#entertainment result 2020

[tangibletechnomancy]

The reason I took interest in AI as an art medium is that I've always been interested in experimenting with novel and unconventional art media - I started incorporating power tools into a lot of my physical processes younger than most people were even allowed to breathe near them, and I took to digital art like a duck to water when it was the big, relatively new, controversial thing too, so really this just seems like the logical next step. More than that, it's exciting - it's not every day that we just invent an entirely new never-before-seen art medium! I have always been one to go fucking wild for that shit.

Which is, ironically, a huge part of why I almost reflexively recoil at how it's used in the corporate world: because the world of business, particularly the entertainment industry, has what often seems like less than zero interest in appreciating it as a novel medium.

And I often wonder how much less that would be the case - and, by extension, how much less vitriolic the discussion around it would be, and how many fewer well-meaning people would be falling for reactionary mythologies about where exactly the problems lie - if it hadn't reached the point of...at least an illusion of commercial viability, at exactly the moment it did.

See, the groundwork was laid in 2020, back during covid lockdowns, when we saw a massive spike in people relying on TV, games, books, movies, etc. to compensate for the lack of outdoor, physical, social entertainment. This was, seemingly, wonderful for the whole industry - but under late-stage capitalism, it was as much of a curse as it was a gift. When industries are run by people whose sole brain process is "line-go-up", tiny factors like "we're not going to be in lockdown forever" don't matter. CEOs got dollar signs in their eyes. Shareholders demanded not only perpetual growth, but perpetual growth at this rate or better. Even though everyone with an ounce of common sense was screaming "this is an aberration, this is not sustainable" - it didn't matter. The business bros refused to believe it. This was their new normal, they were determined to prove -

And they, predictably, failed to prove it.

So now the business bros are in a pickle. They're beholden to the shareholders to do everything within their power to maintain the infinite growth they promised, in a world with finite resources. In fact, by precedent, they're beholden to this by law. Fiduciary duty has been interpreted in court to mean that, given the choice between offering a better product and ensuring maximum returns for shareholders, the latter MUST be a higher priority; reinvesting too much in the business instead of trying to make the share value increase as much as possible, as fast as possible, can result in a lawsuit - that a board member or CEO can lose, and have lost before - because it's not acting in the best interest of shareholders. If that unsustainable explosive growth was promised forever, all the more so.

And now, 2-3-4 years on, that impossibility hangs like a sword of Damocles over the heads of these media company CEOs. The market is fully saturated; the number of new potential customers left to onboard is negligible. Some companies began trying to "solve" this "problem" by violating consumer privacy and charging per household member, which (also predictably) backfired because those of us who live in reality and not statsland were not exactly thrilled about the concept of being told we couldn't watch TV with our own families. Shareholders are getting antsy, because their (however predictably impossible) infinite lockdown-level profits...aren't coming, and someone's gotta make up for that, right? So they had already started enshittifying, making excuses for layoffs, for cutting employee pay, for duty creep, for increasing crunch, for lean-staffing, for tightening turnarounds-

And that was when we got the first iterations of AI image generation that were actually somewhat useful for things like rapid first drafts, moodboards, and conceptualizing.

Lo! A savior! It might as well have been the digital messiah to the business bros, and their eyes turned back into dollar signs. More than that, they were being promised that this...both was, and wasn't art at the same time. It was good enough for their final product, or if not it would be within a year or two, but it required no skill whatsoever to make! Soon, you could fire ALL your creatives and just have Susan from accounting write your scripts and make your concept art with all the effort that it takes to get lunch from a Star Trek replicator!

This is every bit as much bullshit as the promise of infinite lockdown-level growth, of course, but with shareholders clamoring for the money they were recklessly promised, executives are looking for anything, even the slightest glimmer of a new possibility, that just might work as a life raft from this sinking ship.

So where are we now? Well, we're exiting the "fucking around" phase and entering "finding out". According to anecdotes I've read, companies are, allegedly, already hiring prompt engineers (or "prompters" - can't give them a job title that implies there's skill or thought involved, now can we, that just might imply they deserve enough money to survive!)...and most of them not only lack the skill to manually post-process their works, but don't even know how (or perhaps aren't given access) to fully use the software they specialize in, being blissfully unaware of (or perhaps not able/allowed to use) features such as inpainting or img2img. It has been observed many times that LLMs are being used to flood once-reputable information outlets with hallucinated garbage. I can verify - as can nearly everyone who was online in the aftermath of the Glasgow Willy Wonka Dashcon Experience - that the results are often outright comically bad.

To anyone who was paying attention to anything other than please-line-go-up-faster-please-line-go-please (or buying so heavily into reactionary mythologies about why AI can be dangerous in industry that they bought the tech companies' false promises too and just thought it was a bad thing), this was entirely predictable. Unfortunately for everyone in the blast radius, common sense has never been an executive's strong suit when so much money is on the line.

Much like CGI before it, what we have here is a whole new medium that is seldom being treated as a new medium with its own unique strengths, but more often being used as a replacement for more expensive labor, no matter how bad the result may be - nor, for that matter, how unjust it may be that the labor is so much cheaper.

And it's all because of timing. It's all because it came about in the perfect moment to look like a life raft in a moment of late-stage capitalist panic. Any port in a storm, after all - even if that port is a non-Euclidean labyrinth of soggy, rotten botshit garbage.

Any port in a storm, right? ...right?

All images generated using Simple Stable, under the Code of Ethics of Are We Art Yet?

[soleminisanction]

Okay this misconception keeps coming across my dash and it drives me nuts because it means people are lumping two very different versions of the DC universe under one disparaging banner. So let me just say this to get it off my chest because I'm this close to shaking somebody:

The New 52 ended seven years ago in 2016.

That started a section of DC's history called "Rebirth" in which they started bringing elements of the pre-Flashpoint continuity back into the timeline. The first changes came in a big burst called Convergence -- which is how Jon Kent effectively manifested fully formed at 10 years old -- while other reintroductions like Kon-El, Bart Allen, Cass Cain, etc. were more gradual.

The original plan, being forced through by King of Bad Decisions Dan Didio, was that after ~4-5 Rebirth would give way to another full reboot known as 5G. I could go into detail about the plans but they're honestly not important to this post because Didio was (thankfully, finally) ousted from his role as publisher early in 2020, along with something like 80% of the higher-level editorial staff. DC had a complete creative turn-over at the start of the pandemic and completely changed directions as a result. The material being developed for 5G was retooled into the hypothetical future event "Future State" to buy the new staff time to pull together their new direction.

That new direction is called INFINITE FRONTIER. It started in 2021 and THAT is the era of DC comics we're in now. Infinite Frontier is an active push to bring back the pre-Flashpoint characters, as well as some pre-Crisis ideas and characters, while also keeping the few elements of the New 52 that people actually liked (like Jason Todd's more heroic characterization) and actively pursuing diversity initiatives both in creative staff and in creations. And outside of the big events, they're making a real effort to keep these comics short and self contained in the hopes that that'll make them more accessible. So it's actually really easy, if you read comics pre-Flashpoint and dropped off, to just pick up a series and go with the flow. Anything confusing is just a Google away.

Please, please don't make the mistake of thinking modern comics are as bad as the New 52 just because some people are butthurt their ship isn't getting canonized. There have been some really good comics made in the last few years that you should totally try! Spirit World, Monkey Prince and the entire We Are Legends line has been genuinely fantastic. The new Birds of Prey is shaping up to be a ton of fun. Dark Knights of Steel is an entertaining Elseworld. Urban Legends and Brave & the Bold have done some really fun things with shorter anthology books. One Minute War was a really fun Flash family event and everything Stargirl's done recently is liable to make you cry.

I'm begging people to give these comics a chance. It's just really sad to see them being dismissed out of hand.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Johnson at The UnPopulist:

Joe Rogan, a UFC commentator and comedian who hosts the most popular podcast in the United States and possibly the world, has developed a reputation as an anti-tribal and fiercely independent voice who is beholden to no political party or faction. In the eyes of his regular guest Jordan Peterson, Rogan is “the most powerful journalist who’s ever lived,” and he has managed to gain such broad appeal because he “just asks questions.” But the notion that Rogan is an honest broker of information who has an overriding commitment to the truth is absurd. In fact, he has only one consistent mission: attempting to debunk mainstream media narratives by entertaining conspiracy theories. He’s more of a populist than a non-partisan—and he’s definitely no truth-seeker. Nothing illustrates this better than his warmly favorable treatment of both Donald Trump and RJK Jr., along with the parade of other cranks he features who peddle outlandish conspiracy theories and constantly congratulate themselves for being “anti-establishment” or “heterodox.” The effect, whether he intends it or not, is to overwhelm our epistemic infrastructure and pave the way for dangerous populist demagogues.

The Most Popular MAGA Pundit in the World

In his much-discussed interview with Trump last week, Rogan’s approach was to first encourage Trump to air his typical barrage of conspiratorial falsehoods—and then to endorse them himself. Take, for example, the segments on elections and voting, which were always shaped by Rogan’s MAGA-friendly framing. When Rogan told Trump that “a lot of weirdness ... was going on during the 2020 elections,” he was basically affirming Trump’s Big Lie and ignoring the fact that the 2020 election was the most scrutinized contest in American history. The rest predictably followed:

Trump claimed that “old-fashioned ballot screwing” had taken place, such as “people ... dropping in phony votes.” Rogan agreed.

Trump claimed “the Russia hoax” swayed the 2020 election. Rogan agreed.

Trump claimed the temporary suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story also swayed the election. Rogan agreed.

Trump claimed Democrats weaponized the justice system against him. Rogan agreed.

