#and people who regularly attend conventions

[cosmicrot]

Idk I'm thinking thoughts about social media again

[saviourkingslut]

not to be about opera again but to be about opera again. as an art form it has the reputation of being super stuffy and something for snobs who don't know how to have fun only but honestly this was one of, perhaps even THE main theatrical entertainment for centuries. i wish people knew how hard these things can go and how engaging they can be. like characters kill and die and fight wars and (almost) commit human sacrifice left and right. characters fall in love they mourn they're ecstatic they cry they're furious it's an extremely dramatic and emotional art form! and i understand that opera does not appear approachable bc of the general conventions of the art form but i promise old works can be fun and engaging if you go watch them with some preparation beforehand (reading the libretto helps) - not to mention not all operas are old bc there are so many modern operas which engage with topical events! also the music slaps.

[withbroombefore]

I saw a poll earlier about participation in regular in-person activities, with numbers that make me wonder if a lot of people don't know what the options are or how to find them. Here are some that I have always found welcoming to new people; for me, these are ways to leave my apartment and get some human interaction without having to make much conversation (there is a reasonable amount of that if you want it, but since it's understood that you are there to do an activity, the thing you are doing is the point rather than pure socializing). A search for "[activity] [location]" should tell you what's available in your area.

Contra dancing: This goes at the top and gets explanation because it's my favorite. I grew up doing this and love it very very much; I always look for local dances when I move somewhere new. Most dances are very beginner-friendly (though there are some exceptions), and zero dance experience is required to participate. Many will include a lesson for beginners in the half-hour before the main event starts, and there are always instructions throughout the evening. You truly do not need to know anything going in. The convention is to switch partners throughout the night, and it's completely okay to attend alone and ask people you don't know to dance. Try Contra Dancing has a search tool by zip code. Typically $8-15.

Community theatre tech: Acting is an option if that's your thing, but in my experience, tech is easier if you're looking for an activity because there's not usually competition--you often can just volunteer without needing to worry about auditions or casting. Roles like run crew (where you move set between scenes and such) don't require any prior knowledge, and plenty of the other tasks can be learned with a little training. If you turn up reliably, the word will spread--good techies are invaluable. Free to participate.

Community band or chorus: Prior experience in playing an instrument is necessary for the band; for singing, it depends on the type of chorus. Some are auditioned, others are just thrilled by any participation. May require dues.

Shapenote singing: A more niche one and another of my personal favorites (I ignore the religious lyrics and treat them as poetry). This can take some time to pick up, but many places have a small monthly sing that is very welcoming to new people. fasola.org has lots of information about the tradition and where to sing. Free, optional donations accepted.

Library events: Find your local public library's website and look for a calendar or events page to see if anything appeals. Typically free.

Crafting groups: Yarn stores and other craft supply places often have regular open gatherings (typically free) and/or classes (may cost money for teaching and supplies).

Games: If you have a local game store, check their website for events. Or search "[location] [chess club]" or whatever is your thing. Usually free.

Dance: Depends on what is available in your area. A studio where I am has a monthly swing dance, with beginner lessons before, for $10.

Sports: I don't really do these but they presumably exist and can be found like the other things.

The important thing is to just go do the thing. It will probably feel awkward the first time--that's normal! These are all spaces where the point is for people to show up and participate. They want you to be there, and they want you to come back! Otherwise they can't keep existing. Several of these (contra dancing, shapenote, a lot of crafting groups) are especially excited about new people and younger participants and will be thrilled to teach you how to do the thing. And the only way to make it feel comfortable is to plow through the first awkwardness and go back until you decide if you actually enjoy it or not. When you find a thing you like, keep going, and after a little while you end up with a community of people to see regularly who share your interests. This is what humans are supposed to do.

[allisluv]

🟡 anon here!

we are all sleeping on celebrity!AU thg characters, and like… we can still make them winners/victors :)

katniss as an archery Olympic gold medal winner

peeta as a MasterChef winner

finnick competing in katniss’ Olympics and winning the swimming medal

k hating the spotlight and only signing up because of prim’s pestering, f loving it and p being naturally good with it

cinna isn’t part of the gang but he would be on SO MANY REALITY SHOWS i’m sorry 😭😭 everyone would be begging to have him on their up and coming design shows

peeta would be the celebrity guest who judged the cake at bake shows but really he just wants to do the baking himself and misses the days when he was a contestant

in my head he has a viral bakery with the best cakes on their side of the atlantic and he regularly donates free cake and pastries to food banks and impoverished schools

there’s speculation he does it for clout but he really just wants to help people

johanna would be one of those Oscar winners who holds up the middle finger at the paparazzi and is forced at gunpoint by her PR team to attend conventions 😭

annie would have also won a swimming olympics with finnick as her mentor but she’s not seen in the public eye much, if at all and doesn’t go back into swimming after, realising she hates the environment. finnick loves the competition and goes back every year, and wins most of the time which earns him an amazing reputation and international acclaim

you're so right!! i can see peeta hosting his own baking show after he wins masterchef. peeta wanting to help disadvantaged kids / people has me sobbing i love him so much. i do agree that katniss hates the spotlight but overall, i think she likes having a career that she enjoys. finnick and annie fell in love during the olympics and although annie isn't in the public eye that much, people adore her. johanna's is just spot on and she won't hold back in interviews either!

[almightyrayzilla]

I promise you, this is the only time I will ever willingly post AI generated imagery on any of my pages...but G-Fest is DEAD to me. I first attended in 2006, then again in 2009. I got my start doing artist alley tables at this show in 2010, then branched out to other shows. I even did the promo art for the 2019 show. I cannot tell you how much of my life was shaped from meeting the folks I have met because of this convention.

I'm not even mad. I'm sitting here along with my fellow artists, laughing our asses off. Not because it's funny, but because NONE of us are deeply surprised.

Let's go back a bit.

In 2018, the artist alley (AA) was moved to the lower floor of the hotel. Now I let this slide - the Crowne Plaza had just replaced the area that was used previously with the Caddyshack restaurant. Duh, we couldn't use that area anymore. There was some pushback, that maybe something else could be moved downstairs, but there was refusal to budge. Whatever, us artists actually did pretty good that year, despite a rather sequestered and tight space.

Then for 2019 - we were told a Toho rep was coming, and we were hit with a 30% limitation, which essentially meant that for every ten pieces of art we had, only three of them were allowed to be Toho related. Gamera, Ultraman, Kamen Rider - fair game. I mean, let's put aside that no one could enforce that (and no one tried) - the person in question wasn't even tied to Toho. And even if they were...they'd be more concerned about, say, bootleg DVDs and such.

Personally speaking, my sales were even better, so even with the limitation, people still did alright. Gee, it's almost as if AA is a big attraction at a convention, especially one as niche as this.

Then 2020, when our good friend COVID-19 came about. Someone decided it'd be a good idea to spread misinformation about the pandemic with G-Fest's Twitter page. Among those who spoke up were the artists who regularly attended through its artist alley. A Facebook page that was specifically set up for AA members to share info and whatnot was then told to no longer associate with G-Fest.

And for the record, G-Fest didn't happen that year because of a statewide mandate. No no, the con wasn't canceled it because they recognized the severity of things, it's because Illinois shut everything down.

Well, here comes prep for 2021 (which ultimately became the 2022 show, since it was pushed back again). That's when G-Fest hit us with the AA contract. It forbade artists from selling prints of Toho fan art (originals/commissions were okay, but not reproductions), unless we held a license to sell prints of that work. We could not sell Godzilla fan art prints at this Godzilla convention. We tried to speak with them, to see if there could be some compromise...which there wasn't. They kept saying that the reason for it was to stay on good terms with Toho, even citing a big C&D sweep Toho was doing (they were after bootleggers, not fan artists). Heck, even one of my good friends actually did get a C&D (prior to said sweep), and they have legal word that they were allowed to sell prints of Godzilla art. But apparently, that wasn't good enough for G-Fest. HMMMMM...

I was actually willing to abide by these tighter rules, even planning on trolling them with a few pieces of Jirahs and Gomess (though Jirahs without the frill might have been a bit too risky, lol). We were trying to talk with the head of the vendor room, who was not exactly being clear and timely with responses. Well, someone went to the head of the show to ask if they were being compliant with the rules - I guess they gave a different answer, because that's when the showrunners started bickering about not seeing eye-to-eye on some things, ultimately telling the artist it's best they not come.

