#and props to those who can and like to buy multiple editions of the same book

[lucienarcheron]

As happy as I am that authors get the opportunity for several special editions of their books, this special edition nonsense is getting wayyyy out of hand. At this point, it’s beyond excessive.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

(I wish I could ask this in a video with GamingMagic13’s editing style, but I don’t have the energy for that.)

People say that, after Antibug, Chloé’s redeeming qualities started to show through throughout Seasons 2 and 3 because Thomas Astruc didn’t contribute to those episodes of those seasons as if he wasn’t on the writing team for every episode for those two seasons, including the ones showing Chloé’s redeeming qualities.

It’s not “Thomas left so the other writers started to make a redemption for Chloé, but then he came back and threw it all away”, it’s leaning more towards “Thomas, along with other writers, wanted to waste our time with Chloé pity parties for two seasons and trick people into feeling bad for her, which worked on plenty of reactors, and then yank the rug out from under them just for the sake of pulling a rug out from viewers” whether it’s the truth or not.

Also, do you get the feeling that, if people weren’t harassing Thomas and his family over Chloé’s “abandoned redemption”, Chloé wouldn’t have been made into evil incarnate to spite people?

Considering that the hiatus between Seasons 3 and 4 started towards the end of 2019, had to continue throughout 2020 due to the COVID pandemic with only the New York special to keep us busy in September 2020, and then finally ended shortly after 2021 started, that would have been plenty of time to rework scripts, because we know he was also on the writing team for every episode of Seasons 4 and 5 alongside 2 and 3, to made Chloé more and more unlikeable while propping up the male adults to spite Chloé fans, like several episodes of Teen Titans GO! and even this show are guilty of.

Whether all of this is true or not, I think it all lines up too well for too many other outcomes.

The "Thomas Astruc was able to completely rewrite the plans for this character and no one stopped him" take has always been a little wild to me especially since Chloe never showed meaningful improvement in canon. In fact, now that we've seen her story play out in all it's disappointing and time-wasting glory, you can even argue that Despair Bear was straight up telling you what we were in for since it's the same plot, just on a smaller scale.

As far as I know, there is no evidence for this "Chloe was rewritten" conspiracy. At the very least, no one has sent any my way on the multiple occasions when I've asked for it. Astruc is a credited writer for pretty much every episode involved in the Queen Bee arc and, while head writers have a good deal of power, they often don't have supreme power over their shows. This is especially true when it comes to kids shows since those have a lot of restrictions on what they can do. While I cannot speak French, I've been told that this class involves one of the writers talking about the multiple darker version of Chat Blanc that were rejected, leading to Chat Blanc being a season three episode instead of a season two episode like they originally planned.

These shows are products that are being sold to buyers who do have the power to reject the product and the writers work for a company. In most cases, they can be stopped!

There's also the fact that this is Astruc's career that we're talking about. You're arguing that he purposely messed with his reputation and screwed up the writing in the show that he's most well-known for in order to get back at online randos instead of just blocking them and moving on with his life. That's an insanely hard sell for me. Unintentional bad writing is a much easier explanation especially since he has nothing to gain from people disliking the Chloé stuff. This wasn't situation where Astruc needed to tank the show to get out of writing it. If Astruc left the project, then Miraculous would go on without him. While he came up with the initial idea, Zag owns the property.

Unless someone has hard evidence that Chloé was changed to spite fans, I am never going to buy into this conspiracy theory. Her bad writing is too in line with the show's other issues. Remember, this is the show that gave us Derision, everything about Lila, and Gabriel getting an 'ascends into the light with a smile' ending while his son sat the fight out and remains in the dark. Is Chloé really meaningfully worse than any of that?

I'd say no and, if you agree, then why do you think that she's so special? I've previously called her a canary in the coal mine and that's going to be my read until someone gives me evidence of something else. She was your warning sign that the writing was never going to be very good. I don't think she foretold just how bad it would get - that's why I kept watching - but her story showed that these writers were only good at short-form content and sucked at long-form content. In fact, Chloé's story is arguably better than a lot of the long-form stuff that the show gave us in season four and five. At least Chloé's story logically flowed together even if it was massively disapointing!

I also don't consider Chloé's season four and five writing downgrade to be all that telling because, once again, it's not unique to her. The class gets a similar downgrade in quality, going from "we'll help Marinette with her confession plans when she asks, but this isn't a major thing to us" to "we live for Adrienette and will make our own plans for Marinette to confess and force them on her/try to force Adrienette to kiss." It makes the entire class feels more shallow than ever.

Gabriel also gets a downgrade with his writing going more over-the-top than ever. We have things like him locking Adrien in a cell and using Adrien's amoks for no obvious reason even though Gabriel is supposed to get an ending where he dies totally at peace and ascends into the light. Totally nonsense choices just like the choice to make Marinette's inability to speak to Adrien because she's anxious into a full-out trauma response.

These are just a few of the many, many, many writing downgrades.

If you truly believe the Chloé conspiracy, then I'd strongly encourage you to watch at least the first of the videos I'm about to link and see if you notice similarities. I have all of them set to the specific, relevant timestamps in case you don't want to watch a massive video to see what I'm talking about because they all talk about more than the conspiracies that arose in these fandoms when the writing got "bad" (especially the last one. The conspiracy gets a very brief mention. I really only included it because I wanted three examples and just went with ones big enough that someone else had done research on the topic because it's not an area of fandom that I've ever waded into).

I'm linking these videos because I wanted to give you more than me just saying "this kind of thing happens all the time when media gets bad." Watching just a few minutes of each of these should give you the context you need assuming the timestamps work:

As you can hopefully see, the Chloé stuff is nothing new. So many pieces of media do something disappointing and then fans create conspiracies for why it happened, refusing to accept what is most likely to be the unfortunate truth: the writers thought they told a good story or, at the very least, they did the best they could within the confines they were working with be those confines monetary, temporal, and/or the limits of their own skills. That doesn't make the bad writing okay, you're fully valid in being upset, but there's also no need to create a conspiracy theory around it. It's probably not that deep. This shit happens all the time, especially in larger fandoms.

This is why I often give the advice of, "don't trust your mental health to stories that you have no control over." Is not that fandom isn't fun, I've just seen this shit before and I always feel bad for those who get involved with it. I've luckily never gone down the conspiracy rabbit hole, but I have gotten really upset when other fans continued to like a show that was bad, actually, and got a good deal of catharsis when most of the fandom woke up after the final was terrible. That still wasn't a good experience for me, though. It was not a healthy mindset to be waiting with baited breath for total strangers to agree with me that this random show was bad. I'm much better of bashing it with those who agree that it's bad, moving on when I'm no longer having fun, and letting those who like it be wrong (that is both a joke and real advice. Don't waste your time trying to change people's minds on something as insignificant as Miraculous. Just let them be wrong.)

[masseffectdoctor]

It's about getting in on the train.

It's popular. It's tags are trending. It's getting talked about. It boosts their platform even if their platform is based in progressive circles.

They THINK it's good marketing. They THINK it's going to get word of mouth marketing. They're dumb AF, but that's a thing they think.

And on the "they don't need to play it" yes. Absolutely correct. They have CHOSEN to apply a target to their back. They have made the conscious decision to do something stupid, and then not listen to their audience backlash, and whine about it.

They're making a choice. Just like cops make a conscious choice. Just like shitty politicians make a conscious choice. These people cry about the consequences of their actions, when the actions are entirely avoidable.

Talk is cheap and easy. When it comes to getting in on the #HypeTrain and getting talked about, or simply not getting to play the hot new pogrom simulator, it's all shit to the wind. Same thing happened with Chick-fil-A. And the same principal was applied with Velma. It got talked about. Even if they lose subs in the long term, in the short term they'll gain traction.

And none of the shit will stick because again. Talk is cheap. Girlfriend Reviews will go back to posting dumb playthroughs of whatever new hot game comes out next month, people will stay subbed. People will move on. People will forget. Unless they're held accountable for their bullshit.

Which is exhausting. Because it almost entirely comes down to the targeted minorities to do it. Same thing happened with people not wearing their masks as COVID went on and entered the self proclaimed "over" stage.

Disabled people have to beg and plead to simply wear a mask.

Trans people have to beg for people to stop defending and supporting the woman who's personally financing their genocide in the UK and elsewhere.

Jewish people have to beg people to not play a video game about genociding stand-ins for their race and religion.

Queer people have to beg for people to simply not eat a fucking chicken sandwich.

Indigenous people have to beg people not to watch the movies that a white colonizer made about how hard they should've fought for their land.

And that's one reason WHY it goes back to "normal" all a sudden. Because talk is cheap and a LOT of people are all about lip service. I can count on about 2 hands the number of people I know who don't do at least ONE of those things on that list.

It's hard for minorities to uphold the consequences of people putting that self inflicted target on their back. Because it's hard for us to watch as even the closest people in our lives go and can't even be bothered to do a simple fuckin thing that costs nothing.

My point is that non-minorities need to do better. People who aren't trans and jewish need to continue to uphold consequences to Girlfriend Reviews and others for propping up the game. People who aren't disabled need to wear a mask and do their best to make others wear a mask. Do better.

Because let me tell you, it gets fucking exhausting having to resent and be frustrated at all of the people around me 24/7. So few around me wear a mask but my close circle of friends. I know way too many fucking people that buy Chick-fil-A. I've had to cut some people off for buying/pirating this shit fuck of a game.

I'm tired of lip service. I'm tired of people doing shit when it's easy. I'm tired of having to resent. So yeah fucking do better.

Edit actually because I am not done. The minorities also have to focus our energy on the biggest target. TERF School Pogrom: Blood Libel Edition will plant the seed of bigotry in people. It will probably even personally ruin relationships with multiple people.

But UK politics and US politics have Jewish and trans people in the fucking crosshairs right now so we HAVE to watch that shit. We HAVE to show up there and can't uphold every single fucking battlefront alone.

It's also super easy to be a supporter without personally commenting how bad they are on every video or something.

Unsubscribe. Block them. Don't engage with their content. Anywhere. At all. Period.

They chose to play a game about blood libel over the incredibly simple act of not giving a TERF money to fund her trans hate agenda. So fucking don't engage with them. Let them experience the consequences of their actions.

"oh but I'll not have content to engage with anymore :( "

"but I'll loose my friends..."

Suck it the fuck up. Minorities are dealing with it all the time and entirely alone. Make it clear why that shits gone from your life, and don't engage with it again until they rectify the situation genuinely. It isn't that fucking hard.

People/Steamers crying about getting shit over buying and playing hogwarts legacy vs trans people dealing with politicians and pundits calling for their genocide and being kind of understandably furious at streamers for enabling JK Rowling’s anti semitism and transphobia in the midst of fascists using any means to get legitimacy to kill people.

[sinagrace]

On the subject of marvel comics ...

If we’re gonna talk about how Marvel does literally nothing about giving a leg up to marginalized creators and staff members, I’ve got another story to tell. Towards the end of my time there, I’d been getting a sense that marvel editors were lying about keeping me in mind for projects after iceman, and the following incident sealed the deal in terms of being told (not in any legally binding way) that I had overstayed my welcome at the house of ideas. Sometime in 2018, an editor at a different publishing house asked if I’d pitch for an all-ages Spider-Man book they were licensed to produce. Considering I saw CB Cebulski have a conniption at a comic con party when another Marvel Comics writer told him he’d been courted to do the same for avengers, I asked that editorial to make absolutely sure marvel was cool with me pitching for this project. The editor got approval, and I wrote a damn good idea that was on the fast track to being the next arc in the series. For those who aren’t familiar, when you’re not a household name, pitching for a legacy character is quite a bit of work. Given my lifelong love of Spider-Man, it wasn’t exactly grueling to come up with a handful of ideas and then properly outline the one my editor liked the most… but it’s still work. All that being said, I felt great about the final document, and that I’d bought myself a few more months of being Marvel-adjacent so I could continue growing my reputation for being known for my writing chops, and rinse off the notion that I was ever anyone’s diversity hire. Cut to a few weeks later, and my editor tells me that I can’t be used for the series. The exact words he relayed from Marvel were: “they’d like to keep the focus on iceman for now.” That e-mail came in the day I turned in my last script for Iceman. I reached out to Marvel’s talent relations guy, and he got me on the phone to explain a completely different reason why I was taken off the book: he said that Marvel only wanted people with experience in all-ages because there were different formatting rules than what goes into a standard comic script (a half truth that doesn’t matter when you read the next sentence). I mentioned that I did an all-ages book for Simon and Schuster, a middle grade series for Image Comics, short stories for Boom Studios, and edited an all-ages title for Robert Kirkman. The talent relations guy was like, “Oh, I didn’t know all that.” He then went on to say that Marvel had a list of people they wanted this editor to approach and as a result some wires got crossed and thus I was out of several months’ work. He didn’t offer to fix the problem, he didn’t offer to throw me on any number of space-filler mini-series that were just basically keeping Jonathan Hickman’s seat warm… nothing. In response, I said to the talent relations guy: “Do you believe what you’re telling me?” He didn’t have a particularly good answer. Oh if you’re wondering: like NONE of the writers who did end up getting hired for these all-ages titles had legitimate experience with all-ages material. They’re all great writers and some of them are my homies, but it’s not like they came from scholastic or random house. All of this is to say: I went above and beyond to make sure I was approved to pitch on a project, I worked my butt off and wrote something my editor was incredibly enthusiastic about, and then I magically got unpicked and wasn’t offered a reasonable explanation, a substitute gig, or a kill fee for the work I had put in on the proposal. Thanks, Marvel. This whole debacle wasn’t included in a piece I wrote last year because the editor I was working with asked me not to. Given that his relationship with Marvel was already tenuous, he didn’t really need more pressure/ stress. This guy went to bat for me and helped get me one of my favorite gigs, and having been in his position as an editor dealing with multiple bureaucracies, I didn’t want to make his life any harder. But he’s no longer at that company, and he gave me permission to bring this up. So here we are. I hate that I’m once again in a position where I have to call out Marvel on some BS, because I don’t know that anything positive will come from it, and that everything I’ve done in my career will once again be boiled down to: “semi-attractive queer comic creator complains about marvel comics.” Like, never mind that I’ve been at this since I was in high school, ran Kirkman’s imprint on my own before I was 25, and have gone on to write almost all of my favorite DC Comics characters after leaving Marvel. It’s shitty to be an individual talking about a beloved company... but it’s the right thing to do. The only thing I can 100% predict will happen from me speaking up is: a bunch of haters are going to get back on my dick again and make social media unbearable. To those folks, my birthday is on Monday… can you maybe not? Just this once? Stories like what I've written need to be considered when discussing if Marvel has actually done anything to be accountable for not only hiring more diversely, but for fostering an environment where those people feel valued. My only advice to Marvel would be: fucking hire a third party organization to teach you all how to do this right… you can’t keep propping Sana up on a podium and pat yourselves on the back for doing half of the bare minimum. I hate that I still love your books (I spent good money buying the oversized Silver Surfer Black collection), and I just wish that the gatekeepers were a bit more responsible and cognizant of how deep their behavior and apathy cuts. Granted, this is a company that has a bad reputation for not treating anybody fairly, so there is always the argument that Marvel Comics is just run by a box of pythons who indiscriminately poison and devour folks. I’m not sure... after 18 months away from them, I still try to excuse the bad behavior and blame myself for how things went down.

