#i can’t take the doom posting for three months of hiatus

[oneofthedrunksattheoverpass]

i don’t want to see ANYBODY closing after the episode this week they have consistently been setting up buddie canon s8 since last season and we still have ten more episodes in the spring you know they’re going to drag this out as long as possible

[grasslandgirl]

im distracting myself from the impending doom of a six month hiatus and everything that... happened in MAG160 by thinking about all the Wonderful possibilities for jonmartin dynamics post-159 because I’m a sucker for pining and minor miscommunications and dumb fanfic tropes and I’m dragging all of you along on this ride with me!

1) They��re Both Just Chill: there’s no miscommunications, no misunderstandings. despite what peter said about them not knowing each other super well (and maybe he raised some valid points, despite being an asshole) they DO know each other well enough and had a deep enough connection during the look at me/ i see you, jon scene that they both just (for lack of a better word) Know. they look into each other’s eyes in the middle of the Lonely and they see the love there, and the hurt and the pain and the anger and everything, but they do see the love. and they recognize that, oh, we’ve been so dumb this entire time. and there’s no big Talk, no awkward stumbling around the question, they just move forward from jon and martin to jon-and-martin because they’ve wasted enough time already, haven’t they? they can’t afford to waste any more time at this point, and hey. they kind of have bigger problems going on, right?

2) I Really Loved You, You Know: ok so this one i’ve seen in quite a few fanfics and speculative posts about this one, and jon misconstruing how martin uses the past tense when talking to him in the Lonely, and can i just say....... it’s very good. you have jon, who’s been desperately trying to reconnect with people, especially martin, this entire season, who dives headfirst into the Lonely after him, and maybe he heard martin’s tape with elias from the end of s3, maybe he knows about martin’s feelings for him, maybe he at least suspects, and maybe he doesn’t; but the point of the matter is that he goes into the Lonely after martin because jon’s in love with him and i think we can mostly all agree that at least by MAG159 (and we can argue about WHEN he realizes it, later) jon is aware of his own feelings for martin. but he follows the man he loves, and he finds him, and he’s begging him to follow him out of the lonely, to come with him, and martin tells him that he loved him. really loved him. loved him, as in past tense. which, like, if you think about it? that’s SO heartbreaking. but jon keeps after him ANYWAY, and he breaks martin out of the Lonely’s grasp and they walk out side by side and then you’re left with jon, who is terrified on SO many different levels, and thinks that he failed, again. that he was too late with martin, too late to be his friend, too late to save him from Peter, and too late to love him, and he saved him, he did it, but it’s still heartbreaking, right? and juxtapose that with martin, who’s just been literally pulled out of his own loneliness by the man he’s been in love with for three years, and he told him he LOVED him and jon Didn’t Respond. and like? all the hurt and the pining and the trying to take care of each other despite everything and despite your own hurt that can happen there? SUPER good

3) Clueless Jon Doesn’t Know He Has A Boyfriend: this one kind of crosses over with #2 but it’s a little lighter and a little more fun. essentially you have martin, who says he loves jon and assumes jon heard his tape with elias where he outed martin entirely and sees jon come into the lonely to save him and hugs jon while crying when he comes to his senses and walks out of the lonely hand in hand with jon and thinks, quite reasonably, that ok, they’re dating now. and you have martin “caretaker” blackwood who’s worrying over jon and taking care of him and letting jon take care of him, and making him eat and they do all this vaguely date-y stuff because the world is kind of maybe ending, but hey! martin’s in love and hes going to enjoy it goddamnit. but then one day our beloved archivist, jon “emotionally obtuse” sims, has nearly a breakdown and he starts rambling on about how he’s in love with martin and he’s sorry and he wants there to be something between them and how he doesn’t want to change anything and this is terrible timing and he doesn’t even Know if martin feels the same way but he needed to get this off his chest etc etc etc and martin’s just like “i thought. i thought we were ALREADY dating.” which is.... hysterical if you ask me

4) Jonathan “Fuck The Lonely” Sims: kind of the opposite of the last two, in which jon is LESS of a moron than anyone expected! jon “the archivist” sims actually... thinks! he listens to the tape of elias and martin from MAG118 and reevaluates every interaction he ever had w martin after he wakes up from his coma and realizes that martin’s in love with him, and not only that, but HE’S in love with MARTIN, but has no way of communicating that to him until 154 and that whole conversation is just jon trying (and failing) to say “i love you. i love you and i know you love me and lets just say fuck this place and go. please lets just go the two of us, say you’ll come with me. i love you.” and martin. doesn’t understand. but then 159 happens and jon follows and they have That Moment and jon thinks that Finally they’re on the same page and meanwhile you have martin, who’s PEAK in his pining time, fresh out of a good year of self isolation and pure loneliness and needs a while to pull away from Forsaken and thinks that he’s alone in his pining after jon, because jon never said anything about the tape with elias, or martin saying he loved him in the lonely, and is completely clueless to the fact that jon thinks theyre straight up dating and are just taking it Slow. and then one day jon is like “hey ready for our date later” (they had dinner plans or smth but this is the first time he outrightly calls it a Date) or he kisses martin briefly on the forehead or cheek or smth and martin is like “WHAT IS GOING ON” and jon is just. baffled cause he’s not used to being the oblivious one in the relationship

5) Just Full On Pining Hours: theres some crossover here with both #2 and #4, but specifically this one is where BOTH jon and martin are full on in love and are idiots and think that the other person Doesn’t Love Them Back :( possibly featuring: jon focusing on the past tense of “i really lovED you, you know,” martin comparing jon going into the lonely to save him to jon going into the buried to save daisy/ cutting the bullet out of her leg to save melanie from the slaughter, jon being dumb and thinking all the statements he’s heard about martin’s “feelings” are elaborations/inaccurate/only in the past/etc, martin being so stuck in the lonely he pulls away from jon on instinct, jon caught up on what peter said about them not really knowing each other and MAD second guessing himself and questioning what his feelings for martin are really based on, both martin and jon throwing themselves MAJOR pity parties about falling to the power of the eye/the lonely respectively, jon going into “im a monster and im the worst and ive lost my humanity” mode and thinking he’s not Worthy of being with martin in the first place, martin being haunted by his time with peter and the lonely and keep falling back into the habit of pushing people (jon) away “for their own good,” etc etc etc etc! just a lot of sad pining hours bc these guys have been through a LOT and it’s hard to just drop straight into a healthy relationship (or Any relationship) when there’s so much baggage and history there in between

6) Run Away With Me, by Carly Rae Jepsen: I said what I said. i want them to be happy and so what if they run away and blind themselves and leave the archives and live in some house in another continent and never think about any of the entities again? i get to make the rules, its my fantasy au world and jonny can’t do anything to hurt them here

[aion-rsa]

What’s Happening With Marvel’s X-Men?

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This article contains spoilers for recent Marvel X-Men stories.

A long time ago, back at the beginning of the interminable, endless month of March that the pandemic has trapped us in, Marvel’s X-Men books were barrelling towards their first big post-Dawn of X crossover, X of Swords. And then the world stopped, and plans changed for the X-Men while everything was paused.

Now that we’re back, plans have changed, and books are coming fast and furious. So what’s going on with Marvel’s Merry Mutants? Which book did Storm get sick in? What book should you read for a good Laksa recipe? New Mutants, but we can answer all your other questions on what’s going on with the X-Men below. 