That's when I backed out. A few of us had paid for our table/badge for the 2020 show, which was rolled over; with the option available, I asked for the refund. The head of the vendor room said the request was put in. Almost two weeks go by. I go to the showrunner, and within 20 minutes, I get the refund. Look, I know G-Fest isn't a big corporate show, and I try not to be a snob, but I expect SOME professionalism. that's why I've backed out and refuse to ever attend G-Fest ever again. But that's not where things stopped.

During the 2022 show, I was told an artist said screw it and put Godzilla prints out on their table to sell. I laughed and said, "Yeah, and how much of that was playing favorites?" I mean, G-Fest kicking this person out? That would be glorious. But someone like me? I'm pretty sure they'd have banned me on the spot. And I'm not even going to get into the vendor who was selling bootleg DVDs, so...yeah. And from what I hear, the 2023 show forbade ALL fan art prints, not just Toho IPs. I can't imagine how hard they're gritting their teeth trying not tell artists to get lost outright.

*deep breath* And that brings us to today's nonsense. After all that, they pull this. And of course they've turned off comments on the Facebook posts for these...pictures. I mean, after my turn in 2019, we had the idea of giving each AA artist a shot to do the promo art each year before all this crap reared its ugly head.

Like I said, I'm not even mad, I'm actually having a good laugh over all this. If I'm shocked by anything, it's how quickly this convention pulled its 180. The point of this post is to just be informative of what has been going on the past couple years, and why the artists who usually go haven't come back.

But most of all, if/when people ask if I'm going to G-Fest next year, here's the TL;DR version: NO.

[beardedmrbean]

i gotta say...i had this teacher back in high school. i come from a small town, so my mother still knows her personally and we're still facebook friends (i maintain facebook because i live far from home and my grandma wants to see pictures of my cats). every minute of every day, this woman is posting "never again", "holocaust remembrance", etc etc. and it always struck me as really performative because post 2016 everyone was a nazi. but i always felt like, well, she's being told that everyone in the world is a nazi, and her heart is in the right place. she's not a bad person. not one frigging word from her over the last year and a half. never once posted a goddamn thing about the holocaust, about "never again", never posted anything about bringing home hostages...nothing. now, she didn't post anything in support of palestine either...but the minute trump was sworn into office, she is RIGHT back to her regularly scheduled programming. posts about how trump supporters are exactly like the nazis who turned anne frank in, "never again", etc etc etc. and i'll admit, i did lay into my mother about it just a bit, i told her she sickened me (the teacher, not my mother) among other things...and, you know, there's a part of me that wants to humiliate her, badly. i think about the 4chan troll that shows up in this video a LOT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZgxeX2dCnQ

(skip ahead to 1:16). a 4chan troll, at an event populated strictly by the tumblr-iest of tumblrites in 2014, and what is he there saying? you cannot tell me that people attending a convention in 2014 with panels titled "british men with cheekbones" were far right nazis. so what is the truth? were those of you who went to "british men with cheekbones" con just duped and didn't know that israel was evil? or did you just flip-flop on every opinion you've ever had because you were told to? obviously that's not the only "evidence" of idiots changing their mind, but that one specifically, i think about a lot. but i know there's more out there. but at the same time...there's a part of me that's...i don't know. i want to mock this woman, viciously, because she deserves it. but there's a part of me that feels that it's safer to keep my head down. not safer for me, exactly. but just...i have a large property. i own it, it's mine and my spouse's, and it's pretty rural. if it came down to it...and there needed to be somewhere safe for people to be...there's a part of me that doesn't want to draw attention to myself as a known sympathizer. for their sake. does that make sense?

also, because this was pretty grim, my favorite dinosaur when i was a child was a longneck, but now it's a t-rex. maybe pretty bland, i suppose, but it's a great design. big head, little arms, giant legs, the big man upstairs really nailed it with that one.

My biggest concern with the teacher is that there's a teacher with a degree teaching students but they obviously don't know what a nazi.

The extent to which that word has been cheapened in the last 20 or so years is insane.

I do have a feeling her non condemnation of hamass while not being in support of them was a conscious decision made to keep her from getting on the wrong side of the people that do support hamass.

People got really bent out of shape over statements like 'bring them home' in relation to the hostages that were taken, people are backing off some now with the release of the hostages and their stories getting out to the media, as well as the pictures of them where you can 100% tell they were mistreated.

But not all of them, there's still the hardcore Antisemitic folks that know what they are and embrace it.

As opposed to mocking her you might start off by asking her why she never brought anything up about the hostages or any of the other 10/7 victims that kicked off the whole mess, response there would be very telling.

The keeping quiet and not calling it out reasoning makes sense as well, be good if there were other ways you'd decided to help monetary donations or whatever, and it's also good to remember that there is always going to be people out there that are on the inside trying to help too.

Managed to save 200-250 Jews, would have been more but the ss pulled him out right before they went in to liquidate the camp and some didn't pay attention to the coded message he tried to give them when he gave his farewell speech to them.

Not too many high ranking members of the German army that managed to land in the ranks of "Righteous Among the Nations".

Especially ones that ran the labor camps.

We all do what we can, just have to figure out what that is some times.

[wiildcrd]

⌗ ⎯ ( deniz ışın, ciswoman, she/her ) ⎯ ezgi özbilen has been a resident of roseton for five years . around the town , the thirthy years old bartender at roseton revenge has been given the nickname, the wildcard . i think it's because they are spontenous , but also impulsive . echo is said to know hidden ( explained in bio ) ! [ strands of hair escaping from her high bun, paint stained overalls, doodles drawn on every order she takes ] + [ dee, she/her, 27, gmt +1 ]

⌗  .  .  .  ⤿    BIOGRAPHY

NAME : ezgi özbilen

NICKNAME : ezzy, ez

DATE OF BIRTH : may 22 1993 (30)

PLACE OF BIRTH : izmir , turkey

PARENTS : reyhan özbilen (mother) , nurettin özbilen (father)

SIBLINGS : 1 sibling ___ özbilen ; older sister * any fitting fc

LANGUAGES : turkish, english, dutch, little bit of spanish and french

OCCUPATION : bartender at roseton revenge

RELATIONSHIP STATUS : single

( + ) POSITIVE TRAITS : hardworking, creative, friendly, funny

( - ) NEGATIVE TRAITS : clumsy (especially when she wants to show off when making drinks for costumers, how is she not fired yet?), probably also someone who doesn’t think before speaking

⚠️    ⤿    TRIGGER WARNING(S) ! this bio contains subjects such as : neglected, pressure of parents, hacking , blackmailing

ezgi is the youngest of the özbilen children. she was born and raised in izmir, turkey. her dad is a well-known doctor and the owner of a major hospital, while her mother owns several boutiques and often attends social events to "keep her status."

because their parents were always busy, she and her older sister were mostly raised by nannies and household staff. ezgi often felt more connected to them than her own parents, who were distant and unavailable.

in high school, ezgi struggled. she faced bullying and started acting out to get her parents' attention. she regularly got in trouble at school and ended up in detention frequently. the first time it happened, her mother came to pick her up, upset but present, which meant everything to ezgi. however, it never happened again. after that, her parents always sent someone else to fetch her. ezgi spent hours in detention with the faint hope her parents might show up, but they never did.

her grades started to drop, as she focused solely on her favorite subject: art. painting and sculpting became her way to escape the pressures of her home life and the judgment of her peers.

in a desperate move, she hacked the school’s system, which wasn't something new and difficult for her to do so at all. improving her grades. she knew it would get her into more trouble if caught, but she was running out of ways to keep up.

after high school, ezgi was pressured into college. her parents insisted she study something in the medical field to follow in the family’s footsteps, but ezgi longed to pursue art.

her older sister, who had chosen a more conventional path, was always praised by their parents. ezgi constantly felt like she would never be good enough for their parents.

during college, ezgi grew as an artist. she painted on canvases and improved her skills. her art teacher encouraged her to pursue her talent, but when she told her parents she wanted to focus on art, they were furious.

one night, her father destroyed her work. he threw away her supplies and years' worth of paintings, calling it a "waste of time." in response, she created a large spray-painted mural in the city an emotional statement against her parents. the next morning her painting appeared on the news and ended up being a trending topic on social media. everyone was wondering who made the painting that screamed out so many emotions. she was so surprised by everyone’s reaction (good and bad ones) because so many people could relate to her painting. this encouraged her to make an anonymous instagram account because she knew that if anyone would find out it was her behind all the meaningful paintings; her parents would do everything in their power again to make her stop what she loved to so much. besides, she found the idea of an anonymous message to the world more meaningful than people knowing who made it.