[ttttaehyungie]

sincerely, but no longer yours | chapter 3

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sincerely, but no longer yours | ex!kim namjoon x reader

genre | angst, exes au

summary | It started as a coping mechanism as getting the words out provided a form of catharsis. But now you can’t stop writing these love letters, even with the knowledge that they’ll never get sent. After all, who writes love letters to their ex?

word count | 3.9k

chapter rating | PG-13

warnings | none

a/n | here we gooooo!! part threeeee c: can’t believe I actually churned this out when my life has been in c h a o s also this is barely edited im so sorry

Percussive knocks rap crisply on your apartment door. You fling the door open and your heart leaps in your chest at the sight. There he stands.

Up and rising dance instructor. Groove personified. Ball of literal sunshine.

And in your experience, the best big brother on the planet.

The overnight bag hits the wooden floor with a hollow thud as he abandons it in favor of yanking you into a tight embrace. A grin widens on your face that you're certain mirrors his.

"Hoseok," you breathe into his chest, your face smushed against his oversized yellow shirt. The enveloping warmth of his arms around you has you melting. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you more. Let me take a good look at you." He puts you at arm's length. "You've grown so much in the time we've been apart."

"Hoseok." You roll your eyes, but the smile on your face doesn’t falter. "It's only been a month."

"Hey. A lot happens in a month."

The truth of his words, unknown to him but oddly relevant nonetheless, has you biting your lip before you can stop yourself.

"Here, I'll help you with your bag," you say, hauling the duffel bag off the ground, giving you something else to look at. You can only hope that Hoseok hasn't already picked up on the nervous blips. "It's been a long ride for you."

"And they say chivalry is dead," he jokes, but follows after you without further comment. Guess you're in the clear.

But you steer the conversation to a topic that you know will engross him for sure. Y’know. Just in case.

"So, what classes did you sign up for this weekend?" you ask over your shoulder, managing a tone so casual that you celebrate internally.

"You'll never believe it.” The words come tumbling out, voice shimmering with excitement. Even without turning to look at him, you can picture the way his eyes are surely set alight. You know this tone, and it has you hooked now, the anticipation of amazing news builds in your chest. "Y'know that choreographer, Jo? The one that's completely booked out every single weekend?”

You nod quickly, turning to look at him with wide eyes.

“Well.” The smugness in his tone is thick. “Guess who got a slot for her class!”

Genuine surprise elicits a gasp from you. "No way! How'd you even manage that?"

"Hard work and sheer determination.” A fist pump punctuates his words. “I camped on the booking site on multiple devices with multiple accounts so I could snag a spot the moment the slots open."

You snort at his antics.

"I can't believe I'm going to be learning from such a giant in the industry," he says, unable to resist breaking into a little dance as he pushes the door to the study cum guest room open. "It feels like I've won the freaking lottery."

The effervescent excitement is uncontainable. Even the task of unpacking can’t interrupt his rave about the choreographer who shot to cyber fame with her fluid movements. You let him let it loose, leaning against the doorway, watching him.

"Ok," he says, putting his hands on his hips. "That's enough about me. How did your lecture go today?"

The breath catches in your lungs, the shock of seeing Namjoon coming back in a second wave.

“It was alright,” you attempt to mask it in the same casual tone you mustered up just minutes ago. But there’s an unmistakable tightness to your words.

Hoseok’s eyes bore into you. Damn. There’s no escaping now.

“____?” he probes, his tone laced with the same concern lying in his gaze.

"Hey, um," you rub at your arms, "we have an unexpected dinner guest tonight. Is that ok with you?"

“____,” he repeats, firmer this time. “What happened?"

You exhale heavily, grounding yourself with the feel of the carpet underneath your scrunched up toes as you tell him, "I bumped into Joon today. At the lecture."

Chancing a glance at him to gauge his reaction, you watch as he schools his features into an expressionless mask. But his eyes widen by just a fraction, betraying his surprise as he processes the information.

After a second, he nods stiffly, and turns back to the duffel bag on the bed to take the last of his belongings out. His tone is measured and even as he asks, "How was it?"

The plush mattress provides you marginal comfort as you plop onto the bed next to him.

"Honestly? Like a punch in the gut." The laugh that escapes you is bitter. "When will I stop being winded just by the mere sight of him, Hobi?"

The smile he shoots you is empathetic but sad. He reaches over to muss up your hair, the action tender and fond. "It'll happen in time," he promises.

The restrictive tightness in your chest is uncomfortable and you attempt to expel it in a sigh as you lean backwards, propped up by the elbow. Staring at your toes as if they’re a source of endless fascination gives you an excuse not to look your brother in the eye.

“But would you care to explain what convinced you to invite him to dinner?”

“Hobi… I just…” Your back hits the mattress as you flop back entirely, groaning up at the ceiling. No choice but to spit the truth out now. “His eyes, they just do things to me.”

Craning your neck to look at him, regret hits you when you catch sight of his frown. You drop your head back down. The ceiling's a much better option to look at.

“You have a soft spot for him.” It’s less a question and more a statement. A statement that you assent to with a strangled noise.

“Look. I get it. It’s just, I worry for you. The state you were in when you came back that night…” This time, he lets out a sigh of his own. The bed shifts, accommodating his weight where he takes a seat next to you. "You were a wreck, ____.” He shakes his head, his brow furrowed. “I don't want to have to relive those days.”

He’s not speaking out of turn. Guilt gnaws at you and you turn your head to face the wall. Bringing Namjoon back into your life implicated Hoseok too. Your brokenness had not been yours to bear alone. On the nights when you felt like you were falling apart, it was your brother who’d held you as you sobbed damp spot after damp spot into his t-shirts.

“Do you think it's too soon?” Your voice sounds small even in your ears. “Even though it's been years?”

“I can’t answer that for you, ____.”

You remain quiet, still staring at the blank wall.

“Well." He slaps his hands on his thighs and hauls himself off the bed, breaking the silence. "I owe him a long overdue meet-up anyway. He's been bugging me to have a meal together with him for the longest time now- which is next to impossible, y’know, with the way the studio just keeps getting busier and busier.”

A hand enters your field of vision, outstretched and waiting. "Dinner?"

You grasp it and he pulls you up. His grip is a firm anchor, both physically and emotionally.

"Dinner," you echo. "I can do this."

You can’t do this.

Whatever idealism you had possessed an hour ago within the safe confines of your apartment was gone now, mellowed out and boiled down to unforgiving reality.

At least you have Hoseok.

Despite your earlier hesitation to tell your brother about the events that had transpired through the day, you're now relieved you did and infinitely thankful for his presence. If any iciness remains from whatever lingering unsaid tension that exists between you and Namjoon, it quickly melts away under the warmth that is Hoseok's affability.

It was awkward at first, no doubt. As you slid into the booth to sit across Namjoon, it definitely didn’t escape your attention how he was unable to keep eye contact with you, his shifty eyes stoking the nervousness that simmered in the pit of your stomach.

The conversation had been polite but stiff, filled with small talk about each other’s jobs. As if you didn’t already know all about how he’d made it as a published author from all the times you eavesdropped on Hobi’s phone calls. He was in the middle of narrating his book’s main plot when your mind’s eye jumped, involuntarily, to the books guiltily buried away in the corner of your closet underneath a bunch of t-shirts. It was an impulse buy, you lie to yourself.

Yes, you’ve read his books. Multiple times. Pored over every word and analyzed every character in search of snippets of yourself. Hoping to know whether he’s forgotten you and moved on from you or whether he’s still affected by the breakup in the same way you don’t dare to admit that you are.

But that’s just in your times of weakness. Everyone has those, you reason, and you’re allowed to too.

Make no mistake- you did get over Namjoon. The box of letters sits in your desk drawer as the fruits of that. There’s a reason why you can’t bring yourself to dump those letters out after all these years. They’re unfiltered and ugly and raw, but they’re an archive of the journey you went through. You’re over it.

Or you were over it. Being in this city and seeing him triggers something in you and seems to throw you back a couple of steps somehow.

Maneuvering your way through the exchange, carefully feigning ignorance about the plot of his novels, you were walking a tightrope. But thankfully, before you could get caught in your self-spun web of lies, the conversation takes a sharp left.

In a sudden outburst of, “Why are we speaking as if we’re at some corporate networking event?!” accompanied by a smack on the table, Hoseok shattered the cordial but fake and, frankly, uncomfortable atmosphere that had settled over the booth. The three of you broke into genuine laughter for the first time in the evening. And finally, the dinner conversation took a more casual and informal turn.

In spite of your wariness, the pull that Hoseok’s words exerted was irresistible and you found yourself gradually loosening up. It began with unbidden smiles that progressed to quiet giggles- not unlike the one that followed Hoseok’s earlier outburst- that quickly gave way to carefree and unfiltered laughter.

And now?

"Remember when you broke the swingset at our house?" Hoseok jabs his fork at Namjoon who sits across from him at the table.

"That was not on me,” he quips. “That swingset was rickety before I sat on it."

Your throat constricts around your food slightly painfully with the way you gulp down your food to interject, "No way, Joon. We only had that swingset for two weeks before you broke it."

Hoseok nods in corroboration, his features colored in a grave seriousness. “She’s right. I remember my joy on that swingset being extremely short-lived.”

"Can't believe you care more about that swingset than me." Namjoon pouts. "My butt was bruised for at least a week from that accident."

But Hoseok dismisses this with a wave of his hand. "Bruises heal. Swingsets don't."

You smile around the rim of your glass, taking a swig. Cheeks sore with how much you’ve been smiling, you think, you really can’t do this.

You've missed this. You’ve missed the days filled with this innocent and untroubled feeling of happiness. When it was just this pair of best friends and you were the little sister that just tagged along at first, but got pulled in as a real member of the trio. You were the little sister that Hobi adored, and the little sister that Joon had always wished he'd had, and you looked up to both of them so much.

The playful teasing between mouthfuls of food and the easy laughter shared as all three of you let loose over a couple drinks has you warming up in a way that's not just from the alcohol.

You’ve missed this. But you can’t.

You glance upwards and the softness in Namjoon’s eyes all crinkled up by his beaming smile has you realizing just how much you’ve missed him. But you can’t, you can’t, you ca-

Next to you, Hoseok’s movements interrupt your internal self-admonishment. He sets his utensils down with a clang on his empty plate. "Hey, I’ll go pick up the bill."

"Let me." Namjoon fumbles for his wallet as he gets on his feet. But Hoseok puts a hand on his shoulder to sit him back down.

"Nah man, you paid the last time and I've been meaning to give ____ a treat too. This one's on me."

Hoseok disappears off to settle the bill, leaving just you and Namjoon. In stark contrast to his earlier inability to maintain eye contact, he’s now staring intently at you. The intensity of his gaze has your cheeks growing warm.

It’s your turn to struggle with eye contact. Unsure what to do with your hands or where to look, you're just about to succumb to the urge to start fidgeting when Namjoon sighs, inciting a stolen glance at him. His gaze is on his hands now where they sit on the table, a gentle smile gracing his features.

"I've missed this,” he says softly.

You can’t, you can’t, you can’t.

"Me too," you admit. You’re weak.

His gaze darts back upwards to look you in the eyes, and your heart rate picks up.

“I've missed you.”

It’s shy. It’s barely audible. But you catch it. It startles your heart into a racing pulse, pounding in your ribcage.

"Namjoon.” You don’t miss the way his face falls slightly at how you revert to his full name. “You can't-"

He leans forward as he shakes his head. "I'm not... I..." He cuts himself off with a huff of frustration. His long fingers tap rapidly on the table the way they always do when he’s collecting his thoughts.

"I'm really sorry for what happened, ____.” His eyes bore into yours with a pleading sincerity that has your hands fidgeting under the table and out of sight. “I'm really sorry that things ended the way they did. And I know I don't deserve to be asking this, ____. But I've really missed... all this." He gestures to the booth, to your trio. "And I guess what I'm asking is, will you forgive me? And... will it be okay to see you again? Just as friends. Nothing more."

