#and I hope you've liked and shared the video to support the artist then

[swift-perseides]

Fellow enjoyers of the sweet sweet (and rare- just kidding just kidding) French lore, I see your posts saying Kameto is the double agent/spy that made the plane crash for the Federation...And I see your point, it's a good theory, I like it...

...But have we stopped an instant to consider...

...That it might have been Aypierre?

Look I saw his tweet, and somehow my brain made the conclusion "Hey maybe Cellbit isn't the sleeper agent, maybe it's Aypierre" and I have nothing else than the pictures from the Dream Machine as possible evidences (it's a strong word) to my theory, but frankly I don't care lol. Now I'm seeing the consequences for the French Family and the islanders and Pomme and the angst potential, and I'm having fun >:)

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

06/21-22/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Taika Waititi; Samba Schutte; Bronson Pinchot; Jes Tom; Damien Gerard; Hugo Pierre Martin; Fiber Arts Brigade; Teal Oranges & Garlic Soup Week!; Fan Spotlight: Cast Cards; OFMPride Colouring Pages; Love Notes; Daily Darby / Today's Taika

== Taika Waititi ==

You've probably heard, but it's been announced that Taika is in talks to direct Percival Everett's Novel film adaptation 'James'!

Source: Inforo_media Instagram

More interviews with Taika at the Peabody!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Peabody Awards (@peabodyawards)

Source: PeabodyAward's Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba's new movie, Advanced Chemistry will be airing for the first time in LA on June 26th! Tickets available Dances With Films Website.

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Bronson Pinchot ==

Did you know Bronson was going to be in the new Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F movie? I didn't!

Source: Bronson Pinchot's Twitter

== Jes Tom ==

"Pride50 award ceremony held at the Edison Ballroom Monday evening in NYC" - Jes was a Queerty Honoree!

Source: Queerty's Instagram

== Damien Gerard ==

Damien is such a kind dude, he keeps sharing kitten pictures <3

Source: Damien Gerard's Instagram

== Hugo Pierre Martin ==

Our dear Hugo Pierre Martin has a new audio series on Spotify! He asked for some help from the pirate crew to checkout the new audio series and he'd share some anecdotes from the set of OFMD! There were lots -- so I tried to make a screenshot of all together-- (not sure where #3 is?- couldn't find it on the thread). Wanna give a listen? Check out The Diaries of Netovicius the Vampire - Podcast!

Source: HugoPMartin Twitter

== Fiber Arts Brigade ==

Our lovely friends over at the Fiber Arts Brigade have another Cameo, this time from the sweet Dominic Burgess! Check out the video below!

You can help support Sage USA on their direct donation link: https://give.sageusa.org/campaign/592202/donate

They'd like to remind you, you can also enter your @sageusa donation in @adoptourcrew's raffle! You can also support SAGE by checking out the Fiber Arts Auction: https://tinyurl.com/FABforSAGE

Source: Fiber Arts Brigade Twitter

== Teal Oranges & Garlic Soup Week Reminder ==

TealOranges & Garlic Soup Week Starts Tomorrow! Need a reminder of hashtags and more info? Visit their Tumblr post!

Source: Teal Oranges & Garlic Soup Week

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

More cast cards from our dear friend @melvisik! The first cast card is William Meny, one of the writers aka executive story editor! The next is Edward Fletcher! "The cuckolded spouse of Eugenia. He was one of the officers in Titanic (I think the one who hears about the iceberg from the lookouts) so had to include that."

Source: Melvisik's Twitter

== OFMPride Colouring Pages ==

More colouring pages from the absolute legend @patchworkpiratebear!

Source: Adopt Our Crews Twitter

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! I realise this is really late.. I took last night off because I needed a break. I highly recommend it, it's amazing what a good nights reset can do for you. Tonight I wanted to just say a few little things... You all really are an inspiration. I keep reading more meta... more fics, and so many of you are putting up more art-- there's another prompt week starting tomorrow, I'm seeing multiple collaborations... I've been reading so many lovely letters, and seeing so many fun new gifs, and so many artists/writers being part of these wonderful donation drives. Some of you are making sweet comments, and encouraging others to create-- you are all just absolutely amazing.

You're just so damn creative and so kind, and so brilliant, and I'm really really humbled to be apart of this lovely community with you. Please know that you are so very wonderful and so very loved crew. Hope you get some rest this weekend <3

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Tonight's theme, well, I don't have one. Instead, just enjoy. Gifs courtesy of our good friends @meluli and @ofmd-ann!

[dedalvs]

Hey, I wanted to share some conlang news with you all. A friend of mine named Jake Penny just released a video describing their creation of a new conlang—Pankashku—for the movie Madame Web.

Now if you've actually seen Madame Web (unlikely, I know), you may recall not hearing a conlang in it at all. This is because the actual Pankashku dialogue that Jake translated for the film was cut in its entirety, and Jake was not credited.

As a professional conlanger, I can tell you this does happen, and it always sucks, but it especially sucks when it happens with your first and only job. Jake isn't alone this. Bill Welden created a conlang for the movie Noah, and it, too, was cut and Bill wasn't credited. Both were paid, and, of course, the contract states that your work will be used at the company's discretion (which includes not at all), so it wasn't like they were taken advantage of, but when your work isn't used and you're not credited it means no one hears about you, and industry word of mouth doesn't spread to get you future work. It really, really sucks, given that there are so few opportunities for conlang artists to be compensated for their work.

That is why I'm sharing this here! If you're interested, please give it a watch, but if not, please reblog it around, if you would. A lot of work goes into creating a language, and the least we can hope is that our work will be heard/seen and appreciated.

Also, if you'd like to support Jake, they and Miles Wronkovich have a YouTube series/podcast which you can support on Patreon here.

Thanks for your time! <3

[1016week]

1016 Week 2023!

Hello and happy Monza weekend, fellow Piarlies! ❤️💙 It's with great love and excitement that we're sharing with you the idea behind our next Pierre/Charles event: 1016 Week! We chose Monza to do the grand reveal because we couldn't think of any place that has better Piarles history - and that's what this fanweek is going to be all about. Celebrating Piarles, and all their gorgeous history, and everything that they are. ❤️

You can find all the details and arrangements for the event below the cut! <3

How is this event going to work?

If you've ever participated in a ship week/fanweek before, then this will work exactly the same as that! We've created a list of seven Piarles-themed prompts, one for each day of the event, and the idea is that everyone creates a little something inspired by each prompt to post on its specific day.

1016 Week will run from the 10th to the 16th (🥰) October 2023. Creation time starts as soon as you've got your prompts - which is to say, as soon as you finish reading this post!

We'd like this to be a fun and stress-free challenge for everyone, so we've tried to build in plenty of creation time for you all. Furthermore, we will not be enforcing deadlines very strictly at all - so if you do happen to miss a day or two, absolutely no worries! We will keep reblogging 1016 Week content to this blog right through to the end of the year. 💙

What kinds of content can I create for this event?

Any and all types of creative fanwork - fic, art, gifsets, photo edits, video edits, playlists and more - are welcomed in this fanweek! The only criterion is that its main focus must be the relationship between Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc.

Furthermore, there are no content restrictions for this challenge - NSFW, dark, or otherwise uncomfortable topics are accepted. However, we require any such content to be clearly identified in your title/summary/blurb and placed under a read-more cut, so that those who aren’t comfortable with seeing it can avoid it.

Prompts are general, and creators are free to interpret them however you want! As long as it's about Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc, and has something of the prompt's general theme in it, anything goes. ❤️

Do I have to complete all 7 days to be allowed to participate?

Not at all! You are free to complete as few or as many of the prompts as you want, and you can submit as many or as few creations per day as the muse inspires. 😁

When you've finished your creation and you're ready to share it with the Pierre/Charles world, @ this blog and use #1016 week 2023 in your first five tags so we can find and reblog your work. Don't forget to add what day of the prompt week your creation is fulfilling!

For our writers and artists who'd like to add your work to AO3: we've created an AO3 Collection where you can post all your creations for this event! You can find it on the Archive as 1016 Week 2023 (1016Week_2023). Be sure to post to Tumblr as well, because we'll be reblogging all 1016week content to this blog too! 💙

Where and how do I sign up?

This is a super low-pressure event, so there's no need to worry about an official sign-up! You can just like or reblog this post (& give this blog a follow!) to show your support <3

It's our honour and pleasure to host this fanweek over at the Calamars Club Discord server. If you're not a part of the server and you'd like to be, just message a mod for the invite link. Your mods for this event are the epic team of @singsweetmelodies, @boxboxbrioche, @welightitup, @duquesademiel, @wolfiemcwolferson and @river-ocean!