ezgi is really afraid of the idea of working in a hospital already; she feels it's too much responsibility and honestly believes she’d never be good at healing or helping someone. that’s exactly why she never wanted to work in a hospital.

college didn’t go smoothly. despite her love for art, her grades dropped again. this time, hacking wasn’t an option, and her parents, frustrated and disappointed, sent her to a school in the netherlands to "get her on track."

living abroad was lonely, but it gave her independence. she eventually graduated after three years, getting her diploma just to make her parents happy.

but instead of returning to turkey, ezgi chose to move to roseton to start over. she arrived five years ago, ready to live life on her own terms and follow her creative passions. she told her parents she got an offer to work at one of the biggest hospitals, just to get them off her back.

she now works as a bartender at roseton revenge and she truly loves her job, she hasn’t spoken to her parents in years and has limited contact with her sister.

ezgi hides her pain behind humor and tries to focus on creating a life that’s hers. though clumsy and impulsive, she’s hardworking and fiercely independent. she’s found a sense of belonging in roseton and is slowly learning how to truly embrace who she is.

⌗  .  .  .  ⤿    RANDOM FACTS ABOUT EZGI

ezgi still continues her instagram page. her instagram page’s name is @ezzobu (meaning ‘this is ezzo’ aka. what she actually means: ‘this is me, ezgi. you can’t change who i am’)

she loves videogames

will probably hide her sadness in her funny jokes

has a cat named ‘muse’

she has a beautiful voice and can actually SING ; probably something else she’s hiding kjsdhfkjhsdf

sometimes, ezgi hacks into websites — not ALWAYS to cause trouble, but to show companies how weak their security really is. she sees it as a way of helping them, even if they don’t ask for it. sometimes she gets offered to fix their website security and gets paid a good amount.

ezgi may or not may hacked a few people's accounts as well as some sort of to get a revenge on them. she obviously never went too far as posting as them; but to just scare them off if they got on her nerves.

⌗  .  .  .  ⤿    WANTED CONNECTIONS

her sister

cousin(s)

best friends

co-workers

first girl crush

game-buddies

someone who follows her art online

someone who she drew a tattoo for

someone who she hacked

owner of the company to which she send a warning to

& maaaany mooooore! :)

[mariacallous]

Climate law experts are already calling it one of the most impactful rulings on human rights and climate change ever made. Today’s judgment, from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), was read out in front of an eclectic gathering of concerned plaintiffs from around the continent.

A group of older women from Switzerland, young people from Portugal, and a former French mayor—all had brought cases to the court alleging that their governments were not doing enough to battle the climate crisis now regularly ravaging Europe with heat waves, droughts, and other extreme weather.

While the ECHR, based in Strasbourg, France, chose not to admit two of the cases in question, it ruled that the Swiss women were right—their government had failed to do enough to meet the country’s responsibilities over climate change. What’s more, the women plaintiffs had also been denied their right to a fair trial in their country, the court found.

“It’s really a landmark judgement that was issued today, and it’s going to shape how all future climate change judgements are decided,” says human rights law researcher Corina Heri from the University of Zurich, who was present to hear the court’s decision for herself. “I was really relieved and very happy,” she adds, describing the moment when she heard the results of the judges’ deliberations.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who also attended the ruling, told reporters afterward that the world could expect more climate-change-related litigation.

The ECHR judges ruled 16 to 1 that the Swiss women—known as the KlimaSeniorinnen, or Senior Women for Climate Protection—had been subject to a violation of their human rights under the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights. The women had argued, for instance, that they were particularly vulnerable to the effects of heat waves.

Essentially, the ECHR has said it deems the Swiss government’s efforts on climate change mitigation to be insufficient. In the immediate aftermath of the ruling, Swiss president Viola Amherd told reporters that she would have to read the court’s judgement before commenting in detail.

“What Switzerland failed to do in the eyes of the court is, firstly, they don’t have a sufficient regulatory framework [for tackling climate change],” says Catherine Higham at the London School of Economics, who coordinates the Climate Change Laws of the World project. “They also felt there was evidence that Switzerland had inadequate 2020 targets and it failed to comply with those.” By 2020, the country had aimed to cut emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels—however, emissions fell by only 14 percent.

The case brought by a former French mayor who said his town was at risk from rising sea levels was not admitted by the court because the man no longer lives in France. And the case by six Portuguese young people, penned in response to devastating wildfires in 2017, was also not admitted—partly because the plaintiffs did not bring their case in their own country before approaching the ECHR.

Despite this, the positive ruling for the KlimaSeniorinnen is being touted as hugely significant by legal experts. In this case, the court did not accept complaints from individuals within the group, but it did accept complaints made by the group itself as an organization—a distinction that could influence how people collectivize and approach European courts with similar cases in the future, says Heri.

She adds that there was a possibility the court could have ruled that the European Convention on Human Rights doesn’t actually require climate action. Had that happened, it could have undermined existing rulings made in European domestic courts that have demanded tougher climate policies from governments. For example, the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled last year that Belgium must cut its emissions by 55 percent from 1990 levels by 2030.

Today’s judgement comes following years of climate-change-related litigation gathering pace in courts around the world. In the US in 2023, for example, a judge ruled that the state of Montana was violating the right of 16 young people to a “clean and healthful environment.”

Higham says the ECHR’s ruling is “likely to have ramifications around the world.” She notes that, globally, there are around 100 similar cases in progress at various courts, also challenging governments over their climate change mitigation efforts. Heri agrees, noting that the ECHR is viewed globally as a highly influential international court.

Jorge Viñuales at the University of Cambridge, who specializes in law and environmental policy, says it is notable that Switzerland has been found to have fallen foul of human rights legislation, despite the fact that the country has relatively good climate policies. He criticizes the ECHR’s decision not to admit the case brought by the Portuguese young people, however. Part of the court’s reasoning was that their case was targeted not just at Portugal but every EU member state and five other countries. “The court seems to misunderstand that the climate system is everywhere and that effective control over the source of harm is what should count,” says Viñuales.

A big question around climate-change-related legal cases is over their impact—do they actually have enough clout to steer countries and large corporations toward reducing emissions faster than planned? Higham says there is evidence that this is already happening. In the Netherlands, the country’s Supreme Court ordered the government to slash emissions by 15 megatonnes in 2020, and a sharp drop in emissions followed. “We do see policy changes in the Netherlands that seem to be influenced by that judgement,” says Higham.

The ECHR ruling could also reignite cases that have struggled in some nations under the ECHR’s jurisdiction, such as the UK. This is “immensely significant,” says Tim Crosland, director of Plan B, a legal group that challenged the UK government over its climate policies but ultimately lost the case in 2021. “The High Court said, ‘Your fundamental problem is there is no precedent from Strasbourg to support your position that fundamental rights have been violated,’” says Crosland. “Well, now there is.”

Defendants in future cases may feel that their country’s own emissions are only a fraction of those responsible for climate change, and that therefore it is unfair to single one state out over many others. However, the ECHR ruling does not exaggerate nations’ individual duties, says Crosland. Each state has a share of the world’s carbon budget for keeping global warming to, for example, less than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“Obviously, Switzerland isn’t responsible for emissions from the US or from China, but it’s responsible for its own emissions—and that’s what the judgement says,” he explains.

[drafttheory]

Interdisciplinary Studies: Creating My Major

A break from my regularly scheduled programming (Yellowjackets) to ask for your opinion on something.

This fall, after a lengthy gap year spent figuring out what I actually want to do with my life, I’ll be attending college. And in October, I finally came up with an answer:

I want to create multimedia stories that don’t just follow conventional narratives, but feel like experiences—stories that make people feel seen, understood, and connected.

We’re in a new age of social media, where self-expression is encouraged, but rarely taught. In my experience—both as a person and as someone who engages deeply with fandoms—I’ve noticed that people tend to define themselves through what they consume. Do I like this? Do I hate this? So often, the easiest way to describe ourselves is in relation to something else.

That’s why I want to create stories and characters that allow people, especially those who lack representation on screen, to say, hey, I relate to that. Not just that, but to find others who relate to that same character, and in doing so, realize they’re not alone. Not just in fiction—but in reality, too.