You can’t. You can’t. You can’t.

You fold your hands in your lap, still hidden away from sight so he can’t see the nervous energy they exude as you deliberate your next words carefully.

"Joon, you really hurt me the last time. Really deeply.” The temptation to avert your gaze is immense, but you power through. But that leaves you to witness the flicker of guilt in his eyes. “And as nice as tonight was, I'm just not sure if I'm ready to have you back in my life completely yet."

“Ok, I understand. That's fair. I have no rights to make any demands on you when things ended the way they did.”

His eyes are downcast and he trails off into silence.

But just as you’re about to heave a sigh of relief, thinking he’s dropped it, he starts again, the hesitation clear in his shaky voice, "Can I give you my number? So you can think it over and text me if you ever want to be friends again. Like what you said, tonight was really nice."

His hand hovers over where your phone sits on the table, tentative without your go-ahead.

“Or you can just decide to throw it out and delete me from your life forever,” he begins rambling nervously. “I'll respect that too. I just can't leave things the way they are without doing anything I can to attempt to make reconciliation happen.”

You can’t. You can’t. You can’t.

That’s when you make the fatal mistake of looking him in the eye. The way he's looking at you…

You can’t. Or can you?

Like what you told Hoseok, you’re close to powerless when Namjoon looks at you like that.

Relenting, you flip his hand around and place your phone into his waiting palm.

"Okay. Fine. I'll think about it."

"Thank you,” he says breathily. His dimpled smile and eyes aglow send your heartbeat stuttering.

As Namjoon's keying his phone number into your phone, Hoseok returns. The action doesn't go unnoticed by him, and the way he eyes your phone in Namjoon's hands has you squirming in your seat slightly. But Namjoon, gleeful with the hope of possible reconciliation, is none the wiser.

You, meanwhile, know that you’re in for a lot of explaining.

“It’s just a number, Hoseok,” you say the moment the subway pulls out of the station and away from Namjoon’s waving figure. It’s been sitting heavy on your tongue ever since the restaurant, and you take the first chance you get to spit it out. Never has the walk from the diner to the station felt so long.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Yeah,” you fold your arms, stumbling slightly on the rickety carriage, but you maintain your indignant expression, “but your look said everything.”

You exhale heavily as you grip back onto the grab pole. You continue, softer this time, “He’s just asking to be friends.”

Hoseok purses his lips and the silence sits for a moment.

“What are you thinking?” he eventually asks.

“I don’t know.” You shrug. “It’s just… a lot. What happened between us was a lot.”

You clear your throat and continue, “But the years of friendship in our little trio were a lot too. And tonight was a huge reminder of how good things used to be… of how good things could be.”

“So, what are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know.” You repeat, looking back at Hoseok now. “What should I do?”

“I can’t decide that for you.”

What a classic Hoseok response. Why did you even ask?

“He’s genuinely sorry,” you murmur, speaking more to yourself than to your brother.

“He is,” Hoseok affirms, his eyes softening now as he nods in agreement.

“And it’ll be just friends, nothing more.” Again, you’re not entirely sure of whether your words are meant to be consoling your brother or yourself.

“Do you want that? Being friends with him again and having him in your life again?”

Do you?

You try to consider it rationally, you really do.

But the emotions overtake you. Perhaps it’s from tonight’s dinner, a sampling of what it’d be like to have him as a friend again. Perhaps it’s the recognition of how wasteful it truly is to dump decades of friendship out the window.

Or perhaps it’s the revelation that you could never be angry with Namjoon, as much as you want to be. And you really want to be. He deserves it. After the way he let your relationship end without putting up a fight, after he left you shattered and the way you had to piece yourself back together shard by shard in the aftermath, he deserves your wrath.

But you can’t do it.

Especially not now when his repentance is so sincere. Not when he’s earnestly trying to make things right.

So do you want him back in your life? It’s irrational, it’s dumb, it’s risky, but you honestly could never help yourself when it comes to Namjoon.

“Yes,” you decide. “I’ve missed him, Hobi. I know it’s dumb to miss him after all these years and after what he did, but I still do.”

Hoseok slings an arm around you and pulls you into his chest. “Yeah, it’s pretty dumb,” he says, and you snort as you swat at his chest. “But if that’s how you feel, then that’s how you feel.”

“It’s been so strange,” comes your quiet admission. “He’s just always been there, y’know? And not having him around feels like having a limb missing.”

“Mmhm.” It’s barely a sound, but you know it’s Hoseok’s way of saying he understands, and it fills you with a deep sense of assurance and validation.

The train pulls to a stop, and you realize with a jolt that it’s your station. Reluctantly, you pull away from the hug and tug Hoseok out the doors. “C’mon.”

The apartment is just a few streets down from the station and, with your hands stuffed into the pockets of your jacket, your fists rubbing against the rough denim, you walk along silently. The sound of Hoseok’s footsteps beside you fades into rhythmical ambient noise the deeper you fall into thought.

It’s when you’re unlocking the door to your apartment, keys jangling, that Hoseok asks the very same question that you’ve been mulling over on the walk back.

“Can you forgive him?”

It’s surprising. Even to you. You always imagined it’d play out in either one of two ways- cutting words or punishing silence. But now that the moment has really arrived, you realize just how willing you are to extend forgiveness to him.

“I think I have to,” you begin slowly. “Not for him, but for me, y’know?” You nod, your certainty growing as you verbalize your thoughts. “Yeah. I have to do this. It’s getting tiring carrying all this resentment and bitterness around.”

The lock clicks open and you move to enter the apartment.

“Hey,” Hoseok says, placing a hand on your shoulder gently that has you pausing. “Whatever decision you make, just know that I support you.”

You wrap your brother in a quick side-hug. “Thanks, Hobi. That means a lot to me.”

Rolling over to switch your alarm off, you nestle back under the covers to catch a few more winks.

That’s when it all comes rushing back to you, and your initial plan to snooze is screwed. Did all that really happen? Did you really sit down to have dinner with Namjoon?

And did you really not reject his attempt at a peace offering? Young ____ would be so disappointed.

It feels a little unbelievable. I mean, sure, you’ve run into him more than a couple of times now. But never would you have imagined you would have him truly in your life again.

That is- if you would let him in. You haven’t replied to him, wanting to sleep on your decision for extra clarity.

Clarity, your ass. Through the thick fog of heavy sleep, it all feels like it could be nothing more than a fever dream.

But you can hear Hoseok’s snoring coming from the next room. And the memories of last night- the yellow lighting of the diner, the overly salty fries you kept picking at regardless, the jab of Hobi’s elbow into your side as he teased you, the way your sides ached from laughing so hard, the way those obsidian eyes pulled you in as they set on you from across the table- they’re too vivid to be made up.

And the one thing that will conclusively prove it- you prop yourself up to scroll through your contacts list. There. Sitting in your contacts is his name. The name you’d deleted off your phone all those years ago in a fit of anger, but now restored to its rightful place.

[8.03am] ____: hey joon, it’s ____.

You chew on your lip as you type and delete and re-type and repeat.

[8.07am] ____: do you have any plans for today? wanna do something?

[jimbuchan]

It's Not Proof You Need. It's Faith

On the whole, Cryptocurrency is still perceived as an elusive and complex subject to some, but it need not be. Perhaps the reason for this is due to the many conflicting articles and chatter, or perhaps it’s Bitcoin’s founder (still an anonymous figure) or the notion that you need to be either a computer scientist or Wall Street analyst in order to be ‘in the game’. At the end of the day it is a new asset class, no different than Equities, Fixed Income, Real Estate or Commodities, which equates to different kinds of money. So, what exactly is Money?  Simply put, it's a medium of exchange to get the things we need out of life. Anything added (or taken away) from this simple truth does nothing more than get away from the meaning, and authenticity of what money is. That being said, it would seem as though many are trying to put their 'spin' on this fact by leading us headlong into confusion... a story that is playing out today with Cryptocurrency and to which an honest and fair assessment of this asset class needs to be put in perspective. Let's look at the current money heavyweight... the US dollar. It is based on nothing more than trust. Trust that you believe it has value. Trust that you believe there are fair and honest custodians and trust that this form of value will continue to be the dominant currency into the future. Since 1972 with the decline of the Gold Standard, the greenback is the most widely-used method of the ‘honor system’ by a landslide… and it is virtually backed by nothing but your faith. This is no different with Cryptocurrency as it’s value is derived from those who believe it has a future. And if it’s an accounting that you need, just consider that Bitcoin, the first crypto is only 12 years old, and has ballooned to over 18 Million % in value, starting at a modest price of 0.0008/BTC, with a price today of $15,000/BTC at time of this writing (Nov. 2020). So what are some other items to consider when stacking up Cryptocurrency to other investments?

The Evidence Cup Runneth Over Prior to 2017, when the crypto market went bananas, it was more or less a space for fanatics with use-cases just being developed. In the early days of BlockChain and Cryptocurrency institutional investors and banks were considering holding or adopting crypto, with the market mainly propped-up by speculators but since this time, the tables have turned. Want evidence?

Tier-1 Banks (JP Morgan, BofA, Bank of England)

Family Offices (Winklevoss Capital, Galaxy Investment Partners)

Governments (US, China, Sweden)

Endowments (Yale, Harvard)

Institutional Investors (Grayscale / DCG, Rothschild Investment Corp.)

Enterprises (Square, PayPal)

This is of course in addition to the many accredited investors who have in the past balked at Bitcoin and are now singing its praises (such as billionaires Paul Tudor Jones and most recently Stanley Druckenmiller). They understand that the rise in it’s value is due to 2 things… mathematical certainty of the rise in value over time and scarcity of the asset. 

On the former, consider of the 21 Million that were available since the ‘Genesis Block’, there is currently only about 12% of Bitcoin left than can ever be mined, with an approximate 4 million lost forever, due to lost passwords or hard drives that were ditched when Bitcoin was just ‘magic internet money’. The confidence the early adopters have gained is simply understanding the inevitability of Cryptocurrency and the Grade 1 math that goes with recognizing it's value over time.  Essentially all that these rich investors did was devote a few minutes out of their day with a calculator and ranked it’s past performance with the current performance and compared this to the projected future of Bitcoin and that’s about it.  Why don’t more of us do the same? Misinformation or the immaculate perception that it’s a complicated affair. The truth however is that it’s more difficult for the retail investor to understand Stocks or Derivatives than Cryptocurrency. Going into a barn doesn’t make you a cow, and thus, getting into crypto doesn’t command you to be a Cryptologist. You need only apply the basics.

When You Believe It You’ll See It Once you discover the possibilities of crypto, it will be immediately apparent of its cool factor, and to get started only commands a small investment of say $25. For the newcomer in the space, the lights usually come on when making a transaction and then a transfer from your exchange to a hardware wallet, and for a lightning fast example of this would be XRP.  Once more folks realize the potential, the game will literally be up as while the institutional investors have bought in, and kept it a secret from the rest of us (to the best of their ability), this is changing and you ain’t seen nothin’ yet until the retail investors flood into the digital asset market.  So, the choice that commands your attention is to decide to wait until Bitcoin or other digital asset is far outside of the reach of attainment, or to become a pioneer and get in before the ‘herd’ says so. It’s sort of like investing in Amazon or Google at the dawn of the internet compared to years later. So what’s needed to get started? Just some guts and common sense, a few shekels and some time. The first step is to become familiar with the concept / history of Bitcoin, of which many videos are available on YouTube… too many to mention, but after watching a couple, it won’t take you long to familiarize yourself with the basics.  In discovering the space, you will notice that there are many Cryptocurrencies to choose from, but starting with Bitcoin is a general good first step, as it is the first, is the most liquid and is accepted at virtually all exchanges.  A common passage that you’ll soon discover is the term DYOR, or ‘do your own research’, which may be the best advice in evaluating different projects. Try to look for ones that have a long (in crypto terms) history, have multiple partnerships with firms you have heard of and which solves a real problem. If it doesn’t pass this litmus test, then it’s likely nothing more than a white paper which may amount to nothing.  You can then choose from many crypto exchanges such as Kraken, Binance or NDAX and open up an account. There is no cost to do so, and if you open up multiple accounts, you can determine which exchange is best for you as far at ease-of-use and preference. The exchange is where you will buy your crypto asset either with a bank or wire transfer or credit card. The amount need not be large… just enough to discover the ease of purchasing your first crypto. That wasn’t hard was it?

The final step, and the most critical is to self-custody your digital asset on a hardware wallet. While you trust your local financial institution to safeguard your dollars, with crypto you are the bank, and as such the custodian of your own funds. Remember, the exchange is where to acquire your crypto, and unless you are actively trading (a more advanced undertaking not recommended for the beginner) you need to ensure your funds are as safe as possible by ‘locking it up’ on a device that is not connected to the internet such as a Ledger or Trezor wallet.