While we won’t rehash the entire thing, House of X/Powers of X reset the entire X-Men line. Mutants can’t die anymore (or rather, if they do, they’re resurrected from clone bodies and emergency backup minds by The Five and Professor X). The X-Men, and all mutants alive, are now living on Krakoa, a living, mutant island in the Pacific that, at some point in the distant past, broke in half, sending one part of it to a dangerous, monster-infested realm with Apocalypse’s first Horsemen standing guard making sure it didn’t return. 

Humans are back to hating and fearing mutants on a wide scale, but this time it’s mostly because the mutants are vehemently anti-capitalism, flooding markets with cheap, life-extending and health-improving drugs and vowing to take down the human world with economic weapons of their own making. This has the humans initiating some pretty intense Sentinel programs, particularly around the sun, where Nimrod – the adaptive Sentinel whose existence dooms mutantkind in one Powers of X future – was very nearly created. 

And amidst all of that, Moira MacTaggert, the secret mutant mastermind with the power of Groundhog Lifeing (when she dies, her consciousness is immediately transported back to her prenatal self to be born again with all her old memories. She’s on life ten now, btw), is frantically trying to manipulate events so that mutants continue to exist in the long run as the next phase in human evolution, averting a future where man-machine hybrids (like Omega Sentinels and the Children of the Vault) develop while humans and mutants are busy fighting among themselves. She’s also not allowing Charles and Magneto to revive any mutants with precognitive powers, expecting them to see her plan and ruin Krakoan civilization.

X-Men

X-Men, by mastermind Jonathan Hickman with art mostly from Leinil Yu, is where big ideas are being seeded for later use.

This is where the story of Krakoa and its estranged, otherdimensional partner Arakko was further developed (following its introduction in Powers of X and setting up X of Swords, the first mutant crossover of the Dawn of X era). X-Men introduced Hordeculture (think the Golden Girls if they were also ecoterrorist botanists); reintroduced the Children of the Vault; showed how depowered mutants get in line to get their powers back; and saw Magneto and Apocalypse threaten humankind with the most terrible weapon of all: finance capitalism.

New Mutants

It also, just prior to the break, X-Men had a spiritual crossover with New Mutants, initially a split book by Hickman and Rod Reis on the space issues, and Ed Brisson, Flaviano, and Marco Failla on the Earth issues. Brisson, Flaviano and Failla’s story follows a group of Earthbound mutant kids (including Glob Herman and Boom Boom) as they track down stragglers to Krakoa, like Beak and Angel.

Hickman and Reis took the original New Mutants plus Chamber and Mondo into space to go pick up Cannonball (who was living on Chandi’lar with his wife, Smasher). On the way there, they stole a King Egg from the Starjammers and brought it back to Earth, where it turns out, we discover in X-Men, the King Egg is a bioweapon created by the Kree to control the Brood for an eventual war with the Shi’ar. Broo, the supersmart mutant Broodling from Wolverine and the X-Men, eats the egg and becomes the Brood King.

Excalibur

Excalibur is the shining star of the line so far. Tini Howard and Marcus To are growing the mythos of mutant magic with a very odd team that includes Betsy Braddock (now back in her original body and the new Captain Britain); Rogue and Gambit; Jubilee and her mysteriously dragonified son Shogo; new earth mage Rictor; and Apocalypse, who is clearly up to some stuff. Apocalypse picks a fight with Otherworld and places a newly resurrected but still batshit Jamie Braddock on the throne of the magical realm.

Excalibur was one of the first books to return from hiatus, and it came back with maybe the best single issue of the entire relaunch in issue #10. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Marauders

Marauders launched as the story about the Hellfire Trading Company, the corporate arm of Krakoa that distributes the miracle drugs around the world while also smuggling mutants in trouble home to Krakoa. But Gerry Duggan and Matteo Lolli’s book quickly turned into the mystery of Kitty Pryde – why she’s not able to use the Krakoan gates that allow instantaneous travel around the galaxy, and whether she can be resurrected by The Five. That story has just about come to a head, but it is worth noting that it still contains a great deal of Hellfire Trading Company intrigue between Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw, and a lot of drunken pirate antics. The resurrected original Pyro does get a tattoo of the Marauders skull on his face at one point. It’s fun.

X-Force

X-Force, by Ben Percy and Joshua Cassara, immediately killed Professor X. He was resurrected, of course, but it served as both a notice that everyone is fair game, and alongside Marauders, keeps some slight mystery to character death alive post-The Five’s perpetual resurrection machine. It’s also the story of the Krakoan CIA, so it sets up the global threats facing the mutant nation, and then sends Wolverine to get cut in half fighting them. Also, Forge creates a bio-mech loader suit and smashes the two halves of Logan back together at one point. If that’s something you find yourself chuckling at, this book is going to exceed expectations.

Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels focused mostly on resetting the current Psylocke’s status quo. Kwannon was brought back to life and placed in her old body shortly before the reboot (very quickly: Spiral switched Psylocke and Kwannon’s bodies, then before they could be reverted, Kwannon got the Legacy Virus and died, then when Betsy used a villain’s powers to recreate her old body and reinhabit it, Kwannon…uh…got better…). Here, she teamed with X-23 and Cable, with ops backup from Mister Sinister, to track down Apoth, a technological being selling cybernetic drugs to humans.

It’s mostly setup for Psylocke, X-23 (now Wolverine again, I think), and Sinister while adding another technological foe to the mix. It leads almost directly into Zeb Wells and Steven Segovia’s Hellions, a book about Sinister’s team of mutants who are all gleefully, unrepentantly screwed up and are currently on a mission cleaning up some old clones Sinister left lying around.

Cable, Wolverine, and More…

Cable, Wolverine and the Giant Size issues, are still mostly seeding future storylines. Cable, from Duggan and Phil Noto, has only had a couple of issues so far, but it’s brought the Galadorians (the Spaceknights minus ROM, who belongs to IDW now, I think) into mutant orbit and given Nathan a sword for the crossover.

Wolverine, by Percy, Adam Kubert and Victor Bogdanove, has Logan tracking down illicit Krakoan flower dealers, and also Omega Red works for Dracula now. And the Giant Size issues are mysteries piled on mysteries piled on incredible art. Hickman has scripted all three, and so far, Storm caught a technovirus from the Children of the Vault in the Jean Grey/Emma Frost issue (drawn by Russell Dauterman); we find out what’s up with Cypher’s techno-organic arm in the Nightcrawler issue (from Alan Davis); Magneto buys Emma an island from Namor with art from Ramon Perez; and we get actual backstory and incredible Rod Reis art in the Fantomex issue. 

Empyre

The recently wrapped Empyre: X-Men’s opening scene is simultaneously one of the most important to the metanarrative of mutant struggle that’s been developing since the Professor’s “No More” scene in House of X #4 AND the best setup/punchline in any Dawn of X comic. It also starts to deliver on some of the rumored-but-never-announced X-Men ideas that were floated early after the reboot – Angel and M are two of the leads, playing out a little of the boardroom drama we hoped for after an X-Corporation book was rumored.

X-Factor

X-Factor, from Leah Williams and David Baldeon, more or less just launched. It’s about the team investigating and verifying mutant deaths, to put those lives into the queue for resurrection. This feels like the book set up to deliver on the weirdest promises of the relaunch, and the creative team are inventive, fun storytellers, so keep an eye on this. Williams has a very sharp ear for patter and knows her characters well – while it’s not an X-book, Amazing Mary Jane is a stunning accomplishment of delightful character work. Early X-Factor is more of the same, with more mutant high concept.

