#at least do a collab on the remix

[peppertaemint]

Genuine question.

How is this approach good for long term sustainability?

Will they do this for every JK release? Will armys keep throwing money away every time the same way? Will they discount his album 50% every time, (and it's still first week too). And for how long?

We already know Jk China fb bought 1.5m of his albums on debt. That's a big unnecessary debt. That's about 15 or 16m usd or more, it'll take years for them to be free of it.

So what happens when JK releases something again in a few months?

Sooner or later Billboard might change rules and make versions invalid, who knows? Then what?

Seems like Bongo is just acting out of greed. There's no way THIS is their long term business plan.

Their longterm business plan will always be to maximum profits by any means, ie. new and creative ways to take army's money while giving little as a product. I think this is the diabolical part of it; people are paying for... voice memos? They're buying unlistenable, slapped together remixes of songs that were literally slapped together in the first place. It's sort of wild JK admitted he put in the smallest amount of effort on this project. He gave each song like 2-3 hours of his time. And now the fans are buying ten versions of it.

It is greed, anon. But that's not going anywhere. Bongo is a billionaire. He's Musk-level evil now. Exploiting people is his talent. So even if Billboard changes their rules, he'll find a way to exploit them. He's done that with every rule change so far.

And before someone writes in to say "everyone does it", last time I checked Drake and Taylor Swift weren't selling 5 different voice memo versions of song and like 10 useless remixes....

[solarwynd]

You know locals praising members is fine but armys giving hit tweets to locals whose entire energy is "oh I thought BTS were talentless but this is decent" is embarrassing. Have some self respect lmao

The songs ok but I'm not really a huge fan of Megans music so I think that's expected. I don't think it's as good as Mamushi either but curious to see if it goes anywhere.

Also I'm very far from a Taehyung tolerator but him and Jimin are kind of in the trenches with their collabs no? I wonder if that's their choice, if there's more to come out soon or if those were the only options presented to them because RM with Megan Thee Stallion, Yoongi with Juice wrld, Hobi with J Cole, JK with CP, Latto, Jack Harlow, Usher and Justin Timberlake (kind of? Does that remix even count?), Jin with Coldplay kind of. Obviously one person's hogging the big names but the rest of them got at least one in their repertoire somewhere. I wonder if Jimin will release a big collab like that, if thats something he even wants and if it will actually be any good (I like his collabs but they do tend to be on the weaker side of his discography compared to his solos)

I agree. Like I’ve seen a few that are along those lines even one where somebody thought they were “kids” (which I’ll never get) but it’s a rapline member. One that they’ve always thought never got the exposure or praise he deserved. And Armys think that this is Joon’s big break (a ft lol) so of course they’re gonna take what they can get. But armys accepting bottom tier or ingenuine praise isn’t new. BTS got degraded so much in the past ,any positivity was shown immediate gratitude no matter how backhanded it was.

I also think the song is fine. It’s the typical Meg sound, but I do think the counting part could have the potential to get viral like the “star” part in Mamushi.

For collabs. (And being able to say that Jimin’s solos are stronger than his collabs is such a blessing lol) I feel like it’s a choice for Jimin. He reached out to LOCO specifically because he felt like he’d be a good fit. So if Jimin genuinely wanted a western ft, I’m sure he’d have no issue getting one. I don’t think it’s essential that Jimin gets one, but if he does in the future, I hope it’s someone who works well with his style and him as an artist.

[ursae-minoris-world]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @starlightvld- thank you!!! ☺️

1. How many works do you have on A03? 42! (neat!)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 140,503!

3. What fandoms do you write for? Mostly vld. I have a Good Omens fic and always want to write more and a few fandom that I'm tempted to write for, but I'm still very much in vld.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? - Breaking point (vld, sheith) ; A little mouse told me (vld, sheith); Flowers and Blood (vld, sheith); A cure to loneliness (Good Omens, ineffable husbands)

This gets long so I'm adding the rest under a read more!!

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I do! Sometimes I can take a little long but I really enjoy talking with my readers!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Just a call... (vld, gen) I think! It's an open ending, but it ends up on a frustrating note (which was the point).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Oh man, they almost always have a happy or at least hopeful ending. Let's go with A little mouse told me (vld, sheith).

Oh, hey, fun anecdote! Someone commented on Stay with me (vld, sheith) to tell me it was the 200,000th work in the "happy ending" tag! They had just witnessed the tag going up to that number with my fic!

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not so far, thankfully. (Happened once on fanart though, but it was just one dumb comment by an anti).

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I haven't so far, I'm not really interested in writing it (never say never, though!).

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Well, I did 2 fairly recently for a crackship event! It was loads of fun. The craziest might be A Mysterious French Chef, which started as a Hunk&Remy idea, but ended up involving Hunk, Allura and the space mice for vld, and Linguini, Colette, and Remy for Ratatouille, and everyone interacting pretty significantly. I really loved mashing the 2 universes, and for something that started as a "crack" idea, it ended up working surprisingly well!!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of. I've had some original (anonymous) poems that I cowrote with a friend plagiarized down to using our actual pseudonym, but that wasn't in fandom or even online!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I don't think so.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! Five times Shiro broke the rules, and one time Keith did with VirdisDrachen (vld, Shiro&Keith). It's based on a roleplay. Other than that, while it's mostly an artist+writer big bang collaboration, I think Square_Orange and I did discuss the plot a fair amount for Let It Snow! (vld, sheith).