The Future Starts Today, Not Tomorrow If the masses knew what was coming down the line in the coming years, they would certainly pay attention, but like many revolutionary technologies that have changed our way of life, the majority will see the light when it’s too late, and by that time the gains will be small in comparison to the (perceived) value of crypto today. If you have paid attention to the rise of Bitcoin over the years, you may say to yourself that its best days are behind you, but hindsight is 20/20, and in many respects, you’re still early to the party. Indeed, if you invested back in 2010, the gains would be staggering but many simply did not see the vision back then as it was in many regards the ‘wild west’.  The good news is that Bitcoin, and Cryptocurrency as a whole is still in its infancy and is just getting ready to crawl, and for evidence of this, one need only look at a comparison of the crypto market compared to other investment vehicles, and it will become evident there is still a lot of racetrack to go. Sometimes all that is required is just a leap of faith, and if you gird your loins and make small moves into the market, this is all that is needed to realize the value for yourself. Two final take-aways to consider is that Cryptocurrency is a new asset-class, and the last time one of these were devised was in the 1600’s when Bonds were created by the bank of England.  The final item to ponder on is the scarcity. There will only be 21 Million Bitcoin ever created, which is a mathematical certainty as it’s built into the code and cannot be devalued or inflated in the same way traditional money can. We’ve seen first-hand the seemingly endless printing of fiat currency, and this one aspect alone is why so many large institutions, governments and big businesses are hedging their bets with crypto as when the supply diminishes, the value increases. Taking all of this into consideration, the only unknown is your assessment (or more precisely, your ‘final judgement’) of crypto’s true value, but based on the facts, sentiment and respect that digital assets have commanded in just over a decade, the future seems very bright for its longevity and worth, both as a store of value and as a vehicle for answering decades-old obstacles, both monetary and business.

Title image by Crypto Graffiti / Dorian Nakamoto | Quote by Chris Harrald & Nick Willing / Ben Kingsley  ₿ Paper Wallet Certificate by BitcoinSuisseAG | All The World’s Money by The Visual Capitalist Ledger Nano S 'Whitepaper Edition' by Ledger SAS

[lifeasitis21]

Always Do

Imagine (Anon Request): Henry Cavill x Reader where the reader and Henry are co-stars and they slowly fall in love over the course of the film and they make their first moves during the press tour.

Pairing: Henry Cavill x Y/n Johnson

A/n: I hope you enjoy anon! Thanks for the request! 

He’d been doing this all day. He filmed himself literally everywhere the two of you went. Whether he was promoting the movie or just describing everything you were doing, he always had that camera in his face.

“Maybe a break, would be good for today..Yeah?” You interrupted.

Henry glanced over at you with that smile on his face. 

“Well it looks like, we’ll  have to see each other again tomorrow. But for now, goodbye from Y/n and I.” As he spoke he leaned over close to you, his head was basically in your lap. You gave the camera the best smile you could and waved goodbye to whoever would end up seeing the video. 

Henry was the only one out of the two of you that had any social media so when the producers asked him to post promotions for the movie every once and awhile, he really had no choice.

He turned off his phone and tossed it into one of his bags as the two of you arrived on set. You still had about 3 more months of filming left, but you enjoyed the plot of the movie and working with Henry was actually really fun. He made you laugh more than you cared to admit.

“Today’s gonna be a good day, I can feel it.” He said, optimistic as usual. 

You hopped out of the van and headed straight for your trailer to put your stuff away before makeup. Something Henry should have also been doing, but when you found him close on your heels you couldn't say you were surprised.

“Did you get that email from production? They moved that crazy fighting seen up to today.” He watched you move around your trailer, a lazy smile forming on his lips. “We get to film together, All. Day. Long.”

You glanced back at him as you grabbed a snack from your fridge.

“Say no more, you’ll get me too excited.” You said as sarcastically as you could. 

He just laughed it off as you walked past him towards the trailer door. 

Since it was Monday, the two of you headed off to the morning staff meeting. Just an overview of what was planned for the week. This action filled sci-fi featured both you and Cavill as the leads. You played strangers turned partners at the end of the world to put it broadly. Henry’s character had a love interest, but your character seemed to be too busy holding everything together. And no matter how many times the writers told him no, it didn't stop Henry from suggesting every other day that you should end up with him by the end.

Since filming began, the only place the two of you weren’t together was wardrobe and makeup. Most every scene featured the both of you, and if it didn’t, you always seemed to find Henry standing off to the side of set watching you act.

“Cavill and Johnson to set two!” 

As you made your way over, Henry jogged up beside you.

“May I say, you’re looking particularly bad ass today.”He said as he leaned in close to your ear.

You laughed a little and gave him a gentle shove. “Same goes for you Cavill.”

The set director put you into position and went over the scene with you once more before calling action.

You and Henry were set to be fighting back-to-back blasting creatures as they crawled out of the walls around you.

“And, action!”

The blasters sounded throughout the room as you put on your best “war face” and went through your steps.

“On your left!” You shouted. 

Behind you, Henry turned and fired at the wall where a creature would be CGI’d in during editing. 

After the two of you did your rehearsed dance around the room for awhile, firing at creatures, dodging attacks, Henry said his next line.

“I’m running low on ammo.”

You looked at him with a smirk on your face.

“There’s only a few left, I can take ‘em.” 

You prepared to do the move you’d practiced all day last week. You were supposed to take a few steps back and then run full speed at Henry, who would launch you off his thigh and fling you straight at a creature. The plan was for you to jump over the side of a balcony and land on the mat that'd been placed half a floor down off-camera. After firing your last round and then tackling a dummy creature down with you, all you had to do was tumble onto the mat.

Henry insisted he could toss you all the way to the mat without an issue and you’d voiced your concern that too many things could go wrong, but if it worked, it would look amazing. You didn't want to mess up the flow of the scene so without a word you started to run. Everything felt right as you ran at him, but he’d been just one too many inches off his mark, which caused you to overestimate how far away his leg was. You stepped too high up on his thigh, but before he realized, he had already set in motion tossing you to the mat. As you began to jump from his leg, your foot caught on his bicep and you flew through the air, knowing you were going to fall short of the mat.

In the little time you had, you did your best to fall the same way you would have on the mat but instead of padding, you crashed down hard onto concrete. 

The moment you hit the ground you yelled out in pain and they called cut. Henry ran down the stairs and straight to you. It was bad, you knew that much.

As quick as you could, you stood and put as much weight on your ankle as you could. It hurt like hell but you hid the pain.

“Someone get the medic over here!” The stunt director shouted.

You waved him off and took a moment to catch your breath. Henry had his arm around your waist, trying to take some of the weight off your ankle.

“No no no, I’m fine, I’m--I just need a second.” You walked over to a chair as normal as you could, wincing with every step.

“Shit Y/n. Fuck I am so sorry. Fuck.” Henry looked panicked as he walked beside you. 

“Don’t worry about it--I’m fine, just needed a second and--”

Behind you Ben Richards’, the head director, approached you with the set doctor beside him.

The doctor kneeled to remove your shoe but you stopped him before he could. 

“I think I’ll be okay, I just twisted it a little. It feels better already.” The smile on your face was weak. Nothing good ever happened when production was set back so you did your best to play it off as no big deal.

“Y/n, I don’t buy it.” Ben said. “Take the rest of the day. I’l send the PT to your trailer in, say an hour.”

“But Ben I--”

Ben kneeled down and gently grabbed your ankle, then he not so gently squeezed it, causing you to wince in pain.

“Fu--ck me! Shit.”

“That’s what I thought. Take the rest of the day kid.”

He placed a hand to your shoulder and sent Henry with you back to your trailer, probably to assure that you got there. You should have known Ben wouldn’t let this slide. He’d been an old family friend for as long as you could remember. The moment he told you about this movie you jumped at the opportunity to work with him. Which is why you felt so bad for potentially slowing down filming.

You were almost to your trailer now, but with every step your ankle throbbed. Henry was practically carrying you, but the last few feet he actually picked you up and carried you into your trailer.

As he set you down, you inhaled sharply. This was the part you were dreading. He helped you untie your shoe and gently began to pull it off.

As he did you could immediately see the bruising beginning, which hopefully meant it was a sprain instead of a break. 

Henry grabbed an ice pack from your freezer and wrapped it in a towel. He slowly laid it on top of your ankle that was now propped up on the couch.

“Y/n. I am so sorry.”

You smiled weakly up at him. “If you wanted to shoot that scene by yourself, all you had to do was ask.”

That brought a sad smile to his face and he motioned for you to sit up a little, so he could sit next to you. You rested your head against his shoulder and let your eyes close. He wrapped his arm around you as he leaned his head on top of yours.

“How’s the pain?” He said quietly.

“Manageable.” You said through partly gritted teeth.

He knew you were lying but he didn’t say anything. He held you for what felt like a long time, before his phone buzzed next to him.

He took his time as he read the text, then, “They need me back on set. We’re gonna film all we can today without you, so just take your time and rest.”

You felt a twinge of something as you remembered something from this mornings meeting.

“You have those scenes with Tiffany you can film right?”

He looked like he’d just remembered a bad memory. “That’s right, a whole bunch of looove scenes.”

He tried his best to joke but you could see the sympathy in his eyes as he looked down at you.

“It’s too bad, I was looking forward to making fun of the way you kiss during your scenes.”

“Looks like you’ll have to figure that out yourself.” 

Without responding, you raised a brow and scoffed.

“Um...that’s uh--not what I meant--I’m gonna, I should go.”

As Henry walk/jogged back to set he was mentally beating himself up. He could never talk to you. Since the first time he meet you over 6 months ago, he always found himself tripping over his own tongue. 

He arrived just in time to annoy the makeup artist, who had already warned him multiple times not to make a habit of showing up late.

He didn’t even say anything to him, he just rolled his eyes and powdered Henry with a look of annoyance in his eyes. Henry would need to add him to his mental list of people to buy coffees for tomorrow morning. To be fair though, the only other person on that list was you, and it would take more than coffee to make up for what he did.

“Cavill to set 2! Cavill to set 2!”

Henry noticed Tiffany talking to one of the directors as he approached. He didn’t hear everything but he gathered that she was discussing the sex scene that was supposed to take place between the two of them.

“--nd I think it would be best to add in at least one more scene. It just seems empty--oh, here he is now. Henry, don’t you think there should be at least one more love scene for our characters before the end scene with Y/n’s character?”

Henry was caught a little of guard, one because he’d had little interaction with Tiffany throughout the whole movie, and two because, if it was up to him, there would be no love interest with her at all.

“I’m not sure...I guess its hard to say.” He chose his words carefully. “More than one might come off as more serious than my character actually is about yours..Unless I’m reading it wrong. It seems like the two aren’t very seri--”

Before he could finish, someone directed the two to take their places. Luckily enough, as Tiffany seemed to disagree with whatever he was saying. 

Right now all he had to worry about was a simple kissing scene. He’d done a few before. It was always awkward, like kissing a nameless faceless being.

He thoughtlessly shot off his lines with as much passion as he could manage. It felt good as he finished. Tiffany in turn said her lines and waited as Henry reached for her hand and pulled her to him. She looked up into his eyes with what, if he didn’t know better, looked like a whole lot of desire. As he looked down at her though, he increasingly began to dread every other love scene he would have to shoot today.

As if in slow motion, he moved in and tried to trick his brain into simplifying it. Just close your eyes and kiss her. you’ve done it before. 

Henry followed every tip he’d ever been given for a good kiss scene and hoped for the best. As his lips met hers it began to feel like the kiss was going to last a lifetime. He’d suddenly became very grateful you weren’t here to see it.

“Aaand cut. That was, alright.”

Tiffany pulled back and glanced at him.

“I feel like it was empty. He’s not giving me anything. I mean, we just confessed our love for each other and it seems like--”

Before she could finish, Ben intervened.

“Actually, in this scene, your character confesses her love for him. He’s supposed to just be here. And Tiffany, I read over some of your notes for this scene and I’m sorry but I have to disagree about another love scene. That’s not where these two are headed, or my vision for what they are to each other.”

Tiffany apparently still disagreed and called for a break as she approached Ben. Henry, on the other hand, had never been so grateful for an interruption.

He pulled out his phone and typed in your name. 

--feeling any better?

He figured if you didn’t respond you had fallen asleep, which was a good thing. But moments after he sent it, he saw the little response bubbles pop up.

Y/n --much better. The PT came with pain killers so I’m doing just fine. Hows the make-out session going?

--Just as horrible as I imagined it.

He needed to tread lightly, he knew that. But he’d never met anyone he could talk to like he talked to you. If there was anyone he would share his feelings with, it would be you...that is, if the feelings he had weren’t for you.

Y/n--Sad day. Make sure you come see me for lunch and tell me all about it. I miss you :(

The idea of you lying on your couch right now made him want to sprint to your trailer just to be with you. 

--I miss you too. Much more... He stopped himself before pressing send. He’d never spoken to you like this before, but then again, he’d never felt so turned off by kissing someone else before either.

Before he could even decide what to do, he was pulled from his thoughts by a director calling his name. It surprised him, and without even realizing, he pressed send and put his phone away without a second thought.

It only took you a week to heal and get back to work again, which you were very happy about.

Everyday of the week you were hurt though, someone brought you flowers, and Henry, he never left your side the entire time. As much as he could be with you, he was with you. He spent the entire time seemingly dedicated to making you smile. And who could ask for more than that? Those last 3 months went by way too fast. After filming ended you had about 2 weeks of down time before the press tour began. 

You hadn’t even realized until you met Henry that you both lived in the same city. Almost every day of your break he would text you. If he wasn’t inviting you over to his house he was asking to go to yours. Most nights the two of you spent together were in his apartment watching movies, drinking, eating. Basically whatever you wanted to. 

In that time, you realized that you two could talk for hours. Eventually you got bored spending all day together, but you never wanted to be anywhere else. You wanted to be bored with him. 

Sometimes late at night, you would think about the text he’d sent you the day you got hurt. You were lying in your trailer when you got it. You couldn’t get those love scenes out of your mind. You began to get protective, but you never told him that. And when he told you he missed you, you believed him. Maybe that was a mistake.

As soon as the break came though, it was gone even quicker. The press tour wasn’t your favorite thing in the world, it almost seemed like more work than the actual movie, but it was apart of the job.

The first few days of the tour you had interviews with both Henry and Tiffany. Though the movie was focused on the two of you, everyone ate up the sappy love story between him and Tiffany. 

