#at this point netflix should pay us

[lockree]

[racefortheironthrone]

Hi- er, this is my first-ever writer's strike, how does one not cross a picket line in this context? I know how not to do it with things like Amazon and IRL strikes, but how does it apply to media/streaming?

Hi, this is a great question, because it allows me to write about the difference between honoring a picket line and a boycott. (This is reminding me of the labor history podcast project that's lain fallow in my drafts folder for some time now...) In its simplest formulation, the difference between a picket line and a boycott is that a picket line targets an employer at the point of production (which involves us as workers), whereas a boycott targets an employer at the point of consumption (which involves us as consumers).

So in the case of the WGA strike, this means that at any company that is being struck by the WGA - I've seen Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Brothers Discovery, NBC, Paramount, and Sony mentioned, but there may be more (check the WGA website and social media for a comprehensive list) - you do not cross a picket line, whether physical or virtual. This means you do not take a meeting with them, even if its a pre-existing project, you do not take phone calls or texts or emails or Slacks from their executives, you do not pitch them on a spec script you've written, and most of all you do not answer any job application.

Because if this strike is like any strike since the dawn of time, you will see the employers put out ads for short-term contracts that will be very lucrative, generally above union scale - because what they're paying for in addition to your labor is you breaking the picket line and damaging the strike - to anyone willing to scab against their fellow workers. GIven that one of the main issues of the WGA are the proliferation of short-term "mini rooms" whereby employers are hiring teams of writers to work overtime for a very short period, to the point where they can only really do the basics (a series outline, some "broken stories," and some scripts) and then have the showrunner redo everything on their lonesome, while not paying writers long-term pay and benefits, I would imagine we're going to see a lot of scab contracts being offered for these mini rooms.

But for most of us, unless we're actively working as writers in Hollywood, most of that isn't going to be particularly relevant to our day-to-day working lives. If you're not a professional or aspiring Hollywood writer, the important thing to remember honoring the picket line doesn't mean the same thing as a boycott. WGA West hasn't called on anyone to stop going to the movies or watching tv/streaming or to cancel their streaming subscriptions or anything like that. If and when that happens, WGA will go to some lengths to publicize that ask - and you should absolutely honor it if you can - so there will be little in the way of ambiguity as to what's going on.

That being said, one of the things that has happened in the past in other strikes is that well-intentioned people get it into their heads to essentially declare wildcat (i.e, unofficial and unsanctioned) boycotts. This kind of stuff comes from a good place, someone wanting to do more to support the cause and wanting to avoid morally contaminating themselves by associating with a struck company, but it can have negative effects on the workers and their unions. Wildcat boycotts can harm workers by reducing back-end pay and benefits they get from shows if that stuff is tied to the show's performance, and wildcat boycotts can hurt unions by damaging negotiations with employers that may or may not be going on.

The important thing to remember with all of this is that the strike is about them, not us. Part of being a good ally is remembering to let the workers' voices be heard first and prioritizing being a good listener and following their lead, rather than prioritizing our feelings.

[reachartwork]

Reliance on a producer-owner framework and individual property is leading artists to develop the tools that are eventually used to abuse them. The slightly batshit campaign to “support human artists” [18] posits that the best way for artists to fight back is to pay a lawyer and lobbyists to beg the government for harsher IP laws, by teaming up with the Copyright Alliance [19] — an organization whose members include representatives from Disney, Netflix, Getty, Adobe, Sony, WB, Nike… you name it.

An extremely good article about AI art from a leftist perspective. You should read this

[marvelsmostwanted]

This is sad but unfortunately I think this is just going to be the norm for the next few years as streaming services die a slow death.

HBO Max should in theory be able to make money from a show that was at one point the top new series in the US. At the time, David Jenkins said "This is what happens when a major media company invests in inclusive mainstream stories" (agree!) but unfortunately that major media company, like all streaming services, has a terrible business model that can't support that investment.

This is an interesting article about how streaming services are losing money and scrambling to make it back by trying to convince people to buy cheaper, ad-supported options or bundling with other streaming services. Unfortunately for them, I think that's like... all of the options? At some point they're just going to continue to lose money. Making shows is expensive and very few consumers are willing to pay more when they could just cancel and use a cheaper service (or, you know. 🏴‍☠️)

This is also a good article that was written after Shadow and Bone was cancelled by Netflix about whether it could be saved:

"The problem is that while saving shows used to be plausible, at times, the cost of Shadow and Bone combined with the fact that streaming services are really, really starting to cut back on spending means that this would be an extremely tough sell. WB Discovery’s Max is being lambasted for killing finished projects for tax breaks to chip into its massive debt. Disney Plus has done the same thing and has said they will cut back on things like expensive Marvel shows. Amazon Prime is mired in expensive creator deals going nowhere and throwing insane amounts of money at projects they are realizing are not panning out. Paramount Plus losing $500 million a year. NBC’s Peacock is losing $650 million a quarter."

TLDR; Streaming services have reached such a dire point financially that they have to cancel some of their most popular content (Marvel shows on Disney+???? These have seemingly been very successful; it's wild to read that they're "cutting back") in the desperate hope that a new season of something that's cheaper to make will get more attention.

What I gathered from these articles is that steaming services are dying a slow death and sadly, a lot of good shows are going to go with them.

[ceasarslegion]

Whenever people criticize exploitative companies I notice that they tend to target consumers as if everybody using those services always have a choice in the matter, but im willing to bet that a massive chunk of the population that shops at walmart, orders from amazon, subscribe to disney+, etc, are poor/rural people who cant afford any of the alternatives. And what exactly do you expect them to do?

Disney+ is the cheapest option for reliable entertainment for poor parents with kids. Netflix is the cheapest option for that for most others. They still deserve to watch TV when they cant afford a cable package (and yes, pirating still has barriers attached to it. For one, you need to be able to afford the computer, just for starters). Not everyone who has a streaming service subscription is a bootlicker or supports the disney corporation or thinks netflix has the most correct working conditions.

Amazon is the cheapest option for shipping, well... almost anything. And in a lot of places, its the only thing that can reliably get there at all within the month. And when a prime subscription comes with free shipping and a streaming service? That cuts out one major expense AND the expense from the first point, too. Folks still deserve to be able to order things when they cant afford to pay for shipping fees or when they can only afford the cheapest possible option for the item they need. Not everybody with a prime subscription or who orders the occasional thing off amazon wants to personally suck jeff bezos's dick or thinks warehouse workers deserve to be worked to death.

Walmart remains the cheapest possible option for most people in north america, especially in the cost of living crisis right now where groceries cost more than your rent. Not everybody who shops at walmart thinks the workers deserve to be exploited or that unions are bad or that driving out small businesses is a good thing

And im gonna be honest, every single "alternative" ive seen from people acting these ways is WAYYY more expensive and unreliable to poor and rural people than the things theyre telling us to stop using. You absolutely should support small businesses when you can but i usually dont have small business money. I can either buy a few little things to eat that will last me maybe a week or i can get enough for the month for the same amount at walmart, and thats not MY fault.

