#also maybe im just in the industry so I'm more aware of it

[vryivs]

so I work for a charity. we make money from funding, donations and the stuff we sell to make the money to run the charity. and you know, the excess that we make goes into operational costs like, for example, paying employees like me.

fairly often I think about when ao3 was down from a ddos attack last year and people were praising the volunteers for working round the clock to fix it, and when I asked if they were going to be compensated for that work I was told "well, it's a charity so." I assume they were compensated, but that's not the point. the point is that people were weirdly defensive about the fact that they Might not be, to the degree that my question never got an answer.

this post doesn't have any moral or message or anything I just think that it's strange how the "workers rights know your worth website" is suddenly okay with uncompensated labour when it's for a beloved fanfiction archive.

[kurosagi-h8r]

Tokyo Debunkers x Enstars

as i promised lol. im just gonna point out why they're similar and some hc on what i think they would act like or do if they meet each other. i don't give 100% attention to all of enstars characters (there's 49 of them give me a break), meaning i don't analyze them in great details so please do correct me if i'm wrong on certain things.

Izumi Sena & Romeo Lucci

starting off with a fan favorite my favorites

both are famous for being harsh, bullies, nagging (according to others), and complain a lot (also according to others)

both are METICULOUS when it comes to appearance and they live in the name of beauty (maybe i do have a type)

Izumi's hobby is literally health management since he works as both model and idol but in the story he's shown to be more ambitious in the modeling industry (since it's the career he gain individually while idol is a group thing) but ofc he's still taking his idol job seriously too.

Izumi lives in Florence, Italy for his modeling jobs. ITALY!

I'll be honest with you my first impression of Romeo was "this guy is Izumi if he has a gun and can curse as easy as he breathe" since in enstars you can't really do both of them. Believe me when I say they way they talk and sound are so similar (or perhaps because im biased) that at one point i was too much in denial to let the world know that i like these two

OUT OF ANY TYPE THAT I CAN HAVE, I JUST HAD TO HAVE THIS ONE???! fml

I can see them being best friends. Izumi is living in Italy with his unit-mate Leo (Tsukinaga) while Romeo has Taiga to take care of and I just know they'd talk shit about those two like they're rats living in their apartment rent free but the second they wanna be independent they'd claim that "Your life is mine. You should've thought about that before giving it all up in the palm of my hand."

If I can ask for one thing I would ask Izumi to model for Romeo's brand. Both of them has eyes for fashion and they'd either agree on every piece or have a long argument on why something is not worth to be presented into the world. And honestly if Romeo has to listen to someone on this topic, Izumi would be the person he'll listen to despite both of them can be headstrong at times. There's just no way they don't understand one another on first meeting.

These two are TWINS separated at birth.

Kaoru Hakaze & Rui Mizuki

whores

"straight" playboy who both happen to be blonde

the way both of them actually said that they're not into guys multiple times is too funny to me. aren't you gonna address the "vampire" that's attached to your hip :/

and yes they both flirted with MC

and yes both of their "Likes" had/has MC in them

Kaoru's specialty was SMELLING GIRLS

HE CAN DETECT GIRLS FROM THEIR SCENTS (failed a few times tho)

yk i thought Kaoru was bad in the anime but now he stops being a flirt ever since "!!" era he's actually ok

Until I know of Rui's existence... Kaoru was NOTHING compared to him im sorry dude 😭 Rui just,,, straight up invite you to bed despite his curse and shit,, Kaoru just never did that (i think) but hey i believe if kaoru was also cursed he'd also go all out.

Rui can talk about anything to him but the most concerning part was the fact that he couldn't touch girls anymore. And I can see Kaoru sympathizing with him.

Oh and also the fact that they have vampires for dorm/unit leaders that they're in charge of

Malewives bond

Chiaki Morisawa & Haru Sagara

These two would not think twice to save their loved ones even tho they're well aware it's going to hurt them bad. Haru never mentioned about being a hero or liking any hero stuff like Chiaki but they're both giving hero vibes to me. Chiaki is Ranger Red in his unit while Haru is literally a ranger (ik it's two different thing but let me have this).

THEY'RE SO............ IF I CAN PUNCH THEM IN THE FACE TO MAKE THEM STOP SACRIFICING THEMSELVES LIKE THAT I WOULD'VE DONE IT ALREADY! Stop taking all the burden yourself yk :<

Chiaki is called the dad of the group while Haru is the mom of the house lol. And their partners are the slow spoken, soft-looking, other-worldly human that look like cinamonroll but would kill anyone who hurt them (will be mentioned in this post)

Listen... I think Ryuseitai (the idol unit Chiaki is in) should collab with Jabberwock... like, Chiaki love to perform especially to inspire kids about heroes and Jabberwock can profit from more people coming to the safari.

Another one of their hobbies is to bother their "slacker" juniors. Midori and Ren which I will talk about in this post too.

Let's be real Jabberwock is basically Ryuseitai (minus two members)

Stupid Trio

THE REASON IM PUTTING THOSE THREE IN THE BEGINNING WAS BECAUSE I NEED YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY THEY'RE INDIVIDUALLY SIMILAR TO EACH OTHER BUT ALSO AS A GROUP. Imagine my surprise when I find out that dumbass trio in enstars also exist in tkdb... and their dynamics are basically the same... Romeo, Rui, and Haru being friends from different houses is basically like Izumi, Kaoru, and Chiaki being friends from different unit (they used to be classmates in 3rd grade tho).

Romeo and Izumi is the complainer who are never satisfied; Haru and Chiaki are the always-smiling ones who would drag them towards chaos (the source of headache for the grey characters); Rui and Kaoru are the miserable playboy who is either chaos enabler or the mature one when needed (usually the chaos enabler).

Either way they're all malewives. All 6 of them. I love finding them in every universe and I hope they always do find each other.

And the reason I love this group of friends the most were because of Romeo and Izumi... the other two are such a headache for them lol (sorry not sorry romeo izumi)

I like each of them individually but I will sell my soul to see these trio interacts.

Rei Sakuma & Edward Hart

bloodsuckers

For Rei it's just a persona but he actually carry a genetic disease that makes him unable to be active much during the day. This guy avoids the sun as much as Ed does and instead of sucking blood he drinks tomato juice.

Maybe Rei is actually Ed's descendant but the vampire genetic got washed down after so many generations lol

the always-tired leaders who just sit there mysteriously as they observe everything around them. They had the wisdom and power to take over the world but they're too merciful to do so. Or maybe because they know people are too stubborn to listen to them, so why bother?

"What defines human?"

Old grandpas who rely too much on their blonde wives (Kaoru and Rui) and love to tease their "pet" wolf lol (Koga and Lyca).

Ed is every trait of persona that Rei builds around himself in a flesh I find it so funny.

Rei and Ed would understand each other so well. Rei was mature beyond his age (even when he was a kid) and it's never easy for someone to be that way. The burden they've been carrying would be enough for them to be the villain but they just... don't.

Would show off their wives like they're trophy wives and they'd even make it a competition. Believe me on this.

Kanata Shinkai & Towa Otonashi

The spouse of the hero/ranger leader lol. And they can be overly protective about it.

Looks like cinamonroll but can actually kill you.

Stronger than they look... they're just... they can be dangerous if you push the wrong buttons.

They're really weird in their own way 😭. Towa eats flowers and Kanata love to soak himself in water whenever he got the chance so that he doesn't dry up (he used to be this cult god and for a period of his life he believed he was god of the sea or something. correct me if I'm wrong)

Kanata's theme revolve around fish and sea theme (his family owns some kind of aquatic creature business(?) well, aquariums) so whenever he's seen cooking or eating fish people would call it cannibalism 😭 but then he says it's ok to eat those creatures that he "rules" 😭. As for Towa... well we know what happens to anomalies who piss him off and he's not stuttering when he says he's the big guy in the area.

very similar manner of speaking, i can't really give you links to kanata's voice lines so you can just look up his name 😭🙏

Koga Oogami & Lyca Colt

tsundere puppies who actually admires their leaders but wouldn't openly admit it in the open

so yeah they bite the hands of their leaders

and also would openly oppose their team members. Koga used to call Kaoru Frivolous Guy and Flirty Bastard and Lyca calls Rui Blond Gigolo. Fitting names tbh and they deserve a reward for it.

strong sense of smell, both of them got sensitive nose.

looks rough on the edge but have gardening and painting for hobbies. so cute <3 (i feel like they'd glare at me for saying this)

I love that they both share the same eye color

If Obscuary has a frankenstein student (*cough* Jiro *cough) Obscuary would be Undead. Similar students, similar dynamics.

Midori Takamine & Ren Shiranami

I wouldn't really call Midori a slacker tbh, simply because Ren is worst 😭 at least Midori help around with his family business (grocery store)

They openly dislike their leader (Chiaki and Haru). I mean they do pester them a lot so... Haru would enter Ren's room without permission to give him a set of tasks, while Chiaki also wouldn't respect Midori's personal space and force him to sit down and watch Tokusatsu movies as a part of his training 😭

"Torture? No way! It's part of their training!" said Chiaki and Haru in unison. These two are Ren and Midori's nightmare fr. Good thing Midori doesn't have someone who actively wants to get rid of him like Towa tho.