I also have 2 fics that are remixes of other people's work, done for the sheith remix event : When you lived! (the “Enormous, within your small hands” remix) inspired by a fic by @annaofaza, and High Score! (the “I want us forever” remix) inspired by a fic by Tragedy_Machine.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? To no-one's surprise: sheith.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I am fairly good at finishing my wips, even if I do have some stuff that has been waiting for a while. I still have my notes about Keith grieving Shiro between s2 and s3 and how the team tried to support him and each other but how things became tense, that I wrote just after s3 aired! I still hope to get to it one day!

There's also the collab with VirdisDrachen tbh because we dropped the rp after a while and I wouldn't finish this alone. So I'm afraid this one will stay as is.

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I'm good with dialogues and characterization? Themes like friendship, found family are my jam, too. Of course it's subjective.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I am learning, but action and fight scenes are *hard*. (But I also love them? haha). On the exact opposite side, stories with very low stakes are sometimes hard to write, when it's just 100% fluff and no conflict, unless it's like, a short scene... It's easier with some emotional or romantic build up (ex mutual pining > getting together) but otherwise I really have to *think* to plot the fic. I'm so used to stories centered around conflict (in the literary sense, including inner conflict, not necessarily an actual fight).

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I agree with @starlightvld that if it's a language that I'm not personally fluent in, I'd look for a native speaker who might want to help or avoid it. Except maybe for conlangs, like Sindarin or Klingon. Although if I ever write in a fandom with something like that, I would f*cking love to get insight from one of these people who actually studied them and are fluent. In a more general way, I'd be cautious that it actually brings something to the story, that it makes sense to use the language that way, and to do it in a way that doesn't confuse readers too much (unless I am purposefully writing for those who know the language, I guess). I will say that I do love different languages to be aknowledged, like for vld fics that actually dig into the paladins having different languages, and the Galra and Altean also, and so on (ex fics where they have universal translators and then there are issues when they break or they can't rely on them for whatever reason).

19. First fandom you wrote for? Voltron! My first fic was a Hunk-centric gen fic, While some count sheep, and I'm still really fond of it!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Oh, that's hard, I like them all for different reasons. I do enjoy Carry me away for the sheith saving each other vibes. A little mouse told me (sheith written from the space mice pov) was such a fun exploration! Honestly, the most kudosed ones in question 4 are all fics I am proud of. To chose a lesser known one, I also love A special day , a vld gen Hunk-centric fic!

Tagging... @sodomhipped, @tomatocages, @an-aphorism @museaway @jacqulinetan @levyscripts @annaofaza and whoever wants to do this!

(also no pressure at all if you are tagged!)

[steter-bang]

Steter Bang 2024 Rules

First and foremost, have fun and find the joy in creating! This should be a good time getting to collab with other people that love Steter as much as you do, so make sure to enjoy it!

Keep the lines of communication open! You’re going to be working closely with at least one person throughout this event. You’ll be seeing emails from the Mods (steter-bang24@proton.me) and there will be multiple check-ins. Please communicate!

If there are any issues, with anything, please reach out to one of the Mods as soon as possible. This includes if you need to drop out. We know it sucks, but life is life and we totally get it. Just please let us know as soon as possible!

That being said, if we or your event partner can’t communicate with you in a reasonable amount of time, we’re going to go ahead and assume you’re dropping the event.

Steter (Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski) should be the focus of your work. There can be other pairings in the work but other fans should absolutely come away from your creation thinking, “Yup, that’s a Steter fanwork.”

The minimum word count for fics is 1,000 words if you’re on the Mini Bang track. This includes for remixes!

The minimum word count for fics is 10,000 words if you’re on the Big Bang track. This includes for remixes!

The transformative works that our artists will be working on need to be sure to “add something new, with a further purpose or different character, altering the [source] with new expression, meaning, or message.��� If you’re not sure about your selection, please ask!

We know it’s hard to define a “minimum” for fanworks outside of fics so we just ask that you put a similar amount of effort into your fanwork as your Bang partner has depending on your chosen track.

There are no limits on ratings, you just need to make sure to tag properly!

Participating in this event by creating a new work of fanfiction as an author means that you’re agreeing with that work being transformed in some way (podficced, remixed, mood boarded, etc.).

You don’t have to have a tumblr account but you DO have to have an AO3 account. All works will be posted to a collection there at the end of the event. It may take a minute to get an A03 account since you have to request an invite (https://archiveofourown.org/) so please do that soonest. If you’re having trouble with getting an account, please let us know.

2024 Q&A 2024 Schedule 2024 Posting Overview

[thesinglesjukebox]

GLORILLA, MEGAN THEE STALLION, AND CARDI B - "WANNA BE (REMIX)"

Go Jukebox! Go Jukebox! Blurb 'em, Jukebox! Blurb 'em Jukebox!

[7.10]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Punchline after punchline, read after read, hook after hook, no fat: just three talented titans at their tyrannical, terrifying peaks.  [9]

TA Inskeep: Cardi joins Megan and Glo — clearly their spiritual daughter — for some real hot girl shit. The beat isn't anything special, but when you've got spitters this hot on the track, I don't care. [8]

Taylor Alatorre: The addition of Cardi B turns what was a fun little collab into a putative Event Song, a burden that the midtempo sameness of the Soulja Boy sample is perhaps unequipped to take on. It's a trunk rattler, sure, but it feels perpetually on the verge of starting and never going anywhere, much unlike the drop-centric "Pretty Boy Swag." The upside of this rhythmic severity is that it makes it easier for the listener to pick out the pleasing stylistic contrasts at play here: the way GloRilla splays herself out across two whole bars just to remind us that a year has 365 days in it, whereas Cardi barks the words "pop ass on jet ski" like she’s avoiding a shot clock violation. Meg’s role is as the stabilizing force between these two extremes, which is maybe the first time in history that anyone’s referred to Megan Thee Stallion as a “stabilizing force.” [6]