@ Pierre/Charles shippers across Tumblr and AO3: we hope that this event will make you smile this September and October <333 We are so excited to share this with you all! ❤️💙

[happyzyx]

[SCAN] ZHANG YIXING for THE STAR, may issue 2024

[ENG] FULL INTERVIEW TRANSLATION

Q. The theme was "Switch On". What's the driving force behind you?

Yixing: I think it's fan's support and my desire to see it.

Q. You started your promotion in Korea with your solo song "Psychic," which was released a few days ago.

Yixing: I really like it. I was really happy to show you myself after a long time on a stage that holds many memories. But it was such a shame about the first stage. I could have done better, but I think I always find problems after a performance. I will do better tomorrow. (laughs)

Q. Any interesting behind-the-scenes while preparing for the new song?

Yixing: If you watch the music video, you will see a camel. At first, you might think it's just cute, but it also means "safe love," so please watch it. Also, I hope you listen to the music a lot. There are English and Chinese versions as well, so please gives them various listens and enjoy them. (laughs)

Q. You have continued to write and compose songs. What kind of songs do you want people hear?

Yixing: Songs that are good to listen to! I want to share a lot of music that makes you melt when you listen to it.

Q. You've learned a lot about music, production, and acting. I'm curious about the source of passionate energy that enabled you to challenge yourself in various fields.

Yixing: I was able to endure it thanks to the love of my fans. (laughs)

Q. Outside of music activities, are there any other areas you want to challenge yourself in?

Yixing: Acting! I constantly read scripts and have meetings with directors. I want to shoot a movie or drama in Korea. (laughs)

Q. What kind of genre do you want to try as an actor?

Yixing: I really like realism. I want to do a drama that tells stories from everyday life.

Q. You're already in your 12th year since your debut. What is your charm that people still don't know about?

Yixing: Being stubborn? Doing what I want to do no matter what! If I decide to do it, even if someone stops me or blocks me, I think I'll focus and do it someday.

Q. Is there one thing you always do in spring?

Yixing: Cough? Because there's so much pollen. (laughs) I'm joking, and I make songs. I think my emotions definitely differ in spring.

Q. When do you feel the most emotional?

Yixing: Actually, I don't know myself very well. But I think I'm just me.

Q. Lay is just Lay no matter what you do?

Yixing: That's right. Even as time goes by, invariably I think "I'm me."

Q. What's your strength as a solo artist?

Yixing: Freestyle! I can dance freely at any time.

Q. What makes Lay smile these days?

Yixing: I was happy to perform in Korea after a long time, and meeting fans. There was another funny episode. There was an ending pose at the end of a music show stage. I had to turn around at exactly the right time, but I kept messing it up. I laughed because it wasn't as easy as I thought. (laughs)

Q. What do you do when you have a hard time?

Yixing: When it's hard, I think I just sleep. Then the next day comes and after another day passes, I think I overcome it with time.

Q. What's your current happiness index?

Yixing: If 100% is a 10, it's an 8. I was happy to be able to stand on the Korean stage again, which was the beginning of my dream.

Q. Is there an unforgettable story you heard from fans?

Yixing: There are so many good words that I can't forget because I received so much love from fans. So I want to give more good things to everyone who supports and loves me.

Q. On the otherhand, what do you really want to say to fans?

Yixing: Let's grow old together. (laughs)

Q. Say one thing to yourself.

Yixing: I really respect you. (laughs)

Q. I'm curious about your future plans.

Yixing: I'll try my best to show good songs and performances to everyone who has waited for me a lot.

Q. Lastly, greet "The Star" readers?

Yixing: Readers, let's shine together. This has been Lay. Bye~

trans

[golbrocklovely]

Honestly just saying my two cents if SnC finally found girlfriends this year I’m very Happy for them they deserve some Happiness since the rollercoaster that happened last year and they’re 27 they deserve to have some fun to right? It’s not like they are going to settle down lol..😊 or if it’s just a hookup or a fling oh well 🤷‍♀️…

I also Wonder what SnC are going to do this month in January since we already know they’re going in Australia in February , do you think they are going to explore some haunted place or doing some adventures too?

Anyway Happy New year I hope it’s gonna be a wonderful year for you! 😁

exactly this, anon. this should be a time of celebration in this fandom. now look, i'm the first to say that i don't think these relationships will last. i don't mean that in a negative way, i'm simply stating that bc colby doesn't really do relationship, or at least hasn't in a very long time. and sam just got out of one and i don't get how he would want to get back into one. but that being said, if they are happy and they want to be with these girls, that's a good thing! hypothetically, these girls could be their long term partners. and yall (in general, not you specifically) are going BUCK WILD hating on these girls, hating snc, and saying everything under the sun.

these fans say they want what's best for snc, but in reality, they only want snc to do what they want them to do. anything above or below that is not allowed.

you are not owed ANYTHING from snc. idc how long you've been in this fandom, how much money you've given to snc over the years via merch, watching their videos, paying for xplrclub, ect. none of that means you are entitled to a say in what happens in their lives.

the relationship we all share with snc is transactional, in the simplest of terms. when you buy merch, your money TURNS INTO THEIRS. the moment it leaves your hand and you get the merch, it is now THEIR money. the transaction is done. you pay for xplrclub to get exclusive content, they give you that, your transaction is done. you pay for a service, you get that service, that money is no longer yours. it's that simple.

i could put thousands of dollars into snc and their business, but it is not mine to share with them. i supported them bc i WANTED to do so. i create art about them bc i WANTED to do that. i feel like this fandom forgets that you don't have to stay here if you start hating snc or what content they post or whatever. you aren't being held hostage. you're not enjoying your time here anymore? leave. i'm not saying that to be mean, i genuinely mean that if you aren't enjoying your time then why stick around? snc are supposed to entertain you, that's the whole point. if they aren't, don't stick around.

bo burnham said it best: stop sticking with artists through thick and thin. if i stop entertaining you, leave me. don't stick with me. you wouldn't stick with your mechanic if he stopped fixing your car. i am in the service industry - i'm just overpaid.

sorry for the long tangent, i've just had a lot on my mind lol

as for the rest of your ask, idk what they plan to do for january. i would assume some form of travelling/collabing with ppl/filming. but idk anything for certain. they never really explained their plans, besides for australia.

and happy new year to you as well :) and i wish you the same !

[blueberry-lemon]

[blog thoughts] artists can't catch a break lately

The past 12 months have not been a fun time for professional artists. Whether you're working as a freelancer or trying to get your portfolio out there for employers, every few months seems to bring a new infuriating obstacle for your future career.

Let's review the past year:

1. Ever-shifting tweaks to social media algorithms that are opaque and seem to punish posts that link to to external sites (stores, crowdfunding).

2. An attempt by crypto-bros to lure artists (and consumers) into commoditizing art into crypto tokens that exist solely to fluctuate in value and be flipped for profit.

3. The emergence of popular AI-powered art generators that learn by being fed hundreds of samples of stolen artwork. People found them hilarious at first (DALL-E memes) but they're quickly getting much, much better and are being used to intentionally emulate living artists.

4. Massive layoffs and cancellations for various TV animation studios as CEOs struggle to see streaming services as profitable.

5. Major social media platforms, which have become integral to making a living as a freelancer, being completely sabotaged by the decision-making of their owners. Notable with Instagram pivoting hard to short-form video, but now even more evident with the crumbling in trust at Twitter.

I think it is very easy for people who are outside of this world to shrug it off. Success on social media isn't a human right, obviously, and people "got by just fine" before these platforms existed. But let's be real, that's not gonna cut it.

The world of art, design, crafts, and independent work is much more competitive now than it ever was. Yeah, maybe a local freelancer in your town used to stand a chance selling their work for the holidays in 1998, but now every creator is competing with Amazon, Etsy, Target, and every other site and service that has online shopping and delivery. Consumers are, naturally, swayed by convenience. It's much easier to One-Click buy a print or pillow on Amazon than to even bother seeing what freelance artists have for sale.

It's also a constant competition for attention.

Yeah, your webcomic might have done pretty well in 2004 with a Paypal Donate button on its website and a few links of creator friends who share your affiliate link. Now, you're fighting in a sea of thousands of comics. Even worse, you're not just competing with fellow webcomics. You're competing with Marvel and DC's digital comic apps, you're competing against Netflix and every other streaming service, and you're competing with TikTok, Instagram, memes, video games, everything a person could be doing with their free time.