What exactly do you want us to do here

[chocoqtelle]

𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝﹕𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 ♡

you may be called to multiple piles, that's perfectly fine ! remember that not every message may resonate. take what resonates and leave the rest. tarot is not completely certain and things may change. do not use tarot as a replacement for professional advice. divider credit to @sister-lucifer

﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹ ๑ ︵︵ ๑ ⊹﹒︵ ﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹ ๑ ︵︵ ๑ ⊹﹒︵

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄

okayyyy 🤭 seems like someone's self focused right now. you're dodging these desperate mfs and focusing on your finances. you oughta give yourself more credit for that at least. choosing attention from yourself over attention from others is rough. and it's clearly paying off because you are GLOWING. if you've been getting more attention that's why. you're looking better than ever right now. you don't need anyone to take care of you... but if you want that then there's plenty of options. you don't even have to put effort in. it's all self concept. as long as you acknowledge how perfect you are and what you deserve, you'll get exactly that. you've been working hard, clearing out old patterns, all that. so why would you be shocked that things are going well/going to go well? you deserve that! you worked your ass off to get to this point and you act like you didn't sometimes. whatever help you may have got wasn't near as much as you put into yourself. reap your rewards with no shame. this is your well deserved prize.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐎

"i don't know if i want her or her" energy. you got options for just about everything. you're in that empress mode (regardless of gender dw.) you're pouring into your creative talents and you're doing great. keep expressing yourself, don't worry about what's weird! it's fun! that's what matters. you could have some annoying exes/haters and honestly just take it as an ego boost. they're obsessed with you for a reason. but isn't everyone? you don't have to worry about anyone. grabbing for scraps of stardust when you're the star is the life they chose. you, however, have an unlimited source and you should enjoy it. if you're thinking of going bigger with your creative talents/career. you definitely should. you have the talent whether you wanna admit it or not. "what if I fail?" then you can try again or move on. your life won't be over. what if you win? believe in yourself more. believe you'll make it regardless of what happens. if you're worried about money, let it go. god/the universe/spirit guides/ancestors/whatever applies will take care of it. just trust things will work and opportunities will reach you soon. you could have that perfect duality too is what I'm hearing. geek girl vibes (it's on Netflix still, I think.)

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

the body is BODYINGGGGG. if you don't know that, you must be blind. and don't start talking about some "but hip dips 😖 but tummy but-" nobody in real life cares about that. if it's your body, it's nice and loveable by default. you're like the "airport girl" phenomenon where people see the prettiest person ever at a random place then never see them again and they're just haunted by their beauty. you're probably resting right now but make sure you're not rotting. it's good to still take care of yourself. I don't know if you're insecure or not, but if you are I will personally come through the screen and yell at you (affectionately.) because you are so gorgeous. pinterest level pretty. moodboard pretty. poetry pretty. you could have people writing like "her bosoms jiggled gracefully in the wind like hanging grapes." 😭 being pretty is one thing but being kindhearted on top is just extra. sweet and pretty??? fine you win 😒 save some beauty for the rest of us. you could also be an Aphrodite devotee or benefit from reaching out to her :)

︶꒦︶꒷︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶꒷꒦‧ ₊˚・︶꒦︶꒷︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶꒷꒦‧ ₊˚・

[linos-luna]

Can you make a yandere lee know sadist story?

Pretty please............

Bruh there's another request in my inbox asking for a masochist Lino... y'all crazy lol. but who am I to judge? 😭

Ask and you shall receive...

———————————————————

His Urges ❣️🔪

Yandere!Sadist!Minho x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Yandere!, Smut, MDNI, biting, sadism, dub con, crying, fear kink, spanking, toxic relationship,

——————————————————— 🔪

It was an incredibly strong urge and for a while he did his best to suppress it but lately it's been difficult. You were just so cute and innocent!

You already knew your boyfriend to be quite possessive and maybe a tad bit controlling but maybe that was normal right? I mean he says he loves you. He always talks about how you're his soulmate and how he wants to shield you from the cruel world. You don't even have to work as he promised to take care of you. Sure he could be a little e rough at times but... not like this...

It was an innocent little date night. After a homemade dinner, you sat with him on the couch, leaning your head on his shoulder as Netflix played. Minho wasn't paying too much to the movie and was massaging your hand. He rubbed your fingers, loving how delicate they looked: just so perfect...

Slowly, he started to squeeze your fingers together. It wasn't too hard at first but progressively got harder.

You didn't think much of it at first but it slowly got more and more painful.

"M-Minnie...?" You asked a bit confused while looking at him, trying to pull away.

Minho didn't answer, instead squeezing even harder as he stared at your hand. It was as if he was lost in the moment.

"Minho! You're hurting me!"

Your sudden yell startled him and he immediately let go.

"W-why'd you do that??"

"I-I'm sorry, Kitten..." he said bluntly. "I didn't even realize... what was happening there..." He paused while looking at your eyes that were tearing up. Sure, he felt a little bad for seeing you cry but at the same time... not? In the moment, he felt quite excited actually and his heart was racing.

You only frowned while rubbing your hand and stood up. "I-I think I should go to bed now..."

"No wait!" Minho suddenly grabbed you by the wrist and kept you in place.

"P-Please let go..."

"No!" He yelled suddenly while standing up, scaring you quite a bit. "Hold on, Kitten."

"M-Minnie.... I-I just wanna go to bed is all..." you stuttered as he squeezed your wrist hard.

"Don't leave yet, our date isn't finished!" He said, sounding frustrated. "Please."

You stopped pulling and looked at him with tears rolling down your cheeks. He wiped away your tears with his other hand and sighed. "I'm sorry, pretty girl... I couldn't help it..."

"C-Couldn't help what..."

He was quiet, only looking at your wrist that he was still holding.

"Hurting me....?"

He nodded.

"Y-You like... Hurting me...?" you asked, getting concerned.

"... Yes..." he admitted, which had you surprised.

"It's sick... isn't it?" He had an unnerving chuckle that made you want to back away. "Sit down, Kitty."

"M-Minnie..."

"Don't be like this." He shook his head and sat down, pulling you by the wrist to sit next to him. "only 20 more minutes of the movie."

He could care less about the movie at this point. He just wanted you to stay here with him. He just wants to hold you.

After a moment of hesitation, you sat back down. Perhaps he just drank too much wine earlier... no way he was serious... At least that's what you told yourself.

~~~~~~

As the movie continued, Minho rubbed the back of your hand with his thumb. You were finally able to relax a bit and he would even give you gentle kisses on the cheek, whispering little praises in your ear. By the end of the movie, he was kissing your lips and carried you to the bedroom. Once he sat you on the bed, it got a little more heated as he gave more passionate kisses, using his tongue to dominate. You enjoyed it as he felt around under your shirt and kissed down you neck... that is, until he started squeezing your waist harshly and nipping at your neck. You moaned a bit, not exactly in pleasure, but in pain. He took that as a sign to keep going as he bit harder along your neck, finally making you cry out and try pushing him away.

"Minnie!" you gasped as he pushed you to your back and smirked down at you while pulling your hair.

"What's wrong, Kitten?" he chuckled. "can''t handle a little pain? you're so cute...."

"Stop it!"

"-Or what?!" he replied with a devious smile as he suddenly grabbed your jaw. "What are you gonna do about it, Kitten?"

You only looked at him in fear. He was right, what were you gonna do? you were pinned.

"That's what I thought." He chuckled while kissing down your neck.

More tears rolled down your cheeks as he lifted your shirt and left kisses on your bare breasts. The kisses were quite soft compared to the way his nails were digging into your waist. You tried stopping him by grabbing his hands but Minho seemed to find your struggle funny and keep going while sucking at your breast.

You attempted to grab him by the head before you were suddenly grabbed by both wrists and pinned.

"You like this huh?"

"No I don't!" you yelled back.

"No I think you like playing these little games." He chuckled. It's okay, kitten, I'll Keep playing with you. I'm not done. Behave for me, will you?"

~~~

That was only the beginning. Minho found some sort of sick pleasure from hurting you. And you? Well you just took it. There was no way out. You tried so many times but you were always caught and the punishments only got worse.

You loved him still but not like this. He said he couldn't't control it but you thought that was bullshit. There's no way...

The sex was rough, full of biting and hair pulling. He had no limits, in fact he liked seeing that scared look on your face. It turned him on so much and as time went on, he got more and more... Sadistic.

You were practically screaming as he railed you into the bed. After a long day at work, he had decided to fuck all his frustration into you.