And all this is leading to X of Swords, the new X-writers room’s attempt to outdo X-Cutioner’s Song: a 22-part Tini Howard-led crossover where everyone swordfights over half of Krakoa. And still dangling in the ether, unannounced but long discussed, are Vita Ayala and Bernard Chang’s Children of the Atom, following a group of mutant teenagers who idolize the X-Men, and a Moira X book that’s expected to fill in some of the gaps in Moira’s many, many timelines. 

The post What’s Happening With Marvel’s X-Men? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[authorkimberlygrey]

Shitty Things Nobody Tells You About (Self) Publishing And How To Deal With Them

This isn’t in my usual style because I got tired of trying to do the paragraphs thing. 

fuck that I think in bullet points and curse words, y’all can deal with it. 

There’s a readmore a bit further down because this it got long don’t worry. 

It's Expensive

When you self-publish, you are becoming your own publishing company. 

you have to pay for everything

Editing

Cover

Marketing shit

fifteen billion other things. 

There are places that you can get services for cheap but you gotta be careful about that cause you might just get what you pay for. tbh I dont’ have much advice on this, its just a thing you’re gonna have to figure out, sorry. 

Everyone wants a piece of the pie

The shittier members of your friends, family, and community will probably try to horn in on your hard work

“Am I in the dedications?” 

“Am I in the book?” 

“Can I have a free copy?” 

etc. etc. 

fuck these people, you don’t need that shit. 

you just wrote a whole ass book, go you! 

they don’t get to take away from that. 

Shitty businesses definitely will try to horn in on your hard work

you will get messages

and emails 

and offers 

and followers 

Fuck those guys

fuck them so hard. 

It may be tempting because they’ll sound nice and shit

but listen to me: 

The reason they’re trying to get you to come to them is that nobody else is and they want to prey on your assumed inexperience. 

because the reason nobody is coming for them is that they are shitty. They are so shitty. 

I have gotten three messages from a company called Doran 

They are very professional, pretty messages

I have my very own publishing consultant. 

Doran has a total of 1.8 stars on google ratings. 

Block these fuckers immediately 

Do not pass go, do not give them the 200 dollars that they are asking for. 

Fuck them. 

Again, you wrote a whole ass book

they haven’t done shit. 

They don’t get to horn in on your hard work. 

tell them to fuck off

I’m putting the rest of this stuff under the cut because it got too long and I don't want to obliterate y’all’s dashes.

Post-Publication Depression

 Not everyone deals with it

Some lucky assholes get to feel accomplished and happy 

But you’re not gonna know until you get there 

keep an eye on that shit 

I’m not fucking joking here y’all 

this is shitty. 

Nobody talks about it because Ya Gotta Keep Up The Happy Author Image 

But fuck that, I’m not letting yall trip facefirst into this shit unprepared. 

You might feel like nobody cares about you, about your book, about anything. 

You may feel like you’ll never write anything again 

You may feel like what you have written is a shitty, shitty pile of steaming garbage and you are doomed to die cold and alone in the night

You may miss the world and the characters and feel like they’ve died and taken a part of you with them

You may feel a billion different shitty things and it sucks so bad my friends

You just did like several solid months of stressful shit at the very least. 

You are a rubber band and you have just been stretched to the limit and unleashed against the unforgiving back of the head of reality by some dumb fuck kid who’s supposed to be paying attention in class. 

But look at me: It's not gonna be here forever

There are always people who care for real

You will write again and it will be awesome

What you wrote is awesome, no matter how many imperfections you may see in it right now. 

The world and characters are with you always. There is literally nothing stopping you from continuing to write shit with them. or even just daydreaming shit. They are yours and the world cannot take them from you. 

You will get through this, it may take a week, or a month, or longer and it may be shitty that whole time 

but it will end. And you’ll make it through. 

My advice?: 

Get a support system

Tell them that this is a thing

Have them check in on you 

Don’t try to do this alone because you don’t have to. 

It's Difficult to Find Information

Remember that part where I talked about how everyone wants to horn in on your hard work? 

yeah. 

It is entirely possible that I’m just shit at researching but all of the videos, articles, and free PDFs that I found fell into one or both of these categories: 

Either they’re from a publishing company that wants to discourage you from self-publishing so that they can publish your book for you. 

fuck you, pocket guide to publishing

Or for some godforsaken reason, its full of utterly useless fluff to give it length or to cover up the fact that the creator doesn’t actually know what the fuck they’re talking about

The thing you need

if its there

will be one sentence long and buried somewhere in all the fluff somewhere in the middle-end of the thing

somewhere

fuck if you’ll ever find it though. 

What I recommend is that you find a publishing mentor

Someone who’s been through this shit and can give you the short answer instead of letting you sit in front of your computer crying because you just need to know what button to push what the fuck

Again, maybe I’m just really shitty at research, but still 

publishing mentor

good shit

crying over ingramspark’s shitty, shitty website design:

bad shit

shoutout to @brynwrites for answering my neverending stream of questions when I finally gave up trying to find the information on the internet or on ingramspark

do not look for things on ingramspark 

just dont’

there is no logic or organization to that hellhole. 

the blog posts may have promising titles 

but the information you want is probably buried in the middle of a tangentially related article 

the rest of the internet isn’t much better tbh. 

Its Easy To Get Lost In The Crowd

There is a metric fuckton of books out there

and another two fucktons of WIPs 

because none of us writeblrs seem to have an attention span longer than two chapters before we get distracted by a shiny new idea

you know I’m right

People on tumblr are shitty in general at reblogging shit despite that being the point of the website

you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink 

People on writeblr are really busy with their heads stuffed up their own WIPs and they tend not to notice other shit

we’re all guilty of it, its fine

but it can be depressing

its not personal tho

What ya gotta do is make friends

yes, I am literally telling you to believe in the Power of Friendship.

You gotta make yourself an apocalypse survival group my pals

You and yours on the wild seas of greater indifference

it’ll be great 

All that matters is the people that matter 

Fuck everyone else or you’re gonna be crying yourself to sleep for the rest of your life

nobody wants that. 

Post-Publication Depression

y’all

seriously

I’ve cried myself to sleep more nights in the last two weeks than I have ever since I was hella depressed in high school

-100/10 would recommend

but I forgot to opt out of this subscription

this shitty, shitty subscription. 

God I’m so tired. 

Btw I’m going on hiatus for like a week after this last giveaway ends

Its been twelve days since Ascendant was published but it feels like a god damn month

fuck this shit I’m out

see y’all later

P.S please reblog the last giveaway or someth if you want a book. 