Trump alleged that Democrats are opposed to certain forms of voter ID “because they want to cheat.” Rogan responded: “It doesn’t make sense any other way.” Voter ID laws are a solution in search of a problem, given that there is little evidence of widespread voter fraud, but Rogan preferred to attribute to Democrats the most sinister motivation imaginable. Rogan also said “mail-in ballots are a problem” and worried about vote-counting machines getting hacked—a version of a famously discredited conspiracy theory for which Fox News had to pay $787 million in a settlement with a voting systems firm for pushing it on its airwaves.

When the discussion turned to the topic of denying election results, it was the perfect opportunity for Rogan, the interviewer renowned by fans as a tenacious truth-seeker, to press the most high-profile election denialist American politics has ever seen. That’s not what happened. Instead of challenging Trump’s years-long insistence that he actually won the 2020 election, or his enlisting of attorneys like Sidney Powell to claim communist-designed voting machines rigged the contest against him, or his attempts to overthrow the election by sending fake slates of electors to Washington, or his incitement of an insurrectionary mob at the U.S. Capitol to halt the certification of the vote, Rogan brought up ... the Russia investigation. Democrats are especially prone to denying election results, he told the man who believes he beat Hillary Clinton in the popular vote in 2016 and Joe Biden in the Electoral College vote in 2020.

But the segment on elections and voting wasn’t only about 2020. Consider their exchange about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. After Trump declared that Democrats had turned Springfield into a “horror show” by “dropping” immigrants into the community, Rogan’s follow-up wasn’t to press Trump for corroboration, given that state Republican officials said this was nonsense and have asked Trump to stop endangering an innocent minority group. Instead, Rogan asked Trump to hypothesize about what must be motivating Democrats to allow a flood of immigrants into the country. As if that was not a loaded enough question, Rogan then proceeded to say this: “One of the things that’s been very clear is that they’ve moved a large percentage of these migrants—they’re coming across the border illegally—[into] swing states.” Never mind that the Haitians in Springfield are legal. In one fell swoop, Rogan managed to seamlessly transition from asking a question about immigration to asserting the Great Replacement conspiracy theory that Democrats are importing illegal voters to steal elections—exactly Trump’s view.

[...] Rogan’s embrace of RFK Jr. isn’t ultimately down to his personal charms—Rogan is dependably supportive of health and wellness conspiracism just generally. During the Covid pandemic, the Joe Rogan Experience was among the most formidable engines of misinformation about the disease, alternative treatments, and vaccine safety, with appearances by conspiracists like Bret Weinstein, Robert Malone, and Pierre Kory. He regularly invites conspiracists onto his show to pump out hours of uninterrupted anti-vaccine propaganda. Alex Jones—one of the most prolific and notorious conspiracy theorists of our time, who accused the grieving families of Sandy Hook victims of being crisis actors who were part of a plot to take Americans’ guns—has been a guest many times. Conspiracy theorists like Weinstein who rant about the horrors of vaccine injuries, the life-saving properties of ivermectin, and the totalitarian machinations of the WHO for long stretches, are honored guests.

[...]

Heterodox Media Has a Right-Wing Conspiracism Problem

Rogan has presented his podcast as a counterweight to the “establishment” media. That means he regularly platforms figures that traditional outlets won’t because they don’t meet basic journalistic standards. He evades accountability by always pointing out that he’s a mere comedian and entertainer, a clever rhetorical shield. This grants him the latitude to speculate as recklessly as he wants, indulge some of the wildest conspiracy theories around, and consistently get basic facts wrong while allowing his guests to do the same. So long as his audience laps it up, he has no reason to approach things any differently. But that’s also why the backlash from Trump’s MAGA base was so threatening to him: that’s an occasion in which he risked losing his audience. Rogan has become wholly captured by his audience even as he maintains the pretense that he’s a fair-minded and inquisitive political observer who is capable of seeing through what he regards as the sinister machinations and distortions of both major political parties. That’s why, when the wave of MAGA resentment came crashing down on him when he endorsed RFK Jr., he caved.

Kamala Harris’ supporters never expected Rogan’s endorsement, and there’s no Democratic equivalent of Catturd to chastise Rogan for supporting a third-party candidate. Nor does Rogan have much of a non-right audience. So all his incentives lean in the direction of becoming a right-wing conspiracy theorist—especially since, right now, there are more conspiracies on the right. Indeed, there are few, if any, MAGA conspiracy theories that Rogan hasn’t amplified. Last year, he suggested that Jan. 6 was a “false flag” operation in which “intelligence agencies were involved in provoking people into the Capitol.” He defended Arizona’s Republican senatorial candidate, Kari Lake’s, debunked claims about voter fraud in her state’s gubernatorial race: “All that Kari Lake stuff in Arizona they tried to dismiss, it doesn’t look like that’s invalid. It looks like there’s real fraud there.”

Rogan, of course, isn’t the only one. There is an entire industry of self-styled “heterodox” thinkers who have gravitated toward the right. Peterson, Rogan’s frequent guest, was once merely critical of campus identity politics and other forms of “wokeness.” He’s now a committed political partisan indistinguishable from a standard-fare Fox News commentator (e.g., characterizing Harris as “a master of chaos and deception” who is full of “envy” and “spite”; or describing Trump’s indictments as a “horrible” form of political “persecution”). Rogan and Peterson are part of an alternative media community providing an intellectual permission structure for people to support MAGA under the guise of “independent thought,” “heterodoxy,” or “classical liberalism.”

But Rogan plays a crucial role in this right-wing alternative media ecosystem. Because he has always presented himself as non-partisan, millions of listeners trust that he doesn’t have an agenda. Heterodox intellectuals and influencers like Peterson constantly decry traditional media as captured by elite interests, and they present shows like the Joe Rogan Experience as the alternative. But when Rogan and his guests shower praise on Trump and relentlessly attack his political opponents, they prove that they aren’t the anti-establishment crusaders they claim to be—they’re just supporting one establishment over another. In many ways, Rogan is the perfect embodiment of the Trump-era podcaster.

Joe Rogan claims to be an independent voice, but is in reality a right-wing conspiracy theorist whose podcast has a largely MAGA audience.

[minhypen]

Minyoung (ENHYPEN) Profile & Facts

Minyoung (민영) is a member of the Plus-One boy group ENHYPEN who debuted on November 30, 2020, under HYBE Entertainment.

Stage Name: Minyoung (민영) Birth Name: Park Min-Yeong (박민영) English Name: Madison Park Japanese Name: Arai Mizuki Position: Female Center, Sub-Leader, Main Dancer Birthday: December 23, 2003 Zodiac Sign: Capricorn Chinese Zodiac Sign: Sheep Height: 170 cm (5’6) Weight: N/A Blood Type: B MBTI Type: ESTJ (Her previous result was ESFJ) Nationality: Japanese Ethnicity: Korean Solo Fandom Name: Min-ions Representative Emoji: 🐰 Mic colour: Sparkly white

Minyoung Facts:

She was born in Osaka, but she studied in a Korean all-girls school rather than a Japanese one

She has two representative animals, cat because of her eyes and bunny because of her teeth. That's why she's sometimes called a 'cat-like bunny', but bunny is the more often used nickname

Minyoung's mom made her take English lessons, so she is somewhat fluent in English

She used to play for her school's badminton team and even won gold in some inter-school tournaments

She has the second shortest training period in her group, training for only 10 months excluding I-Land

Her nicknames/titles are Pradagirl because of their ambassadorship, Alive Barbie-doll because of her perfect visuals, Minnyang-ie because of her resemblance to a cat, given by her members and Maddy Hopps because of her resemblance to Judy Hopps from Zootopia, given by her fans

She is said to be someone born for the stage, because she seems her happiest when she's performing

She is very close with her sister, who came all the way to Seoul with her when she started her training (Minyoung's birthday live, 2021)

Being an ARMY since 2014, Minyoung picked BTS's RM as her biggest inspiration

She said she wants to learn how to play the drums and the guitar, if she ever has time

She used to be very popular in her school for being on the badminton team, so she always recieved chocolates from the girls in her grade on White Day

Minyoung's pet is a white ragdoll cat named Tsuki (I-Land ep. 12)

Her favorite color is white, but beige is a close second

She is known for her luck that always helps her at the right time. Her members gave her the name Golden Hands because she always picks the best option during a random draw

She has admitted that she's the worst at flirting among all the members

Sunghoon said that Minyoung likes to go out a lot and can easily make new friends, describing her as a perfect extrovert

She likes to read books in her free time and is a big fan of the Harry Potter series. She has a 3-foot bookshelf filled with novels and also has E-Book apps on her phone

Her childhood dream was to become like Tiana, who is her favorite Disney princess

She would like to try writing and composing songs for a change from her usual contribution of choreographing

Likes: sweets, Korean hot dogs, Disney, plushies, sports, the color white, Enhypen, Sunghoon (Self-Revised Profile)

Dislikes: coffee, carbonated drinks, bitter things, unorganized bed, bugs, needles, slimy things (Self-Revised Profile)

(Details as of December 2023)

Is Minyoung your Enhypen bias?

𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘

© 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐄𝐍 　　(　　𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾𝖽　　) 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗅𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗎𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀

[jazmine-here]

Vanilla Girl

Stay vanilla. Stay sweet. There's nothing wrong with being a daisy.

Don’t ever try to “flex” for others by forcing your feet into a pair of glass slippers that aren't made for you. If you are uncomfortable with crafting a piece of work for a fandom, popularity, friends, or your audience, then stay true to yourself. Don’t put on the “cool girl” mask or attempt to maintain it if you have. Popularity may not always be guaranteed, but your relationship with your audience—the right one—will have longevity, purity, and beauty. Be yourself. Trust yourself.

Hello! My name is Jazmine!