Originally, he promised to not be so rough but that was a lie. Admittedly, it was a little pleasurable at first but then it became too much. Third round and he still had just as much energy from when you first started.

"Min- Min- Min-!" you whimpered as your face was pressed into the sheets. "T-Too Much!" it was obvious that you were very overstimulated.

"C'mon, Kitten..." he panted. One more time." He chuckled before pulling you up by the hair, making you scream. "one more time for me..."

It's not like you had much of a choice so again you came... for the third time.

You were weak and exhausted, nearly limp under him as he held you by the hair. once he was fully satisfied, Minho pulled out and laid you on your back.

"You're such a good kitten..." he said softly while kissing your forehead. "I love you so much..."

~~~~~~

This wasn't getting any better. Nearly everyday he'd be rough with you. It left you with bruised that you often had to cover - if he even let you out. at all. You wanted to leave but he catches you every time and in a way... you feel bad. Minho wasn't a bad person... right? He just had these urges. It's not like he'd kill you or hurt you on purpose right? It was delusional thinking and you knew it. He needed help. This pleasure he got from your pain was just sadistic.

He'd spank you at random or randomly pull your hair. He'd squeeze your hand as a warning or pinch your sensitive thighs. It brought him pleasure. In the moment, it brought him so much pleasure... He knows its wrong... But he can't help it...

So here you were, sprawled across his lap, taking what had to be your 12th spank to your bare ass. It was red snd sore, tears stained your cheeks.

"Is my kitty gonna listen now?" he asked while rubbing the reddened skin.

"Y-Yes!" you whimpered.

"Good girl. Now back on your knees." he said with a smile before pushing you to the floor. "You're going to listen now, right?"

You nodded, only to get slapped.

"What?!"

"Y-yes! I-I'll listen!" you cried out.

"See Kitty, its that simple..." Minho rubbed your cheek.

"I-I'm sorry...."

"You should be." He grunted. "You scared me! I had no idea where you were! I thought we were soulmates, y/n. Why would you leave?"

I'm sorry..." you repeated as tears formed again.

"I know you are, Kitten..." He said while rubbing your cheek. "You still love me?"

" Yes..."

As odd as it was, you still did so it wasn't a lie...

Minho was pretty satisfied with that answer and helped you up so you could lay in bed.

After tucking you in, Minho laid next to you and sighed while gently rubbing your cheek.

"I'm sorry, Kitten...." he whispered while looking at you, seemingly feeling some shame. "I wish... I wish I could control it... I... I really do love you..." he said with a genuine tear of guilt running down his cheek. "I-I hope you can forgive me..."

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

You're not supposed to feel bad for him... but he is self aware so...

[genericpuff]

Webtoons Is Making Moves - So Should You.

We all saw it coming ages ago and now it's finally here. There's no more beating around the bush or doubting if anyone is "reading into it too much", Webtoons' use of AI in its more recent webtoons is not an accident, not an oversight, but by design, it always has been. And I guaran-fucking-tee you that the work that already exists on the platform won't be safe from Webtoons' upcoming AI integration through scraping and data mining. Sure, they can say they're not gonna replace human creators, but that doesn't change the fact that AI tools, in their current form, can't feasibly exist without stealing from pre-existing content.

Plus, as someone who's tested their AI coloring tools specifically... they're a long, LONG way away from actually being useful. Like, good luck using them for any comic style that isn't Korean manwha featuring predominantly white characters with small heads and comically long legs. And if they do manage to get their AI tools to incorporate more art styles and wider ranges of character identities... again, what do you think it's been trained on?

Also, as an added bit that I found very funny:

Um, I'm sorry, what fucking year is it? Because platforms like WT and Tapas have both been saying this for years but we're obviously seeing them backpedal on that now with the implementation of in-house publishing programs like Unscrolled which have reinvented the wheel of taking digital webtoons and going gasp physical! It's almost like the platform has learned that there's no sustainable profit to be had in digital comics alone without the help of supplementary streams of income and is now trying to act like they've invented physical book publishing!

"The future of comic publishing, including manga, will be digital"??? My brother in christ, Shonen Jump has been exclusively digital since 2012! What rock have the WT's staff been living under that they're trying to sell digital comics as the "future" to North Americans as if we haven't already been living in that future for over ten years now?? We've had an entire generation of children raised on that same digital media since then! This isn't the selling point you think it is LMAO If anything, the digital media market here in NA is dying thanks to the enshittification of digital content platorms like Netflix, Disney+, and mainstream social media platforms! That "future" is not only already both the past and present, but is swiftly on its way out! Pack it up and go home, you missed the bus!

Literally so much of WT's IPO pitch is just a deadass grift full of corporate buzzwords and empty promises. They're trying so hard to convince people that their business model is infinitely profitable... but if it were, why do they need the public's money? And where are all those profits for the creators who are being exploited day after day to fill their platform with content? Why are so many creators still struggling to pay their bills if the company has this much potential for profit?

Ultimately even their promised AI tools don't ensure profit, they ensure cutting expenses. The extra money they hope to make isn't gonna come from their content generating income, it's gonna come from normal people forking over their money in the hopes that it'll be turned around, and from Webtoons cheapening the medium even further until it's nothing but conveyer belt gruel. Sure, "making more than you spend" is the base definition of "profit", but can we really call it that when it's through the means of gutting features, retiring support programs, letting go editing staff, and limiting resources for their own hired freelancers who are the only reason they even have content to begin with? That's not sustainable profit or growth, that's fighting the tide which can and will carry them away at any moment.

I'm low key calling it now, a year or two from today we're gonna be seeing massive lawsuits and calls to action from the people who invested their money into WT and subsequently lost it into the black hole that is WT's "business model". This is a company that's been operating in the red for years, what about becoming an IPO is gonna make them "profitable"? Let alone profitable enough to pay back their investors in the spades they're expecting? The platform and its app are already shit and they're about to become even worse, we are literally watching this company circle the drain in the modern day's ever-ongoing race to the bottom, enshittification in motion, but they're trying to convince us all the same that they're "innovating".

Webtoons doesn't want to invest in its creators. We as creators need to stop investing in them.

[lemotmo]

I am clapping

Q. A Tommy heavy episode and you have answered and posted several opinions trying to sound unbiased but your very loud Eddie/Buddie bias is showing.

A. I have spent most of the day stating very clearly that the show has established Tommy as a perfectly fine guy. A perfectly suitable choice for Buck. I have said that in multiple posts and answers today. But perfectly fine doesn't mean right, and I'm going to keep saying that because that's also clearly being established by the show. And if you genuinely watched last night's episode, or any episode that has featured Tommy, and came away with any other opinion then you didn't actually watch the episodes. But that's fitting for your pattern over these past months. None of you are actually bothering to watch the show. You're watching only his scenes, and not even pretending to pay attention to the actual point of any of his scenes. You're watching in order to fan girl over him on Twitter in the hopes that he will acknowledge you. End of story. This next part is going to piss you off, anon. I'm going to give you the business reasons why Tommy is not viable long term, and then I'm going to give you the storyline reasons why he's not viable long term. With today's media most viewers watch the episodes on some sort of streaming service after the live episode airs because the Netflix generation has no idea how to consume traditional weekly serials. They want the ability to skip commercials and other aspects of the show that they may not be particularly interested in. That's just the way it works nowadays. With that came an entirely different way of marketing. Shows depend on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and other social media platforms to promote their product. There is a reason why Buck/Eddie/Buddie is used for promotion by 911 more than any other aspect of their show. Without question and without hesitation their fanbase is by far the leading force behind their social media presence. And it's not particularly close. The cast overall is very popular with their audience. The main cast are all liked by the viewers, which is a rare feat for a television show. Everyone likes the couples on the show as well. But the Buddie fanbase are the viewers who actively engage in the marketing the most. And everyone involved in the show, Tim. Oliver and Ryan included, knows this. The show cannot afford to alienate or lose that fanbase. It's an undeniable fact. They make up too much of the viewership. Right or wrong, fair or not, that's the way media works nowadays. Clicks and likes equals money. It's the entire reason why you all tried to pretend you were thousands and thousands of people instead of the roughly few thousand people you actually turned out to be. And that's a generous number now. You're aware of how it works. You just don't have the numbers to actually compete. Everyone figured that out relatively easily. It's why you all turned to threats and bullying.