There's really only like three ways you can succeed as a freelance creator these days.

1. Get funded or supported by some sort of person or group or publisher who has wealth to spend.

2. Amass as many followers and views as possible.

3. Cultivate a small subset of your following that is passionate enough to be willing to spend money on you.

And these things are really not easy. If Twitter folds as a company (or becomes nearly unusable) it'll be even harder. Tumblr allows for virality, but doesn't allow for as much ownership over your posts or for easy networking and socializing with your peers. Cohost implicitly discourages virality for a more personal blog. Instagram has strict rules about content (must be image or video) and strict rules about linking to external sites. TikTok and Youtube, obviously, require video-producing and video-editing.

This doesn't mean hope is lost. This doesn't mean that we should give into despair.

It just means that we need to adapt. We need to post across multiple platforms, and tweak how we post to fit the culture of that platform. We need to stand against art theft and art as a speculative financial asset.

Most importantly, we need to lift each other up. When you love someone's work, let them know. Let the world know. If you've got money to spare, check out your favorite creators' Patreons or digital tip jars.

We don't know if we can depend on the virality of massive platforms anymore. We might return to the old, fragmented web, like boats pushed to distant islands. We'll need to take things into our own hands.

Make art, make rent, help others do the same.

[laeteria]

I was feeling things…

I was on my way to university and I was suddenly hit with the fact how times had changed. Kind of like the realization: “Wow, you've grown up! “. It's such a weird feeling honestly, but at the same time I think it's part of what we call life.

(Feel free to skip, because it's really not like the usual content)

This is a little writing on the spot about how I currently feel, so it may be cluttered. Don't worry, it's still kinda about music/multimedia projects I love so much, but I hope some may share the same sentiments and feelings as I do. 

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts as long as it's respectful! 

A STEP INTO AN UNFAMILIAR WORLD

I was never really into Japanese media like I am right now. To be honest, my world was pretty empty when it came to music. I don't even remember the artists I followed before I fell into this world, but it was probably not a lot. Music was simply not something that played a big part in my life. 

I think that I wanted to try something new roughly 10 years ago, so I sort of forced myself to listen to vocaloid. It was something unfamiliar and I thought it was weird. They didn't sound human at all! Soon, I grew to love the fact how the vocaloid producers could make songs exactly the way they did. What would be something impossible for humans, was possible with vocaloid. 

After that, I kind of branched out to the utaite world, but I think it was when I heard MafuMafu's ベルセルク (Berserk) that locked my place in this industry. I felt understood and that was the moment that I thought (maybe a bit cliché even), “So music really can save lives.” I didn't even understand the lyrics, but the raw emotion in the song really hit me like a truck. I was not alone in this world, because there were many others who resonated with the song. It was as if a warm blanket had been put on your shoulders on a cold night.

THE SPARKLING WORLD OF MUSIC PROJECTS

After that, I started to follow these Japanese artists and one day I somehow ended up on a video of Love Live! (just to be sure, social media wasn't really big back in the day, so you really had to do it with what you had at that time which was YouTube for me). I was surprised because they were anime girls, but the voice actresses behind the characters were also performing live? I had never seen something like that before.

I think I got into LL with the last few months of μ's. I didn't follow them that much, but I knew I kind of loved the feeling of supporting something that was so close to the things I love (anime and music in this case). So when Aqours was announced, I decided to follow them closely and that's how I became an Aqours defender. It was a fun time, but it was also still fresh after the disbandment of μ's, so people were throwing kind of emotional comments all the time. I think this made me appreciate them more, because they kept working hard and they kept giving to the fans. They looked absolutely lovely in my eyes, not only the characters, but also the VA's.

Anyway, I also stumbled on the MV of Roselia's BLACK SHOUT and I thought they were cool, but I never really fell into the hole of BanG Dream! as project, but I guess I did follow Roselia's music casually. Not after I lost the YT account because I didn't have a Google account, so I only remembered after I found the video again.

LET'S TRY SOMETHING OF A DIFFERENT FLAVOUR

After that, I played SIF and Garupa a lot, but I wanted to try something different. This is something unimaginable if you know me, but I absolutely refused to check out music projects featuring male characters. I thought it was stupid and why would I because I couldn't relate to them anyway, but oh boy, this aged so poorly...

Back then, I was on an app called Amino. It's a dumpster fire app nowadays, but I'll never forget the people I met online on there (but that's a story for another time). When you entered the app, you would get advertisement sometimes. I deadass got advertisement for the game of IDOLiSH7. This was very very very stupid. I would get i7 ads on YT as well and I was so confused. Anyway, I decided to give it a try but I was on my iPad and I was stupid, so I was locked out because of region lock. I raged, LMAO.

I still decided to give it a try since I saw that they had an anime season with these characters. This was mistake 1, because not only did I not know what I started, not only did I watch the cringe dance, but I fricking loved it. TRIGGER was introduced and wow, I listen to their songs and their songs are good too. What's happening? I didn't know either. In reality, I absolutely fell into their marketing trap and my life had never been the same.

Some other projects worth mentioning that I started to check out after realising that male music projects were good were Band Yarouze! and Kare wa Vocalist.

IT'S TOO LATE TO TURN BACK

I met people online who were into other projects and I met my bestie who introduced me to Hypnosis Mic back in 2018. I met more people, I started to follow more music projects in general. I actually didn't even like hiphop/rap music until I stumbled upon Paradox Live. These projects are really opening my eyes now, huh…

Anyway, a project that really changed my life forever was Argopro. I followed them in their beginning stages kinda (2018) and they still don't disappoint at all. They were building on a shakey base, but look how steady it goes (pun intended?) right now! I was even reminiscing about the times when the pandemic was going on and how strongly they were going even then. They were absolutely dominating the field. Here is the link of that small thread of mine.

Suddenly, there was a rise of several music projects too. I guess it was the perfect time for people to check out these projects, especially when they were not allowed to go outside.

HAPPY, BUT WITH A LINGERING SADNESS

I graduated from high school, but my high school times were absolutely wild. I tiered in games. Not in the biggest games ever, but I had a great time tiering in AAside and Hanipre (though both games are no more; do check out Kimisute 🫵). I went to school, did my homework and played games. That was basically it.

When I officially graduated, I started to understand the SOARA songs more and I felt a certain sadness within me. It was time for goodbye. It was an end of a chapter of my life. My friends and I were going to different universities and we were friends, but there were no aligning interests actually, so the interaction died out pretty quickly.

I started to attend uni and I was much busier than I was in high school. The 30 minutes cycling to school became a 2 hours ride on the train and I had to plan. There was no time anymore… there was no time to indulge myself into these projects that much anymore… It was an end of a chapter.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.

Even though I'm mostly a closet fan and I'm afraid to actually take the first step for many interactions, I am no longer alone in this world. I bought CDs and albums, I bought online live tickets, I pulled other people into projects. I am happy.

This has been a mess, but I just wanted this to be off my chest while I'm on my way to uni.

I do feel bad when I'm missing out and when I'm no longer up to date with the story of the projects, but simply listening to their songs is more than enough. There is not something like a good reason to be a fan. If you enjoy it, you enjoy it, right?

Of course there are party poopers who are like the fandom police who tell you to do certain things and they make obnoxious comments like "how did you not know this?". They honestly make me sad, especially as a Genshin Impact fan, you know how bad it is over there. Do I really have to care about their words though? No, past me did not put a lot of effort to find happiness for the current me to throw away that easily.

Things have changed, of course they do. It's impossible to stay the same and I think it's valid to be sad about things you can't do right now. You are allowed to grief. It is okay and it will be okay. I always tell myself that. Even if the road seems long, it's still not a dead end. You got this, just like all the other times you did.

I don't know if people struggle like me, but…

You're not alone,

You will never be truly alone.

Lots of love,

Lae

[hylianjo]

Introducing...

Me.

I know I've been on here for a while, but I figured I should do a little introduction post. I don't normally show my face, but here ya go! I'm JoJo, and I write Legend of Zelda fan fiction. I'm 35 and I've been married for 16 years to my amazing husband. I'm a stay-at-home mom of two wonderful girls (10 and 7) and we homeschool. I first got into writing fan fiction after i started playing my first Zelda game, Breath of the Wild. (Yes, I know, I'm a latecomer.) I bought the game for my husband for his birthday, but my girls got more into it than he did! At first I wasn't interested in playing it because I wasn't into open-world style games, but then I got to playing Pokemon: Legends Arceus (I've always been a Pokemon fan). I realized I liked the open world style, and after watching my girls play Breath of the Wild some more I decided to try it out for myself. I fell in love with the game over the summer last year, and I couldn't put it down.