I am a reemerging writer who tinkers with art. I was dubbed "Jazzy-B-Real" in my youth and "Otherwise_Uncolonized" in my young(er) adulthood.

Jazzy-B-Real:

Otherwise_Uncolonized:

My experimental YouTube page was "Constellations of Neverland" at one point. I've been offline since 2020. In 2024, I saw people online celebrating my middle school and high school art while wishing me well due to my disappearance. I'm happy to say that I am well after a rough post-Covid era and a lot of growing up. During Covid's reign, I had purged the internet of what I viewed to be carbon footprints, yet people have kept the light alive in some of my purer contributions. I am eternally grateful to you all for retaining such light. As the (late) blooming adult I am now, I've learned to view everything with balance—including the broken person I was—and there are lovely works that I dearly miss as a result.

Those works are the "darlings" from my young life. The less agreeable ones were the products of a lost soul grappling with darkness and negative influences in many forms. When I hopped online, I was too young and suffering from complex, subconsciously locked trauma that poured into so much of my work. Some fan works in my teen years were infested with "edge lord/lady" energy and "spicy content" that partially stemmed from that trauma while the rest came from me trying to wear "the cool girl" mask for an audience (gamer boys and adults) regardless of my secret discomfort, but I suppose much of it would've been called art therapy in another field. Never again will I entertain those things on a public platform.

All in all, I'm in the heat of writing original work.

Writing, Poetry & Artwork

I'll be posting my original stories, prose poetry, and standard poetry on my FictionPress.com with the occasional preview slapped on Tumblr. The account already has a small library. Much of what I write will also grace a website I'm building, so please stay tuned for it and the original novels I have in store. New artwork and fandom tributes will hit Tumblr, Twitter/X, DeviantART, and my personal website. Doing commissions for writing prompts and art pieces will also become a part of my activities with my audience.

My AO3 account for old 2014-2017 fandom storyboards like "My Dearest Cousin," "Indentured (Union of the Crowns)," "Carry Me Anew," and "The King" is back up as well.

༺Please read and review with your pretty thoughts! Thank you so much to those who have saved some of my fandom pieces:

[sepublic]

TL;DR at the bottom... Even before the decision to include the Collector, I have to wonder if the writers always intended the backstory of a great war between the Titans and a group of celestial beings that descended from above, who smote each other and left only King behind as the survivor. The Season 1 finale alludes to other Titan corpses, with the Boiling Isles being the only fully intact one discovered; So there’s already that implicit question of What killed the Titans?

Likewise, there’s the angelic imagery surrounding Belos, that we also see introduced in S1. And while this could just be a reference to actual Christianity in-universe, I do recall speculating there having been a war between the Titans and divine beings from above during that time in response to this... Not to mention!

The Elsewhere and Elsewhen storyboards have Philip seeking a Song of Stars instead of the Collector, and we know there originally would’ve been three figures that cornered the Owl Beast in Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door’s storyboards. Sounds like...

I’ve speculated on these three as a motif since S1, with their first appearance being in Young Blood, Old Souls, where we first learned of the other Titans and their butchered state. Obviously, we must keep in mind that the crew changed the story after writing Eda’s Requiem, in response to the show’s shortening (this was told to them the week after Agony of a Witch aired, production takes a while), so K3oHD and EE’s storyboards may not mean much in regards to the pre-shortening plans.

But storyboards could’ve been written concurrently; They may have always intended an Angels vs Demons war between the Titans and visitors from the stars, that resulted in a mutual extinction. And the Collector and their backstory wasn’t totally made up in response to the shortening, either; Dana said they were a character concept the writers always wanted to explore.

So it could be that the shortening convinced the writers to make the Collector the face/representative of that extinct species, rather than a more conventional Archivist. And/or the Collectors would’ve remained purely posthumous characters in the backstory, the way Caleb and Evelyn are. The Collector was suggested as a kid of this celestial species to flesh them out, only to be truncated into just the trio; But with the shortening, the crew chose to actualize them as the lens through which we learn of their people’s genocide against the Titans, since they had so much fun with their concept.

Even before the show was shortened and the story changed, the writers might’ve always intended for the Titans to have been wiped out in a war against some celestial beings from space. They entertained the idea of a kid of that species, just as King is for the Titans; And when the shortening was announced in Summer 2020, Dana went F it and decided to elevate this cosmic child from the backstory and into the main story for our protagonists to actually deal with. Instead of an adult trio being this species’ representatives, the writers settled for the Collector.

Even if we didn’t get the Collector, that trio may have taken their place anyway. The background of their species’ genocide against the Titans would’ve remained; Philip’s plan would’ve been to use a leftover spell from that war, the Song of Stars, to enact a genocide upon witches as it was used for Titans (he may have mistaken the Collectors for literal angels whose mission he was finishing; Not unlike how he gets people to project divinity onto the Titan).

And since S1, he was always intended to be aware of and inspired by these celestial beings, who may have come in the form of a trio; Hence the Petrification statue, with the Owl Beast scroll as another hint. The curse is also red magic, which I compared to Belos’, and since he learned from the Collector...!

TL;DR I don’t think the Collector’s inclusion in the story changed it that much, since they’re just an extension of lore that was always planned, possibly filling a role originally intended for others of their kind anyhow; And it sounds as if Dana always considered the Collector, and thus might’ve gone through with them even if TOH hadn’t been shortened. Not that it really matters, because I find the Collector a legitimately compelling character in their own right, who in addition to their contributions to the themes, story, and other characters’ arcs, has justified their inclusion.

[democracyunderground]

On Jan. 6, 2021, then-President Donald Trump held a rally on the Ellipse, with the White House in the background, telling his supporters to “fight like hell” before a mob of them violently stormed the Capitol where Congress was certifying that he had lost the election.

Tonight, a week before Election Day, Vice President Harris will use the same backdrop to lay out the closing argument of her campaign: that it’s time to turn the page on the divisive and chaotic Trump era.

More than 20,000 people are expected for the event, which is aimed at reaching what campaign operatives call "low propensity" voters who aren't usually all that interested in politics — to try to convince them to cast a ballot.

”This speech is really designed to reach those undecided voters, those folks that are making the decision to break through in a moment when it's sometimes hard to break through, and really to talk about what's at stake in this election,” campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon told reporters.

”It's really a reminder of the gravity of the job: how much a president can do for good — and for bad — to shape the country and impact people's lives,” she said.

Rally after rally, Harris has talked about Jan. 6

Harris started off her campaign as a joyful warrior. But as the race wore on and polls showed it tightening, Harris has increasingly leaned on the dangers of electing Trump — a candidate she argues is “unhinged and unstable.”

Harris elevated dire warnings about Trump as she campaigned with former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, trying to peel off moderate Republicans and independents appalled by what had happened on Jan. 6.

“He refused to accept the will of the people and the results of an election that was free and fair,” Harris has said.

Last week, she agreed that Trump is a “fascist” after the New York Times released interviews with retired Marine Gen. John Kelly making that same charge.

Kelly had been White House chief of staff to Trump and said his former boss, in private, even praised Hitler and his generals. The Trump campaign dismissed Kelly’s stories as fabrications.

For Harris, this was another opportunity to drive home her warning. “This is a window into who Donald Trump really is from the people who know him best,” Harris said.

Echoes of Clinton’s campaign

Hillary Clinton also issued dire warnings in the closing days of her 2016 campaign, reminding voters that in a debate, Trump had refused to say he would accept the results of the election.

“Make no mistake: by doing that, he is threatening our democracy,” Clinton said.

Trump won the 2016 election and gladly accepted the results.

At the time, Clinton’s warnings were seen by many as over the top: a last-minute effort to try to move voters. People were skeptical, said Brian Fallon, who worked on the Clinton campaign and is a senior adviser to Harris now.

“There was a phenomenon of taking Trump seriously but not literally,” Fallon said echoing a line that became a mantra after Trump’s 2016 win.

But now, Fallon argues it’s different — because Trump refused to accept his loss in 2020, and still hasn’t. He has described Jan. 6 as “a day of love” and has pledged to pardon at least some of those who were prosecuted for their actions that day.

“We’re not asking anybody to suspend disbelief in order to entertain these warnings,” said Fallon. “This is something that is the American people’s actual experience over the past several years.”

The argument is persuasive for some groups of voters

The Harris campaign has its attention trained on swing-state suburbs where tens of thousands of Republicans voted for Nikki Haley rather than Trump in the Republican primary — in some cases, even after she had dropped out of the race.

In polls and focus groups, voters say they are worried about violence around this year’s election.

“This isn’t hypothetical anymore,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster. “It’s real lived experience.”

Warnings about Trump are persuasive to women swing voters, and are mobilizing for women and Democratic men, Lake said. These are voters like Susan Shurina, who spoke to NPR’s Asma Khalid after voting early in Alpharetta, Ga.

“I supported the Democratic Party this time although I’m a registered Republican,” Shurina said last week. “I’m just fearful of the rhetoric I hear from Trump. He seems to be very violent in wanting to control, and vengeful.”

But Marc Lotter, who served in the Trump administration and now works at a pro-Trump think-tank, argued Harris’ warnings will ring hollow with a lot of voters, who already lived through one Trump term.

“Well, he didn’t lock her up,” Lotter said of Trump’s threat to Hillary Clinton.

Lotter said he sees Harris’ warnings as a desperation move — a scare tactic — because Harris hasn’t been able to convince undecided voters she would be better for them than Trump.

“I don’t see how that’s going to be the winning factor at the end,” Lotter said.

Harris will present a contrast

Some Democrats have worried Harris’ warnings are not enough to get across the finish line in a very tight race where voters rank economic concerns as their top priority.

Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, a group that grew out of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, said he is worried some on the left will stay home rather than vote, or will consider third parties.

