#as long as you properly credit the person who made the base then go for it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

samatedeansbroccoli · 2 years ago

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I posted 8,416 times in 2022

706 posts created (8%)

7,710 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@satan-incarnate-666

@risingphoenix761

@little-boats-on-a-lake

@dreydel-fatale

@inthetags

I tagged 3,350 of my posts in 2022

#thebroccolitalks - 301 posts

#thebroccoliresponds - 184 posts

#hot damn op - 115 posts

#call of duty - 114 posts

#<< prev tags - 55 posts

#future ref - 46 posts

#thanks khushi! - 44 posts

#wow callout - 41 posts

#modern warfare - 25 posts

#hotd - 24 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#if it’s plot relevant then maybe a’s parents are pressuring them to have kids and b is like ‘nah we good without them’ and then a and b kis

My Top Posts in 2022:

This game is honestly such a gem

From Deadpool (2013) played by RabidRetrospectGames

70 notes - Posted May 23, 2022

Soap: I made tea.

Ghost: I don’t want tea.

Soap: Not for you. This is my tea.

Ghost: Then why are you telling me?

Soap: ‘Tis a conversation starter.

Ghost: That’s a lousy conversation starter.

Soap: But we’re conversing anyway. Checkmate.

76 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

Likely to no one’s surprise, @/smokeywhalee / smokeyshawarma isn’t the person she says she is. I was going to stay quiet and let people choose their friends, but after I heard about all the people she’s wronged in the past, it’s no longer something I can ignore. Over the past year, Smokey has:

•Bullied others for their race

•Compared minute fandom problems to real racist political agendas

•Failed to properly credit using other’s ideas and words in her works

•Paraphrased other’s posts without acknowledging the original poster

•Ignored triggers and squicks of others

•Condemns others of vaguing but proceeds to do the same

And many, many more.

Although Smokey is no longer relevant to the Call of Duty fandom, what she has done to others surpasses the fandom. This is more than just about her. This is about those who’ve stayed quiet because they felt she had too big of a following to say anything.

To those that were affected, please add your story via a reblog. To those that weren’t, please listen to the voices of others.

It’s time we speak up like we should have long ago.

102 notes - Posted February 12, 2022

IMPORTANT: DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN WATTPAD'S OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST

I won't waste your time: it's a scam. And as someone who participated in the contest on its debut and loved participating in it, this year's contest is nothing but a horror show waiting to happen.

If you don't want to know the reason behind it, that's all you need to know! Feel free to keep scrolling. If you'd like to know more about what's going on with Wattpad, please continue reading.

This post does not have a break due to the potential severity of the contest.

What is the Open Novella Contest?

The Open Novella Contest (ONC) is a yearly Wattpad event in which writers are tasked with writing a story between 20K-40K words in 12 weeks, basing their story around a set number of prompts created by Wattpad. For the past five years, the ONC has been received well among the Wattpad community, with tens of thousands participating. Some of the stories would later be sent/picked up by publishing companies, and with Wattpad's recent Premium update, authors are allowed to publish their stories through Wattpad.

So what's wrong with that?

Well, it should have been nothing. Previously, there was wrong with participating and having fun. This year, however, Wattpad decided they'd change the rules up, the first change being that mature stories are no longer allowed. Wattpad has always had strict guidelines regarding mature stories, and yet the platform is also a hotspot for mature stories. Previously, this was fine as long as it didn't break creative legal rules (ex. pornography) , This year, any mature story is likely to be disqualified from the contest.

But that's not the fun part, the publicity grant is:

Straight from Wattpad's rules:

Entry in the Contest constitutes permission for [Wattpad Corp.] Sponsor and its designees to use each entrant's and Prize Winners' Entries, as well as entrant's name, [Wattpad account] or other social media handle or ID, biological information, address (city and state) and likeness, for advertising and promotional purposes, in any manner, in any and all media now or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity, without further compensation, notification, or permission, except where prohibited by law and as otherwise provided herein. The preceding expressly includes, without limitation, any video associated with any winning Entry.

That's a lot to read, so let's break it down:

"Entry in the Contest constitutes permission for [Wattpad Corp.] Sponsor and its designees to use..."

By entering the contest, Wattpad and others associated with the contest can...

"...each entrant's and Prize Winners' Entries..."

Every entry is now Wattpad's and you don't have control over your own work.

"...as well as entrant's name, [Wattpad account] or other social media handle or ID, biological information, address (city and state) and likeness..."

Wattpad may use your real name (might not be preferred), your Wattpad name, your social medias, your birth date, your gender, your address, and all things needed to sign up for a Wattpad account...

"...for advertising and promotional purposes..."

Wattpad will use all of the above for "promotional purposes."

"...in any manner, in any and all media now or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity..."

Your name, address, social medias, and all others will be advertised freely and you'll have no control on which corners of the world it will reach.

"...except where prohibited by law and as otherwise provided herein."

If there's a law that will stop advertising, congrats. Your name, address, social medias, and all others won't get promoted there.

"The preceding expressly includes, without limitation, any video associated with any winning Entry."

Wattpad allows writers to add a video to your chapter which can help set the tone of the chapter. Basically, they're saying here that if you put Billy Joel's "Piano Man" with your writing, they don't care about the copyright. They'll still promote the story, which also breaks copyright rules in the music department. And if the company behind "Piano Man" decides to sue, the author takes the blow.

It doesn't stop there: let's talk Intellectual Property (aka copyright):

Straight from Wattpad again:

Each Prize Winner grants to [Wattpad Corp.] Sponsor and its designees the exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, sublicenseable right and license to use, perform, exhibit, reproduce, and/or otherwise exploit their winning Entry in any manner and in any and all distribution channels, venues or media no known or hereafter devised, without further notice or any compensation to entrant. The preceding grant of rights is subject to any rights retained by a social media operator in its social media platform. Each Prize Winner further waives any "Moral Rights of Authors" or similar natural rights of ownership they may have in user content. Each Prize Winner further agrees, upon Sponsor's request and without compensation of any kind, to execute any additional documents so as to effect, record, or perfect the grant of rights contemplated by this subsection.

By participating, entrants acknowledge that Sponsor may be working on or receive other Entries (or Sponsor's employees or third party independent contractors may create materials on their own), that are similar to identical in theme, format or other respects to that summited by entrant. By submitting an Entry, Sponsor does not waive any rights to use similar or related ideas previously known to Sponsor or developed by its employees, or obtained from sources other than entrant. Sponsor shall not have any liability to entrant for any direct, indirect, contributory, vicarious, secondary or other infringement or protection of any copyright in or to entrant's Entry.

See the full post

109 notes - Posted January 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I think it's important for people to see just where the bombings in Ukraine have taken place. Just to show that this is even bigger than I think most people outside of Eastern Europe realize.

Source

146 notes - Posted February 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #Ohhhh that’s mildly embarrassing #Two callout posts in one roundup

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lonita · 4 years ago

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B roll - 2020 10

02 - I think I want to smack the government rep in the senate. He's parroting that "join the middle class" bullshit that was peddled during the throne speech.

03 - I was recently lamenting the lack of creative diversity in my adjective use, that it had become coarse, bland, a bit visceral. Then I remembered that I don't have to waste good words on assholes.

03 - "Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today." Homer

04 - So, because people outside the disabled of this country don't enough decry the abandonment of the disabled, means the CBC doesn't think the treatment of PWD is newsworthy. Well, you can go fuck yourself, CBC.

04 - Why don't we just collectively agree to kick daylight savings to the curb?

05 - I want to know who the sick person was that thought it was a good idea to violate lemon pie with meringue.

05 - Today I ask myself the question: Do I remember how to tie my hakama?

05 - I was watching something the other day that discussed the level of entrepreneurship in Sweden which is higher than the US, and the reason it was so is because they take less risk due to a robust social safety net, which UBI could certainly be a part of.

05 - Someone mentioned European-style stone bollards instead. They're much more attractive. Not everything in this burg has to be ugly. If we must do it, make it decent.

06 - Tonight's fun activity: Packing my dojo bag for the first time since March! I have to get the oil out and clean my sword.

06 - Someone once told me that if you have eye twitchies you should eat pumpkin seeds. Handy, right season for it, and it's the only part of the pumpkin I like.

07 - Earlier this year I had occasion to speak to someone at Hamilton Housing. She told me that there are people on her list that have been there for 15+ years.

07 - One of our senators, just last week, said that if we raised taxes by just 10% on anyone with $20 mil or above that we could net ourselves $56 billion dollars. She said we could pay off the pandemic benefit payments in five or so years.

07 - I don't know about you, friends, but I'm of the mind that if you're going to earn money off our country, the one you live in no less, you should be paying your share of the taxes and investing your wealth in the country you profit off of to begin with.

07 - When you talk about a wealth tax you get, usually from the middle class, a lot of screaming about something that has nothing to do with their income outside the potential of alleviating their tax burdens. The offshoring rich are NOT paying their share.

08 - It's usually middle class folk who cry the loudest whenever I see folks mention a wealth tax, and say that the poor are just jealous. Hate to inform them that it doesn't appear to be the poor who are jealous.

08 - A former friend of mine rakes the leaves up in his yard in the fall and loosely packs them around the bases of the trees in his yard.

08 - Happy to report that my first trip to the dojo after seven months was a success. Am I at testing for nidan level? Hell no. But I only made one serious booboo and even managed to remember how to tie my hakama properly.

08 - The Disability Tax Credit is only of use to people who pay taxes, those who work. What about: 1: Turn it into a cash payout instead of a credit. 2: Keep it a credit for those who work, make it a cash payout for those who don't/can't.

09 - Because they think it's easy to ignore us - the disabled and elderly - because they think that disabled and elderly folk have no voice and if you ignore us long enough we'll shut up, go away, and die quietly.

09 - I bought new socks this week. I am hoping the house hippos leave this batch alone.

10 - Every time I see someone say that taxing the rich is theft I wonder if they've ever thought about the billions in offshored tax havens.

13 - When I had to replace my Nova Scotia birth certificate I found out my father's name was not registered with it. Which, honestly, was fine by me. Today I had to contact Service Canada and part of the ID check was parental names. I forgot my father's name entirely for a moment.

13 - Today's earworm: Nirvana - Lake of Fire

14 - Maybe the fed should hire on some of those out of work people who'd be more than happy to work from home making a government wage.

15 - One of Werner Herzog's pieces of life advice was to thwart institutional cowardice. I'm looking at you, Doug Ford and Justin Trudeau.

19 - I saw a job ad today about a law firm in a pricey downtown location that's looking for a receptionist/clerk. Their starting wage is $15/hr. That's hardly an appropriate wage for such a position. But this is the way the world works now: Low wages while they demand a BA from you.

22 - Doing transcription exposes you to a wealth of the human condition. And I can honestly say that there isn't much that's more full of shit than politicians or people in marketing than an evangelical Christian.

24 - Every day I see more and more stories about the vile conditions of all manner of long term care facilities in Canada. As a person who's advancing in age, this terrifies me. I fear for my future, in so many ways.

26 - Well that's spectacularly inconvenient and nonsensical. You cannot renew your health card online with Service Ontario unless you also have a driver's license. Guess what this legally blind person does not have? That's right. The people who are least able to travel easily are the ones who actually have to do the travelling. They will be getting my opinion when I go there. I know the province is not forcing renewals at the moment, but that form has been that way since before, I believe.

31 - I think I'm going to curl up with some old Bond films this eve. They're my favourites.

#b roll

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nat20marketing · 8 months ago

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Hello fellow marketers! Welcome to this week’s Nat 20 Marketing on brand reputation management.

Brand reputation goes hand in hand with marketing. While a good marketing campaign can certainly bring a positive impact to a brand, it is so easy for brands to mess up these days and lose a considerable amount of their reputation because information can quickly go around and beyond the community depending on how big the brand is and what social media platforms are involved in the transmission.

Reputation itself means the opinion and beliefs of others on a certain thing, be it another individual or a brand. I’d like to think reputation is something that can be earned and lost based on the decisions made by other people. A popular influencer or public figure can lose the respect of their fans if they make the active decision to commit horrible acts, like predatory behavior, which we see almost all the time these days. A brand can lose its reputation because of a bad marketing campaign, unfavorable company policy changes for the stakeholders, or even more serious cases like bad work ethics or company culture.

For this week’s blog post, I want to showcase some recent cases of decent reputation management efforts demonstrated by big companies, and a couple of bad ones so we can all learn what not to do. Before we dive in, I would like to talk about the concept of “cancel culture” lightly.

A familiar phrase: Cancel Culture.

For those who frequent social media, “cancel culture” is no strange term. When influencers commit some kind of atrocity, the victims come out and in the next moment, the public will already be “canceling” the people involved in the scandals. If it’s a brand that is in the middle of the hot waters, then we will find posts encouraging boycotts and suggestions for alternatives.

The process of cancel culture always starts with someone calling out bad actions by another person or brand. Sometimes, it takes a long time before this process is even started, and usually, these callouts are backed with screenshots of evidence, audio clips, and videos.

The issue with cancel culture is that most of the time people tend to side with the victim, who is usually the person calling out the case. Until proof countering the claims is provided, people continue to circulate the original claims and spread them widely via the Internet on different platforms. Here comes my two questions for everyone, marketers and PR managers as well: how often do people really cross-examine such evidence to determine their authenticity and how should companies react when such claims become accessible to the public?

I admit that there just seems to be no single solution to how companies should react when negative allegations surface since it is always different between cases, but I do believe that there are just some things we can learn from examples of the past. To keep things up-to-date, I’m going to use some relatively fresh examples from 2023 to 2024.

Now, let’s look at a couple of examples to learn what not to do.

I’m sure by now you know I like to use examples from the game development industry. One of my favorite genres is farming life simulator. With Stardew Valley being my favorite game of all time, I have inevitably gotten curious about what the developers are up to over time. Arthur Lee, also known as Mr. Podunkian online, recently made an X post calling his previous employer, Eric Barone, out for not properly crediting him in Stardew Valley and came out with allegations of harassment that originated from his previous employer. If we scroll down to the comment section, we see people questioning why Lee didn’t simply just reach out to Barone and settle the problem privately. Lee’s effort is later questioned by fans as to whether it is merely an attempt to draw attention to his own game and shed bad light on Stardew Valley and Barone. To remain objective for the sake of this blog, I think this is not only a risky but also unethical way of gathering recognition. Should his allegations of harassment later be proven to be baseless or false, he will lose respect from his supporters and his game’s reputation will suffer as a result. In short, I strongly do not recommend putting someone else under the bus, especially one you used to work for, as a mean to promote your own products and services down the line.