On paper Tommy is the love interest who they should have been able to make work. And had he been introduced in seasons 3 or 4 as a love interest he might have had a chance, but it's too late now. That's the real root of the problem the show finds itself in. It's too late to introduce other options for either Buck or Eddie that the audience will care about at all. No one else can compete with what they create together. It's that simple. And last night's episode was the perfect example. Talk to any viewer, any consistent viewer, that doesn't classify themselves as a shipper, and they're on Twitter just like everyone else, then read all the reviews, not just from the Buddie jurnos, and the overwhelming opinion of his scenes was that he wasn't necessary. He felt out of place, which the show intended by the way. Anything Tommy is there to do most of the audience believes Eddie can do better. And that opinion would go for Buck as well if we were talking about an Eddie love interest. It's too late, anon. And I think the show knows that as well. Any chance they had at not doing it is long gone. And not doing it at this point is going to cost them. But I think the plan is to pair them together. I don't know if they will have Eddie label himself as gay (though I'm a demi Eddie truther) because they doubled down on his Shannon love too long to try and undo that now, and I don't think they should undo it anyway. I think as far as the show goes he'll have been in love with Shannon and now he'll be in love with Buck. I think that's partly why they've compared Buck and Shannon when the opportunities have presented themselves to do so. Ryan did it several times in interviews during the off-season as well. I don't know how they plan to get them together story wise, but I do believe they're going to do it. And I don't really care how they do it. It's the right way to go. It's the best way forward story wise for both characters. And it really is their only option. The show is 3 for 3 on their endgame pairings and Buck and Eddie are too beloved to be stuck with endgames less than that of their peers. I'm sorry mine and other's media literacy have made us biased, anon. It's the burden of actually understanding what we're watching.

Thank you Nonny! Much appreciated, as usual!

As to this post? YES, YES and YEEEES! I completely agree with everything here. Everyone of us just keep repeating the same facts. It's nice to see all of these facts compiled and explained so nicely in one post.

I'm just posting this as it is. I've got nothing to add.

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[whohasthecards]

HC that after the mission and the dagger squad gets closer, Mav ramps up his petnames game as he showers his adopted children with affection. He doesn't even notice he does it. The first few times everyone was embarassed, but leaned to it. However, they realized that Hangman seemed to be affected the most. Constantly blushing or looking down or shutting up whenever Mav gave him a particularly affectionate pet name.

Most commonly used by Mav/Ice to everyone: Buddy, Kiddo, Kid, Son, Baby

Some of the most used petnames for the squad (although he uses the same nicknames for the others, some nicknames stuck more to certain people):

---

The dagger squad stayed over for the night after movie night went on for far too long. Most of them still sprawled around the living room, some on the couch, air mattress, or straight up on the floor. Bob woke up the earliest that day and started up the coffee.

Mav clambered down a moment after, drawn by the scent and Bob handed him a mug.

Mav smiled at him and reached out to ruffle his hair, "Thank you, sunshine."

Mav clambered out the kitchen saying something about ordering breakfast for them, as Bob stood there blinking mouth wide open.

---

Phoenix and Mav were debating strategy regarding case studies of past missions that could be applied in the future. The argument got a bit heated as they couldn't decide on the best solution for one of the sections.

Phoenix sat down with a sigh, "Dammit, both have good points, both have flaws, but the only deciding factor would be the people doing the mission, but it's not like we have detailed information on the personnel for this case study!"

Mav chuckled, "Didn't expect you to get this riled up, how about we put our opinions on what kind of personnel are best suited for each mission, yeah?"

"Sure, Mav," Phoenix muttered. "Hand me that pen?"

"Of course, Firecracker," Mav said smiling as he handed over the pen. "Hey, how about we go on break? There's a bakery nearby I've been meaning to try, and maybe that would reset our minds, yeah?"

Phoenix blinked at the nickname, then started standing up when Mav mentioned a break. "Yeah, let's go, Admiral, you're paying though," Phoenix said smirking at him.

---

"Mav, I need some advice regarding some maintenance on my car, since I know you fix stuff up," Payback said walking beside the older man.

"Sure kid, what's up?"

They started troubleshooting the best course of action, and who to took too to get the plan approved and implemented. This went on for a while until they were both satisfied.

"Thanks, Admiral Mitchell," Payback said smiling shyly as he realized how much of the man's time he took up.

Mav snorted as he clapped a hand around the younger man's shoulder, "Don't start with that Admiral shit when it's just us, kid. Come on Champ, let's get that car of yours fixed up."

---

"--The different seasons of the show have a variety of reviews, personally I found the first season good, and it kind of went a bit downhill from there, but that could just be nostalgia talking--," Fanboy babbled on gesturing wildly as Mav nodded along listening as he got caught up on Pop Culture.

It was very interesting, and as long as Fanbog kept on talking, he'd be able to keep up conversing with the others.

"--and then there's also the movies which are a classic-- oh sorry," Fanboy said suddenly freezing looking down on his lap.

Mav frowned, "What's wrong, kid?"

"I was talking too much and annoying you--"

"No, you weren't," Mav said putting an arm around his shoulder. "Now, come one whiz-zy, tell me more about the movies I should watch."

The smile Fanboy gave him made him realize that he should probably get a Netflix account, now.

---

"8 ball to corner pocket," Coyote said before lining up his shot.

"You got this, kid," Mav said sipping on his beer as the younger man lined his shot up.

Coyote focused on trying to see the angle to bank the cue ball on the rail, to hopefully brush the 8 just enough to push it to the corner. If he messed up, he'd practically be setting Mav up to win.

He took the shot. 8-ball went in.

He gave a small cheer in celebration as he whirled around to look at Mav who gave him a salute with his beer.

"You're buying drinks, old man," Coyote said grinning wildly as he rested his cue stick on the wall.

"Of course, Cub," Mav said patting the younger man's back as he walked to the bar to order one of those fancy craft beers the younger man, liked.

---

Bradley woke up to the white ceilings of the sick-bay, where he was herded to with Mav after that suicide-not-so-suicide, mission.

"You up, buddy?"

Bradley turned his head to his side to see Mav, sitting up on his own bed, munching on, McDonald's?

"How'd you get, McDonald's-?" Bradley croaked out, squinting to see if this was real.

Mav snorted, before eating another fry, "Ice brought us some, here's your share, kiddo," Mav said standing up to hand Bradley his own greasy, McDonald's paper bag.

"Are you supposed to be standing up-? Are we supposed to be eating this?" Bradley said sitting up as he took the food handed to him.

"Hey, do you want the food or not?" Mav said , raising a brow.

"... Thank you, for the food, Mav," Bradley said as he munched on his fries.

Mav gave him a bright smile, before pulling Bradley in for a quick hug and a kiss to the forehead. "Of course, Baby Goose."

Bradley stared up at Mav wide-eyed as the older man pulled away and Mav noticing this, winced.

"Sorry, Rooster, I shouldn't have overstepped-"

"NO! No, it's fine," Bradley said looking down on the food on his lap as he tugged lightly on the older man's shirt. "It's fine, Uncle Mav."

He missed this.

---

Jake felt a hand run through his hair, making him humm in content as he leaned towards the touch.

"Hey, buddy, how are we doing today?" The gentle voice of his Captain said.