Harris is set to argue that Trump, if elected, will continue to focus on himself and his growing list of personal enemies, citing his own increasingly inflammatory closing arguments.

“He calls these Americans the enemy within and says that he would use the American military to go after American citizens,” said Harris.

She will contrast that with what she has been calling her “to-do list” of policies to try to bring down prices and make life easier for Americans.

“She's obviously going to touch on lowering costs on things like groceries, housing, health care,” Harris' campaign chair O'Malley Dillon said. “You're going to hear her really speak to middle class families, and what they're worried about and what she's going to do about it.”

NPR's Asma Khalid contributed to this story.

[aeyeona]

( . æ エスパ

( ?! )

( æ ) 𝓑 asics .

?! . birth name : hwang yeona ( 황 연나 )

?! . english name : vivianna hwang

?! . surnames : yeo ( aespa ) , yoona ( pred-debut giselle ) , vivi ( brother ) , nana ( MY )

?! . birthdate : septembre 22, 2001

?! . birthplace : suyeong-gu , busan

?! . hometown : seoul , south korea

?! . age : 22 years old

?! . zodiac : virgo

?! . chinese zodiac : snake

?! . ethnicity : korean

?! . nationality : korean

?! . language : korean ( fluent ) , chinese ( fluent ) , japanese ( fluent ) , english ( learning )

( ?! )

( æ ) 𝓟 hysical .

?! . height : 5'5" / 166 cm

?! . blood type : B -

?! . piercings : two ( left ear ) , three ( right ear )

?! . face claim : miyeon ( g-idle )

?! . voice claim : liz ( ive )

?! . dance claim : tzuyu ( twice )

?! . rap claim : kazuha ( lesserafim )

( ?! )

( æ ) 𝓒 areer .

?! . stage name : yeona ( 연나 )

?! . trainee period : three years and four months

?! . company : SM entertainment

?! . group : aespa ( 2020 - now )

?! . position : main vocalist , lead dancer , sub rapper

?! . official symbol : spider web ( 🕸 )

?! . official animal : fox ( 🦊 )

( ?! )

( æ ) 𝓟 ersonality .

?! . mbti : ESTP — T ( her previous results where : ENFP -> INFP )

?! . enneagram : 7w8

?! . positive traits : optimistic , extravert , generous , confident , compassionate , loyal , cheerful

?! . negative traits : picky , messy , moody , sarcastic , lazy , snobby , idealist

( ?! )

( æ ) 𝓕 acts .

?! . she is a really good friend of Yeri ( Red Velvet ) , Lia ( Itzy ) and Dowoon ( Day6 ) .

?! . during her trainee years she was roommate with Kim Yooyeon .

?! . her most viewed fancam is the 2023.11.12, they were performing 'Drama' at the Inkigayo, she reached 562k in the first 24 hours .

?! . her actual bubble username is " 마이의 보호자��" wich translate to " MY's protector ", and her actual weverse username is "꽁꽁 얼어붙은 한강 위로 고양이가 걸어다닙니다 🐈" .

?! . she share her birthday with Nayeon ( Twice ) and Seungmin ( Stray Kids ) , but she was born on the same day as him .

?! . her main hobby is to take pictures of her members when they are sleeping .

?! . before performing, her habit is to do tongue twisters .

?! . she's really bad at video games but likes to watch people play .

?! . in 'Celebrity', we can see her thirty seconds where she plays a Japanese celebrity who came to take a picture with 'Seo A Ri'.

?! . she was a big fan of the girl group 'Kara' during her training period.

?! . her audition song was 'One in a Million' ( Twice ) .

?! . in 2022, she was in hiatus for 2 months because she had a nose job .

[bearsbeetstextposts]

𝙹𝚁𝙴𝙶!! 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂 𝙾𝙽 𝙹𝚁𝙴𝙶

ok SO. I was sooo obsessed with Jreg in, like, early 2020 when Centricide was in its heyday. His videos felt so edgy and forbidden, but also like he captured the classic Gen Z vibe of absurdist humor! I came for the insane political takes and stayed for the homoerotic tension between Commie and Ancom. I think the Sanders Sides format done with personified edges of the political compass was a creative idea that worked really well for him. I do think his later stuff, like the whole mental illness series, felt a little bit tired and less fun to watch (even if that was his meta intent—like the videos where he starts to do a bit and then looks straight into the camera and goes “I can’t do this anymore”).

I don’t wait with bated breath for his next video anymore like I used to, but it’s still fun to check in sometimes to get the Jregian take on whatever recent political event has been in the news. I think a lot of the deeper themes Jreg covers in his art, like mental distress caused by isolation, or the disillusion of the youth with the modern political state resulting in either hopelessness or a push toward extremism, are still very relevant and will be for a long time.

I also really vibe with the Jreg fanbase. His fans just seem like people I’d get along with irl—or, at the very least, the kind of people whose antics are entertaining to witness from afar.

What are…your thoughts on Jreg?

[happykjd]

Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin’s full statement through their legal representative.

This is lawyer Lee Jae Hak of the law firm LIN, representing EXO members Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen (Byun Baek Hyun, Kim Min Seok, Kim Jong Dae, hereafter “artists”). Hereinafter, our legal representative would like to express the position of the artists regarding the exclusive contracts between the artists and SM Entertainment (hereafter “SM”).

Previously, the artists sent certifications of contents to SM seven times through their legal representative from March 21 until recently, and through this, they repeatedly requested copies of transparent settlement reports and settlement grounds.

It is the bare minimum and legitimate right of the artists to request accurate and transparent basis for settlements that have not been clear until now, and SM is also obliged to comply in accordance with the exclusive contracts and the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. However, SM eventually maintained an unjust position stating that they cannot provide copies of the reports.

In addition, after SM signed long-term contracts with the artists that span over 12 to 13 years in the past, they pushed for the artists to sign subsequent exclusive contracts once again, resulting in long-term contracts that span over at least 17 to 18 years or more. SM has been repeatedly committing unjust use of power such as this.

Regarding this, the artists feel that SM is using their superior position to force artists to sign so-called slave contracts that span over almost 20 years including their training periods, which are also far from being short. The artists would like to convey the various injustices that they have not been able to speak of through the statement below.

1. The artists’ positions regarding their activities and SM’s refusal to provide settlement reports

1. The artists signed long-term exclusive contracts with SM for more than 12 to 13 years and have faithfully carried out entertainment activities as members of EXO.

2. During the period of long-term exclusive contracts mentioned above, the artists only believed SM’s explanation about the settlement amount and received their shares only by referring to the reports unilaterally made by SM, which had no specific and objective evidence. Regarding this, the artists have recently officially requested copies of the settlement reports and the basis for their settlement several times through the legal representative, but SM responded that they cannot provide copies of the reports in the end.

3. SM has an obligation to provide settlement reports and settlement basis including details of total income, details of expenses subject to deduction, and details of amount subject to deduction according to the existing exclusive contracts and the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. Moreover, since the above exclusive contracts state that the settlement cycle comes twice a year, the above settlement reports and settlement basis must also be provided twice a year. However, during those 12 to 13 years of the exclusive contract period, SM has not properly provided such settlement reports and settlement basis to the artists.

4. According to a judicial precedent, an exclusive contract is based on a high degree of trust. Thus, if the agency does not fulfill its obligation to provide settlement reports, the artists’ rights to review the settlement of profits and file an objection against the agency are not properly guaranteed, resulting in failure to provide settlement reports to be a reason for terminating the exclusive contract (refer to Seoul High Court order from 2019Na2034976 on January 31, 2020). Despite numerous requests made through the artists’ legal representative in the meantime, SM has failed to fulfill its obligation to provide reports, and as a result, grounds for termination of the existing exclusive contracts have arisen.

5. Although the artists earnestly requested that copies of the settlement reports be provided by May 31 through certifications of contents on several occasions, [SM] refused to provide the basis for their settlement, so it was inevitable that they have come to notify SM of the termination of the existing exclusive contracts as of June 1.

6. If SM had accurately paid the settlement to the artists, there would have been no reason why they could not provide the settlement reports and settlement basis. The fact that SM is unable to provide such settlement reports and settlement grounds is strong counter-evidence that SM did not properly pay the settlement to the artists. Thus, the artists plan to take all civil and criminal legal action including a lawsuit for settlement payment against SM in order to check the exact details of the settlement.

7. Furthermore, as in the case of the artists (Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen), if settlement reports and settlement basis have not been provided to other SM artists, this is not just a problem for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen but a potential issue for all artists under SM.

8. In fact, it is very difficult for Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen to file a legal lawsuit against a large enterprise like SM, but they undertook it with the thought and courage that this is also for [clarifying] various doubts that many SM artists have.

2. Artists’ positions regarding the unjust long-term contracts and attempts to extend them further

1. The artists have signed exclusive contracts that are over 12 or 13 years with SM. This is far beyond the seven years determined by the Fair Trade Commission for the Standard Exclusive Contract Form for Entertainers, and it is unilaterally disadvantageous to the artists as it exceeds a reasonable limit at the very least.

2. Previously, regarding the 13-year contract period, which includes the extended period from the provisional injunction decision at TVXQ’s case, SM received the judgment that it is an excessively long-term exclusive contract that is unilateral in structure and that it is a contract that excessively infringes on the economic freedom and basic rights of the applicants (TVXQ members) by imposing excessive quid pro quo (benefit in return) or an unreasonable burden on them, exercising unfair control using their superior position. As it is a legal act that violates good moral and other social order, it was judged that there is considerable room to consider that all or part of the contents of the contract are invalid or that its validity has expired due to the expiration of the reasonable duration (refer to the Seoul Central District Court order from 2009KaHap2869 on October 27, 2009). In addition, in the case of provisional injunction in the above case, the court once again pointed out that it is very difficult for idol stars such as the applicants (TVXQ members) who have teenagers as their main fanbase to maintain their existing popularity in the same field until or after they are in their 30s. Thus the exclusive contracts with unreasonably long contract periods deprive the artists of the opportunity to acquire appropriate compensation for their exceptional talent and constant efforts they put in to succeed in the entertainment industry, and in fact, they may perform the same function as lifelong contracts (refer to the Seoul Central District Court order from 2010KaHap1245 on February 15, 2011).