My girls like to watch YouTube videos, and someone modded in Zelda as the main hero instead of Link. It gave the the spark for a story - what would happen if Zelda and Link traveled together on his adventure? I couldn't stop thinking about it and just had to write it down. It turned into an 82-chapter longfic, which then spread into 2 prequel stories and became a 3-part series. FanFiction.net was where I first published my story, but I hated the format. I waited patiently in line for an AO3 account, which I joined in September of 2022. Then I found Reddit, Discord, and finally Tumblr...and the rest is history. I also found amazing artists who have been partnering with me with my writing, which has been such an amazing feeling. Seeing my ideas come to life...there's nothing like it. I've met so many wonderful people on these sites and made so many online friends, both in and outside the fandom, and I've been met with such love and support it's overwhelming. Even though it's only online, I feel like I've made friends for life. Sharing common interests with others who feel just as passionate as you do...it's amazing!! If you've read this far, thank you...and I'm so happy you're here! I hope you enjoy my writing, and if not, at least the pictures I post here on my Tumblr account <3

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'm an open book (mostly)!

[rz-jocelyn]

Hello! Firstly, thank you so much for sharing content, etc, about Ryuji's activities. As a new fan of his, your posts helped me a lot.

I really want to watch Ryuji's series/movies/musicals but I don't know where to start. Japanese isn't a problem and I don't mind paying to watch either as I'm very willing to support artists I like, but most sites are region restricted. Do I need to use a vpn? And which international payment options are available? I tried subscribing to a Japanese streaming site using mastercard before, but it wouldn't accept it for some reason...

I'm really sorry if this is a tough question, but I'm really hoping you could help me out!

Hiya! :D

Thank you for your lovely message! I'm glad that you've been enjoying my posts ♥

ABOUT VPN

Unfortunately, you are right about most official Japanese sites being region-locked. Personally, I think having a VPN installed is really convenient in this regard.

List of VPNs that you could try: SoftEther, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Surfshark, TunnelBear

Please note that these are just suggestions and there are also other VPNs out in the market. Each VPN has its advantages and disadvantages, so do select the one that is the safest and most suitable for you :D

Also, some sites can detect VPN, so having one might not guarantee access to all sites.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Most Common Payment Options: Credit card (Visa, Mastercard), Paypal

Payment options depend on the site themselves as well as the options available depending on the region you're accessing the site from.

In some cases, even though direct payment doesn't work, the site might have alternative payment options that you can use. For example, Amazon Prime Video Japan also has the Amazon Gift Card option.

STAGES/MOVIES/TV DRAMAS

Ryuji has appeared in quite a few musicals, stages, TV dramas and movies over the years. His Japanese Wikipedia page provides quite the comprehensive list on his projects (and for projects with sequels, it also provides the sequence of the projects).

For his Japanese Wikipedia page, please refer to this link: HERE

Theater Complex

This site offers a selection of Japanese musicals/stages for online streaming. This is also one of the sites that offer live streaming.

The site can be accessed: HERE

DMM.TV

Similar to Theater Complex, this site offers a selection of Japanese musicals/stages for online streaming. Additionally, it also offers TV dramas and movies. It is also one of the sites that offer live streaming.

The site can be accessed: HERE

Amazon Prime Video Japan

This site offers a selection of TV dramas and movies for online streaming. Some of Ryuji's musicals/stages are also available here.

The site can be accessed: HERE

MUSIC

In addition to his acting career, Ryuji also has a substantial music career where he sings and writes songs. Ryuji is currently a member of two music projects: The Brow Beat and ZIPANG OPERA.

The Brow Beat

Produced by HAKUEI (PENICILLIN), this is his band project where he's the main vocalist and song lyric writer. Ryuji has also composed songs for the band.

Twitter: @/The_Brow_Beat 

Fanclub: HERE 

YouTube: HERE

Spotify: HERE

Apple Music: HERE

ZIPANG OPERA

A group attached to LDH Records, it is a dance and vocal performance unit comprising of 2.5D actors, including Ryuji. He has also written song lyrics for this group.

Twitter: @/zipang_opera

YouTube: HERE

Spotify: HERE

Apple Music: HERE

TikTok: HERE

Discord: HERE

BLU-RAY/DVD/CD

Many of Ryuji's musicals/stages, TV drama and movies are also available on Blu-ray/DVD. Additionally, he also releases physical singles/albums with both his music projects as well as with acting projects where he also sings.

Physical releases often include bonus content and/or physical bonuses that aren't available on streaming/download sites.

However, please double-check the region of the physical releases to ensure that the region matches your device. There are also devices that you can purchase to play physical releases that are incompatible with your region.

Examples of International Sites: CDJapan, Silkroad Store, Amazon, Animate International

For other sites that may not have an international shipping option, you can use a proxy service to purchase from the sites. For a suggested list of proxy services available for Japan, please refer to this link: HERE

Similar to the VPNs, these are just suggestions and there are also other proxy services out in the market. Each proxy service has its advantages and disadvantages.

Additionally, in some cases, using a proxy might be cheaper and more convenient than using the international shipping option offered by the sites, so do check out the option that might be more suitable for you :D

SATO RYUJI'S OFFICIAL FANCLUB

Ryuji, himself, also has a personal fanclub that fans can join. To register for a membership, please refer to this link: HERE

Other Official Accounts

Personal Twitter: @/ryuji7117

Official Staff Twitter: @/satoryujiST

Personal IG: ryuji_japan

Blog: HERE

Hope this helps, and welcome to the fun of loving and supporting Ryuji together! ♥

[mkanuhea]

Saw your anti AI post and I agree so much.

I used to work with a friend who is a influencer and youtuber. They asked me to do the thumbnails since they love my art and I've been struggeling with money for a while.

It was a nice extra income.

Until they found AI and that they can just push a button and get free art immidiately.

So I got turned down silently. No official "hey I took something else" nothing. They just started using AI and stopped updating my art schedule. I had an argument with them about it and stated the issue with AI. They kinda don't care. They only see their own profit.

Mind you, this person is super leftist. I expected more from them especially because they complain a lot how other youtubers steal and copy their videos.

Also note: I did a very fair price, I even underpaid myself.

And now I have to see how I'll make through the next few months.

So yeah, AI doesn't only steal art, it steals jobs especially from small artists. I want this shit to fucking end already

First of all, I'm so so SO sorry this happened to you. I really hope that you still continue to stay creative, share your artwork and wishing you loads of business to keep up your art career. Situations like this are awfully discouraging, but I implore you to keep at it. We need real, human artists more than ever. Never stop creating friend.

Personally, I feel like the use of AI "artwork" typically made by so-called leftists or liberals outs that their solidarity is just performative. Whether they realize it or not, I feel as if you're competent enough to realize capitalism is not good for anyone (unless you're swimming in a billion dollars) that you'd come to the understanding AI "art" hurts the working class - because, lets be honest, if you're selling you're artwork/making art to sell, you're working. You're a worker. And it's just even more so baffling when other ARTISTS are making AI art "for shits and giggles" all while acknowledging that the production of AI artwork hurts artists. The cognitive dissonance is real - or or or - their activism is just performative. lol.

I won't support artists who use AI "art" and post it even if it's "just for fun". I don't care if you "just wanted to see" yourself in Greg Rutkowski's style or (the other artist's style, I cannot for the life of me remember their name) and share it on social media. One of my acquaintances on Facebook makes and sells jewelry and is supposedly an avid leftist, and another acquaintance of mine also does commissions and sells their artwork also via Facebook; yet recently posted AI self portraits and my respect for both of them quickly got flushed down the shitter.

Really, and I say this with every micrometer of my fuckn soul, feeding the generator and sharing your AI "artwork" is completely and disgustingly insulting for any competent artist (and I say competent, because this phase has proven some are in fact, not). For those who've posted and shared their AI "art", fuck you for even having the thought and ESPECIALLY a hot and steamy massive fuck you if you've ever acknowledged in the past the destruction of AI-generated artwork. Get shit on.

How to stop this? Stop feeding the fucking robot. Call out/educate those who post AI art. Stop supporting other artists that use and share AI art. While there are many things in a capitalist society we're unfortunately compliant to, this is one of those things we have the power to nip in the butt before it gets worse.