The next example is related to DND and mainly the game’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast. The publisher attempted to revise its Open Game License (OGL) terms in 2023 but the revision was leaked to the public before it was made official. When the industry and the fans learned of the changes, they realized the new OGL would become majorly unfavorable for those who were creating content for DND. Wizards of the Coast was hoping to get a cut from monetized content through royalty fees after a certain threshold. The publisher was also looking to claim the right to use all OGL content in any way the publisher would see fit. These changes caused widespread outrage from the community and the industry. The backlash was so severe that the publisher later responded in a blog post with an altered version of the new OGL. In the end, the overwhelming negative reaction from the community resulted in the publisher completely stopping its attempt to change its OGL terms.

I’d like to point out that brands need to stay in touch with their customers closely at all times so they can make good strategic decisions. What Wizards of the Coast did can be viewed as a company losing sight of what makes its brand good and well-loved by its customers and supporters. Customers are critical stakeholders to all B2C businesses. Overlooking their interests entirely can ruin a company’s reputation in seconds with how fast information goes around these days.

That's enough for bad examples, how about some better efforts on reputation management?

We all know that being fired sucks. We all get upset when we learn that people we look up to are affected by sudden unemployment. Riot Games laid off many of its employees a few months ago. Riot Games knew that its community would be highly interested in the prospects of these affected individuals since many of them were from the creative team and they had designed well-loved content for the company’s two big games. So, to help the community feel a bit better, Riot Games released a news post listing all the compensations and support the staff who were going to be laid off would be receiving. While there were some complaints from the employees, Riot Games tried to mitigate the impact as much as possible by being transparent and supportive, going above and beyond to help its employees find new jobs. While I cannot say how effective the support system is in the end, I would like to say Riot Games tried its best to maintain its reputation as positively as it could.

As a digital artist myself, I’d like to think that my go-to brand for drawing tablets is Wacom, despite having owned only one tablet so far. I like Wacom’s products for their durability and quality. If I'm buying a new tablet in the future, I will most likely be looking at Wacom products first before comparing other brands. So what exactly about Wacom here? Earlier this year, Wacom was accused of using AI-generated images in their promotional materials. For a brand that sells drawing tablets with its primary target audience being artists, while Wacom should’ve been extremely vigilant with the materials the company uses in its advertisements and social media posts from the very start, Wacom made a public statement addressing the community’s concern and accepting responsibility for the oversight. This is an example of an appropriate response to controversy and criticism.

Businesses need to remember what goes out to the public directly reflects the public opinion of the brand. If a business’s reputation is lost, it is extremely difficult to rebuild the tarnished trust and goodwill depending on the severity of the situation and the follow-up responses. Mistakes are a part of human nature at the end of the day, but learning how to take accountability and say the right thing is critical to a brand’s success.

With that, I’d like to announce that the next blog post will mark the journey’s end for Nat 20 Marketing. I am quite excited to meet with you all one last time. Until next week, cheers!

#integrated marketing communications #brand reputation management #brand reputation #public relations #digital marketing #traditional marketing #marketing #business

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hoerepair80 · 2 years ago

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An Overview Of Real Estate Market For Customers

If there seemed to be any established method to make the normal Joe and Anne into a property-acquiring expert, we may have eliminated the homes failure of not long ago. The truth of the matter, is it's just also volatile to properly evaluate. Even so, you can still find some good suggestions will help you, like the types in the following paragraphs. If you are contemplating buying a home, saving cash now is key. A lot of people commence to speak about buying a home properly prior to they really create the obtain. This is the opportune time for you to set aside dollars to reach your downpayment objective which is typically likely to be about twenty percent of your home charge. Discover and network with many other real estate traders. In addition to being capable to share info, seeing and hearing other traders encounters very first-hands is among the finest discovering equipment you will discover. It can help you avoid errors they have made. Additionally, using a network of relationships can alert you to investment prospects you might not keep in mind normally. Make a list of all the functions you desire your new house to have prior to starting buying. By doing this, you'll use a very clear photo of what exactly you need in a home and what you'd want. Going out blindly checking out homes might be strenuous till you sit back and write out just what you would like. Spend some time to do research about the area where you are selling or buying a residence. You will find your local income amounts, unemployment charges and populace figures just before choosing if this is a great location to shift your household. It helps you learn a excellent tad regarding the neighborhood where you are transferring. When coming up with an offer on a residence, it should be drawn up from the possible purchaser or maybe the buyer's professional. This will make it presented to the seller's broker, who then features the offer you towards the retailer. This is a easier document when compared to a sales contract, but is similar to it in many ways. It is best to have an broker pull a sales contract up for you personally. Prior to buying a residence, sit down and determine your very own mortgage spending budget. Your mortgage lender will explain how much you can borrow based upon your revenue and credit standing, but it's up to you to find out what you can feasibly invest monthly. Don't consider your mortgage payment, which include costs and insurance plan, being a lot more than 30% of your respective month-to-month cash flow. While the world wide web has created it easier than ever to get and then sell on real estate property over community or country wide, furthermore, it makes it easier to produce expensive faults. In no way get a house without in fact checking out it yourself or employing a specialist house inspector that can perform a thorough on-website evaluation of your house and statement conclusions objectively. Remember, pictures are often very deceiving. When there may not be any dish for property good results designed in gemstone, you can still find numerous ideas and tactics that you can use to continually emerge at the top inside your real estate transactions. Do something using what you possess go through in this post and you also will be able to succeed on any offer. resources

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tarotwitchy · 3 years ago

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{astro notes; pt. 5}

• NSFW Edition •

💟 ALL CREDITS BELONG TO THE CREATORS OF THESE IMAGES!

And finally, here we are. After a multitude of requests to do a post about astrological placements that pertain to NSFW topics, I've made this little post based on what I've observed... and experienced. 😏 I'm pretty sure this won't be the only NSFW {astro notes} I'll make. But for now, please enjoy my 18+ debut post.

❌ Please do not plagiarize my work, or post it elsewhere without my permission and credits. Thank you! ❌

🌶 It is known that men with Jupiter in the 1st House (or Mars-Jupiter and/or Jupiter-Ascendant aspects) have a rather large package. But another placement that may have this is Neptune in the 2nd/8th House; the 2nd House placement would make it shorter but thicker, and the 8th House placement on the thinner but longer side. Also might have a curve to it, whether leaning upward or downward... you didn't hear it from me.

💊 Speaking of Neptunian placements, I have encountered many stories wherein sexual partners who have heavy Pisces in their chart, Neptune aspecting personal planets, and/or Neptune on the 12th/1st House may be prone to using substances and drugs in order to heighten their physical experience because these substances elevate their sensory sensitivity.

This doesn't happen all the time, though. But these heavy Neptunian influence in one's chart may rely more on the assistance of "liquid courage" in order to help release nervousness, and the feelings of physical disconnect. If you have these placements, please be wary.

🥀 If you want to woo a Venusian into engaging in 18+ activities with you, you cannot half-ass your efforts. They will know! Don't just ask them casually. Make actual efforts in preparation. Show them you've thought this out, step-by-step, and make them feel special. This is especially important for people with Sun-Venus and Venus-Ascendant aspects, Venus in the 2nd/5th/7th House, and/or Taurus and Libra in personal planetary placements.

Treat them to a 5-course meal at a luxurious restaurant, show up clean and properly groomed (please clean your nails because this is one of the very first things they notice), bring breath mints with you, make the place smell good and clean, and just make the experience aesthetically and energetically pleasing. 😌

💍 I may have already mentioned this before in a previous {astro notes}, but any positive Lilith-Juno aspects (sextile, trine, and an occasional conjunction) in a Synastry and/or Composite chart, this is an indicator that whatever kinks and sexual fantasies you may have will be accepted by your partner even before marriage. Your sexuality and the conditions that make you aroused will not be shamed nor shunned by your partner, and it's not going to be something they'll be ashamed of. In fact, they may even share these kinks with you!

In addition, sex is not going to be a taboo topic between the two of you at all. Both of you will be very open and mature when it comes to talking about what makes each other enjoy themselves in the bedroom. Any sexual insecurities you (or they) may have will not be kept as an ugly secret. It's going to be worked out together as partners.

Any child-bearing couple (regardless of gender and sexual orientation) are not afraid to attending sex therapy for when the pregnant partner is having trouble managing in the bedroom. That's how open and sexually healthy a couple under this aspect could be.

👄 Mercury-dominant natives (including Virgo-dominants, Virgo placements in personal planets, Mercury in the 3rd/6th House, Gemini-dominants and in personal placements) should really turn their minds off during sexual act. This isn't to say you should eliminate common sense, or dull your intellect when you know something could be wrong. This is only to say that you should let your body feel and speak for itself instead of intellectualizing every single sensation you feel.

As long as you've ticked all the boxes that's indicated on your "pre-sex" checklist (don't lie to me, y'all have this list), then let loose! You'll thank yourself later for giving your noggin a break.

💄 Asteroid Eros (433) is a great indicator of what turns people on, sexual fantasies/kinks, or anything you must know when it comes to pleasure. We all know how to look for this in our birth charts already. But have you ever been curious as to what your partner's potential sexual profile might be?

Go to astro.com and go to Extended Chart Selection. Indicate their birth details, and include "433" in the Additional Objects.

Scroll down the Chart Type selection, and choose the Persona Chart. Then, press "click here to show chart."

Once you're in the Persona Chart, click on "Asteroid 433" in the planetary selection to see Eros as the focal point of the chart reading.

Now, each planet in the signs and houses indicate what you need to know. For example, if your partner has Mercury in Cancer in the 2nd House reflected in their Eros Persona Chart, sweet-talking and making them feel loved and/or emotionally comforted may arouse them better than being crude and vulgar.

If they have Mars in Sagittarius in the 10th House, they may like to engage in public sexual activities — especially abroad, or out of town. They may even go on a road trip with you to the outskirts of the city just to engage in car sex. 👀 Also, they may like the idea of having sexual relations with foreign business partners/colleagues, or if still in school, may have the hots for that foreign exchange student. But again, you didn't hear it from me.

You can do this Persona Chart configuration for yourself, too! This may give you an idea of what you may or may not like in sexual activities and settings. Get to know the naughty side of you. 😉

👠 Did I hear Mommy-issues? Look no further, I present to you: Mars in the 4th, Moon-Venus aspects, Moon in Cancer or the 4th/5th/8th Houses, Asteroid Demeter (1108) in the 7th/8th/12th Houses, and negatively aspecting the Sun/Moon/Venus/Mars, and most importantly, negativity aspecting Asteroid Persephone (399).

If you have some of these placements, you may be into being emotionally cared for during the sexual acts. Close body contact, lots of kisses, affirming words about how good you make them feel, lots of breast/nipple stimulation, genital worship, and cuddling is essential post-coitus. You prefer to call it love-making than sex or fucking.

However, if these placements in your chart are in harsh circumstances (squaring, opposition, conjunction), you may completely desire the opposite. You may not like emotional attachment with your sexual partner, you may avoid too much physical contact, and you don't like being "pampered" because it reminds you of maternal acts that touch on your issues against your mother (or mother-figure).

The last part is especially true for daughters. I personally have a conjunction between Demeter and Persephone, and oftentimes, I find myself recreating or subconsciously looking for partners who have the same personality as my mother — even though my mother and I have a really complicated family relationship, and she doesn't treat her children in a healthy manner. So, if you have this aspect, watch out for this type of behavior. It might result in being attached to toxic (or even abusive) partners.

🎩 Moving on to Daddy-issues! Here are the nominees for this category: Mars-Saturn/Mars-Pluto/Saturn-Pluto aspects (especially in harsh aspects), Saturn in the 4th, natives with their Sun/Mars/Saturn in Capricorn degrees, and sometimes, even Saturn Retrograde.

Honorable mentions include Jupiter in Capricorn (may indicate an absent father but makes up for financial support), Saturn in Cancer (a father who may be passive and is under the mercy of a strong feminine counterpart like your mother, you may seek an assertive man to rectify the masculine presence you lacked while growing up).

I think this section is quite infamous and self-explanatory. 🐸🍵 If you have these placements, you either crave this masculine energy, or reject it completely. Some people I know with these placements come to me saying, "I don't need no man in my life, they're all about their dicks anyway!" And then a couple of days later, would text me with, "Guess what, sis? I met with this man with a thick ass schlong, spits in my mouth, calls me baby girl, and pulls my hair!" 🤡🥴

I think that's all for now. 😅 I played it safe with this NSFW {astro notes} because this is my first time posting something like this, and I don't know yet how my followers might receive this. If this is too much, or not enough, please let me know! If you want more explicit stuff next time, or if I should maintain this type of sensible post, I'd appreciate any feedback. Until next time!

{masterlist}

[Don't repost, copy, or reword]

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goddess-pan · 4 years ago

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Tailor!Reader in Dream SMP

Dsmp x reader prompt; Tailor!Reader in Dream SMP. Credit would be appreciated so more people can find this and make their own things based on it.

Can fully be read as platonic. GN!reader with they/them pronounce as a placeholder so anyone can adapt it however they want. Both general and character specific parts included.

Characters who have a lot written for/about; Eret, Ranboo, Foolish, Tommy, Technoblade, Philza and Michael. Mentioned; Tubbo, Sam Nook, Purpled and Foolish Jr.

This ended up being super long so I’m putting it under the cut in order not to clutter people’s pages. My personal favourite part is Phil’s and Techno’s part. These could be read as headcanons but are still available as a prompt(s) to use for anyone.

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The reader joining after the doomsday as a time frame in my mind.

The reader helping people patch up their current clothes since most of it got pretty banged up during the doomsday, and it's not like they can just go get a new outfit since quite a few people had just lost all their belongings and only had the clothes on their back. So at first prioritizing helping patch up the current clothing people were wearing and then moving on to making some simple fast to make and easy on the resources clothes for people. Just like basic shirts and shorts/pants, nothing fancy. Then when everyone has at least a couple of different clothes to change to and from starting their own business to sell people more if they wanted. However waving payment if they brought them the materials and what they wanted wasn't overly complicated.

People at first thinking they are just some chump who knows basic sewing or something. A very kind chump, but still a chump. So imagine their surprise when one day they are just walking by the reader's now established tailors and they see these absolutely stunning designs displayed at the windows.

Just like their reactions seeing these beautiful designs they can't help but stare at. I'd imagine some of them just doing a double take when they walk by, someone pressing their face up to the glass trying to see it closer, the braver ones going inside and talking to the reader about their designs and the more anxious and/or shy ones only going inside when the reader isn't there to look at designs closer.

And the reasons they like/are amazed by the designs vary also ! Some just have monkey brain that goes "Pretty. WANT", some who just love the colour and art of the pieces, some who imagine how epic this design or others would look on them, some who love the fashion aspect of it and of course the very small portion who actually know anything about tailoring/sewing and the amount of work that goes into making something intricate.