Ren is into b-rate horror movies and gacha games while Midori love collecting plushies. Honestly tho if they both watch horror movies together they wouldn't be scared they would laugh the entire time probably.

Midori: "Ugh this is the worst I wanna kms. Why do i have to have HIM ordering me around" Ren: "You and me both. Let's ditch."

Rinne Amagi & Taiga Hoshibami

A BIT NSFT ⚠ just don't read the red ones

I thought Rinne was crazy until they invent Taiga

red haired gamblers who annoy people around them and say the gayest shit out in the open to their members

impulsive mfs with massive amount of luck they even gamble with their life without caring how it's gonna affect people close to them but they take those risk for the sake of others anyway

I can say in confidence that the second Rinne and Taiga meet each other they would kiss and make out right there and then. God did not do so for a reason because they're too powerful together.

Surprisingly enough Rinne is more conservative than you think. He would never kiss outside of marriage and as much as I like the thought of Taiga and Romeo kissing, I think Taiga would also hold himself back until he and Romeo got married. Just my personal hc tho.

They're geniuses but their behavior doesn't want you to think they are. (I'm not RinneP myself but I'm sick when people say he's dumb just because he's from a village... dude literally spend his time in library when he's not gambling lol)

I think if they switch place for a day they would have the time of their lives. Rinne running a casino??? It would take ten men to get him out of that place. Taiga maybe wouldn't be into those idol stuff but he would get into a fight with Kohaku so fast (a trained assassin turned idol IK ENSTARS IS WEIRD I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF). Crazy:B will no longer be Crazy:B, it will be Crazy:T(aiga/Tiger).

[backwaterheroics]

𝘒𝘕𝘖𝘞𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘠𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘗𝘈𝘙𝘛𝘕𝘌𝘙 𝘞𝘌𝘓𝘓 𝘊𝘈𝘕 𝘗𝘖𝘛𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘐𝘈𝘓𝘓𝘠 𝘔𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘞𝘙𝘐𝘛𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘛𝘖𝘎𝘌𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙 𝘈 𝘓𝘖𝘛 𝘌𝘈𝘚𝘐𝘌𝘙!

repost, don't reblog!

NAME : rowen

PRONOUNS : she/her/my liege; we is also common i.e. 'we here at strife industries' etc but it's really just for self-reference

PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION : carrier pigeon maybe? i'm really bad at all kinds of communication tbqh. we can get some walkietalkies tho & i promise i haven't ever forgotten about u /phil collins voice, u'll be in my heart

chatting on tumblr ims is fine & i do have a discord ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ u can even have my whatsapp if u want, but standard messaging & data rates may apply. talk to ur doctor if rowenix is right for u

NAME OF MUSE(s) : this here is my boy kuraudo sutoraifu-waifu but i've written a few other characters here and there; cloud is the only rp blog i have any semblance of presence on atm tho - he is my forevergirl, my homeslice, my big chalupa. for ffvii specifically, i've also written rp for elena and rufus

BEST EXPERIENCE : you! i've met all my best friends through rp which is probably why i'm still even around in the rps

RP PET PEEVES / DEALBREAKERS : i don't like it when ppl say they do not like the chara i am literally writing at that moment. so like, if you don't like cloud, why are you here..... we don't have any money... we've got nothin for ya.... pls smash that unfollow button and do not hit the notification bell....,other than that tho, i don't really care. it's the internet. i've seen 4chan

MUSE PREFERENCES : paris hilton voice; i'll take five more of these little blonde bitches; fr tho i like charas who have issues with the self/who have a man vs self literary conflict kinda thing going on. i also like side-chars who don't have a lot of lore coz then i don't have to start from scratch like with an oc, but i still have freedom in the preassembled sandbox u kno?? i don't have time for a rowenverse

PLOTS OR MEMES : spontaneous stuff is easier for me; plotted stuff can get too detailed and then i freak myself out about it bc of anxiety about quality & expectations. that aside, i'll do either. if we go plotted i'd rather go 'lightly plotted' as in we talk about an idea and then just run with it, with minor course corrections as we go should the plane not take off as expected

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES : i personally tend to match length but sometimes the words just gotta come out and your one to three liner will have a 500 word reply. i have no preference from what i receive to what i give. it just is what it is and i'm grateful ur even taking the time to spend it with me

BEST TIME TO WRITE : when something else more important needs to get done. we love executive dysfunction. like right now, i should be finishing up a work project for tomorrow's meeting and yet....

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S) : our sense of humor is the same, or at least similar... cloud's social awareness is probably better than mine. neither of us talk a lot. is that good enough????

TAGGED BY: vctlan & then everyone i'm following who is still active has already done this i'm pretty sure... so if you haven't been tagged before and u see this, then i'm tagging u ok -- tell me abt u and be my friend

[w0uldyoubemine]

hiya!! aspiring film crew member here, and (if you can answer this) i’d absolutely love to know how you found your footing as an AD! especially with those big netflix shows (DBD being my most recent watch, i adored it!!), i’d love to know more about how you managed to find and grab those jobs.

the industry feels very intimidating at the moment and i very rarely see opportunities like that arise, but maybe im not doing something right. much love to you and your crew!! <3

Hi there! I can absolutely answer that for sure - happy to. I will say getting a foot in the door varies greatly with where you are hoping to work. I'm from England originally and worked on movies in England but it wasn't as easy to get on set as it has been comparably here in Canada. England, for example, doesn't have unions in a lot of departments and so there are no production lists available online to find contacts. I did join a great diary program with the Calltime Company that helped me get my foot in the door and the two people that run it Tamana and Vicky were awesome and very helpful. They worked as essentially a booking system where they would email me with opportunities and I would go for them or call me for last minute openings.

In Canada, ADs are with the Directors Guild of Canada and each province is slightly different but the production lists are available online along with the names you need to know to reach out and enquire about work. In all instances I recommend starting out (and you would likely have to unless you already have connections) as a set PA. It's how I got my start and gives you ample opportunity to learn the ropes, get to know each department and what they do and get a better understanding of set etiquette, the major players and how everything works. Set PAs are where I hire most of my trainee assistant directors, in fact. I look for people that show initiative, know when to get out of the way but are there to lend a hand when needed. A lot of what you need as a production assistant is spatial awareness, initiative, common sense (wild, I know) and availability. Having a car is paramount. PAs are the place to learn the ropes, from there you learn about and work with people from other departments so you get a feel for what you want to explore. Department heads are always looking for hard workers who are eager to learn in the field, you just need to get yourself on set with them so they can see you shine! The industry can be and feel very intimidating. It's still very much a man's world and stuck it's old ways in a lot of senses. That said, it's also an incredible world of opportunity where truly no two days are the same and whilst it's absolutely not for everyone I can't imagine doing anything else. My advice to you to get your foot in the door is dependent on the industry where you're looking but aim to get in as a PA first - it's entry level and a chance to learn the ropes - build from there and before you know it if you work hard and get stuck in you'll be well on your way. I hope that helps - feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

[nyanbinary-perineum]

!!! hiii red im back fjkdnsjg

can i ask what your favourite games have been lately? any you'd recommend? ^_^

Kind of a mess lately hehe

I guess one of the games I'm currently playing comes close to favorite- but most of my faves aren't things I'm currently playing :3

Lately it's been a good amount of Helldivers 2, but I'm slowly creeping away from it because my playgroup has moved on and solo / randoms is not the most fun way to play x.x

I do really love that game though ^.^

Recommendations are hard 🤔 Because I usually try to gear them around what I know the other person can play, otherwise I'll be spouting all kinds of random nonsense 😅

I guess I can throw random names and my explanations out there with zero regard for anything >:3

With the release of Monster Hunter World the series got a LOT of exposure that it rightfully deserved.... and that Capcom quickly converted into microtransactions and content skimping >:(

But a lot of people still haven't given the "old gen" monhuns a chance and I truly do believe they are missing out :3

Finding the means (emulators exist though citra getting into hot water makes that slightly more annoying) to play is worth it-

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

THE best monhun with the perfect amount of content, the only actually good single player that balances silly and serious to be worthwhile to not mash through the dialogue (but you can!), 10/10 unique features, and the best end game of any monhun because it's just plain rewarding and fun and gives you more than enough to do until you feel sated :3

Nier Automata

if someone wants to dwell on life and existence and sentience and cry a lot in between fun hack and slash gameplay.

Omori

if you want to cry through a story involving the best characters ever, the best friends around, love them so much, beautiful story and great gameplay and 💜 Also Omocat is from all accounts I'm aware of, kind of a shithead, so take that grain of salt.

I'm not calling it based on their use of problematic terms years ago that haven't come up since but keep getting dragged out as "Proof!" but rather because other people who worked on the game have come out saying "Yeah, that was a really toxic environment like holy shit" so I'm more on about that. Game itself good :3 Situation makes it hard to recommend despite being something that hit my heart so hard :/

Wario Land: Shake It!

is quite possibly THE best wii game I've ever played. The Wii has so many fucking industry defining masterpieces in it but no one ever brings up Shake It and Shake It was maybe the most fun I've ever had in a traditional 2D platformer. AND THE CHARM! THE FUCKING CHARM!!!!! Literally smiling just thinking of that game it's so good.