Katherine St. Asaph: These credits should really be in reverse order, to better represent the three rappers' respective firepower here.  [6]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: I’m filling out a Cardi B apology form after being down on “Miami” earlier this year — this verse is so good that when she gives herself a pep talk in the ad libs at the end it sounds deserved. Glo and Meg are also great, of course, and I’ll always be favorably inclined towards a rap hit that pays tribute to E-40, but the beat here lets the trio down — it creeps when it should at very least groove. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: I am going to repeat what a great black poet once said in regards to all my white colleagues in reference to Cardi B: Don't save her; she don't wanna be saved. (Megan and Glo are good on this, tho.) [6]

Julian Axelrod: "Wanna Be" feels gloriously unmoored from time, as Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla play hot potato with the "Pretty Boy Swag" beat and shout out 2012 heartthrobs Channing Tatum and Justin Bieber. (To be fair, Channing has never looked better.) But in an era where guest verses are airdropped in from a tour bus several states away, the biggest throwback is their electric interplay on the chorus, which crackles with the kind of chemistry that can only be achieved by two baddies in the same room. Listening to them trade bars feels like walking into a conversation directly after the punchline; if you have to ask why they're laughing, the joke is probably on you. Spare a thought for Cardi, who's left to wander the empty space around them like Howard Hughes roaming his abandoned mansion. Hearing her root for herself on the outro after Meg and Glo finish hyping each other up is one of the most devastating depictions of third wheeling ever put to tape. [7]

Jonathan Bradley: The Soulja Boi flip is hot but the Project Pat flip is hotter. Glo is imperious ("Do I look like fuckin' Super-Woman" she asks, incredulous), but Megan is commanding, running a sword through a million misguided fantasies with a cutting "You ain't my daddy; I'm not your baby." (Nice Gucci Mane call-back, too; the references here are laser-focused on the early Obama era.) This is a remix, so we get bonus Cardi material. Unlike Glo and Meg, she has to hype herself up at the end, which feels kinda bad, but she could never be a third wheel, not when she's bringing fun phrasings like "hoes be chippity-chopped," which rhymes, of course, with "hickory dickory dock." [8]

Ian Mathers: The original didn't particularly feel like it was missing anything, but I'll happily take Cardi's fierce verse here for "my toes white like Matthew McConaughey" alone. And I'm not too proud to admit that at some point in the future I am absolutely going to refer to myself as "white boy wasted," either. [8]

Brad Shoup: Is Megan admitting to skiplagging? Megan, they'll ban you from the airline! [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[cherrysalsa]

bringing back dis ancient new order thing i fucking guess

1. How long have you been a New Order fan? 4 years, since spring 2020

2. How many New Order concerts have you been to? 0 sadly, but way more ph+l than id like

3. What was your favourite New Order gig? not sure what gig this actually was but my fav live thing of them ever was an egg/temptation segue that was deleted off youtube a while ago

4. What is your fav New Order album? movement and republic rap battle in my head every day

5. Fav New Order song? all day long

6. Favourite Member of New Order? GILLIANNNNN

7. Favourite Former Member of New Order? rob (rip king)

8. How many NO albums do you own? 8 i think

9. Do you own any Joy Division? up and closer

10. Least Favourite album? out of the relevant ones, technique, otherwise fucking wftsc or some shit i guess

11. Do you have all the side project albums? i have all of o2 (+ some extra) and all of monaco

12. Which is your favorite side project? THE OTHER TWO SUPREMACY

13. Favorite remix? i dont listen to many remixes

14. Favorite video? tbthog (true faith and world are rap battling for 2nd)

15. Favorite cover? dont listen to many covers either, but daywave's ceremony one is nice

16. Should Hooky rejoin the band? HELL nah

17. Do you like Barney’s dancing and fav dance move? HELL nah fav move is the one where i put him in my human size mouse trap

18. How many times a day do you listen to NO? idfk man

19. Is New Order your favorite band? nope (cocteau twins my beloved) but they were for a few years there

20. Should Steve audition for Dr. Who? sure. why not. whatever u fuckin say i guess. i would support him

21. Favorite Barney collaboration? fuck barney bruh all his collabs give me brain damage

tagging the only real one on this site @tastyfish and ermmmmm @youngoffender (hi im kweenofthenight instagram sory for the tumblr jumpscare)

[overcastrainbow]

Ur really cool :)) fav glass animals song?

THANK YOU....

My favorite glass animals song is either Helium or Mama's Gun!! Holiest is good too, and I really like their remixes(?) ex: Gooey Rework, Space Ghost Coast To Coast ft. Bree Runway their collabs are so good ughI rlly like Lost In The Ocean too it's different from everything else in the ILYSFM album, wonderful nothing is a close second in that album though

I could talk about Glass Animals for HOURS their lore is so cool

My favorite from Zaba is Pools, no contest. I love love LOVE it for the same reasons as lost in the ocean, sort of coastal beachy vibe that's different than the rest of the album. Second is probably Gooey. Fun fact, Zaba means frog.

My favorite from HTBAHB is Mama's Gun, with Agnes coming in close for second. Also, the girl from S2E3 Has really cool hair. HTBAHB has my favorite lore from their discography, my favorite is probably Dizzy, because she's really cool, Dirty Dustin and Dizzy Jim are cool too, though. Polar St. is somewhere up there too, I love it and I wish it had an official music video, since I have some theories on who the perspective is from, mainly Youth Kid or Cane Shuga, I'll be really upset if it is Youth Kid though, iykyk, but it'd make sense since the woman from the song is confirmed to be Mrs. Moore, who kidnapped Youth Kid in the life itself music video.