Jake blinked his eyes open, wondering why Mav was here sitting on the edge of the bed. Wait. Where is he?

"Mav?" Jake croaked out.

"That's me, buddy, are you feeling better?" Mav said continuing to stroke Jake's haid.

Right, he was sick, Mav noticed, brought him home to sleep in his guest room for a nap..

"Hmmm, not sure, a bit I guess," Jake said. "What time is it?"

"Dinner time, are you up for some soup?" Mav asked as Jake shrugged.

"Not really hungry."

"How about some soup and hot chocolate?" Mav asked, smiling when he saw Jake perk up.

His hot chocolate was one of Dagger Squad's favorites.

"Can I have extra whipped cream?" Jake asked, eyes pleading up at Mav as he nuzzled towards the older man's side.

Mav kept on running his hand through Jake's hair as he pressed a smile to the boy's temple. "Of course, little prince."

---

Later on the Dagger Squad practically combusts when Iceman starts doing the same thing to them.

[explosionkatsu]

Random Number (Upcoming Series)

Pairing: Adult!Bakugo x F!Reader

Summary:

Bakugo Katsuki's phone beeped as he received a text from an unknown number. Feeling curious about the contents of the message, he unlocked his phone and opened the text to find an unexpected list of grocery items. Perhaps it was a wrong number or maybe someone was playing a prank on him.

Warnings: None. Ya’all know I don't write stuff like that! Haha!

PROLOUGE ————

Y/n had put in a lot of effort throughout the week and was eagerly awaiting her paycheck. She had been looking forward to her evening, filled with relaxation after a long day at work. The idea of having some quality 'me time' was exciting, and she couldn't wait to indulge herself by staying up late and binge-watching her favorite series on Netflix. She had also planned to treat herself to some delicious food, which would only add to the enjoyment of her well-deserved break.

"Hey, Y/n! Do you want to join us for some Shabu-shabu?" Y/n's colleagues asked her.

"That sounds like fun, Mika. But I already have plans for my evening. You know, some 'me-time' would be nice," Y/n replied.

"Haha! Well, you deserve it after this hellish week we've had. You're probably the hardest worker here," Mika responded playfully.

"Oh, shut it. Haha. Well, I'll be off now! Say hi to everyone for me and have fun with the team!" Y/n giggled as she picked up her bag and waved goodbye to her colleagues.

As soon as Y/n got out of the building, she rushed to the nearest cash dispenser and withdrew a good amount of money from her account to pay her bills and buy groceries for the month. She had worked overtime the previous week, and she felt pleased that her hard work had paid off.

Humming happily, she walked towards the supermarket, enjoying the cool breeze of the night. When she reached the store, she fished her grocery list out of her bag, only to realize that it was missing.

Panic set in, and Y/n started to rummage through her bag in search of the list. She even planned on flipping her bag upside down, but it was nowhere to be found.

Frustrated, Y/n muttered under her breath, "It's not here. I must have left it at home." She pondered for a moment about what to do next. She could either go back home to get the list or try to remember the items she needed to buy.

Finally, Y/n decided to use her phone to make a list of the things she needed to buy. She hoped that she could remember most of the items, but she knew that she might forget some of them. She sighed and muttered to herself, "Hopefully, I still remember some of it."

Without wasting any time, Y/n pulled out her phone and opened the messages app instead of the notes. She swiftly listed all the items she required and then hit the send button. However, she immediately noticed that she had left the contact details empty. Not wanting to waste any more time, she quickly typed in her number and hit send again. Unbeknownst to her, the last digit of her number was incorrect.

—

"Hey Bakugo, I'm so pumped up! Our dine-out is going to be epic!" Kirishima exclaimed with unbridled enthusiasm as he met up with a scowling Bakugo, who was already bundled up in a thick scarf to protect himself from the chilly weather.

“I'd rather spend time alone than be with you idiots,” Bakugo said under his scarf.

“Aw, come on bro. We’ve rarely got this chance,” Kirishima insisted. “Besides, today is the only day we’re all free!”

“Tsk.” Bakugou only said in response.

As they started walking, there was a sudden sound of "ding" emanating from Bakugo's device which caught their attention.

“You should check that out. It's probably something important,” Kirishima pointed out and continued walking.

“For god’s sake," Bakugo said with a hint of frustration evident in his voice, as he reached for his phone in his pocket.

Bakugo's eyes widened in disbelief as he read the message. "What the hell?" he blurted out, scanning the text again. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of it. Could this be some kind of sick joke? “Is this a prank?”

Kirishima glanced at Bakugo's phone and asked, "What's up, bro?" After reading the message, he snickered and said, "I told you it's important. And let me tell you, strawberry milk is amazing. Don't be shy about enjoying it." He teased.

Bakugo's voice boomed with anger as he shouted, "Shut the hell up, Shitty hair!" His outburst drew the attention of everyone in the vicinity, causing them to turn and stare at the source of the commotion.

“A-ah! Sorry about that! That's just nothing!” Kirishima apologetically said to the people looking at them. “Bakugo! Keep it down will ya!”

"Whoever this person is, is screwed!" Bakugo exclaimed, clenching his jaw.

“Hey, hold on a minute. What if that person is an elderly woman who’s unfamiliar with using phones?" Kirishima suggested. "Also, have you thought about how it might affect your reputation if she finds out you're Dynamight? Think about this carefully, man.”

“Tsch!” Kirishima's reaction might seem excessive, but he has a point. It's best to just let it be.

————

Upcoming series? Does that mean sluggish uploads again? Haha. As you all know, the series I'm currently working on is coming to an end. Only two chapters more. 👀

See you again in my next series! 😘

[limerence-17]

fully just caught up with the whole watcher streaming service situation and i have a few points because this actually made me feel hurt:

1. they should’ve completed a statistics survey to find the general age range of their viewers which if they haven’t noticed yet is teenagers or students

2. these individuals (and i’m sure plenty of others) can hardly afford groceries, gas money, rent, tuition as is and we’re already dealing with so many streaming service platform fees as is (netflix, prime, disney plus…)

3. it is not about the high tech production value of the videos because quite frankly we don’t care about that. it’s about the relationship between shane and ryan and the humour that drew us in back in 2017 anyway. this is a strikingly poor decision.

4. they should attempt to get the show on streaming services that already exist!! they should change the merch and make it more appealing also i seriously don’t think they need so many employers cause at this point it’s getting ridiculous.

5. idk it just feels greedy and like they haven’t been paying attention to their fans at all which is really upsetting

that’s all take it or just keep scrolling <3

[beezusvreeland]

dear reader - chapter 9

summary: Miguel took the reader’s love and friendship for granted. Something he learns reading her column, when it’s too late…Or is it?

ship: miguel o'hara x f!reader // matt murdock x reader

______________________________________________________________

Chapter 9

It was a Saturday night and, to everyone’s surprise, including his own, Miguel O’Hara was at home. And alone. He couldn’t even remember the last time it happened. There always was a party, a bar somewhere, a date. And you. The closest he had to quiet Saturday nights in the past few years were your movie nights. 

You’d organize the whole thing perfectly: there was a theme for the night and the movies and snacks had to follow it accordingly. Sylvester Stallone night? Get ready to watch as many Rocky movies as you can. Molly Ringwald night? Get the tissues, you’ll pretend not to cry during Pretty in Pink and Miguel will do the same with The Breakfast Club. 

It was mostly just the two of you at his place, laying on his couch — a very comfortable one, since Miguel actually took your opinion into consideration when buying it —, talking during the movies, eventually trying your best to not let the other fall asleep. 

As he scrolled through Netflix trying to choose something to watch, Miguel thought about how much he missed those impromptu movie nights. He used to pretend to be annoyed by you quoting the lines or telling him gossip about the actors on screen, but he actually loved it. That was when you were the most comfortable, just being your most authentic self. 

Miguel hadn’t stopped to examine those memories so far. He just assumed it would always be there. That you would always be there. 

That was kind of stupid of him to think. Of course at some point you’d meet someone and your priorities would change. There were a few times in the past when he wondered why you weren’t going out and having dates. He just assumed you were picky — as you should be. But now he knows the truth.