[b0x]

i hate that post that's like “we would've gotten a better trilogy if they'd just let rian johnson write all three films than playing hot potato with jj” like i get the point it's trying to make but you're forgetting that rj was fighting tooth and nail for the tlj r*ylo narrative since day 1 so you do realise we would've just gotten the same trilogy as we got now.......

further Thoughts on the trilogy as a whole and a few troc spoilers under the cut

also you KNOW that even if jj COULD have had a hand in saving it... there’s no saving a screenplay written by the guy who did the justice league films

No Comment. No Thoughts. Head Empty. everything post tfa was doomed from the start

have you SEEN the screenwriters for tfa? THAT’S why that one was so good, THAT’S why tfa succeeded as an excellent reboot of a long-dormant franchise. kasdan and arndt and jj should've been on for ALL THREE, and if they couldn’t, then a hiatus was the way to fucking go. rian never should have Touched it, never should have even Looked in its direction.

tfa had the essence of sw BECAUSE the essence of sw wrote it! tlj and tros isn’t sw!!!! 

they rly just tried to make Anakin..... 2! with kylo... but somehow... even Worse. you can’t make an anakin story Without showing kylo’s motives and morals - oh, except, you Did show his motives and morals, and they were in no way redeeming whatsoever! anakin had a whole ARC of complexity that allows for endless discussion on morality and justifiability that led him to earn his redemption. all kylo had was a blood tie to han and leia, which!!!! if anything!!!!!! made his motives and morals WORSE, knowing that he had the most IDEAL most loving and perfect upbringing and he still chose the dark side. that makes any love received from han or leia or luka or even fucking rey completely insignificant because we ALREADY KNOW what it means to him. all of this shit was so worthless!!!!!!!! fuck!

and i have a lot to say about rian johnson because i Cannot for the life of me believe the guy behind BRICK (2005) was taken on for tlj, WHILE TFA WASN’T EVEN FINISHED YET. i really didn’t think this had to be said but that is just NOT how you make a Trilogy. that is how you make Three Separate Films and guess what! that is exactly what we got! and it honestly saddens me to think that the guy behind the beautiful 6 minute music video ‘oh baby’ by lcd sound system, inspired by some of his greatest work in looper (and even brick!), would then take the absolute worst of his worst and apply that to a star wars franchise that desperately needed his best. and there’s something hilarious about that too, that you have this huge sandbox FULL of belief-suspending ridiculousness and STILL somehow make it fail? make it atrocious? that takes skill. it’s like that one post that was like “you have to ACTUALLY put EFFORT into making something this bad” like it’s no longer silly mistakes or lacklustre energy, this was ACTIVE sabotage.

the fact rian Had the Understanding of the core concepts of star wars right in his hands, but somehow completely missed the entire point of them? if you look at the films he screened to his story group during the development of tlj... this handful of culturally and historically significant war films that just seem like he screened for aesthetic and reference purposes only instead of actually exploring and analysing the importance and criticism of the exonerating war propaganda and racist source materials and using these films to inspire the actual groundwork of some of the root themes of current climates and today’s culture in a sw universe... i bet big bucks on the fact that twelve o clock high was only screened to inspire the air battle on crait (red salt planet) and because of ‘VIII Bomber Command’ because ha ha hee hee tlj is episode VIII and hoo hoo hoo *you’ve been gnomed.mp4* 

the general rule is this: when reading ANY report on tlj and tros and something like “the characters came first” is mentioned, just exit out the window, it’s already a botched article/thinkpiece.

i’m also thinking a lot about how arndt translated his first draft for tfa into a script for eight months and said he needed 18 more, which disney and jj said no to, so he left, and IMMEDIATELY after jj kept saying how relieved he was that the release date was delayed and gave him more time that he also needed. like.. you had your lesson then and there. did they learn from it? *disney forcing rian to write tlj at the same time as tfa was still being made* No!

i am ALSO thinking about how they had considered fincher, brad bird, jon favreau, del toro, even getting development suggestions by spielberg.......... and rian johnson is who they called up for tlj.... my head is... empty.

just give the fucking thing to taika waititi he understands the nuances of the socio-political climates of sw’s narratives built around a guise of a fun sci-fi fantasy adventure-drama. he understands. that’s literally the very definition of his style of writing and directing. Makes You Think Why The Mandalorian Is A Hit.... they already gave him 2 mandalorian episodes just give him the whole franchise i cant take it anymore. 

AND NOW THEY’RE GIVING RIAN JOHNSON A WHOLE NEW TRILOGY? RIAN? RIAN JOHNSON? THEY’RE GIVING HIM A WHOLE NEW TRILOGY AFTER WHAT HAPPENED... HERE. SURE.. OKAY . ALRIGHT. IT’S HONESTLY MIND-BLOWING. THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT GOES INTO CONSECUTIVE DECISIONS SUCH AS THIS. like i would LOVE to see footage of the board meeting for this. no sarcasm i am GENUINELY curious to hear what was said to greenlight this. i have GOT to know what post tros board meetings about this will be like. 

anyway! op of that post! i will be thinking about you when the new rj trilogy drops!

what’s worse about this whole trilogy is that.. they Had it. they had it in the bag with tfa. they HAD the original idea they HAD the power to make a sw trilogy set to current climates JUST LIKE THE PREVIOUS TRILOGIES DID, cos that’s what sw is all about! what it was ALWAYS about! a space opera reflective of current times and climates. but disney turned it into a Keeping Up With The Skywalkers reality tv show that’s nothing more than a sci-fi fantasy light show and vfx flex to keep the brand alive, and personally, i think that’s ultimately one of the reasons it’s so hated and why it failed (of course rampant misogyny/sexism, racism, homophobia under the guise of geek culture within the sw community and in the production itself is a whole other discussion and is another humongous part of why it’s hated and why it failed)

and it’s why hamill had every right to criticise tlj the way he did with rotj, why boyega and isaac and ridley had Every right to their commentary on their distaste of the second and third instalments. how the only reason they’d rescind what they said was due to their contracts. how their silence was necessary to squeeze every last dollar out of consumers because god forbid a potential boycott due to their own star’s “controversial” (Correct) judgements and disapprovals

they really had it in the bag..

a female protagonist who could be a chosen one regardless of her blood and family ties, a protagonist that reflected the importance and validity of found family, and the idea that Anyone can be a “Skywalker”, a symbol of hope and a fighter for justice and goodness and love in the world, especially in the darkest of times... a young woman being just as powerful, as Chosen, as essential as Luke and Anakin were... a narrative that couldve been commentary on the necessity of women needing to do double the work, make double the effort, to earn the same spot of her counterparts. and with the second and third instalments, especially NOW, with the growth and vocalisation of the MeToo movement, the narrative of strength to speak out against abusers, to fight back and to thrive, a symbol of justice, to teach that men such as kylo who refuse consequence, who actively and soberly choose violence and manipulation for the strengthening of the self, who will ignore and deny all opportunities to better the self, to know their guilt, to make up for their actions, are the ones who are irredeemable. that people like him are not owed any time or understanding or belief in, when that belief perpetuates the violent and oppressive nature they are indefinitely attracted to and make themselves defined by.

a black hero raised by violence and refusing to be defined by it and unlocking the force within as a symbol of that strength within over encompassing goodness, to have a hero that breaks that harmful narrative stereotype that black characters have had for decades and still continue to do so, to have a voice and a hero that fights with love and kindness, that is able to find family and support in a place beyond what he believes he is allowed to have, the significance of a hero being deemed a “traitor”, a term that holds weight in the shame of seeking your own independence and identity, versus the cathartic empowerment of thriving in the independence you make for yourself in the end. a black hero that defeats his oppressors, oppressors that belong to a policing fascist regime, a faction that has always from the very beginning been a depiction of nazis, of authoritarian nationalism. 

a canonical gay latino man freedom fighter, being the best in his career as a literal symbol of hope for the resistance, a literal symbol of the climates for lgbt folk in regards to resisting those same fascist nazi regimes, resisting laws against lgbt existence, lgbt employability, lgbt success. a man who grew into a legacy of heroism, surrounded by it, something that could have been powerful poignant commentary on the necessity to sacrifice lives so others like his didn’t have to, the very narrative to fight for a world that the innocents and the ones he loves could have peace in, could have a future in, could Exist in. poe fights in the skies because he knew damn well the effect of believing in someone that is human, like you, instead of a force that is bigger than anything you could ever know or believe in. poe brings humanity and realism to an otherwise fanatical universe of magic and religion and chaos of endless war that means nothing, that is based on nothing. poe is commentary on fighting a fight that you have no choice but to fight, that you are forced to fight from birth just for the very act of Existing. his humanity and realism is a significant grounding necessity for our two protagonist heroes and it is appalling that he’d just be discarded the way he was, shallowly played off as sideline comic relief, much like lgbt narratives and characters are expressed in pretty much ANY media today, so it comes as no surprise. 