Some specific character/group interactions I thought of;

Making warm well insulated clothes for people moving to Snowchester so they don't freeze. +A warm cape for Ranboo for the same reason.

Eret being one of the firsts (if not the first) to get himself a fully tailored and customized outfit. Them also being the first and very possibly only person to get a dress or a skirt since most of the other people on the server prefer to wear pants (excluding maid dresses which people might get as joke). The reader crying in joy for getting to design something different for once. And hey if the reader ends up making a few extra ones that she didn't order, but decided to give her anyway it was all just some extra ones they had lying around, never mind the fact that the dresses/skirts are perfectly tailored for Eret and are her style. Just a coincidence, nothing suspicious there. Eret also models for the reader and once he even convinced them to hold a fashion show to showcase some of their work to the whole server. Of course he was the main model presenting the outfits.

At start of the reader beginning to display their designs at their shop Ranboo sees a really cool looking suit on display and his brain just goes "Want." He probably wouldn't be able to buy anything pre-made and be comfortable in it due to his physique. And him having just moved into the arctic and only starting to get settled in, he doesn't have comfortable enough funds for him to get something as expensive as a custom tailored suit AND have enough for any possible rent that he might be required to pay.

Eventually when he gets richer he starts considering getting one but the anxious side of him always ends up winning and he doesn't. However once he finally gets the courage to go commission the suit for himself he doesn't regret it at all. The reader did their best to not overwhelm him and to make it the best possible experience. Just imagining the absolute joy he would feel for having a properly fitting suit that's made just for him, not too short sleeves nor too wide torso and shoulders, just perfect. If he ends up ordering a couple more suits that's between him and the reader. He actually ends up probably being their most frequent and reliable customer.

And we should all know why that is, but let me clarify just in case; Michael.

The reader basically becoming Michael's personal stylist (/hj) . Not only does Ranboo buy a god awful amount of clothes for Michael, the reader also makes some free ones for him. The free ones are things the reader felt like designing since they absolutely adore Michael and the ones Ranboo pays for are commissioned by him. Michael absolutely has the biggest wardrobe in the whole server. The reader learning how to make plushies so Michael could have some more toys, this learning experience including learning to crochet and knit to see what he like best.

Using their newly acquired plush making skills, the reader starts their quest to make some plushies for others after seeing people stare at the plushies wistfully either while they were working on them or seeing Michael with the plushies. People who got them include the minors, their close friends and basically anyone they thought might benefit from them. Some of the ones they made (that I could think of);

Of course a bee for Tubbo, but also throwing in a little ram one as well

Ranboo gets a grass block plush/pillow

Tommy gets a cobblestone block plush and a cow plush. He also later receives a Sam Nook plush while he's working on the hotel

Purpled getting two different sized ufos, one to hold and the other more of a big pillow

Eret definitely gets a flamingo plush

Foolish gets a totem and a gold block plushies

Phil gets crow plush as well these tiny fake coin and gem plushies (the latter causes problems for him which I'll expand upon later)

Techno gets a pig one as well as polar bear one

Back to the individual/group part

The reader just chilling w/ Foolish as a fellow artists. Them talking about both their arts and catching up every time the reader comes to deliver something to Snowchester when Foolish is building the mansion. Just two pretty peaceful artists talking about their passions. I’d imagine Foolish and the reader could relate to each other and their place in the server due to their similar hobbies/jobs as well as their similar time of joining the server. Foolish's first commission from them being an intricate blanket for Foolish Jr so he could have a more comfortable resting place. He may or may not end up receiving that and several other (though less intricate) blankets as well as a tiny shark plush to give to Foolish Jr. Later on when the reader gets better at either knitting or crocheting they end up making a tiny shark jumper with a hood for Foolish Jr as well. Foolish would definitely cry when he sees his tiny shark baby. Any commissions of clothes for himself tend to always take some time due to sheer amount of work needing to be done due to his size so he always makes sure the reader doesn’t already have a lot on their plate and that they know he’s fine with waiting if they need to take a break from it.

Then there's Tommy, who they sometimes teach more about sewing since he already knows some basics. Him probably being the first person aside from Michael they make a plush for, due to him demanding one once he saw the reader making them. Then proceeding to get three plushies in rapid succession. The first being the cobblestone, the second being the cow and the third one being the Sam Nook one. He ends up losing one of them during the prison fiasco and when the reader asks if he'd like a new one they only get the answer of "Don't want to think about what happened and the same one might make me do that". He then promptly receives new clothing (so he isn't wearing the same ones he was wearing in prison) and some extra blankets (for comfort) from the reader.

After Tommy meeting Michael does he use him to scam the reader to make them matching outfits for free? Yes, yes he does. Does it work? Yes, yes it does. Are they bothered by it? Not really, they look adorable in their matching outfits.

The reader being the source for Sam Nook's construction gear/clothes or at least the original patterns for them.

And then there's the arctic boys (minus Ranboo, who will still get mentioned) who are an interesting bunch clothing wise. The first one to commission the reader out of them would be Phil who got the original warm cape for Ranboo but also at the same time commissioned one for himself that would include slits for his wings. Eventually getting to design clothing for him which is always an exciting challenge with his wings. And when Phil finally manages to convince Techno to get something made for himself as well, Techno almost immediately gets addicted to having high quality clothing when they finish their first piece for him. The fun the reader has designing clothes for these boys is immeasurable with their different styles and needs in the clothing. Aside from clothing Techno also commissions them for a pet bed for Steve.

When the boys got their plushies it was adorable but also a very chaotic. Techno giving his pig one to Steve so he wouldn't miss him when he was away from home, but also bringing the polar bear one with him when he couldn't or wasn't allowed to bring Steve with him but still needed comfort. While on Phil's side of things; he was showing his crows the crow plushie joking about he'll replace them if they aren't careful however he made the mistake of showing them the tiny coin and gem plushies as well. I want you to imagine hundreds of crows descending upon this poor fool of a man in the background while the reader is walking away hoping they like their plushies.

The war that ensued the couple following days amongst the crows starts to cool down but the bickering doesn't, every waking moment Phil can feel eyes on him and one or more of the crows coming to complain about the others having had the shiny plushies for too long. He quickly caves under the pressure and commissions more of the tiny shiny treasure plushies. And by more I mean a lot more.

When he finally has enough of the things he goes around distributing them to the crows. Finally a moment of peace, but he still feels like something is staring at him occasionally. Deciding to ignore it since it's finally quiet he goes to makes himself a cup of tea and while waiting for the water to boil he fishes out the few shiny plushies he had saved for himself. The second he does he feels eyes burning into him and now that it's quiet he hears it, quiet muffled snuffles and snorts of discontent. Then he sees what ‘it’ is, it's Techno behind the window looking at the shinies in his hand with such intensity Phil fears for his life (/hj). Phil just sighs deeply before walking over to the window and opening it. For a second Techno looks like a deer in headlights before returning to intensely staring at the shinies in Phil's hand before Phil just dumps the shiny plushies into Techno's hand and closes the window. Happy piglin noises can be heard outside while Phil debates the pros (getting to have shinies himself) and cons (the embarrassment of having to commission even more of the shiny plushies than he already has) of getting new ones from the reader. And in all this the reader has no idea the amount of chaos they inadvertently caused.

And finally; Techno commissioning robes/cloaks for whole the Syndicate to wear in their meetings, because he’s dramatic like that. But since he’s a thoughtful guy, he wants them all to fit the members well and not be uncomfortable to wear so he gets everyone’s measurements. Once he has them all he goes to the reader with the order for the robes, he has all the measurements written down under just Person 1, Person 2 etc. to keep their anonymity and when asked what the robes are for he just tells the reader it’s a book club. When he gets them all and the reader asks no further questions he thinks he’s gotten away with getting some cool robes for the Syndicate with their secrets safe. Little does he know the reader actually now knows all the members in the Syndicate since they can just reference the gotten measurements with everyone’s measurements written down from previous work done by them. Whether the reader thinks it’s some weird cult they all are a part of or just an actual book club people are too embarrassed to admit they are in, is up to interpretation.

#dsmp x reader #dsmp fanfic #dream smp x reader #mcyt x reader #mcyt fanfiction #Pans Writing Prompts #C: Technoblade #C: Ranboo #C: Philza #C: FoolishG #C: Eret #C: TommyInnit #C: Michael_Beloved

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pineapple-lover-boy · 3 years ago

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Can- can I just talk about the Victuuri relationship? Pretty please?

I just…. I’ve never seen a healthy relationship that starts from idolization and a need to get out that has ended in a satisfying way.

Let me elaborate:

We all know that Yuri idolized Victor. It’s why he was so nervous in the beginning and why it took time for them to build on their relationship, he saw Victor as a god.

Victor? He was depressed. He loved the ice so much but he longer found excitement in competitions. He didn’t have any worthy opponents that had a chance of beating him (sorry Chris).

I believe Victor “fell in love” at the banquet. He was attracted to Yuri but, even though he lost, he also saw potential in him. That night was probably the most exciting night for him in a long time. I think he felt genuine affection for Yuri but also saw a way to get out of his predicament.

Then, of course, Yuri didn’t show up the following season (a year had passed before the present timeline). He was most likely annoyed that someone who had gave him excitement didn’t show up. Did he think Yuri had a chance of beating him at first? Probably not. Did he see potential or at least someone he could have fun with during the season? Hell yes!

And then when he saw the video of Yuri skating Stay Close To Me, something that awarded him a gold medal. That’s all he needed. He saw how Yuri not only skated it perfectly but I bet he thought Yuri skated it better. Let’s not forget that emotion is a huge part of skating. If you don’t skate with the passion your supposed to hold for whatever theme you have, your performance can almost seem futile. Victor obviously won because he perfected it but if it was based on how he presented it alone, he would’ve lost. He saw someone worthy of skating an gold medal piece while also having the heart to do it. That’s talent.

Anyways, because of this, their relationship doesn’t hold well in the beginning. He’s passive aggressive towards Yuri because he doesn’t see his own talent and Yuri is just going along for the ride because holy shit it’s Victor fucking Nikiforov.

As they get to know each other and Yuri opens up more (plus Victor getting info on Yuri from the others) Victor starts to see Yuri as an actual person and not someone he can use to project himself onto and then later skate against. And Yuri starts to see him as an actual person too.

I saw on another post talking about how we didn’t see them during the summer and how the end credits of every episode suggest they got to know each other better as both in the credits and in the show they (Yuri) are able to touch each other more. I 100% believe this.

I also believe they might’ve had an argument or two on this topic. It’s not easy to switch from inadvertently seeing someone as anything but a person to an actual person with emotions and feelings. I believe Victor would’ve tried to back away from this subject but Yuri wouldn’t let him. It wasn’t big arguments like in episode 7. It was probably little quarrels that annoyed them both but after having a long conversation they finally started to become more comfortable with each other.

Yuri started letting go of the notion that Victor was a god like creature and Victor saw him as something other than a pawn. Yuri stopped getting as embarrassed with Victor touching him and Victor stopped trying to seduce him as much just so he could see the man from the banquet.

This most definitely leads the way towards a healthier relationship but episode 7 was inevitable. Yuri’s anxiety was at an all time high when he comes out on top. The fact that he needs to stay on top and not mess up is getting to him. As a person with anxiety, it’s pure hell. The thoughts of failing won’t get out of his head and even as he turns off all the monitors he can still hear everything.

Victor takes him away from prying eyes and has no idea what to do. Despite an obvious change that would’ve had to include some emotions from both occurring over the summer, he still has no idea how to help someone in distress.

Then he makes his first mistake. Yuri is visibly shaken by someone’s scores (can’t remember who) and Victor, who is at his wits end, yells at him to stop listening and puts his hands over Yuri’s ears. This tells Yuri how nervous Victor is too and despite knowing that Victor wouldn’t leave him now it shows to him that Victor doesn’t have faith in him (even if he does).

Victor tried to shatter Yuri’s heart. He must’ve expected Yuri to maybe sign heavily but tell him that he’ll do everything in his power to win (probably something that’s happened with him and Yakov). Instead he see’s the consequences of his carelessness. Yuri rightfully lashes out at him and even through all that Victor stills says “should I kiss you?”. Idk what Yuri was thinking but if I were him I would be extremely offended that Victor would try and use me like some doll he can play with and can assume that physical affection and love can fix everything, which was probably what Yuri was thinking.

There’s something off about Yuri and Victor when they emerge but Yuri is surprisingly better now. Cathartic crying can do wonders, kids. There’s also my favorite part of the entire show (couldn’t find a gif):

*head jab* “Hey, fuck you.”

*more head jabs* “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. I know you don’t like this you unempathetic dicknip.”

*head pat* “You’re forgiven.”

We all know what happens next: Yuri ends his love story with Victor’s signature move and Victor kisses him out of joy and the need to one up him (with love, of course).

I’m gonna get a little sloppy here with the timeline because I have the memory of a female protagonist that needs to go back to work to get something only to accidentally bump into the jerk CEO of which she will develop a toxic relationship for fan service, so forgive me.

Gonna skip ahead to the scene where Yuri tells Victor that he’s leaving skating, and basically Victor too. (At this moment I realized I’ve been spelling Viktor with a c and not a k which is really fucking with my brain but it’s too late to go back). Victor starts crying and realizes just how Yuri felt when he was rejecting him.

I believe Yuri found some light in the situation because of that fact, which Victor was not having. They’ve been closer than ever now. They’ve kissed, they’ve also announced they they’re getting married, so what the hell?!

Yuri, as we know, feels he’s keeping Victor from the ice. Victor, while he misses the ice and wouldn’t mind being competitive again, has found meaning and if he’s going to be Yuri’s coach to stay where he is than so be it.

He wanted to coach Yuri because he wanted a worthy competitor and while he still wants that, what matters most now is his relationship with Yuri. If he stops being Yuri’s coach and Yuri goes off the ice he knows it will be the end. Yuri loves the ice too and I’d bet he’d try to distance himself from Victor as to not feel regret from leaving without actually knowing that he’s doing it.

They’ve grown so much at this point. But that doesn’t mean it’s over. After all they’ve been through Yuri doesn’t realize that consequences of parting from one another. While being too dependent on your spouse isn’t good, it’s what they both need right now. They are what caused the other person to be happy again and while I hate those types of storylines this one executed it perfectly.

I find Victor’s silent plea to Yurio absolutely heartbreaking. He knows it’s bad to put pressure on people but now he’s doing that to a 15 year old boy. He’s putting his relationship and his life into this child’s hands because he knows there’s nothing else he can do.