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

orchid, advice needed or just opinion please, tw for grooming and sexual content

I was an artist, had been majority of my life. I'd draw characters and comics and whatever I or others liked and sometimes collaborated with some amazing artists. overtime though I became unconfident in my work and began to trace. From 15 to 19 I traced nearly all my work and I was rightfully called out for it last year. I lost the friends I'd made, betrayed fellow creators, and hurt others with my actions. and I haven't forgiven myself for what I'd done since.

no one knows this at all, but the biggest reason I became unconfident in my skill, despite being really good on my own given my age, was because of my groomer's. I met them when I was 14 and began to do commissions for them by the time I turned 16 and while I had my normal accounts, I had a sex art content page on the side. No one except them knew my age and the occasional mutual I'd make but for basically 14 to 19 I drew whatever they wanted regardless of comfortability.

I understand this is no excuse for my actions I more than anyone understand how horrible I was and what I did, I guess I'm just explaining because it's genuinely an intregral part to my trauma.

they'd ask me to draw fantasies for them or to make more "realistic work" because sometimes what I drew wasn't to their liking and in exchange for art they would offer to do my homework help with a test. I remember I even asked them one time why they wanted to "help" me and they literally said "I like that you're coming to me for help and that I'm someone you're dependent on. It feels good helping you like this." In addition to artwork I would send nude photos of videos of myself per request or because I wanted to be good for them.

I've since dropped them and deleted all social media accounts except tumblr just from my shame and genuine fear, I even dropped out of art school because I felt it was plain wrong to call myself a real artist. I was good and I loved the craft I genuinely still do; my honest work was considered amazing and I've been often complimented for my skills considering I'm only 20. The work I did in school was honest, not at all traced but I can't forgive myself for what I did.

Some days I think about maybe drawing again and sharing it online. I'll have thoughts like "What if I drew fanart again and shared it?" or "What if I started a comic series?" But I genuinely feel I'm undeserving and just plain unallowed to come back to the community as a creator because of my past wrongdoings. And I think it's deserved. I was a liar who stole and cheated, I can't expect things to be ok for me after that.

I'll be studying in another major entirely seperated from art and I think it's for the best. But I'm just hoping for some comfort please even if I don't deserve much of it because the situation literally is the consequence of my own actions.

Hi orchid,

I'm really sorry to hear about what you've been through and the feelings of guilt and shame you're experiencing.

It's understandable that you feel remorseful for your past actions, but people can learn and grow. You were in a vulnerable position as a young person being groomed and manipulated by someone older. The situation you described was abusive, and it's crucial to recognize that the responsibility lies with the person who exploited and took advantage of you.

It's understandable that you feel uncertain about returning to the art community. It's up to you to decide if and when you're ready to engage with art again. If you have a genuine love for art and the desire to create, consider exploring it in a way that feels safe and comfortable for you. You can start by creating art for yourself, as a form of self-expression and healing, without the pressure of sharing it publicly.

It's important to prioritize your healing and well-being. It may be helpful to seek support from a therapist or counselor who can help you process your experiences, work through your feelings of guilt, and rebuild your self-confidence. They can provide a safe and non-judgmental space for you to explore your emotions and develop coping strategies.

Please know that healing takes time, and it's important to be patient with yourself. You are not defined solely by your past actions, and you have the capacity to grow, learn, and rebuild your life. Focus on your personal growth, surround yourself with supportive and understanding individuals, and take steps towards pursuing a future that aligns with your values and well-being. I hope I could help. Please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun

[fwacchi]

On mobile & sorry if I said anything weird my first language isn't english & for not using puntuation I'm not good at it

Hello! This is just a mini rant(kinda)(since no one that I currently know are into vtubers or know what they are & I just wanna talk about it) but I just came across this tiktok short/edit (don't really know what to call it 😅) but she basically trying to expose? Vtubers (mostly nijien) (mostly nina in this case) but she was a minor (it's in her prof.) & I found on one of her edits/videos she was asking ppl for shoutout bc she 'needs her fame back' & that just makes me feel weird about it like.. Idk.. I think that recently I just had seen some ppl trying to cancel some vtubers on tiktok for stupid things like fu-chun getting 'cancel' for liking/reading BL even though he's bi if I'm correct (ik that some of the cancel aren't really recent but tiktok just kinda stated to put those videos on my for you page recently) like for vox I kinda get why he's was cancel but at the same time not bc sure you can feel uncomfortable & all but for me personally I think that calling him a p*do was too mush like lately ppl have been throwing that word around to losely & I just think that he over share to much but yeah

Btw it's ok if you don't want to respond to this you can just ignore it but have a good day/night also I hope that your first day in college was good! My younger sister also just started college & she was saying the same thing as you so just know that you aren't alone 🤣🤣

Your English is reallyyyy good!! <3 and good luck to your sister too!!!

I've wanted to talk about this topic before but didn't really have the chance to but now that you've ranted about it, I'm gonna reply to your rants with a rant of my own so buckle up 😌

(there's literally an essay down there so enter at your own risk 👁️👁️)

This is exactly why I barely go on tiktok anymore. when I used to be a diehard fan of kpop artists, shits like this was way more worse. At some point, it started disturbing me to the point I actually never went back on tiktok again. That's how much I hated that app back then. Literally just one or two months ago I opened that app again, thinking I could have a peaceful life in vtubers fandom but oh lord I encountered a hate video.

It was something similar to what you said, but what I saw was a video saying "canceling nijisanji en" and I thought it was a joke or something so I went to the comments section to see what it was about. And the whole comment section was filled with "omg yes" "ugh shifting to nijisanji jp right now" "well at least shu is safe💀" honestly, I was like huh??? seems that they were talking about most of the nijisanji en boys interacting with an artist who was apparently racist (or something else i'm not really sure) but yeah that's the bits of it. [I saw a comment under the specific post saying something like "if this is how yalls attitude is, then don't even think about coming to the jp side" and I was like SLAYY GIRL YOU RIGHT ASF] sorry I'm pretty much gatekeeping niji jp from toxic fans like that who could just hate on their so called "oshi" on a baseless rumour.

First of all, I'm on twitter literally everyday and have heard nothing of that issue. Or maybe it's possible that I could've totally missed it. Secondly, even if the issue is true, I'm pretty sure the en boys wouldn't have interacted with the said artist if they knew about it. Like girl, vtubers don't have to know everything about everyone on internet. Just because they don't follow up on who is who and who is supporting what doesn't mean you have the fucking rights to cancel them.

Let me tell y'all something mind blowing. Reading BL isn't a crime. Surprising? Get that into your fucking mind. BL is a genre just like Mystery, Romance, Historical and etc. Even if you're straight you can read/watch BL it's not wrong. It's not wrong as long as you don't fantasize about it and get off on it. If you're a straight person reading BL (yaoi) and getting turned on about it and being public about it, then seek help. That's just so wrong. You girls don't like it when men jerk off to lesbian porns so it goes both ways.

This is me speaking for myself as someone who enjoys BL and I would love to read GL genre too. But there's just none that suits my taste and BL stories are being published more and more rather than GL. That's the main reason I read more BL and not GL. It has nothing to do with me being a freak. I don't even read much yaoi like BJ ALEX, painter of the night, etc. I mostly enjoy fluff BL genre because I see it as any other romance. (if you have good gl manhwa/anime/donghua/manga recommendations, please share it with me👁️👁️)

And calling vox a p*do? that's just way too offensive and wrong. Did you see him having dirty talks or actually having sex with a minor? No you fucking didn't so stfu. You don't even know who he truly is behind the avatar so what gives you the rights to say something so horrible about him? And this goes to everyone else. Even if a person you know, or barely know, is a prostitute, slut, playboy or whatever, you do not get to judge them. You're not their parents/family members so you get no say in their life. Just stfu and live your own life instead of judging others'. UNLESS you see them committing real crimes which is against the law of your country then report them to the police. That's all you have to do.

Now, I don't want to categorise all tiktok users as one group but most of the people, I repeat, MOST of the people in tiktok are underage, or simply just utter fools who have no morals in them. Especially those hate accounts (and this goes to EVERY hate accounts. not just the ones dedicated to nijisanji/vtubers).

I see some accounts saying "this is a troll account. i actually love [insert name] so much🥺" no. If you love them as much as you claim to, then you wouldn't even think about hating on them like that even for a joke. That's just disrespectful.

What do they really get out of this hating behaviour? likes? shares? comments? fame? well if that's what they want then they're really doing it in a wrong fucking way. I didn't know people could be happy getting those achievements from such a nasty way. They have little to none shame. Possibly bringing down someone's career because of their stupid behaviour isn't something to be proud of. Their parents surely wouldn't be proud of it either. Am I mean? well not as much as they are and at least I'm only speaking facts.