You arrived for the meeting wearing a dress your agent had chosen for you. When she texted you the picture of it, she said --this interview is casual business attire..? With a shrugging emoji included.

It was a comfortable enough champagne colored dress that flowed loosely. When you arrived with your agent, the two of you walked into the building together.

“It’s a simple one person interview, no press. The bigger stuff is at the end of the week.”

“Thank you for that.” You said, grateful you were getting this stuff over with first.

She led you to the interview room, and both Henry and Tiffany had beaten you here. As you walked in you noticed the two in conversation, but as soon as he saw you, you could of sworn his eyes lit up a bit. He met you halfway and wrapped you in his arms like he hadn’t seen you for months. But you reciprocated, because you couldn't imagine doing anything else.

As you released each other, you walked over to the chair on the end and gave Tiffany a hug, which she returned.

The three of you sat down together, Tiffany in the middle of the three chairs, and waited for the reporter. 

When he showed up, he had a huge smile on his face, and he wasted no time starting the interview.

He started with some baseline questions about the movie production and filming. Mostly to get them out of the way, but you let Tiffany and Henry do most the talking on those. 

“So Y/n, I heard that you may have injured yourself during filming, is that--?”

“Yes, thats true. Henry and I had been practicing a stunt for one of the scenes, but during filming I misstepped and twisted my ankle.”

The interviewer grimaced a little as Henry chimed in.

“She’s very kind, It was actually completely my fault. I felt like a huge jerk.”

You leaned forward a little and smiled over at Henry. “No hard feelings though.”

“Your two characters are very close in this movie, would you say that?”

Both you and Henry nodded your heads.

“One thing that viewers are really excited to see is the friendship dynamic the two of you share. It seems to be very special, you guys obviously have a real connection, do you think that connection will come through on screen?”

Before answering, Henry glanced over at you to see if you had an answer prepared. You looked back at him, giving him the go ahead.

“Oh I’m sure it will. Y/n and I, in my opinion, instantly clicked when we first met.”

“I agree. Of course” You said. “The friendship we found, and still have, it’s almost impossible for it to not be on screen, because every scene we acted out played off of very real feelings of protection for or investment in one another.”

From behind the camera, your agent shot you a thumbs up at your answer. She tended to do so in every interview you had.

“And because I have to ask, was there a lasting chemistry between you, Henry, and Tiffany that maybe showed up after the on-screen relationship the two of you had?”

The question caught you all of guard but you were somehow still expecting it. Beside you, Tiffany awkwardly laughed and placed a slight hand on Henry’s knee for just a second before taking it back.

“Like they say, a movie’s just a movie..until it’s not.”

On the inside her words hit you like a bus. Your eyes wanted to bulge out of your head at her answer, but this was all on camera, so on the outside, you smiled and glanced over at Tiffany as if you were keeping a secret with her.

On the other side of her though, Henry’s reaction was a little more telling by it not being a reaction in the slightest. No smile, no movement. It wasn’t until his own agent motioned at him off camera, that he faked a laugh that didn’t make it to his eyes.

After that, the interview ended and the three of you exchanged thank you’s and you’re welcome’s. As soon as you made it into the hallway with Henry, Tiffany came bursting through the door and intertwined her arm with his.

“Henry, don't be mad, but this is what everyone is expecting of us,” then she glanced sideways at you and lowered her voice. “and don't act like that night you came to ‘run lines’ with me, that nothing happened.”

“We kissed Tiffany.” It hurt him to say it. Even more so with you so close. “The first night we began filming, and then never again. That is nothing.”

It made your stomach turn to even think about it. You picked up the pace and left them behind you. All the while convincing yourself this had nothing to do with you.

As you walked towards your agent who was standing next to the car, she saw the look on your face, which she understood as she glanced behind you.

When you got closer she opened your door for you to get in and followed behind you.

“What the fuck was that?” She asked, closing the door behind herself.

“None of my business.” 

She took the hint.

“Uh, Next interview is a little bigger. Press is allowed, just the two of you though.”

Her words drifted over your head as you stared out your window. Something inside of you felt broken and you didn’t know how to fix it.

You could feel yourself shutting down as you walked backstage for your next press conference. You stood there and waited for them to motion you on. 

Henry came up beside you and placed his hand around your arm, pulling you gently towards him. 

“Y/n. I don’t know why she feels the need to do this, but I told her I wasn’t going to. And that night, it was--”

You pulled your arm from his grasp and looked up at him.

“You don't need to explain this to me.” Your voice was calm and detached.

He flinched when you said it and if it hadn’t of been for your queue to go on stage it would have gotten to you.

As you walked out, with him following you, you smiled bright and waved as a crowd of press and audience members applauded.

“Let’s Welcome, Y/n Johnson and Henry Cavill of Atomic Expression!” 

The two of you sat down on the couch on stage as the interviewer smiled bright and shook your hand.

“We are so happy to have you here! Y/n, Henry. I’ll start by saying, a better cast could not have been chosen for this movie. How many of you saw the trailers and wanted to grow up to be Y/n.”

She raised her hand and looked out towards the crowd who did the same. You laughed and thanked her for the compliment.

“So, what was your experience with this role?” She started.

You took a quick breath to steady before answering.

“If I had to use one word...Empowering. I got to play this woman who without fail, always came out on top, and who did it with grace and honor. It was definitely one of my favorites.”

The audience applauded your answer as Henry watched you with a smile on his face.

“And Henry, your character seems to get the best of both worlds. Both an unmistakable bond through friendship and love with the main characters, what was that like?”

“Well, actually that’s something that I worked on a lot with directors and Y/n.” When he said your name you glanced over at him, with no idea what he was going to say. 

“We really wanted my character to be more complex than just someone who gets the girls. It’s more than just a love story in that sense. I think Y/n’s character ends up being more to him than he planned or could even imagine.”

You tried to look like you knew what he meant but you were afraid you were failing. 

You thought it best if you tried to salvage his answer into something a little less revealing but before you could say anything the interviewer latched onto what he said.

As she leaned in closer with a huge smile on her face, the crowd reacted with applause and shouts. 

“We don’t want you giving too much away because you’ll drive us all crazy. So I’ll ask a different question. Throughout the entire film process fans got to see your faces all over social media. Why did you decide to record yourselves so often?”

He smiled when she asked that and looked over at you. “At some points Y/n didn’t appreciate a camera in her face, which is understandable. But I think it’s important to document your life experiences, especially if it’s something you don’t ever want to lose.”

“Y/n appeared in most, if not all of those videos. And from what we could tell, it was really just day to day stuff?”

She looked at you when she said that so you took it as a queue to answer with something.

“Yeah, Henry would film pretty much every thing we did on set. When we weren’t filming together, we were just around each other a lot, so there’s a lot of behind the scenes of what is essentially our lives when we’re together.”

As you spoke, a smile made it’s way onto his lips and it wouldn’t go away. He loved hearing you talk.

A pause in the conversation prompted the interviewer to pick up a stack of white cards.

“I have some fan questions I want to ask the both of you if you don’t mind. Y/n this fan asked what you would want to do if you weren’t an actor?”

You decided to keep it short and sweet. “Explore the world with a soulmate.” It was an honest answer, the host seemed to like it.

“Beautiful. And Henry, what’s your favorite thing about being an actor?”

“I get to meet some extraordinary people.” He didn’t miss a beat.

His answer got the attention of the audience as they hollered and clapped.

“This next ones for the both of you. Kind of a cute one. Do you believe in love at first sight?”

You two couldn't help but laugh a little as you both saw where this was going. You were a little lost for words, but that’s when Henry grabbed your hand and said, “I don’t know, Y/n look at me.”

You let the smile on your face take over as you looked over at him. He looked at you a second too long before looking back to the host and letting go of your hand.

“Oh yeah. Definitely.”

The crowd erupted along with the host herself. The interview had run it’s time and she did her best to quiet the audience so she could close out with one more promotional.

She walked the two of you backstage as you waved and blew a kiss to the flashing cameras and the crowd who was still going wild.

You kept the calm smile on your face as the two of you walked out of the studio. As you did, you leaned towards Henry and told him to ride with you to the hotel. There were a few cameras outside near the car and the two of you stood together and smiled for one more picture before getting inside.

As soon as the driver pulled away you winded up and punched him in the arm.

“Ow, what!” He said, flinching away.

“What the fuck was that you asshole?!”

He laughed as much as he dared to and then just looked forward. “The truth.”

Without another word, you turned and kept your eyes forward, the ghost of a smile tugging at your lips.

The car pulled up outside the hotel you were both staying at. You opened your door and made your way inside without waiting for him. He caught up to you anyway.

On the elevator ride up he tried to test the waters.

“You look great in that dress. I meant to say something earlier.”

You didn't respond.

The elevator dinged and let the two of you out on your shared floor. Your rooms, as if by fate, were right next to each other so he had yet another excuse to walk with you. 

As the two of you approached the rooms you’re heart began to beat unexplainably fast. 

His door came first. He swiped his key card and pushed the handle down. The moment he did you turned to him and pulled him into a deep kiss. You pushed him back into his room and let the door shut behind you. 

When he realized, it’s like he came alive. 

He lifted you up and rested your back against his door. His hands found your jaw and deepened the kiss, if that was even possible. Everything began to spin, the way he smelled was intoxicating. He pulled back for air and his lips found your jawline. He littered it with passionate kisses, moaning every time he made contact. And god was that a sound you could hear forever.

You ran your hand through his thick hair and pulled him closer to you, and like he heard your mind, he found your lips with his once again. 

This time though, he pulled away and lowered you to the ground. You missed the contact immediately. 

What you expected to see was regret or confusion, but when you looked up at him, he was just taking you in. Like it was the first and last time he would ever lay eyes on you. He timidly ran his thumb over your bottom lip, you closed your eyes at his touch.

Beginning at your forehead, he placed a kiss there, followed by your temple. He gently kissed your eyelid and worked his way down your jaw once more.

“kiss me, please.” Your voice was low, a quiet desperation.

He pulled you close, but this kiss sent a chill down your entire body. This one was different. This one was breathtaking. It couldn’t have lasted a second too long.

Rain ticked the glass windows of the loft. This was the first cloudy day you’d had since arriving. You sat on the couch with Henry’s phone in your hand, watching the rain fall in the streets. As you scrolled through videos he’d taken during filming, you came across one you’d never seen anywhere before. You glanced up towards the stairs to listen for him, when you didn’t hear him you pressed play.

It started in a dimly lit room. It was the break hall that’d been on set. Across the room you saw yourself sitting on the couch with a book in your lap. You remembered that day. Henry was across the room walking towards you. He held the camera on you and walked slowly. 

“There she is, reading as always.” He whispered but you could hear the smile in his voice.

He stopped a ways off of you and zoomed in a little. You hadn’t noticed him yet,  but as your head was down a smile graced your lips.

“My god. Look at that...I’m gonna marry that girl one day.” A small laugh escaped him as he continued towards you.

The video ended just as he’d asked you what you were reading. 

Above, you heard footsteps and you tossed his phone aside as he descended the stairs, hair still dripping from the shower.

“Well it looks like walking down to the Louvre is out of the question today..but we can always go tomorrow, unless you still want to today?” He asked.

“A day in sounds perfect to me.” A sweet smile settled on your lips as you watched him walk towards you.

“Okay. Did you miss me?” He said with a grin. He leaned down over you a placed a kiss to your lips.

“I always do.”

Tag List: @jaderbugz @a-girl-who-loves-disney @chillnadia @pietrosprincess@cojootromuelle @smexy-bucky-waifu  @maragaretcarter  @supersleepyfangirlthings  @shortstoryimagines  @omg-fuck-i-love-you  @thebutterflyxx  @posiemax @tomhollambucky @samdean-67

[officialkmi]

UNDERRATED ARTIST: 24K

Okay, so when it comes to “24K,” I’ve heard of them, but I never got the chance to really delve into the group. They were a group I said I’d check out later, but they always slipped my mind. So, they’re naturally my first underrated group because even I’m guilty of not giving them the attention they deserve. And boy do they deserve it!

First thoughts

So, to get my first thoughts, I actually checked a KPop group website, which lists member info and details about them. This is usually what I do when getting into a group because I feel nervous over ages. I’m not exactly a minor anymore and I like listening to idols closer to my age. It doesn’t feel awkward having a bias in the group, that way. The first thing that popped out to me is their style. The photos released for “Bonnie & Clyde” are just really cool. They are all using the same color palette and style, which I don’t see as much for boy groups. The style will usually be the same, but matching colors aren’t usually something I associate with boy groups. The age range of the members is really good for my generation. I think it works well for high school age students, college age students, and even fans out of college (like me, though I’m only 21). The oldest is a 90 liner and the maknae is a 99 liner. It’s not often that you see a smaller group with a nine-year age range, but I think it works really well since it means it can attract a variety of fans.

One thing that I think is very important to note is that the members have social media. They have both instagram and twitter. I’m active on both, so I love being able to see posts by artists and see what they’re doing. To have a group where the members each have an instagram/twitter gives the opportunity for fans to see them interact while also showing if they interact with any other idols on social media as well. (ex: I’ve seen members of KARD interacting with each other and other artists). 

Initial Bias

When I first get into groups, I try to pick a member that sticks out to me the most. It makes me more likely to look into the group because I want to learn more about this member. By time I’m done learning about that member, I’ve also learned about the others and slowly come to learn that there is no such thing as having just one bias in a group.

The member who caught my interest the most is Jeunguk. Looking at his profile, he’s a 93 liner, so four years older than me. He also fits my typical type when it comes to biases: a rapper (there are exceptions to this...but not many). I think, if I’m being honest, his hair is what caught my eye. Reading about his love of dance really catches my attention, especially. To me, choreography is one of the things that I love of boy groups. Especially ones with the sound that 24K has. Just listening to “Bonnie & Clyde” tells me that they should have great choreography that I love (spoiler alert: they do).