If anyone considers themselves a fan of pokemon as a whole and wants to try an interesting take on the genre that's a lot more

"Team Building > In Battle Actions"

"Pre-planning and letting it play passively > Active decisions"

Then PLEASE try Dragon Warrior Monsters or Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 for the gameboy color ;-; It's one(ish, I'm counting 3 games as 1 game since 2 has 2 versions lol) of my favorite games ever ;-;

Uh, I usually don't recommend it because so few people who say they are into tactical RPGs are talking about the same thing I'm ever talking about (instead always referring to like, Fire Emblem, which has fantastic tactical gameplay especially on harder difficulties but has never once scratched the particular itch *I* have for the genre because of-)

Final Fantasty Tactics (Or War of the Lions for the PSP version)

FFT is quite literally my favorite game. I've played it through so many times and plan to do so again in the future. It has a very quality remake that is mostly positives with only minor negatives (some complaints to be had on additional content that was added and 'some' translation changes have bothered me but it's really good!).

The sequels are...... Very Different Games both in mechanics, intended audience, and style. I spent almost every year I've been on this earth saying they suck ass, but after having beaten both of them for my game blog and sitting on it for a while after (a necessary part of the process) They Aren't That Bad. FFTA is not a game I would recommend, but FFTA2 has some stuff to offer that I would inch towards recommending. Neither are considerations for this list though.

Here's everyone's reminder to play Chrono Trigger if you haven't, if you play with your mind on and your eyes open you'll spot so many incredible things from impeccably designed encounters to incredible mechanics to incredulous story telling >:3

Hmm. I did take this opportunity to instead yell a lot of normal or well known things instead of all my niche ideas but I uh... I really can just talk about games for the rest of my life and never get bored, just turning my head 30 degrees will show me 300 more titles to ramble about so I thought playing it a little safe was a good idea :P

Uh, y'all heard of Undertale or Deltarune? Thems pretty good gaming.

[hearthandheathenry]

Hmm, it's not really a big thing, but I think I like writing, but my language is not really advanced, but I have good ideas… I like solving psychological problems and solving puzzles, even though I'm not that good… I like singing… I like cooking sometimes… not a lot, but I think These hobbies have nothing to do with the major I may pursue at university.

These are all great things you can incorporate into helping people or making a difference!

With writing, you can idea-pitch, write inspiring stories, or write articles or blogs about bringing attention to something or a cause. Maybe you want to spread awareness about something or educate others. Take my blog posts about cost-savings with groceries for example, I had an issue with how to save money while eating healthy and I researched and shared my findings to try to help others. Or maybe you just want to write fun novels that others may find comfort in while connecting to your story or characters. Maybe you like poetry and you'll move people with your words and express things they cannot.

Singing is also wonderful! Maybe you can create your own music or collaborate with other artists. There's many who have inspiring works where they can express deep emotions or other things while singing and songwriting.

Perhaps your love of cooking will blossom and you'll learn ways to help people via food. Maybe it'll be meal-planning for the elderly, working in a soup kitchen, or simply finding ways to feed your loved ones. Like because of my continued learning with cooking and my grocery savings, Ive started bringing food to my elderly aunt while she was recovering from back surgery. It helped her tremendously and I felt good that she could eat well and healthy while recovering.

Maybe instead of focusing on the job your major will bring you, focus on the skills you're learning at university. I learned a lot of psychology, nursing, science, and writing while I was at school, I learned how to collaborate with others and manage projects. Those are all skills I use in my career and everyday life, even though I don't have an official degree. So check out those skills your learning and honing to help think of more possible future routes, rather than trying to narrow it down to one specific job/career. Like I know my skillset and what im interested in falls in the customer service industry mixed with animals. So jobs that fill those two roles tend to be enjoyable to me and it leaves the door open to new opportunities and roles I wouldn't have thought to go to. Whats meant to be will always find a way, and things that are meant to be will happen so coincidentally that its funny. You'll literally look back and laugh at how things worked out. We never know where we're at in our journey, but we always end up finding our way in the end. Thats why hindsight is 2020 and why people continually progress even if they felt like they havent. The universe is always working to align you with where youre meant to be at any given time. So just do your best to steer your journey day by day by making small choices that feel right to you in the moment. Learn to trust your intuition and instincts.

[colorful-white-ideas]

I agree with what you just said about this place, basically Bill's fandom and I use that word loosely, being dead AF. It's, he, is so boring lately. It took me awhile to really mean that bc I wanted to hope his light would come back again. But he doesn't seem to care about his fans or even himself anymore. Have you noticed he wears the same black outfit (black shirt black pants or jeans) all the time now? He only manages a smile when he's not with you know who. And yet he keeps showing up with you know who. If he can't bother to care why should his fans? I just hope his acting hasn't suffered like his life has. I loved watching him in pretty much anything. Dude can act and it comes naturally. That's something other actors would kill for.

I see hes trying to give some content and trying to look good, younger ( thus the rings and earring , and all that dark clothing) BUT is not enough. He is always hiding , the news that get to come out its because fans are looking for them ... his team is most of the time silent. There is no hype around him , not even in this fandom ( not as it may have been 4 years ago x example) and next year is key , he will have at least 3 movies out in different times of the next year.

Sorry for the following rant it's just to get it out of my chest. I won't talk about that anymore from now.

I want to also say something since sometimes I get some ask that I later erase with the typical " you just hate you are not with him".

Im not stupid , I'm not in love of someone I DONT KNOW. Also I have nothing personal against Alida M, I don't know her personally to hate her. But I DO HAVE A PROBLEM with wasted privilege.

The reason why I started to like Bill and - why not- his family is because you can see they all worked to get what they want. They may have had it easier in some ways but they always wanted to go beyond , try something else to make a name on their own. I admire that. They are not the classical nepo rich kids.

A is the very opposite. She wanted to be a public persona and that's fine but only promoted her rich kid personality while traying ( in interviews ) to portray herself as a working woman. I hate fake humility. It's ok if she just wanted to be a socilite ... why lie ? why say you are an actress but don't look for more projects? why dont take classes? and if its not for you then why not USE THE POSITION you have to build something else? There is alot to do for the industry : casting, writing, make up, production, etc. She bragged on her personal social media acc about the wrong things. Contradiction at it's finnest

A contradiction that reflected onto Bill later on , the humble funny likable guy aware of his upbringing disaspeared before our eyes , he sounded in interviews more and more cocky and selfcentered. He claimed being private but at the same time was being recorded on intimate moments very often. We started to see him stressed , tired ,a shadow of who he was.

There were no changes... 'till now. I gotta acknowledge her attemps to change, also what Bill is trying to do to save - idk - his image and maybe his family too ¿? . Still the damage has been done

Anyway i'm just one among millions in the world , if I or all the people in this fandom leaves , new ones will arrive. We are replaceable.

I wish him luck in whatever he is trying to do.

And yes he can act , thats the only things that keeps his fandom slightly breathing.

[stormyoceans]

Firstly, I wanted to say thank you for all your "horny thoughts" about PuenTalay, they gave me life omg. I agree with everything you said. I'm so happy to see someone liking JimmySea and Vice Versa as they should be liked !

Now, I have a question about PuenTalay for you: what do you think was their sex life before meeting each other ? Like do you think they had idk experiences that were not that great, do you think one was a virgin ? etc...I'm really curious about your opinion.

One thing is sure: Puen is definitely obsessed with Talay and is deeply sexually attracted to him !

AAAAAAAAAAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANON!!!!!! it makes me so incredibly happy to know that you like and agree with my horny puentalay thoughts!!!!! and it's always really nice to meet other people who love vice versa and jimmysea as much as i do so HIIIIII FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HELLO!!!!!

as for your question, i've actually been wondering about that for a while now and to help me reach a conclusion i made a little list of what we know about their personal life from the show (because that's always the version of vice versa im talking about), which looks more of less like this:

talay had a crush on a guy in high school but nothing came out of it;

talay says he is single by choice and that he isn't into love, but he does admit that, a long time ago, he has imagined the day he's gonna be in love. however, working and following his dream are his priority;

puen points out multiple times that he's good at everything except at love;

neither of them has ever been in a relationship.

based on this, on some other details, and on how i personally see the characters, i do think that both puen and talay had sex before meeting each other, but not a lot of it, and none of those experiences were particularly good as a whole. maybe it sounds a bit contradictory, but let's see if i can explain why i believe that

let's start with talay. at the beginning of the show talay is very much against love and doesn't seem too keen on physical touch ("i don't like to be hugged"). i also think he is someone who tends to overthink a lot and be very self aware, however all of this seems to change when he is drunk: suddenly all his inhibitions are lowered and not only he speaks his mind freely, but he also goes as far as kissing puen - someone who he's just met - twice. and maybe it's just me, but the way talay acted after waking up in the same bed with puen in episode 2 doesn't look like the reaction of someone who never woke up half naked in bed with a man before. all this to say that it's not hard for me to imagine him having had a couple of drunken one night stands in the past before deciding that love was distracting, sex was messy, and both of them could be put on hold while he tried to fulfill his dream of becoming a colorist

and then we have puen. thanks to pang, we know that puen started to work in the industry very young to support himself, and that mustn't have been the easiest environment to grow up in: he probably had to learn pretty soon to protect himself and his privacy, to be wary of people's motivations and not do anything to compromise his image. puen had a very hard and lonely life, so i think that sometimes, especially early on, when he was more naive, he accepted any kind of company that was offered to him, which mostly meant ending up in bed with some of his co-stars. however i feel like puen isn't the type of person who can do sex with no strings attached, so i can see him trying to build a relationship with the people he slept with only to be turned down every single time

i guess this is why i like talking about puen and talay having sex with each other, because in my head they finally get to do it with someone they love and that loves them in return!!!! finally it can be a joyful experience that makes them both feel good about themselves!!!! and you're definitely right, puen is deeply attracted to talay, but let's not forget that talay is just as attracted to puen, he is just (slightly) less deranged about it!!!!!