I do think Yurio had a crush on Yuri but even if he didn’t: Yuri has taught him so much. He, although being an ass most of the time, has really come to love Yuri as family. It’s clear that Yurio was always lonely (Otabek being his first friend and all) but once he came to Japan and lived, truly lived there, he wasn’t lonely anymore.

Yurio wins, Yuri gets silver and all’s well that ends well.

I guess my point of this was to show how well the relationship in YOI was. I could’ve included some more detail on some points but I usually write stuff in one take (it’s very hard to revise without my mind shutting on itself).

I just love how an implicitly toxic relationship can come out so healthy. They don’t do any of that miscommunication bullshit and when they do it’s because the characters don’t know what to do or how to handle something. Like humans do!

They could’ve easily made this the hot famous guy thinks the kawai girl boy is just so adorable and the kawai girl boy is absolutely infatuated with the hot guy. Hijinks ensue which includes the kawai girl boy thinking the hot guy is in love with someone else. She He gets pushed into thinking that she’s he’s more independent in the end and happily ever after for the couple that will divorce in less than five years! Yay!

Seriously, I thought that was what was going to happen but YOI subverted my expectations so much. They are people that grew from their bad mindsets. And you know what? Yuri still has anxiety! Victor is still bad with handling emotions! And that’s ok! We don’t change that quickly. It takes time and hopefully another season.

I’m definitely using this show as a template for healthy relationships. It’s so hard for me to properly write them when I’ve never been in one and I’m not given the chance to see it happen in different environments (when searching it up all I get is “they trust each other. They blame each other. They’re compassionate.” Like ok but can you show me how?)

Yuri!!! On ice…. I love you so much. You have done so much for my mental health and my writing. Thank you.

#yuri on ice #yuri katsuki #katsuki yuri #victor nikiforov #viktor nikirofov #please tell me if you want me to elaborate on some sections #long post #yurio plisetsky #yuri plisetsky #healthy relationships

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littlemixnet · 3 years ago

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To me, a good ally is someone who is consistent in their efforts – there’s a difference between popping on a pride playlist or sprinkling yourself in rainbow glitter once a year and actually defending LGBT+ people against discrimination. It means showing my LGBT+ fans that I support them wholeheartedly and am making a conscious effort to educate myself, raise awareness and show up whenever they need me to. It would be wrong of me to benefit from the community as a musician without actually standing up and doing what I can to support. As someone in the public eye, it’s important to make sure your efforts are not performative or opportunistic. I’m always working on my allyship and am very much aware that I’ve still got a lot of unlearning and learning to do. There are too many what I call ‘dormant allies’, believing in equality but not really doing more than liking or reposting your LGBT+ mate’s content now and again. Imagine if that friend then saw you at the next march, or signing your name on the next petition fighting for their rights? Being an ally is also about making a conscious effort to use the right language and pronouns, and I recently read a book by Glennon Doyle who spoke of her annoyance and disappointment of those who come out and are met with ‘We love you…no matter what’. I’d never thought of that expression like that before and it really struck a chord with me. ‘No matter what’ suggests you are flawed. Being LGBT+ is not a flaw. Altering your language and being conscious of creating a more comfortable environment for your LGBT+ family and friends is a good start. Nobody is expecting you to suddenly know it all, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a perfect ally. I’m still very much learning. Even recently, after our Confetti music video I was confronted with the fact that although we made sure our video was incredibly inclusive, we hadn’t brought in any actual drag kings. Some were frustrated, and they had every right to be. You can have the right intentions and still fall short. As an open ally I should have thought about that, and I hadn’t, and for that I apologise. Since then I’ve been doing more research on drag king culture, because it’s definitely something I didn’t know enough about, whether that was because it isn’t as mainstream yet mixed with my own ignorance. But the point is we mess up, we apologise, we learn from it and we move forward with that knowledge. Don’t let the fear of f**king up scare you off. And make sure you are speaking alongside the community, not for the community. Growing up in a small Northern working-class town, some views were, and probably still are, quite ‘old fashioned’ and small-minded. I witnessed homophobia at an early age. It was a common thought particularly among men that it was wrong to be anything but heterosexual. I knew very early on I didn’t agree with this, but wasn’t educated or aware enough on how to combat it. I did a lot of performing arts growing up and within that space I had many LGBT+ (mainly gay) friends. I’ve been a beard many a time let me tell you! But it was infuriating to see friends not feel like they could truly be themselves. When I moved to London I felt incredibly lonely and like I didn’t fit in. It was my gay friends (mainly my friend and hairstylist, Aaron Carlo) who took me under their wing and into their world. Walking into those gay bars or events like Sink The Pink, it was probably the first time I felt like I was in a space where everyone in that room was celebrated exactly as they are. It was like walking into a magical wonderland. I got it. I clicked with everyone. My whole life I struggled with identity – being mixed race for me meant not feeling white enough, or black enough, or Arab enough. I was a ‘tomboy’ and very nerdy. I suppose on a personal level that maybe played a part in why I felt such a connection or understanding of why those spaces for the LGBT+ community are so important. One of the most obvious examples of first realising Little Mix was having an effect in the community was that I couldn’t enter a gay bar without hearing a Little Mix song and watching numerous people break out into full choreo from our videos! I spent the first few years of our career seeing this unfold and knowing the LGBT+ fan base were there, but it wasn’t until I got my own Instagram or started properly going through Twitter DMs that I realised a lot of our LGBT+ fans were reaching out to us on a daily basis saying how much our music meant to them. I received a message from a boy in the Middle East who hadn’t come out because in his country homosexuality is illegal. His partner tragically took their own life and he said our music not only helped him get through it, but gave him the courage to start a new life somewhere else where he could be out and proud. There are countless other stories like theirs, which kind of kickstarted me into being a better ally. Another standout moment would be when we performed in Dubai in 2019. We were told numerous times to ‘abide by the rules’, which meant not promoting anything LGBT+ or too female-empowering (cut to us serving a four-part harmony to Salute). In my mind, we either didn’t go or we’d go and make a point. When Secret Love Song came on, we performed it with the LGBT+ flag taking up the whole screen behind us. The crowd went wild, I could see fans crying and singing along in the audience and when we returned it was everywhere in the press. I saw so many positive tweets and messages from the community. It made laying in our hotel rooms s**tting ourselves that we’d get arrested that night more than worth it. It was through our fans and through my friends I realised I need to be doing more in my allyship. One of the first steps in this was meeting with the team at Stonewall to help with my ally education and discussing how I could be using my platform to help them and in turn the community. Right now, and during lockdown, I’d say my ally journey has been a lot of reading on LGBT+ history, donating to the right charities and raising awareness on current issues such as the conversion therapy ban and the fight for equality of trans lives. Stonewall is facing media attacks for its trans-inclusive strategies and there is an alarming amount of seemingly increasing transphobia in the UK today and we need to be doing more to stand with the trans community. Still, there is definitely a pressure I feel as someone in the public eye to constantly be saying and doing the right things, especially with cancel culture becoming more popular. I s**t myself before most interviews now, on edge that the interviewer might be waiting for me to ‘slip up’ or I might say something that can be misconstrued. Sometimes what can be well understood talking to a journalist or a friend doesn’t always translate as well written down, which has definitely happened to me before. There’ve been moments where I’ve (though well intentioned) said the wrong thing and had an army of Twitter warriors come at me. Don’t get me wrong, there are obviously more serious levels of f**king up that are worthy of a cancelling. But it was quite daunting to me to think that all of my previous allyship could be forgotten for not getting something right once. When that’s happened to me before I’ve scared myself into thinking I should STFU and not say anything, but I have to remember that I am human, I’m going to f**k up now and again and as long as I’m continuing to educate myself to do better next time then that’s OK. I’m never going to stop being an ally so I need to accept that there’ll be trickier moments along the way. I think that might be how some people may feel, like they’re scared to speak up as an ally in case they say the wrong thing and face backlash. Just apologise to the people who need to be apologised to, and show that you’re doing what you can to do better and continue the good fight. Don’t burden the community with your guilt. When it comes to the music industry, I’m definitely seeing a lot more LGBT+ artists come through and thrive, which is amazing. Labels, managements, distributors and so forth need to make sure they’re not just benefiting from LGBT+ artists but show they’re doing more to actually stand with them and create environments where those artists and their fans feel safe. A lot of feedback I see from the community when coming to our shows is that they’re in a space where they feel completely free and accepted, which I love. I get offered so many opportunities to do with LGBT+ based shows or deals and while it’s obviously flattering, I turn most of them down and suggest they give the gig to someone more worthy of that role. But really, I shouldn’t have to say that in the first place. The fee for any job I do take that feels right for me but has come in as part of the community goes to LGBT+ charities. That’s not me blowing smoke up my own arse, I just think the more of us and big companies that do that, the better. We need more artists, more visibility, more LGBT+ mainstream shows, more shows on LGBT+ history and more artists standing up as allies. We have huge platforms and such an influence on our fans – show them you’re standing by them. I’ve seen insanely talented LGBT+ artist friends in the industry who are only recently getting the credit they deserve. It’s amazing but it’s telling that it takes so long. It’s almost expected that it will be a tougher ride. We also need more understanding and action on the intersectionality between being LGBT+ and BAME. Racism exists in and out of the community and it would be great to see more and more companies in the industry doing more to combat that. The more we see these shows like Drag Race on our screens, the more we can celebrate difference. Ever since I was a little girl, my family would go to Benidorm and we’d watch these glamorous, hilarious Queens onstage; I was hooked. I grew up listening to and loving the big divas – Diana Ross (my fave), Cher, Shirley Bassey, and all the queens would emulate them. I was amazed at their big wigs, glittery overdrawn make-up and fabulous outfits. They were like big dolls. Most importantly, they were unapologetically whoever the f**k they wanted to be. As a shy girl who didn’t really understand why the world was telling me all the things I should be, I almost envied the queens but more than anything I adored them. Drag truly is an art form, and how incredible that every queen is different; there are so many different styles of drag and to me they symbolise courage and freedom of expression. Everything you envisioned your imaginary best friend to be, but it’s always been you. There’s a reason why the younger generation are loving shows like Drag Race. These kids can watch this show and not only be thoroughly entertained, but be inspired by these incredible people who are unapologetically themselves, sharing their touching stories and who create their own support systems and drag families around them. Now and again I think of when I’d see those Queens in Benidorm, and at the end they’d always sing I Am What I Am as they removed their wigs and smudged their make up off, and all the dads would be up on their feet cheering for them, some emotional, like they were proud. But that love would stop when they’d go back home, back to their conditioned life where toxic heteronormative behaviour is the status quo. Maybe if those same men saw drag culture on their screens they’d be more open to it becoming a part of their everyday life. I’ll never forget marching with Stonewall at Manchester Pride. I joined them as part of their young campaigners programme, and beforehand we sat and talked about allyship and all the young people there asked me questions while sharing some of their stories. We then began the march and I can’t explain the feeling and emotion watching these young people with so much passion, chanting and being cheered by the people they passed. All of these kids had their own personal struggles and stories but in this environment, they felt safe and completely proud to just be them. I knew the history of Pride and why we were marching, but it was something else seeing what Pride really means first hand. My advice for those who want to use their voice but aren’t sure how is, just do it hun. It’s really not a difficult task to stand up for communities that need you. Change can happen quicker with allyship.

Jade Thirlwall on the power, and pressures, of being an LGBT ally: ‘I’m gonna f**k up now and again’

#jade thirlwall #lgbt

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gb-patch · 3 years ago

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Ask Answers: June 6th, 2021

I’m back with more ask responses! You can also check our Frequently Asked Question sheet if there’s something you’re wondering that’s not answered here.

FAQ Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

Thank you for the patience with these questions ♡

Hey in very beginning of step 3 in the scene where Mr.Holden had a thought dancing on the tip of his tongue but he kept it to himself after MC and Cove were being cute (idk if it makes a difference but this is when they're dating)... Can we know what he was thinking/ wanted to say? It's been bugging me lol

He would’ve gone into a “look how much you’ve grown”, “your dad is so proud of you”, “I’m so glad things worked out with the MC”, and etc spiel, haha. But he resisted the urge to fawn on his baby boy, at least for that scene.

If we planned to move away for college/future plans in step 3, is it implied that MC and Cove would have a long distance relationship for sure? Could MC have convinced Cove to come with them? How is the dynamic of their relationship going to be addressed in Step 4, if that makes sense?

Cove is willing to follow the MC where they went after everything is settled for them there, and if they’re sure they want him to come! You’ll get to decide how things shook out during those transitional years just by making choices about it during the opening prologue of Step 4.

Hi! First off, how does it feel to have created one of the best games when it comes to inclusion for lbtq+ peeps? I've never felt as validated with my identity and sexuality when playing a game and I'm seemingly not alone ♥ Second, and this might be a little too specific, but what kinds of drinks does Cove like as well as dislike? Thank you, you're the best ♥

Thank you for very much! It’s really nice to hear the game felt inclusive. Cove likes regular water and fruit juices/smoothies most! He dislikes coffee and cola, and he’s not super into most teas either.

Hi, may i ask what gb patch stands for? Specifically the gb part lol

It stands for my old, silly username I used in places like Neopets as a kid, aha. The company name wasn’t super thought out since it was originally just me making VNs as a hobby. Luckily, “GB Patch” kind of seems like it could mean something reasonable, so I didn’t have to rebrand when it did become a more serious, commercial group.

If we chose to not propose to cove in the step 3 dlc would he propose or would the mc propose in step 4 or the wedding dlc?

Yeah, you or Cove can propose in Step 4 if you’re not already engaged! The Wedding DLC takes place after the engagement so the proposal scenes aren’t there.

will you guys announce if the early access for the new game is out on patreon ?

When beta builds of Step 4 or whatever start coming out on the Patreon we will mention it here on social media too.

Heyy I just had a quick question about Baxter if that’s okay :)?

I saw in an ask+answer that it’s possible to casually date Baxter In step 3, but what leads up to that? I have the step 3 dlc and I’ve tried playing them In a different orders and ways but it doesn’t seem to get anywhere ^^;

The Step 3 DLC is Cove-based because he’s the default guy. There’s a separate Baxter romance DLC that’s not out yet. That’s where you can get him to date you. I’m sorry for the confusion!

Will we ever get any LI's or side characters with physical disabilities or deformities? I think your games would be a great place to have them in since they're always so accepting and safe!

Yeah, we do hope to have representation for that in future projects ^^. Thank you for the confidence in us.

Is it possible to get Cove to take the bed and MC to sleep on the floor?

Not in Step 3, I’m afraid.

So, I have played the prologue of Our Life countless times and I haven't gotten the [Your Life] achievement, why is that?

