#and the scheduling to a lesser extent

[monsterbutch]

checked all my code and rewrote the outline for like 3 different events just to avoid doing anything actually useful on my mod today 👍

[badolmen]

google search ‘how to over come my crippling anxiety to ask an acquaintance if she’s going to an upcoming Event and if she wouldn’t mind me tagging along (because of said crippling anxiety about traveling somewhere far away and new without anyone I know coming with me)’

[keferon]

Blurr and Swerve (set sometime during the Blurr chapter when Blurr first gets his mech), because these two have apparently taken up residence in my brain

--------------------------------------------------

Swerve wonders, waiting for Blurr to show up to inspect his new mech, if Blurr has ever felt anything less than confident, less than certain. 

Does he have any hesitation or doubts about joining the mecha program, becoming a pilot? 

If he has, you'd never know it by the way he walks into the mechanic's hall like he owns the place – accompanied by a flustered looking staffer from the upper floors and a full five minutes later than when he was scheduled to arrive.  (Not that anyone seems to care whether Blurr keeps to a schedule or how much it disrupts everyone else's ability to just do their jobs. He's Blurr after all.)

Swerve watches Blurr walk away from the staffer with barely a thank you.  Watches as Blurr asks one, two, then three times for directions as he crosses the long hall.  And each time he's greeted with smiles, attempts at conversation, and people kindly pointing out Swerve's direction.  And each time, Blurr gives the same thank you – short and dismissive, without a backward glance.

Swerve wonders, as he watches, whether Blurr ever feels shame or has second thoughts about how he treats everyone else as though they are less than him. 

If he does, it certainly doesn't show from the way that lazy grin never slips from his face the whole way across the hall.  Even up close, even as Swerve shakes Blurr's hand and has to reintroduce himself and remind the man that they've met before (and how many times has it been now?), Blurr's smile never wavers.

Does it ever falter when Blurr is alone?  Does the smile ever slip from his face as he thinks back on his actions in private?  Or is it just a permanent feature of the man -- along with the shining eyes, blindingly white teeth, and immaculate hair.  Superficially perfect in every way to an extent that standing next to Blurr is enough on its own to make Swerve feel special.

And then Blurr is gone, moving to inspect his mech.  And the shallowness of it all hits Swerve in full force again.

Swerve wonders, watching Blurr move under the shadow of the looming metal machine, whether the man ever feels fear. 

Does he realize that mechs are synonymous with death?  That the machine he is standing under is built to kill.  Aliens, yes.  But pilots die too -- alarmingly often.  Even if Blurr isn't on the front lines (and Swerve can't imagine Swindle risking his money on that) there are still risks.  Accidents.  Injuries.  Deaths.  Would he care if he knew?  Maybe his ego is such that he believes such fates are for lesser men.

But Blurr's mech in particular – Swerve worked on the specs for Blurr's mech.  Does the man realize that his machine is a death trap? 

Maybe ignorance truly is bliss.  Swerve wonders whether he should tell him.  Swerve wonders whether it would even matter.  Would Blurr even listen, if he pulls him aside?

Swerve never gets the chance.  He is crowded out by a swarm of photographers, staffers, and mechanics -- come to watch Blurr set foot in his mech for the first time.

Blurr hops into the pilot's seat as casually as though he's taking his car out for a drive around the block.  He smiles that blinding smile down at the crowd and waves for the cameras.

And Swerve wonders, watching Blurr, whether he envies the way Blurr can just breeze through life seemingly untouched and unphased by it all.

ANON I LOVE YOU MARRY ME /J

This is absolutely delightful ehehhengkgkhmh it synchronizes SO WELL with my mental image of them you literally caught my brain waves lglmgkg i love it so fucking much it's part of the canon for me now

[thedensworld]

Even When We're Drown, We're Still Breathing | K.Mg

Pairing: Husband!Mingyu x Wife!Reader

Genre: angst, established relationship, fluff

Words Count: 1k

Summary: Mingyu was missing the spotlight he used to have, so he decided to accept the offer to shoot a reality show about marriage life and parenting. However, his wife was in a different situation.

Mingyu was bursting with excitement when the first episode of the reality show you had shot finally aired. He was thoroughly satisfied with the outcome. The editing and the host's reactions had met his expectations. Mingyu couldn't help but replay the scene when the twins were introduced to the public for the first time. You and he had covered their faces on your social media, doing your utmost to safeguard their privacy. However, like any ordinary parents would, Mingyu wanted to know the viewers' reactions to his kids. He scrolled through the comments section on the video showcasing Hana and Hoon, along with the flawless editing that portrayed Hana as calm and shy, and Hoon as boisterous with puppy-like behavior. He couldn't contain his laughter when they compared his kids to his fellow members, Wonwoo and Hoshi.

"When will mom be home?" Hana inquired while Mingyu finished watching the video and was about to prepare dinner.

These days, you've been occupied with promoting your new movie release. When you and Mingyu decided to tie the knot, you were at the pinnacle of your career. After a four-year hiatus, you had just made a comeback with an action-packed film, and Mingyu was exceptionally supportive. You had met Mingyu through his fellow member, Wonwoo, who happened to be your co-star in your early movie. At that time, Mingyu had just completed his military service and found you intriguing, so he asked Wonwoo to introduce you two.

Mingyu is still actively involved in his band, even though their last album was released a year and a half ago. Each member is swamped with their individual schedules; some have even started their own families, like Mingyu, making it harder to have consistent comebacks.

Lately, Mingyu has been occupied with his clothing line business and various modeling sessions. He strives to be less tied up so he can take care of the kids while you're at work. Prior to your promotional schedule, you were jet-setting abroad every week for your new movie shoots. Mingyu was elated to have the kids all to himself.

"She said she'll be home at 6," Mingyu grinned as he replied to his daughter.

When he pitched the idea of joining the reality show to you, he mentioned that he missed the spotlight he used to bask in. He still had it, albeit to a much lesser extent. People recognized him everywhere, even the staff at the daycare his kids attended used to be his fans. It was the interaction he missed the most. The feedback, the compliments, the expectations that used to ignite his passions - he longed for them.

"It might be tough for the kids; we've never exposed them to this industry," you remarked when he asked for your opinion.

That was true. Hana and Hoon knew who their parents were and what they did. They enjoyed Mingyu's band's songs and loved watching your old dramas. They understood that their parents worked in the entertainment industry, but they didn't grasp the intricacies of it. Mingyu had pondered this. If he accepted the offer, how would it impact his kids? Privacy would unquestionably be at the forefront of concerns.

"If you truly want to do it, let's do it. We'll work on the rest together," your words reassured him, leading him to accept the offer.

Mingyu let out a sigh at the sight of what his kids had done to the living room. Hoon, the mischief-maker, darted towards his room to fetch more things to scatter. Meanwhile, Hana was engrossed in her Lego, but even her creations couldn't evade finding their way under Mingyu's foot.

In a moment of urgency, Mingyu grabbed his phone and called you for help. He'd never felt this way when you were away for days, but knowing you'd be home in an hour made his patience wear thin.

"Hello..." Your voice filled the room as he put the call on speaker, immediately drawing the attention of your kids, who started shouting "mom."

Without a word, he let out another heavy sigh. You couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing it.

"I'm sorry, I won't be home until 10. We're having a team dinner after this," you explained.

"Really? Hana, mom won't be home until 10," he said, his disappointment evident as he relayed the news to his daughter.

