grins practically splitting your faces. Even Nat’s eyes look suspiciously shiny and she and Clint sling their arms around each other with platonic affection. And that’s not counting the several thousand people who are cheering for love being love being love being love.

When they finally break their embrace, the Centennial twins are startled to see they’ve collected quite an audience.

“Uh, so…” Suddenly bashful, Steve glances back to his- partner? Boyfriend? Soulmate? Is there a word that can accurately describe two people who have found each other time and again in a world that seems hell-bent on keeping them apart?- his ears practically maroon with embarrassment. For a guy with one of the most-recognized faces in the world, Steve is still incredibly and endearingly uncomfortable with attention. “Buck?”

Bucky seems just as stunned as Steve.

Thankfully, the masses demonstrate the usual support that’s the hallmark of Pride. “LOVE IS LOVE!” someone screams in the crowd. It’s quickly echoed, and chants fill the park.

The attention momentarily off them, the former Winter Soldier and his giant himbo of a soulmate look back at each other. You pretend not to watch through the happiest tears as they embrace again, bringing their foreheads together. The relief they share is palpable, as they’re finally able to show the world- and each other- the love they’ve each hidden for so long.

Bucky’s voice is so soft you have to strain to hear it. “You have no idea how much m’in love with you, Stevie.”

“Pretty sure I do,” Steve answers, bringing a hand up to carefully wipe the tears from Bucky’s face. “‘cause it’s as much as I love you, Buck.”

Bucky's answering grin can only be described as saucy. “Then kiss me again, like you mean it.”

And Steve, for once in his long life, does exactly as ordered.

---

A/N: “The Sometimes-Former-Assassins Club” is from Starry_Emerald173’s BRILLIANT The Avengers Wrangler over on AO3. If you haven’t read it yet, drop what you’re doing and do so immediately. Make sure you're not drinking any liquids, or your keyboard/phone may be in peril.

[katherinewilliams221b]

Girl you know I'm jumping at the occasion :D

Pre-relationship: 1 and 2

General: 1 and 7 bc I can't ever get enough of the dynamics between those two 🖤

Love: 7 and 13

Domestic life: I'd ask for 1 and 2 but I know you plan that hand-fasting fic in the future (still, won't say no to some spoilers... :D)

PRE-RELATIONSHIP

1. How did they first meet?

Charlie already knew who Kate was from the stories Bill told about her. It was Charlie himself who approached her in the first Care of Magical Creatures class they had together. He had no romantic interest in her at the time, but Bill had spoken so highly of her that Charlie felt they could be good friends. 

His first words were something along the lines of "I know who you are..." He didn't mean to cause her the disappointment he saw on her face.

Kate forced a smile without looking up, wanting to be polite, but nipping in the bud the conversation she was about to have with yet another stranger pretending to know her. 

This all went by very quickly, and as soon as Charlie mentioned that "Bill has spoken very highly of you..." Kate finally met his eyes.

"You're Charlie!" she exclaimed, a little too loudly "Bill has told me about you, too."

They worked very well together that day, like a well-oiled machine foreshadowing the kind of relationship they would have later on. When class was over, Kate ran off to meet Rowan, but not before shouting to Charlie that it had been a pleasure to meet him.

He shouldered his satchel, watching the messy-haired girl hurry off, and thought that not only was she not as the horrible rumours circulating about her described her, but that this had been the beginning of a great friendship.

2. What was their first impression of each other?

He had never been swayed by rumours. But so many people spoke ill of her and her brother that he was tempted to believe them.

The first time he formed an opinion about her was in his first year; he entered the Great Dining Hall with a determined stride and fury written all over his face. Charlie did not know that she had just escaped from a devil's snare, nor that the feud with Merula had begun. Trying not to be too swayed by what he had heard, he merely watched as she sat down at the Hufflepuff table and began speaking at full speed to a girl he would later come to know as Rowan. He had no interest in finding out about her. He just let her be.