That made him revisit the past. What your movie nights would’ve been like if Miguel knew you were in love with him? He wasn’t sure of how he would react to that without you leaving for a month and him finding out about your column. 

Your writing was another thing Miguel had never given much thought. He knew you did it for work, but didn’t care to ask about or look into. Out of everything, that was one of his biggest regrets. When he started reading your column, he realized how much writing was a part of your identity — and if he didn’t know that, did he know you at all? 

Miguel was so captivated by your work that he read all of your columns in one night, coming back to one or another every now and then. It was fascinating learning about this other side of you, the way you were bold, funny and kind, even when facing sadness. His heart was full of regret, but also some longing. Now that he knew all of that new information about you, he was curious to learn more. From you though. As much as Miguel loved the column, there was something in him that was burning his desire to hang out with you again, pay close attention to everything you say or do. It wasn’t like he was in love with you. At least, that’s what he told himself. He was just…curious.

There wasn’t an easy way to do that, though. Things were sort of weird between the two of you. After the night of the blackout, that ended with you leaving his place to meet Matt, you didn’t really talk. Unlike other times, you didn’t break the ice and restarted the communication with him. That was what he was used to. It had been a couple of weeks and you hadn’t contacted him at all.

Neither had Miguel. He kept checking his phone, waiting for a text, but didn’t take any action. Lyla wouldn’t stop telling him he should be the one to go after you, but he always found something else to do: more work, more meetings, more time at the gym, even though it was clear there was something else on his mind. 

It didn’t sit well with him the thought of you spending your Saturday night with Matt. Miguel didn’t know the guy, just enough to know he was perfect boyfriend material — Pav’s words, not his. Apparently, the man did everything: saved the poor and the innocent with his practice, was fit and very good at boxing, he was smooth as fuck (Hobie’s words) and, on top of it all, Matt Murdock was blind. How does one compete with that? 

Not that Miguel wants to compete or anything. Once again, he was just…curious. His words.

There was nothing to watch on Netflix. He searched for his guilty pleasure, instead:

Dear reader,

Please tell me if I’m crazy or not, but whenever I get to experience good things, I can’t relax. Do you ever feel this way? It’s like something bad is waiting for me right around the corner and I must be ready to handle it. I guess I’m just so used to handling tough situations, I don’t really know how to just live and enjoy the good ones. 

Being human is wild. You might spend your entire life looking for something and, when you finally find it, it isn’t what you thought or correspond to the expectations you created around it. 

I remember watching this video of a talk Tavi Gevinson from Rookie gave at an australian university. She became famous at 13 for sharing her several irreverent looks on her blog. That made her be noticed by the fashion industry and, not long after, she was sitting in the front row at incredible fashion runaways. It was something Tavi, like so many girls, dreamed of. Except, actually being at those places wasn’t as fun as she thought. She said she had more fun looking through fashion magazines in her childhood bedroom. 

That leads me to the question: is what you want the most what you actually need?

There are no wrong answers. I have no idea of what my answer would be. One can feel so many things all at once. It can be hard to act according to reason depending on the circumstances.

Take Love is Blind, for instance. Those people are confined with a bunch of strangers, competing for the same matches, without any access to the outside world. I have the feeling just taking their phones away would already make them spiral, so imagine all these restrictions at the same time. Plus all the alcohol the producers probably give them. It’s vulnerable and isolating, so no wonder the participants are telling how much they love each other on the first “date”.

Nine out of ten times, watching the couples leaving that bubble together to face real life is brutal. Nothing is what it seems. Nor are people. That you wanted the most, might not be the right fit for you. 

Yes, I know it’s just a reality show, but what does one do after realizing all that? Asking for a friend. 

Really, I’d love to know your opinions. Please write back telling me what you think.

Talk to you soon. Until then, never take advice from someone who’s falling apart.

Love, 

The writer

***

Matt Murdock was perfect. Sweet, kind and extremely hot type of perfect. He loved his neighborhood and, in turn, was loved by his neighbors. Not to mention his law firm was always on the news, bringing down the powerful to give justice to the little guy. 

All of that to say, Matt Murdock was a busy guy.

The two of you had been planning another fancy date for a few weeks. Things had been even crazier lately: the blackout caused all sorts of problems across the city, creating a high demand for lawyers. Which meant Matt had been working non stop.

His commitment with the law and making sure that people wouldn’t be taken advantage of was something you really admired about him. He cared for his clients and wanted the best for the city. So, whenever you were out with him, you had to make sure you were “on”.

On Saturday night, you and Matt had plans to order take out and listen to some podcasts — the two of you loved binging true crime ones. But it was 10pm, two hours later than the time he was supposed to be at your place. You had spent the day cleaning it, washing the sheets and towels with the type of detergent you saw at his place, since Matt was really sensitive about textures and smells, and taking care of yourself, scrubbing your body, doing a nice face mask, the whole deal.

In his defense, Matt did call you a little after 8pm letting you know he would be late. He was also very apologetic about it, which you appreciated. You tried your best not to be irritated, which made you feel guilty, as if you were a monster for wanting a little more from Matt when other people needed him. It wasn’t like you were his girlfriend or anything. That topic has never come up.

You hadn’t heard from him since, but also didn’t want to be that girl who keeps calling him when she knows he’s busy. And God, you were starving. You did eat a few chips while you waited, just enough to calm your stomach without making you lose your appetite. That had been about an hour ago.

Your phone started ringing. 

“Hey, sweetheart”, said Matt.

“Hi, Matt”, you try to use your calmest, most comprehensive voice. “How are you holding up?”

“There is still so much to do”, he sighs. “I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to your place. I’m so sorry.”

You felt like you were about to cry.

“That’s okay, Matty, I understand.”

“I was thinking that maybe you could meet me here at the office…There is a 24 hour chinese restaurant down the street, we could have dinner there and I’ll come back to work after. How does that sound?”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to interrupt your work.”

“You won’t be interrupting anything. I need a break and I miss you, it works out perfectly”, he said, with some pep in his voice.

You melted a little. Matt Murdock had the power to disarm you just like that.

“Okay, I’ll call a cab and meet you there soon.”

“Can’t wait, sweetheart.”

***

Dinner with Matt was nice and quick. Soon enough you were in another cab, this time going home. 

You had a good time. It’s always good when Matt is around, you are able to focus on spending quality time with him instead of doubting yourself and creating crazy theories in your head. Distance, in your case, didn’t make the heart grow fonder, just more insecure. And you hated it.

You hated feeling like that. Back when you were crying over Miguel, you thought that experiencing reciprocal love would fix everything. Clearly, you were wrong. Apparently this shit was going to follow you for the rest of your life. Great. 

When you got home, you took your shoes and earrings off, then threw yourself on the couch. You closed your eyes and sighed, your body relaxing with all the comfort you surround yourself with. That’s how you envisioned that night: you, Matt and lots of cuddles. 

Before you start to feel about yourself once more, your phone vibrated. 

gweny 👻: this is past me asking you to tell future me all about your date!!!

you: I’m already back at home. he had a lot of work to do 🙁

gweny 👻: i thought you were staying in

gweny 👻: so sorry, love, are you ok though?

you: I’m fine

gweny 👻: which means youre not 👀

you: 🙄

gweny 👻: wanna talk about it?

you: not really

you: how about you? how is your night going?

gweny 👻: came to a concert with pav and hobie

gweny 👻: hobie swore by this new band

you: I’m guessing they sucked

gweny 👻: it was just loud noises and the vocalist screaming

gweny 👻: not even in a heavy metal type of way, it was just bad

gweny 👻: but of course no one is saying shit, one of the guys is the son of the owner of this shithole

you: not fucking nepotism

gweny 👻: i hate it here

you: is there anyone cute at least?