[paullovescomics]

I'm partial to the "return to physical media" sentiment, partly because the problems with streaming and digital-only have become glaring, and also out of general cantankerousness. A few recent pieces have pointed out how unsustainable streaming appears to be, and the real problems it has caused for people who work in the entertainment industry (talking here about production crews, writers, and the 90-odd percent of actors who aren't top-billers). One of the arguments in this discussion that goes "now streaming costs as much as cable used to". It's very easy to just subscribe to one or two, watch what you want to watch, then cancel the subscription and try a different one. There may be a small number of people who feel compelled to buy lots of streaming services so they can keep up with everything, but presumably they would also feel the same about all the extra cable channels, so they'd be paying for the highest level cable tier and HBO, Cinemax, and so on.

But I went to my local cable monopoly's website to see what it costs now. Maybe they've cut prices since so many folks have cut the cord. Nope. The lowest-priced tier was $65. Even if you only bought the higher-priced streaming services, you could get four easy and have some change left over, and each one of those would have literally thousands of hours of stuff to watch. Plus, with cable you either have to watch it on their schedule, or pay for a DVR (or I guess it's a digital equivalent now) and hope that it actually catches the shows it's supposed to. And of course it's going to come with a lot of channels I'd never watch, and chances are good all of them include F-- News, which I do not want to support in any way.

So I think I'll stick with streaming for the foreseeable future. Between YouTube, Twitch, and Tubi, there's more than enough "free with ads" streaming. And I'm cool with only subbing to Paramount when there's new Lower Decks or Strange New Worlds, or Disney when there's a new Star Wars show (though I admit i'm mad about Acolyte not getting renewed, so I might be less eager to go back to that one). If AEW goes to HBO Max, even if it streams a week after the cable broadcast, I'll jump on that.

Not to mention that I don't have a real tv these days. After my last one died (only lasted a couple of years), I just stuck with my lap top. I really don't like modern TVs. The sound is awful, they look boring, and you can't do shit without the remote. Also, and I know I'm in the minority here, and my age is a big factor here since i grew up with TV looking a certain way, but the super HD picture looks fake to me. Watching a show where everything is perfectly lit, hardly even any shadows anywhere, everyone's make-up immaculate, sets where everything is perfectly in its place and there's not a mote of dust on anything makes it all feel very artificial. And I'm not the type to demand immersiveness (often when people talk about being immersed, or especially ads that promote a thing as immersive, I'm not sure I even know what they're talking about). I'm very aware that people on the screen are playing make believe and Im' being told a story by other people. That's a good thing, because I appreciate the storytelling skills of all these people, and the whole reason I seek out stories is to be told a good story. But these ultra high def things just look so fake. The fact that I've worn glasses since elementary school might play into it, too. There are few moments when the world I see doesn't have some fuzziness in it, at least at the edges.

[beardedmrbean]

[Huey Zoomer Anon]

Oh those four images I sent you in the dms was from a game called Concord and was a Sony first game…that only have like 660 players on steam….

But the modern audience ™️ statement, there a difference between adapting stuff for modern audiences ie most people are well aware to the corruption our government have. How life can be complex..theoretically because how people act like with black Americans history

Than pretending your group on college or the trendy part of your city represents all modern society

Also like the uglyfication of female characters, there a difference between making a female character who have a roughy life so not American top model

Vs giving female characters muscular men jaws for no goddamn reason

Also diversity, are we usually cultural exchange like how my Chimera Republic idea acknowledges the merging (it’s in the name) of multiple cultures in the new world (though I do minimize the separatism and social Darwinism virus we had irl America) merging

Or post mayflower, post INDUSTRIALIZATION, and post civil rights movements, globalization diversity?

Because say I who trying to finished reading the Hindu epic Ramayana so I can get better ideas of eastern storytelling

Then vs these retards that think Young Adult Novel storytelling is the high standard

Remember kiddies, pop culture is JUNK FOOD media, so while it can tackles complicated shit.

Please for a love of GOD, read classical shit

Also I watch a lot of YouTube tips on world building and such….one thing I notice especially with Millennials YouTubers is that while yes many went to college and got their degrees…they are unaware about their potential biases on literature

The Lovecraft bashing is prime example of that as how they often stop in their videos to condemn his racism

Yet I saw one chick saying that King Kong represents an enslaved African man who was force to America….im familiar with the Peter Jackson take (which my aunt own a copy of) and I always saw as a example of how humanity will force animals to leave their natural homes for our sick desires of entertainment

Also woke Gen x and millennials…do you know black Americans history like say George Carver?

Or our misery porn bastardization of so the government can teach us to have a victim complex and learned helplessness?

Maybe tomorrow it just been bothering me like…how sheltered was your upbringing? Did you guys talk to a working class black kid outside of school?

Just looks lazy to me, someone really bad at AI prompts

Also diversity, are we usually cultural exchange like how my Chimera Republic idea acknowledges the merging (it’s in the name) of multiple cultures in the new world (though I do minimize the separatism and social Darwinism virus we had irl America) merging

People continually forget this about the US, we're a melting pot even if we also aren't one at times too many different groups have managed to maintain their ethnic identities while also contributing to the grand identity that is the American.

Remember kiddies, pop culture is JUNK FOOD media, so while it can tackles complicated shit.

Pop culture is important, it helps us to capture a moment in time and things like your catchy pop tunes may not have any huge deep meaning but they do provide a good 3-3.5 min of happiness while they play.

There's a place for all of that, and sometimes with the pop culture stuff something actually big and deep will come out of it, but that's a thing that will come with time.

Classics are good and important, we will be making more of them too, so long as something occasionally sticks around long enough and is of sufficient quality to become a classic.

Gotta wonder if the team that made "Clueless" thought they were going to create the masterpiece that they did, I'm not going to call it timeless because it it 100% set to a specific time, but it's something people of all ages still enjoy.

Legally Blonde is in there too.n

Yet I saw one chick saying that King Kong represents an enslaved African man who was force to America….im familiar with the Peter Jackson take (which my aunt own a copy of) and I always saw as a example of how humanity will force animals to leave their natural homes for our sick desires of entertainment

You should use that animal line on the next person you see saying that kind of thing. 'so what you're saying is you think black people are primates'

Also woke Gen x and millennials…do you know black Americans history like say George Carver?

That's the guy that was married to Weezy on the Jefferson's right? (joke)

Or our misery porn bastardization of so the government can teach us to have a victim complex and learned helplessness? Maybe tomorrow it just been bothering me like…how sheltered was your upbringing? Did you guys talk to a working class black kid outside of school?

Giving up on meritocracy being a thing is what's gotten me the most annoyed, not gonna work for everyone but it will work for some.

and I look forward the rest tomorrow

[gidle]

I watched Soojin's teasers with sound off to avoid spoilers and the one in colour made me think of Bébe Yana, not sure if you're familiar.

In general I can't see her doing anything cheerful, at least not to start her solo career with, I'd love to see a darker and more refined vibe. Hopefully not a ballad, I need her to enter with a BANG and knock everybody off their feet. And I'm pretty sure it's inevitable for everyone to look for Idle sound in her songs, so I also hope that there's very little resemblance (even though a Hann or Hwaa approximation is exactly what would suit her 😅). So what's left? A rock/grunge song maybe? Or synths? Or even jazz? What do you think?

Im not familiar with Bebe yana but I did watch two of her three (?) videos and I get where you’re coming from, though I’m biased from the sound in the teaser and already have an opinion on which style I think the song is going to be but I won’t say it so as not to spoil you. I agree that I also hope for a more refined vibe, and that’s exactly what I think we’re getting.