Bill remarked that he had a brother at Hogwarts in the same year as her. In the courtyard, Bill pointed to Charlie, who was reading by the fountain. Kate thought he wasn't like Bill at all, that adventures weren't his thing and that he seemed like a quiet boy. A rule-follower. Oh, boy, was she wrong. They didn't meet that day, or for another three years.

GENERAL

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

The fifth year was very critical for Charlie, and Kate was his rock in that regard. It was when they started spending more and more time together and to the rest of Hogwarts, they were dating without a doubt. At this point Kate already had feelings for him, but she kept them to herself in the face of his disinterest in dating. In his sixth year, and in better mental health, Charlie began to...feel...things. Dazed by these new sensations, he sought refuge in the forbidden forest until André confronted him. At the same time Rowan, commented that they spent all. the. day. together. Both friends took it upon themselves to set them up on a date.

It was so orthopaedic, so strange and awkward that they both questioned their feelings for each other.At the end of the year, having pretended that the day had never happened, Kate decided to admit that she still liked him. He did the same, with great difficulty.

They both came to an agreement and decided that their friends should not interfere, that whatever they did would have to flow naturally. That agreement day was the start of their official relationship.

7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

Contrary to what it might seem, Charlie. Although he is known as the dragon boy, who is always alone, reading or in the forest, he is held in high esteem by everyone. He makes friends wherever he goes.

Kate is a bit more reserved. She has no difficulty talking to people, but tends to be more cautious around strangers. Paradoxically, she is a magnet for anyone who gets to know her, and although Charlie takes the lead in social situations, there will always be people gravitating around Kate. She says she makes a lot of friends by chance, but it's because she prefers listening than talking about herself.

That said, although they both enjoy being around their friends, they always need to get away somewhere quiet for a while.

LOVE

7. What are their favorite things to do together?

In the Hogwarts years they used to spend the whole day together studying, reading or going to the Forbidden Forest. It was then when Charlie taught Kate how to track both animals and people.

Their activities didn't change much when Kate moved to Romania, as soon after, the war started and there was no more time for leisure.

After the war, they set about making up for lost time, and began to explore Romania and other nearby countries, making short trips wherever they could. One trip a year is mandatory.

They like to go on picnics in the mountains every weekend; they take a blanket, food, maybe books, and spend the day talking and laughing, sometimes even...

They were both surprised at how much they liked watching movies; when they got their first TV, they started having marathons every night over dinner.

Cooking? Or rather, chatting while Charlie cooked. It's a time just for them, especially during the war, where they can clear their heads. Many times they both prepare food in silence, just enjoying each other's company.

Dancing! Some time ago I mentioned that they attended several dance classes as a couple, something they didn't like very much, they prefer to dance without an audience.Later, when they have their daughter, they discovered how much they like to play board games together.

Although they deny it, they like to attend events as a couple; birthdays, or parties at their respective jobs, where they can show each other off.

13. Who remembers the little things?

They both do, I think. Kate remembers how he likes tea, that he takes a bubble bath when he is stressed and she often anticipates it, the brand of pencils he likes, many of the names of the dragons on the reserve, his favourite balaclava and so on.

Charlie knows what her favourite mug is; when she runs out of seeds, how she braids her hair; that she likes to wear jewellery and also knows what style; that there are some yellow flowers that give her allergies, and he has an antihistamine potion in his backpack just in case....

It's not the only thing, but I think they're both good at paying attention to detail. It's one of their love-languages.

DOMESTIC LIFE

1. If they get married, who proposes? 2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

Ok, I'll try to answer with as few spoilers as possible. It's no secret that they do a handfasting ceremony. I once said it was Kate who officiated at it, but no. I'm going to change that because I think I have a better idea.I'm still studying how marriage works in the magical world, but what I do know is that neither Muggles nor the Ministry see a handfasting as a legal union (although it used to be, I'm still studying). This will be important.