3. The existing exclusive contracts have contract validity periods that severely bind personal rights for a long period of time, which is applicable to “making transactions with the other party to the transaction by unfairly taking advantage of the bargaining position of the business entity itself” from Article 45 Paragraph 1 (6) of the Monopoly Regulation And Fair Trade Act. In addition, according to the types of unfair trade practices from Table 2 of this act’s decree, enforcement of a long time period like this applies to “coercive provision of benefits” or “provision of disadvantages.”

4. Moreover, SM made the artists sign exclusive contracts for seven years based on their debut date and an extension of additional three years in the case [they do] overseas activities. However, in the case of K-pop artists, it takes at least a few months and up to several years to debut after signing an exclusive contract, and overseas activities are presupposed. Furthermore, even though Xiumin and Chen are the members who [SM] planned from the start to be active in China, they were forced from the beginning to sign long-term contracts which span over 10 years or more from the date of their exclusive contracts.

5. Meanwhile, as if a 12 to 13-year-long contract period is not enough for them, SM is trying to claim a contract period of at least 17 to 18 years by having the artists sign the subsequent exclusive contracts again. This is SM repeatedly perpetrating extremely unjust use of power against their artists.

6. In the process of sealing the subsequent exclusive contracts, the artists were unable to negotiate properly, and it was difficult to reflect their wishes or set the terms of the contract on equal footing. Even in the case of the provisional disposition for TVXQ, the court determined that the applicants (TVXQ members) only passively signed a fixed exclusive contract presented by SM, and they were not involved in determining the contents of the contract through negotiations with SM. In the case that an agreement was not drawn between the applicants (TVXQ members), it should have been possible to stop existing negotiations and start negotiations with entertainment agencies other than SM, but no choices were guaranteed, and therefore, no negotiations in the true sense of the word could occur between the applicants (TVXQ members) and SM. Even if there was an annex agreement after the applicants (TVXQ members) became established as celebrities, as applicants who were already bound to the pre-existing contract, they could not link their elevated status to strengthening their negotiating power. It was determined by the court that subsequent contracts are unfairly signed contracts with defects due to the difference in bargaining power (refer to the Seoul Central District Court order from 2010KaHap1245 on February 15, 2011).

7. Furthermore, regarding the act of signing a subsequent exclusive contract, we criticize that it falls under Article 45 Paragraph 1 (6) of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act under “making transactions with the other party to the transaction by unfairly taking advantage of the bargaining position of the business entity itself.” Compulsory long-term periods such as this using subsequent exclusive contracts applies separately to the “coercive provision of benefits” or “provision of disadvantages” of attachment 2 of Table 2 of the act’s decree.

8. Furthermore, we are aware that long-term exclusive contracts such as these are the similar cases for the majority of SM artists and not only just Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen.

9. Regarding the act of signing a long-term existing exclusive contract as well as a subsequent exclusive contract, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen are sincerely considering filing a complaint to the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

3. Words to fans

1. We apologize for causing great concern to fans through this issue, and there is no way to fully express our apology.

2. Although legal action is inevitable due to a difference in our position with SM, we will do our best to find a wise way to resolve this dispute so that we do not cause fans too much concern.

3. As we try to speak up with our small voices regarding the unfairness we couldn’t speak of until now, we are actually very frightened and fearful of this moment right now.

4. We hope that you take interest in what we are saying as well as our difficult courage. We once again sincerely thank our fans who have supported us for a long time.

source

[myimaginarywonderland]

I am going to say it as someone who doesn't like Max:

The penalties are confusing. Not the fact that he got them. But the way they were 10 seconds for things that are classified the same way other incidents have been classified which got 5 second penalties or sometimes even none.

Even in this race, drivers like Perez or Lawson despite driving others of track did not get any penalties.

While I understand that what Max did was clearly more obvious and deliberate, as a fan I still have to ask why did he get that penalty when others haven't? Because the intent was the same behind all of the moves.

I absolutely think he deserved to get a penalty do not get me wrong and I am not defending him. But there is still no consistency when you had other drivers doing the same thing yet not even being penalised and then had Max get 10 seconds for both.

This championship should not end like 2021 but with the inconsistencies it could and that is what is terrifying and what all of us have been screaming about even before 2020.

The FIA does not punish everyone the same, there is no consistency when it comes to when a penalty is given and when not and when it directly affects race and championship results, that can not happen.

This lack of clarity and this wild way of punishing seemingly almost after what the public says or in an interest for entertainment is not okay regardless of which drivers are involved in the incidents because it creates unfair treatment.

[not7wu]

Title: Tonight (Our Fingers Touch the Sky)

Status: Ongoing

Total Word Count: 57.3k in progress

Pairing: SeokjinxReader, Friends to Lovers, The Gang is Here (Platonic)

Rating/Genre: Mature; Idol AU, Canon Divergence, Thriller, Amnesia

Summary: You find yourself in Seoul, Korea with no memory of how you got there.  All you know is that you woke up naked–in Jin’s bed!  And you’re friends with BTS.  You’re told the life you knew is a dream, but you can’t shake the feeling that BTS are hiding something from you.  Whatever it is, you’re determined to get to the bottom of it. 

Preview: He knows your name? Kim motherfucking Seokjin knows your name. “And you’re Kim Seokjin, Worldwide Handsome, also known as Jin of BTS.”

Your word vomit has you wanting to die on the spot. Jin huffs a laugh. “Are you gonna start reciting my birthday, astrological sign, and MBTI results next?”

December 4, 1992. Sagittarius. INTP. You think it, but self preservation has you blessedly silent. His eyes twinkle like he knows what you’re thinking anyway.

Chapter List:

Ch. 1 - Where are you? - f/a/c; 6k

Ch. 2 - The Rules - f/a/c; 5.2k

Ch. 3 - Best Friends - f/a/c; 4.7k

Ch. 4 - A Crappy Day - f/a/c; 5.8k

Ch. 5 - Family - f/a/c/s; 6.5k

Ch. 6 - A Symbiotic Relationship - f/a/c; 6.5k

Ch. 7 - House of Cards - f/a; 6.8k

Ch. 8 - A Trusted Friend - f/a; 5.7k

Ch. 9 - Building Bridges - f/a/c; 4.7k

Ch. 10 - Branded - f/a/c; 5.4k

Ch. 11 -

Add/Remove yourself to the taglist here!

Back to the Multiverse Masterlist!

Warnings: Amnesia, Anxiety, Swearing, Depictions of and Implied Violence, Abandonment Issues, Stalking, Gun Violence, Coma, PTSD, Trauma, Set in 2020 during the Pandemic

A/N: Yallz have no idea how excited I am to finally be sharing the fruits of my labor. This fic is something I wrote during the pandemic in my Baby Army days when the few fanfics I read didn't satisfy me. It took me a while to learn how to navigate to find the good stuff. The ones I stumbled upon were too insta-love/smutty with NO plot; of course this was back when my love for BTS was at the stage of innocent adoration in contrast to where I am now in my delulu derangement. :D

Holed up with my roommate/cousin, "S", and our friends Garrett and Marlena in 2020, I wrote this to pass the time and to entertain them. S is a Jin-bias, so some of the scenes are catered to her.

This is a completed fic that I am rewriting, so don't worry that I'll fall off the face of the earth. The end will come and I hope it will satisfy your Jin loving, plot driven heart! A new chapter will be posted every Monday. I hope you enjoy the fic!

Here's the Youtube / Spotify playlist I listen to on shuffle as I write this.

Also, last but not least, thank you to my betas, @justamomnamedamie and @miksancheese ! I seriously could not do this without you!

Click here if you prefer to read on AO3!

Back to the Multiverse Masterlist!

[ultraericthered]

Slept on the final season of TDP 2 (Mystery of Aaravos) after having watched it yesterday. The season's overall quality was thankfully closer to the previous one than Books 4 and 5, even though there were some serious, serious issues, particularly in the home stretch.

I watch the show mainly to be entertained and even engaged by what it offers, but what really struck me with this season is how I really do love the ideas behind what it's giving me even when I do not so much like the actual writing and execution at all. The whole outcome with Everkind was the perfect example: the idea of the old world having crumbled and burned utterly so that then rather than rebuild, you build something new and greater in its place? In the mid-2020s, that REALLY speaks to me in a way it might not have in the 2010s. It's a great direction for the narrative to take and, for now, close out on. Shame the journey to reaching that point didn't really do it justice.

Some other stray thoughts:

- Aside from ending up surprisingly less of a physical, magically powerful threat than he was hyped up to be for all this time, Aaravos could do no wrong for me from start to finish. He's always been the best creation to come out of this series and that's only been proven more true with each season of his saga. He is not only a fantastic and effective main antagonist, he's such a fascinating and layered character on top of that. In a way, he didn't even totally lose in the end - all of the archdragons save for Zym are now gone and the world is left in shambles and changed forever as a result, which could make his later work easier. Really hope we can see him again, even if in seven years.

- I love Claudia's character, but her story has just been one massive letdown after another ever since TDP Book 3. With that said, I think I slightly prefer where this saga left her off compared to the previous one. The infuriating butchery of Terry and breaking him up with her notwithstanding, her self-acceptance of who she is, what she wants to be and what she decides she needs to do with her life even if it doesn't hinge upon her bio family has at least left her with more sanity and clairity than the Azula copycat she'd been turning into. Plus, she's finally rid of her shitty father and we know for a fact that Aaravos loves her, which is why she's now his faithful disciple. Whatever she's getting up to out there, I am 100% rooting for her.