Mingyu's smile returned when he saw Hana pout, her expression mirroring yours when she's upset. "Hana wants to speak," he said, passing the phone to her.

"Mom, fighting!" Mingyu burst into laughter at his daughter's choice of words. "Have fun, I'm going to cook dinner," he said to you before ending the call.

"Mom won't be joining the dinner?" Hoon inquired, and Mingyu nodded.

"Isn't it fun having a meal with dad?" he asked them. Hoon promptly shook his head, declaring, "No! Eating with mom is more fun, right Hana?" while Hana simply ignored them.

Maybe what the editor said about his children was right. Hoon did resemble Hoshi, and Hana bore a striking resemblance to Wonwoo.

*

During the photoshoot for the promotion of your new movie release, they handed you and your fellow actor, Choi Woosung, a script containing questions that would be asked during the recording.

"You've shot a reality show?" Woosung inquired, and you nodded in confirmation. You explained that the reality show focused on Mingyu's life as your husband and parent.

"How's the reaction?" He asked, echoing one of the questions from the list.

You chuckled, slipping into the role as if it were a real interview. "The reaction is very good. The fourth episode has been released. It felt great to share a glimpse of our life with the public."

On your way home, you couldn't shake off the question from earlier.

'How's the reaction to your reality show?'

You hadn't really kept up with it. Mingyu was usually the one to inform you about updates. You'd only appeared for less than 20 minutes in total. While you were excited about the show, your schedule had kept you too occupied to check on it, let alone gauge the reaction.

As you headed towards your home, you opened your phone, typed in the name of your reality show, and checked the comments section. You were delighted by the rush of dopamine every time you came across comments praising the twins for being so cute and clever. There were even some compliments about the parenting you and Mingyu showcased on the show. Reading them made you grasp the feeling your husband had been missing - this surge of happiness.

'It's so weird that the wife is never home.'

'Why is it always Kim Mingyu who does the work at home? Is it because of his busy wife?'

'Mingyu housewife agenda is still going strong kekekeke..'

'Even after marriage, Mingyu still takes care of everyone. Poor Mingyu lol'

You entered your quiet house as the clock struck ten at night. Your day had been packed, starting at ten in the morning with back-to-back shoots. Quickly, you changed into your sleeping clothes, meeting Mingyu as he emerged from your children's room. One of the things people praised was your effort in training the twins to sleep on their own.

"Hana's finally asleep," Mingyu whispered, placing his arm around your shoulder as you both made your way to the kitchen, the farthest point from the twins' room.

"What did she ask this time?" You inquired, already stifling a laugh as Mingyu began with a sigh.

He perched on the counter while you opened the fridge, searching for a beer to accompany tonight's conversation with your husband.

"She asked if she could make green coffee from green beans because coffee is made from coffee beans," he reported, burying his head in his arms, which rested on the counter.

You chuckled. "That's clever," you remarked, handing him a can of beer.

"Hoon wanted to use your glass, but he accidentally dropped it. He's preparing his apology for tomorrow morning," he shared, introducing another amusing incident.

You shook your head. "Did he mention it was an accident?" Mingyu nodded, "He didn't want me to break the news to you because he wanted to tell you himself."

Your heart warmed at hearing this. The glass wasn't a big deal to you—it was just a way to encourage them to drink water by using their favorite glass.

"That's sweet," you said, smiling at him. "Yeah, I thought so. They're growing up a little too quickly," Mingyu mumbled, and you agreed.

"How was your day with them? I saw the video you sent me," you asked, referring to the video he took of Hoon and Hana squabbling over petting a puppy at the park.

Mingyu chuckled. "On our way home, they suddenly wanted to take a walk in the park. I think it must be something they learned or heard at daycare. It was just so random. Some people recognized them, which upset Hana. Hoon loved it," he recounted, and you couldn't help but laugh at the tale.

"They met a little Samoyed, and I think it was their first time seeing one," you agreed. "Hoon suddenly got petty when Hana joined him in petting the puppy. He said Hana kept imitating him, and Hana didn't like dogs."

You were also tickled by the fact that Hana was petting a dog. She was never fond of them, in fact, she preferred stuffed animals over real ones, which was the opposite of Hoon, who wished for a puppy or kitten on every birthday.

"Let's sleep," Mingyu murmured as the beer was finished, and you two couldn't contain your laughter from the twin's escapade. Waking them up was the last thing you both wanted.

"What time is your schedule tomorrow?" Mingyu asked as you both lay down on the bed, his arm pulling you closer.

"I have a salon appointment at 11, and the shoot might end by 2. Why?" you inquired.

"My mom and my sister are in Seoul tomorrow. Mom said she wants to meet you."

You raised an eyebrow. "Should we go out for dinner tomorrow? Your mom liked the Japanese restaurant we visited last month."

Mingyu nodded and closed his eyes. "Okay, I'll book a table for tomorrow." His arm tightened around you, and you mumbled that it was too warm, but he pretended to be asleep.

*

The drive home after dinner was quiet. The kids had fallen asleep, leaving you and Mingyu in a solemn atmosphere. Not a word was exchanged since you bid goodbye to his mom and sister, parting ways as they headed back to Anyang. Mingyu stole glances at you multiple times but hesitated to say a word, treading carefully after what had happened at the restaurant.

Mingyu's mom had always adored you. He'd known that from the moment he introduced you to her. She looked at you with a love he'd never seen in her eyes when she interacted with him or his sister. It was as if you were her own, even his sister acknowledged this. She never spoke ill of you or to you; she held you in the same respect a mother-in-law should have for their child's partner. So, when she said those unexpected words in the restaurant, it took Mingyu aback.

"I noticed you never take care of the house on the show," she had remarked, to which Mingyu immediately interjected, "She was busy."

"Still, a wife should be taking care of her husband and kids."

"Mom..." Mingyu tried to halt the conversation, but his sister promptly changed the subject, showcasing how Hoon was eagerly eating his sushi.

Seeing you silenced by this exchange hurt Mingyu deeply. He despised the discomfort that settled between you both as you moved around the house in silence. You didn't even glance his way.

As you passed him, he gently took your arm, leading you to the couch and squatting in front of you. Your eyes were level, but you avoided meeting his gaze.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Mingyu began. "I know it hurt. I'm not happy with what mom said either."

"It's not your fault," you mumbled, your eyes still averted.

Mingyu bit his lip, his voice thick. "Babe, please look at me," he whispered, cupping your cheeks.

"If I look at you, I'll start to cry," you admitted in a near-whisper.

Mingyu's heart broke, and he immediately pulled you into an embrace. He sat beside you, his fingers gently running through your hair, whispering soothing words as you sobbed against his chest.

When you pulled away, you confessed, "I'm just disappointed. I thought your mom knew me better." Mingyu nodded, indicating that he was all ears.

"I thought she knew me better than what she saw on the show. We've been married for a long time," you began. "She used to see me preparing your meals. She even praised how tidy our home was when she visited while you were on tour. She was so proud when we decided not to have a sitter for the twins. Why... Why did she suddenly say that?"

Mingyu closed his eyes, feeling tears welling up. He held you tighter, as if afraid that if he let go, he might lose you.

"I'm fine when people judge me based on what they see. I'm totally fine with that. But, she's my mother-in-law. She's my mom."

That night, Mingyu realized something he hadn't considered when agreeing to the show. He hadn't thought about you; he'd been thoughtless. He remembered the backlash you both faced when you decided to publicly date. Even years after your marriage, there were mixed reactions, with some saying Mingyu was hindering the group's activities and others believing you were sacrificing your career too soon.