Favorite Songs

Okay, so, I didn’t listen to every 24K song, but I kinda listened to a few pieces here and there to see which ones popped out and then listened to the full length of those. It was really hard to choose, though. The newest EP, especially, has such a wide range of music that it really shows their abilities. For me, my top three would be:

1) “Bonnie & Clyde” (Bonnie & Clyde) - this song is exactly my type. It kinda makes me think of some of the sounds I hear from groups like NCT, which are my primary pick for drive to work songs. Even though I usually hate strongly dislike songs about girls because, hey, I can’t really relate or make myself say, “Hey, this song is towards me,” the sound of this one is too good not to love! It’s something which really gets me pumped and, if I could dance, I’d definitely love it. I also recommend watching the MV because that is my ideal video. It’s colorful, has amazing editing, features the guys being guys in many parts, and really highlights their choreography. For a song like this, you need to highlight the choreography because choreography is what makes this kind of sound really work.

2) “Only You” (Addiction) - okay, so the song name sounded like it’d be a ballad. Which is fine, I love ballads, but they’re hard to pull off as music videos (and “Only You” does have a music video). Let me tell you, I was completely wrong. This music video may be one of my favorites of all time. The use of color, of props, the balance of matching outfits but also unique ones. This is an ideal video that makes my video editing heart swoon. However, the strength of the song isn’t just in the music video. The song itself is amazing! It’s so catchy and the chorus just hooks me so well. I’m honestly listening to this one on repeat as I type because it’s just that amazing. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do and I’d like to know why I wasn’t told about this song sooner.

3) “BINGO” (The Real One) - Okay, so this choice shouldn’t surprise anyway who knows I’m a fan of Boys Republic and Stray Kids. It’s got that real dark feeling to it that makes you pumped to listen. It’s the kind of song I’m looking forward to buying on iTunes when I’m not broke again and I can hear my coworkers yelling at me for singing to myself at work as I fold (yes, I’m that coworker, but usually you can’t hear me). However, I should definitely note that, while the song is amazing and the video and acting in it are great, you shouldn’t watch the music video for “BINGO” if you have the following triggers: guns, violence, blood, death. It’s one of those videos where they decide to kill the group members (there’s another group that did that...but I can’t remember which one).

I promise I’m not just lazily choosing songs that having music videos. This group is one of the few that I can say has multiple MVs released in a row that I like. (So, multiple comebacks where I love the songs + the music videos + the sound). I think I know...three groups off the top of my head that have been this successful at making me fall for them. It’s amazing that I’ve never listened to 24K, though, because they’re exactly my type and I really owe it to the person who contacted me about them because my life has clearly been lacking up until now. They even did the suit jacket without a shirt underneath before everyone else did (in “Only You.”)

You’ll like them if you like...

I feel as though fans of groups like NCT will definitely love them because I can see similarities in the sound (in a good way) which will attract fans of either group to each other. Additionally, if you like Boys Republic or Stray Kids, you may love some of the older work they have. The intro of the Bonnie & Clyde EP may also attract the love of fans of groups like BTS who like the Outros on BTS’ CDs or other rap-heavy tracks. For me, I’m a huge fan of Korean rap so I especially love songs that are rap-heavy (and ballads. I’m versatile. Oops).

Final words

What I love about 24K is that they have a variety of sounds, meaning they can appeal to a variety of fans. It threw me off when listening to the Bonnie & Clyde EP since it’s only a handful of songs yes there’s a lot of variety there. Usually for an EP, I like the sounds to be more uniform. I felt as though I might’ve skipped a few songs on the Bonnie & Clyde EP because they did jump around a lot in my ears, but “To.For You” would’ve made it on my ballad playlist and I’d definitely listen to “Bonnie & Clyde” every day before work for a good month before I got tired (then it’d be one I wouldn’t skip if it came on shuffle, but I wouldn’t add it to my five I must listen to during the drive). If you know anything about my music habits, you’d know that’s a compliment. Even with BTS’ newest album, only three songs are regularly listened to by me. Four if I’m in the mood.

I do hope to see more from 24K. I’d like to get the chance to learn more about the members and eventually call myself a 24U. Wish me luck and pray that I have a good paycheck since I’ll be buying a few songs of theirs once it hits!

[jovandawkins]

Music, Economics, and Beyond

"The whole point of digital music is the risk-free grazing" --Cory Doctorow Cory Doctorow, Canadian journalist together with co-editor and of the off-beat blog Boing Boing, is an activist in favor of liberalizing copyright laws and a proponent in the Creative Commons nonprofit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon lawfully and to share. Doctorow and others continue to write prolifically about the apocalyptic changes facing Intellectual Property in general along with the music industry in specific. In this article, we will explore the cataclysm facing U. S. industry in the portal example of the music industry, a simple industry in comparison to those of automotive or energy. However , within the simplicity of this example we may uncover some lessons that apply to all industries. In his web-article, "The Inevitable March of Recorded Music Towards Free, " Michael Arrington tells us that music DVD sales continue to plummet alarmingly. "Artists like Prince and Nine Inch Nails are flouting their brands and either giving music away or telling their fans to steal it... Radiohead, which is not any longer controlled by their label, Capitol Records, put their new digital album on sale on the Internet for no matter what price people want to pay for it. " As many others have iterated in recent years, Arrington reminds us that with regard to effective legal, technical, or other artificial impediments to production can be created, "simple economic theory dictates that the price of music [must] fall to zero as more 'competitors' (in the following case, listeners who copy) enter the market. " Unless sovereign governments that subscribe to the Universal Copyright laws Convention take drastic measures, such as the proposed mandatory music tax to prop up the industry, there pretty much exist no economic or legal barriers to keep the price of recorded music from falling toward zero. With response, artists and labels will probably return to focusing on other revenue streams that can, and will, be exploited. Especially, these include live music, merchandise, and limited edition physical copies of their music. According to author Stephen M. Dubner, "The smartest thing about the Rolling Stones under Jagger's leadership is the band's workmanlike, corporate method to touring. The economics of pop music include two main revenue streams: record sales and traveling profits. Record sales are a) unpredictable; and b) divided up among many parties. If you figure out how to tour efficiently, meanwhile, the profits--including not only ticket sales but also corporate sponsorship, t-shirt sales, etc ., --can be staggering. You can essentially control how much you earn by adding more dates, whereas it's hard to overpower how many records you sell. " ("Mick Jagger, Profit Maximizer, " Freakonomics Blog, 26 July 2007). In order to get a handle on the problems brought about by digital media in the music industry, we turn to the data the majority relied upon by the industry. This data comes through Neilsen SoundScan which operates a system for gathering information and tracking sales. Most relevant to the topic of this column, SoundScan provides the official method for tracking gross sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. The company collects data on a every week basis and makes it available every Wednesday to subscribers from all facets of the music industry. Like for example , executives of record companies, publishing firms, music retailers, independent promoters, film entertainment producers and their distributors, and artist management companies. Because SoundScan provides the sales data used by Billboard, the leading trade magazine, for any creation of its music charts, this role effectively makes SoundScan the official source of sales records inside the music industry. Quo vadis? According to Neilsen Soundscan, "In a fragmented media world where technology is usually reshaping consumer habits, music continues to be the soundtrack of our daily lives. According to Music 360 2014, Nielsen's third annual in-depth study of the tastes, habits and preferences of U. S. music listeners, 93% of the country's population listens to music, spending more than 25 hours each week tuning into their favorite songs. " For most Americans, music is the top form of entertainment. In a 2014 survey, 75% of respondents claimed that they actively chose to listen to music over other media entertainment. Music is part of our lives across all times of the day. One fourth of music listening takes place while driving or riding in autos. Another 15% of our weekly music time takes place at work or while doing household chores. It has end up no surprise over the past five years that CD sales have diminished while download listening and sales get increased. Bob Runett of Poynter Online comments, "Start waving the cigarette lighters and swaying aspect to side--the love affair between music fans and their cell phones is getting more intense. Phones with audio capabilities will account for 54 percent of handset sales globally in five years, according to a report talking to firm Strategy Analytics Inc. The report suggests that we keep watching the growth of cellular tunes decks (CMDs), devices that deliver excellent sound quality and focus on music more than images. " ("A Few Notes About Music and Convergence, " 25 November 2014) Stephen J. Dubner summed in the mess quite well almost a decade ago. "It strikes me as ironic that a new technology (digital music) can have accidentally forced record labels to abandon the status quo (releasing albums) and return to the past (selling singles). I sometimes think that the biggest mistake the record industry ever made was abandoning the pop sole in the first place. Customers were forced to buy albums to get the one or two songs they loved; how many albums can you claim that you truly love, or love even 50% of the songs--10? 20? But now the people have talked: they want one song at a time, digitally please, maybe even free. " ("What's the Future of the Music Sector? A Freakonomics Quorum, " 20 September 2007). Like many of us, I (Dr. Sase) also have worked for a musician/producer/engineer/indie label owner releasing esoterica since the 1960s. While occasionally made an adequate living off my movies, I also developed my talents as an economist, earning a doctorate in that field. Therefore , I thought from this dual perspective of an economist/musician. The post-future, as many music pundits call it, does not really change that much from the past. How and why folks obtain their music continues to reflect at least three linked decision drivers. We can summarize the three most relevant as 1) Content, 2) Durability, and 3) Time-Cost. Let us explain further. 1) Content When I started to record music in the early 1960s, the market has been filled with "one-hit wonders. " It was the age of AM (amplitude modulation), DJ radio. It was also the age of this 45 RPM record with the hit on the A Side and usually some filler cut on the M Side. It was not uncommon for anyone with a 2-track reel-to-reel to "download" the one hit desired from their favorite broadcast station. There were few groups that offered entire twelve-inch LPs with mostly great songs. The first these LP that I purchased was Meet the Beatles by those four lads from Liverpool. Click here Jovan Dawkins During the late nineteen sixties, the industry turned more to "Greatest Hit" collections by groups that had previously turned out a archipelago of AM hits and to "concept" albums. During this golden age of LP sales, the Beatles, your Stones, the Grateful Dead, Yes, King Crimson, and numerous other groups released albums filled with sound content. Bottom line: consumers don't mind paying for product if they feel that they are receiving value. 2) Durability How come would someone buy a twelve-inch LP when they could borrow a copy and tape record the tunes to a reel-to-reel or, later on, to a compact cassette? The answers at that time were simple. First, it was "cool" to have a great album collection, especially one that a member of the opposite gender could thumb through in your dorm room. Let us simply say that one's album collection could inform another party about people's tastes and possible sub-culture and personality. Therefore , an attractive collection provided a certain degree of social currency. May well this account for the resurgence of vinyl in recent years? The second part of the equation came in the form of actual product flexibility. Like current downloads, self-recorded reel-to-reel and cassette tapes generally suffered from some loss of fidelity in the change. More importantly, the integrity and permanence of the media also left something to be desired. Thirty to $ 40 . 00 years ago, tape would flake, break, and tangle around the capston. Unless one backed up their collection for a second-generation tape, many of one's favorite tunes could be lost. Today, computer hard drives crash. Without the expense of additional hard drive and the time involved to make the transfer, the same durability issues ensue. What about CDs? Since several of us who use CD-Rs for multiple purposes know, the technology that instantly burns an image actually leaves a product that remains more delicate and subject to damage in comparison to a commercially fabricated CD, stamped with a metal master. Will the Internet clouds provide the same level of comfort for music producers and listeners? We might just have to wait and see. 3) Time-Cost This third element basically reflects the old "tape is running/time-is-money" economic argument and may explain why younger music-listeners prefer to download songs either legally or illegally. The idea echoes the same economics that led listeners in the 1960s to record their favorite hits off of the radio. That substance of the argument has to do with how an individual values his/her time. If music-lovers works for a low per hour wage (or often no income at all), they will value the time spent downloading, backing up, and switching cuts in terms of what they could be earning during the same time. Let us consider the following example. Assuming that twelve packages or a comparable CD costs $12. 00, a baby-sitter earning $6 per hour could afford to spend even though two hours of time ripping music to achieve the same value. However , someone with a skilled trade or a degree may be earning $24. 00 or more per hour. Spending more than one half hour at ripping would exceed the worth derived. The counter-argument of the time-cost of travelling to a brick-and-mortar music store gets offset by a persons ability to log-on to Amazon or elsewhere in less than a minute and possibly receive free shipping. The market will constantly change as the primary market demographic ages. It happened with the Baby-Boomers of the 1960s and 1970s therefore will happen with Generation X, Y and Z in the current century. The bottom line of all of this debate rests on the fact that a consumer will choose the mode of deliverable that optimizes his/her bundle of values. The following bundle includes quality and quantity of content, durability, and time-cost effectiveness. These remain the lessons that will music makers and music deliverers must understand to survive. The more things change, the more they continue to be the same. "When I'm drivin' in my car, And that man comes on the radio, He's tellin' me more and more, Approximately some useless information, Supposed to fire my imagination, I can't get no, oh no, no, no . inch -Michael Philip Jagger, British Economist, London School of Economics In conclusion, we recognize that certain values inspire consumers as well as businesses. These values include content, durability, and time cost. It does not matter whether the good and service under consideration exists in the form of real, personal, or intellectual property. The premise remains the same for making favorite songs, building automobiles, teaching economics, and providing legal services.

[jenroses]

Bidding is open, go bid

For Fandom Loves Puerto Rico I’m offering: 

Fic (2k+, $30 and up, YOI, OMGCP preferred, others possible see entry.)