It's literally so easy to shut up your mouth if you don't like something. Like, go find something else you enjoy instead of hating.

+the nijisanji en family has been getting bigger these days which is why they're getting more hate that are visible. The only thing we can do is comment something to put some sense in their shitty mind(which will end up going over their head considering how dumb they are), report, block and scroll away. Fools like them can't be fixed unless they themselves realise what they're doing and how it harms others around them. We really shouldn't be wasting our time and ruining our mental health over some dumb asses.

[tteokggukk]

welcome to my youtube channel → kth

✳ pairing: idol!taehyung x youtuber!reader

✳ genre: fluff, taehyung scenario, stranger to lovers, reader is an artist who posts art videos on youtube

✳ warnings: none!

✳ words: 2.9k

✳ a/n: hello, this is my second bts oneshot/scenario. i just like to write for fun but if you’d like to let me know if there’s anything i can improve on please do so! i’d love to know how to improve. anyways, i hope you enjoy!

"Hey guys, welcome to my YouTube Channel."

You spoke in front of the camera. Sets of acrylic paint were spread out across the table next to a stand that held an 18x24 inch canvas. You were in the middle of making your seventeenth video, a highly requested one at that, and deep down you were ecstatic to start working on the painting.

Never in your life did you think you would ever start a YouTube account. You always considered yourself a very shy and private person, not one to go out of their way and broadcast themselves all over the internet. Your best friends, however, were two very well-known YouTubers and always found a way to include you in their videos and live streams. Somehow people liked seeing more of you, and so you were convinced by your best friends and the audience to start your own YouTube channel.

But you weren't very accustomed to bringing a camera everywhere with you to document and share whatever was happening in your daily life, you found it too awkward and you were still camera-shy, so you decided to create content in a way that would still keep you comfortable while doing something you loved.

An art channel.

Your channel blew up pretty fast. Requests started pouring in here and there. You became known for your very calm demeanor and artistic skills, so you took this as an opportunity to sell your works online as a way to earn some extra money for your future. Occasionally, you'd do lives to talk to your fans and you were happy at the support they showed you, which only encouraged you to keep making videos.

"This was a highly requested video, and I honestly can't wait to get started," you told the camera, mentally telling yourself to insert the comments and messages you got in your DMs to paint this Adonis-like human being. The requests started coming in after you had an Instagram live where you did some quick sketches while playing some of your favorite songs in the back, and people noticed one of the songs you played was by him.

"You guys also asked if I could sell this painting, but because of the "high demand"," you spoke, adding air quotes, "I'd like to keep it up for auction so the proceeds could go to different fundraisers."

You started mixing different colors in your palette and showed everyone the picture for your reference.

"So, without further ado, today I will be painting Kim Taehyung."

"Hey guys, welcome to my YouTube Channel."

Taehyung watched as you spoke in the video, looking behind you to see a bunch of art materials. The title of the video was left ambiguously, only being named most requested video, leaving him no clue on what it was you were going to create this time.

He's been watching your videos for quite some time now, ever since your channel started rising. Art was one of his major interests and he absolutely adored the way you made your videos with the calming, ASMR-like sound of mixing paint and how you skillfully glided the brush across the canvas. On days when he found himself tired and in need of a quick way to relax, he'd subconsciously find himself binge watching videos on your channel— even repeating several videos since you were only starting. He found it fascinating, but also because he found you interesting.

Because of your channel, he even created an anonymous YouTube account just to leave nice comments on your videos along with a private Instagram account to be able to watch your lives.

Needless to say, he didn't miss that one live where you played the song Winter Bear. It made his whole night, making him sleep with a smile on his face.

"This was a highly requested video, and I honestly can't wait to get started." 

He watched as a bunch of comments started appearing onscreen popping up one by one as they gradually got faster, eventually covering you. It took a moment before it sunk in that he was the highly requested person they wanted you to paint. He paused the video, wide-eyed, before shouting in excitement. Jimin had to come in and check what the whole commotion was about.

"Y/n's going to paint me!" Taehyung exclaimed, his mouth turning into his famous boxy smile. 

"Ah, the YouTuber you really like?" Jimin smiles before sitting down next to Taehyung who continued playing the video, "I wanna see."

"You guys also asked if I could sell this painting, but because of the "high demand", I'd like to keep it up for auction so the proceeds could go to different fundraisers."

"Wow, she seems really kind," Jimin says, while Taehyung only nods, his eyes glued to the screen.

"So, without further ado, today I will be painting Kim Taehyung."

He felt his heart beat fast when you mentioned his name, and without realizing it his ears have gone all red. 

On screen, you began sketching, "You guys have also been sending me a lot of questions lately, which is why I decided to tweet about doing a q&a."

"What questions did you ask?" Jimin asked Taehyung.

"I asked her if being an artist is something she'd like to pursue," Taehyung told him.

"Ooooh, trying to get to know her," Jimin teases, "Our little Taehyungie has a celebrity crush."

Taehyung rolls his eyes but breaks out into a grin anyway, "I just respect her artistry."

"Right, okay," Jimin snickers, obviously not buying it.

Taehyung knew he was telling the truth, though. It was impossible to have feelings for someone who you only knew through a screen. He found you attractive for sure, but he of all people would know that almost no one is completely one-hundred percent themselves on screen. Genuine as you may be, there are still things that are best kept to yourself. He couldn’t lie though, if given the chance to get to know you, he’d never pass up on that offer.

"Someone asked why I don't use that much ready-made paint," You spoke on screen, "It's ‘cause I learn a lot from mixing my own colors, and also I just really enjoy it."

The painting was beginning to come together halfway through the video and Taehyung's question finally made its way to you. "Kimyeontan95 asks, ‘is painting a career you want to pursue? I love your work, by the way’."

"That was basically I love you," Jimin holds back a laugh, earning him a light punch in the arm from Taehyung.

"Thank you so much, kimyeontan95, and no, painting is just a hobby of mine and a way to earn some future savings. I actually really want to be a novelist."

Taehyung smiled after hearing you answer his question. Later on, the video was over and his portrait was complete. He hurriedly redirected himself to the link that was provided for the auction.

Something in him wanted to have that painting no matter what, so he set himself as the highest bidder and eventually had it mailed to his home where he put your work up in his room to cherish.

A day after your video was posted, you woke up to a thousand notifications from your phone. Hundreds of people were mentioning you in tweets and you had numerous missed calls from your best friends and some texts telling you to check your online art shop. You groggily scroll through your feed, a bit confused as to what was happening.

I wanted to buy this painting and I had it in my list, but now it's unavailable!

Y'ALL WHAT RICH KID SET THE HIGHEST BID TO A MILLION DOLLARS IM CRYING

@yourtwittername are you planning to sell a new collection?

a million dollar bid wtf swownwowksodiowl

Someone just bought all of @yourtwitterusername's paintings. I'm crying in broke eye—

but like what if taehyung set that bid? @yourtwitterusername

What?

I just woke up and my mentions are pouring. What is going on? You tweeted.

Thousands of replies began coming in leaving you feeling overwhelmed and confused on where to start. Everyone was telling you to check your site, and so you did. You felt your heart almost stop beating when you saw that every single artwork you had up for sale were sold out. Nothing was left behind. You checked your emails, and the confirmations were there.

How could this have happened overnight?

ALL MY WORKS ARE SOLD OUT?!?!?!?? WHO COULDVE DONET THIS??? You tweeted, hands shaking.

You felt your heart race, a wide grin that could go even wider if possible was plastered on your face. You tried to stop yourself from screaming in excitement but couldn't so you ended up jumping up and down and doing happy dances before calming down to assess the situation. Finally, you sat down in front of your laptop to see where all your works were being shipped to.

Replies started coming in.

CONGRATS YOU FIGURED IT OUT

WILL U RESTOCK

AHSKWJOA CONGRATS BB

I'M SO HAPPY FOR U

BUT Y/N WHO BOUGHT THEM ALL

Checking your emails, you discover that your art works were all bought by one person. Anonymous. There was no name and someone requested to have their personal information redacted. 

Anonymous? Surely this wasn't a joke?

The person kept their name anonymous. You tweeted and muted the notifications just to allow yourself to focus on finding out who it was that bought everything.

At the bottom of all the removed personal information, there was one username that you were sure you've heard or seen somewhere.

@ Kimyeontan95. 

Underneath the username was a short but sincere message.