Gwen didn’t answer, which means there was someone worth her time. She was so good at meeting new people, showing herself to them. So brave. Or rather, fearless. It was fascinating watching her going through life. 

You made a mental note to make dinner plans with Gwen the next week.

Getting up from the couch to bed, you were cold and all you really wanted was to roll into the blanket as if you were a burrito, only your head catching outside air. 

Once the lights were all out and you got into position, you grabbed your phone one last time to check if Gwen had sent you any more messages. 

Nothing from her. You scroll through your texts and then open the spam tab, which you always ignored. There was one unread message on the top. It was from Miguel, sent just an hour ago. 

Why was he texting you on a Saturday night? Didn’t he have a date or some woman’s life to ruin?

Curiosity gets the best of you and that leads you to unblock his number. His text then went to your inbox.

migs 😡: just wanted to let u know that I watched that movie u like so much

migs 😡: the one with the redhead that time travels inside a closet

migs 😡: gotta say I really tried to give it a chance, cariño

migs 😡: but the science didn’t check out

migs 😡: you know how much I hate when it happens

You let out a laugh under the covers. It was like you could hear his voice complaining about how the movie wasn’t realistic. Miguel was a man of science, it really bothered him not being able to understand how things happened. It drove you crazy for years, until you decided to only watch the so-called “realistic” films when you were with him.

It was impossible not to feel a little boost of energy going through your body. It didn’t know you were getting over him, so it just reacted as it would before. The smile on your face, though, would be a bit harder to explain. 

migs 😡: please send another rec

migs 😡: need to clean my palate

Annoying stubborn man. You were not responding. 

But, maybe you could troll him, that would be fun. That would distract you from the fact it’s a saturday night and Miguel is watching a movie you talked about God knows when. Or texting you when he could be texting anyone. 

You needed to chill. Those messages don’t change anything.

you: in the heights

There were so many reasons he would hate it: first, it was a musical, which he despises, second, it had scenes that defied science, like a couple walking on a building’s wall, and third, he hated Lin Manuel Miranda. Whenever you asked him why, Miguel would just mumble words in spanish. You think once you heard him saying something like “he’s fucking everywhere”, but you weren’t sure. 

migs 😡: so she talks

migs 😡: and she unblocked me 

migs 😡: gracias

you: you keep complaining about my favorite movies and I’ll block you again really quickly

migs 😡: why so mad cariño

migs 😡: I come in piece

migs 😡: peace***

you: not mad just cautious

migs 😡: why cautious 

you: cuz you’re texting me late at night and you’ve never done that before

migs 😡: I prefer texting during business hours

you: oh pls

migs 😡: you go to bed earlier than my grandma

you: obviously not since I’m talking to you rn

migs 😡: but I bet an empanada u r fighting against sleep

You were. You really were.

you: you know nothing

you: answer me

migs 😡: what mi cariño

you: dont mi cariño me

migs 😡: so salty

you: 🙄

you: answer me pendejo

migs 😡: what

migs 😡: I forgot the question

migs 😡: fr

you: why are you texting me 

you: at this ungodly hour

The three dots on screen showed Miguel was typing. Whatever it was, he kept typing, stopping and then going back, as if he was writing and then deleting his text. It made you a little nervous, knowing he was taking so long just to answer your question.

After a couple minutes, you can’t handle your anxiety anymore and got up from bed. In the bathroom, you took your sweet time brushing your teeth and flossing. Next, you went to the kitchen and grabbed yourself a glass of water and stared at the city view at the window. 

You told yourself that you’re not going to let Miguel O’Hara confuse you or your feelings. He was probably just feeling lonely and you were his last resource, the person that would be available to him, even after weeks of silence. Maybe a sign saying STUPID is hanging from your neck, because you fell right into it. 

It’s also kind of cruel on his part. Almost like he knows you’re happy with Matt and your attention is on him and not Miguel. And Miguel can be very territorial and charming. Once he has your attention, he will get bored and move on with his life. You’ve seen it happen too many times. 

No, you couldn’t feel excited or nervous about talking to him. Hope was what destroyed you last time. And you couldn’t repeat your mistakes. You owned it to yourself.

You wait a few minutes before going back to the room. You sat on the bed, took a deep breath and checked your phone for new texts. One from Miguel. 

migs 😡: because i miss u

Oh, well, you were fucked.

______________________________________________________________

<< chapter 8

all chapters

masterlist

______________________________________________________________

taglist

@boobsbeesbongos @sassypotatomoose @bluesidez

@miss-canon-event @mattsgirlsworld @the-witheredroses

@spicydonut25 @ohara-whore @atenceladusiaawfytbwb

______________________________________________________________

Dear readers,

It's been a while, but I'm still here. These past months I've been working on my post grad thesis, which left very little headspace for any additional writing. Now that it's done, I won't disappear for too long, promise!

I missed writing these two. How do you feel about the character development in this chapter? Please tell me in the comments.

Thank you so much for the love you've showed this story 🩷 I really appreciate it.

Read my other fics:

💌 a very good idea (Miguel O'Hara x reader)

💌Santi's journal (Santiago Garcia x reader)

💌 now that we don't talk (Poe Dameron x reader)

💌 Listen to the 'dear reader' playlist — new songs added for each chapter.

💌 I'm also on ao3

Take care of yourselves!

Love, The writer

[tieflingkisser]

Stop Trying To Defeat Racism With Logic

There's a black samurai in the new Assassin's Creed game, and it has made some people mad. You simply don't have to argue about it.

The new Assassin’s Creed game is set in feudal Japan, which is cool. It stars what appears to be a female ninja and a black samurai based on the historical figure Yasuke, which is also cool. Anyone who tries to argue about whether or not that’s cool is just not worth your time. In case you haven’t been paying attention for the last ten or twenty years, video game culture tends to be a repository for the most tedious people on Earth. You know the type—these are the kinds of people who don’t consider mobile games to be “real games,” or who harass women who use their mics in online multiplayer games, or who argue about “historical accuracy” in a video game that has dragons or elves in it. These kinds of people show up in a lot of nerdy hobbies, like tabletop gaming or whatever it is people do on Letterboxd or even enjoying Greek and Roman history. From the moment that the key art for Assassin’s Creed Shadows depicted a black man in samurai garb, I knew that this particular brand of person was going to get ripshit mad. Just look at the replies to this tweet. It’s absolute nonsense in there.  The most amusing replies are the ones that take into question the, of course, historical accuracy of this character. It may be tempting to try to argue with these people, for a lot of reasons, most of all that history and facts are on your side. This character appears to be based on Yasuke, a real guy who actually existed in the historical record. He was an African retainer for warlord Oda Nobunaga, meaning that he was indeed a samurai. Yasuke is a well known enough figure that he’s the subject of a Netflix anime that is named after him. He’s also a character in Nioh, which was developed by the Japanese studio Team Ninja. You can repeat those facts until you’re blue in the face to people who are determined to be angry about a black man having a leading role in this game, but it won’t matter. You should just save your breath and look forward to seeing whether or not Ubisoft fumbles this very easy layup. Racism isn’t a logical position, so you cannot defeat it with logic. Facts just don’t matter to a racist, especially not the tedious kind of racist who makes their home in video game culture. There will always be a new hair to split, a new way for this kind of person to object to a black man being in this video game. You can bring up the other fantabulous aspects of the Assassin’s Creed franchise that clash with history: the existence of the titular Creed and the Knights Templar; whatever the fuck was going on with the Apples of Eden; the series’ depiction of Karl Marx as a devotee of democracy rather than advocating for an armed revolution of the proletariat. It does not matter because the people who are mad about this have already made up their mind.  To them, Japan is a place that does not and has never had black people live there or make their homes there at any point in time—especially in history. The anger about “historical accuracy” is just a slightly more reasonable smokescreen for their real objection: having to see a black person at all. Unfortunately, blackness and black people have always been inescapable, both now and in the past. I’m not going anywhere, and I won’t be dragged into an argument about the value of my very existence.

[mhalachai]