Steam sometimes isn’t connected properly when an achievement unlocks and so it remains locked on your account. If that happens, unfortunately getting the scene again won’t unlock it. The achievement becomes inaccessible because the game thinks you already have it. Playing with the same Steam account on a different device or fully deleting your game data (more than the only the save files) are the only work arounds we’ve found.

Since when you talk with Jeremy in step 3 it's mentioned he goes on dates with someone (which assume is JB because who else would take this boy on dates) that makes him happy, does that sort of make JB and Jeremy the canon relationship in the first game?

The default for XOXO Droplets is that JB casually goes on dates with each of the jerks! Shiloh would’ve been harsher if Jeremy was the only guy getting her attention, haha. But the player can change that default by dating just one person the whole game for their own story and who she ends up with for real has no default.

Hi, hello! Huge OL fan, thank you so much for the wholesome content, it was very much needed during these times. Managed to get several people to join team Cove, so that's very exciting, I always have people to fawn over him with. I have a little question and I'm sorry if it was asked before, but does it ever come up in the game what Cove has told his mom about us? (who knows, with so many options, one can miss it) Or, alternatively, will it come up in the Step 4 DLC?

Thank you very much for sharing the game with people <3. It’s really great to hear people are liking it. Right now that doesn’t come up in game. Kyra is willing to keep her mouth shut and Cove isn’t gonna have that conversation either. At least not when he’s younger, but yes, perhaps when he’s a fully grown big boy in Step 4 you can ask him about it.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since it has been confirmed that there would be two love interests for OL2, would there be the possibility of forming a polyamorous relationship with both love interests? I’m sorry if you answered this previously, I’m just curious.

We are considering it, but it’s not a guarantee yet. It’d be really great to have but it’d add so many extra alterations that’d need to made, aha.

Hello! You mentioned how Cove would be uncomfortable with kids at 23, but how old would he be when he’s comfortable with having/adopting kids? (Same goes for the other LI’s.) btw, love your game!!

He’d want to be at least 25, but even older would be good. Derek would want to have kids when he and his partner could reasonably support them, the age itself wouldn’t matter. If they were doing good at 22 and wanted kids, he’d be up for it. Or they could wait until their 30s or whatever. Baxter is also more of a “when it feels right” guy rather than having a specific age requirement. Cove is just especially wary of being a young parent because of his own parents. I’m happy you like the game!

does step 4 immediately play after you press "end summer" in step 3? or is there another button/transition (like the story text thingy) before the epilogue begins? what happens after the epilogue? roll credits? 😂

Step 4 will have transition section always and there will be an extra button, if you own the Derek or Baxter DLC. By default the Cove-based version of Step 4 just plays once Step 3 is over. However, having the other guys’ storylines will mean you get to pick which version of Step 4 plays; Cove Step 4 (the basic one), Derek Step 4, or Baxter Step 4.

Happy pride, thank you for all you do for us🥰

I have a quick question though, I recently got a MacBook after my old windows computer broke, and now steam says I cannot download it, but it has no issues with other games, what can I do to download it?? I’m sorry if my English is bad

Happy pride month! Unfortunately, Our Life isn’t available for Mac on Steam right now. To be an approval application Apple requires having special notarization and we as a small group haven’t gotten that. Itch doesn’t care and lets us release the game for Mac there anyway, Steam does care so we’re locked out of putting the Mac build up on their storefront. Feel free to email us and we can try to help the situation out further!

[email protected]

Hello! I was jus wondering if the Baxter and Derek DLCs are still happening? I haven’t heard anything about them on here or patreon in a while so I just wanted to make sure ^^

They’re still coming and we just released a new sprite sketch on the Patreon for the Derek DLC c:. But right now Step 4 is still much more of a priority. Once that’s closer to being done we’ll focus way more on sharing previews for the other guys.

is it possible to tell cove you love him (platonically) at step 3 fondness/selecting him as basically family? i just love the mc and liz sibling interactions and it got me wondering about it (especially if you've selected that option)

You and Cove can be as close as family, but there’s not a specific scene in Step 3 where you say “I love you” in a family context. But there’s always Step 4~

do you intend on ever adding a collectors mode to Our Life? Like a way to collect achievements and CGs for the gallery without it effecting any save files?

We weren’t considering it before. But if a lot of players would find that helpful, we could start thinking on that!

Sorry if it's a silly question haha, but (in crush/love) is Cove really aware of how cute and cuddly he seems to MC? If so, what does he think or do about it? Or does he just ignore it?

He isn’t particular aware. Cove never truly stops being surprised that the MC is interested in/attracted to him, haha.

Would you say that the alone ending of xoxo droplets is worth playing again to get?

Nope, haha. The goal is to make friends/get a boyfriend and so the alone ending is kind of the bad ending for the game. Though there is a consolation prize if you get it by accident.

Is there any possible situation which would ever prompt Pran to bake for his girlfriend? Like I know it's unlikely I mean even if JB broke her leg somehow I'm pretty sure he'd still be like "I considered baking you a cake and doing the frosting the way I think looks interesting but you don't deserve a cake, no one does." right but also ahhh it would be super nice if some day he just surprised her with baked goods one day out of nowhere. JB would be so shocked it would be cute. So is there any possible situation where that could/would be a thing that he would do?

He might bake out of spite, like if he felt he had to prove her wrong on something. Or if JB used some good reverse psychology on him. Or he might do it in a relatively nice way if he could make his GF so shocked by the kind gesture that his amusement with that overrode his insistence on not being sweet. Pran is very difficult in high school, aha.

Is the "one route (where) it can be seen that Everett will drop his seemingly eternal waging with Jeremy pretty easily and can start getting along without thinking much on it" the Lucas route? I'm curious!

Yep! Everett will side with Jeremy if it’s between him and Lucas.

Hi I hope you guys are having a great day :) I just had to ask how Cliff would feel about Cove's partner/fiancé Mc calling them dad whether it be accidental or otherwise and secondly I also wanted to ask how he would feel about being asked to be the one to give the mc away at their wedding.

He would be very touched and excited! I hope you have a good day too :D

Hello! I saw an ask relating to whether Cliff "moves on" after Cove's grown up and stuff (and he stays single), but what about Kyra? Will she be with anyone else or will she stay single?

She does start dating again, but she takes it slow.

Hi! I absolutely love the art for characters in OL and I wonder is this fine to draw my MC in same drawing style and upload online later? Is this something artists would be okay with? Thank you!

Yeah, you can certainly do that C:

Hey there!

I wonder if I'm just being stupid here.. Is Step 4 a DLC? And if so, where can I find it? I can't seem to find it on Steam :< Thank you!

Step 4 is a free epilogue! It’s not done yet, but once it is finished you’ll just update your game file and Step 4 will be there after Step 3 ends.

hi! are step 4 and the wedding dlc two different things?

They are. Step 4 is a free epilogue that’ll be a default part of the game once it’s done, the wedding DLC is an optional paid expansion that takes place after Step 4.

Why did Baxter not receive a step 2 sprite seeing how he shows up later

Sprites are time consuming to draw and take money out of the budget that could’ve gone to other things. His tiny appearance in Step 2 wasn’t worth all the effort to make a sprite, aha.

I just realized, what happens if if you get the patreon exclusive moment but at a later date, when you don't have the membership anymore, it's updated (like a bugs fix update for example)? Would you have to get the membership again?

You would have to get the membership again to redownload the build. But there’s very little chance there’s going to be an update once it’s been out for over a month. If a build gets released with errors, players catch/report them within the first few days. So by the time the first subscription period ends, any problems that were noticeable would already have been fixed. And we’re certainly not gonna be adding new content to it once it’s been released for a long time. There’s no need to worry about missing out on something worthwhile in the future if you cancel your membership. It’s being made with the idea in mind that many players are gonna be getting it and then going.

Hello! Wanted to ask about gaming choice in step 3? Once upon a playthorugh I got the option to buy Cove a bracelet for his graduation present. I played the same basic character again and that option wasn't there anymore. I'm not sure where I went wrong. My Cove wears a bracelet on each hand and my MC is into fashion and jewelry. Do I need to put an earring on him or? Sorry, love your game so much.

He also needs to have liked bracelets in Step 2 for that to be considered a good gift option for him. Sorry for the confusion! I’m happy you love the game :)

Is Step 4 being released at the same time as the Wedding DLC or will the first come before the latter? Thank you!

I’m not sure. Ideally they’ll come out at the same time, but the wedding DLC has a lot of art to get done and we may have to release it after Step 4.

Can mc still get confession from Cove at the end of step 3 even if mc casually dates Baxter in step 3? Such as in crush mode?

I don’t think so. Maybe that’ll change, but generally there’s differences to the Step 3 ending if you were dating Baxter and those differences likely will conflict with getting the Cove confession.

For the patreon moments/dlcs, will it be available for all tiers?

It’ll be available for tier 2 (Fans) and up!

#our life #xoxo droplets #gb patch #ask #gb patch games #Our Life Beginnings & Always

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new-sandrafilter · 3 years ago

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How Timothée Chalamet Channeled The Blockbuster Pressure of Leading Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ Back Into His Role – Venice Q&A

DEADLINE: In a few days Dune will premiere at the Venice Film Festival. You first met Denis Villeneuve about the role in May 2018 and started shooting in the early half of 2019. It was always going to be a long journey, but the pandemic stretched it even further. How does it feel to have finally arrived at this moment?

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET: You know, I like to think that with every film I’ve done, whether it’s Call Me by Your Name or Beautiful Boy, The King, or Little Women, the character you play is almost a piece of your flesh. And that’s always true, but simply from the perspective of how long the shoot for Dune was, and also the arc that Paul Atreides is on, as well as the huge love and almost biblical connection that so many people have for the book and the original film, it really felt… tectonic, if that’s the right word for it. Just getting to this finish line feels like: phew.

And independent of what the film is now, and what it has become, the experience of making it was I was put in such a safe environment, which you can never take for granted as a human, as an actor, but especially when you’re just starting your career, and when this is the first film of this size you’ve ever done.

To get to work with Denis on it, to get to work with someone of his caliber, let alone on a book that he considers the book of his youth and one of the things he has connected to the most… When he would have it in his hands on set, his body language would become that of a fan; of a kid who had fallen in love with the book at home in Montreal. And when all the kids around him were wearing hockey jerseys with their favorite players’ names on the back, this was a kid wearing a jersey that said ‘Spielberg’ on the back.

For it all to come together, especially with the added challenge of the pandemic, it has all combined to make this moment feel especially spicy [laughs].

DEADLINE: The entire ensemble will show up in Venice.

CHALAMET: Right. And I just can’t believe it; Jason Momoa has the number one film on Netflix right now with Sweet Girl, which I just watched. And since we shot, Zendaya has had all this success with Euphoria and Malcolm & Marie. Just to be part of this cast, period, let alone as one of the title characters, it’s really the shit you dream of.

And let me not forget, too—and I know I’ve told you this before—that The Dark Knight was the movie that made me want to act. That movie had a score by Hans Zimmer, and he has done the score for Dune. And it’s almost not what you’d think. It’s totally appropriate and excellent for the movie, but he has somehow managed to do something subversive, in my opinion. It’s a pinch-me moment all over.

DEADLINE: So, take me back to the start. Is it true you had a Google alert set up to track the latest news on this project before you were ever cast?

CHALAMET: Yeah, it’s true [laughs]. Not right away—Legendary had the rights and was developing it—but as soon as Denis got involved, I set up a Google alert and that’s when I got the book.

In total honesty, I think my understanding of Dune at that point was from a graphic novel I’d seen at Midtown Comics when I was shopping for Yu-Gi-Oh! cards when I was about 10. The year you and I first met, when I was there at Deadline Contenders with Call Me by Your Name, that would have been 2017 or early 2018, and Denis was there with Blade Runner. I remember I was trying to put myself in front of him as much as possible and set up a meeting with him. We had a night at the BAFTA where one of my good friends, Stéphane Bak—who’s also an actor—saw Denis across the room and was like, “Hey buddy, he’s right over there.” So, we went over to talk to him. I kept trying to put myself in front of him, but I didn’t really get a sense of the possibility [of working with him].

I was about halfway through the book when I got the call that he was going to be the president of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, and I was in London prepping The King. He asked me if I could come out there, so I quickly busted through the second half of the book as best I could. So, like, the first half of my copy is properly annotated and full of my thoughts, and then the second half I just raced through. And then I had that meeting with him, and it was such a joy.

I’m struggling with this even now, as I’m working with Paul King [on Wonka], because he’s another guy I have huge respect and admiration for, and it’s hard to feel on a level. Not that you ever are, because as an actor you’re a cog in the machine, and you’ve got to be humble to the vision of the director. But with Denis, he was pacing around the room, throwing ideas around, in some fancy suite in Cannes, and all I could think was that a year before I was just sat on a stoop on 9th Street in the East Village or something.

DEADLINE: Was that your first time in Cannes?

CHALAMET: Yeah. Well, bizarrely, my sister would do dance camps growing up. Ballet intensive programs in a town called Mougins, which is nearby Cannes, so I spent a lot of time there growing up, but never during the festival, and not on the Riviera. To get to be there for the festival was just nuts. I went to see the Romain Gavras movie, I think, and it was just a huge joy.

I got attached [to the role in Dune] a couple of months after that, and it was nerve-wracking from the announcement, because like I said before, the fans of the book, and the fans of David Lynch version, the computer game, and everything, there’s so much love and strength of feeling. And so much of our pop culture and films and books have been derived from Dune, and all the philosophy the book. I’ve been shocked to learn how many people have a next-level connection to the book. I compare it to how our generation grew up with Harry Potter, and that one makes sense to me. But it’s cool to see with Dune also, when you actually sit down and read it… It’s not that it’s a quote-unquote “hard read” or anything, but it’s not made to be consumed easily, I think that’s fair to say.

So, I was grateful to be working on something of this size not only with Denis Villeneuve leading it, who between Polytechnique, Incendies and Prisoners had nailed the smaller indie film across languages, and then had nailed Arrival and Blade Runner, but who, in his own words, he didn’t feel he’d made his greatest film yet. But also, to be working with this cast. I don’t know if there’s some nightmare version of a film where a young lead is not supported by the rest of his cast, where every one of them had been the leads in their own huge projects. But on this, everyone was there to support, and I think it’s because we all wanted to be foot soldiers for Denis, and I think we understood the potential, based on the script by Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts and Denis, that this could be something really special.

DEADLINE: I don’t have a connection to Dune; this movie is really my first experience of the story. What strikes me is this is clearly an enormous universe—a broad canvas being painted with various families and factions and politics and mythos—but that ultimately it comes down to very elemental, human themes, and we feel them through this character you play, Paul Atreides. Did those themes help ground the experience for you?