the three most vital narratives that should have been told in this trilogy but no of course not (disney voice) gimme my Fackin MANEY. it’s the silence of marginalised voices cleverly disguised under hollow face-value representation.

honestly, even rey being blood-related to palpatine as his granddaughter was such a strong and perfect set-up for The Narrative That Could’ve Been TM, but instead they had palpatine make it a whole weird pseudo-marriage thing that was just so. backwards and unbelievably shocking that it was in a 2019 era star wars film.

wow marriage story and the rise of skywalker really is the same movie huh

yes we wanted a grey jedi protagonist hero that gets tempted by the dark side but this was the absolute worst way that could’ve been explored. like if they were just gonna recycle old characters and old storylines and make them worse they could’ve at least looked at darth maul or asajj ventress and the nightsisters

and NO WONDER oscar looked so DEFEATED every time finnpoe was mentioned cos he fought for that shit tooth and nail and they? ? ? they gave him a funny ha ha hee hee hoo hoo straight flirt scene? ? with like his ex or something, where they imply they get back together? COMPLETELY destroying the ENTIRE narrative of his character that was so lovingly built and developed in the Official Canon Comic Series About Him ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

NO WORDS. there are NO WORDS. head EMPTY. no not even empty there's NO HEAD at all i am BEHEADED

finn had NOTHING in this film. Nothing. how are you gonna make him a joint-protag with rey and give him Nothing? 

anyone with brain cells knows that what finn truly was trying to tell rey the entire film was that he was force sensitive, i will take this to my grave, and that should’ve built up to this grand reveal where they empower each other and take down palpatine and kylo as one, as the joint-protagonists they were Literally Fucking Written And Built Up To Be. they gave EVERY antagonist to REY. what was the POINT. rey had her significant clash with kylo across two films, hell, even in this one (before the Final one), tros was the penultimate film about her family, her bloodline, so her significant final battle should have been with palpatine a la rotj. the person who DESERVED to clash with and take down kylo once and for all was FINN, even a TODDLER would understand WHY. 

but considering everything, i would take the thing finn was trying to tell her the entire film being that he loves her ANY DAY if it meant whatever the fuck we got instead Never Happened.

finn got made general and not only was it a blink-and-you-miss bit but it adds NOTHING, yes it’s something to celebrate and of Course he deserves it, but it holds zero significance to him as a character. like i mentioned earlier, when han was made general, that never defined him. he was still han solo and it took a Dozen other significant scenarios and twists to make him a significant and vital memorable character. han solo isn’t known for “being a general”. he’s known for being han fucking solo, a critical puzzle piece in the taking down of the empire, a scamp-turned-deeply-loyal friend and lover, a man who not only got his own personal storyline concluded to the level it deserved to be (the repercussions of his bounty hunter life, the importance of the falcon, his relationships with lando, luke, and leia, his triumph over his captors even when it was luke and leia who freed him). 

side note, this was maybe the one thing that tfa screwed up, the entire point and development of the original trilogy, it sort of felt a bit moot with how they put a “twist” on han, leia and luke’s relationship, especially when it came to kylo. but i think there are some forgivable aspects to it for the sake of the new trio, and that’s why those executive decisions kind of Worked! this is, of course, for another discussion bc this is about the new trilogy.

leia IS known for being a general because part of her entire storyline revolves around it and the significance of it!!! which is why finn being made general just feels so... i don’t know! just completely disrespectful, to both him as a character, and to generals who are defined by this position (such as, hello!!!!! poe!!! poe fucking dameron!!!! a man raised by the resistance!!! a man who’s entire life and prior legacy was entirely dedicated to the resistance!!!! him being made general MEANT something). it’s like rubbing salt in the wound of the fact that finn has been discarded as the protagonist he was meant to be, the story, development and conclusion he never got, just to slap general on him and call it a day and then write about his actual development in a novel that 3/4ths of the ppl who watch the films will never read. 

and that's just the core story stuff!!! do NOT get me started on the general lore proposed in this shit. i’m talking about the force ghost nonsense and the convenience of some of the timing choices (rewriting the way death works in sw, claiming that rey “didn’t really die/wasn’t really dead” since she didn’t fade which in itself completely destroys the entire plot they were going for with the resurrection scene, the timing of the fades themselves bullshitted for “dramatic cinematic purposes”), the entire palpatine storyline, the bullshit with snoke and the lack of explanation, all these one-off characters that have the lore capacity of an overwatch character when instead they could have developed the ones that already existed and had the opportunity to be fleshed out and CARED about

the FACT that HUX (hux!!!!!!!!!) had a more interesting storyline in all three films with a total screentime of maybe 10 minutes than these one-offs whose only purpose is to stroke the cock of sw nostalgia seekers and lore aficionados. to make these characters so inaccessible that to fully appreciate them, fans have to dive into hundreds of different novels and comics and games and whatnot. like if you make it so that the Only way someone can experience a character’s full essence is by reading their wiki page then you’ve failed in creating them, in writing them, in including them, in using them, in whatever them. you’ve just failed as a creator.

and the ONLY reason hux got a reaction (a barebones reaction but a reaction nonetheless) out of me was because they essentially just turned him into phasma 2 which is SO telling of the climate of this trilogy.

it’s a recycled trilogy. that’s all it is. it’s a recycled series of films where tfa’s originality was completely entirely scrapped and ignored because rian wanted to write his personal fanfiction more than he wanted to continue the story he was given, and did everything he could to insert that whenever he could, and kennedy, of course, let him, because she realised giving herself indulging content other than fifty shades and radfem articles that she could jerk off to was more important than telling a critical story where its wonder and valuable, influential morals could’ve stayed in this generation’s minds for years to come.

if you want to watch tros just watch the prequel trilogy instead you'll get the same story except actually good.

[jonmoxleygivesmelife]

I have decided to write out and publish my personal predictions for Wrestlemania 35 this Sunday. Feel free to comment and discuss with me cuz I’m fuckin PUMPED FOR THIS SHIT! But like also don’t be an ass about it, these are my personal predictions and opinions for Sunday. (All this is subject to change)

Wrestlemania 35 Predictions:

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (Kickoff Show): Confirmed entrants -- Braun Strowman, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Andrade, Apollo Crews, Titus O'Neil, Tyler Breeze, Jinder Mahal, No Way Jose, Bobby Roode, Chad Gable, Lucha House Party, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, Heath Slater, Rhyno, Viktor, Konnor, Mustafa Ali, Shelton Benjamin, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Otis, Tucker, EC3:

I honestly have no pony in this race. I’m still very bitter that the Hardy Boyz are being wasted in this match and not doing a singles tag match with The Usos. If I had to pick a winner, I’d say Jeff Hardy or Mustafa Ali, tho it will most likely be Braun Strowman. Winner: Braun Strowman (Personal Choice: Jeff Hardy)

Women's Battle Royal (Kickoff Show): Confirmed entrants -- Asuka, Carmella, Naomi, Lana, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Mickie James, Zelina Vega, TBA

This battle royal is such a waste of talent ohmygod. Every single one of these women has the potential to win, although I believe it will go to Asuka as sort of a payback (if such a thing even exists in this business) for the bullshit title run she was given as well as being dicked out of a Wrestlemania match. I would love to see Ruby Riott or Sonya DeVille win as well.                           Winner: Asuka