"Your videos have always helped me wind down after a long, busy day. I can't express how much you inspire me with your talent and how I wish someday you'd teach me to be half as good as you, as I'm not very gifted in the painting department. I admire how you put your gifts into good things, and I very much idolize you in one way or another. This is just a small way of showing my support for you, but also because all your works are amazing and I'd love to have a small room filled with my favorite art works. I look forward to reading works of yours soon, future novelist.”

Feeling the heat creeping up on your cheeks, you smiled to yourself. The letter was definitely heartfelt and you wanted so badly to thank the person who sent it.

Later that afternoon, you decided to go on live to personally thank the anonymous buyer for buying your works and for sending that wonderful note. You fixed yourself up a little bit and pressed live as thousands of your followers began to tune in.

"Hello, everyone," you greeted, smiling. Replies with greetings started coming in and you couldn't help but chuckle at the eager messages your followers were sending. They truly made you happy.

As expected, several questions began pouring in.

"Right, so, I wanted to do this live because of what happened. As you may have noticed, all my works were suddenly sold out which definitely took me by surprise," you started, "Unfortunately the buyer left everything anonymous. They only left what I assume is a username and a short letter, which I will keep to myself for personal reasons."

@follower1WHAT

@follower2 will you keep selling your works?

@follower3 THATS SUCH A SWEET GESTURE THO OMG/

@follower4 am I the only one who thinks a secret admirer bought it

@follower5 check my YouTube channel I made a theory on who bought her works

@follower6 i rlly think it's taehyung

@follower7 I’'m so proud of you :(((

"If the person who bought all of my paintings is watching this, I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate the letter as well, you've honestly made me the happiest person on Earth," you smiled.

@follower8 AWWWWW

@follower9 ANON COME OUT

@follower10 i really wanna know what the letter says

@ Kimyeontan95 I'm glad :)

Your heart stopped at one of the replies. You took your phone immediately from its fixed position with wide eyes and began scrolling up fast because of the immediate replies coming in. Wasn't that the username?

@follower11 what's going on?

@follower12 y/n are you okay?

You could no longer find the reply so you set your phone down, fixing it back in place.

"For a second I thought the person who bought it was watching my live," you sighed and smiled nervously, "So anyways— I'd really love to express my gratitude so if they're watching, please contact me. I can't say thank you en—"

Suddenly the replies were frantic. People were sending keyboard smashes here and there. Only a few of them were actual coherent comments. "What is going on?" You asked as you began scrolling through.

@follower13 Y/N CHECK VLIVE

@follower14 TaEHYUNF IS ON LIVE

@follower15 I kNEW IT THOUGH???

@follower16 Y/N CHECK TAEHYUNGS LIVE

@follower5 Y'ALL I WAS RIGHT I SAID CHECK MY YT

Keeping your live on, you grabbed your laptop as fast as you could to check out the links being sent to your live. When it finally loaded, you could've sworn you'd have a heart attack. 

"Oh, I think she's watching me," Taehyung grinned through his live, holding his phone in front of the camera. He quickly shows the viewers his phone screen, which showed your live of you watching him through your laptop. Your eyes widened and you looked back at your phone camera that was broadcasting your live, then back at his live.

Taehyung started giggling, "I guess we're just watching each other, huh?" He smiled. Behind him were packed and unpacked parcels of paintings you recognized were yours. If it was even possible, your eyes grew even wider at this, "Oh my god," you breathed out.

"I should probably introduce myself," Taehyung spoke, "Hello everyone, I'm Kim Taehyung. How are you all doing? Today I’m planning on redecorating my room after our practice. What are the packages behind me? Oh, these are paintings I recently bought."

"Are those my paintings?" You asked out loud, though you knew the answer. 

"Are those my paintings?" Your voice echoed from Taehyung's broadcast as your live was streaming from his phone. He grinned sheepishly, "Yes, these are your works, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," You smiled, "You were the buyer?" 

You mentally slapped yourself for asking such obvious questions, but you just couldn't believe everything that was happening now.

"Yes," he chuckles, "I really love your paintings." Suddenly the sound of Jimin’s voice echoed from behind and Taehyung quickly stood up to lock the door, knowing he’d get the teasing of a lifetime if Jimin came and saw him talking to you.

"Thank you so much, I—" Your voice began to crack and your eyes welled with tears that you tried to fight back, "I really appreciate it. And the letter, that was really sweet."

"No, thank you. Wait, don't cry—" Taehyung spoke nervously.

"I'm just so happy," You laughed while wiping the tears off.

The replies from both ends were coming in like crazy. On one hand, majority of everyone watching found the whole scenario cute and started pairing you two out of nowhere, though there were a few haters on the other. It didn't really bother you, you were just so happy someone you idolized noticed your work.

"I'm glad," he was watching you with a fond smile through his phone, then the sound of the Jin’s voice began coming from outside Taehyung’s room, "Sorry for this sudden grand reveal. I really can't stay on live for too long but I'd love to keep talking to you." He spoke.

"Oh no, that's okay," You spoke fast.

"Do you mind if I send you a message? Assuming you already know the username," he asks.

"No not at all, I'd love to keep talking as well," your heart was beating erratically now. You didn't have to see your face to know how red it was becoming.

"Alright, great. Um, before I end this vlive I just wanna say you're a great artist and to all my viewers watching this, please support y/n's artworks and her channel! If I see any negative comments, I'll be taking responsibility and I'll unfortunately have my agency involved in taking those out," he spoke in a commercial tone kind of voice, "And to y/n, I'll be keeping in touch.” The door from behind him suddenly bursts open and Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook rush inside.

“You were talking to her!” Jimin shouts excitedly.

“Finally!” Jungkook claps.

“Is that why you kept the door locked?” Jin teases.

“Bye, everyone!" Taehyung quickly waves goodbye to the camera and smiles before turning the broadcast off. 

You sat there stunned, almost forgetting you were also on live. You turned to your phone which was still recording you, "That was unexpected."

Suddenly, a notification in your DMs popped up. "I'll go ahead and process everything that just happened now, bye guys! See you in my next video." You ended the live with a wave and smile.

You quickly went into your direct messages and found the same username, Kimyeontan95. You opened it and found a picture of Taehyung holding one of your paintings with a peace sign on his other hand, the other members behind him posing with your other works, making you laugh.

Your heart fluttered at the message below the picture.

I hope this isn't too sudden, but would you like to go out with me sometime?

a/n: hello! if you finished it, thank you so much for reading! i hope you liked it hehe. i think i’m gonna keep posting the stuff i write bc i have so many ideas for the other members as well. also this is fun hehe. if you wanna read my other work, let’s fall in love for the night, ← here’s a link! thanks again for reading and please look forward to my future writing/edits.

[wenellyb]

Are you still a fan of Sebastian or do you just not care anymore. I used to be a stan but all I can do now is hope he’ll do better in the future

Hi Anon,

I certainly understand you feeling. And good question. But i don't know if I have a complete answer.

I wouldn't consider myself a Sebastian Stan fan anymore, because if I compare it to before when I would watch his movies, post stuff about him or share petitions to have a solo Winter Soldier movie, this is all stuff I wouldn't do today. I can share a stackie video or post because it's hilarious but I wouldn't do it for a Sebastian Stan post, even though it's something I would have done in the past. I don't hate him or anything, but I guess I'm disappointed and not interested anymore? and his fans make things worse...

And to be honest, it's unfair but a big portion of my whole feeling about him comes from his fandom, sometimes I think that maybe if the fandom had had different reactions when it came to him messing up, I would feel different. I got an ask earlier from a Seb fan who said they still support Seb but they get hate whenever they all him out when he f*cks up. And I feel like I would have a different stance if all the Seb stans were like that? It's really hard to explain , I can't find my words.

It's funny because I know him from Marvel, so I still like his character Bucky Barnes, but yeah I think that maybe I just don't care anymore.

I'm not into the whole stanning celebrities thing because they're just people who make entertainment so I don't expect more of them than that, they''re not my friends or my family. But I can also understand the importance of supporting artists you like, hyping up their content on social media, watching their movies, their shows, etc,...And it's something that I really don't feel like doing anymore with him.

I still like Stackie interviews because it feels to me like watching a show you've been following for years, their friendship.

TL:DR: I don't hate him, but it'll never be like before.

[hellomynameisbisexual]

Most people know to anticipate some degree of change when they’re in a committed, long-term romantic relationship: a desire for more nights in with Netflix instead of drunken ragers on the dance floor; the inevitable shift of physical appearances; the unexpected transformation of a side gig into a career. But many people assume sexual orientation is fairly stable—that whether you’re gay or straight, you’re “born this way,” and that’s what you’ll be forever.