I couldn't find a single major that explored everything I wanted to learn. So I turned to Interdisciplinary Studies, which allows me to build my own major by blending the fields I feel are most essential to my work.

Narrative Studies: The Human Condition

At its core, my major would blend psychology, film, philosophy, creative writing, and sociology to explore how humans think, feel, and express themselves through stories. Because narratives aren’t just entertainment—they’re how we process the world. (Not to say they shouldn't also be entertaining.)

🔹 Psychology – Understanding human behavior, emotions, and mental health, and how they shape the way we tell and interpret stories. 🔹 Film & Storytelling – The art of crafting narratives that make people feel something, using visual and cinematic techniques to convey meaning. 🔹 Creative Writing – Exploring the written word as a medium of expression, from novels to scripts, and how different storytelling forms impact audiences. 🔹 Philosophy – Examining deep questions about existence, morality, and meaning—because every powerful story wrestles with a core question. 🔹 Sociology – How stories reflect and shape society, and how media influences collective thinking and cultural narratives.

At the heart of it, I want to create stories that give people tools they might otherwise lack to express themselves. To simply say, I relate to that character, when other words fail them. And by drawing from each of these disciplines, I hope to do that thoughtfully and responsibly.

So I’m curious—how does this sound to you? Does this seem like a major worth pursuing? Would you add or change anything?

[forest-of-stories]

Throwback Thursday, Fandom Edition: Re-CON-sideration

[This post is about my personal – and largely positive – experience with a local convention, not about the politics and practices of the people or the company that organize the event, which I do not feel qualified to discuss.]

I still have all of my membership badges from Arisia, the annual science fiction convention that I started attending in 2008.  Here’s what I looked like at that con.  (There were three other people in the original picture, but none of them have given permission to be included in this post.)

I’d bought that hat in Harvard Square the previous October and wore it everywhere I could, including sometimes to my university classes.

My first three badges say “Neva” but in 2013, I started using my given name, which was how many of my local friends, who also attended the con regularly, habitually addressed me anyway.  The same year, I wrote down a list of cosplayers that I admired, which I think is a snapshot of that era’s fannish tastes in general and mine specifically.

My memories of Arisia are a mixed bag.  At the end of my first convention, I ran out on a LARP due to severe stage fright (for neither the first time nor the last).  My journal entries about subsequent years discuss further anxiety and profound social awkwardness in my interactions with friends, strangers, and people I was dating or could be dating.  But I also loved the opportunity to be unabashedly enthusiastic about my fannish interests in a space where everyone else was doing the same thing.  I still have my notes from some of the more interesting panels.  I loved joining song circles, dancing to a remix of the Doctor Who theme, seeing people’s artistic and musical talents on display.  In 2020, I read one of my TMA fics aloud at a fanfiction salon, and reactions from my audience seemed to be positive.  Fans of the podcast will recall that this was during the hiatus between Seasons 4 and 5, when we were all a little bit on edge as we waited to find out the nature of the (fictional) apocalypse.

I haven’t gone back to Arisia since then, even when they opened back up to in-person attendance.  I still sometimes miss the sense of community that I found there, especially right now, and have tried, with varying degrees of success, to seek it in my everyday life.  But my most recent badge has an “Attended 10 Arisias” ribbon attached, and I’m still glad that I made it to that point.

[taffybuns]

Hi Taffybuns! Thank you for being you and artist that has passion to make. My brother told me that he bought two shirts out of it and he loved it, i was surprised you were the artist drew design! (the pokemon ones!)

Though I am curious and i hope you'll able to respond, do you have advice to make my art for merchandise in the future? I don't mind if you want to simplified explaination, a tumblr posts, or dropping a youtube link video; since you're busy with conventions.

I'm picky when it comes youtube art videos that are always give me the vibes of elitism, clickbait videos or others. You're the first artist I wanted to ask, so i hope it's fine if you can reply or not.

Sending my best regards to you. Take care and love your art as always. (I hope i can buy your pokemon hawaiin shirt!)

hello! thanks so much for the sweet message!!

apologies for the confusion, though! the pokemon shirts arent mine! i share a joint storefront with my friend and tablemate, you can view all his designs here! we have our store bio set to say we are two artists, but it's hard to see on the shopee site format, haha. i'll pass this message along to him, and i hope you can buy his shirts in the future too, they're very well made! i'm glad your brother enjoys them!

(if anyone is reading this, he also has them listed internationally on Etsy! my items aren't here though, sorry!!)

i assume you're PH based aswell if your brother got our shirts, so i'm gonna link some resources and basic advice under the cut-

i'd be glad to help where i can, though my basic advice is to just start.. i began selling merch with dann (friend who made the pokemon shirts) when we were just classmates in college, and we started at small anime events selling small prints with our table falling apart hahajkfghjk.. but even back then everyone was so friendly, so it was very encouraging !! the art community is very sweet and there is a lot of support for you !!

first, you'll want to find your market! this will determine what conventions you want to apply to and what kind of merch you want to make. do you want to make fanart, or original art? are you doing mostly stickers, tote bags, or anime merch? or do you just want to sell online?

second, what is your budget for merch production? starting out is expensive, personally my funds always circulate between profit and spending on restocks again. this will determine what kind of merch you can make, and then you expand later! i started out with only stickers and art prints, then keychains, and then bags and t-shirts later on!

if you're into original art, some events i recommend for beginners are Patrons of the Arts, Buzzart, Komiket. they have regular events throughout the year. if you're into stickers, there's Stickercon and Sticky Expo!

if you're into fan art, you can try ozinefest (sales are slower but table cost is cheaper), or if you have enough money, split for cosplay ph events

of course these aren't the only events, though they're the ones i regularly attend! if you have a more specialized market, there are dedicated cons like philifur, the grand lason, pokecon, etc. for all of these events you'll either have to keep your eyes peeled for table openings on their pages (rare), or email them to be added to their mailing list so you'll be told when they're open

if you don't have any suppliers yet, you can apply to join Artist Alley Group Order on facebook ! people regularly post about suppliers for all kinds of merchandise that you can look up. if you want any recommendations you can message me off-anon!

as for the merchandise itself, this varies person to person. my market is more obscure fanart that other people don't sell, and cutesy original art! i sell big illustrations as prints, though other people report on having a hard time selling prints. it depends on the content and art style. you'll have to experiment and see, or look around other shops to see what sells! visiting art markets yourself is also a huge help, to see the market, make friends in the artph community, and support artists!

i'd recommend starting out with stickers and prints- they're the cheapest to produce, and people often buy stickers because of their low price at cons. when you get more familiar with the market you can try going onto more expensive things to reproduce!

again if you want details, let me know! this is very vague and general advice, if u have any specific questions i'll do my best if i'm not busy! don't be afraid to surf thru some videos too, a lot are very helpful n not too elitist!

gl and take care aswell anon!

[froguemorgue]

[phases through your screen]

i want to pick your brain about hamilton and religion because like everything about this man it kept changing, but maybe that's just the human condition.

we know he met a dr knox but that was an entirely educational occupation. we know the storm absolutely shook him to the core but that's mortal to the core. i feel like as all men, as all people, the moment he needn't have to depend on the faith for a divine and merciful father he just let it push back. and it seems?? sort of?? that society itself was still holding onto the enlightenment era aye? which is funny because there also seems to be some sort of religious upheaval through different denominations (of protestantism) in America. and then we have the constitution which didn't even bother thinking about Christianity in explicit terms. it seems to be a gotcha but back then i feel like it was more of an obviously it'll be this, how could it possibly change thing benjamin franklin DID try to have a prayer to guide them towards a more harmonious and productive convention only to be rejected because they couldn't afford a chaplain. which, i didn't know protestantism had fun stuff like chaplains, we just have Brother (in Christ) and Sister (in Christ) and then if you're good and of binary genrder you graduate to Pastor (and ascend onwards to Chief Pastor, i believe) and Mother (and Senior Sister, and then ur seniority depends on the seniority of your faith home) ANYWAYS again we know after philip's death he was a lot more religious, he at least read the sermons even if he didn't attend church regularly ish? and he begged to be buried in trinity church (i thought he would get into the dutch reformation church? after marrying eliza?) and yeah so that's just

this is just how a man would deal with religion i guess. but faith seems different. and its funny/sad how hamilton who never could depend on others never has much speaking about his faith either. and i have to consider all this when he has someone he's close with like oc who's a faithful man. who's self-styled to be a sort of man of god, with divinely granted foreknowledge. primarily, i feel like hamilton would have been a lot tenser about getting entangled with laurens, if we assume that they had a steady, fairly sweet relationship

A lot of what I'm about to reply totally echoes what you've already stated, but I'm gonna yap anyway. tl;dr, hamilton's religion may have been comforting to him but I don't think they were rigid moral lessons that he practiced, even later in life, except as performance or to further comfort himself. sad, little faith in him as a person? maybe, idk. sorry

If I'm being so honest, I think Hamilton's religiousness later in life was due in part to environment + age (his wife and her family, the slowing of youthful ambition and perceived hubris associated with questioning social standards, religion, life as one tries to find themselves in their teens and 20s) but also performance. Maybe it's his upbringing, but I just don't see him as a religious man so much as a man surrounded by religion. (My reply to this submission has taken sooo long because I'm having trouble organizing my thoughts on it, which are certainly not objective, I'm not citing any sources here so take anything I write with a grain of salt, and my opinion on the characterization of Hamilton's later-life religion is definitely influenced by my own experience with Protestant Christianity in the U.S.).