Mingyu had never been one to care about public opinion, but you were different. He believed you were making continuous progress, but he knew it was hard for you to accept comments, especially those that weren't true. You detested people's expectations and how they burdened you. It was something Mingyu couldn't entirely comprehend. He thrived on expectations, needing that pressure to stay motivated. These differences had occasionally caused friction in your relationship.

Your pregnancy with the twins had been unexpected. You were in the midst of shooting an action movie, involving a lot of stunts, when you found out you were two weeks pregnant after collapsing on set. Mingyu was upset that you had to continue shooting after almost losing the baby. He couldn't understand why you kept getting action roles and constantly put yourself in danger with all the stunts.

"Remember my movie with Wonwoo? I don't like how people expect us to fall in love after the project. Action movies give me less pressure compared to romance and melodrama. I hope you understand."

This was followed by your reluctance to attend promotions and your refusal to appear on variety shows because of the burden it placed on you.

Now, Mingyu finally understood why it weighed on you. He could see the pieces falling into place.

He gently kissed your forehead as you fell asleep on his lap after the emotional conversation you'd had earlier. He picked you up effortlessly and carried you to the bedroom, determined that things would change for the better from this point forward.

*

Mingyu's smile stretched wide as he set up blankets for the viewing spot. Today marked the last episode of your reality show, and it was the first time he'd be watching it with you and the kids. You chuckled when you saw Mingyu pat a spot next to him with a beaming smile and a look of adoration – an expression his fellow members often teasingly referred to as a "cheap stare."

"Why are you smiling? It hasn't even started yet," you remarked, picking up Hana and settling her on your lap. She immediately clung to you like a koala on a tree.

"I want a hug too," Hoon chimed in, and you opened your arms for him to join Hana.

Mingyu sighed, resting his head on the couch while gazing at the three of you. "They never treat me like this," he mumbled.

The show began with the familiar scenes of your house and the kids' activities. However, you were taken aback when there were a few scenes of you that hadn't been included in previous episodes. It showed you preparing breakfast, doing a quick load of laundry, tidying the kids' room, and tending to the plants. The scenes were accompanied by the sub-title, 'special for mom.' You glanced at Mingyu, who was fully engrossed in the screen.

"Mom, you're so pretty!" Hoon exclaimed upon seeing a scene from one of your movies. You smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Do I really look like that in the morning? That's not a good look for broadcast," you muttered, watching yourself on screen without any makeup.

Mingyu scoffed, "Are you underestimating my taste in girls?" His words earned a grateful laugh from you.

'My wife, Y/n, she's such an interesting person. She's the second shyest person in this house after Hana. They're basically like mother and daughter,' you heard Mingyu say on the show.

'She's so talented and amazing. But she's not a very confident person. I don't know why, but that's just how she humbles herself,' he continued, drawing a chuckle from you.

'Mom is a hero. She makes me my favorite food and runs with me at the park,' Hoon's voice filled the room.

'Mom? She's awesome. She reads me a book every day. I love it,' Hana chimed in.

'There's a lot about her that hasn't been shown much. She gave birth to my children. She sacrificed her body, her career, her life to marry me and start a family with me. There were times when she was alone with the kids while I was on tour. I believe it was tough raising the kids – twins at that – alone, especially for a new parent,' Mingyu shared, his voice filled with genuine admiration and respect.

The entire episode was a tribute to you. Tears welled up in your eyes as Mingyu spoke so highly of you, acknowledging the challenges and sacrifices that come with being a wife and mother.

The show concluded with a montage of pictures, capturing precious moments of your family when the twins were born, when you video called Mingyu on tour with the babies just months old, when you cooked while Mingyu looked after the twins, and even when you did home workouts with the twins imitating you.

"Kim Mingyu!" You playfully scolded him as soon as the show ended.

Mingyu laughed at your reaction, your eyes slightly swollen from crying throughout the show. Meanwhile, the twins, showing a clear preference for their mom, eagerly joined you in your playful reprimand.

Mingyu grabbed his phone, capturing a picture of your post-crying face and one of the three of you engrossed in the show from earlier. He planned to post them on his social media later.

After putting the kids to bed, Mingyu pulled you into his arms and whispered, "Love you, always."

You smiled and held him closer. "Thanks for everything. I love you more."

"You deserve it, baby. You deserve it."

*

Mingyu muttered, "I honestly don't think our kid resembles them," as he pettily showed a video of Hoon and Hana alongside Hoshi and Wonwoo.

He paused, then continued, "I mean, they're our child. They're supposed to resemble us, and they do. People just fail to see that." He mumbled, then turned his attention back to you, who were busy chopping chicken breast before putting it into the blender.

You decided to ignore him, focusing on your pre-workout meal preparations.

[jokerislandgirl32]

Wild Kratts Academy?

Okay, this might be a bit of an out of the box idea, but what if the Wild Kratts Crew hosted a school or summer camp for the Wild Kratts kids (and any of the fankids created by members of the WK fandom)?

It could either be like a boarding school situation where the children travel/live with the Wild Kratts for a certain part of the year, and they are with their families the rest of the year.

Or, it could be a summer camp type deal where they join the Kratts for the summer and hone in on important educational skills and animal/environmental knowledge (I feel like this is probably the more logical option, but I’ll explain both scenarios below the cut).

For the boarding school option….During the time they are with the Wild Kratts, they would learn not only basic skills (reading, writing, math), but there would, obviously, be a huge emphasis on science/creatures! Namely, science or creature based activities would be utilized to help teach the children.

For example: The kids need to learn their letters and sounds, so they will go find creatures whose names begin with those letters/sounds. Or, the children need to learn counting: welp, let’s take them out to count the number of elephants in the herd. And those are just some basic/kindergarten level examples (kindergarten educator here 😂).

Different members of the Wild Kratts team would be assigned to different subjects and age groups. All members would assist with the science part of course, but they could each take specific subjects/age groups.

Perhaps Koki could teach reading/language arts to younger children. Chris could teach math to older students. And so on. (I’m just brainstorming here, I’m not sure which subjects would fit which WK member best, if anyone has any advice or suggestions, feel free to add them in a reblog!)

I also love the idea of the villains, redeemed in this scenario of course, taking part in the learning venture. I feel like Donita would be a fabulous animal (inspired) art teacher. Gourmand a wonderful culinary teacher, specializing in vegetarian meals or foods that are made to look like animals, but are not made from animals.

For the summer camp option, it would be much of the same concept, but instead of having an emphasis on educational activities geared to learn core content knowledge, the activities would be focused solely on science/animal/environment based learning.

With this option, I feel like Aviva would take on a great part of the leadership role, and she would formulate the camp activities to reflect those similar to the experiences she and Zach shared at science camp as children.

Speaking of Zach and the villains…

Funding for such a program could come from grants or donations, and I feel like Zach, and to a lesser extent Donita, Gourmand, and Paisley, would be the individuals responsible for many of these monetary aids.

In turning to the side of good they wanted to help the future generations not turn to villainy against animals and the environment like they had. So, they would use their own money to help ensure the program is well funded.

And if my OC Violet was part of the action in this scenario (speaking specifically of the boarding school option)…. I feel she’d totally be responsible for the academics for the youngest Wild Kratts Academy members: the kindergartners and 1st to 2nd grade aged students.