That definitely isn’t always the case. But even though coming out as queer or bisexual in a committed straight relationship isn’t unheard of, a change in sexual identity is not something that many people anticipate happening within a long-term partnership, nor is it widely discussed. Despite the advancements in broader social understanding of LGBTQ issues made in the past decade, therapists Jared Anderson and Tamala Poljak told VICE that many of their patients fear that being bi or queer when straight-partnered could doom their relationship. There’s also a pervasive idea that a person in a hetero relationship can’t be LGBTQ because they have chosen to commit, and are presumably attracted to, a member of the opposite sex. But bisexuality is a valid orientation, and while it may feel intimidating to embrace this discovery and stay hetero-partnered, it’s by no means impossible.

“I believe both gender and sexuality [are] fluid, meaning we change throughout a lifespan,” Poljak said, adding that recent cultural shifts have likely led to light bulb moments for some individuals who has been denying or simply not recognizing their queer feelings.

Sexuality doula Isabella Frappier, whose work includes helping clients own and define their sexual expression, said that a person doesn’t need to have acted on any same-sex-attracted feelings in order to label themselves as queer or bisexual, and that bisexuality can be explored while still honoring an extant relationship, especially since everyone has different definitions of what it means to explore.

Bisexuality is often dismissed as a phase, and the idea that bisexual people are "just confused" persists. This is especially true for men; while bisexuality among women is slightly more socially acceptable (albeit because it’s fetishized and often viewed as an "experiment"), men often have to contend with the belief that bisexuality, as Carrie once put it on Sex and the City, is “a pit stop on the way to gay town.”

These myths stem from our society’s historically rigid approach to sexual expression. Experts are adamant that a person's bisexuality does not invalidate the love they have for their opposite-sex partner. According to Poljak, an associate marriage and family therapist, the idea that a person needs to “pick a side” is a rooted in heteronormative expectations.

The question, “Am I queer or bi enough?” can also weigh heavily on people who think they might not be all the way straight, as though there is a certain amount of "proof" that could confirm their sexuality. As much as those questioning might like to think there’s a litmus test that will tell them whether or not they’re truly bi, that’s simply not the case.

“For queer folks, it just isn’t so cut and dry,” Poljak said. “The hope to ‘figure it out’ and/or find ‘an answer’ is a pretty rigid idea steeped in heteronormative expectations. It also puts a lot of pressure on a person to have to declare one thing and stick to it. If you know you are attracted to one or more genders, then it’s really that simple.”

A journey into one’s queerness doesn’t have to involve sex outside of the relationship, or even sex in general. Just noticing that you’re attracted to other genders can be the extent of this exploration. The act of coming out to yourself, or maybe saying, “I’m bi. I don’t know what that looks like yet, and that’s OK,” has the potential to be extremely affirming.

You might find comfort in connecting with other queer folks, especially since identifying as queer might otherwise make you feel vulnerable or isolated. Some people are validated by coming out to friends and family, or by getting involved with the queer community. Frappier encouraged people exploring their bi/queer identity to go to LGBTQ events, read books about sexuality or written by queer authors, support bisexual artists and musicians, or join queer groups. Online, Reddit’s r/bisexual subreddit is a funny and informative space for bi folks to ask questions or simply discuss their experiences, while the Fluid Arizona resource page and Autostraddle's events and meet-ups can help queer folks build an IRL community.

If you decide you want to connect more physically with your queer sexual desires, but aren’t sure where to begin, start small. “I’d first encourage a person in this situation to start by considering the multiple ways they can explore their queerness on their own,” Frappier said. “That can be through watching ethical same-sex porn, or writing your own erotica.”

Experts strongly encouraged discussing your queerness with your partner eventually, as the secrecy can ultimately strain the relationship. (It can also contribute to the harmful idea that your queerness is somehow scandalous, or something to be ashamed of.) If you’re worried that your partner will react poorly, or you aren’t ready to share your feelings with them yet, consider talking to a professional, a trusted friend or loved one, or a queer friend who may relate a bit to what you are going through. Poljak, who is trained as an LGBTQ-affirmative therapist, said it’s crucial for people questioning their sexuality to have a solid support system. Studies show that bisexual people are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and experiencing violence than their gay, lesbian, and heterosexual counterparts. While staying in the closet can be a necessary choice for a myriad of reasons, research shows that the stress of concealment contributes to disrupted relationships, feelings of shame and guilt, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

If you feel ready to talk with your significant other, avoid starting the conversation when either of you are tired or distracted, in the middle of a fight, or in any situation where tensions are high. Instead, choose a time when you both feel relaxed and won’t be rushed, like over coffee on a Saturday morning.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before you talk to your partner. Frappier said that it’s perfectly fine to tell them you’re in a questioning, exploratory phase, and then communicate what you’d like that to look like. There’s no need to choose a label unless you’d like to.

“Explain to [your partner] how you’ve been feeling, what you’re desiring to explore, and how you imagine that could look within your relationship,” Frappier said. She advised that it’s wise to let your partner know that your sexual expression is not a reflection of the relationship, but more about exploring a new part of yourself.

“Once you’re finished speaking, it’s important to give them space to share, and to really listen to how they are feeling,” Frappier said. “They may take it in stride, or need a little time to process it.”

Don’t stress if the first conversation doesn’t go as well as you’d hoped; this will likely be the first of many discussions. Anderson, who specializes in trauma and relationships, said that if any of these conversations get heated or overly emotional, it’s a good idea to press pause and revisit the topic once both partners have had a chance to cool off.

Couples therapy can also be extremely beneficial. “Ideally, both the person coming out and the partner of that person would be in individual therapy with a therapist who is trained in LGBTQ-affirmative therapy,” Poljak said. “The same is true if [you're] deciding to open your marriage, explore polyamory or emotional monogamy, and/or redefine your marital contract. The therapist needs to have more than just general knowledge of alternative, queer lifestyles, and understand the multiple systems at play.”

Psychology Today is the most thorough national network for finding mental health professionals, and allows users to search using various classifications, including sexuality and type of therapy (the “compassion-based” and “culturally sensitive” filters are good options for LGTBQ folks). Some health insurance plans allow users to filter for therapists who specialize in LGBTQ issues when searching for in-network providers. For POC-specific options, the National Queer and and Trans Therapists of Color Network is a good resource. For those struggling to find an in-person therapist, Pride Counseling offers digital therapy sessions via phone, messaging, and video call.

After your initial conversations and once you've sought any additional support you might find helpful, you and your partner may want to formulate an action plan. If you want to include your partner in your sexual exploration (and they are comfortable with that), the plan might include attending queer events, watching queer porn together, role-playing, engaging in threesomes, and/or swinging. If you’d prefer to explore your sexuality without your partner, but with other people, you may need to discuss opening up your relationship.

“Some folks find it exciting or even sexy, and perhaps a discussion unfolds about opening up the marriage or exploring poly or engaging in new kinds of play and fantasy with their partners,” Poljak said. “Maybe it even inspires their partner to share with honesty some queerness of their own that is emerging. Ideally, there is space for people’s differences and otherness to be expressed without having to lose the relationship, or having to abandon or sacrifice yourself.”

This sort of exploration is not one-size-fits-all. Regardless of the route you take, Frappier stresses the importance of discussing boundaries and safety throughout. If the two of you are struggling to find some sort of consensus when it comes to boundaries, that doesn’t mean the discussion regarding exploration is over forever. It’s very common for couples to have multiple conversations surrounding this topic, especially if one partner is asking to renegotiate the marital contract in some way.

Just as it’s reasonable for a person to want to explore their burgeoning sexuality outside of the relationship, it’s also reasonable for the other partner to say, “I’m not cool with that.” In some instances, it might be in the interest of both individuals to go their separate ways… and that’s OK, too.

“A marriage is a partnership that lasts as long as it’s right,” writer Nadia Rawls said after coming out to, and, later, ending things with her now–ex-husband. Rawls said she tried to make it work with her husband for six months, but ultimately realized that separating was the best option. “It takes a hell of a partner to help their spouse grow into the person they really are,” Rawls wrote. “Even if that means losing them.”

Rawls’s story is just one of many—Frappier and Poljak said that many couples make it work, too. It’s hard to predict how your partner might react, or how you’ll feel or what you’ll want, once you start exploring your queerness or bisexuality. That uncertainty is part of what makes the process of coming out in a straight relationship so intimidating. But the reward of being honest—both with yourself and with your partner—is the gift of a more authentic life. Regardless of the outcome, that is worth pursuing.