Fun fact I wrote about the HTBAHB lore for an English essay once (I got an A!)

My favorite from Dreamland is either Helium or Your Love (Dejà Vu), I like the feeling of the Helium lyrics, mostly the one about sunflowers in the rain, Your Love (Deja Vu) was my first ever song I listened to by them back in 2020 though so that has to be up there too. I love the Dreamland lore, since it's all about Dave's childhood! Domestic Bliss was really sad, since it's about one of Dave's friends. So is Space Ghost Coast To Coast, because it's about watching someone you thought you knew best turn out to be someone completely different. Hot Sugar is cool too, since it's about thinking you have a crush on someone but you really just want to be like them. It's All So Incredibly Loud is okay, probably my least favorite from the album, but the music video is good. I love Tangerine, which I was surprised to find out that not many people do, it reminds me of an animation meme song.. I don't know if this counts, but I Don't Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance) was actually my ringtone for a while and I want to eat the cherries on the cover of it. Tokyo Drifting is cool, but I can't sing along bc of the rap verse and.. some stuff said in the rap verse that I can't really repeat..!

My favorite from ILYSFM is Lost In The Ocean with Wonderful Nothing being a close second. I like the whole of lost in the ocean, while I really only like the intro of Wonderful Nothing. Also, hot take, White Roses is a really good song and reminds me so much of Poplar St. With the symbolism and flower motif.. Though I absolutely ADORE the ending of I Can't Make You Fall In Love Again, I don't know how to describe it but I ascend when I listen to it. I like the rhythm on How I Learned To Love The Bomb, and the imagery for Show Pony, the music video was a tad bit weird, though. whatthehellishappening? Is good too, I think that the plot of it is funny, especially the part were he locks eyes with the kid in the car behind them. On The Run is okay, really repetitive though. I adore Creatures In Heaven, the imagery there is great too. I don't much care for a Tear In Space (airlock) but I still listen to it.

In other news, I've started listening to That Poppy

Guess who found out how to use gifs..

I even put the song lyrics one in order!

★You were ten years old, holding hands in the classroom

★ He had a gun, on the first day of highschool

★ You want something bizarre, old conceptual cars

★ You want girls dressed in drag, you want boys with guitars

[meggie-stardust]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to the ever lovely @lucky-bishop for the tag! <3

How many works do you have on ao3?

74! Which feels both like a lot and not that much at the same time.

What's your total ao3 word count?

270,119?!

What fandoms do you write for?

Right now primarily Teen Wolf and I recently revisited my first fandom of Gundam Wing. I've also written a ton for BBC Merlin, Percy Jackson/Heroes Of Olympus, BBC Sherlock, Harry Potter, Newsies and random other things...

Top five fics by kudos:

Act of Man | BBC Merlin | Arthur/Merlin

Nightmares | PJO/HoO | Percy/Jason

Looking for the Thing We Lost | Teen Wolf | Peter/Stiles

Here I Am (Stuck in the Middle With You) | PJO/HoH | Percy/Jason

Know How A Man Becomes a Beast | Teen Wolf | Peter/Stiles

Do you respond to comments?

Yes, on all of my stuff from the past few years. There are older fics that I've opted not to respond to comments on for varying reasons, but I do read them all.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

When I have angst, I like to have it with a happy ending, but I would probably say this fliclette I wrote based on the prompt: "Can you do a Jasercy fic where Jason is trying to comprehend the fact that Percy's gone, preferably death, but it doesn't have to be."

A Slow Deep Panic | PJO/HoO | Jason/Percy

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I really like the end of Stuck Between Stations. After putting Stiles and Peter in the Wild Hunt and in time loop, the least I could do was give them a happy ending.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not hate, but I have gotten weird comments. I usually just ignore if they are just odd, but I have also deleted comments that are boarding on hate.

Do you write smut?

Yep!

Craziest crossover:

Aside from one HP/Sherlock fic that was co-written with my bestie and that we both abandoned, I don't really do long form crossovers (and that one wasn't crazy anyway). That said, there was a tumblr prompt game years ago, that was for 3 sentence fics and almost every prompt I got was a crazy crossover:

Dean and Castiel. Fight Club

MJN crew (bonus points for including Herc Shipwright). Supernatural hunters.

Sherlock/John. Teenagers working at Mooby's (View Askewniverse).

Jack/Spot, Night Vale AU.

Arthur and Eames. Exorcism.

You can read all of these and a few others: 3 Sentence Fic Collection. And actually, this was a fun trend, we should bring it back.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of, and knock on wood it never happens.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! A few actually, and it's always so, so, so flattering:

Acts of Man was translated into Chinese

Black Sails in the Sunset was translated into Português

Looking for the Thing We Lost was translated into Russian

This is a perfect time to say that I am always open to my fics being translated, podficced, remixed, etc. Just let me know so I can gush about it!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, the aforementioned abandoned HP/Sherlock fic, but it's been ages. @punchedbymarkesmith and I have kicked around some collab ideas, which I think would both be a blast and also for a potentially niche audience. Maybe 2024 is the year this happens!

All time favourite ship?

Steter is the one I've stuck with the longest, but I do have a few that I will always return to in the same way you might eat a comfort meal.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Look, I really, really want to finish It's Only Forever. I have like 1, maybe 2 chapters left. But it's been so long and I feel like my writing has changed, and idk. Every year I say I'm going to work on it, and every year I don't... le sigh.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm really good at finding a small moment in canon and then diverging from that. I also think I'm good at authentic dialogue and I think I'm pretty good at world building.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Action/fighting. Keeping things short unless it's a drabble/other restrictive format.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I am not fluent enough in any language other than English to do this confidently. Instead, I would write something like:

Stiles cursed at them wildly in Polish.

or

Peter responded in French, then turned back to Stiles and resumed their conversation in English.