Cruiserweight Championship -- Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Tony Nese (Kickoff Show): I honestly have no idea who’s going to win since this is so underhyped and I haven’t been paying attention to the cruiserweights at all lately. I think there were much better options that creative could have gone with here, and I don’t see them stopping a long reigning title run for just anyone.                       Winner: Buddy Murphy

Raw Tag Team Championship -- The Revival (c) vs. Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins: When the fuck did this match become a thing??? I promise you all that if the Revival lose their titles, I will fucking riot. I will burn the establishment down to the ground. We’ve had to watch the Revival lose how many weeks in a row to Ricochet and Aleister Black? And then THIS is what we get for Mania??? I don’t think so. This is a filler to have on the card. Revival will win. Next.        Winner: The Revival  

SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- The Usos (c) vs. Ricochet & Aleister Black vs. The Bar vs. Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura: Once again, what the fuck?? This is a horrible lineup. We could have had The Usos vs. The Hardy Boyz, but no, we get this piece of garbage match instead. WWE creative clearly has no idea what to do with their tag divisions at this current time. I’d prefer the Usos to retain their titles, but I still haven’t seen much about whether they have signed a new contract with WWE since their current one is up in May. I honestly believe the outcome of the match will depend on that. If they have signed a new contract, I would say the Usos will retain. However, if they haven’t, it will go to Ricochet & Aleister Black since they have been dominating both Raw and Smackdown since they were called up from NXT. Maybe a unification of the tag titles in all three divisions, like with the womens titles, if they do?? Food for thought.      Winner: The Usos

Women's Tag Team Championship -- Sasha Banks & Bayley (c) vs. Beth Phoenix & Natalya vs. Nia Jax & Tamina Snuka vs. The IIconics: I hate that this is another fatal 4 way for tag titles. As it stands, I wish they never involved Nia Jax & Tamina. They had their shot at Fastlane, they lost, let’s move along now please. I feel that Nia Jax & Tamina vs. Divas of Doom in their own singles match would have been a much better use of story and talent. The IIconics, on the other hand, are a natural tag team. They have the potential to have a great rivalry with Boss n’ Hug Connection, especially with both teams’ promo and in ring skills. I wish they had been focusing more on this part of the storyline without the added mud of the other two teams going into WM35. However, I believe Sasha & Bayley will retain and go on to have a feud with the IIconics post-Mania, and perhaps an NXT tag team will get involved.                           Winner: Sasha Banks & Bayley (Personal choice: The IIconics)

Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin (Farewell Match): Kurt Angle is about to whoop Baron Corbin’s ass and we all know it. Maybe WWE will swerve us with Cena and have him vs. Kurt but who fucking knows at this point? This whole damn show is a hot mess. Kurt wins no matter what though. Let the man retire with some goddamn dignity.                                                                          Winner: Kurt Angle

The Miz vs. Shane McMahon (Falls Count Anywhere): I’m really excited for this match simply because it’s going to be mayhem. Shane McMahon will jump off lots of stuff, Miz will take some good spots, it’ll be great. With The Miz dominating the way he has been the past few weeks and becoming a beloved babyface, he has to win. I think with Shane attacking his father and the return of Miz’s reality show, they won't do Miz dirty here and his father may even intervene. Winner: The Miz

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre: I’m so excited for this match ohmygoodness. I love both of them so much and they will give us a great match. After Drew McIntyre brutalizing all of The Shield continuously for the past month, it naturally makes sense that Roman’s first single match since returning from hiatus will be McIntyre. This is going to be the beginning of a beautiful feud, but I don’t think Roman is going to win just yet. They’re introducing a new version of Roman that isn’t invincible like he’s always been in the past. He has a layer of humanity to him now and it would develop his new storyline much more to lose. I think Drew winning will rocket him to being the top heel of the company and it will spark great storylines for the future.                            Winner: Drew McIntyre

Triple H vs. Batista (No Holds Barred; Triple H's career on the line): I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want, and that’s for Batista to win this match. However, with Triple H’s career on the line (once again) I don’t see him having much of a chance. Triple H will take this one, but at least we’re getting a blast to the past of ruthless aggression, yeah!                                         Winner: Triple H (Personal Choice: Batista)

AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton: So, I originally HATED the idea of this match. Like, I fucking hate Randall with every fiber of my being. I have my whole life and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. However, the latest episode of smackdown left me excited to see what these two will do in a ring together. What I really mean is that AJ Styles is about to make Randall look the best he has in almost a decade. This one goes to the good ole Georgia boy.                    Winner: AJ Styles

United States Championship -- Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio: This match is still up for debate on whether it’s going to happen or not. On the go-home SmackDown, it was announced that Mysterio had suffered an ankle injury during his match on Raw against Baron Corbin. He's set to be evaluated up until Sunday so who the fuck knows? I certainly don’t. However, Joe will retain. He deserves to win his first Mania match. ily Joe bby.                     Winner: Samoa Joe

Intercontinental Championship -- Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Finn Balor: The Demon King is showing up. There’s no question that Bobby will get the shit kicked out of him and Balor will take the title and move on from Buff Wayne Brady to bigger and better things.                                          Winner: Finn Balor

WWE Championship -- Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kofi Kingston: KOFIMANIA BABY! It’s time! I think this will be match of the night and we deserve it. So does Kofi. It’s going to be an amazing moment for everyone when our new WWE Champion is crowned. I think I might cry y’all.                             Winner: Kofi Kingston

Universal Championship -- Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins: At least someone actually gets their promised Royal Rumble match (I’m bitter about a lot of things but that’s another matter). I think this will be the biggest disappointment of the night. Everyone hates Brock. We’re tired of him. We want him to go away. Fuck Brock Lesner. Although, I don’t think Seth will win this match. Not after him standing tall over Brock on the latest episode of Raw. I think this is going to be a major let down, but we can’t always get what we want right? Vince’s obsession with Brock will never end until he fucking dies and we’re stuck with him until then. Unfortunately, Seth will be the sacrificial lamb for Kofi and Becky to win.      Winner: Brock Lesnar (Personal Choice: Seth Rollins)

Winner Take All -- Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Becky Lynch: God, what a fucking mess. I just want Becky to win dammit. Fuck Ronda. Fuck Charlotte. GIVE US BECKY. It’s what we deserve. It’s what she deserves. It’s what the world deserves. I know it’s going to be one hell of a match and I think if they pick anyone else to win they will have a riot from the fans and crowd so bad that people will throw drinks and shit into the ring. I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlotte wins, however, since Vince is obsessed with her, but the smart business move is Becky. If Ronda wins, I give up on everything and this show. Thank God we’re finally getting this match over with.                        Winner: Becky Lynch

See y’all Sunday ✌️

[asterekmess]

Personal Writing Promotion

So I’ve realized that I’m running this sterek blog, and I haven’t even posted anything that I’ve written. I would make them a recommended sterek fic of the week, but that seems a bit pompous...though...now that I think about it, this probably isn’t much better.