Okay, so everyone's religious. Not everyone, but most everyone, even prominent men who subscribed to science and philosophy and would consider themselves a different sect of Christian, even if that veered into the territory of agnosticism. Colonials and the countries from which they came accepted at this time that there is a Creator and the big question during Hamilton's young life was whether the Creator had given kings and queens the right to rule over everyone else. Politics, always politics. So even if Hamilton was more agnostic as many youths are as they struggle to learn more about the world, their opinions, and to find their place within society, he's not going to go around being Godless. I think his religiousness later in his life was impacted by the fact that it was the philosophy most (colonizers) people subscribed to in some way or another, from England to France to Spain. (I'd like to add also that even if his mother ((or his mother's ex-husband Johann Lavien)) was potentially Jewish which is potentially the reason he'd have a Jewish tutor and know how to cite the Torah in Hebrew, any learning in Judaism, Hebrew, or the Torah does not necessitate him being Jewish because Christianity is rooted in Judaism. That's a whole other thing and I imagine learning about Judaism would make him a better-rounded individual and more knowledgeable in religion and it's interesting to portray him/take liberties with this information in fiction).

So Hamilton's getting older and more sure of his beliefs, performing also for his political agenda, and he is now a part of a Christian family with a reputation, so of course he's going to value religion in public. He has a moral responsibility to raise his children that way, to attend services himself. History, science, philosophy, politics, economics, literature, math, it was all taught through the lens of religion.

I also think there is a degree of tranquility and comfort he was finding in religion, in going to church like a meditation, in quiet, and in his final moments, hoping his life meant something, afraid to die and hoping everything he believed in his faith was true, that there isn't just nothing, that in a way, he'd live on. It's frightening to know for hours that you are going to die, to have a child who died just a few years prior, and to have that time to reflect on your life? No wonder he sought the comfort of religion. He was still a young guy, he had kids, his wife, I'm sure he wasn't nearly ready. But you know how he's characterized most often... a frightened and ambitious man running on a timer for his whole life, unsatisfied and feeling nothing was ever enough. Maybe that's another reason he sought religion. It might have felt peaceful and good.

As for his relationship with Laurens... this is conjecture until I shovel some true sources to back this statement, but I think he didn't care. I think, especially when he was young, he did feel that he had the impunity to love who he loved or have intimate physical relationships outside of marriage and that that couldn't be wrong. His teenage poetry (objection, your honor, my client was just a celibate horndog) and his reputation indicated he might have been having physical relations before ever marrying, which was improper but not as entirely inappropriate for a man as it was a woman (people didn't like this anyway). If his letters to Laurens were any indication, he didn't write anything that would give a negative connotation to their relationship, meanwhile he chided Laurens for apparently thinking a "cure" was necessary (say the word "cure" and the historical lams/amrev tumblrstorians go bonkers. that sentence was crazy. both exciting as a piece of evidence and... completely heart-breaking). I think John had a great deal of guilt and shame, I mean, he just seemed to be full of that at least starting in his late teens... probably around the time he realized the attraction to men vs. how completely unacceptable that was in most contexts. then his many mistakes in his early 20s before joining the war, i mean. poor guy.

Hamilton? I do NOT think he was like that at all. I think he could understand it, but he probably didn't feel it in the same capacity and for that reason. Hating yourself because you feel like you'll never be good enough? He and Laurens had that in common. Hating same-sex attraction, sex, and romance? No way. He seemed to know that part of himself well and besides marrying for the long list of reasons he had to do so, I don't think he would ever let religion get in the way of how deeply he felt and desired love. Love of God would bring him closer to Elizabeth and their children. Love of God would not negate his relationship with Laurens. Also to tack on, it was not for a lack of God or religion that he told Laurens that straight marriage ≠ cure. I would imagine that his relationships with men, emotional and physical and anything else, were separate from what he considered to be his marital duties.

[kpopfanfictrash]

The Ten Days of Ex-Mas (Teaser)

Posting Date: Tuesday, December 19th, 7:00 PM CT

Creative Collaborator: @kithtaehyung FOR THIS AMAZING BANNER!

Genre:  Holiday / Second Chance!AU / Hockey!AU

Pairing: Jimin / Reader (F)

Length: One Shot 

Synopsis: Three months following the worst break-up of your life, you finally feel ready to start moving on. The world, it seems, has other ideas when you pick up the phone and find your ex-boyfriend calling.

Jimin Park, star right winger of the NHL and (until recently), the love of your life, has a very large problem. Despite the courage he regularly shows on the ice, in his personal life, Jimin is kind of a coward. When you broke up this fall, he could barely admit it. Not to his neighbors. Not to his friends. Not even to his family, who are expecting him home for Christmas. In a desperate plea for more time, Jimin begs you to pretend you’re still dating – and to his surprise, you agree. Faced with a second chance, Jimin is determined not to squander it. If only fixing a relationship were as easy as falling in love.

Author’s Note: Part of the Jingle All the Way collaboration!

Estimated WC: 45K (... whoops; this will probably be multiple parts)

Rating: 18+

Preview: 2,141

Y/N POV

You should have known better than to trust Namjoon with your dating life.

Yoongi never would have put you in this situation. The more level-headed of your two best friends, Yoongi approaches matters of the heart with the same rationality he does everything else. Namjoon, on the other hand, is a great guy – who is notoriously bad at reading other people.

The number of times you’ve been forced to step in and save him from phone scams is astounding. It’s not his fault, really – Namjoon trusts too easily, which doesn’t serve him well in this world. He’s always willing to give others the benefits of the doubt, which gets him into trouble. 

And now you, by extension, having accepted the blind date he proposed.

Mike Davis moved into Namjoon’s building two months ago, and Namjoon has been adamant since the start that you two would hit it off.

“He goes to all the same conventions you do,” he assured you last week on the phone.

“Which conventions?” you asked, squinting hard at the wall. “I know you’re not big into nerd culture, Namjoon, so as an FYI – not all cons are considered equal.”

Namjoon rattled off a few you’d attended, impressing you enough to agree despite the initial disinterest. This agreement may have been spurred by tonight being the three-month anniversary of the worst break-up of your life.

Almost as soon as you sat, you realized your mistake. While you may have reached a point where you don’t cry every time your ex’s name is mentioned, the prospect of dating someone else is an entirely different matter. Getting dressed up felt strange, as did traveling to the restaurant and waiting for Mike at the bar.

The fact that Mike called this place a ‘restaurant’ should have been your first clue, as Hat Trick is most definitely a sports bar – specifically, a hockey bar. Had you known (really, you should have known), you wouldn’t have gone, but you were nervous and trying to make a good impression. Upon arriving, you arranged yourself awkwardly on a sticky bar stool and waited seven minutes for Mike to walk in.

Nearly an hour later, you find yourself regretting coming at all. Mike excused himself two minutes ago for the bathroom and as soon as he left, you sagged with relief.

He’s a nice guy, you suppose. Good looking, with light brown curls and dark eyes. You can see why Namjoon thought he might be good for you – Mike is the exact opposite of your ex in many ways. Constantly frazzled, he arrived late to the bar, only to immediately duck outside because he forgot to pay the parking meter. Jimin was the type to unpack his suitcase immediately after reaching the hotel and brought several chargers in case one of them died.