First fandom you wrote in?

Gundam Wing. All of my old fic from *cough* 20+ years ago is lost to the annals of time (actually some is still on archived GW 1x2 sites if you look hard enough). And if you are one of like 7 people who remember my username, you can find my Newsies and Harry Potter fic (my next two fandoms) still on ffn. After I got out of a bad relationship that kept me from my own interests, including fandom, I returned with BBC Sherlock fic, which you can still find on AO3 if you scroll to the beginning of my profile.

Favorite fic you've written?

Gosh, I feel like this changes all the time, but I am particularly proud of At This Truth We Have Arrived. I loved exploring certain aspects of Peter's character, and doing a different take on Nogistune Stiles. I was also able to incorporate a lot of different themes and elements into it, as well as get my own closure with Monroe, something that has bugged me since the finale. Plus, I think I was able to accomplish a reveal that would add extra elements if anyone went back and re-read the story (even if I somewhat show my hand if anyone paid attention to the epigraph).

I have no idea who has done this yet, since I sat on this for a bit... so no pressure tags for @lolahardy @mirrorthoughts @myletternevercame @punchedbymarkesmith @midmorning-bomb @like-lazarus

[gaykarstaagforever]

Well, I got 7 songs into Taylor's new album before I realized it wasn't going to get any better than this and tapped out.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the music critics who, due to professional obligation, had to sit through all TWO HOURS of this, at least once, before they were allowed to officially hate it. You aren't getting that time back.

If she wanted to just do an album of her reading her bad poetry...well, it wouldn't be any worse than this. She has always written in a very wordy and charmingly-awkward way, but oh man...these aren't songs. There is no theme to any of them. You could scramble the phrases up from every song and remix them with every other and it wouldn't make a difference. I was having a hard time telling when one song ended and another started. And you only know what the "chorus" is because it is the stanza she repeats, seemingly chosen at random?

The production is scaled-back electronica noodling, I guess to really emphasize the lyrics? Not the best call, honestly. One hook would be nice. There weren't any as far as I heard, and I'm not obligated to wait any longer.

That "Daddy" Whatever song could have been a medicre Old Taylor country song, with different production. So it was the best song I heard.

And that is followed by "Fresh Out the Slammer," which is just more overwrought whining set to YouTube Audio Library bgm. But man, did I get excited, hoping she had done a collab with Dre and Snoop! That would have been...well! Something!

Taylor stans, please listen to something else. You deserve better than this backhoe bucket of teenaged angst.

Taylor, you're 34 and a billionaire. When do you take a song writing class and get better at this? I know it doesn't matter. But why would you want to stagnate skill-wise at 19? Isn't that frustrating? Don't you have adult things you want to say, in an adult way? Don't you want to learn how?

How many albums can you possibly do on this "poor princess locked away in a tower by the ugly and jealous, yearning to breathe free" shit? You are the biggest pop star in Earth's history. Go take a break if you're tired of it. Stop complaining because only 98% of the human race likes you. You're not getting that last 2%. And you're not entitled to it.

Blegh.

[crimsondragonleader]

Headcanon Musing, don't mind me

I have a few headcanons regarding Noel either as Modern AU or as regular him visiting more modern/futuristic worlds.

He Runs a Fitness Company & Blog

(continued from my hc post as @bigbluetiger on @psychobind's blog)

Noel runs a fitness company and his videos typically have him discussing various martial arts, acrobatics, and lifting techniques

Doubles as an MMA fighter, insanely good at it thanks to assimilation/absorption, keeps that bit VERY hush-hush

Dantarg cameos a lot as the opponent on his vids, since a lot of martial arts have techniques specifically dealing with larger opponents. While Noel is no slouch at (6'3.5") 192 cm, Dantarg's (6'11.5") 212cm is a good size to illustrate this even at Noel's size

Media Interactions

He's insanely good at games like Beat Saber, and routinely scores high even on difficult ones like 25F (it's a Megalovania remix). He's also played it with Lightsaber attachments for funsies, courtesy of Bokhohn.

Rocbouquet performs as an Idol VTuber, and he gets premium merch to support his baby sis. His favorite merch to wear in private or on streams to support her concerts are the latest T-shirts and a "Roc Out" heart-shaped bopper headband he got from her first hit single, "Temptation~♥"

If you give him trinkets, he starts doing tricks with them. Helps to channel the Absorption energy and it entertains people. Give him stick-like objects like glowsticks or pencils and he'll start doing Beat Saber moves.

He doesn't do it often but he actually has a great singing voice, and is Rocbouquet's top choice for Male/Female duets.

Sometimes collabs with Subier on his surfing trips. Subier's no slouch at martial arts either, he just prefers swimming and surfing.

Expect him to do flips and other acrobatics in Wagnas' videos for impressive glamour shots and transition montages, like balancing upside-down on poles or fences. "Noel, get down from there!" Wagnas'll usually say, and Noel will transition into an introduction.

His most used emoji is 😶- mostly because of Kzinssie, and his stare is really intense. Higher tier subscribers on his streams have a custom emoji for it. Multiple compilations exist of him going "😶" at the screen for various things. There is at least one where all 6 of the other heroes "😶" at Kzinssie.

He really is up for almost anything, and loves whipping out random abilities to teach people how to do it, especially little kids. Helps him channel his big brother instinct when he's not around Rocbouquet.

Might do more later!