No matter! So I’m gonna just post a couple links for fics that I’ve got finished and posted on Ao3, since that’s my main fanfiction platform, and then when I eventually start posting new ones, I’ll keep you updated on new chapters coming out or whatever. Sound good?

~~~

Title: Needed Rating: Teen and Up WC: ~17k Tags: Canon-Typical Gore, Pre-Slash, Pack Feels, Pack Bonding, Pack Mother Stiles Stilinski, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles-centric, Insecure Stiles Stilinski, Alpha Derek, Stiles Has Panic Attacks, Understanding Derek, Derek Has Nightmares, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Post-Season/Series 02 Finale, Pre-Season/Series 03

Summary:  Stiles knows he doesn't bring anything to the pack, but if that's true, why does Derek come to him for help?

My Notes: Yes, I’m allowed to have notes on my own works. You should know what you’re getting into. This was essentially self-indulgent twaddle. As my first piece of Sterek fanfiction at all, I wasn’t writing to learn anything or challenge anything. I just wanted things to be good for my boys, and I’m a sucker for Insecure Stiles. It’s just two boys, picking each other up and making it through the day.

~~~

Title: Wanted Rating: Mature WC: 88k Tags: Slow Build, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mates, Derek Has Nightmares, Pack Mother Stiles Stilinski, True Alpha Scott McCall, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Alpha Derek, Oblivious Stiles, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Season 3 rewrite, Peter Left or Something-He's just Gone, Because I said so and he's stupid, Slow Paced, Sheriff Stilinski is a Good Parent, Puppy Piles, Pack Feels, Stiles Has Panic Attacks, Canon-Typical Violence, Getting Together, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, all the good ones at least, Fluff

Summary:  With the Hale pack finally settled and safe, it only makes sense that something would happen to screw it all up. To top it all off, Stiles has to pretend to be Derek's mate, or face a pack of angry Alphas. He's doomed.

My Notes: This is the sequel to Needed, and it distorts the shit out of season 3 because screw that whole situation. There’s a few stolen moments from the show itself before everything shifts, but only a couple. This was my baby, took me like 3 months to write, and I had to take a massive hiatus because of going back to college near the end of it. It was so worth it to finish. There were a couple people that were disappointed by the lack of explicit content in this, but I’d never written M/M before, and had only even attempted F/M like twice before, so I avoided it. Honestly think it’s still good without. As my second sterek fic, I was absolutely blown away at the response it received, and I gotta say, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

~~~

Title: Gorgeous Rating: Explicit WC: 6k Tags: Protective Derek, Insecure Stiles Stilinski, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Derek is too curious for his own good, Stiles Stilinski Has Low Self-Esteem, Oblivious Derek Hale, Oblivious Stiles Stilinski, not slow burn, More like a roller coaster, like super slow for a little bit, and then it fucking dives into smut, gave me whiplash to write it, let alone read it, Blow Jobs, Body Worship, technically???

Summary: Derek didn’t actually notice anything strange until the middle of the pack’s second year, but once he realized how many layers of clothing Stiles wore all the time, he couldn't stop noticing it. Curiosity and worry ate away at him every time the weather turned warm, until he felt he had to do something about it.

My Notes: Aww, it’s like you guys are following me on my little sterek growth period. This is the only other thing I have finished and posted for Sterek. It was my first experiment with writing anything explicit between the two of them, and I like to think it wasn’t so bad. I think you could maybe consider it a slow burn, but only because the first 4 chapters or so are totally sfw, and then those last two chapters are just a freefall. I’m kinda proud of it, actually. :)

~~~

Alrighty, so there’s the only three sterek fics that I’ve got finished. I have some issues with writing regularly, so it’s become standard practice not to post anything until I’m done with it, so that I don’t leave my readers high and dry. But I’ve got so many ideas, you’ve no clue! Over fifteen different half formed plots, and half written fics and they’re all so interesting to me, half the time I can’t pick one to write in. I hope I eventually have something ready for you guys.

So, in case it wasn’t obvious, my username on Ao3 is Livinginfictions, which is also the username of my main blog here on Tumblr. This is because I don’t just post sterek fics, though recently it’s been all I’m able to think about. Seriously, sterek all the time. It’s not healthy.

Anyway, here you all go. I’ll probably repost this like next month or something, just to test the circulation.

[sujirk]

A staff member leads you down KT’s winding hallways to Katie Lee’s office, then opens the door and leads you inside, where the CEO awaits, sitting at her desk. She observes you as you’re instructed by the staff member to take a seat. Next to your chair, is a company lawyer whom you recognize from before; he’d been present when you signed your initial company contract. The staff member then leaves the room. You hear the door close and the latch click back into place just as your CEO finally decides to speak up.

“I’m very glad you are here today because it means you have finally achieved our goal, haven’t you? Trainees come here and sign away their two-year contracts with hope of one day making to where you are right now, but not everybody makes it.” She says it all with a serene smile. “Your years of training are what got you here.”

“You stood out from the others, even if you also had your ups and downs. What’s important is that you managed to get yourself back on your in feet and kept on improving.” She pauses, and diverts her attention to her desk, where she shuffles paperwork until she sets one singular sheet of paper in front of her. “I’ve been proud of your growth here, and I trust you to do your best to continue to improve, even after debut. This, here,” she says, motioning towards the document, “is a contract exclusive to Eclipse and will tie you to this group, and to KT Entertainment, for the next six years.”

There is no sign of regret on her features as she slides the contract toward you and hands you a pen. “If we share the same vision of making Eclipse the next girl group of Korea, as I’ve already done with a group before, and you wish to be a part of this journey, you know what to do.”

When Audrey is guided to Katie Lee’s office, the first thoughts that run through her head are ones revolving around getting kicked out of the company. They heard about her fight with Inho, or how she argued with Sungho months ago. The instagram post was the nail in the coffin. She’s doomed. The girls must not have been active because Katie Lee was disappointed with them, and took the month deciding which girls to cut- Audrey must first on the list. 

Those thoughts settle in the pit of her stomach as she sits down in front of the CEO’s desk, next to a lawyer. The dread and fear of losing her career must be evident on her face, because Ms. Lee finally speaks to her. Very glad, she says, and it finally pierces the dullness in her hearing because it’s not bad news.

She lets out the breath that she had been holding as the words continue, and they sound like praises- ones she hadn’t realized she needed until she heard them. Katie Lee is proud of her, and doesn’t want to get rid of her. She wants to keep her even longer- through even more ups and downs. (If they had survived this, couldn’t they survive more now?) It’s a promise of good fortune to come to KT for them both, and Audrey remembers why she signed her contract again last year anyway. 

There’s no hesitation on her part; As soon as the pen is offered to Audrey’s shaking hand she signs, with decorative flourishing and a heart, because her heart will always be with KT, just as she mentioned last year when she sat here with their CEO signing on for another two years. There’s no doubt about it, and Audrey has to fight to hold back the tears of relief and joy that threaten to escape. “Thank you.” 

OOC NOTE: First of all, congratulations to arriving at the final step before debut! I know it’s been a long and crazy journey, and I’m so glad you’ve stuck through it. When you are ready, feel free to post this prompt with Suji’s response to it.

Should Suji choose to SIGN the Eclipse contract, she will be employed by KT Entertainment without a need to renew a contract until the duration of this one has concluded. As a reward for making it this far, she will receive THREE WEEKENDS unpaid vacation time to use any time between now and the start of July, so long as it doesn’t clash with any special debut activities (such as music show appearances, meaning she can’t actually use her vacation time until after her music show performances have finished.)

Should she choose to REJECT this contract with KT and Eclipse, she will leave the company, effective immediately upon rejection. She will be able to keep all of her debut points, but will not be able to take any trainee workshops or earn any more debut points/workshop points until she becomes a trainee again. She will not have any special advantage over newer characters when she auditions for other companies in the future, and should she become a trainee at a new company she will be considered a junior trainee all over again, even though she will still have her debut points and would be eligible for debut right away. She WILL have the right to audition for KT again, but the fact that she gave up a contract renewal, especially a debut one, WILL be taken into account in final casting decisions.