If I can get it right, the two of them will be proposing to each other in very subtle and unknowing ways. I haven't decided who will be the one to take a more definitive step, I like both options: on the one hand Kate, because I like the idea of seeing the woman propose, and on the other hand Charlie, because it's something he would never have seen himself doing.

There are 4 people in attendance (6 counting them), one of them is her grandpa, Bernard, and the other three are people they meet in Ireland. One of those three people officiates the wedding.

As I said, the wedding is a handfasting, a Celtic ceremony used to symbolise the intention to marry and the commitement to someone. I don't want to say anything! I think this is my favourite part and I want it to be very emotional. I have looked up what the officiant says to do the ceremony and it is really beautiful. I have personalised it a bit with the fragments that I liked the most.

This is what struck me most (from a website about the ceremony) and what I intend to reflect:

"The absolute honesty inherent in the answers to the questions in this ritual usually takes guests by surprise. This leads the guests to concentrate on what is happening and gets them more emotionally invested in this part of the ceremony".

From this ask

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

The Secret Formula Behind Hallmark's Christmas Movie Empire

Hallmark's holiday lineup has gone from guilty pleasure to appointment television. How? Glamour's Jessica Radloff explores.

BY JESSICA RADLOFF NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Decorating for the holidays is serious business for many—but if you're CEO of Crown Media Networks (aka the Hallmark Channel) the bar is on a different level. "Oh, I'm a Christmas nut," William J. Abbott, Crown Media's CEO and president, tells Glamour.com. "We actually built [an addition] in our house so we could accommodate a 12-foot tree in the middle of our den, so, yeah, we just love the holidays." The same goes for Michelle Vicary, the network's executive VP of programming and publicity. "Christmas decorations go up the day after Halloween," she jokes. "I'm a little [like the] Griswolds."

Tinsel and trees aside, Abbott, Vicary, and the entire team at Crown Media actually live the business they're selling. And they're selling it well. Vicary says nearly 85 million people lay eyes on the network between Halloween and New Years. If that sounds more like a Christmas miracle than reality, you haven't been paying attention to the Hallmark Channel—or its sister property, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries—the last few years. When the network says it is "cable's biggest success story," it's true.

This year Hallmark is in the midst of airing 37 original holiday movies for its Countdown to Christmas programming (and planning the 2019 holiday slate). And watching these movies is no longer a guilty pleasure—it's appointment television. From unofficial drinking games to a user-friendly app, it's become cool to stay home and watch two people in sweaters fall in love in a town named like a Bath & Body Works lotion.

(PHOTO: HALLMARK 'Christmas at Pemberley Manor,' starring Jessica Lowndes and Michael Rady.)

Abbott says Netflix is partially to thank for changing viewer habits, particularly among millennials. "They have a formula that certainly has worked for them in terms of driving people toward watching on their smart TVs," he says. "Ultimately the more people that consume entertainment, the better off we all are."

But Netflix is only a small part of Hallmark's success. Vicary cites the constant, and often depressing, 24/7 news cycle as another factor. "I think people can only take so much," she says. "We purposely look to be an escape. We try not to be issues-oriented in terms of creating polarizing conversations, because there are places to get that. We are a place that is a haven from that. We're just a different conversation."

Abbott agrees. "I think it’s not only the political landscape, but the entertainment landscape to a degree too. There are just very few options that are not shocking, looking to shock, or looking to be over-the-top in terms of violence or salacious for salacious sake. I think people tire of that." Abbott admits that's not the only reason people tune into the channel, it is a big one—and something that Hallmark has included in its strategy. "It's tapping into emotion in a positive way and making you feel a little better about relationships and how people interact," he explains. "The Hallmark brand is all about people connecting. The secret, I think, to our success is that we focus on that relentlessly."

This secret to success doesn't come without detractors, though. Abbott and Vicary know there are plenty of people who think the content is cheesy, but to them, that doesn't have to be a negative. "I have to be honest, I don't always think predictable is a bad word," Vicary says. "I think of every Nora Ephron comedy I ever watched—the first time I saw Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan on screen, I knew they were going to end up together. But it was the journey! So I don’t mind when you tune in that you know our characters—who are on two separate journeys—are going to end up together by the end. It's about how they get there."