[chacusha]

Summer Quodo event poll

Because I have a "running events" problem (namely, that I like brainstorming events that would be neat, and then once I brainstorm an event, I get attached to it and want to run it), I am planning on running a Quodo event for the middle of the year.

So, please help me pick which event I should run this summer by telling me which one you'd be most interested in!

Explanations on each of these below the cut:

Option #1: Ship week

Here, the event would be a Quodo ship week most likely in early/mid August. Basically, the way a ship week works is that there is a designated week for posting fanworks for a ship, where each day in the week is associated with a prompt (or maybe two prompts, to give people choice). The last day in the week is usually a free choice day. Basically, it's a way to have a concentrated burst of fanworks for a pairing, and you can see the different ways people interpreted each prompt, and it's also kind of a team effort? Or you can treat it as a challenge to try to post one thing each day -- it's completely up to you how many days/prompts you fill.

The event will start by me collecting some prompt suggestions, holding a vote on them, and selecting a week's worth of prompts and publishing the list of prompts for each day. Then people make as many fanworks as they would like for the themes and post their work on the appropriate day.

Proposed timeline: April: Collect prompts May: Vote on prompts and release prompt list Jun-Aug: Creation period August: The ship week

Option #2: Collab event

For this event, basically, you would get paired with another Quodo fan and the goal would be to collaborate in order to produce a fanwork or a pair of fanworks. What a "fanwork collaboration" means can vary a lot and depends on what the members of the group are interested in (basically, when signing up, you would specify your preferences for the type of collab you would be interested in, and these preferences will be taken into account when I do the matching).

Here are some types of collaboration, roughly in order from least amount of coordination/cooperation to most amount of coordination:

1) Writing/creating to the same prompt/idea: Basically, the coordination happens at the beginning of the project with the two members agreeing on a general idea/prompt to work with, and then both members go off and create and share what they made at the end. This way you get two unique takes on the same idea. Very little coordination involved.

2) One person creates work inspired by/complementary to the other's: Here, the creators collaborate in order to produce a pair of related works -- first, one work is produced and then the second work is made in relation to that work. This could be the second creator's take on the same idea -- a remix/retelling/redraw of the original work, or an illustration for a fic or a fic inspired by art, etc. (It's also possible for both people to each create an original work and then swap, although this is more time-consuming and may not work with people's time.) This requires a bit more coordination, maybe sharing early drafts or handing work off by a deadline.

3) Collaborating on the same fanwork: This option involves two people working together to produce a single work. You can choose to do this however you like -- for example, with fic, maybe you swap the writer every few paragraphs, or do it roleplay style with each person writing one character. With art, maybe one artist does lineart and then hands it off to the other person to color (or both artists each do lineart and then send to the other to do the coloring). Hard mode!

You can treat this event like a bang or reverse bang if you like by using option (2). A bang is where someone writes a (long) fic (doesn't have to be long for this event) and they get an artist who illustrates it or provides some other kind of art or complementary fanwork (could be headers/graphics for the fic, podfic, etc.). A reverse bang is the opposite -- an artist comes up with a piece of art (maybe a sketch) and a fic writer crafts a fic around that piece of art.

There would be periodic check-ins just to see if there are any members/groups that have gone inactive and which might require reassignment to a new group.

The sign-up form would collect things like: - What fanwork medium you would prefer or are planning to work in. - What type of collabs you're open to. - What type of fanworker (fic writer, artist, etc.) you would prefer to work or not work with. - How often you would like to check in.

Proposed timeline: Apr/May: Sign-ups and matching Jun-Aug: Creation period August: Work reveals (in pairs)

Option #3: WIP-finishing/motivation event

The purpose of this event would be to provide motivation/company/social pressure to finish a longer/more ambitious sort of project. People can sign up with a new or existing project they would like to complete by the deadline, and then they would use the work period to see if they can finish the work, in the company of others doing the same. It's called a WIP-finishing event, but really, any project is allowed even if it's brand new. That said, this event might be useful for projects you've been meaning to get around to for a long time and haven't, or intimidating projects a bit beyond your skill level so far. Any media is allowed -- fic, art, comics, podfic, vids, meta, crafts, etc.

I am still figuring out the timeline and due dates -- below is what I have so far, but I would be happy to adjust the deadlines and format in order to accommodate what would work best and be the most motivating for the participants. So far, I am thinking that there is a date at which the project must be finished, and then there is a long posting period for people who would like to post their work in smaller increments. I would also pick 1-2 dates for each finished project to spotlight/advertise it -- one would be toward the beginning of the posting period for works that are fully finished and posted, or for works that have started posting (have posted the first installment); the second one would be shortly after the last installment of the work has been posted (if applicable).

The sign-up form would collect things like: - Your name and name/description of project - (Optional) Progress so far and projected length/time commitment of project. - (Optional) Goals you would like to have hit by certain check-ins.

It would be fine to drop projects at any time.

Proposed timeline: Apr/May: Sign-ups. May-Jul: Creation/posting period, most likely with optional check-ins at the beginning of Jun/Jul/Aug. Mid-August: Work completion deadline. Work posting and promos begin shortly afterward. November: Work posting deadline. Final wrap-up/celebration and masterlist.

Which one would you be most interested in? Let me know!