As a bit of a side note, but also a possible explanation to how this program may have started, I’ve played around with the idea of Zach and Violet homeschooling their children. After some input from @novazentryx I truly feel like this would be the best move for Zach and Violet with their own children.

Due to their work life and busy schedules it would be difficult to remain in one place and allow the children to obtain schooling in a traditional setting (because Zach and Violet join the Wild Kratts Team in the years following the births of their eldest children).

So, Zach and Violet would already have their children with them, so perhaps they could be the “pilot children” for the program. Along with some of the Wild Kratts kids we know and love, and fankids/children of the other Wild Kratts characters (in my AU the fankids created by @rosey100 @lovelynurseandhenchman and @octoqueen10 exist so maybe your fankids will join in or will participate in the summer camp option if not full time/the boarding school???)

Anyway, I hope all of this makes sense, feel free to add to this post if you all would like!

[whoblewboobear]

I feel like dropout is the wrong comparison to make with watcher tbh? Dropout started out of necessity because college humor went out of business. Dropout offers a lot more variety and has a more varied roster of talent to fill out a full weekly schedule.

When watcher launched their new channel, it seems like that was always the goal to have bigger roster of shows that eventually featured different personalities. But in the past 4 years they’ve been independent, not all of the shows have worked and the shows that didn’t feature Shane and Ryan and to a lesser extent, Steven, really failed and never got brought back. A majority of people aren’t excited for Worth It to come back either and that being one of the selling points is kinda.. I’m fully biased, I haven’t ever been much of a Steven fan and the episode of here’s what you do where he said he’s still close friends with people that are homophobic/racist left a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t watch his shows. Which isn’t a huge deal, but with how Watcher’s release schedule is, they’re airing one show at a time, weekly updates til the season ends. So if you don’t like the show currently airing you’re kinda out of luck. If that changes to them pumping out 2-3 shows or more at a time, then it could justify the price. But I don’t see how that can happen either when the shows people want to see are mainly Shane/Ryan/Steven. It would be unsustainable for them to be shooting that much to keep up with a schedule like that. They mentioned that from now until May 31st will be a trial period but a lot of people really aren’t willing or cannot afford to be a company guinea pig right now.

This is very ambitious and a big ask for a lot of fans right now, there’s no way around that. It can work, it reminds me lot of how Noel Miller and Cody Ko moved away from Patreon to launch their own streamer. They still post on YouTube, but the draw of TMG Studios is that you get an extra hour of bonus content along with other shows. You have the option to choose which shows you’d like to support and opt out of at different price points. Hell, even Rhett and Link still post on YouTube while having a streamer of their own with the Mythical Society and the major draw of that is seeing what the crew is up to. In both of these cases, both TMG & Mythical took their time before making a leap like this. I believe TMG took 7 years and Rhett and link have been in the game for even longer.

I’m not familiar with the watcher crew, they don’t have a lot of other front facing people on the team outside of Ryan/Shane/Steven making shows at the moment. I don’t want them to fail and I’m sure they will be fine, but it’ll be a rough transition to start and I hope they survive it. Completely leaving YouTube does not feel like the move though. I feel like you need a lot of balls in the air and plates spinning to keep drawing people to a new subscription service. Whether that’s YouTube, TikTok, instagram, etc, if no one knows what you’re up to outside of 1 episode of a new show/season hitting the YouTube channel you abandoned every couple weeks/months then it’s a tough sell.

[system-of-a-feather]

I think something that I've learned and a way of wording it that kinda made sense to me when talking with one of the therapists I work with is that a HUGE thing that made my life a lot better - especially the further I got out of my trauma environment - is that one of the best ways to just kind of.... improve your life and create a stable day to day that makes you happy is to ask "If I were to imagine the most IDEAL and perfect day, what would it look like" and then "what can I do today to get as much of the things listed in that day to happen today"

Like my ideal day would look something like this (and in this order typically)

Wake up

Eat a nice breakfast and watch some TV / youtube or play some kind of game that lets me get my brain thinking (strategy, puzzle, pokemon challenges / battles)

Go birding - either a more chill "just vibing" one by myself or with literally anyone who is interested / willing and is at least SLIGHTLY positive and a slightly familiar person (but literally almost anyone)

Go walking around somewhere window shopping and/or eat out with my fiance

Play a casual social game with some friends of some sort

Do some sort of exercise, preferably martial arts, but just anything that builds a physical skill of mine is good

Eat dinner with my fiance and probably watch something with him (could be done before social game / exercise depending on scheduling)

Shower

Write or Draw

Sleep at a good time

And honestly? Most weekends / days off, I honestly usually get like most of that done, save for exercise recently due to physical health issues I have to get addressed, birding being substituted "birding or outdoor chores", and social games sometimes being substituted with "social writing and/or discussions with online friends" as those substitutions fill the same ideal, but just to a lesser extent

And cause most of my days are honestly close to my ideal day, I honestly find myself both very happy, content, and pleased with where I am in life and it really helps me feel both safe, stable, and handle when life starts getting shaken up.

Of course its taken a lot of time to be able to work a lot of that into my base routine because I had to create just fundamental stability with stuff like money and relationships and curating a healthy and supportive social circle and explore what I like to do and what matters but genuinely.... figuring out your ideal day and finding time to get as much of that day emulated every day is just a nice way to just be satisfied in life.

Even on the days I work 12 hours shifts, my work lets me get social games and exercise in most of the time, and I tend to come home, and do 7-10 at a minimum EVERY day.

So even on my busy work days, I still get 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of my ideal day almost every single day and thats like 70% every. single. day.

Like I genuinely can't complain about my life when every day I live 70% of what my ideal day would be at a minimum.

But I dunno man, this is just to throw it out there as food for thought and something to consider.

Feel free to also respond and share your ideal day if you like. I think its really neat to hear what it is for everyone honestly.

[demonproofboi]

ok, putting my thoughts in order

I get the why. youtube sucks and each year that passes, it sucks more. they have a company and employees, and they've said before that watcher wasn't actually making a profit. it is way too harsh to say they're too greedy or "just like buzzfeed" or other stuff I've seen thrown around. they deserve to get money for their work, we are not entitled to free content, etc! I agree with all that.

the thing is though... I don't see how this could feasibly work? like, putting aside how most people are fed up with the sheer amount of streaming platforms popping up lately, the way I see it, their content does not have enough variety to warrant a paid subscription. and if it were to become varied enough, it would probably need a bigger cast and shows run by different people. and the problem with that is that we can't deny that the main appeal of watcher is how much people care about shane and ryan and (it pains me to say this, you all know he's my favorite but, to a lesser extent) steven. a ton of us are here because we wanted to keep watching them. for the people, not the shows, essentially. that is very clear when you look at the views of their shows.

idk, what I mean to say is, I don't see how they could have a catalog of content that justifies paying a monthly subscription if you're not a very avid fan willing to support them just because they're them, and even then those avid fans might end up dissatisfied because either a) a lot of the content will not include the people they want to see or b) the content will not be frequent enough. maybe I'm wrong and there is a third option here but, let's be real, there's gotta be a limit to how many different shows they can put shane and ryan in to have a varied catalogue and frequent upload schedule. and if it's not them in those shows, we bump into problem a.