OK, so how did Hallmark get here? How did it go from a brand-new network in the early aughts to a holiday empire? For one, consistency. Hallmark premieres most of its original movies on Saturdays and Sundays, a time when other networks air sports or reruns. "It's the perfect time to unwind and get away from reality," Abbott says. "We appeal to people wanting that escape over the weekend."

Second, it's investment. "Our movies are so much better because our production value, our stars, our music, our scriptwriting, our development, and our production are so much better than they’ve ever been," Abbott says. "Success snowballs. The more you do right, the more people notice; the more people notice, the more you invest; the more you invest, the more you pay attention, and the better it gets."

(PHOTO: HALLMARK CHANNEL LeAnn Rimes in 'It's Christmas, Eve'.)

And finally, as Vicary points out, it's about creating an experience. "We’re an emotionally driven brand. We’re about enhancing relationships and enhancing life." She says in the last decade the network has tapped into viewers' love of celebration. "The Hallmark brand already lives in that space, so it really is about delivering on the experience of the brand."

And then there's the wish-fulfillment aspect, those picturesque, snow-capped towns and leads in color-coordinated holiday attire. "We’re not embarrassed to say, ‘Let’s make it sound even more holiday oriented,'" Vicary says with a laugh. "We are not shy about creating an environment that compliments and enhances that great story."

Still, that "environment" has come under more scrutiny in the past few years for being predominantly white, straight, and without much diversity. The network needs to do more to reflect America today—and Abbott says the Hallmark Channel team is aware and working on it. "Absolutely, no question about it," Abbott says. "We've worked really hard at it. It's the type of thing we should have been doing all along, but we're pleased at where we are."

Where they are is a more diverse slate of programming than years past. It's not perfect yet, but one example of progress is a recent full-page ad Crown Media took out in The Hollywood Reporter to showcase its holiday slate. Of the 14 actors in the ad, nine were women, seven were people of color, and five were women of color.

"Our goal is to do everything we can to represent the public faces on television and represent the United States as it really looks on our air," Vicary says. "I think we have some terrific casting this year with Tatyana Ali, Dondre T. Whitfield, Patti LaBelle, Christina Milian, Jerrika Hinton, Tia Mowry, and more. We have our most diverse slate ever."

In addition to what viewers see on air, Vicary notes that "more than 50 percent of the scripts that were written this year were written by women." She also said they're consciously trying to hire more female directors and behind-the-scenes crew. "I think in the last year we have added three more women to our roster of directors," Vicary says. "We are very conscious of it."

But Abbott or Vicary know that's not enough. The executives are discussing a possible Hanukkah movie to join their holiday lineup ("One of my development execs brought me one this week that they were really excited about," Vicary says. "I said, 'Great, let's meet and talk about it for 2019.'") According to Abbott, he's even open to a Hallmark movie where the main couple doesn't end up together. "As we delve into our content and [look for] a more authentic way, we’ll progress," he says. "Everything is on the table."

(PHOTO: HALLMARK Danielle Panabaker and Matt Long in Christmas Joy.)

That progress is important to Abbott and Vicary, who want Hallmark to stay current and evolving. "It's particularly important that we represent the reality of the 21st century in that everybody is different and unique," Abbott says. "It's a pet peeve of mine when I read a story and kids are portrayed a certain way. The reality is girls can play baseball or be into science or play with dolls."

Abbott even acknowledges that the network's older movies were guilty of playing into stereotypes."You look back at some of old, old movies, and it's kind of the stereotypical situation of the woman at home," he says. "We work very hard to stay out of that stereotypical dialogue and situational behavior because it’s just not reality, and it’s not authentic. We really try to empower women. We really work hard to ensure that our women are strong—while they don’t need a man, they’d love to fall in love. But at the end of the day, that is not what they need to be successful or happy or fulfilled or have a good career. That is something that is very important to all of us to portray."