[subbykittyboythoughts]

semiserious music vent

genuinely have no idea how people make memorable melodies/rhythms. ive said it before but melody is a thing i have absolutely 0 sense for. legitimately i am fucking awful at writing melodies, let alone memorable ones. this isn't just a now thing - this has been a problem my entire time making music. i made one song that was memorable, ever, or i should say 1/2 of a memorable drop because the rest of the song was just parts of the drop, and the second half was bad. ig the bridge was good too but that was just the guy's vocals vocoded. even putting in random notes leads nowhere, genuinely trying to write melodies fucking sucks. if i had a friend i really trusted, with similar styles, and actual skill in songwriting id LOVE to collab but alas, i do not, so im just dissuaded from anything other than sound design. thank god that's something that i can do with consistency for what i can do well, and a skillset i know and have been adding to. any time i try to generate just some basic rhythm it ends up being another song's, and i can never figure out what to do woth it without sounding like another song. literally any time i try making color bass (not melodic riddim, which i dislike) i just fucking rip off Parachute (Skybreak Remix), idk maybe i just need to listen to more but like. how tf do people find rhythms to work with. i just tried to think of one and IT WAS JUST ACCELERATE BY TEMINITE AND SKYBREAK it's ALWAYS ripping someone off. it feels like ever since i discovered electro my entire career is going to be based around ripping SOMEBODY off, at least doing sound designy complextro i can mix brostep and wolfgang gartner-y sounds with mild justice influence for something kind of my own, but i actually enjoy having songs with songwriting. such a shame i cannot write song

[jung-koook]

Unpopular opinion: I hate Usher. I hate this music, and I don't care for him as a person either if I'm being honest.

And, I think, the company chose most of the collaborators for Jungkook? I could be wrong about that. But I never cared for the musicians that Jungkook collaborated with (at least when it comes to the Western musicians). They could've chosen different musicians.

ah, I understand and respect your opinion and I agree with some things you mentioned.

I'm not talking about him as a person because I don't want to talk about it. I think that even if i don't like an artist or the artist's music, i can't deny what that person did for music (if they did something for music). I don't know much about r&b although I really like it, but I always heard that usher was a great r&b artist. so for ME i think hes a great artist. I'm also not talking about who bangtan or bighit choose to collab there. its not about the collab. I'm talking about that I feel like he's acting like the song is his but I don't see it that way cause for me standing next to you is jeongguks song and usher is only part of a remix. he's even putting his name first and then jeongguk's name lol maybe if it was a different artist doing it it would be noticed more by other people.

like many things in life, this also has pros and cons. although I don't like the remix for particular reasons that I've already explained here, I understand how a remix and collabs with artists like usher can really help bangtan and their solo projects to play more on radio and be better known, since there still this prejudice against the "foreigner" all over the world. there are so many countries that still don't want to play artists like bangtan on their radio stations. :/

[lgcsaem]

☆ ⸝⸝ 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐍 , a solo.

misaki doesn't think he's ever been this excited for a family concert. this experience already under his belt, action-packed and memorable, this year certainly takes the cake, all for one very crucial fact previous years lacked— he is an idol.

well, he will be an idol, the finish line crawling closer as the year barrels towards its end month after month, his rag-tag group of anticipated new kidz finally being given what the world will forever more know them as.

mzsd.

what that means, misaki couldn't even begin to guess, but the young boy truly doesn't have it in him to care. not when he's this pumped, the confirmation of an official group name only cementing what the future has in store. his giddiness can be felt throughout the whole concerts run, bright and enthusiastic, warmth radiating off of his small frame as the performance with his group members is done, their collab stages with nova absolutely crushed, and the encore stage begins. he's not stopped dancing throughout the entire night, even when waiting backstage, so it's no surprise when he makes his way back up with a bounce to his step and a sway in his hips.

misaki has always looked to dbsd with admiration, but now, they're more to him than simply being company seniors— they're true mentors, acting guides and creatives who now directly influence and create the future misaki would soon have. to maintain approval not only meant working hard, but working with passion, so it only makes sense in misakis mind to go absolutely crazy the moment a remixed version of aju nice begins to play.

an absolute banger on all fronts, it's the least misaki could do. so, that's exactly what he does, running around the stage with ( somewhat ) reckless abandon, making sure not to bump into anyone or get in any other artists way as he dances and interacts with the crowd, a bright grin overtaking his tired features the entire time. the night might be coming to a close, but misaki shows no signs of stopping.

it's only as the song reaches a familiar point, one misaki is all too fond of doing during the comedown of dance practices, the routine practically engraved in his body at this point. immediately, he turns, eyes darting for a pair he knows is looking for him all the same.

spotting noeul takes hardly a moment, and the second their eyes meet, it's a mad dash for center stage. noeul has always been a reliable hyung, a reliable friend, so it does nothing but delight misaki further as he almost collides with the older so they can dance together.

he isn't sure how well his mic picks up his laughter, pure and bubbly as the night goes on, but misaki is sure his happiness can be felt to the moon and back.

[solarwynd]

Am I the only that thinks hybe getting Jungkook to collab with usher instead of jimin is slimy as hell? I’m not saying it wasn’t out of convenience, usher and scooter Braun have a history (he calls him his soul brother) so getting him to collab with a bts member was surely appealing to usher anyone would jump at the chance but to not give it to jimin someone who’s expressed that this is someone he idolized growing up is shitty as hell. Not saying jimin wouldn’t be happy for Jungkook or be supportive but after watching the dance performance he compliments jimin so well. It’s a shame he’s a Zionist and all so in a way it’s a relief he wasn’t working with jimin but before that came out all I felt was anger for jimin tbh. It’s like if jimin collaborated with Justin Bieber someone who Jungkook has idolized and basically shaped his entire personality around. I know he would feel some type of way but one of my mutuals also said jimin has changed the last few years so maybe usher isn’t his favorite artist anymore and maybe that’s true but I doubt it. He has namedropped him many times over the years just like he did for fast and furious but I think jimin is not the type of person to reach out to an artist, at least from the very small collaborations he’s done he was the one that was always being asked. Sometimes I wish jimin took initiative because I do not want him to work with usher anymore but I would love for him to work with kehlani, h.e.r., mahlia, aamaree, ariana, lucky daye extc. There’s so many artists that would compliment his voice but I just feel as though he never feels the need to reach out like the other members do.