Once the meter was paid, Mike sat down and immediately launched into his entire life story. You suppose you should have been happy about this, since lack of communication ended your last relationship but instead, found yourself overwhelmed. 

Mike finally paused for breath once your drinks arrived, allowing you a moment to answer his questions. The moment you said you ran a pretty popular cosplay TikTok, Mike instantly shifted from arrogant to insecure. 

“I can’t believe you came,” he exhaled with a shake of his head. “When Namjoon showed me your picture, I said no way would you go out with me. You’re way too beautiful.”

Somewhat awkward, you laughed. “Don’t try and get me to leave, now, Mike.”

His eyes widened, not catching your sarcasm and it took several moments to get back on track. Everything since has been downhill, so when he excused himself for the bathroom, all you felt was relief.

Digging through your purse, you pull out your phone and swipe to the group chat.

Y/N: Namjoon, WHAT possessed you to set me up with this man [7:46 PM]

Yoongi’s reply comes immediately.

Yoongi: told you it was too soon [7:46 PM]

Namjoon’s ellipses join in.

Namjoon: what! Why? What happened?? Mike didn’t try something on you, did he? [7:47 PM]

Y/N: no, no – nothing like that [7:47 PM]

Y/N: he just keeps saying how *amazing* I am and how he doesn’t know why I’m on this date at all [7:47 PM]

Yoongi: dude [7:48 PM]

Y/N: EXACTLY [7:48 PM]

Before Namjoon can respond, the bartender changes the channel and an all-too-familiar name blares over the speakers. Slowly, you look up, and all thoughts of Mike fade, faced with NHL coverage.

Nope, no – absolutely not.

Leaning over the counter, you lightly tap the bartender. “Hi.” Brightly, you smile. “First off, could I have another glass of white wine? And then, maybe… could you change the channel?”

Glancing around, the guy shakes his head. “Yes, to the wine, but no, the channel,” he says with a shrug. “Half the people in here came to watch the game. Pre-show coverage is part of that.”

With an apologetic nod, he grabs a rag and disappears. Sinking back in your seat, you stare at your hands, clasped tightly together. Your spot at the bar puts you in the unfortunate position of hearing each word the announcers say crystal-clear.

“Well, Josh, what chance do you think the Blackhawks have tonight?”

The silver-haired man beside him bobs his head. “Steve, I’d say their chances are pretty darn good. You’ve seen this team’s early games. Their first line is strong, especially now that Park’s back.”

“Oh, absolutely – Jimin Park has been crucial in the last couple of games. He was sorely missed last season.”

“Ha! You can say that again.”

Trying to hide your wince, you clasp your hands tighter as a fresh glass of wine is set down. “Thanks,” you mutter, downing half in one gulp.

Immediately, your plans for later tonight shift to accommodate another bottle of wine. Movement catches the corner of your eye, and, despite yourself, you watch the montage of star right winger, Jimin Park, tearing his way down the ice. Shamefully, you recognize every shot since, although you broke up in September, you continued to watch every game.

“One of the most talked about moments last year in hockey was the late check on Park by Blues player, Brent Howard,” continues the announcer, Josh. “His helmet came loose when he hit the boards, and he went down hard on the ice. Park suffered a sprained knee and herniated a disc in his neck. A complicated surgery took him for most of the season, only starting to skate with the team again over the summer.”

Hearing the trauma recounted with such callousness, you find yourself gripping your wine glass tighter than before.

“I don’t think anyone ever expected Park to play again,” agrees the other announcer, Steve. “It’s a damned miracle he’s back on the ice – but to return and be this good? Park has always been one of the best right wingers in the league, but I’d say he’s the best offensive player on the ice right now.”

“A bold claim!” laughs Josh. “But I might just agree. Even Jungkook Jeon on the Rangers hasn’t been matching Park in assists.”

“Exactly! I mean, look at the numbers. Last year, the Blackhawks barely made the playoffs and now, they’re first in the Western Conference.”

“Truly amazing, given the nature of his injury last November. I don’t know how familiar you are with herniated discs, Steve, but –”

Mike slides back onto his stool. Grateful for the distraction, you turn fully to face him. Having already lived through the injury once, you have no need to reminisce. Replacing your phone in your purse, you smile gamely at Mike.

“So,” you say, attempting to save the conversation. “Namjoon mentioned you like conventions? What fandoms are you a part of?”

“Oh.” Mike loosely shrugs. “I doubt you’ve heard of any of them.”

At his dismissive tone, you stiffen. Your experience with the male side of fandom is always a toss-up. “Well, there are a lot of them. Any that are more mainstream?”

He considers. “Marvel?”

Stunned, you blink once or twice. Marvel has to be one of the biggest fandoms on the planet, let alone in the country. Even if you weren’t deep in the convention circuit, you’d have heard of Marvel.

“Yeah,” you say slowly. “I think I’ve heard of that.”

“Cool, cool.” Mike nods. “Namjoon said you do cosplay – and showed me your TikTok! You know, you’d make a great Wonder Woman.”

You can practically feel your jaw tighten. “That’s DC, not Marvel. But thanks.”

Silent, you add for nothing. While you love Wonder Woman and have, in fact, cosplayed her many times, men usually only request her for one reason and that’s the skimpy outfit. Whenever you cosplay as circa 2010 Wonder Woman in pants, they’re decidedly less interested. By now, you’ve learned only to pick your characters based on personal interest.

“Have you ever cosplayed?” you ask.

Unbidden, your gaze slides to the TV. Commercial break. Stifling your twinge of disappointment, you refocus on Mike.

“Nah.” His nose wrinkles, and your stomach sinks further. “I don’t do that stuff.”

“Stuff?”

Hearing your tone, his eyes widen. “I mean, it’s cool for you. I saw your TikToks and you look amazing. I’d just look dumb,” Mike says, attempting a laugh.

Sweetly, you smile. “I don’t know. My ex used to cosplay with me, and no one ever laughed at him.”

Admittedly, this is something of a low blow since your ex-boyfriend is Jimin Park, but either Namjoon didn’t tell him, or Mike doesn’t care. Which – if that’s so, maybe Mike deserves more credit than you gave him. 

“Ah.” He nods, taking a sip of his beer. “Have you ever thought about cosplaying as Wonder Woman, though?”

Your smile vanishes. Then again, maybe you’ve given him exactly the right amount of credit.

“I have,” you say. “But more recently, I’ve been cosplaying Dimension 20 characters. It’s kind of niche, but my last character was Sundry Sidney from A Starstruck Odyssey. You know – giant machine gun arm, roller skates and a mechanical eye. Oh, and a ‘fuck erotica ann’ button, of course.”

Mike’s smile freezes. “Why… would you dress like that?”

“Because it’s fun.” Finishing your glass of wine, you toss a few bills on the counter and stand. “Well, it’s been nice meeting you, Mike, but I think we’d be better off as friends. Don’t you agree?”

Even with the answer right there in the question, still he looks flummoxed.

“I…” 

“Or acquaintances,” you add, pulling on your pea coat. “Or nothing at all. Whatever you prefer.”

Slinging your purse on your shoulder, you wave at the bartender and start to leave. You only make it several steps before Mike mutters something beneath his breath – loud enough that you hear.

“Stupid,” he mutters. “This is why you don’t date women like her, Mike.”

You come to a stop. Really, you should keep going. Common sense – and Namjoon’s HOA – depend on you being the bigger person and walking out. But your therapist has said you need to work on communicating, even when the message is something the other person won’t like.

Turning around, you tap Mike on the shoulder.

He glances upward, surprised – and then reddens, realizing you heard.

“Yep, I heard,” you say shortly, retracting your hand. “Was your muttering supposed to be secret?”

Mike opens, then closes his mouth, like a fish.

“What did you mean, ‘women like me?’” you demand, folding your arms. “Ones with self-respect? Or hobbies? Women who know more about a subject than you do?”

Behind the counter, the bartender snort-laughs, rising in your esteem despite the whole TV channel thing. 

Mike stares at you, stunned. He seems to grow a pair in that moment though, straightening to face you on his stool. “Women with sticks up their asses,” he blurt.

Stifling an eye roll, you lean closer. “Listen, Mike,” you say, placing one hand on the counter. “If you think you can hurt my feelings – think again. Someone broke my heart three months ago, so nothing you say now will remotely compare. Do you really want to know why women like me won’t date you?”

The furrow between his brows deepens, and you take this as a sign to continue. Leaning even closer, you lower your voice.