I know the topic of whether or not $5.99 is a lot of money also became a reason for fights around here. this is what I have to say, as an international fan: depending on what country you're from, it's the sort of expense you just can't justify. like, the sort of money you shouldn't even spend on netflix with its very extensive selection of content. the sort of money you could use to pay a whole bill, buy groceries for a week, a month even! as it stands, here in brazil, for now, it's not really feasible. R$312 a year is a ton of money for me and I can't even say I'm struggling financially.

still on this topic, it is really hard not to take this "affordable to anyone and everyone" thing to heart being someone outside of the US, because it is the sort of thing that happens again and again, this sort of americentrism the internet at large seems to be stuck in. when they outright say they view this price as affordable to everyone it's very clear they have not taken international fans into consideration or they just don't really care. if they hadn't said that with so much certainty, maybe I'd feel a little less hurt. and you know, whatever, it's my feelings vs the needs of a company, and companies are not your friends but! ever since the beginning, the relationship between us and them has been very parasocial. lol it's like a good friend of mine said something that hurt my feelings. although maybe that's my own fault for placing them in that role in my head in the first place.

anyway, idk if this makes sense, the goal here isn't even to pick a side or tell anyone they're wrong... as with most things this is just too complicated for that. what I can say is that the way they went about this could have been a lot better. and for now what I am feeling is that this is eventually going to crash and burn but well, I just really hope I'm wrong. they deserve good things.

[peepoo79]

Cringe-ass American Psycho AU under cut 👁️👁️

Anyway as I previously alluded to, this mf silly ass idea has been in my brain for a while. Fuck it. Hospital AU. Been watching too much House MD lately. Anyway:

Patrick Bateman:

General surgery. Graduated Harvard medical school. Tried to match into plastic surgery but didn’t make the cut. Didn’t make the cut for cardiothoracic surgery either. Ended up settling for general surgery.

Went into medicine because doctors make a lot of money and have a lot of status. Probably wouldn’t have gotten through medical school if it weren’t for the connections is father has—nepotism at its finest. His father is on the board of directors for the hospital he works at—his last name, unfortunately, keeps him out of a LOT of trouble.

Horrific bedside manner. He’s attempted to sleep with patients on multiple occasions (and succeeded several times), has had countless malpractice lawsuits thrown at him, and frequently leaves his patients feeling uncomfortable. Has been known to purposefully under-anesthetize patients and recommend completely unnecessary procedures just because he’s bored.

That being said, his behavior with patients varies WILDLY. He’s on good behavior if he perceives his patient as being of high status (still unintentionally makes them uncomfortable, but only because he is trying SO HARD to make them like him that it backfires. Think the Tom Cruise elevator interaction from the book. That sort of behavior). However, if they fall into the category of people Patrick regards as “lesser,” the difference is stark. He tends to take his anger out on these sorts of patients.

Still a sadistic bastard. Unfortunately, his job allows him pretty easy access to inflicting agony on unwilling subjects and getting away with it. In some ways, he’s a lot more flagrant with his unacceptable behavior than he is in the source material. Perks of being in a profession like surgery I guess.

Treats the nurses terribly, has slept with a lot of them.

Only reason he hasn’t gotten fired is, once again, nepotism. Seriously, this guy sucks

Jean:

Registered nurse, works under Patrick.

Is aware that Patrick is not favored by his patients. Unaware of the extent of his depravity.

Poor girl needs a hug :(

Despite the shit she’s regularly put through (dealing with patients, dealing with Patrick, dealing with his equally insufferable colleagues), still manages to keep a mostly positive attitude.

Originally wanted to go to medical school but didn’t like the idea of having to spend so much of her youth in school. Decided on nursing—she felt that she could make a better positive impact doing that, anyway.

Paul Owen:

Graduated from Yale. Plastic Surgeon. Has his own practice but occasionally gets called in to the hospital the others work at to handle trauma cases.

Everything Patrick wanted to be. Has everything Patrick wanted to have—rich and beautiful clientele, a flexible work schedule, social prestige.

Well liked by his colleagues and his patients. Actually treats the nurses and other staff well.

Tim Price:

Cardiothoracic surgeon. Went to medical school with Patrick.He’s the closest thing to a friend Patrick has—they were roommates throughout med school

Patrick seems to almost look up to him in a way—probably because in his mind, he’s “higher status”and more successful.

Arrogant but generally tolerated by his colleagues.

Has slept with a lot of the nurses. By extension, has made a lot of enemies out of the nurses.

Completely unaware of Bateman’s…issues. He doesn’t think he’d have the spine to do anything too absurd, despite the malpractice lawsuits Bateman regularly complains to him about (thinks the patients are just trying to get money out of him, probably)

Still not a very nice guy, he says a lot of shit about his patients behind their backs that’s DEFINITELY a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality

Evelyn Richards:

Pharmaceutical sales rep. Met Patrick shortly after he graduated med school, went for him because he’s young, handsome, and has disposable income.

Comes from an already wealthy family.

Still having an affair with Price.

Squeamish—won’t let Patrick talk about any of the work he does. So much as the mention of a scalpel and she’s nauseous. Obviously, Patrick makes it a point to describe his cases in graphic detail because if this.

Courtney Lawrence

In administration. Also unaware of Patrick’s fuckass behavior.

Still dating Luis. Still cheating on Luis with Patrick.

Honestly, not much to change for her

Luis Carruthers

Psychiatrist. Frequently feels a bit left out since the others don’t regard him as a “real doctor”

Still very infatuated with Patrick

Liked by his patients, but regarded as a bit dense by his colleagues

Well liked by the nurses—occasionally brings in baked goods for them! One of the only ones out of the group that actually shows his appreciation for the non-MD members of the hospital staff

David Van Patten

Orthopedic surgeon, arrogant and jockish.

Went to med school because he was pressured into it by his family. Went into ortho because he thought it was “easiest”

Craig McDermott

ENT specialist. “Friends” with Patrick, although most of their interactions are petty squabbles and constant attempts at one-upping the other

Takes pride in his work, but mainly because he makes a lot of money. In medicine for basically the same reasons as Patrick, but is, y’know….normal about it.

Anyway that’s all I’ve got for now. This is super duper self indulgent LMAO

[quantum-mechan1c]

Maybe Wildbow could write fewer, better books instead of. y'know. what he does now

This was part of my last Pact liveblog, but I decided to make it its own post.

I really wish Wildbow would slow down and write these things as normal novels, maybe putting them out 200,000 words at a time if he really needs the feedback. IMHO Pact really suffers for being written on a schedule. Certain chapters and even whole arcs (*cough* Toronto *cough*) are thrown off just because stuff was happening in the authors life at the time -- that's not speculation, either, Wildbow literally says as much in the comment section. I would much rather the books come out slower, and be more polished and coherent for it.

Though I haven't read Twig, Pale, or Ward, reports suggest they all fall flat in comparison to WB's earlier works, and I've been wondering for some time now why that is. Maybe this is it; maybe it's just simply not possible for a human being to pump out 6,000 words a week for a decade straight and have all, or even most of them be good.

Another possible culprit for the quality gap between earlier and later serials is that Worm, and Pact to a lesser extent, had the benefit of extensive prior worldbuilding. One of the major criticisms i've seen leveled at Ward is that the new world doesn't really make sense, especially when compared to Worm, which felt very grounded imo. Again, if he just took some time between projects to figure out what he was doing, maybe this wold be different.

Unfortunately it seems unlikely that he'll ever go back and give these works the second look I think they need, given the success he's seen working under his current MO. Maybe that's for the best; if these books were good, normal people might read them, and heaven knows we don't want to deal with that.