- In general, I think TDP 1 had a stronger conclusion despite the story having to get rushed in order to reach it, as it wasn't left on a note where so many threads were still loose and unresolved. But on the flip side, the hooks for a continuation being written in as an organic part of this saga is kind of preferrable to seeming to end it very conclusively only to throw at us a last minute stinger that turns out to be how the next saga opens up anyway. So it's like one lesson was learned here: let's not see a cut to years later until we get there.

- I am very confused by how the archdragons' deaths were handled. Two of them were straight up murdered in very agonizing ways, while the other three (one who was kind of already dead) sacrificed their lives. And as we skip the immediate aftermath of the latter, we are given ZERO time for grieving. Zym had to lose both of his parents all over again and it is followed up with NOTHING out of Zym except a humorous scene where he starts speaking words for the first time in Dante Basco's voice. This combined with the earlier death of an elf (Karim), which is comically brief and moved on from quickly after a small display of grief from his sister, suggests that non-human characters dying just don't get to hold the weight that even the death of fucking Viren was allowed. Suddenly, humans are not considered inferior by the narrative and it's Xadian lives that don't matter! Huh? Wasn't it the other way around before? So much mixed messaging!

- Lastly, I don't know how to feel about the sheer AUDACITY to wait until this seventh, potentially final Book to drop the confirmation that King Harrow's soul got switched with his bird's, at a point where said bird has flown the coop. It's like Aaron Ehasz was trying to leave us with a "Where. is. my mother?" moment, forgetting that doing so does not give any guarantee that there will ever be a follow-up.

[sgiandubh]

Hello good afternoon I stopped by yesterday and left an old article, but I found myself thinking that in the article there was no direct mention of you know who. I had that in my head, but I could only find this old post, from another blogger, until it resurfaced this afternoon (the gods are watching) and I could remember where I saw the reference. Anyway, it's just so you knew where it comes from... https://tvuckic.tumblr.com/post/624522742326312960/did-you-know-that-tony-manages-more-than-the

Dear Luke La Volpe Anon,

Poor soul, you sent me your asks on Thursday and Friday and I only got time to answer them on Sunday evening, after this very busy and exceptionally rich week-end. Please forgive this very belated feedback and I am sure you understand.

For clarity, your first ask was this one:

Immediately reacting to your ask, I went to read the short Edinburgh News 2020 feature on Luke La Volpe's real debut on stage and it left me even more confused than at the beginning of it all. This guy is super-prudent and for the life of me, I could not see the link to McBeanie Prod. So thank you for coming back and clarifying.

This read like an unwelcome Dickensian tidbit in our post-modern, immediate results oriented world:

Twelve-hour shifts, barely on stage and nine gigs a month is absolutely grueling, especially when you have the feeling of being completely stuck, both life and career-wise.

I asked myself who the fuck was his Svengali and surely enough, @tvuckic's post was totally enlightening:

What else can I tell you? Good for Luke La Volpe (Gibson), on the short term, at least:

Being awarded the 2020 Scottish Music Breakthrough Artist is no small feat, for someone who could have been stuck for ever in McBeanie's Purgatory Prod. And then, nothing more - remember (always, always LOL), he is a small local player and same goes for The Fratellis, which is a small, local indie band.

Some strike it big, like the Reid twins, who later went on and became The Proclaimers. Probably because McBeanie was only 11, when they had their breakthrough, in 1987, with what is my favorite song of anything they could ever write afterwards (500 Miles is also very good, but this? this is damn top notch):

We're still to hear good news from Luke 'The Fox' Gibson, though. And yeah, you are right: McInsipid is no pro, he's just a sloppy sloth. Nothing new about that, really. People thinking he's a millionaire probably mistake him for a drug dealers' ring leader, or something. Money is not easy to make, especially in the entertainment industry.

Thank you for dropping by with such a useful reminder and thank you again for your angelic patience, Anon!

[Later Edit]: remember when those idiots thought I was @tvuckic? I laughed so hard, I choked.

[pandorasword]

Chaeri as the 8th and youngest member of BTS.

Chaeri's masterlist

❒ members: OT7

❒ genre: Hurt/Comfort

❒ words: 5k+

❒ summary: In which Chaeri realizes that she took the wrong choice

❒ notes: Hi! Thank you very much for the request (which you can find here). I hope all this is not too much. I tried to write about something I haven't read about. Let me know if you enojoyed it somehow

❒ warnings: Yandere!Sasaeng fan; obsessive behavior; stalking; being locked up; lots of swearing; panic attack; mentions of pandemic; If you are uncomfortable with any of this topics please don't read

2020, pandemic period

She threw yet another tissue into the garbage can.

It had been days since she was unable to recover from that damn flu, even more damned because it had hit her at a time when humanity was so afraid of contracting any kind of virus, with good reasons, that she had been isolated immediately.

The dormitory usually shared with the rest of the members was now huge, silent and empty.

As soon as signs of the flu began to show (headache, hoarse voice, dripping nose) the managers and staff of the company were alarmed as never before.

They immediately arranged a hotel for the boys to stay in for the next indefinite period of time.

They had had the dormitory sanitized and reserved covid tests for everyone.

From that day on, every morning, the only person she saw was the nurse who, bundled head to toe in protective and safety gear, tested her to check her health.

And, like each day, that too had yielded the same result: Negative.

Although she was convinced it was a simple cold, precautions were never enough in times like those, so until she was recovered, she could not leave the apartment building where her dormitory was located.

The boys, in their own way, continued to take care of her and keep her company: They were often on video calls, texted her, watched movies together on 'Netflix Party' and always provided her lunch and dinner.

In Korea, fortunately, apartment buildings in more luxurious neighborhoods like theirs had actual lockers as mailboxes.

Generally these were used by deliverymen to drop off packages despite the residents' absence, but it had seemed like a good idea for everyone to use it for that other purpose.

They had several pairs of keys to open the mailbox, and on a daily basis, they left food, medicine, and little gifts there that they knew would lift her spirits.

All in all, the cold was better. She kept sneezing insistently after getting the covid test but then it would calm down through the day; what still plagued her was the burning in her throat that had resulted in a noticeable lowering of her voice.

By email, her doctor had reassured her: It was more than normal to lose her voice from a strong flu, especially if the vocal cords are already stressed due to external factors.

Of course her vocal cords were stressed, since she spent most of her life singing.

That morning she had felt well enough to shower as soon as she woke up, wash her hair and even curl it naturally with the hair dryer. Looking in the mirror, with her hair so wavy she almost didn't recognize herself. Since she joined the entertainment industry she kept getting it straightened, as Korean standards deemed girls prettier that way.

It was almost lunchtime, her stomach was beginning to claim a decent meal other than a bowl of cold milk and cereal, plus she had finished her supply of paracetamol the night before, the only pill that gave her a chance to feel her throat less sore and the fever low. She hoped with all her heart that the boys had brought her another package, as of that morning she had yet to hear from them, probably too busy with some project she would be behind on.

Wearing her mask and putting the keys of the dorm in her pocket, she approached to go out and walk down the stairs that would take her to the ground floor.

She avoided the elevator. As much as she knew she was tested negative and was wearing the mask, she did not want to risk leaving any germs in such a small, enclosed space.

Before she could reach her destination, a guy not much older than her, also wearing a mask to cover his mouth and nose, removed the earphones from his ears and twisted them around his cell phone, which he placed in the right pocket of his uniform. Then he left the broom in his hand, leaning it against the wall closest to him, "Excuse me, Miss Chaeri?"

Chaeri failed to recognize him immediately, but then realized: He was the janitor of the condominium. Before her arrival, he was probably busy cleaning the floor below the one she had come down from.

He had only been working there for a few months, as far as she knew, and, of course, had not had a chance to interact with him that often due to her busy schedule.

She cleared her throat before speaking, "Yes?"

"Sirs came by this morning. They were in hurry, miss, and left me a medicine packet to give you."

Oh, then her assumptions were true: The boys had been too busy to call on her. 

She smiled and hoped that from her eyes the guy in front of her could notice "Thank you"

"No problem" 

Chaeri was glad to see that the medicine packet the boy pulled out of his pocket was just what she needed.

As she reached out to get it, the broom that had been resting on the wall next to them fell, causing Chaeri to flinch backward and slam into the stair railing.

"Oh my God, are you hurt? I'm so sorry, I'm such a clumsy person" The janitor's eyes were the mirror of shame and mortification. He bent over and over in apology before picking up the tool from the floor.

"Don't worry about it! I'm not hurt, really" Chaeri's voice, due to her flu-like condition, was little more than a whisper, but she tried to let it out confidently enough to reassure the condo employee "Really, it's okay"

She politely waved to him before returning to the front door of the dorm. The boys had been nice to stop by even if quickly; she could not complain about not getting lunch. They were busy and had done far too much for her in those days. She would cook herself something with what she had in the fridge.

When she touched the pocket where the keys should have been, she went pale: empty

Could she really have left it inside? No, she could remember carrying it with her.

Maybe she had dropped it earlier when she had hit her hip.

──────

Downstairs, however, the janitor's heart was beating so fast he could even feel it in his throat.

A mixture of excitement and fear, admiration and love. He held his hand tightly around the keys in his pocket, which he had picked up from the ground when he had taken up the broom. The idea that soon Chaeri would notice and most likely ask for his help made him thrilled.

Helping Chaeri, protecting Chaeri, loving Chaeri.

There was nothing else he wanted to do in life.