CHALAMET: Yes, and I would give the credit entirely to Denis. He would constantly say on set that he had some opposing drumbeat or something. In my diminished intellectual standing, I didn’t understand it, but it was like some vision for the movie based on how biblical the book is that tries to tackle so much that it doesn’t tackle anything. I think he felt the need to be close to a character in it, and Paul is that guy in the book. He’s a character that is still in formation, like a lump of clay, which makes him a great figure for the audience to mirror off.

It speaks, I think, to Denis’ premonition and his directing ability that there were times when we’d move on from a shot or move on from a scene, and I swear, literally, we’d go back because Denis wanted to get something over my shoulder, or push in on my reaction, just to make sure [it stayed on Paul].

And again, it’s something where I’m pinching myself. I had the best time on Interstellar, and that was one of my favorite films I’ve ever worked on, but it was very much something where I was aware of when I had the opportunity to do real acting. And on a movie like Dune, again, one could think it would get lost in the scale and scope. But I felt every day like my plate was full.

DEADLINE: One of those themes is fear, and Paul must overcome his to become the person he needs to be. When you are number one on the call sheet on a project of this scale, and the cast list reads like an address book of Hollywood in the 21st century, and Legendary has injected hundreds of millions of dollars into this production, and it’s all falling on your shoulders, I have to imagine fear is a theme you can readily relate to.

CHALAMET: Oh yeah, and they can bleed into each other for sure—not to diminish the other work that goes in. It’s great when your life experience can inform the role. That’s not at all to say I’m on some crusade in the universe or anything, but definitely… And I had that same good fortune with The King I think. My life is not nearly as significant or as exciting as Paul or Prince Hal, but we all share an unwitting needle in the haystack feeling. On The King that feeling was because I was so new to having a career. On Dune it’s because of, as you say, just feeling the pressure of the hugeness of the project in all those different ways. Those things can absolutely inform each other.

And then there are the moments of glee that come, too, like seeing Jason Momoa running at you at a hundred miles an hour, or just getting to shoot the shit with Josh Brolin, or getting to do a scene with Oscar Isaac. I felt so supported, whether it was Rebecca Fergusson or Charlotte Rampling. When Zendaya came, it was a total breath of fresh air, and she’s one of my favorite parts of the movie. I just got really lucky, and I can’t wait to see them all in Venice.

Denis split the book in half, and the hope is a second movie will get a greenlight. That’d expand Zendaya’s role in the story.

CHALAMET: Definitely, Chani will play a huge role in the next film. I don’t know if there’s a script yet, but just based on the book, along with Lady Jessica [Rebecca Fergusson], they have a lot to do together, let’s put it like that. And Zendaya was incredible in this movie; the moment she pulls the mask down, it felt properly showstopping and powerful. I was hiding behind the camera, counting my lucky starts, because I was there in month two of the shoot and here was a total powerhouse just coming in for the first time.

And as I said before, this was before I’d seen Euphoria and Malcolm & Marie. She’s doing such incredible work and is just trailblazing her own path, and she’s so, so cool. She also happens to be in the most-watched trailer of the moment, too, for Spider-Man: No Way Home. I cannot wait for that movie, and I was there, by the way, with everybody else, clicking through the trailer frame by frame looking for clues [laughs].

#timmy #timothee chalamet #dune movie #dune 2021 #denis villeneuve

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cyndavilachase · 5 years ago

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I’m Looking Forward Now 💖Thank you and good bye

So, it’s been a little over a week since Steven Universe Future ended…

I’ve been hesitant to write this, honestly, but I’m tired of holding myself back from properly expressing myself in fear of appearing overly invested in the media I consume, even in private. Writing helps me organize my thoughts and feelings, and I feel like these thoughts in particular may resonate with many, so I want to share them. I want to talk about what Steven Universe has done for me personally, both as an artist, and as a person.

I’ve been around since the day the first episode of the original series aired. I actually remember when Steven Universe was just a logo on Wikipedia’s “List of Upcoming Cartoon Network Shows” list, back when I was a freshman in high school. It piqued my interest, but when commercials finally dropped for it, I thought it was going to be bad because of the way marketing handled introducing Steven as a likeable character. There was still something about it that made me want to give it a chance though, so I went online and watched the pilot before the first episode's release. I was hooked immediately. I knew I was going to love it, and I did. I fell so absolutely in love with Steven as a character, and the world that he and the gems lived in. I became obsessed. I was always so excited for new episodes to come out. Little did I know what else it would do for me as I went through my adolescence alongside it.

As the show progressed, it was evident that what I wanted out of a western animated childrens’ cartoon was finally coming into fruition: this show was becoming serialized. There was continuity, there was plot, there was character development-- it was getting deep. It was pushing the groundwork that Adventure Time laid out even further (thank you, Adventure Time).

I will give credit where credit is due: earlier western childrens’ cartoons I grew up with like Hey Arnold, and Rugrats, among others, also touched on heavy topics, but Steven Universe was able to take similar ideas (and even more complex ones, concerning mental health and relationships) and expand on them outside of contained episodes and/or short arcs. These themes, which were a part of the show’s overarching story, spanned across its entirety. Continuity was rampant.

What did this mean? It meant kids cartoons didn’t have to be silly and fun all the time and characters weren’t just actors playing a part in 11-minute skits. Steven and the gems would remember things that happened to them, and it affected them and how they would function and play a part in their story. This was a huge deal to me as a teenager. I always wanted the cartoons I grew up with featuring kid characters to feel more. In my own work, I often felt discouraged when combining a fun, cutesy western art style with themes as dark or layered as anime would cover. I always thought it had to be one or the other because an audience wouldn’t take a combination of the two seriously enough, based on discussions I had with classmates, friends, and online analysis I read at the time. Steven Universe proved to me otherwise. This show was opening the door for future cartoons exploring in-depth, adult concepts. I felt so seen as a kid, and was inspired to stick with what I love doing.

I was actually very worried about the show’s survival. It was in fact immensely underrated and the fandom was miniscule. Then in 2014, JailBreak dropped, and it’s popularity exploded. Part of it was because of the complex plot and the themes it was covering like I mentioned, but also because of its representation.

I remember when fandom theorized that Garnet was a fusion due to grand, tragic reasons. Turns out, she’s simply a metaphor for a very loving w|w relationship. This was huge. I cannot stress how important it is that we continue to normalize healthy canon queer relationships in childens’ media, and Steven Universe finally was the first to do that proper. Introducing these themes offers the chance for a kid to sit there and ask themselves, “Why is this demonized by so many people?” I asked myself exactly that. Ruby and Sapphire were my cartoon LGBT rep. They were the first LGBT couple I ever ecstatically drew fanart of. I was dealing with a lot of internalized homophobia at the time, and they showed me that I was allowed to love women and feel normal about it. The process of overcoming this was a long one, but they played a part in my very first steps into becoming comfortable with my sexuality. I could go on and on about it’s representation in general-- how it breaks the mold when it comes to showcasing a diverse set of characters in design, in casting, and in breaking gender roles. It’s focus on love and empathy. Steven himself is a big boy, but he's the protagonist, and the show never once makes fun of his weight, or any other bigger characters for that matter. It wasn’t hard to see why the fandom had grown so large.

Fandom was always a joy for me. It was a hobby I picked up when I was in middle school, like many of us here did. I would always cater my experience to fun, and fun only. I only started getting more deeply involved in SU’s fandom when I had just turned into an adult. During the summer of 2016, between my first and second year of college, I drew for the show almost every day non-stop when the Summer of Steven event was going on and posted them online. This was a form of practice for me in order to become not just more comfortable with experimenting with my art, but also to meet new artists, make new friends, and learn to interact with strangers without fear. I dealt with a ton of anxiety when I was in high school. When I was a senior applying to art school for animation, I decided I was going to overcome that anxiety. I made plans to take baby steps to improve myself over the course of my 4 years of college. Joining the fandom, while unforeseen, was definitely a part of that process. I started feeling more confident in sharing my ideas, even if they were fan-made. I fell in love with storyboarding after that summer, when I took my first storyboarding class, and genuinely felt like I was actually getting somewhere with all of this. I remember finally coming to a point in my classes where I could pitch and not feel hopelessly insecure about it. I was opening up more to my friends and peers.

But this process, unfortunately, came to a screeching halt.

My life completely, utterly crumbled under me in the Fall of 2017 due to a series of blows in my personal life that happened in the span of just a couple weeks. My mental health and sense of identity were completely destroyed. All of that confidence I had worked for-- completely ruined. I was alone. I nearly died. My stay at college was extended to 4 and half years, instead of the 4 I had intended. I lost my love for animation-- making it, and watching it. I could no longer watch Steven Universe with the same love I had for it beforehand. It’s a terrible thing, trying to give your attention to something you don’t love anymore, and wanting so desperately to love again. I dropped so many things I loved in my life, including the fandom.

Healing was a long and complicated road. I continued to watch the show all the way up until Change Your Mind aired in the beginning of 2019, and while I still felt empty, that was definitely a turning point for me with it’s encapsulation of self-love. I was hoping James Baxter would get to work on Steven Universe since he guest-animated on Adventure Time, and it was incredible seeing that wish actually come true. The movie came out and while I enjoyed it and thought highly of it, I was still having issues letting myself genuinely love things again, old and new. It was especially difficult because cartoons were my solace as a kid, when things got rough at home. I remember feeling sad because the show ended, and not getting the chance to love it again like I used to while it was still going.

By the time Steven Universe Future was announced, I was finally coming around. I was genuinely starting to feel excitement for art and animation again. I wasn’t expecting there to be a whole new epilogue series, but happily ever after, there we were! Prickly Pear aired, and the implications it left in terms of where the story was going did it. I was finally ready to let myself take the dive back into fandom in January of this year. My art blew up, something I wasn’t expecting considering my 2-year hiatus. Following this, I was invited into a discord server containing some of the biggest writers, artists, editors, and analysts in the fandom. I had no idea there were so many talented people in the fandom, some already with degrees, some getting their degrees-- creating stuff for it on the side just for fun. The amount of passion and productivity level here is insane, and so is the amount of discussion that has come out of it.

I didn’t realize it at first, but it was actually helping me gain back the courage to share ideas. I lost my confidence in pitching while I was taking the time to heal, and graduating meant there would no longer be a classroom setting I could practice in. This group helped immensely.

I have made so many friends through this wonderful series, and I have so many fond memories talking to like-minded creatives, getting feedback and a myriad of sources for inspiration, as well as all of the memes and jokes and weekly theorizations that came about as we all waited on the edges of our seats for episodes to air. I needed this so badly, I needed to get back in touch with my roots, when I would go absolutely hog-wild over a cartoon I loved with people who loved it as much I did. Future has been a blessing for me in this way. I graduated feeling like I was back at square-one, but now I feel like I’m on my way again.

It’s 2020 and while I’m doing great right now, I am honestly still recovering from the total exhaustion that followed after graduating a few months ago, and finally leaving the campus where my life fell apart behind. Needless to say, watching Future was like looking into a mirror. Watching one of my favorite characters of all time-- one that grew up with me-- go through so many of the same things I went through not too long ago was absolutely insane to watch unfold. It’s such an important thing too, to show a character go through the process of breaking down over trauma and all the nasty things that come with it, and to have them go on the road to healing. Steven got that therapy. He wasn’t blamed. The gems were called out. The finale was everything I could have ever hoped for. The catharsis I experienced watching it was out of this world.

As I continue my own healing journey, I will always look up to the storyboard artists, revisionists, and designers that I have been following over these past 7 years, as well as the new ones introduced in Future. It's been such a joy watching these artists release their promo art for episodes, talk about their experiences working on the show, and post the work they've done for it alongside episodes airing.

Thank you Rebecca Sugar, the Crewniverse, and the fans, for making this such a truly wonderful and unique experience. Thank you for reminding me that I am, and always will be, an artist, a cartoonist, and a fan. Thank you, my followers, for the overwhelmingly positive response to my artwork. I have had so much fun interacting and discussing the show with you all again over these past few months. Steven Universe and it’s fandom will always have a special place in my heart, and it will always be a classic that I will return to for comfort and inspiration for decades to come. I am sad that the cartoon renaissance is over, but so many doors have been opened thanks to this show. I am so, so excited to see what this show will inspire in the future, and I hope one day I get the opportunity to be a part of that.

Goodbye Steven, thank you for everything. I wish you healing, and I wish Rebecca and the team a well-deserved rest. ♥️

-Cynthia D.

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sarang-archer · 2 years ago

Note

What if there was to be a Korea based Pokeregion made & with a villain team using (instead of politics based issues) keeping around traditions for the sake of traditions (the former such as Pokemon as mere tools) vs adapting the traditions as needed (for more) towards helpful progress (more or less a difference in handling them between North & South Korea & somewhat akin to Team Plasma [both kinds] based issues, but with traditions also mixed in)? I apologise if it'd be unfair heeding it'd be quite a big area basis especially if combined.

interesting u mention that- I have the scraps of a korean-inspired fan region from the efforts of my old friend group that was pretty much going to be focused on modern vs tradition as a conflict! I personally don’t feel comfortable involving much of NKorea especially since I’ve never been out of the US (so this region was primarily an island specifically regarding SKorea). But both Koreas actually have different traditional cultures that they maintain- part of the reason they split actually lol

more under the cut!

(just for safety’s sake, I will be keeping the other friends who helped develop this fan region anonymous unless they wish to be associated as well- just DM me and I’ll edit this post with credits!)

the ‘modern’ world would have been more akin to the IRL Earth with tech developments, commonplace medicines, etc where humans forge their own path to success as a species, and the ‘natural’ world would be more like canon hisui where humans have to yield to PKMN power and live with more respect to the land. The main plotline would not be choosing a side (though in development that was a character route), but rather finding a happy medium through different situations across the region that eventually allowed PKMN to safely reintegrate into living with humans after being pushed aside/being low priority in the region for a while while tech developed without them.

A lot of focus on rehabilitation, and there was an idea for rural eevee villages that each held a reverence for their specific eeveelution (also where you would evolve said eevee if one was caught). I would assume they were very much like hisuian villages and camps with a warden etc, and probably wouldn’t have much in the ways of very updated technology (they do prefer it this way, though). There are very rural and open stretches of land in Korea once you leave the cities, and the eevee villages would most likely be the ones responsible for each section of land. They weren’t initially planned on being inspired by indigenous people, but they could be! The diversity of the region’s population is very high because of its focus on technology advancement, expressing individuality, and overwhelming disability/neurodivergency support

Our professor (name still pending, I’m changing it from our old ideas) was primarily focused on making technology more accessible for disabilities and other health conditions, but with some loud voices from people they shifted their efforts into also making support PKMN trainings and classes more accessible worldwide! Tech and PKMN working together is their main goal as of starting whatever journey the MC is on :D

I have some sample writing that I can post here:

[region] trainers are allowed to exceed the standard carrying limit of 6 Pokémon at a time, provided that the Pokémon is not used in battle and is licensed to be a Service Pokémon by the Pokémon Health and Service Committee (PHASC).