[itsclydebitches]

Any tips for new grad students? I'm about to start in the fall and I'm curious how it'll be different/hopefully better than undergrad!

Congratulations, anon!!!

Let's see... some alphabetical tips based on my own experience:

Ask for help. You'll likely have a million questions and, unfortunately, the designated people who can answer them are often crazy busy and may take a while to get back to you, or forget entirely. So don't be afraid to ask for help from whoever might even feasibly know the answer -- including tumblr blogs! You're off to a great start lol

Be on the lookout for advisors early. Whether you're just in need of a singular advisory for a thesis, or if you'll be putting a whole committee together, approach every new instructor with the question, "Would I want them to mentor me through my research?" in the back of your mind. Pay attention to not just their specialties and teaching methods, but who they are as a person. Do you like them? Are you comfortable with them? Do they treat you respectfully? Do they seem to have everything well in hand? I loved my advisor dearly as a person, but he was often waaaaaay behind on his work. Looking back, I would have at least considered choosing someone with better organization/time management skills.

Get good at writing emails. Can you write a succinct, professional sounding email? Great! Get comfortable doing that throughout the whole day. Feeling a little iffy? Practice over the summer. There are a lot of templates online that can help, but you'll want to ensure you're not going into grad school still writing "k thx" from your iPhone at 3:00am. (For the record, your professors may do this, the students should not lol).

Have designated, scheduled downtime. Literally if you don't plan to take a break... you won't be taking a break. Not until your body decides to take one for you, anyway. Friday nights were always my couch potato time. Absolutely no work allowed and no strenuous activity unless it was something I was legitimately excited about (so no getting pressured into outings I didn't actually want to attend). Friday nights were sacred, a time for takeout and only whatever else I felt like doing, usually TV, video games, and vegging out with my cat.

Imposter Syndrome is a BITCH. Luckily, pretty much everyone's got it to a greater or lesser extent, we all just need to acknowledge it more. You know those boards some schools have celebrating places where students have gotten in and other achievements? Yeah, we put one up for failures in our department. Literally a giant, glittery, "CONGRATS YOU DIDN'T GET IT!" board where we hung proposal rejections, grant rejections, school rejections, scholarship rejections, job rejections, and on one memorable occasion a date rejection. I highly recommend it. Nothing lessens the sting quite as much as seeing that you're a part of a sea of similar disappointments and remembering that you're all in the same, often luck-based boat.

Pick a non-academic hobby. Your mental health will thank you, trust me. Like the designated downtime, you need to be doing something that's not reading/writing/researching 24/7. Pick a hobby that in no way relates to academics or your chosen field, preferably something hands-on and creative. Grad school is when I picked up crocheting alongside knitting.

Prepare to hold down two jobs. This really only applies if you're going to be teaching while you get your degree (or if you have an outside job for the paycheck), but I was pretty blindsided by what it took to be a full-time student and a half-time instructor. I don't really have good advice beyond "Figure out your time management skills now" and "Don't pour all your energy into one or the other because the one you've neglected WILL come back to bite you in the ass," but even just being aware of how difficult it is going to be would have staved off the initial shock.

Read strategically. Perhaps this is different for someone not in the Humanities, but you will be reading a LOT in grad school. Like, an absolutely stupid amount. There simply will not be time to cover everything from title to footnotes (I know, it hurts), so get comfortable with reading abstracts, chapter summaries, skimming, and otherwise summarizing lengthy works to figure out what you should prioritize. Unless a whole article is assigned for class, figure out what you need from any given text -- or what you think you may need -- and hone in on that. You can always return to read more if you have the time.

SAVE EVERYTHING. Do not delete emails. Get copies of everything even remotely official. Print everything out. Buy yourself a couple of cheap file boxes, stick them under your bed, and keep it all just in case. What kind of things have I unexpectedly needed to dredge up weeks, months, or even years later? The printed paper with hand-written comments to justify a grade I gave. An ancient email from a committee member proving that they did in fact sign off on a certain chapter choice. A copy of the publication forms I signed for a book collection after those got lost on their end (somehow). Seriously, save everything. You'll never know when you may need proof of some communication you've had.

Take naps. That's it. That's the advice. Someone gives you shit for being "lazy" or tries to make you feel bad for "wasting" a sunny afternoon? Make them step on a Lego and then both of you take your nap outside. Naps are beautiful and sacred and life-saving. Just set a good alarm for whenever your next class/meeting is.

Work at making friends. Unlike high school or even college where you'll be spending the day with a core group of people, in graduate school (unless your school is really small) the students are a lot more spread out and there aren't as many built-in opportunities to socialize. So plan to put in more effort at connecting with others because you will want that camaraderie, both for practical help and your sanity. I didn't realize how much more I needed to do to get to know my peers until I was nearly finished my Master's. Luckily, my PhD threw me into an office with seven other grads, so I didn't have a choice about getting to know them lol

You're responsible for your own learning. You've gotten a taste of this in college, but grad school cranks it up to 11. You're an adult (not an "adult" adult like a college student) and you've committed to putting forth 2-7 additional years towards your education. The expectation is that you want to be here and will showcase the necessary effort without outside influence (unless you require accommodations, of course). Be prepared for your instructors to treat you like a peer, both when it comes to the fun stuff - intense debates about your field! - and the responsibilities they expect you to follow through on. In some ways grad school is nothing like college because you are now focused on one subject, you are working collaboratively with people who were once solely authority figures, and 95% of the work will occur outside the classroom via self-teaching. You're a professional now. Still being mentored, but well on your way to that equal standing. The sooner you realize that you are responsible for your own education and future career -- not your teachers, your parents, your BFF, your roommate, etc. -- the better.

Most importantly:

[sparklecareforrealjustice]

what are some problematic elements of v4 again?

here's a list of not great things in no particular order. not adding pictures because this post is already long enough as is, but go and reread the volume and you'll see what i mean.

v4 ended on march 30 2024, and the new v5 sparklecare ref sheets started to drop march 12 2024. kittycorn is suddenly able to draw barry fat again out of nowhere after not doing so since around the start of v3. it would've been nice if squeak drew him fat in the actual volume that was releasing at the time. here's a link to an ask i got that clarifies the dates/posting schedule of the comic.

uni being annoyed by barry and making fun of him, but only three pages later she gets frustrated at cyn for making fun of barry. sure, there's a timeskip, but... consistency, much?

the scene after cuddles berating uni could have been impactful if we weren't told constantly by kittycorn that this volume doesn't have any gore or violence in it (and if you didn't hear about it from squeak, the volume's cover says it as well). i understand needing warnings for things, but it's a warning for something that... doesn't happen? all of the tension from that scene - the question of whether uni did something or not, considering the large amount blood on the floor - is made completely pointless. the comic wants to act like there's an important moment happening, but at the same time, the comic itself made the moment boring because it told you there was nothing to worry about beforehand.

on the same note of cuddles berating uni - it's not executed well. his point about it not being the same type of puppet is... correct. sure, he's being a dick to uni and uni only, but his design mirrors uni. there's clearly something going on there. it's so obviously being written as a mouthpiece for kittycorn to state squeaks feelings. which is fine, it's squeaks comic, but it isn't written well. "people don't like my art, why are they attacking me :(" because people are allowed to have opinions about the main writer and artist of the comic they like, maybe? having the comic people are reading change all of a sudden to only comfort versus the commentary on the medical system and trauma that it was originally stated to be is going to make some people upset!

carrie is a dick to mood for basically no reason. uni locks herself in her room, carrie and barry can't get it open, so mood uses her keys to open it. cool! and then mood offers to clean kneevil instead of just throwing him away (as we're shown they have to do to comfort objects in v2). so then why does carrie make a slight at mood about her job to her? mood is a nurse, isn't she? so she's not even harming the patients! even if it's carrie taking out her anger about doom to his sister instead, it's still a weird moment to do it -- right after mood did nothing but help them.