That awareness is one of the reasons Abbott credits the Hallmark Channel's growth in markets like Chicago, New York, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, and D.C. "I think there’s this feeling that we’re 'flyover country' and that it’s all red-state people," he says. "That’s just completely not true. Everybody likes to feel good. I don’t care what political party you’re part of or where you live, people like to feel positive." Yes, Hallmark's content isn't edgy—"and never will be"—but it's certainly smarter than it's ever been, he says. "And that wins."

It's been a stressful year, but at least you can count on Hallmark, Lifetime, and Netflix to come through with the holiday cheer. After all, what's more relaxing than watching an overworked woman fall in love with a Christmas tree farmer? So decompress with all of our delightful holiday content right here.

Source: glamour.com

https://www.glamour.com/story/hallmark-christmas-movie-secret-formula

[imhereformysciencefriends]

Hello! You seem really nice so I hope you don't mind me asking you this question! I'm curious about Homestuck, but I'm not really sure what it is. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to join the fandom? Thank you in advance!

Don’t.

Okay backing up a little. Thank you anon! I try my best to be friendly so I’m very glad to hear that!

Homestuck is a webcomic written by Andrew Hussie on http://mspaintadventures.com/, it’s about four human kids who partake in a Game that brings about the end and rebirth of the universe, and they meet up with a group of aliens along the way. Things get complicated quickly, but the pacing of the plot starts out fairly slow to begin with. In order to really enjoy Homestuck, you have to just sort of take it at face value to begin with, and enjoy the stupid humor and dumb jokes and incredible characters until the plot kicks in, and when it kicks it kicks hard. It is INCREDIBLY LONG and very heavy on complex themes, like the nature and flow of time, the morality of someone who wants to be a good person but can’t, the morality of someone who doesn’t want to be a good person but wants other people to think she is, the morality of a child who was raised in a society that groomed him to behave in a violent and dominant manner despite wanting to not do that, the morality regarding someone whose agency was stripped from him, stuff like toxic masculinity within modern day society and how that affects queer youth and how it stunts them, teen alcoholism, the list goes on. It gets VERY deep, but is also pretty enjoyable (for the first part (I’ll get to that)) on the surface level too!

The fandom, like all fandoms, has highs and it has lows. We all like to joke about how bad the Homestuck fandom is, and while it’s true there are certain pervading ideas and themes that are AWFUL, as well as users who will make you wonder why you’re even here, there are many more who give meaningful insight and are very positive.

However, having said all that, please understand that I am being genuine when I say don’t read Homestuck. I know there are a lot, and I do mean A LOT, of Homestucks who say “don’t read Homestuck” as a joke, but I do mean it. It’s long. It’s EMOTIONAL. You get invested, you get in deep and it’s hard to get out, the fandom, for all it’s lows, is still incredible to partake in, you won’t really want to leave sometimes, the themes and some of the concepts Homestuck has introduced are incredible, but the ending? The ending is SHIT. Almost no one I know was satisfied with the ending of Homestuck, and those that were stopped being emotionally attached to it years ago. To those who are still in deep, who are still so, so, so very emotionally attached? Homestuck’s ending felt like a fucking knife to the ribs. The friends I went to when I read the ending legitimately thought someone in my family had died, I was crying so hard. There was nothing satisfying about the ending, I can count on one hand the number of things about Homestuck’s ending that were even… good. It sucked. It sucks. I hate Homestuck, even with the same breath that I say I love it. It’s such a long haul, it’s so much invested emotion, so much time and energy and emotion and honest love got poured into this story and the ending made me question if any of it was even worth it.

So like, if you can ignore endings? Go for it. If you’re just in it for the ride, the characters, the actual story and not the ending? I say absolutely go for it. But know that there isn’t a happy ending waiting for you.