(PS I don’t think dark forest has anything to do with her title track so it feels safe to watch it with sound of youd like)

Personally I would have loved a pop song like Jini’s cmon or you dayeon’s down down down but I don’t think we’re getting that at all

Aesthetically wise I think it will def be a bit more elegant with some hwaa vibes, in my head Soojin is taking exactly from where she left off. And I know everyone and their mothers is expecting something really sexy but I don’t think we will get what we used to. The company said it’s a more mature debut instead of the “flashy” performances we’re used to. So I feel like it will def be sensual, in a quiet and elegant tone, instead of outright sexy flirty and winks and her deliberately trying to seduce the camera. I think her company will rebrand her with a tamer vibe, which might make knetz a small fraction less angry but only just. Something something society loves hating on the hot confident girl. Women should not be aware of their worth etc and maybe if Soojin’s stage presence was cuter and uwu-er back then the lashout wouldn’t have been so bad. Like I’m deviating from the point but this are just thoughts I’ve been having when I had to stop and think realistically what will Soojin do now that she is back in the industry. I would love a banger that leaves the audience with nose bleeds though.

As for the gidle sound, I’m not expecting it in the same way none of the other girls’ solos have it. Miyeon did not have an idle sound, nor did yuqi or even soyeon. Let alone Soojin in a new company and god knows who is producing it (my deranged ot6 side thinks it’s def Soyeon and now that half my delusions have come to life the sky is the limit and I will be unabashedly insane about everything)

[gaymerasmus]

Ayo, i've arrived for a tf2 matchup bc im assuming ur requests r open? If not we'll pretend this never happened💀 My pronouns are she/he, i'm 5'4, my MBTI is INTJ and my sun sign is gemini. I'm VERY into metal/goth culture and 80s pop/industrial and i wear alot of makeup and dress for shock value p much. I have 10 piercings and a single finger tattoo but i def want more of both soon. I can play bass but not professionally.

I do not seem approachable at all partly due to my fashion choices but also bc of my resting bitch face and mean spirited sarcasm. I harbor severe anger issues that i luckily control most of the time. I keep people at arm's length, even purposefuly "unsettling" them to test them if they are willing to hang out around me since i am p intense as you can tell. Once comfortable around someone i DO NOT stop talking. I love debates/mental stimulation so anyone who's willing to "handle me" and engage into the convo would be ideal.

On another hand, i have a bad habit of bottling up any emotion that isn't anger so i'm def not the best at showing any feelings. I am hyper aware so i can def tell if someone likes me it's just that i myself suck at expressing lmao. The least i do is drop hints and "annoy" others by making up excuses to hang around them.

As for interests, i'm big on sociology, psychology (very fond of analyzing ppl), philosophy as well as being intrigued by anatomy. I love horror and true crime media and am fond of binging movies and videos of said nature.

That would be all, tysm if u so decide to do it💜

Sorry for the wait I hope you like it :))) you've been paired with

Mr. Mundee Motherf*cking Snoipah!

It took one look at you to activate this man's Simp neuron and it has not turned off since.

Maybe a little "opposites attract" but something about the difference in your style really gets him going.

Adding on to that point, it seems like that difference also plays into your dynamic personality-wise. Unless he's been drinking (or hanging around you) he really doesn't speak much, but loves to listen to you ramble.

The only exception to this would be when he feels like going back and forth on things you both find interesting. Anyone outside of this might say it looks like bickering more than a debate, but he really does love talking with you. He can't help but smile when your face lights up as you think up another point to make.

Another difference would be how you act when you realize the other has caught feelings. You may not show it much, but that doesn't stop Sniper from straight up asking if you've developed feelings at the first hint. He would also be extremely blunt about how he feels in return, but he definitely won't say anything if you don't question it.

However it really isn't that difficult to tell with him. He finds you distracting, to say the least. It's very easy to catch him staring at your newest outfit or makeup, or just you altogether. Blushes like crazy when you call him out on it though.

Sometimes on a slow day he might try to find you on his scope, nestled away in his tower where he can (spy) admire you in peace.

He'll definitely say like "hate to see you leave, love to watch you go" or something corny like that to flirt.

He'll never admit it but he enjoys the company you offer. He spends a lot of time alone and, despite it being "just work", sometimes he can't help but feel isolated.

So, even though you do sometimes really annoy him, he loves having you around. He wouldn't mind the occasional visit to his nest while he's working, he might even give you a shot at sniping people.

Oh and good luck trying to ruffle his feathers. Dude's literally died (by his coworker's own hand) seen heaven and came back (also by his coworker's hand). Not to mention before that he tied up his boss and other coworker and threatened to mutilate them for answers about his parents. Man is the master of being unsettled, but he doesn't mind you trying.

Part of why you get along so well may also be because Sniper is an Aries! (I did a little sleuthing and found NOTHING so I drug myself though as many birthday headcanons as I could find and came out with January 23rd.) Gemini and Aries are often paired together because of their shared habit of connecting on an intellectual level.

All of this points toward a match that would be stimulating as well as understanding. Wether it be work or personal reservations, Sniper isn't one to let people get too close too often. So when he feels a connection with you he can't stop himself from wanting to be spoiled by your company. He just thinks you're really cool <3

[lost-butterfliies]

Okay so. The documentary on it is super interesting and you probably should watch it but also ve careful 'cus the narrative presented is very, very one-sided, very "this wouldve been the best movie ever made and hollywood producers are evil for not letting us make it" which, if you start thinking about it, is just... Unsure? I havent seen any of jodorowskys other movies so i cant speak on his skills as a movie director, for all i know it mightve really been amazing but you should definitely ask yourself some questions. For instance the fact that the movie wouldve been something like 14 hours. Yeah maybe it wouldve been cool idk but also FOURTEEN HOURS. I groan at marvel when they make three hour movies so imagine fourteen hours. Thats longer than LotR. And im not saying you cant make a great 14 hour movie or that people wouldn't watch it! Im having trouble finding a comparison that satisfies me (lotr was three movies, so even though lots of people just watches the whole trilogy in a row now, its reception mightve differed if it had been released as a 12-hour movie and not a trilogy), but that might just mean it's not in our habits, not that its a bad thing. And length ≠ boring, there are 2-hour movies that are boring af and 4-hour movies that keep you on the edge of your seat. But 14 hours still is really long. And hell, i dont even know if the book has enough material for 14 hours or if they were going for a lot of padding. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing either, but it does make me wonder.

And i could probably analyze a lot of their choices and go, are we sure that it wouldve actually resulted in the best movie ever? And the thing is, we'll never know. This Dune movie might've revolutionized the film industry like the documentary says, or it might've been a flop. But it did have an impact anyway. We ended up with other Dune adaptations (which are their own can of worms and i dont wanna go on that rn). We ended up with Alien! And im sure theres much more that im not aware of. So yeah the movie never happened, but it still influenced our culture and it feels like that might've been the best outcome.

(Also i need to point out, jodorowsky has been accused of rape and i wont go into detail about it but do look it up if you can, its really horrifying.)

(And jodorowsky cast his own son as paul when he was just 12 and made him train very intensely and it feels irky to me but the son doesnt seem to have trauma about it so)

(I forgot my main point which was: i'm pretty sure it would've made a terrible dune adaptation. doesnt make it bad tho)

Prev reblog reminds me of jodorowskys dune and all the thoughts i have on it lmao

[cutemeat]

wait as a newish fan can you tell me how / why rob is misogynist? (like besides his weird things on the podcast lol idk if theres more) and also who is jordan lol

ok im gonna say first of all i was mostly just joking in those tags ur referring to KJNFGDKJ just as full disclosure before I dig into this any further. ..

that being said, me joking abt that stuff in regard to rob is bc it just seems like rob is insecure about how he's contributed to a shitty system and really screwed someone (jordan reid, aka the original Sweet Dee) over personally and after being made more aware of his place in contributing to said system he's overcompensating while he's working thru some of that.... and uh. in all honesty it's something that i find funny and make jokes about cuz i am also someone with an extremely fragile ego n it feels good to deflect and make fun of someone else for having a fragile ego LOL

so it seems like rob's talking on the podcast and in other interviews abt misogyny n trying to 'correct' himself or pulling out that fuckin button on the podcast for 'Solves the North Korea Situation'.... i think this ties into him reconnecting with Jordan (who, like i said, was the og sweet dee who got booted from the production at the last minute largely as result of her n rob breaking up n none of the other guys backing her up...) and basically writing the MQ ep A Dark Quiet Death about that whole situation and the falling out.. idk it just seems like. maybe having to reconcile the fact he has been A Part Of The Problem and an asshole has gotten to him n again it feels like he overcompensates for that in the pod n i like to exploit those insecurities im familiar with in my own ways for laughs LOL. but yknow... i am a 20 yr old unemployed HS drop out on tumblr dot com n hes got a nice mansion and successful career in the film industry so i dont feel like im gonna hurt any feelings here..

so with all that context out of the way: i dont think rob is Actually some raging misogynist ... and if he is I wouldn't know either way cuz I Dont Know The Guy! so def take what I say here with a grain of salt I am very often not being serious and bad at using tone indicators so I do apologize if any of it gets confusing kjndfgkjd. he def has been misogynistic in the ways a lot of men will be without rlly thinking much of it (think dennis' obliviousness to how insane some of his logic about women sounds on sunny, but maybe less predatory but again idk the guy lol) but as of now he seems like he's more aware of that n better late than never n all that!