"Why don't you go back and do something with your magic, dude? That's a talent you have, you're good at it."

"...I don't wanna freak out Barry any more though, bro... my magic stresses him out..."

"...you can do something with your magic, even if it confuses me, I'll be fine. If it would make you happy, do anything you want."

barry shouldn't have to sacrifice his own comfort and put aside his own feelings in order to make uni happy. also, when being yelled at by carrie, barry just says and accepts he's a jerk instead of defending himself? because the only reason he's being a dick to uni in the first place is because uni was a dick to him first (making fun of barry after he tried apologizing for something, which has been stated in the past to be hard for him). he was made fun of after being vulnerable, of course he's going to be a jerk to uni! but no, now he's completely in the wrong and uni is perfect and good in every way and did nothing wrong just because she's sad? that's not how that works! if uni (and carrie to a lesser extent) keep riling barry up, of course he's going to snap and act like a dick! why are they surprised that annoying somebody makes them act shitty to you due to them finding you annoying? you can't be intentionally annoying someone and expect there to be no consequences, or be mad/weirded out when there are consequences!

mood is scared by kneevil with the giant butterfly despite kittycorn stating that bugs are the only thing that mood and doom eat, and that them only eating bugs is supposed to be an attempt at writing an eating disorder. it's brushed off later with mood saying "nah. it didn't scare me that bad.", despite her being visibly uncomfortable a few pages earlier.

uni using her stupid perfect vision goggles to sew the puppets in this volume instead of kittycorn having to write squeaks blind character as actually blind. uni isn't supposed to have scissors or needles in the first place due to her being a self harm risk, so sure, the staff probably wouldn't help her with making puppets. but she could ask barry or carrie! maybe even jay! or any other friends she might have, considering she's spent nine years at the hospital!

barry should not be cool with barrific existing. it's been made a point throughout the comic that he hates and is distressed by magic due to it triggering his schizophrenia -- why would he be cool with seeing a puppet based on himself that's made alive due to magic? yes, i get that it's the famous barry puppet comic joke, but barry should be upset about this, not just shocked for a single panel and then completely fine with seeing magical sentient/sapient puppets the rest of the volume. barry should be panicking and hiding from all these shenanigans, or be mad, or something other than completely fine with it.

kneevil is able to trap barrific and barry in a cage... so why hasn't uni used her magic to stop cuddles in literally any way? i talk about this in more detail here.

the entire ending. or, more specifically, right before the ending, with kneevil crying and barrific apologizing. uni/kneevil is able to treat her/his friends like shit and don't get any sort of consequences for it. i go into more depth here about it (because trust me, it is written bad).

why are the sex jokes so constant? everyone has already said there's too many sex jokes already but sometimes less really is more. there should've been less.

-mod polly 🧊

[kanmom51]

Hi, I really like your rational views on KM and I'd love to hear your opinion on the following. Forgive me If you've already touched upon it, but something you said in a previous ask made me perk up.

Some people believe that whatever content comes out of Jikook's NY/CT trip will diminish its value as being 'real' jikook content. That the sharing of it with ARMY instantly makes it 'fanservice', instead of something for them (are people forgetting abt GCFT?) real moments. What in your eyes would still make it special?

I'm of the belief that they are idols living semi public lives. Even when they're working they'll have moments that are special for them. Those moments also happen to further their special bond. A bond that ARMY feeds off of. Can we still call that fanservice when they've essentially had a workplace romance? Where do you think the boundary lies for them?

They have yet to share anything about their trip, and maybe they're not doing that because 1. It's private, 2. It's future content, 3. Maybe both?

Thanks a million!

"Some people believe that whatever content comes out of Jikook's NY/CT trip will diminish its value as being 'real' jikook content. That the sharing of it with ARMY instantly makes it 'fanservice', instead of something for them (are people forgetting abt GCFT?) real moments."

Before I start here, I just want to clarify that I neve said that.

I don't think you are saying I did, and yet there might be those that misunderstood my words?

I was saying that they had a private trip in the guise of a work one. That the purpose was private, their own, all while it will be disguised as creating content, because in this place in time it's the best they could do.

Now that we have that cleared, I'm on to your ask.

I personally don't think that them releasing content from their trip will diminish from it. It's all about what that trip meant to them, not what it proves or disproves to us.

You do get the difference, right?

Even in the very very little we got (saw or heard) from their trip, they were enjoying themselves. Btw, at the stop&shop they were on their own. Even if there was a crew with them, even if they were filming some of it, it most definitley wasn't all of it. It was their trip and I'm assuming that they got to decide what will be filmed and turned into content and what will be theirs and only theirs. They got to experience time together, just the two of them. They got to get away, just before their schedules turn crazy. They got to do this before the looming enlistment. I'm sure it meant the world to them. And if creating some content was a price to pay for it, then they were ok to pay it. But in no way does it diminish from the importance of this to them.

As for what this proves or disproves, well that's a question that those who don't believe or want to accept they are a couple raise to create doubt. And truthfully one we shouldn't be paying any attention to, because it's downright stupid. They created content, so what? They also travelled and enjoyed themselves and were giggly happy and if anyone claims this was forced on them for content purposes they are outright dumb. I will ask them another question. What other 2 members have EVER done this kind of thing? Travel together, like a couple, not for the first time, to create content?

I'm kind of sick of the fanservice narrative. As a whole, every content released is fanservice, to an extent. Not the "we are creating a fake moment because the fans might want it" kind of fanservice though. BTS mostly doesn't do that. I've talked about this a lot in the past. Releasing content the fans like doesn't make it fake or unreal. And documenting their trip and sharing parts of it with us doesn't make their bond and love and enjoyment of each other any lesser.

When we travel and document and share with family and friends, are we doing it for them or for us? Yes, it's not exactly the same, but you can take from it. JK has done it in the past, it's not something strange or new to him. GCFT was a masterpiece and all about his private trip with JM. A very important trip for the two of them. Was GCFT fanservice? Fuck no!!! It was JK letting us see a glimpse of them, of his love for JM, of their trip together. JM also posted his vlogs, and they weren't fanservice either, just him sharing a little more discretely, or more so less obviously.

So, conclusion, sharing parts of their trip (I really don't think this will be a BV or ITS type of content, more like a trip vlog), is not fanservice (not fake) and did not diminish from the importance of the trip for the two of them.

You ask if it can be fanservice when it's a workplace romance. Well, again, we are back to what the actual definition of fanservice is. And the thing is when it's used by people when it comes to Jikook we know it's the fake, forced, ingenuine meaning behind it. So, to that I would say that if the feelings are genuine and they are acting on them, they are not fanservice in that perspective. Do some fans like it? Yes they do. Fact: in PTD LA when JK was hanging over JM at the end of So what, JM all flustered, JK being as loud as shit, the cameras, you know, those that are there to capture fanservice, panned away. Purposefully. I have 1001 examples of Jikook moments cut or Jikook moments in the background, them unaware of the cameras capturing them. Point being, they do what they do because they are who they are and that's their relationship, their bond, their dynamics, content or not. Their interactions. Their reactions to each other. They are all genuine. Not put on. Not fake.