some of you may have seen a notice today from a tumblr-popular youtube show, saying they're putting all their content behind a subscriber paywall. This post isn't about them per say, only bouncing off what that has brought up into the following:

When is a digital subscription something i'm willing to pay for? Rubric edition

Disclaimer - my first news job was in the early aughts at a digital stock news company, so I've been keeping an eye on this subject for over 25 years.

So you want to access an entertainment or news service that has content behind a subscriber paywall. What steps should you go through, to figure out if it's something that you should pay for?

This post will go off the caveat that artists/authors/reporters (I'm not calling them content creators, that term is garbage) should be properly compensated for the works they produce, and the current business model in our late-stage capitalist society means we all have to deal with the worst possible way of engaging with art - the subscription-model paywall. It's a terrible garbage system but there we are.

Step Zero: Do you care enough about the content to consider paying for it?

It might not be important enough to you to want to pay for, and that's okay. On the other hand, you may want to continue watching/reading/listening, either because of the content itself or because you want to support its creation.

(I'm separating the above as they are two different reasons - personally, i'm in favour of paying an annual subscriber fee to my small local news room to keep them in producing the content because I think it's important they exist.)

Step 1: Can you literally afford it?

Everything costs more and salaries aren't rising. If the answer to the question is no, can you split the cost with someone? Is it something that can be accessed through your local library (in terms of audiobooks or magazine/newspapers)? Otherwise, moving to:

Step 2: Is the cost of the subscription in line with what you're willing to pay for the content?

I still subscribe to the newspaper i used to work for - I can read all the news and get all the quotes I'm interested in, and I know i'm supporting local news. I'm willing to pay money for that.

On the other hand, back last year when Disney Plus announced it was raising its prices, I decided that I wasn't interested in paying that amount for what I was getting, so I cancelled that one. Do I miss it? Yes, somedays. Would I go back to them if the cost went down? Honestly I don't know.

Step 3: Did the company/channel do something to lose your trust?

Sometimes, all the above have been met with the affirmative, but something about how the company is doing things sets your teeth on edge. Maybe it's how their business model is evolving, or how they treat their customers (Netflix and their password sharing crackdown was that tipping point for me - i no longer wanted to support a company that sees its customer base like that). Maybe it's how they decided to move to subscriber-only. Maybe it's their take on geopolitical or social issues. Whatever it might be, you get to make that call for you.

Summation: Don't feel pressed by FOMO to pay for something when you're not comfortable doing so.

Whatever the situation is, you get to decide where you spend your money. The corollary of that is that you may not get to see the new stuff created by companies/channels that you like, but honestly? That trade-off might be better for you in the long run (and I'm saying this with too many years of regret behind me) nothing poisons the enjoyment of art more than feeling like you were forced to pay/pay more for it than you were OK with.

The tl;dr: Take a step back and see if you're really comfortable with paying for all your electronic subscription fees for news or entertainment. Don't feel pressured into paying for something you don't really want to see, or what to support. Consider where you want your money to go.

It's hard economic times - do what you need to, and spend your money where you want to.

(And check into what your local library has on offer - they may have streaming services or digital content you weren't aware of - might be enough to tide you over for a while).

[fans4wga]

Poll Shows 67% of Americans Surveyed Support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes

18 August - "A large majority of Americans support the writers and actors strikes, and a plurality hold an unfavorable view of the Hollywood studios, according to a new poll by Data for Progress.

The poll found 67% support among likely voters for the strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, while just 18% oppose them.

The poll also found that 48% have an unfavorable view of the major studios, and just 31% support the studios. The survey also found that 60% of respondents subscribe to Netflix, 41% subscribe to Hulu, and 35% subscribe to Disney+.

The firm also asked strike supporters if delays in their favorite movies and TV shows would cause them to change their minds. The survey found that 86% would continue to support the strikes, while 10% would oppose them.

Data for Progress is a progressive polling firm that conducts surveys on issues including climate, education, health care and workers rights. The firm surveyed 1,124 respondents online from Aug. 3-5.

The respondents gave mixed answers when asked the primary reason for the two strikes, with 33% citing fair compensation for streaming shows, another 33% citing pay and benefits, and 16% answering protections from artificial intelligence.

The survey found 85% support for SAG-AFTRA’s position that actors should be get consent and fair compensation for any use of their likeness by AI. The survey also found that 74% believe studios should be barred from replacing writers with AI.

In a statement, Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO, said that the results confirm broad national support for the striking unions and the importance of AI across industries.

“Voters understand that this isn’t just about one industry — this is about all of us — and unions need to have a seat at the table to take on the existential threat AI poses to our livelihoods and economy,” Shuler said.

The results are similar to those of another poll conducted recently for the Los Angeles Times. That survey found that 38% of respondents were more sympathetic with the actors and writers, while 7% sided with the studios. Another 29% were ambivalent while 25% said they did not have an opinion.

According to Gallup, support for unions climbed steadily in the U.S. from a low point of 48% in 2009 to 71% in 2022. The firm cited the low unemployment rate during the pandemic as having “altered the balance of power between employers and employees,” leading to unionization drives at Amazon and Starbucks.

A 2021 poll from Data for Progress also found broad support for unions, with 68% in favor and 24% opposed.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the executive director of SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement that the poll shows Americans understand the reasons for the strike.

“I suspect many are seeing the same dynamic playing out in their own lives, with employers undervaluing their contributions,” he said. “That’s why this fight is so important. Our demands aren’t unreasonable, and it’s a fundamental principle of fairness that workers should be fairly compensated for the value they bring their employer — in every industry.”

Lowell Peterson, the executive director of WGA East, concurred.

“Everyone who works for a living understands what it’s like to get squeezed economically, to face threats from disruptive technology like AI, to try to hold one’s own against huge corporations motivated by their own profit rather than their employees’ well-being,” Peterson said.

The WGA has been on strike since May 2, while the performers’ union began striking on July 14. Both unions are seeking increased residuals for streaming shows, regulations on AI, and increases in minimum compensation rates to keep pace with inflation.

The WGA also wants a minimum staff size and a guaranteed minimum number of weeks of work in television, and weekly pay for screenwriters."

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Note from mod: This poll is great news—but as the strike goes on, it's more essential than ever to keep support up. Correct misinformation whenever you hear it (online and in real life), and source your information directly from WGA and SAG-AFTRA sources; don't rely on opinion. And be critical of the trades like Deadline/The Hollywood Reporter/Variety (saying this even though we linked the article from Variety above; you have to take their articles critically and on a case-by-case basis to see if they're useful or not, because sometimes they just publish studio press releases uncritically!)

As always, if you're able, donate to the Entertainment Community Fund or the Green Envelope Grocery Aid mutual aid fund to keep industry workers afloat during this long work stoppage. Add your voice to union support online and IRL, and push back against false studio propaganda, such as the writers' demands being unreasonable or all actors being rich. These false narratives can easily be refuted by hard data (e.g., the writers' demands are eminently reasonable to even keep the writing profession alive and actors aren't rich, many are struggling to even afford health insurance!), so counter the lies at every opportunity. Keep morale high and stand in solidarity, and we'll only get stronger.