Mmm I don’t think it was slimy more like a wasted opportunity in general or something that could’ve had more artistic merit had he been involved with jimin. Like you have an artist like usher and then just shove him on a remix? Dumb. Fts should always be representative of bringing someone on that you feel could either bridge a gap to make a more complete song or enhancing it. Not just putting someone on the track just to be there. If you do the later, it just ends up sounding disjointed in the end. For example, I can’t imagine usher being on any song on face cause he doesn’t fit the vision jimin was going with. Jimin even said there were no fts on face because he didn’t feel right with someone else singing on tracks about his personal experiences.

In jk’s case, usher fits what he’s going for. Which is basically an imitation of him and several others. They’re collecting the major male solo artists to get them to collab with jk. Not only to bring him more clout but to also have him aligned with that image of the next big male soloist in america. Justin beiber is gonna be the last infinity stone in that gauntlet and we all know they probably have that lined up already.

It’s also kinda unrealistic to call “dibs” on an artist just because someone idolizes them. Chances are if another member genuinely wanted to, they’d approach them. Doesn’t make sense to put something that you already have planned on hold just to wait for person A, who has nothing planned with said artist, to maaaybe put something in the works with them, out of courtesy to them. I understand that the novelty of it might be dampened since someone in the group nabbed him first, but that doesn’t mean usher can never be utilized again as a ft. And the product from the second time around would probably be infinitely better anyway. (In theory. I’d rather him not work with him) It’s very easy to conflate all these instances as slights towards jimin since hybe is always working against him and maybe there is some hint of that in this decision, but it wasn’t their goal with this imho.

Claiming jimin doesn’t take initiative in terms of doing collabs is odd to me though, cause you can’t say that if it was never on the docket for him. I could understand if he was constantly teasing or nudging at usher for a collab, but he never has. He just mentions that he loves his work. And like I said, if he didn’t fit the vision then there’s no point of putting him on a song. I’m sure there probably are collabs for jimin in the future that he has planned. Good chance it won’t be with anybody who any of us envisioned (I’ve dreamed of him doing a collab with banks for ages) and that’s gonna have to be okay. Cause if it works and it works for him then 🤷🏾‍♀️

[rebelmeg]

20 Questions For Writers

I was tagged by the lovely @takadasaiko!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I just finished posting my 238th fic! It's one of my few longer ones, so I've been putting the chapters up one at a time.

Cupcakes and Kisses, a Bucky/Darcy bakery AU, and behold, a moodboard!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

830,043

3. What fandoms do you write for?

MCU almost exclusively, though I did post one Harry Potter fic awhile back, and I've got a couple WIPs for other fandoms that may never get posted.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, and I love doing so! The reader feedback is one of my very favorite parts of fandom, because they get to tell me what they liked, and I get to be super happy about that. Often times a reader will notice something I didn't even put together in my own writing, or they will love a line that I personally thought was amazing, and nothing beats that! It's just a circle of love, and I live for it.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This one is definitely the saddest, because there is no After.

The Price We Paid, in which Tony activates a Coffin Protocol in the suit, which is exactly what you think, featuring MCD.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I mostly write fluff and shenanigans, so really, you could pick at random and it would probably be a super happy ending.

Though I think I could recommend several from my Iron Family series, since most of those are fix-its.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

I have once or twice, but that is something I do not tolerate anywhere in my fandom life. I have anon disabled, and I moderate comments, because this is a fun space for me. Fandom is where I go to be excited about these adorable little blorbos with my fandom friends, and hate has no place there. Neither does condescension or meanness, so I have absolutely no problem with deleteing that from my life.

9. Do you write smut?

Wouldn't you like to know.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I don't think I ever have, but I have definitely read it and enjoyed it!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, actually, @newnewyorker93 and I had a collab fic stolen. Luckily one of our readers spotted it and it was taken down.

I Went to the County Fair and All I Got Was This Alpaca is the fic in question, and it has alpaca-snuggling, so I highly recommend.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I know I've given permission at least once, but I admit I don't recall if it did get translated or not.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Many times, and I love it! Writing is so much easier with a writing buddy! I'm always open to a good collab.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Pepperony. I just... I just love them. I love a lot of ships from a lot of fandoms, but Pepperony is the one that I've been with the most. The most fanfic, the most interaction with other fans, the most feels.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Well, I never say never with this kind of thing, really. It often takes me years to finish something, but I have finished a good number of things that did in fact take me years to get from idea to fully formed and written fic.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Definitely dialogue and one-shots. I cannot plot for the life of me, so I largely stick to what I'm good at, and I'm happy there. (This is where co-writing is amazing, because other people can plot when I can't!)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I've done so several times, but it's usually single words or phrases that I've trusted Google Translate for. Which I know can be sketchy, so I try to limit that.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The one I'm still writing for, the MCU!

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Definitely can't pick a favorite kid, but I think I do have one that I've reread the most.

Save Another Life (It Will Be Worth It) is a Bruce-flavored remix of How To Save A Life (It Just Might Be Yours), in which the Winter Soldier finishes a mission with baby Tony Stark in tow, and then raises the baby as his own while his conditioning falls apart.

In that fic, there were several cameo appearances by other Avengers as kids, and Bruce was the saddest one. When a couple readers had questions and comments about it, it sparked the remix in which Bruce gets saved too. Made a moodboard for it too!