[hallowedhorrors]

Y'all apparently don't know what queerbaiting means and it's pissing me off. (TL;DR at the end.)

I made a small thread about this on twitter but I basically never use twitter and also character limits so I'm putting it on here too. - It's not queerbaiting for your same-sex ship not to be played out on screen. - It's not queerbaiting for your same-sex ship not to go canon (even though in this case it absolutely did). - It's not queerbaiting for a queer relationship to be subtle, complicated, or nuanced when you're dealing with two very emotionally guarded characters who are not focused on romance, in a piece of media that is also not focused on romance. - It's not queerbaiting for a same-sex ship not to look or turn out the way you specifically want it to. (And you don't get to tell other queer people that it only 'Counts' if they portray a queer character/relationship in a certain way!!! You don't get to say there's only one 'right' way to do it!!! That is being reductive of and belittling queer people and queer relationships!) Queerbaiting is when creators/writers make a character or a relationship that could be interpreted as queer if you want to look at it that way, and then intentionally neither confirm nor deny it so that the queer demographic will be hopeful and invested but the queerphobic demographic won't get their panties in a knot. Or wait until a series is completely finished to finally say 'oh, no, that character isn't queer, you were seeing it wrong,' because then they don't have to worry about whether queer fans jump ship. Queerbaiting is having no intention whatsoever for a character to ever be queer, but still leaving enough subtext or coding on purpose that's subtle enough to be ignored by anyone who doesn't want to see it for the sake of bringing in a queer audience. Queerbaiting is making a character or relationship seem queer, playing into that and playing into the queer audience, then pretending that that totally wasn't what you were doing at all and you don't know why anyone would interpret it that way, or saying 'Yeah I can see why you might have thought that, and I know we never explicitly told you either way, but no, actually.' It's effectively a honeypot con; They know going in, definitively, that they will absolutely not be giving you anything that can be substantiated, but they want you to think that they might. It is stringing along an audience so that they can easily interpret something as queer while refusing to ever acknowledge, verify, refute, or comment on any of the queercoding. 'Bait' is the key word here. Bait is something disingenuous, placed intentionally to lure you into a trap. In the case of queerbaiting, something that looks queer but actually isn't to lure people into getting invested in a character or piece of media. Caleb has always been, and was always intended to be, queer. This has been a known fact, stated openly and repeatedly by Liam, who is also a queer man. Caleb was repeatedly shown in game and was confirmed outside of it to be romantically/sexually attracted to men and even to have previously been in a relationship with a man. He's always been guarded about his past and his feelings-- All of them, not just romantic ones-- But his being bisexual was never a secret. He never hid it, he never denied it being a thing, he never had any sort of shame about it or any concern that others might be disapproving of it. Liam ever treated it as a secret or tongue-in-cheek thing either. He told us that Caleb is bisexual. Caleb displayed in game an attraction to both men and women. That is a 100% fully certified queer wizard. And Caleb treated his interest in men the exact same way he treated his interest in women; He treated his interest in Jester the exact same way he treated his interest in Essek. Which was to keep that interest to himself, pine like a true bi disaster, and to show his care in soft, subtle ways that very carefully and very intentionally put zero expectation on them. While the whole time, on the sidelines, Liam told us how Caleb felt about them every step of the way. He confirmed to us all outright, over and over, that we were absolutely

seeing exactly what we thought we were. There was nothing deceptive about it. We did get what we were told we were getting. We were certainly never told at any point that we'd be getting a canonical romantic Shadowgast relationship, let alone promised that it'd be everything we ever dreamed of. ** TL;DR: You can be disappointed or unsatisfied with the way the Caleb/Shadowgast epilogue went. You can have criticism for it! That's totally fine, that's a personal opinion, and you can absolutely talk about that! But it Is. Not. Queerbaiting. Matt and Liam didn't do us dirty, and acting like they did just because you didn't get exactly what you wanted in exactly the way you wanted it is some ignorant, entitled bullshit.