Breeds of service Pokémon are not strict, so long as the Pokémon can complete the required service training for its Trainer’s needs and is able to be properly cared for in the household; however, a Pokémon's nature is highly recommended to be one of the natures on the lists for certain conditions [see "Disorders and Disabilities: List of Natures”], in order to comply with its job/function of the Trainer's choosing. For example, a Trainer with intense generalized anxiety may not find the temperament of a Sassy- or Adamant-natured Pokémon suitable to address or soothe its Trainer; therefore, a Gentle, Calm, or other similar nature would be best.

I honestly rlly liked team plasma in BW1 (and N’s group in BW2) because of their goal to basically give PKMN more respect, but they just went the ‘animal rights’ route instead of the ‘animal welfare’ route (easily confused: rights essentially want to give them the ability to vote, vs welfare wants to allow them to live fulfilling and healthy lives). I even have a little AU about how touko (BW1) quits her PKMN journey halfway and then joins up with Plasma instead bc I thought about how interesting it’d be to play in that perspective. My extremely big special interest currently is the PKMN mystery dungeon spinoffs, to no one’s surprise.

Sorry this got so long! I might post whatever doodles I had of both the korean-inspired fan region and the plasma!au if people were interested lol, I kinda kept these to myself bc I just thought they were too indulgent 😅

If anyone had any ideas or thoughts feel free to lmk however way you’d prefer :D

#not art #pokemon #fakemon #pokemon au #south korea #korean

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saturnsummer · 3 years ago

Text

i don't mind forever.

AU: When Sol is handed a case, she doesn't realise how big the case gets. Luckily for her, her best friend is here. (AU of lawyers at Hankuk Law Firm.)

notes: all credits go to @thenerdywriter !! she gave me this prompt just days after i joined tumblr, and i’ve been working on and off on it ever since. my first au series, so please go easy on me! i know i’m practically killing myself for doing two series at once, but i’ll deal with it later. as always, big love to everyone! any grammar mistakes and all will be taken fully responsible by me!

ao3 link

words: 4035 words

one.

Sol scrunches her hair in frustration. She twists her long, wavy light brown hair in a bun, fixing it with a jab of her white, long chopstick hairpin. She adjusts her bangs for good measure and resumes with her report. She reaches over to her coffee mug, only to find it empty. Great, it’s the third coffee she had today, and it wasn’t even lunch. Hearing her colleagues nagging on drinking too much coffee in her head, she stands from her desk and pushes the glass door of her office to the staff pantry. Her heels click against the marble floors as she strides across, filling her cup with iced water before retreating back.

It would have been a normal day at the Hankuk Law firm, but it wasn’t when she had such a pressing case.

It's been weeks. A client of hers has pressed charges against Lee Man Ho, claiming that he scammed her life savings. Lee Manho was a convict that was charged for raping multiple women and on several occasions, sexual harassment. He had been on good behaviour after his release for a couple of years, with no complaints and no news. Only now did his name resurface. He was snarky in his speech, manipulative and quick with his tongue, but most of all had a sinister smile that sent shivers.

Sol, being Sol, couldn’t say no to the poor woman. How could she? She experienced her fair share of poverty from growing up in a single-parent family that made enough to get by. She sympathised with her feelings, knowing just how stressed this poor mother must be when she can no longer afford to pay rent for her home, even less so the necessities for her toddler kids. Because, too many times, Sol was found broke and skipping meals so she could have her younger sister, Byeol, be fed instead.

With the help of the local police, she found more victims to be scammed, all similar in their scenario. Manho would call under the alias of a financial aid consultant, sometimes an insurance agent or bank teller. Then, he would extract their bank numbers from them, effectively draining their money away. By the time they victims tried to call back, the number would be out of order, or picked up by another voice, evident that he used another number to cover up his.

None of his victims had anything in common. Some were rich, some were poor. Some were female, some were male. And Manho had long disappeared in the wind the moment he got out of jail. He was said to be sighted once and when the police placed eyes on him, they lost him that same day.

His digital footprint was an utter headache as well. The police had other things to matter, and figuring out his digital footprint was the least of their concerns when they had important murders and urgent matters to solve.

But two could play this game.

Seungjae was a good friend of Sol’s. They were close acquaintances in school and kept in close contact. He, unlike Sol, was a whiz with computer codes and had his fair share of hacking experience. She remembers how he would hack into the system during school events and broadcast short music videos on the school televisions during breaks. Despite their age gap, he was always courteous, nice and kind hearted in helping others.

Seungjae eventually found a job with the police force, using his skills to legally hack criminal networks and dark nets. He was essentially part of a task force that identified suspicious activities like mass radicalisation, fake news and essentially tracking down internet hackers. It was a no-brainer that Sol would approach him, even though she knew that he could only legally hack under his work orders, not for personal favours.

Well it’s best she at least try.

She called Seungjae, who was fortunately free, and agreed to meet at a cafe. The sun was out, warming them from the autumn breeze that chilled them. Sol grabbed her coat and placed a post-it on her door, informing her colleagues of her business. Sol, while dressed in a warm coat, was undoubtedly freezing from the breeze. If only she could go back to law school, where she wore jeans and sweatshirts all day. Instead, she had a light blue long sleeved blouse, a knee length pencil skirt and a midnight blue blazer, and her only coat she had weakly shielding her from the cold.

“Sol A, what gives me the feeling that you aren’t calling for the purpose of catching up, but for a favour?” Seungjae asks as soon as his ice coffee arrives. Sol is amused at his habit, that he still calls her Sol A to differentiate her from Sol B, her colleague just working next door to her. But in response, she gives a small frown.

“Oppa, please? You have to help me with this. This case is driving me nuts!” She says in frustration as she stirs her ice tea. “Look, he’s off the grid, like properly off. I can’t even track his number or his email accounts. When the police placed plainclothes on him, he was like a ninja and they lost him within the first hour.”

Seungjae’s frown deepens. He knows of people who are good on the internet, but for an ex-convict to be running this alone? Furthermore, a convict who had no criminal record of scamming, conning and IT based crimes? There was definitely more to this.

“Sol A, do you think that he’s working alone?” Seungjae asks, stopping Sol in her speech. She tilts her head, the way she does normally when she puts the puzzle pieces in order. From her bag, she takes out a notebook and scribbles down the facts, then pushes it to the centre of the table.

“Okay, so we know that Lee Manho was convicted of rape and sexual harassment long time ago. Now, he’s running scams, and has no known background of coding or conning people, yet somehow the money appears in his bank account and it disappears the next moment.” Sol states as she circles her notes with a pencil and Seungjae nods.

“I think… I think you’re right, oppa. He’s definitely not working alone. And he could just be the middleman bringing the cash from one place to another.” Sol breaths out, realising how big the case has gotten. She’s not just going after Lee Manho, but she’s going after an entire team.

“You said that you can’t track his whereabouts, people he communicates with and where the money is going to?” SeungJae asks. Sol nods.

“Looks like someone is covering up the transfers and his tracks.” Seungjae concludes. Seungjae furrows his eyebrows. Sol recognises his thinking face and tries to plea once more.

“Please, oppa? You helped me check out and verify Yeseul’s boyfriend, which saved her life! Please, oppa…” Sol pleads with him. Seungjae knew how much Sol was going to dedicate to this, and besides, he was legally going to hack. He was fighting for those who couldn’t fight. What difference would it make? It felt wrong to ignore such a desperate plea.

“Fine. But you have to let me use a laptop that isn’t mine. I can’t have my superiors know I’m hacking into a case that wasn’t submitted to me again. God, Yeseul’s ex-boyfriend case got me a bloody earful from the captain.” He finally agrees, getting up from his seat and grabbing his coat. Sol lets out a relieved sigh and picks her coat too.

“Thank you, thank you!”

“Save it for later, when I’m done hacking. Let’s head back to your office for now.” He says and walks to the door. At that moment, Sol’s phone rings, and she picks up, knowing who will call at this time of the day. If it’s lunch, it has to either be Yeseul or Joon Hwi.

“Are you joining us for lunch, sunbae?” Sol takes a moment to close her eyes in frustration. This man is going to drive her insane.

“Yeah. Are you all ordering?”

“That’s right. Extra pickles?”

“Always. Add one more jjampong and kkampungi, too.” The receiving end goes silent.

“Who’s joining?” Sol gives a knowing smile as she unlocks her car.

“An old friend of ours.”

-----

“Wah, it’s been a long time since Seungjae-hyung could eat with us!” BokGi says, as he passes out the chopsticks and Yebeom unpacks the meals. Seungjae only gives a small smile while helping out with the food.

Despite the cold weather, the odd group of friends found pleasure in eating outdoors as opposed to their office pantry. It was too noisy some days, too quiet on some, and knowing how chaotic the group can get during lunch, it only made sense to have their meals downstairs at some benches. Besides, they could use a break from being stuck in their offices all day and look at trees changing their colours to shades of red, oranges and brown.

“Thank your noona here, for convincing me to come.” He says as he nods his head over to Sol, who is busy unpacking her pickles and noodles. Joon Hwi gives a smile as he stares at the delight on her face when she sees those yellow pickles on a plastic saucer.

“Hyung, what are you here for?” Joon Hwi asks, as he unpacks his noodles.

“This lady here has enlisted my help once again for a case she is working on. But it has to be off the books. Thus, my presence here instead of my cubicle back at my headquarters.” Sol chokes and she quickly takes a sip of her tea.

“Oppa, why do you make me sound so law breaking…” Sol grumbles. Yeseul, sitting next to her only gives a small smile and squeezes her hand.

“Seungjae-oppa did help me bring Yeongchang to jail. So I would consider his work, whether under his boss orders or not, to be lawful.” Yeseul quips quietly. The table grows silent for a moment, knowing how this topic took a mental toll out of them, but Yeseul was hit the hardest.

When Yeseul first started dating Yeongchang, everyone didn’t mind it. Only when Sol witnessed how Yeseul would be frightened to pick up his call and spotting bruises on her arms did she get Seungjae to dig into his personal life. Lo and behold, not only was he abusive, he was seeing two other women and they were treated badly, if not, worse.

Yeseul’s heart broke, this being her first love and the man she envisioned marrying. But with her friends' support, she took it upon herself to press charges on him, for the women he tortured and for herself. Representing herself and the women that he had failed to protect and taken advantage of, it wasn’t easy for her, having been so blind in love and still harbouring feelings.

The group stood by and silently supported. They accompanied her trials, no matter how busy they were. Sol remembers Jiho running from one courtroom to another on one occasion when he had to immediately attend a court hearing for a client he was defending. Sol had Yeseul stay over at her apartment during the entire situation, while Yeseul searched for an apartment nearby after moving out of his house. Even Sol B, who was usually cold, bought her meals and stayed to eat when the girls spent late nights in silence and drinking.

Finally, the judge ruled that Yeongchang was to be charged in jail. For the sexual, mental and physical abuse of these women, including Yeseul. It has been months since then and time can only tell how much she has healed. The rest can only give their silent support and be there for her.

“I didn’t mean to make the mood bad. Come, let’s eat. Also, what is the case about, unnie?” Yeseul quickly breaks into a smile, an attempt to let everyone know she’s okay. Sol gives a brief description of her case to everyone while she slurps her noodles and pickles.

“This is going to be difficult. If you guys are right, you might be dealing with something bigger than just Lee Manho.” Sol B states and Sol gives a nodded reply.

“Please don’t tell Superior Kim or Superior Yang about this. I really need to break this case and Seungjae-oppa is my only way to.” Sol informs her group. They give half hearted murmurs, not wanting to be meddled into Sol’s affairs. Well, all but one.

“Yah, why didn’t you come find me? I have my own contacts in the police as well.” Joon Hwi asks, a slight frown on his face. From anyone else looking, it would have been easy to miss. But for Sol, she knew that he was upset, interpreting his complaints as “Why didn’t you come and tell me about this first?”

“Because, Mr. Second Round Judicial Exam Pass, you have been too busy! Do I really need to remind you to eat every damm moment? You drive me crazy some days!” Sol argues. They launch into a light hearted argument, as the rest of the lunch group watches with equal fervour as they eat their meals.

“Guys, stop arguing, my ears hurt.” Jiho said, his tone in slight annoyance as he dove straight into the kkampungi and tangsuyuk. Sol finally gave up fighting, earning a teasing smirk from Joon Hwi. They continued their noisy meal, chatting and catching up with Seungjae. Seungjae gives them some updates of his pregnant wife and some interesting cases.

After their meal, they separated their trash neatly. The sun now hides away in the clouds, leaving little warmth against the chilly breeze of autumn. Sol brushes her coat and rubs her hands and arms. If only she could afford a better one than this old coat she’s been using since her first year in university.

Joon Hwi notices her trying to warm up against the cold and takes his coat from the chair, layering it on her. He honestly didn’t feel cold, but he knows he has always been the stronger one to resist against the cold. For Sol, it must be freezing.

“Take mine.” He simply says, taking the packs of plastic from Sol. If Sol had a hint of blush, he pretended to not notice.

“Oh, thanks.” She said as she took wipes from her bag and wiped down the mess on the benches and tables. “But I don’t need it. We’re heading back to the office anyway.” She shrugs his coat off and drapes it over her arm, returning it to him. He pushes it to her, and leans in closer to her.

“Help me carry it, so I don’t have to, sunbae.” He teases with a smirk, sending Sol in a fit of frustrated squeaks, chasing him as best as she can in her heels. Sol knows Joon Hwi gets a thing out of his teasing, and sends him annoyed glares as she continues to clear the tables. Jiho manages to sigh and Sol B rolls her eyes as she dumps the trash in the bins.

The group grabs their bags as they head back into the office, where Sol checks Seungjae in as a visitor at the reception. The receptionist hands him a blue lanyard with a visitor pass as Sol leads him to the elevators. Jiho and Bokgi are off to meet clients, and Sol B is headed to court for a hearing. Yeseul stops at another floor to her office with Yebeom, who needs to pick up some reports from a colleague.

Joon Hwi follows Sol to her office with Seungjae, despite his office being upstairs. Sol grabs her personal laptop from her bag, which is separate from her desktop computer and passes it to Seungjae, who takes a seat opposite her and starts programming the computer to begin hacking.