(once again.. a lot of my opinions here are mostly based in my own experiences and emotions projected onto people and situations I have only heard accounts of in articles/blog posts/podcasts n interviews so def keep that in mind. don't take me as the authority on anything lol. google 'jordan reid' + 'always sunny' and read thru her old blog posts about the situation if u are so inclined and draw your own conclusions! but like i said it's a mostly interpersonal thing between two ppl i dont know and it doesnt seem like there's much bad blood on that interpersonal level anymore rather than anger with a system that failed her. that being said its def a part of the shows history that shouldn't just be forgotten or discarded as it is apart of a larger issue anyway. srry this is all so messy if it wasnt obvious by how badly i am at talking abt this stuff i feel weird talking about strangers lives even celebs but yknow. tbh if i wanna make jokes abt this shit i should be prepared to explain myself anyway. like god im so bad at talking abt any of it seriously but i always wanna know all the dirt cuz I'm so fuckin nosy I love drama n gossip and Backstory!!!)

+ this is an older article that sorta sums up the events n links to her blogpost about it!

[onlylaboum]

To be honest, I usually don't reblog your posts BECAUSE of the passive-aggressive tone you often use. It's just kpop. I like Laboum but it won't end my life if they're not world famous. I just want to enjoy music and stages and all their content happily, not create a second job for myself as their unseen manager. It's okay if that's how you stan and have fun but it's not for me.

I'm worried you'll answer this really angrily but I saw your recent post and wanted to let you know how some people might be feeling. I'll still be following for updates and gifsets and stuff! 💜

people were (also barely) liking instead of sharing my posts also before i expressed my frustration w this stuff so idt that's the issue.

on twitter i'm much more active nowadays bc at least there there's a few more active latte, but still very few compared to even other nugu groups that have similar numbers in streams.

i never said i liked spending so much time on LABOUM. i am aware i have an internet addiction and have been hyperfixating on the group to avoid stressing out about worse things in my daily life.

not just me but also other latte i talk to on twitter and tiktok are really fucking burned out from how much we try to do. i don't think being a stan should be a day job. i sure would love if people shared shit we post though instead of keep scrolling or give a like once a month, which does virtually nothing. we wouldn't have to stress out so much if people actually engaged with things we did. we try to encourage ppl to use apps to win youtube ads for Laboum (which worked but slowly, it's how we made Kiss Kiss finally reach 1 million views), we ask people to give feedback, to maybe watch a video or play a streaming playlist, or partake in a game, or to buy an album or share an MV with friends.

the way that a lot of people don't do that sht, the way that in MONTHS no new people have followed their twitter or youtube, the way that barely anyone talks about them online, does in fact signify that people don't care about Laboum. not everyone needs to be an active social media user or anything ofc, but this degree of lack of attention? unless when it's about a disbandment prediction, joking about the girls' horrible experiences at their expense, or fake interest in the group only on certain conditions, shit doesn't get attention.

the girls had viral tiktok videos a bunch of times, but the majority of the people watching have no fucking clue who they are or that they aren't just actors, and it's just me and 1 other Latte trying to respond to tired comments calling the members by names of characters they played, or "ZN" which is Jinyea's old stage name. if ONLY there were a few more Latte who would leave a comment or two for once as well, the few of us wouldn't have to deal with trying to inform the general public abt Laboum.

people not sharing shit abt LABOUM is one of the main reasons why so may ppl now think they disbanded, and why you see a bunch of kpop fans who claim they're a fan of LABOUM but have been out of the loop w them for 3-6 years. it doesn't help that their domestic fanbase consists of mainly loser incels who don't dare to fucking talk about the group unless when being petty about Yulhee or creepy about their bodies.

and i know tumblr kpop fans LOVE only looking at stupid fucking gifs and not clicking on the videos they're from, acting as if streaming is a fucking punishment from hell instead of just playing a fucking song or playlist you like in the background, and acting as if it's a shocker when groups aren't doing well when so fucking few people who pretend to be a fan actually listen to music or read or watch anything new or buy music. considering your purple heart use, you should KNOW how supporting musicians works. as much as i hate the competitiveness and commodity in the music industry, likes alone never helped artists.

so yeah i'm passive-aggressive bc im trying to fucking encourage people to do something more than say they like Laboum but never dare to mention their name nor recommend a song nor share anything about them. i wouldnt be so fucking frustrated if i saw some more hype aside from from clickbait content and gg stans who just namedrop them for edgy crappy jokes.

Laboum don't need to be world famous and i don't think they will be per se, but they are really unknown. unless people do something more than just quietly listen to them once every blue moon and don't engage in anything Latte are asking or encouraging people to do, they will remain as extremely unknown as right now and disband when their contracts end in summer 2023.

other Latte are feeling the same frustrations as i do and feel exhausted. anyone who knows Laboum's story and the international, knows how small it is and how frustrated we are. this shouldn't be a surprise if you've talked to any Latte. i am familiar with how reserved fans are in this fandom. when trying to set up projects before for their anniversaries, it ended with me and only 1 other Latte in a skype call, no communication from the rest, and them not daring to partake any projects or plans anymore. that felt really disappointing.

so no, i don't find fun in being so stressed and active in trying to promote LABOUM to such an extent bc me and a few others are trying to do work for multiple ppl and for free at that. but all we ask is basic stuff like 'please also share posts' or 'hey check out and share this new song cover'. it's already ridicilous i have to ask ppl to share posts bc they refuse to, whether i ask or not.

if that's too much work, are people really interested in the group???? the thing is also that if other people, at least a few more, do a little more than nothing, it would actually make more people discover the group on their own socials, become fans, and partake in fandom. we wouldn't be so burned out if there were more than like 5-20 accounts trying to do so much bc no one else will. e.g. we emailed the company to demand translators and it hired one, but then barely anyone watched LABOUM's newer youtube videos and so that was kind of abandoned too. no views or attention = a sign that people aren't interested = no new content. that's how it works.

[satonthelotuspier]

I'm seeing prompts on your site and does that mean you are accepting them right now? I've never requested a prompt before and I don't know what to do? But if I'm doing it right I'd really like to see 13 for XueXiao from the bodyguard au prompt list? Fluffy or angsty, as you please. Am I doing this right?

OK so Im being obvious, but this contains XueXiao.

Modern Bodyguard AU so none of the complications of canon apply.

Now the disclaimers are out of the way, I have to apologise to the very patient @amaskinamirror bc this took so much longer to write than I expected. The reason being most of my prompt fics end up around the 1k-1.4k word mark and this kept going and kept going because there was a story there. It came in around the 4.5k work mark. Think of it as added value, unless you hate it in which case it’s not ;)

Pompts from this post here

Part 2 now available here

Xue Yang is the enfant terrible of the music world and his manager has pretty much had enough of his shitty behaviour. Features a thorny Xue Yang shaped by the worlds opinions of him, and a hardass yet caring Xiao Xingchen who maybe might just start to see beyond the lies.

Possible triggers/warnings: Also features swearing, man-handling, use of a date rape drug, minor injury and blood. Luckily XXC is there to save the day in all situations.

Xue Yang was woken up from a deep, no doubt alcohol-induced, sleep to the feeling of cold water being splashed in his face.

He shot upright coughing and spluttering and wiping water out of his eyes, trying to process what the hell had happened. The unconscious bodies around him all started to stir and groan back to lucidity.

Xue Yang followed the long line of the leg in front of him up to eventually meet a pair of dark eyes staring down at him without expression.

“What the fuck?” he demanded and tried to get up but someone he didn’t even remember the name of was laid across his legs.

It had been another party. One where they’d drunk hard and passed out before dawn some time; he didn’t know half the people here. That had never stopped him. Being the enfant terrible of the music industry took both time, effort and commitment.

The tall man bent down to extricate him, then yanked him to his feet.

“You have rehearsals in ninety minutes. Get showered, you smell like a brewery” a garment bag was pushed into his hands then he was waved in the direction of the hotel suite’s bathroom.

“Excuse me, but just who the fuck are you?” honestly his head felt a little woolly still from the after-effect of the alcohol he’d been drinking, but he was sure he didn’t know who this man was or what he was doing in his hotel suite.

“Your Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, now go get a shower, you’re wasting time”

Xue Yang grabbed hold of the collar of his jacket, “Don’t bullshit me”

The hand that clamped around his wrist was steel-like, “Your new security. Your manager sends his regards. I won’t tell you to go and shower again”

“Firstly, if you are security you are not my boss, so you can stop with the ordering me around like I’m your little bitch, secondly, you are my security? I’m sure if a duckling gets too close you’ll do a great job, otherwise…” he was going to push the other away, sure because of his willowy frame it would be easy. Quite how he ended up in an armlock and being dragged to the bathroom he didn’t know. He bit his tongue to stifle the cry of pain; no way would he utter the noise aloud. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” he snarled as the other kept going into the bathroom.

“I’ve already explained. I’m not going to repeat myself” the man opened the shower door, pushed Xue Yang into the cubicle and pushed the on button.

Of course Xue Yang never learned his lesson; he launched himself at the other only to bounce off the cubicle door as the other shut it behind him, holding it closed.