“It’s because you’re insecure,” you say softly. “Giving someone a compliment and putting yourself down in the same sentence isn’t nice, it’s awkward. Not to mention, you’re sexist,” you add, watching him stiffen. “Telling me – a two-time Comic Con trivia champion – that I wouldn’t know Marvel is wild. Oh, and you’re a snob. Tabletop games are awesome, and cosplay is fun. Have a good night – I paid for your drink.”

With that, you turn around and march out the door to a smattering of applause from your new favorite bartender. 

[ TO BE CONTINUED ]

© kpopfanfictrash, 2023. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[rottenbrainstuff]

Calgary fan expo 2024:

(Long post, apologies)

Survived! The last year I was at the artist alley at a fanexpo was I think…. 2019? and I can’t even remember the last year I was at the expo just as a regular attendee, and not as a vendor… must be at least ten years ago by now I think. I had a lot of thoughts yesterday.

But first of all I did want to say, like I said yesterday, Neil Newbon was I think the nicest actor that I’ve ever met at one of these, I really mean that.

The smaller-name actors are always more fun than the bigger names, partly because they tend to not have their heads stuck up their own asses like some of the bigger folks, but also just simply that their lineups are also much much smaller, so you have more time to actually chat with them. (Popular actors can be very much a “hi hello, my name is x, thank you! Bye! situation) All my best memories of getting autographs at cons have been with smaller actors and voice actors and stuff, hands down 100%.

And I’m serious, Neil was the nicest actor I’ve ever met at a con. He is so gracious and polite, humble, and honestly seems to genuinely love interacting with his fans. I had in my head my little lines I wanted to say, so I could make sure I said everything I wanted in the tiny amount of time they allow you to talk to the actor, and then he messed up my little script by wanting to have an actual little chat. We talked about my oldest daughter in Switzerland, and how expensive everything is there, and he said hello to my kids and talked to them a bit, and teased me a little. I said the thing I wanted to, which was to say congratulations for all the accolades and how important BG3 has been to the fans, and he said he appreciates that because the fans are why he does this stuff, truly. Honestly I think he would have chatted even more but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by then and like that was my cue to leave. What a nice guy though? Dang.

His panel was great as well, British actors are always so interesting because they tend to take acting very academically and professionally, he had a great, smart answer for everything, and so polite even when there were some very nervous people having trouble articulating what they wanted to say. (He also said Larian was an amazing company to work for, and prioritizes their people and their fans over profit, which is so refreshing)

What a lovely dude. I was a fan before but I have to say I think now I’m a little in love.

(btw the one other actor I also really remember talking to and having a great chat with was Tony Todd, who was here like, a million years ago, also such a nice freaking guy, giant goddamned hands, we had a big chat about theater and community theater and stuff.)

Besides that, which was amazing, the whole thing was a bit bittersweet. I had a lot of feelings. I’ve been attending these expos almost since they first began, watching them get bigger and bigger and more exciting. A few years ago the expo chain was bought by an American company and.. the vibe has really changed since then. It’s not all negative, not at all: things feel really well organized now in terms of crowd control, which used to be um. Somewhat of a notorious issue for our expo, to put it mildly. But… the whole feeling of the show has also changed. Like one of my coworkers said, it feels kind of like just going to a big market. I miss the old announcer that used to come on, I miss the silly little extra events they had like the geek speed dating, I miss the Viking village that they used to have out in the front, just… the little things that made it feel less corporate and more like this exciting passionate convention for all the geeky things you like.

I went to the artist alley and was curious to see if I could find some of my old con buddies, people who I had got to know over the years I attended as an artist. I was kind of surprised that I couldn’t find a single one. In fact I only recognized a handful of booths as ones I had seen regularly in the past: it seems the majority are new. In addition, the artist alley seems to be about half the size it was when I was attending. I was hoping to see old friends to be able to ask them how things were going with the show recently with the new management, but I guess the fact that none of them were there kind of speaks for itself.

Again it’s a bit sad, but in a weird way it also makes me feel a bit better, somehow. I miss doing these shows, so much, and I feel so frustrated with myself that I don’t have the energy to keep up with it anymore. This really used to be the absolute hilight of my year, once upon a time. Somehow it’s a little comforting to know that I’m not the only one who couldn’t continue to do it.

It was nice to bring my younger kids, anyways. My oldest used to really enjoy attending the expos, and I’m happy I got to share that with them as well.

I’m proud of myself - due to my anxiety I was waffling quite a bit on whether or not I should even bother going, but I feel generally that I’m happy I got over that and ended up going.

[dzamie-oc]

Voretober 02 - Admiration

Length: 1700 words Vore type: Oral vore, M/M, willing prey, safe vore Fandom: None (Kahudra) Other info: feet first, naga/anthro Summary: Vore streamer Sel'riss meets a fan at a convention. You'll never guess what they get up to.

Sel'riss slithered slowly through the convention hall. It took a fair amount of practice to keep his scaly, blue tail from taking up too much walking room, and if it weren't for fascinating analysis panels like the one he'd just come from, he'd probably never attend one. Well, barring free admission, but he wasn't the kind of snake who'd be able to swing that.

Anyway, he had a good hour and a half until the "legally distinct from Who's Line" panel. He could check out local restaurants, peruse the dealer's den, or-

"Hey!" A loud voice jolted him out of his thoughts. The naga tensed, hoping whoever his tail just tripped would accept an apology. However, when he turned around, the fox approaching him had a smile on his face. As well as a pair of Bro Strider glasses.

"Er… hello?" He wasn't quite sure how to respond to him. Did he drop something, or…?

The fox came to a stop just before him."You're Sel'riss, right? I'm a big fan," he said, bushy tail swishing behind him.

Sel'riss let out a breath. "Oh! Phew, I thought I'd hit someone with my tail. Nice to meet you, uh…"

"Lansat." The name clicked in his mind. "I dunno if you'd remember, but-"

"The guy with the-" Sel'riss cut himself off to check around him for congoers too young to overhear this sort of thing. Playing it safe, he continued vaguely, "the sleeping bag thing?"

Lansat's ears flicked back and he flushed red. "Y-yeah. Let's go with that. You're not too weirded out by it?"

Sel'riss shrugged. "I've heard worse. Plus, it is a little flattering."

Silence reigned for several seconds, snake and fox both trying to find a way to continue. A passing Vriska complimented Lansat on his getup. Finally, Sel'riss took initiative. "So… I have some time to kill."

Lansat's blush seemed to burn right through his fur. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"Not out in public, I'm not. Care to join me away from prying ears?"

"Y-yes! Damn, that's smooth…"

Sel'riss felt himself slip into a more familiar rhythm as he led his fan towards the hotel elevators. "Practice. I mean, you've watched me for a while. Especially with my niche, I've got to have some way to meet new guests, at least enough to keep up appearances."

The elevator was a little small even for just himself, but he managed to pile enough of his body against the walls to give Lansat a place to stand. The naga quietly thanked the gods for generous weight limits, and tapped the floor. Certainly easier than taking the stairs, especially with how long of a trip it would be.

Once the doors closed and the elevator began to move, Lansat shifted on his feet. "So, er… more plainly, are you really going to eat me?"

"I figured you'd be interested in it. If not, I'll probably just hang out in my room by myself."

This, as he'd suspected, threw the fox for a loop. "If I'm- I mean, yes, of course I am, it's literally a dream come true, but, well, you're not exactly known for giving your prey a choice."

Card go in slot, lock go beep, door go open. Halfway through slithering into his room, Sel'riss glanced back at Lansat. "Wait, do you- you don't think I actually, regularly kill people on stream, do you? That's like six kinds of super illegal."

This time, Lansat did actually trip on his tail; quick reflexes caught him on another length of scaly body. On a whim, Sel'riss finished a loose loop around him, rewarded with yet more furiously blushing fox. "Of course not! I know you let them out afterwards, but they seem pretty frightened to be there in the first place."

Sel'riss slithered on, letting the length of his tail slide around his guest before slipping free to join the rest of his coiled body. "Oh, they are. All in good fun, mind you." He rummaged through a bag before pulling out a vial of blue liquid. "But before and after the cameras are on, they are free to leave at any time, and I won't stop them." He held out the vial to the fox. "Anti-digestive potion? Always a good idea to take mysterious drinks from strangers who want to eat you."

Lansat grabbed the vial and held it up to get a good look. "This is gatorade."