──────

As Chaeri rummaged through her pockets, the janitor watched her intently. He knew that this was his moment to shine, his moment to show her that he could be the one to take care of her, to protect her from anything that could harm her.

He stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him. The look on his face was one of concern and care

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice soft and husky as he took a step back "Sorry I tapped you without permission, I tried to call you but you didn't hear me" false, but Chaeri, so caught up in her thoughts about the keys, thought it was quite possible that she hadn't heard him.

"I seem to have lost my keys," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The janitor smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll help you find them" he said, leading her back down the stairs.

──────

"How is this even possible" Chaeri complained.

They searched down all the stairs, all the floors, even the upper ones despite the fact that she had not gone there, but there were no sign of her keys.

She had no phone with her to alert someone of the staff to help her.

Taken by stress, by the trembling that was returning to shake her from the end of the effect of the previous night's medication, she sat on the stairs

"I'm sure we'll find the keys, miss."

"I'm sorry, I don't even know your name and I'm causing you a lot of trouble."

"No problem, and by the way, I'm Kyong."

"Kyong, thank you for what you're doing to help me"

He could not help but blush, yet he hoped to hide it as best he could. His name spoken by Chaeri sounded so good.

"I see you are not well, do you want to rest in the porter's lodge? You can take the pill, I'll bring you something to eat while you wait for someone who can open the door for you."

"Aren't you afraid of covid?"

"Do you have covid?

"No, I'm negative."

"Then nothing to fear" That reassuring smile on his lips again.

"I'd love to."

But she wouldn't love it at all

──────

As she followed Kyong to the porter's lodge, Chaeri couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She had never spent time alone with a stranger before, and she didn't know if she could trust him. But her flu-like symptoms were worsening by the minute, and she knew she needed to rest and take her medication.

Kyong was kind enough to bring her some soup and water, which she gratefully accepted.

She mentally told herself that she was a fool to think that someone in his position, the janitor of such an upscale apartment building, could be dangerous in any way...Right? She promised herself not to let the past make her prejudiced about people, that was probably what made her feel tense. 

So she tried to be as relaxed as possible and enjoy the warmth of the room in which she was.

"Thank you for the soup, Kyong"

"It's my pleasure, Miss Chaeri"

Without being asked, the guy sat down next to her, right by her side.

"You might catch a cold if you stay this close to me" was the first thing she thought of saying, to try to put some distance between them.

Kyong could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he sat next to Chaeri, trying to control his emotions. He knew he had to be careful, to not reveal his true feelings for her too soon. He wanted to take care of her, to be the one to make her feel safe and loved. But he knew that he had to earn her trust first.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable" he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay, and that you have everything you need."

Chaeri looked up at him, her eyes clouded with fever. "That's kind of you, but please don't sit so close to me. It makes me feel a little claustrophobic"

Kyong quickly stood up, apologizing for his intrusion.

Chaeri sighed with relief as Kyong retreated to a corner of the room, giving her some space. She sipped her soup, feeling grateful for his kindness, but also wary of his intentions. She thought maybe it would be better to finish eating, ask for his phone to call someone of the staff, and get out of that room.

The door to the porter's lodge, however, was open. There was nothing he could do to her.

As she finished her soup, Kyong couldn't help but watch her every move, his eyes filled with longing. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, that he should respect her boundaries and keep his distance, but he couldn't help himself. Chaeri was just too beautiful, too perfect to resist.

"Would you mind lending me your cellphone? I'd like to call someone so they can open the door for me."

The boy's face became serious, or rather sad. His eyes reflected disappointment

"Sorry, I forgot my cellphone at home this morning."

When he saw Chaeri's eyes widen in realization, he knew he fucked up.

He did remember only after that she saw him with his headphones on not long before.

He got up quickly before she could and slammed the front door, locking it fast. He could not risk losing his chance with her, not because he told her an innocent lie

──────

Oh no, no, no. Not again.

She couldn't be locked in a room again with a man who wanted to hurt her.

Her senses were slightly dulled by the illness, but she tried to keep calm despite the panic quivering to take over.

'Be smart this time,' she repeated to herself, 'Don't make him suspicious'

“I’m so sorry Chaeri. I didn't mean to lie to you” The boy was desperate "I only did it so I could spend more time with you. I-I think I've been in love with you for a long time."

Although tears were pressing to leave her eyes, she tried to smile at him in a convincing way "Really?" she sounded a little choked up

Kyong moved from the door, took steps toward her "Yes, Chaeri. I know a lot of people tell you that but ... I really feel it. I've been watching you since I got here, I took this job for you! Do you really think I wanted to mop the floor in my life?" His voice began to rise a few tones "No! But I did it for you. For you."

"I am so lucky to..." a tear of fear slid down her face, she could not hold it back "to have such a person in my life."

Kyong took another step toward her, "From my window I can see the balcony of your house. I think it's the kitchen, although the glass is a little too dark to be sure. I saw that every morning you eat the same cereal: kellogg's choco krave. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I like them a lot"

"I had guessed it. I started eating them every morning too. I'm allergic to chocolate but nothing an epinephrine shot can't fix."

He was fucking insane.

She wished she could have slapped herself for the shitty decision she had made in following him. She had asked for it. That's what her mom would have told her. She asked for it.

Chaeri tried to sound interested in what he was saying, hoping to buy herself some time.

"That's interesting, Kyong. I didn't know you were allergic to chocolate. That must be tough."

Kyong's eyes lit up with delight. "Yes, it is. But for you, I'll do anything."

"Would you unlock the door, too, if I asked you to?"

"Why?

"You're my fan, did I get that right?"

"Your biggest and most devoted fan."

"So you must know that I am claustrophobic and need a lot of space and ..air"

He thought about it for a few seconds, as if digging through his memory to find the information Chaeri had just told him

"No, you're not"

"Yes. I am."

"You are not, Chaeri. Are you trying to get away from me? I gave you medicine, I fed you, I treated you well. Are you not satisfied? Do you want me to do more? I mean, what more do I have to do to show you my love!?" She tried to push him away as he clung to her, bringing his hands around her waist. "Do I have to kiss you to make you understand? Do I have to make you feel..do I have to make you feel how aroused I am to have you here locked with me?"

──────

Meanwhile, all 7 of the boys had completed their morning activities. Since it was early afternoon and they were familiar with the girl's habits, they had dropped by a bakery to buy her some sweet honey bread.

Divided into three different cars, which would patiently wait in front of the apartment building, the boys broke into it to drop off the dessert to the female member of the group.

"Maybe we should have bought her more," said Jimin, who was holding the bag. The only noise was his voice and everyone's shoes crunching along the mopped and waxed floor.

"Jimin-ah, it's a pound of bread, I think it will be enough for more than a day."

"Well, when she's sick Chaeri finds comfort in food so I wou-" the guy's voice froze when, opening the dormitory mailbox, he saw that the envelope with the medicine and lunch they had left that morning for Chaeri was still there

"What's going on?" Hobi stepped forward, getting himself next to his friend, and he too was amazed by what he saw

"What?!" Jungkook asked impatiently.

"Chaeri didn't pick up her lunch today."

The boys exchanged worried glances. They knew Chaeri well enough to know that she never missed a meal, especially when she was sick.

"We should call her" Namjoon suggested.

"No, I tried calling her when we were in the car. She didn't answer" Jin replied, his voice laced with concern.

"Maybe she's just sleeping," Taehyung offered optimistically.

But the uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomachs wouldn't go away. They knew something was wrong.

Jimin grabbed the bag of honey bread and made his way to their apartment, followed closely by the others.

They knocked only once before deciding to come in to notice that all the rooms were empty. Chaeri's phone was on the bed still undone, her unfolded pajamas on the pillow, and a half-full glass on the nightstand.

Definitely a house that had not been planned to leave

"Before we panic, we could ask the janitor if he saw her come by. She can't be just vanished" Yoongi said, trying to keep calm.

Everyone agreed except on the 'before we panic' because, by then, they were all panicking.

──────

While Chaeri's fear completely froze her, making her forget the self-defense lessons she had taken, a sound from across the room brought more tears to her eyes.

Someone was knocking on the door. She would have screamed if only her voice allowed it, to let whoever was on the other side know that she was there, in the arms of a fucking psychopath

Kyong quickly covered her mouth with his hand "Don't make a sound. I want to spend more time with you"

The knocking grew louder, more urgent

"Please" she managed to say despite his hand 

"Shh, it's just someone at the door. They'll go away soon," he whispered, stroking her hair.

But the knocking didn't stop.

"Is there anyone in? Please, we just need to talk for a minute."

Namjoon's voice called out like a beacon of hope, so loud and powerful that Chaeri felt it down to her core. With newfound strength and courage, she instinctively grabbed Kyong's hand and bit hard into one of his fingers, tasting the metallic tang of blood on her tongue.

He moved his hand away abruptly, gripped by pain. In his eyes she could see all the disappointment he was feeling at that moment. The Chaeri he knew (who thought he knew) was kind, polite, and sweet. She would never hurt him. She would never try to run away from someone who loved her.

"Namjoon!" She strained her voice as much as she could to be heard by the boy on the other side of the wall. 

He was there, and probably the rest of the boys, Chaeri thought.

She was not alone.

"This is not you. You would not be so ungrateful. They are the ones influencing you am I r-"

"Go fuck yourself, you creep." Chaeri interrupted Kyong's speech, her voice now filled with anger. "You don't know me. You don't know anything about me. I am not some object for you to possess. You have no right to keep me here like this, get a goddamn life of your own."

Kyong's expression shifted from disappointment to rage. He lunged at her, but Chaeri was prepared this time. With a quick movement, she dodged him and ran towards the door. The knocking had stopped, but she could hear voices from the other side.