“New world order, xiao-Xue, get used to being my little bitch” the other grinned as Xue Yang punched the glass then yelled at the pain in his hand, “Clean up, I don’t want to be forced to come in there and clean you up myself”

***

Xue Yang curled himself up as small as possible on the back seat of the car; he was in high sulk. After calling his manager to demand an explanation of what was going on Jin Guangyao had told him in no uncertain terms he’d better get used to the idea of Xiao Xingchen being around. His new security was not only there to provide for his personal safety after a spate of disturbing mail (more disturbing than the usual run of the mill threats at least), but to whip him into some kind of shape as Jin Guangyao was convinced his terrible behaviour, bad reputation and general personality was about to lose them some very large contracts.

Everyone loved a bad boy in theory, but when it began to affect his ability to make his management company money then they were definitely going to act to protect their asset.

And that had come in the form of Xiao Xingchen, who looked as gentle and fragile as an orchid but who had already handed Xue Yang his ass once today already.

“A-Qing, I need breakfast” Xue Yang whined at his assistant as his stomach rumbled for the fourth time.

“You shouldn’t have upset the new bodyguard then” she mocked him quietly, and he retreated even more, pulling the hood of his jacket up and wrapping his arms around his knees as A-Qing took pity on him and leaned forward to ask the driver to stop at a nearby coffee shop.

They did, and A-Qing and the driver returned with coffees for all and a bag full of muffins.

Lao-Xia, the driver, and A-Qing had been with Xue Yang long enough to not meet his gaze as they started on their own food; Xiao Xingchen had no such warning; he was too busy goggling at Xue Yang who had made his own muffin disappear like a magician with a rabbit.

“Are you going to eat that?” Xue Yang asked, pointing at the baked bun in Xiao Xingchen’s hand.

He simply offered it over; perhaps surprised at the demonstration of the speed at which a muffin could be demolished without trace.

The second one followed the first in quick order and Xue Yang froze as the other reached  over to brush the crumbs that had stuck to the corner of his mouth away with a thumb.

“You don’t want the Paparazzi to catch that” he said simply before turning in his seat to look out of the windscreen and sip at his coffee.

Xue Yang curled back in on himself and held his ridiculously sweet iced coffee to his chest.

“You eat too much sugar” Xiao Xingchen told him as Lao-Xia started the car and set off driving to the studio, “You need something to give you energy for the first meal of the day”

“Good luck with that, he functions on pure sugar and supplements” A-Qing mocked and Xue Yang shot her an annoyed look.

***

Xue Yang didn’t know why he was surprised the next morning when he was awoken by a solid shake to the shoulder.

He hadn’t been able to avoid the other to sneak off to party last night so he wasn’t hung over but that didn’t mean he was any more amenable to the idea of waking up.

“Come on Sleeping Beauty, you have to be at your first interview in an hour”

Interviews. His mortal enemy. The thing he hated most in the world. And he was still no better at dealing with them than he had been as a fresh face on the music scene, where the press had crucified him, thrown every painful fact of his past in his face and then painted him as a troubled bad boy with a temper; a role he’d eventually just given up fighting against and embraced.

He threw the blankets over his head; maybe if he just went back to sleep the interview would disappear.

The blankets were thrown back.

“Dude, what the fuck?” he demanded, was he allowed no privacy at all anymore?

“Get up” Xiao Xingchen jerked his head towards the bathroom.

“Fuck off. I’m not going” he reached out to push the other away.

It went about as well as yesterday had for him; he ended up face down on the bed with his arm locked up between his shoulder blades.

“Are you going to learn any time soon? I mean, kudos for persistence but lose points for stupidity. Now, last chance to get up on your own, otherwise I’ll throw you over my shoulder and you can go dressed like that”

Xue Yang wasn’t sure he believed the other was strong enough to actually carry him out of the hotel room, but he daren’t take the chance he might be dragged out kicking and screaming and dressed in his ratty old t-shirt and shorts.

“Fine, yes, I’m getting up. Let me go, please” as a street child he’d learned to beg prettily and it wasn’t a skill he was averse to using if he needed to, to survive. It didn’t need to be sincere, it just needed to sound it, to be calculated to pull on the other’s heart strings.

It didn’t seem to affect Xiao Xingchen, but he was released nonetheless.

***

Xue Yang of course arrived on time for his first interview, (there were three in total scheduled for today), as far as they went it wasn’t particularly gruelling for him, but he was fully aware he was a mess by the end of it; he’d probably come across like he was on drugs, but it wasn’t like that would be the first, second or third time the rumour would circulate in relation to him.

He knew Xiao Xingchen eyed him in consideration, but he ignored it; he didn’t have the presence of mind to survive the next two interviews and worry about what his new security agent was judging him for today.

He was much worse by the end of the second; he had been left alone a sitting room of the hotel the interview’s had been arranged at and he lowered his head into his hands, trying to even out his breathing and calm himself. His professionalism would be questioned even further if he failed to complete the last interview, or screwed up during it.

He felt the couch dip next to him, “Here” he looked up, poison on his tongue ready to be spit at Xiao Xingchen when he realised the other held out one of those large chocolate chip cookies in a napkin. There was also iced coffee sat on the table in front of him.

“Just relax, empty your head, and focus on the cookie” Xiao Xingchen informed him; raising an eyebrow as Xue Yang didn’t immediately accept the confectionery from him.

He took it with tentative thanks; and it vanished almost immediately once he’d decided to accept the gesture. Once he’d gotten the sugary coffee inside him too he felt much better.

***

Despite his trash reputation he wasn’t late for a single appointment over the next weeks; Jin Guangyao assured him it was perfectly alright to project the rebel for the masses but when you played the brat with the people in the business you’d soon be blacklisted; a risk he wasn’t willing to take with Xue Yang.

Xue Yang hadn’t managed to get near alcohol or a party in that time due to Xiao Xingchen’s hawk eyes and iron control.

Since the second morning though instead of being woken up with a bucket of water to the face or bickering the other had started showing up with a sweet pastry and a staggeringly sugary iced coffee which he traded off for Xue Yang eating better at other mealtimes.

Overall it didn’t seem Xue Yang had a moment of time where the other wasn’t somewhere close, controlling everything, keeping a watchful eye out.

And it bothered Xue Yang; he didn’t get used to the feeling of Xiao Xingchen being there like he’d been assured he would. He was still hyper aware of him, and he didn’t necessarily think it was because he was intimidated, despite the fact they’d had a few more altercations, none of which ended well for Xue Yang.

***

He tried to ditch his new security for his monthly visit to the orphanage his charity had built and ran; the less people who knew about it the better. Of course he couldn’t shake the other off so he had to attend followed by Xiao Xingchen, and explain to the children who the tall ge was. He was a great hit with them, and although Xue Yang pretended to be annoyed at Xiao Xingchen getting all the attention that the youngsters usually showered on him secretly he was entertained as he watched the other romp with the rough kids, or play softly with the quieter ones.

“This is the first time you’ve brought a bodyguard” he turned slightly at the sound of Tian Ying, the matron of the orphanage and the woman who’d helped bring him up in a similar institution when he had been a boy had come up beside him. “Are you in danger, xiao-Xue?”

“Of course not” he didn’t consider the crazy mail Jin Guangyao was filtering from him any more of a threat than any of the other mail he’d received in the last few years, and he definitely didn’t want her to worry about him, “They just decided I needed someone to carry my bags for me”

He didn’t have time to say much more as he was dragged into an impromptu game of football in the yard, where he and Xiao Xingchen were on opposite teams.

They played around half-heartedly until a Xiao Xingchen who was grace incarnate except apparently on a football pitch, stuck his foot out and took Xue Yang’s feet from under him and he tumbled. The fall itself wasn’t bad but he was a little grazed as they played on the yard and not grass.

Xiao Xingchen was unusually all apologies and personally saw to tending the grazes Xue Yang’s tumble had caused, despite his assurances he was absolutely fine. The touch of the other still made his pulse flutter in some odd emotion and the way Xiao Xingchen kept glancing up at him, like he’d discovered a rare and new species, was disconcerting. And pissed him off, because he could guess what it was about.

“Just don’t” he said through his teeth so no one around them could hear.

“Don’t what? Congratulate you on what you’ve built here? On what you’re doing for these kids?”

“Yes, don’t. I don’t want to hear it” he sucked a breath in at the sting of the antiseptic where Xiao Xingchen applied it to his grazes.

“Alright, whatever you want” Xiao Xingchen let it drop but he still looked at Xue Yang with something approaching admiration in his eyes.

And it was addictive, to have someone look at him like that, and not like he was trash. But then it had never bothered him before. Was it purely because it was Xiao Xingchen and he wanted to be more than trash in that man’s eyes?

“I guess you read too many gossip rags” Xue Yang sniped, “I’m not on drugs, in any weird cults, or a complete slut either”

Instead of bullshitting him and denying he’d thought anything of the kind Xiao Xingchen agreed instead, “I’m beginning to see that. Of course that doesn’t mean you don’t have a vile temper, that you don’t ever learn your lessons, or that you don’t sulk like a baby when I tell you no”

He was about to make one of his usual responses when the game of football moved closer and he clamped his lips closed on the curse.