"It looks like gatorade!" Sel'riss cheerfully corrected, "and you might've seen me fool a couple of my guests by telling them it actually is, if they really couldn't pull off the "unwilling" act. Uh, don't worry about that - I'm not gonna record this, just having fun in some spare time."

"This is surreal… With respect, you're both more and less unhinged in person than I expected." Lansat popped the cork out and downed the drink. He made a face at the taste. "Ugh. And still I expected a sports drink flavor. So what now?"

"Take off anything you don't want a bit acid-eaten, and I'll handle things from there," the naga instructed. Once Lansat had stripped down to his underwear and placed his cosplay in a neat pile, Sel'riss wrapped his tail around him and lifted him up, paws by his face. "This way, you get to watch yourself vanish… and I get to see how you react to it!"

A single gulp saw Lansat swallowed up to his knees. Although his upper half remained stock-still, Sel'riss felt the fox's rapid heartbeat against his tail and his toes stretch and wiggle against soft, deceptively-yielding throat flesh. He broke that deception with a single gulp, and his gullet firmly pulled more of the fox's legs in. As more of his fur slid across Sel'riss's forked tongue, the snake picked up more of a spicy-sweet flavor. If his mouth wasn't full of tasty fan, he was tempted to ask what fur conditioner he used.

The snake's eyes flicked to Lansat's underpants, visibly tented out by a prominent erection; he tried to soothe his prey's embarrassment with a calm smile and another long, steady swallow. If nothing else, he hoped his mouth's warm, wet embrace would occupy Lansat's mind enough to take it off of more embarrassing matters. A telltale salty flavor added to the wonderful mix of the fox's fur, and Lansat's eyes glazed over slightly, though he still focused on his predator. Sel'riss reveled in shattering that focus with one more gulp: prey often found his throat much more pleasant to grind against than his mouth, and this fan was no exception; Sel'riss simply relaxed his gullet and let gravity and the fox's unfocused rutting drag his belly in, then his chest, until all Lansat could see besides his arms was framed by serpentine jaws.

Sel'riss ran his own hands along his torso; although preoccupied, the fox's humping was spirited and made quite the active bulges in his stretchy, blue hide. The naga curled his forked tongue against the top of Lansat's head, then finally, with two gulps, sent his head and arms into the welcoming, hungry embrace of his throat and beyond. He twisted around to watch the shifting, squirming lump lessen inside his thicker lower half, then laid his upper body atop his stomach to wait for its newest temporary occupant.

Inside, his prey thrashed about, trying to rub against his insides with his arms trapped over his head. He watched as the signature spasms of a powerful orgasm gave way to a tired stillness, just before his body pulled Lansat into his stomach to rest under his upper body. Almost immediately, his gut growled and began to knead at its visitor, doing its best to work powerful yet utterly useless acids into the fox's body.

Sel'riss mentally counted to twenty. He turned out to be a few seconds early, and was about to speak up just when Lansat's body jerked to attention. The fox managed to get his arms against himself more comfortably, and pushed out against his confines - which, of course, held with no complaint.

"Oh my god, did you just-" his voice came, muffled through scales, fat, and muscle.

"I sure did."

"And I- I-"

"Not the first fan, unlikely to be the last. It'll digest normally."

"Oh, fuck, I'm going to-"

"Nnnope, not unless I wanna try to hide you for a day, and probably miss all those panels I wanted to go see." Sel'riss quickly shut that line of thought down. "And on top of that and the sudden one-day fast, there's legal issues. You're fine, Lansat."

"I… I guess I am. At- at least, it doesn't hurt to believe it." A moment of quiet, then the sensation of someone rubbing his belly from the inside. "Sorry about freaking out, Sel'riss. I should've trusted you."

Sel'riss shrugged, well aware that Lansat couldn't appreciate the gesture. "Can't blame you, I lie all the time to keep up the "cruel fatal pred" thing. I mean, it's no accident the potion looks exactly like blue gatorade. Anyway, my condolences in advance for your underwear; I think my stomach's more active than I expected."

"It- wait a sec." Sel'riss closed his eyes, enjoying Lansat fumbling around inside him. "Ah, shit. I knew something had to go wrong; meeting you IRL was way too cool to happen without a hitch."

Sel'ris laughed and promised to try to help after letting him out in an hour. In the back of his mind, he revisited his earlier thoughts: maybe cons weren't so bad, if he can find good company.

[piedoesnotequalpi]

Approximately no one (except the four people who voted for it in my poll I guess) asked to see this, but the brainrot is rotting my brain so here are my Newsies + juggling au thoughts. Feel free to not read this.

There is an actual plot that goes with this that my friend and I discussed while driving back from the festival I went to, and because that plot is supposed to somewhat mirror the plot of Newsies but with college kids who like circus arts, some of the choices I've made are for Plot Reasons.

My undergrad juggling club is unusual in that (when I was there) the focus was on big passing patterns and stealing/takeout patterns, and there was an expectation that almost everyone would interact with clubs (the prop) to some degree. At the festival I just attended, when we went to a stealing workshop, we already knew a lot of the patterns and picked up the new ones very quickly relative to the people who tend to do more siteswap/numbers juggling. With this context out of the way, some thoughts about various characters and what their preferred skills/props would be, with some example videos scattered throughout (not from my own juggling community, obviously):

Jack: Big passing

There's two varieties of big passing patterns: convention patterns, which involve a lot of people and are very interesting to the participants, but are not great from an audience/non-juggler perspective; and patterns that can also be fun but more importantly actually look cool to an audience. Jack is a big fan of the former--I think he'd like getting a big group of people to pass together and come up with fun variations on the initial pattern. He'd probably have an ongoing argument with someone else in the club (probably Albert) about which patterns to do in show routines because of this.

An example of a passing/stealing pattern that is more viewer-friendly:

Katherine: Contact poi

Katherine enters college with some poi experience, which leads her to join the juggling club, but unfortunately some jugglers have a rude habit of mocking flow artists, so she starts putting a ton of effort into learning how to juggle in order to "prove" herself. Somewhere along the way she discovers contact poi and gets really into that as a compromise between juggling and poi. She's not as good as the person in this example (he regularly ends up in the top 40 jugglers countdown), but to give y'all an idea of what I mean by contact poi/poi juggling:

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A post shared by Bow Juggler (@bow_juggler)

Race: Rings, balance, and combat

On one hand, Race would probably really enjoy the math that goes into siteswaps, but I don't think he'd enjoy practicing them. So! Just for fun, he's into rings just for the meme status they had in my juggling club: they look very pretty and you can do some cool stuff with them, but they're kind of a pain. But also he'd be into anything that involves balance--he'd learn how to juggle while balancing a club on his chin, and he'd also probably pick up unicycling and globe (a giant ball that you stand on, basically). Finally, I think he'd like combat, which leads us to...

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A post shared by Zak McAllister (@zakmcallister)

Albert: Stealing/passing and combat

Albert's true love is combat, but that's not really something you can perform, so he uses his ability to juggle while running/catch really weird/high throws to work with all the new passers in actual routines.

Combat is basically a game where everyone is juggling clubs and you try to knock other people's clubs out, and the goal is to be the last person standing. Albert and Race usually get everyone else out and end up going against each other, and Albert has a scar below his eye courtesy of Race because of this.

Crutchie: 3 ball patterns/siteswaps

Crutchie learns how to juggle three balls, decides he doesn't want anything to do with clubs, and then goes and learns a bunch of three ball tricks because they look cool as heck and can be done while sitting/standing relatively still. Sometimes people sit near him and juggle balls, but they've learned that if they do that he will likely start experimenting with stealing (in the juggling way, not the actual theft way).

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A post shared by Taylor Glenn (@taylor_tries)

And finally...

Davey: Numbers juggling and siteswaps

Davey knew how to juggle before he got to college, and since he was mostly practicing on his own he was kind of limited to learning numbers juggling and siteswap-type things. He joins this theoretical juggling club when he gets to college and immediately is very irritated by learning how to pass ("why is your inability to throw well my problem now?"). He figures it out eventually, but if he's going to interact with other people in a juggling pattern he prefers stealing over passing.

He's not as good of a juggler as the person in this video (no one is), but here's an example of what I mean:

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A post shared by Delaney Bayles (@delaneybayles)

You may have noticed Spot is not anywhere in here. That is for Plot Reasons! If you have read this far, thanks for reading my extra niche thoughts! I know I do very specific AUs, but this is a lot even for me.