If the fans enjoy them, so be it. But they are not created for the fans.

Get the difference?

And you ask about boundaries. Well, they are clearly set. Because they are a closeted queer couple and because they want a semblance of privacy as well. Both being the reason, btw, they didn't share being together on JK's birthday this year. The lack of a buffer might have made it too obvious this year (especially after JM's pic drop).

As for sharing from their trip, I'd say it's a combination of it being private and being future content. I do think we will get a little content from it, but it was a private and special trip for them, so there will be much untold.

What people fail to understand is that if this is future content, as in content that will be shared with us perhaps when they are away in the army, them creating this content together is huge and loud and telling. They are the only two within the group to do so. And if this is not a one of, as in there is more shared content, well...

[sea-owl]

Sea owl, I love your Crane Family hot takes.

How would the Cranes join forces to keep Eloise happy during the later periods of her first pregnancy?

They got a schedule for cuddle times during the day so Eloise isn't hunting people down for cuddles and things can get done. Eloise was annoyed by this but then she realized her cuddle time would be uninterrupted so she went along with it. She still makes changes to the schedule because she gets cuddle cravings.

Phillip being experienced with pregnancy actually really calmed Eloise down. There were times she wanted something that she did not understand or couldn't put into words, but he knew and made sure she got them. Also, there were times when her pregnancy brain made it so she forgot things a lot. Phillip, being a calm support to her, helped keep Eloise calm. It was also helpful that Phillip and, to a lesser extent, the twins often joined Eloise in solidarity with what she ate. Phillip just wished she didn't crave fish so much. He hates fish.

What Phillip was not expecting, though, was the increase in Eloise's libido. Them pregnancy hormones put her libido into overdrive and has Eloise trying to jump Phillip's bones at least twice a day. Phillip thought she was horny before, and she was, all Bridgertons are horny, it was nothing compared to pregnant Eloise being horny.

[dailyadventureprompts]

I was thinking about Duergar after listening to Critical Role S1. I don’t care too much for the blatantly evil brush they used but I still want them to be antagonistic. Reading the Explore D&D article on them I took that and looked for inspiration. I thought a blend of the paranoid police state of Stalinist Russia with the political intrigue and back stabbing of imperial Rome. Vast underground cities of brutalist architecture. A culture of conformity, order and a nihilistic outlook. Atheist philosophy cults of the forge or other practical oriented ideologies. Power by any means is a virtue in this society so mages and warlocks are also prevalent. Holidays and celebrations are scheduled well choreographed events. Individuality is scorned. Even hair styles and clothing are limited and enforced by literal fashion police. Gulags are kept well stocked with routine purges of dissidents and a thriving slave trade. All this keeps their cities nearly impenetrable but also undercuts their expansion. Trade with the outside does exist but it’s extremely bureaucratic. They make FANTASTIC concrete.

Footnotes on Foes: Duergar

The problem with the grey dwarves is that they're a little too close to their surface world counterparts compared to the other underdark Wario fantasy races. There's a literal night and day difference between elves and drow , humans and grimlocks, and to a lesser extent gnomes and svirfneblin, but if you looked at surface dwarves (traditionalist, work in metal and stone, warriror culture) there's really nothing all that different about the Duergar other than a grabbag of magic powers and the Duergar being SUPER assholes all the time, while surface dwarves are only assholes some of the time.

I’ve tried a few different versions of the duergar in my writing including mercenary legions of migratory exiles hunting through the underdark looking to conquer territory, and willing collaborators and footsoldiers for illithid colonies, but I think this ask specifically gave me something cool to work with: A focus on Psionics is what ahould seperate the duergar from regular dwarves, with the totalitarian state described above ramped up to its fantasy world extreme by the fact that the secret police can read your mind, and if they can’t find evidence of thoughtcrime they can use mindfuckery to put it there.  The social conformity is seen as a way of detecting rebellious thoughts as if they were social contagion.

This also gives the grey dwarves a distinct aesthetic that is separate from vanilla dwarves: Crystals, be they shaped into weapons or architecture or floating about the heads of psionic casters, which goes to supplement their already textual psychic powers. As an added means of differentiating them, talk about how duergar metalwork is shit, soldiers wearing slave-foundry pig iron while their commanders wield elegantly carved sceptres of nightmare infused rock.

Also, just to have a bit of fun, have the duergar low-key anxious about the existence of the sky, to the point where many of them believe it's a myth made up to scare them as children.

Hooks:

Despite the draconian control they keep over their own populace, the rigors of living in a realm of ever shifting stone require the Duergar to utilize numerous means to secure the territories around their grim cities: Fortress outposts built to control passage in and out of their cavernous realms, psionicly propelled vessels of iron plate that prowl great tunnels like levitating battleships, treaties and client-state contracts with rival and subjugated creatures set up as buffers. Travelling through underdark controlled by duergar is a different sort of dangerous then normal travel in the below.

Escaping from prison before she could be lobotomized, a powerful psion has made it to the surface world with a gang of fellow thought-criminals, working as mercenaries using their unusual skills and eventually forming a rivalry with the party.

The earth writhes. A series of violent quakes cause damage in several cities across the kingdom, setting off numerous small disasters and the appearance of subterranean monsters that'll keep the party and the powers that be busy for weeks. When the cause is eventually determined, it's discovered that in a hunger for more pisonically charged crystals, a duergar warlord has awoken a primordial which now thrashes against its restraints and shakes the world as its pained excavation continues.

Art

[zeldacd]

Notttt what I had planned on drawing for my next Zora May (and technically this wasn't supposed to be a Zora May entry. It was just me drawing another disconnected scene from AU plot cause i guess I'm incapable of actually sitting down and writing a story from start to finish)

(big inhale) BUT I was getting frustrated with the thing I was drawing and started doing something else. (DW I'll go back to it. eventually.)

So here. Zora May (Still not actually even May) prompt is ummm Well I guess this could fall under Bejeweled LOL. Or just AU/OC.

AU plot/context under the cut cause boi I'm gonna start rambling

Okeeeyy so I may have mentioned in previous AU posts ive made that my lake zora have a tendency to be hostile to Hylians and to a lesser extent other humans in my AU due to like. Previous strained relations regarding the Zora queen. But Kaluga himself being a Zora too young to really remember war between them and the Hylians doesn't really harbor specific hatred for humans (typical millennial jk). But he has a naturally antagonistic/narcissistic nature that leads him to be hostile towards them anyway.

SO. Refresher out of the way. In the current events of the story he's kind of getting up to the age to take the throne and even find a queen, but when he encounters the main group he is immediately smitten with Gan. So basically he's like, "Oh okay, this one is mine. I have now decided." and kidnaps him to marry. Think Bowser I suppose (LMFAO). They don't actually end up getting married (sad, I know JK), but the main group just plays along for a while when the wedding is being planned/prepared because this allows them to explore Zora's Domain (mostly) freely. Which they would not have had an opportunity to do otherwise. Due to Zora not being too keen on humans.

I'm not really explaining the events in FULL detail. cause I mean I will (I dunno if I ever will but I do hope to) actually write this AU out in like..... fic form.

I really just need to make a schedule I'm starting to notice I tend to not commit to shit unless I adhere to a strict schedule... lol.