“What, did you just let him use your personal laptop?” Joon Hwi asks in concern as he takes a seat on a spare chair.

“Let him do it. Don’t you have your reports to do?” Sol asks as she turns to her own reports before typing in her findings for the new Lee Manho case. Joon Hwi doesn’t reply, and Sol sends an annoyed glance. He’s not going to leave unless he knows all the information of this case.

“Okay, I got it.” Seungjae says after a series of clicks and turns the screen to show Sol what he has found. Sol leans into a chart of bank transfers.

"From what I can tell, it seems like the money enters his bank account and is transferred to an offshore account. I can't trace where the money goes from there anymore." Seungjae explains as he uses the cursor to show them. "I can't tell who owns the account either. If I could take a guess, it's probably the mastermind of this."

"Wait, look. Lee Manho is getting paid a constant amount every single time before a large sum comes in and leaves." Joon Hwi points. Sol grabs her printed papers as she matches the amounts that her clients have given here. They match exactly to the large sums, but have no relation to the constant amount that he gets every scam.

"He's getting paid to scam? Tch, God, I hate this crook." Sol says through gritted teeth. Joon Hwi sighs and observes the anger rising in Sol. He places a hand on top of her clenched fist for comfort and her fist stops clenching as she sighs in response.

"Sol A, I can't track his location with your laptop. It's not exactly ideal, since it can be tracked back." Seungjae says, eyes darting while continuously typing. Joon Hwi could sense the disappointment in Sol's face, but it can't be helped. It was too dangerous from her location and IP address.

"Oppa, thank you for helping. I owe you one." Sol says as Seungjae scrubs her laptop clean from hacking traces. Seungjae returns her laptop and stands up. "You should go back, oppa. You've been gone too long."

"I'll keep you updated." He says as Sol guides him out of the office. Once she shuts the door, she pulls the hairpin from her hair and crunches her hair in frustration. She has the information on where the money is going, but it's no use when she can't find out where he is. Joon Hwi takes a seat opposite her.

"Don't stress." He says softly, and Sol bites her lip in frustration.

"Don't stress? How can I not? The police aren't giving me any information on him, delaying his location tracking! I can't even find him! How am I supposed to get evidence to charge him, if he can't even appear to show up to court?" Sol angrily spills, her hands flailing. Joon Hwi sighs but grabs a hold of her wrist.

"Don't get swayed by your emotions." Joon Hwi firmly says, sparingly into Sol's anger-filled eyes. She pulls her wrist back, taking a deep breath before gathering her hair up again.

"Fine." She grumbles. "Get out of my office, Prosecutor Han. Don't you have work?" This earns a soft smile from Joon Hwi. As he heads to the door, he turns back before he leaves.

"Don't... Don't do anything stupid or impulsive, you hear me?"

Sol clicks her tongue and gives a half-hearted nod. She turns back to her report and updates her findings and tries to diffuse the thought of asking Seungjae to hack with her laptop to find Man Ho's location.

For Kang Sol A, such thoughts don't leave easily.

-----

"You sure?" Seungjae asks, seated in Sol's car. Sol takes a deep breath in and nods.

It was a few days after Seungjae visited the office. Sol called the police as much as she could, but they always left her on the line or just said "we're working on it." Thus, Sol told Seungjae to meet her at a park, before driving to a random alley and passing him her laptop.

"Yeah, I'll take my chances." She replied. Seungjae sighs and begins typing away.

"You know you're putting yourself at risk?" He asks, eyes never leaving the screen.

"I'll put myself at risk for the justice of my clients." She says firmly. A few minutes pass as Sol stares out of the car and watches the bright moon and the clouds floating by in misty swirls.

"Got it." Sol turns her attention to Seungjae. On the screen is a map and a blinking red dot of Manho’s location. Sol reads the map and puts her car back in drive before turning out of the alley.

"Woah, do you know where you are going?" Seungjae asks, grabbing onto the overhead handle for support and his hand securing the laptop.

"Seungjae-oppa, don't tell anyone about this, okay? Especially not Joon Hwi." Sol ignores his question as she speeds up the car, turning into a drop-off point of a train station.

"Sol A, you're-"

"Sorry, oppa. But I need to find him. I can't sit and wait for the police anymore. I promise you, I'll be safe." Sol says. Seungjae couldn't say no. He knows how stubborn Sol is, how when she decides on something, she will commit to it wholeheartedly.

"If he's armed, you could get yourself in danger." Seungjae exasperatedly sighs. It was too big a risk to see the junior he treats as a little sister put herself at risk.

"I'll be fine. Look, you're on my speed dial. You know that I can handle myself. There's a reason why I took years of self-defence classes." Sol tells him. Seungjae nods his head unwillingly.

"You better call me after you're done." He says as he opens the door and gets out of the car. "Please, please stay safe." Sol nods and gives a small smile.

"Thank you, oppa." Sol drives away immediately, leaving Seungjae to pinch his nose bridge in frustration and concern. Silently, as he boards the train, he prays for Sol's safety.

-----

Sol knows the area well. As she parks her car at a carpark, she checks to make sure Manho is still at the bar. The blinking dot stays stagnant at the bar, not moving ever since she dropped Seungjae off. Getting out, she tightens her coat around her and thanks herself for the long trousers she's wearing. At least she isn't wearing a skirt, if she needs to beat someone up.

Entering the bar, she naturally takes a slow walk around. But hidden by the corner of the bar tables sit a lone man, with a cap, dressed in black button up and holding a glass of golden whiskey. She knew that was her target.

Taking a seat next to him, she orders a glass of soda water from the bartender. Man Ho chuckles next to her as he sets his glass down. Turning his head, he faces Sol with sly eyes, lips curled at the corner.

"Prosecutor Kang, you're quick." She hears him say and a chill goes down her spine. She lets her eyes meet the cold stare of Manho.

"Oh, you think I don't know you? You're the one after me more than the police are for the past weeks." Man Ho sinisterly says, a sick grin on his face. Sol grits her teeth and takes a deep breath to soothe her anger.

"Why are you doing this? You think it's fun?Watching my clients suffer?" Sol says through her gritted teeth. He only scoffs.

"My, my. Don't want you getting agitated now, don't we? We just started." He says, sipping from his glass again.

"Answer my question." She says with force. Man Ho sips on his glass, swirling the golden brown liquid against the large square cubes of ice as he exhales.

As the words fall from his mouth, Sol grows as cold as the glass in her hand. Her hands slightly shake as she hitches her breath. When her shaky eyes turn to Manho’s, his eyes are sly with a mocking grin. No, he can’t know.

"You’re just as feisty as your sister, aren’t you?”

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on-the-shelves · 3 years ago

Text

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 2 - winter

Oh sweet summer child, you really thought you had it bad in the summer? This winter semester I had a group paper to write (terrible experience, as all group projects turn out to be.. but at least we got a good grade in the end) AND I had to start going to some in-person classes again which meant I once again became a commuter. Just with the added anxiety of catching ~the disease~ on one of the trains or buses... Luckily that didn't happen! And I got a job as a translator for the uni's official magazine! Through that I'm learning a lot more about science than I ever thought I would.... So all in all I've been super busy and had a lot of time on public transport to listen to music, so here's the rundown!

Twice: Formula of Love: O+T=<3 (2021)

I've listened to Twice on and off for a while now and not every release goes on repeat for me, but this album definitely made the cut. The main single "Scientist" has quite a different sound to it than their previous singles - it's more reserved musically, lower in vocal tone (which suits them very well, especially Mina and Momo), but without losing any of their signature playfulness. The rest of the album goes on to explore different styles, (mostly) maintaining a mature sounding confidence throughout. Sometimes they go heavy on the youthful playfulness still, like in super sweet fan-song "Candy" and loud and bright "The Feels". Speaking of the latter, I was suprised by how many full English songs were included on the album! Maybe even more suprisingly, they don't stand out but rather fit in perfectly sound-wise with the rest of the Korean-language songs. The three sub-unit songs are very fun too since they get to show off sides I don't think they've really shown much before, like in hip-hop style "Hello". The Jihyo-penned song "Cactus" really stands out as a perfect ending song to an emotional movie, right before or as the credits roll. It truly tugs at the heart strings, maybe a tiny bit clichéd, but just in the way I like it. I always think it IS the last song on the album, but it's still followed by four songs... The placement of "Cactus" is my one critique of the album.

Favourite songs: Moonlight, Scientist, Hello, (actually all of them are SO good)

Red Velvet: Queendom (2021)

My queens finally returned!! This is their first release as a full group since 2019 and I'd say it was worth the wait. Queendom is full of exactly what you'd want from a Red Velvet EP. At first listen, that felt a little boring to me, but the more I listened to all of the songs, the more I liked them. This EP is full of playful and interesting little melodic choices, beautiful harmonies, and confident lyrics. Title track "Queendom" starts off quietly self-assured with a "Hey, here we go again", like seeing an old friend after a long time, but falling right back into the rhythm you're used to. It builds to a more loud and proud welcoming of all who want to join their queendom in the chorus (which can get a bit much sonically). "Pose" is cool with a really interesting synth base line driving it. "Knock On Wood" and "Pushin N Pullin" have a similar feeling to them with classic Red Velvet harmonies. "Better Be" stands out with its going from low, almost speaking tones to its cool higher tones to the very cool and stylish ad-libs. I don't think I'm explaining it properly, but I like the song very much. The EP ends with "Hello, Sunset" (or "Again, Summer" - the literal translation of the Korean title) which feels more intimate and like the group is truly saying hello again after quite some time away (in K-Pop industry terms). It's the coming-down after the adrenaline rush of seeing each other again, truly showing how hard it was and how glad you are to be here now.

Favourite Songs: Better Be; Hello, Sunset

Enhypen: Dimension: Dilemma / Answer (2021)

I watched the show where Enhypen was formed, I-Land, every week back in 2020 and have since enjoyed every one of their releases. Their singles are always very catchy and though they toy in the same dark pop arena as a lot of other boy groups the past couple of years, they always stand out by adding something unique. Especially in this latest album, the rock influences have become more noticeable, which I really appreciate. It's the most obvious on pure rock and super fun "Attention, Please!" , but I think all of the tracks rock at least a little bit. Track 6 "Blockbuster" features TXT-member Yeonjun and really profits from his rapping and singing skills to bring the song together and fill it with life. It almost feels like it's his song and Enhypen is the feature. But maybe I'm a little biased... This album also has two songs where the members' vocals can really shine in "Just a Little Bit" and "Polaroid Love", with the former really being carried by Heeseung's emotive vocals and the latter being a sugary-sweet display of all the members' playful side. The first single "Tamed-Dashed" is a fun, energetic summer anthem, while the second single "Blessed-Cursed" is more out-there and aggressive. It feels like it ends much sooner than you'd expect too, making for an interesting listening experience. Plus I really love the shaky shrinking motion they do in the choreo for the pre-chorus. In general their choreographies are always full of interesting moves that stand out from the rest, just like their music.

Favourite songs: Blockbuster; Attention, Please!

Kep1er: First Impact (2022)

This is another group who was formed on a survival show, Girls Planet 999, that I watched every episode of last year. I wasn't so sure of these songs at first, especially single "WA DA DA" but I couldn't get it (and the other songs) out of my head for weeks and so I had no choice but to start liking them. Maybe they aren't the most unique type of songs for a girl group, but the members' energy is really tangible throughout and the earworm quality is not to be underestimated. The latter half of the songs on the album were first performed on the TV show while the others are new. I think you can notice the difference since the new songs are a little more cohesive and tailored to the members' strengths and image, but nevertheless they do still make the old songs theirs. Among the new tracks, "MVSK" stands out with its cool and relatively sparse instrumental, while "WA DA DA" couldn't cram more melodies and ad-libs and rhythms in if it wanted to. You never really know where it's going to go next, which is kind of fun. Opener "See The Light" is a little bit of both. I'm very intrigued to see where they're going to go next. Considering their often punk-inspired outfits for their recent performances, I'd love to see some rock inspiration in the music too.

Favourite songs: MVSK, See The Light

STAYC: YOUNG-LUV.COM (2022)

I've really fallen in love with STAYC's discography the past few months. Even though it's been quite small until now, it spans quite a few styles but is consistent in the songwriters' and members' sincere attitude towards what they're creating. This new EP takes a bit of a step away from the very youthful style of their 2021 releases and is a more mature take on the darker style of their 2020 debut "So Bad". They touch on more R&B sounds on songs like "Butterfly" and "247" and even deliver a song perfectly fit for the soundtrack to the yearning climax of a teen movie in "Young Luv" with some rock influences. The single "RUN2U" stands out among their singles in its maturity and vocally sparse chorus that is somehow just as insanely catchy as, say, the much more wordy chorus of their previous single "Stereotype". It's filled with interesting rhythms in the vocals and a variety of melodies that all work together perfectly. The fact that it's missing their signature "STAYC girls, it's going down" in the intro is jarring at first, but makes it even more exciting when it finally appears at the end of track 2 "Same Same", right when you're busy admiring Sieun's vocal prowess. On first listen I was absolutely blown away by every single song, and I still am. From what I've seen about their mindset towards their work and their relationship with their main producer, I really think these girls are going to go very far.

Favourite songs: Butterfly, 247, (but really, truly, all of them)

Whee In: WHEE (2022)

I listened to Mamamoo member Wheein's first EP Redd a couple of times but couldn't really get into it properly for some reason (except the single "Water Color" which is really really good). But this latest EP had me hooked immediately. Single "Make Me Happy" is calming and relaxed with a lovely melody, while listening to "Pink Cloud" really feels like you're floating on a pink cloud. Wheein's vocals are luscious throughout and are always in harmony with the music. I don't really have more to say about the EP than that, really. It's just a really lovely, calming record to listen to. I guess you could say it... makes me happy.................

Favourite song: Make Me Happy

Some more music I want to give a mention that I enjoyed a lot:

BTS: BE (2020); IU: Chatshire (2015), Pieces (2021); literally just the entire discography of BTS, TXT, Red Velvet, LOONA, STAYC;

some singles:

IU: "Strawberry Moon" (2021)

V: "Christmas Tree" (2021)

Jin: "Yours" (2021)

Jung Kook: "Stay Alive (Prod. SUGA)" (2022)

Wendy: "Airport Goodbyes" (2021)

ADORA: "MAKE U DANCE" (2021)

ADORA: "The Little Name" (2022)

fromis_9: "DM" (2022)

Taeyeon: "Weekend" (2021)

Taeyeon: "Can't Control Myself" (2022)

Taeyeon: "INVU" (2022)

#on my shelf #twice #red velvet #enhypen #stayc #kep1er #wheein

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