Examples in this length-range include: Mama Bittle's Rule Number One Each individual chapter of  Transition: Coming Out is pretty much a short story. Chapter 1 is just over 2k and chapter 2 is a bit over 3k. 

I’ve got one bid already... can we send more than $30?

Filk (fandom music, either me or my husband, depending on fandom/topic)

Lyrics for $20 and up, youtube video if we are able for $100+ bid.  My lyrics:  My Girl (A Check Please! Filk)  Jack Came Back  (Doctor Who/Torchwood)

Hubby has written something north of 400 different filks on a huge range of topics. He’s been nominated multiple times for Pegasus awards. Singular They  How to be Vorish (Lois Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga: Brothers in Arms) The Shipping Shuffle (very multifandom, hilarious.) Greek Humanities (Proclaimers parody of Greek history.) Blame it All on Obama (Political satire ttto: La Bamba) Crispy Danish (John Woo’s Hamlet) The Luidaeg (TTTO: The Loveshack, @seananmcguire‘s October Daye universe) The Lion’s Cross (TTTO: The Southern Cross, Narnia) I’ve Read Everything (all the fandoms, Johnny Cash parody) Those are just a few. He’s taken random personal stories and turned them into filk. He’s summarized whole books in filk form. If you don’t know if he’s familiar enough with your fandom to try, ask, and I’ll check with him. (He’s not on Tumblr.) Chances are he’ll be the one fulfilling this one, unless we end up doing something together or I get bit hard by a muse.

Cover design (Buy it now with potential for dingbat add-on.)

These are only $20 each! I’m offering up to five, which, if people got all of them, would send $100+ to Puerto Rico!

Examples behind the cut

For example, @yukarikitsune9 sent me this for a big bang:  

And I turned it into this:

(These are both lower res versions--the story has the full versions.)

In the case of Transition: Questioning, I took a font very visually similar to the show’s title font and tweaked it for readability (i.e. using smallcaps where the show’s title doesn’t) and then applied visual effects in Photoshop to give the “broken ice” look the show’s logo has. The series title is flat in the background and the story title has dimensionality. Adding text to a background image can be tricky when it comes to readability. I have a lot of tools to keep everything eye-catching and visible. 

For my Merlin story, @procoffeinating sent me this:

Which is breathtaking. And I found fonts which reflected both the story and the artwork, and did an enormous amount of designing in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to get the text just right for this story. Then I found other fonts which worked well as bases for artwork for scene breaks. 

Here’s the finished cover:

There comes a point in the story where there’s some wild earth magic making things grow, so the four fonts involved in this cover end up making a lot of narrative sense. Also, there’s a squirrel on the K in king. The text echoes and is shaped by the background image, and despite the ornate frippery, remains easily and immediately readable. Most readers would not register unless told that there are many fonts involved, because of how they are placed. Also, in the design of this, I ended up with multiple layers of text to get the desired effect, and went down to the point-by-point vector level to manipulate the fonts so that the swoops and curls would look dimensional, curving in and out of the other letters where they overlap. That’s not always necessary, but it was here, to give the text the same glowing metallic appearance of the trim on Merlin’s clothing. 

I was so taken by the ornamentation on Merlin’s clothes that I wanted scene breaks to match (and flow with the story.)

Some of the dingbats look like this:

I physically can’t draw right now, but I am good in Photoshop and InDesign and have years of professional graphic design experience. Those dingbats are ALL taken from free fonts and heavily manipulated. I can also theoretically generate scene breaks from the cover artwork, depending on the cover artwork.

This one came from a prop picture, if I remember correctly.

Clip art

From internal artwork

So these all come from a variety of sources but end up as a cohesively designed whole. I controlled size in AO3 but would keep everything a consistent, pre-specified width for this Buy-it-now. If all are font-based, $10 will be for up to 5 scene break images. More than 5 if you pick out the font dingbats ahead of time and just want me to apply effects as a batch. 5 if I have to find them. For complex editing (removing a sword from a stone and putting it on a white background with a drop shadow as a scene transition, for example) $10 will cover one. If I’m cropping and framing from existing artwork without massive editing other than a consistent frame (I can batch process) then up to 5 of those. No more than one mode per $10 donation (So I’ll do dingbats *or* complex cutting  *or* crop-and-frame.)

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ARTWORK and need me to track down photos with the right permissions (free to manipulate with or without credit, see pexels dot com for examples of completely free, unrestricted photos) I am willing to do that, but flexibilty is a must in that case. Screenshots from the canon material may work. 

Photo manipulation from sources can be infinitely variable, especially in book covers. An example of a free photo with open permission:

And my manipulation for an article (not a cover)

[nemolian]

The Death of Bon Appétit Is Proof Media Companies Have No Idea What Makes Videos Work

There are a zillion reasons why I have been mourning the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen. The one that hurts most is that the slow, drawn-out death of one of the most joyful YouTube channels on the internet could have easily been prevented.

If you haven’t been keeping up with the drama, the shit first hit the fan on June 8, when writer Tammie Teclemariam tweeted a photo of then Bon Appétit Editor in Chief Adam Rapoport in brownface. What followed was an explosive public reckoning as several staffers—those who appeared in videos, those behind the camera, and some at the magazine proper—recounted stories of racism, tokenism, and unequal pay at Condé Nast, Bon Appétit’s publisher. Rapoport resigned. Condé Nast Vice President Matt Duckor also left after racist and homophobic tweets (from as recently as 2014) were unearthed. (Duckor has been employed by Bon Appétit since 2011.)

The first part of this saga ended with Bon Appétit posting a pledge on its Instagram to “do better” in reckoning with its culture of racism, sexism, homophobia, and harassment, and assured viewers of a future with more “inclusive programming.” Still, BA had effectively gone dark on YouTube—not because of the pandemic, which the crew successfully figured out how to safely shoot videos in spite of, but because staffers refused to appear on camera in solidarity with their underpaid colleagues.

Things were silent for a bit and then on Thursday, three beloved Bon Appétit stars—Priya Krishna, Rick Martinez, and Sohla El-Waylly—announced via their Instagram and Twitter accounts that they would no longer appear in BA videos because, as you might expect, the corporate suits at Condé Nast Entertainment wouldn’t pay them what they deserved. Soon, BA favorites Molly Baz and Gaby Melian also said they would no longer be appearing in videos as a result. Then yesterday, Carla Lalli also announced that she was leaving BA video. That brings the number of staffers who’ve quit making videos up to six.

G/O Media may get a commission

This is a woefully incomplete recap of issues plaguing what was once a wholesome oasis in the endless barrage of bad news and irony-poisoned memes that now make up the internet. It doesn’t take a genius to suss out that Condé Nast Entertainment is killing a hyper-successful video channel because profits are more important than equitable pay. Compensating these staffers fairly isn’t likely to make a huge dent in Condé Nast’s profits, especially when you consider that Bon Appétit had been irrelevant for years before this group of unlikely video stars came along. Perhaps, Condé Nast is more afraid of what else the staffers will ask for. But regardless of why Condé Nast is being so stubborn, something in Lalli’s tweet was a literal shot through the heart for anyone who has ever produced or starred in a video for a media company.

After describing a once-organic process where people got to pitch their ideas freely and videos were often shot by a one-person crew on a small budget, Lalli then traces an all-too-familiar change in process once BA’s videos began to take off. “By that time, video-related revenue was integral to Bon Appétit’s budget, and [Condé Nast Entertainment] relied on algorithms instead of instinct when determining who could appear in videos. Content decisions were largely data-driven. The editorial team had diminishing influence over video strategy,” Lalli claimed. “I felt that the expertise and interests of the hosts was less important to the decision-makers than platform-specific trends.”

Smarter people than I have weighed in on the systemic racism that’s rampant in food media. But I do know something about making videos for media companies with half-baked plans to “pivot to video.”

Videos are a labor of love. It’s common knowledge that TV and movie productions take months, if not years, to plan and execute. For some reason that acknowledgment flies out the window when it comes to digital media. “How hard could it be?” the publishing executive in a bespoke suit muses. A five-minute video should only take, what, four hours to produce, shoot, and edit? Why not pump out two, three, four, five videos a day? And if a “good” video takes that long to produce, why not opt for “easy” videos that we can shove out the door? After all: more videos, more ads, more money. And that’s really what’s driving it all, in case you’ve never been in the rooms where these decisions are made—advertising sold against video content commands a higher rate than traditional web display ads. It’s absolutely that simple.

To anyone who’s ever been involved with making a video, this brand of c-suite thinking is pure comedy. Hosted videos often involve scripts, written by a video producer and sometimes the on-screen talent. They involve pre-production: creating shot lists, buying props, and brainstorming how best to express a concept with whatever resources you’re given. They involve nuts and bolts decisions like lighting, framing, and set-up before anyone ever steps into the studio. When you actually get around to shooting, there’s no such thing as a single take. You film, saying the same things over, and over, and over again until you get what you need, and then, one more time for safety. After that, it can take forever and a year, depending on your internet connection, to upload footage. Video producers are like marathon runners—they sometimes sit hunched over their computers for 18 hours at a time (usually in “editing bays” that are glorified closets) just to get a first cut done. Sometimes, you have to reshoot bits or re-record audio. Sometimes an editor gets picky with second-round edits. In short: a two-day turnaround for a lean crew is speedy, and likely means multiple people have pulled long hours to make it happen. Two videos a day? You’re asking someone to work themselves to death. Because these days, media executives aren’t exactly keen on providing resources or hiring the staff necessary to lighten the load.

This is true of Bon Appétit’s videos, too, and why the refusal to pay people what they’re owed is so infuriating. Make no mistake, as effortless and freewheeling as BA Test Kitchen videos appear, it requires a small army to keep these videos going. That Bon Appétit’s video crew was obviously having fun at the same time? That’s what made their videos so aspirational for the rest of us.

This is what media executives don’t understand. To them, videos are a vehicle for ad dollars, whether readers want them on not. Executives like to think that if they can game the numbers just right, they’ll have impressive figures to show advertisers, and a fistful of Benjamins to line their pockets. They’re not thinking about why anyone would want to watch these videos. As for paying people equitably for their labor—why would they when they can pay a contractor for the same amount of hours and skip paying the healthcare benefits?

Silicon Valley has hyped algorithms to be infallible arbiters of data-driven truth, but anyone who’s been on a bad Tinder date can tell you the limits of that. Data without context isn’t much of anything. Analytics are meant to guide content creation—not define it. Did Condé Nast’s algorithms foretell just how quickly Sohla El-Waylly would capture the heart of BA fans? Not likely. To hear El-Waylly tell it, she was shoved in front of a camera to make BA appear more diverse. That she became as popular as she did was because El-Waylly was delightful to watch and could cook like a motherfucker. Did the algorithms predict that challenging a neurotic pastry chef to make gourmet versions of snack foods would be a hit? Probably not. That sounds a lot like editorial staff shooting the shit and deciding why the hell not? No machine would possibly know a tall weirdo who can barely finish a sentence trying to ferment various foods would be beloved by millions. They watch because Brad Leone is hilarious, and the shady choices that BA’s video editors make are also a hilarious meta-story in and of itself. 

What I’m getting at here is that people are what make videos work. People—given the license and resources to have fun—are the reason why viewers hit the play button. People are the reason why you hit that like and subscribe button. Even as BA grew from a sleeper hit to its own cinematic universe, what kept it successful was that the human element came through in moments congenial, frustrated, heartbroken, petty, and embarrassing. No one watches BA Test Kitchen because they’re fans of Condé Nast, or want to see Condé Nast succeed.

It’s heartbreaking, then, to watch BA’s staff fight to make things right, to see their fans vocally and passionately support them in that fight on every conceivable platform, and know that Condé Nast does not give a fuck. It’s depressing to know that the people who made the BA Test Kitchen magical are not the ones who get to decide its future; that the best most of them can do given the circumstances, is to walk away, knowing their bosses see them as barely more than a rounding error.

It doesn’t have to be like this. The solution is right there in plain sight, for everyone with a pair of working eyes to see. It’s like this because the adults in the room don’t care: They barely understand what they own, and hardly notice when they sign its death certificate.

via:Gizmodo, August 13, 2020 at 11:27AM

[grassroutes]

Roborock S6: Smartest, Most Powerful Robovac Yet

Our verdict of the Roborock S6: It's not perfect, but the combination of power and smart features makes the Roborock S6 an easy recommendation. Just don't count on it to mop up spills.810

Keeping your home clean isn’t easy. Even if you’re the tidiest person in the world, you can’t stop the inevitability of dust. What you can do is make sure that the dust doesn’t have time to accumulate.

Not all that long ago this would mean a portable vacuum and a rigorous daily maintenance routine. Now we can just have a robot vacuum take care of it for us. The Roborock S6 can do this and a whole lot more, but is it worth the extra money compared to the company’s more affordable models?

What’s in the Box?

The vacuum and the charging dock are the largest items inside the box, but they’re far from all that is included. You also get the power cable for the dock, a mopping attachment that we’ll look at later, and the manual. You also get a fair number of accessories.

One reusable mop cloth is included along with several disposable mop cloths and a mop cloth plate for use with these cloths. You also get a damp-proof mat to place under the dock for if you’re using it on hardwood flooring. Finally, you get a replacement air filter and water filter.

Specifications

On paper, the Roborock S6 looks similar to its siblings, the Roborock S4 and S5. That said, there is more than meets the eye here. While the specs may be similar, the S6 outperforms both of those models. We’ll look at why a little later on in the article.

When we looked at the Roborock S4, we remarked that the dustbin on that model was larger than the S6, but that is in fact not the case. The dustbin on the S6 is notably larger.