"Open the door! Namjoon, open the door!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Kyong caught up to her and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back. "After everything I've done for you," He also seemed to have tears in his eyes "But I'm not angry with you. I couldn't. You just have to be a good girl and tell your friends that you are here by your own will. You don't want anything bad to happen to me, do you?"

The blood from the finger bitten by Chaeri now smeared her hair, Kyong though did not seem to want to let go of her.

The girl's vision was clouded by tears, but she could clearly hear the voices of the worried boys and the jostling they were doing at the door to enter. "Say it" He commanded her in a more authoritative voice, clenching his fist of curly hair tighter 

"I am not here by my own will and someone call the fucking police" she said loud enough to be heard.

"You ungrateful bitch," he spat out, raising his hand to strike her.

But before he could make contact, the door suddenly burst open, and all 7 boys rushed into the room, their expressions a mix of anger and relief.

It wasn't quite clear to her what happened in those moments immediately after the door was opened.

The adrenaline that had kept her alert up to that moment flowed out of her body in one go.

She did not know how, nor who followed her out first of that room into the lobby of the apartment building.

Her world was a blur. She couldn't focus on anything even though she tried to make her eyes see something, anything she could latch on to.

The sounds of the street outside were distant, but to her they were close and overpowering. And inside, the sounds of yelling and screaming were deafening, she imagined that the entire world was fucking screaming.

She trembled violently, her body curling in like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. Her arms hugging her body like a vice.

Her heart raced and her breathing was shallow and ragged as the panic attack took hold of her body, plunging her into a state of sheer terror.

Two heavy hands grabbed her shoulders, making her entire body shudder in fear. She staggered back and suddenly fell to her knees, screaming wildly at the top of her lungs, "Don't touch me! Get away from me!" Tears streaming down her face, she did not recognize the arms that wanted to wrap around her and comfort her were Hobi's and not Kyong's.

Hobi's heart shattered as he saw the state that Chaeri was in. Her body was convulsing, and her screams were endless. He wanted to touch her, to hold her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright. But he knew that he had to be patient. He had to wait for her to calm down before he could do anything else.

He knelt down beside her, his hand hovering above her shoulder, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. Chaeri's screams slowly faded into whimpers, and her body stopped shaking. Hobi took that as a sign and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Chaeri," he whispered softly. "You're safe now."

Chaeri's eyes slowly opened, and she stared at Hobi, her gaze vacant and lost. Hobi saw the fear and confusion in her eyes, and it broke his heart.

But instead of staying on him, her eyes wandered blankly among the faces around her. Some standing, some kneeling on the ground as she did. Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jin were missing. She did not want to know what they were doing to Kyong.

"He knew. He knew I was sick, he bought me medicine saying that you came by and left it for me. He knew I would be locked out of the apartment, he knew I would follow him, because ... I asked for it" Chaeri spoke with a surrendered calmness that did not seem natural to that still frightened body "I asked for it," she repeated, looking at Taehyung. He who knew more about her past than anyone. He had to be disappointed. 

Her mother had always been right, it had always been her own fault.

"I asked for it" the calm with which she had spoken vanished again, plunging back into panic.

Taehyung's heart broke at Chaeri's words. He knew she had a history of blaming herself for everything that went wrong in her life. He took Hobi's place in front of her, who moved only a step further. "Look at me, Chaeri"

Instead of the disappointment she expected, she saw only sadness in his eyes "It was never your fault" he spoke softly "I... I promised you that I would never let anything happen to you ever again." 

"And you came"

"I did, but not as soon as I had to"

Jimin approached them, his hand reaching out to brush her hair away from her face "Let's go home, shall we?”

She nodded weakly, her senses numbed from the shock and sadness.

As tears streamed down her face, the ache in her throat intensified to an unbearable level. Her eyes met those of Jungkook - the only boy missing from the group not including the older ones -.

The intensity in his gaze searing into her soul; his fists white knuckled from the effort it took to stay still; the sadness and heartbreak written over his features as he was trying so hard to not cry.

“Jungkook," Hobi's authoritative voice cut through the silence to bring him to his senses "Let's take Chaeri home."

He could do nothing but nod, his throat too tight to speak.

──────

Jin put the hair dryer down and stepped back, surveying his work. Chaeri's hair was now straight and silky as she asked, shining under the light of the bathroom. He gave her a little smile

"There you go, all done" 

"Thank you, oppa" Jin lowered himself just enough to leave a kiss right in the middle of her head.

She stood up from the chair and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, but she felt a little better after the warm shower and Jin's hair styling. Even better in knowing that from that evening the boys would start staying at the dormitory again.

They expressly made it clear to the staff that if, unfortunately, any of them caught a virus then they would all be quarantined together. They were not going to leave her alone anymore. 

"Hey, how is it going here? I hope he didn't burn all your hair with the straightener." Jimin walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bath.

Chaeri chuckled softly, shaking her head. "No, it looks great"

"Of course it looks great! I was the one who styled it!"

They were obviously trying to make the atmosphere softer.

Namjoon  joined them too, holding a bag of ice against his cheek. Chaeri could see that he had a bruise forming on his jaw "What happened to your face?” 

"Kyong fought back."

Chaeri gasped "Is he-"

"He's in police custody," Yoongi interrupted, walking into the bathroom "We won't hear from him again, that's for sure"

"Okay, okay. What is this bathroom becoming? Where did the privacy go? Is this by any chance a cabinet meeting?"

"Oh my God Jin, that was sleazy"

"Awful"

"But where do you get such bad jokes?"

Chaeri felt her chest feeling lighter as she listened to the members, her family, bickering as always. She needed that sense of normality

──────

Jungkook had been sitting in the living room for what felt like hours, his mind racing with thoughts of Chaeri and what she had gone through. He couldn't bear the thought of her being hurt like that. In addition, in the lobby of the condominium he was so overwhelmed that he couldn't move a muscle toward her. He was tremendously ashamed of this.

He heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Chaeri walking into the room. She looked tired, but she forced herself to smile softly when she saw him. He took a seat next to him on the couch. "I don't think I will be able to sleep in my room tonight.- Or to just sleep, I guess."

"We.."He swallowed nervously. He failed to protect her and even looking into her eyes reminded him of how much he damned himself for that. "We can stay on the couch all night if you want."

Chaeri nodded, grateful for the offer. She scooted a little closer to him, feeling comfort in his presence. Silence hung over the room, the only sound being the faint hum of the air conditioning.

Jungkook's mind was racing, trying to come up with the right words to say to her. "You know," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "I never knew what it meant to feel truly helpless until I saw what happened to you. It broke my heart, Chaeri, to see you go through that. I wasn't there and I.. hate it"

"You're here now, and that's all that matters."

As the minutes wore on, the rest of the members began to filter into the living room one by one. Taehyung came in first, sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the couch. He looked up to smile at her.

Hoseok and Jin joined them next, settling in on the other side of Jungkook. Namjoon claimed the space next to Chaeri, at his side soon took his place Yoongi. Jimin was the last to come, loaded with blankets for everyone, which he distributed one by one. Only later did he go and sit beside Tae.

She leaned into Namjoon, who draped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

The night went on and she couldn't feel safer than that.

taglist: @alixnsuperstxr

[sethshead]

Although the Biden administration seems to have run extremely well for three and a half years, with a strong cabinet, few scandals and little turnover, a thriving economy and some major legislative accomplishments, the narrative the punditocracy has created suggest we should ignore this record and decide on the basis of the 90-minute debate and reference to newly surfaced swarms of anonymous sources that Biden is incompetent. Quite a lot of them have been running magical-realism fantasy-football scenarios in which it is fun and easy to swap in your favorite substitute candidate. The reality is that it is hard and quite likely to be a terrible mess. Nevertheless, this pretense is supposed to mean that telling a presidential candidate in mid-campaign to get lost is fine.

The main argument against Biden is not that he can’t govern – that would be hard to make given that he seems to have done so for the past years – but that he can’t win the election. But candidates do not win elections by themselves. Elections are won, to state the obvious, by how the electorate turns out and votes. The electorate votes based on how they understand the situation and evaluate the candidates. That is, of course, in large part shaped by the media, as Hannah-Jones points out, and the media is right now campaigning hard for a Democratic party loss. The other term for that is a Republican victory. Few things have terrified and horrified me the way this does.

This isn't about the polls saying Biden is too old to serve a second term. The people who nominated and elected Biden in 2020 also thought him too old to serve a first term. Opinion polling results in mind-blowingly contradictory responses. It cannot be trusted. What is more important are the journalists who have completely divorced themselves from the consequences of their words. They really are treating this election not only as a simple horse race, but as fantasy football, like a baseball trade simulator. They want to see a good entertaining show with all the most niche candidates only a hipster could love getting their days in the sun. The media are masturbating while Rome burns all around them. They want to draw readers in with sensationalism and appeals to liberal neurosis, however much this irresponsible obsession drives the news cycle and voters' attitudes.

I disagree with Hannah-Jones about the degree of influence the media has in a free society. Chomsky's conspiracist ramblings about manufacturing consent for top-down policies is wrong; our yellowest journalism is democratic and bottom-up. The news is a commodity here, not a set of instructions. Outlets supply the consumer with what they think we want to hear. Unfortunately, in this case, what the pundits think we want to hear is based on their own professional echo chambers, their own insider contacts (currently with their knives out in a cannibalistic feeding frenzy) and the fickle, skittish donor class. They are all freaking the country out with their rampant speculation and backbiting. The whole lot of them need to get serious about this race.

Somehow, Republicans are able to close ranks around a clearly unfit and treasonous scumbag because it offers them the best shot to attain power for decades at least. Why can't we protect a president and administration who have done so admirably for the country for nearly four years?