There was a knowing, teasing look in the other’s eyes and as Xue Yang looked down into that finely-boned face he realised why the other’s good opinion had meant so much to him; why he was on tenterhooks whenever Xiao Xingchen was near, which was all the time at the moment, and why his pulse fluttered like his veins were full of butterflies whenever the other touched him. He was in love with Xiao Xingchen.

Well fuck.

***

Xue Yang paced around his hotel bedroom, feeling like a caged tiger. He wanted to destroy something. No, he really wanted a stiff drink.

Was he a masochist? What had made him fall in love with a man who knocked him around for fun? No of course that was unfair, Xiao Xingchen only ever restrained him and only when Xue Yang attacked first. Still, it must definitely be masochism.

Or Stockholm Syndrome; he had been at the mercy of the other, a virtual prisoner, for weeks now.

“I need a drink” he exclaimed aloud; and so he formulated a plan.

He took a quick shower and changed into something black and sexy and flashy, then he he called reception and asked for a taxi cab, and that they ring up to let him know when it had arrived.

He waited by his bedroom door, peeping through the tiniest opening for the phone to ring back; and as Xiao Xingchen got up from the couch to answer it he dashed out and past as silently as possible to give himself as much of a head-start as he could manage.

The doors of the elevator were closing just as he saw Xiao Xingchen enter the hallway and yell at him in rage.

He was in the taxi and away; his freedom all the sweeter for being carefully wrought.

***

Xue Yang was beginning to feel pleasantly buzzed and he was chatting quite happily with the guy who stood next to him at the bar of the VIP lounge. He’d been greeted by the usual crowd who hadn’t seen him around for the weeks he’d been kept prisoner, (OK maybe that was a little dramatic), but he’d never seen this guy before and new people were interesting.

Although he was beginning to get uncomfortable at how the other stared at him intently after he’d finished his drink.

He excused himself to “visit the bathroom” when life finally caught up with him. Life of course being Xiao Xingchen.

He pushed Xue Yang up against the wall of the corridor to the bathrooms, which was surprisingly currently empty.

“Hey” Xue Yang protested, although with alcohol relaxing his muscles it hadn’t really hurt as he hadn’t tensed for impact. Actually being pinned against the wall by the man you’d fallen in love with was quite nice. He had zero experience, bar some awkward kisses with a girl who’d known as little as him when he was younger, but apparently being manhandled was beginning to be something he enjoyed. Maybe because it was Xiao Xingchen though.

“I’d advise you to keep really quiet, I’m this close to spanking the living hell out of you” and really he’d never seen Xiao Xingchen’s deceptively delicate face so twisted in anger.

But of course alcohol impaired one’s judgement; to dangerous levels sometimes.

“Is that what you like?” he asked.

“What?” Xiao Xingchen was confused, his hand tightened on Xue Yang’s collar as if he suspected the other was planning something.

“Spanking, do you get off on it?”

“You really have no fucking self-preservation instincts do you?” Xiao Xingchen demanded and if Xue Yang hadn’t been so muddled due to the reaction of his body to the other, and the alcohol humming through his bloodstream he might have realised how much trouble he was in; he had never heard the other curse before in all their weeks together.

Instead he gave in to the urge pounding at the base of his brain, unable to control it anymore. He threw his arms around Xiao Xingchen’s neck and kissed him.

Well, it was clumsy and unskilled, but it probably still counted as a kiss.

He was pushed back against the wall unceremoniously, “What do you think you’re doing? You are my client. You are drunk. You are so out of line right now”

Of course he hadn’t really expected a different response. He somehow managed to pull himself free and stumbled back out into the VIP lounge.

Actually he seemed to be more drunk than he’d realised. He was suddenly barely able to control his body and he felt like his head was full of cotton wool. A hand touched his back, “Oh, you look terrible. Do you need to lie down? Should we get you out of here?” he was vaguely aware the voice wasn’t Xiao Xingchen’s, it belonged to the guy he’d been talking to at the bar, as he was guided towards the door but he really did need to lie down right now. He was about to nod his agreement when the supporting hand was violently removed.

“What the fuck did you give him?” that was Xiao Xingchen, although he couldn’t work out what the question meant. He felt the iron-grip of his security’s hand and he was pulled close to the other; he recognised the familiar scent of his aftershave and it set his mind at rest.

***

It had been days since the nightclub incident; and he’d managed to act completely clueless about the entire evening. In honesty there were huge swathes of Xue Yang’s memory that were completely blank, but he was cursed with vague recollection of him kissing Xiao Xingchen.

He wanted to die from embarrassment. He wanted to mope around at the rejection. He had to pretend like he was completely clueless about everything that happened though and let the other just write it off as a side effect of the Flunitrazepam the random guy at the nightclub had put in his drink.

He had been in touch with Jin Guangyao and begged the other to find him new security. He couldn’t carry on being around Xiao Xingchen all the time, feeling like he did, and scared to death he’d do something stupid to reveal his feelings in a way that couldn’t be pretended away like that stupid kiss.

He had faithfully promised he’d keep up the good behaviour Xiao Xingchen had bullied into him so long as Jin Guangyao replaced him with someone who wouldn’t cause Xue Yang such pain to have close.

His manager had promised to at least look into it.

Xue Yang didn’t realise he’d been wool-gathering in his head and managed to separate slightly from Xiao Xingchen and A-Qing until he saw a face in the crowd that made him uncomfortable.

He didn’t recognise the man but the fear that skittered down his spine was very real; he turned to try and get closer to Xiao Xingchen who called his name and dashed over; the flash he caught from the corner of his eye had him raising his arm in self-protection. He was dragged out of the way and thrown to the floor, catching nothing but a glancing blow as Xiao Xingchen took out the threat.

It was all very chaotic after that as the crowd helped keep the attacker captive until the police could arrive, and ambulance was also called as both he and Xiao Xingchen had taken knife wounds.

His was a cut to the arm that didn’t particularly bother him, it was the wound on Xiao Xingchen’s side that scared the life out of him. He used his folded jacket to keep pressure on the injury.

A-Qing fluttered around trying to get him to let someone else take over so they could do the same for his arm but he just waved her off; it was nothing.

“You really have no fucking self-preservation instincts” Xiao Xingchen told him in annoyance; luckily he seemed fully conscious at the moment.

“I know. I‘m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ll be better from now on” he felt close to tears but fought them back brutally.

Xiao Xingchen nodded at what he said and looked into his eyes, “At least you’ll get your new bodyguard now, silver linings right?” he reached out with his left hand to thumb away one of the tears that Xue Yang hadn’t realised had escaped.

Fucking Jin Guangyao and his stupid big mouth.

“It’s for the best, xiao-Xue, in light of everything”

Which meant Xiao Xingchen was aware of his feelings and agreed the best way to deal with it was to move on. Well there went his dignity.

“You’re too precious for this cruel world in the limelight, anyway” Xue Yang tried to mock, his voice a little strangled.

“Which of us do you mean?” Xiao Xingchen asked and it was both an arrow to his heart and salve to his ego to hear such an opinion from the other.

He was glad when the paramedics had arrived and he was shuffled away to have his own wound dealt with so he could save some face. If the paramedic thought the tears were a reaction to the pain or shock of being attacked then good.

They were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated. Xue Yang’s cut needed a few stitches so he was ready to be sent away reasonably quickly, but he stayed in the waiting room until A-Qing came back to report Xiao Xingchen was fine, he’d be kept in for a few days as his would was deeper and nastier but he was stable and in no danger.

“Aren’t you going to visit before we go?” she asked, but he shook his head. And honestly she was smart enough that she probably knew what was going on and why he didn’t want to impose on the other. “Alright, lets get you back to the hotel. I think Jin Guangyao will be waiting, unfortunately, I can’t do anything to put him off this time”

Xue Yang sighed and accepted his fate.

One Month Later

The stage lights faded for the last time and he was finally able to slip offstage. He was lathered with sweat and completely exhausted. Xue Yang’s knife wound hadn’t been particularly deep or damaging but it was surprising how much it had knocked him down. He still tired out so much more easily than he was used to, but he hadn’t wanted to put this concert off, preferring to get it out of the way so he could take a holiday for a couple of weeks and use it to think about the next steps in his career, and indeed life, with nothing hanging over his head.

The man who had attacked them had been the same who had drugged his drink in the nightclub, although due to the effects Xue Yang couldn’t identify him; it had been lucky his subconscious had reacted to the man though, or it could have been so much worse.

He accepted the towel A-Qing held out for him as he met his entourage in the back stage passages and dried off, pulling on the coat she had also brought him.

There was an oddly smug look on her face and he questioned her.

“Nothing, just something funny is all” she refused to be drawn on what caused her to smile so.

They made it back to the dressing rooms and he was bundled inside.

He wondered, uncharitably, if she was on drugs.

“No rush, your car won’t be here for quite some time yet” A-Qing told him as she shut the door behind him and he turned to find his street clothes. Except he wasn’t alone.

Oh.

Suddenly he daren’t move from the doorway, not sure whether to tear it open and flee or move into the room and act like he wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

In the end he compromised, did nothing and stayed exactly where he was.

“Why are you here?” he tried to keep his voice steady, and luckily it didn’t shake too much.

“Why do you think?” Xiao Xingchen asked him.