Battery capacity: 5,200mAh

Charging time: 3 hours

Cleaning time: 3 hours

Max suction: 2,000Pa

Dimensions: 13.8 x 13.7 x 3.79 inches

Weight: 7.9 Pounds

Build Quality and Design

The Roborock S6 is lighter than the S4, but it’s no less solidly built. While you should obviously be careful, this feels like it could take a few solid knocks with no issues. This applies to both the body as well as the undercarriage and various moving parts. The 14 sensors used in the vacuum include a cliff sensor to keep it from tumbling down the stairs, but the vacuum feels like a drop or two won’t kill it.

The overall design and aesthetic are similar to the S4 and S5, though this does have a few different touches. First, the white finish is striking, especially when paired with the orange-red sensor array on top of the vacuum. The downside is that the white does make any dust gathered while cleaning stand out more, so you may be tempted to wipe this down more often. Fortunately, it’s also available in black.

Setup and Getting Started

When I reviewed the Roborock S4 I noted that it was strange that the manual mentioned Roborock parent company Xiaomi’s Mi Home app instead of the bespoke Roborock app. That is the case with the Roborock S6 as well. You can use the Mi Home app, but the Roborock app gets you access to more advanced features as well as control from multiple devices.

While you could technically use the vacuum without the app, you’re missing out on a lot of functionality that way. To get started, all you need to do is download the Roborock app on the device of your choice, then either sign in or create an account. From here the app will guide you through the setup process.

You start by resetting the Wi-Fi on the Roborock S6, then choosing the wireless network you wish it to connect to in the Roborock app. Then you connect to the S6’s internal Wi-Fi and the app transfers your settings over. Once this process is complete, you’re ready to start using the vacuum.

Using the App

Once the vacuum is set up, you’ll see it on the main screen of the Roborock app when you log in. The simplest way to start using the vacuum is to select it, then hit the large button labeled “clean” at the bottom of the app. That’s all you need to do, as the vacuum will take it from here.

The app also helps you to maintain your vacuum. Tap the three dots at the top right of the screen to open settings, then tap the “Maintenance” option. Here you’ll get a handy overview of the air filter, side brush, main brush, sensors, and water tank filters. This keeps you from having to guess when to change filters.

You can also use the settings to tell the vacuum to travel to any location in your home, as long as it has mapped there. This is handy if you want to use the vacuum to clean a specific spot. On the main screen, you can choose from four cleaning modes: silence, turbo, max, and balanced. These let you opt for a more powerful clean or a less disruptive one.

Finally, there are a few options here you might want to enable. Carpet mode is turned off by default, but turn it on and the vacuum will automatically increase suction when it detects carpet.

Mapping and Smart Features

As with the Roborock S4 and S5, the main appeal of the S6 is just how smart it is. In the case of the S6, these smarts actually have an impact on its overall performance. Thanks to an improved processor, the Roborock S6 can clean more and for longer on the same 5,200mAh battery packed into the other vacuums.

This model also has a higher sensor count than the other models, which lets it more smartly navigate around your home. When I first started the vacuum, it navigated its way around the walls of the room, cleaning as it went. After it had mapped these out, it zig-zagged its way across the carpet, much as you would if you were vacuuming manually.

Using map saving mode, which is still in beta, you can edit maps once the vacuum has saved them. This lets you create virtual no-go zones. You can use these to keep the vacuum from roaming too far or from staying away from furniture that is particularly fragile or easily knocked over.

Once noticeable upgrade from the S4 was that the Roborock S6 seems to have an easier time finding and settling into its dock. Thanks to the medium-pile carpet in my home, I had to prop up the back of the S4’s dock to let it slot itself in. With the S6 that hasn’t been the case, as it has made its way into the proper charging position without assistance every time.

Performance

Suction is the same across Roborock’s S-series vacuums, and that’s not a bad thing. The vacuum does a good job cleaning, even where other vacuums might struggle. Roborock advertises that the S6 has enough strength to lift AA batteries, but I put the vacuum to a more real-world test.

I recently adopted three kittens who are quickly growing. They’re house trained but tend to track litter around in the area of the litter box, which is near my office. This means that a not-insignificant amount of litter makes its way on to two area rugs in my office. The Roborock S6 did a great job cleaning up, which makes my life much easier.

This was also a great way to test the sensors. As you’ll see in the video accompanying this article, the cats were fascinated by the vacuum and surrounded it while it did its work. Instead of blindly charging at them, the vacuum would slow down noticeably as it approached them, which makes me feel better about letting it do its job without supervision.

When it comes to spills or other messes, you don’t need to wait for the vacuum to make its rounds. Simply pick the vacuum up, put it down in the vicinity of the area you want to be cleaned, and press the “spot cleaning” button. This cleans a roughly 16 square foot area around the vacuum. This is handier than it sounds.

Mopping

While robot vacuums have gotten good to the point that you could at least theoretically use one for all your vacuuming needs, mopping hasn’t quite got there. The ideal way to use the mopping functionality of the Roborock S6 is to start with a clean floor, then use the S6 to keep it looking clean. This will prevent dust buildup, but it’s not too effective at cleaning spills.

It’s also not the easiest to use. You need to manually attach the mop to the vacuum, then tell the vacuum to do its work. Then once it has finished its job, you need to remove the attachment so it doesn’t get in the way of vacuuming. That said, if you want to mop the kitchen while you’re prepping dinner, this will help you save a little time.

The mopping module has a small water tank that you fill by opening the seal at one corner. You can adjust how much water is used with an adjustment switch that sits underneath the mopping cloth.

Should You Buy the Roborock S6

The Roborock S6 offers a nice combination of powerful cleaning, smart features, and ease of use. It also happens to look quite nice, at least as far as vacuums go, which means you won’t be embarrassed by it sitting in your home. Add the mopping attachment and it gets even better.

The advanced processor in the S6 means that while it doesn’t look all that different from its cheaper brethren on paper, it performs much better. This is definitely worth the price difference as long as you can afford it. This isn’t just a great upgrade, it’s yet another argument for why you should be cleaning your home with a robot vacuum.

Enter the Competition!

Roborock S6 Robot Vacuum Giveaway

Read the full article: Roborock S6: Smartest, Most Powerful Robovac Yet

Roborock S6: Smartest, Most Powerful Robovac Yet posted first on grassroutespage.blogspot.com

[droneseco]

Roborock S6: Smartest, Most Powerful Robovac Yet

Our verdict of the Roborock S6: It's not perfect, but the combination of power and smart features makes the Roborock S6 an easy recommendation. Just don't count on it to mop up spills.810

Keeping your home clean isn’t easy. Even if you’re the tidiest person in the world, you can’t stop the inevitability of dust. What you can do is make sure that the dust doesn’t have time to accumulate.

Not all that long ago this would mean a portable vacuum and a rigorous daily maintenance routine. Now we can just have a robot vacuum take care of it for us. The Roborock S6 can do this and a whole lot more, but is it worth the extra money compared to the company’s more affordable models?

What’s in the Box?

The vacuum and the charging dock are the largest items inside the box, but they’re far from all that is included. You also get the power cable for the dock, a mopping attachment that we’ll look at later, and the manual. You also get a fair number of accessories.

One reusable mop cloth is included along with several disposable mop cloths and a mop cloth plate for use with these cloths. You also get a damp-proof mat to place under the dock for if you’re using it on hardwood flooring. Finally, you get a replacement air filter and water filter.

Specifications

On paper, the Roborock S6 looks similar to its siblings, the Roborock S4 and S5. That said, there is more than meets the eye here. While the specs may be similar, the S6 outperforms both of those models. We’ll look at why a little later on in the article.

When we looked at the Roborock S4, we remarked that the dustbin on that model was larger than the S6, but that is in fact not the case. The dustbin on the S6 is notably larger.

Battery capacity: 5,200mAh

Charging time: 3 hours

Cleaning time: 3 hours

Max suction: 2,000Pa

Dimensions: 13.8 x 13.7 x 3.79 inches

Weight: 7.9 Pounds

Build Quality and Design

The Roborock S6 is lighter than the S4, but it’s no less solidly built. While you should obviously be careful, this feels like it could take a few solid knocks with no issues. This applies to both the body as well as the undercarriage and various moving parts. The 14 sensors used in the vacuum include a cliff sensor to keep it from tumbling down the stairs, but the vacuum feels like a drop or two won’t kill it.

The overall design and aesthetic are similar to the S4 and S5, though this does have a few different touches. First, the white finish is striking, especially when paired with the orange-red sensor array on top of the vacuum. The downside is that the white does make any dust gathered while cleaning stand out more, so you may be tempted to wipe this down more often. Fortunately, it’s also available in black.

Setup and Getting Started

When I reviewed the Roborock S4 I noted that it was strange that the manual mentioned Roborock parent company Xiaomi’s Mi Home app instead of the bespoke Roborock app. That is the case with the Roborock S6 as well. You can use the Mi Home app, but the Roborock app gets you access to more advanced features as well as control from multiple devices.

While you could technically use the vacuum without the app, you’re missing out on a lot of functionality that way. To get started, all you need to do is download the Roborock app on the device of your choice, then either sign in or create an account. From here the app will guide you through the setup process.

You start by resetting the Wi-Fi on the Roborock S6, then choosing the wireless network you wish it to connect to in the Roborock app. Then you connect to the S6’s internal Wi-Fi and the app transfers your settings over. Once this process is complete, you’re ready to start using the vacuum.

Using the App

Once the vacuum is set up, you’ll see it on the main screen of the Roborock app when you log in. The simplest way to start using the vacuum is to select it, then hit the large button labeled “clean” at the bottom of the app. That’s all you need to do, as the vacuum will take it from here.

The app also helps you to maintain your vacuum. Tap the three dots at the top right of the screen to open settings, then tap the “Maintenance” option. Here you’ll get a handy overview of the air filter, side brush, main brush, sensors, and water tank filters. This keeps you from having to guess when to change filters.

You can also use the settings to tell the vacuum to travel to any location in your home, as long as it has mapped there. This is handy if you want to use the vacuum to clean a specific spot. On the main screen, you can choose from four cleaning modes: silence, turbo, max, and balanced. These let you opt for a more powerful clean or a less disruptive one.

Finally, there are a few options here you might want to enable. Carpet mode is turned off by default, but turn it on and the vacuum will automatically increase suction when it detects carpet.

Mapping and Smart Features

As with the Roborock S4 and S5, the main appeal of the S6 is just how smart it is. In the case of the S6, these smarts actually have an impact on its overall performance. Thanks to an improved processor, the Roborock S6 can clean more and for longer on the same 5,200mAh battery packed into the other vacuums.

This model also has a higher sensor count than the other models, which lets it more smartly navigate around your home. When I first started the vacuum, it navigated its way around the walls of the room, cleaning as it went. After it had mapped these out, it zig-zagged its way across the carpet, much as you would if you were vacuuming manually.

Using map saving mode, which is still in beta, you can edit maps once the vacuum has saved them. This lets you create virtual no-go zones. You can use these to keep the vacuum from roaming too far or from staying away from furniture that is particularly fragile or easily knocked over.

Once noticeable upgrade from the S4 was that the Roborock S6 seems to have an easier time finding and settling into its dock. Thanks to the medium-pile carpet in my home, I had to prop up the back of the S4’s dock to let it slot itself in. With the S6 that hasn’t been the case, as it has made its way into the proper charging position without assistance every time.

Performance

Suction is the same across Roborock’s S-series vacuums, and that’s not a bad thing. The vacuum does a good job cleaning, even where other vacuums might struggle. Roborock advertises that the S6 has enough strength to lift AA batteries, but I put the vacuum to a more real-world test.

I recently adopted three kittens who are quickly growing. They’re house trained but tend to track litter around in the area of the litter box, which is near my office. This means that a not-insignificant amount of litter makes its way on to two area rugs in my office. The Roborock S6 did a great job cleaning up, which makes my life much easier.

This was also a great way to test the sensors. As you’ll see in the video accompanying this article, the cats were fascinated by the vacuum and surrounded it while it did its work. Instead of blindly charging at them, the vacuum would slow down noticeably as it approached them, which makes me feel better about letting it do its job without supervision.

When it comes to spills or other messes, you don’t need to wait for the vacuum to make its rounds. Simply pick the vacuum up, put it down in the vicinity of the area you want to be cleaned, and press the “spot cleaning” button. This cleans a roughly 16 square foot area around the vacuum. This is handier than it sounds.

Mopping

While robot vacuums have gotten good to the point that you could at least theoretically use one for all your vacuuming needs, mopping hasn’t quite got there. The ideal way to use the mopping functionality of the Roborock S6 is to start with a clean floor, then use the S6 to keep it looking clean. This will prevent dust buildup, but it’s not too effective at cleaning spills.

It’s also not the easiest to use. You need to manually attach the mop to the vacuum, then tell the vacuum to do its work. Then once it has finished its job, you need to remove the attachment so it doesn’t get in the way of vacuuming. That said, if you want to mop the kitchen while you’re prepping dinner, this will help you save a little time.

The mopping module has a small water tank that you fill by opening the seal at one corner. You can adjust how much water is used with an adjustment switch that sits underneath the mopping cloth.

Should You Buy the Roborock S6

The Roborock S6 offers a nice combination of powerful cleaning, smart features, and ease of use. It also happens to look quite nice, at least as far as vacuums go, which means you won’t be embarrassed by it sitting in your home. Add the mopping attachment and it gets even better.

The advanced processor in the S6 means that while it doesn’t look all that different from its cheaper brethren on paper, it performs much better. This is definitely worth the price difference as long as you can afford it. This isn’t just a great upgrade, it’s yet another argument for why you should be cleaning your home with a robot vacuum.

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