She will have up to two weeks to make her decision IC, meaning that if she does not make a decision by February 13th, she will automatically be cut from the company. Exceptions can be made for those on hiatus.

[redsoapbox]

MY TOP TEN ALBUMS LIST OF 1983

As someone who has always been an obsessive list-maker, I can’t quite comprehend how I’ve resisted the temptation, in the three years of redsoapbox, to blog to the world my thoughts on favourite films, books, records, etc. However, during some much-needed spring cleaning over the weekend, I stumbled upon a list of my favourite albums from 1983 and my defences collapsed on the spot. So I ’m putting it out there, regardless of the risk to my reputation (ha, ha). 

1.Swordfishtrombones - Tom Waits

The album, of course, that marked Waits’ change from jazzy, bohemian barfly to surrealist junkyard poet. I hadn’t had much to do with Waits up until this point but subsequently bought up his back catalogue on the strength of this masterpiece. Waits described the transition in style this way -  “I hatched out of the egg I was living in. I'd nailed one foot to the floor and kept going in circles, making the same record”. “In the Neighbourhood”, the alt.torch song “Frank’s Wild Years” and the little love poem “Johnsburg, Illinois” were the obvious standouts. Swordfishtrombones still remains on heavy rotation in the McGrath household today.

Selected track -  “In the Neighbourhood”

2. Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs. Spy - Billy Bragg

Sometime in 83/84, I showed up at the local Polytechnic to watch The Icicle Works and fell head over heels in love with unbilled support act, Billy Bragg. As a fully paid-up member of the Labour Party, I bought into Billy’s ‘socialism of the heart’ in a big way. I stood there open-mouthed as the ‘Bard of Barking’ cranked out “Milkman of Human Kindness”, “New England” and “To Have And Have Not”. The gig ended on an unbelievable high, with Billy joining Ian McNabb and co. on stage for an encore which included a medley of “Jailhouse Rock”, “L.A. Woman” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. I’ve seen Billy ‘one-man Clash’ Bragg play a dozen times since, and this fifteen-minute masterpiece remains high in my all-time top twenty albums list.

Selected track - “To Have And Have Not”

3. Hysterics - The Nightingales

In the sixties, you got to define yourself musically/culturally by choosing between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, for post-punks like me, though, it was a straight choice between The Fall and The Nightingales (of course, you could secretly worship both and I did!). I was always, deep down, a Robert Lloyd man - I once fired off an angry letter to *Mojo taking Morrissey to task for lumping the ‘gales in with The June Brides and The Jasmine Minks - and still regard the frontman as one of the best lyricists in pop music history. It was a real joy to witness The Nightingales come back from a 20-year hiatus (during which Lloyd worked as a Postman) with 2006′s Out Of True, an album which gives Hysterics a real run for its money. One of my top 5 all-time favourite gigs was The Nightingales/Happy Monday’s/Ted Chippington corker in the Poly of Wales in 1984/85.

Selected track  -  “This” 

The Nightingales have not been too well-served by the internet and there is next to nothing in terms of live footage before their reformation. They did, however, record 8 Sessions for John Peel, including the one below from the 5th of December 1983 which kicks off with “This”, the only song from Hysterics that I could track down for the purposes of this piece. 

* The letter was published in issue no 151.

4. Murmur - R.E.M.

Having disastrously passed up the chance to catch ‘some new American band’, who in fact turned out to be none other than R.E.M., at Rumney’s run-down New Ocean Club in November 1984, I had to wait a further five years to see the band play (in Newport and Birmingham) as part of their Green tour. By then, of course, the whole world had fallen in love with the college rockers turned conquering heroes. Albums such as Document and Green may have propelled Athens’ finest into the big leagues, but the Byrdsian mumble-fest that is Murmur remains their masterpiece. A belated thumbs-up to Big Al for turning me onto the band in the first place.

Selected track - “Talk About The Passion”.

5. Power Corruption and Lies - New Order

You can’t begin to discuss the strange and surreal story of New Order’s rise to world domination without first engaging with the personal tragedy of Ian Curtis and the dramatic fall of Joy Division. How the remaining members of Manchester miserabilists Joy Division - Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris - recovered from the suicide of their friend and frontman Curtis in May 1980 to remodel themselves as the unexpected pioneers of Indie dance (Blue Monday is the biggest selling 12 inch record of all time) is surely one of the tallest tales in the annals of popular music. 

Full disclosure here - there was a time in the mid-eighties, stretching to somewhere between 12 and 18 months, where I barely listened to anything other than Joy Division/New Order. Curtis had already died when I bumped into two old school friends, Tosh and Dai, huddled in the doorway of The Criterion pub at closing time one stormy Friday night in Pontypridd in the winter of 1983. In what was undoubtedly a drunken conversation, I heard the name Joy Division for the very first time. The next morning, with praise for JD still ringing in my head (unless that was the hangover), I headed straight for Hurleys Toy Shop (there was a record store in the back, staffed that morning by another friend from school, Huw, a mod who was clad in his usual Parka). I asked him to put on the first Joy Division record that I had caught sight of, which, try and stifle the laughter here folks, happened to be odds & sods compilation Still. The thrumming, glacial intro to “Exercise One” slowly unfurled and then, at 1.43 precisely, Curtis’ doomy, dislocated voice kicked in and my life would never be quite the same again. And I hadn’t even heard a track from Unknown Pleasures or Closer, let alone the classic singles “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, “Transmission” or “Atmosphere”.

New Order tried and failed to recapture that sound with their debut album Movement, but they were saved by the unlikeliest of transitions - the doom merchants became dance doyens, a shift signaled by the singles “Everything’s Gone Green” and “Temptation”.The members of New Order underwent personality transplants overnight and cemented their place in the pop pantheon.

Selected track - “Age of Consent”. The video below is the notorious live BBC concert, where everything in the lead-up to the gig has gone wrong. Bernard, visibly bursting at the seams with anger, isn’t best pleased, to begin with, and things are about to get worse!. I must have watched that twenty-minute broadcast a million times!

6. The Icicle Works - The Icicle Works

It’s been many a long year since I played this album and off the top of my head I can only name a couple of the tracks - “Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)” and the top twenty hit “Love Is A Wonderful Colour”. I was, though, a hardcore fan at the time, buying every album and a fair few of the Ian McNabb solo efforts that followed, including his majestic Head Like A Rock (1994), featuring members of Crazy Horse. Around the time of that album, he played a gig in Newport in front of a very paltry crowd. He took to the stage, looked around him and murmured ‘so this is Newport’. He never uttered another word during the set and looked well fed-up with life. He did, though, play the storming “Fire Inside My Soul”, which more than made up for his couldn’t care less attitude.

Selected track -  “Love Is A Wonderful Colour”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFUGLNz1YfY

7. Punch the Clock - Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Another album that needs a good dusting down! Aside from King of America (1986), I usually confine myself to the Greatest Hits compilations when I’m in the mood for a slice of EC these days. Funnily enough, this month’s issue of Uncut has a feature on the album's producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley in which they recall that ‘the premise of the record was Elvis needs a hit, and a hit in America. Keep that in mind”. Langer recalls Costello freaking out on the last night of recording, claiming the album sounded crap. There are great tracks here - “Shipbuilding”, “Everyday I Write the Book” and “Pills and Soap” but there won’t be too many Costello aficionados claiming it as his best work.

Selected track -  “Let Them All Talk”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjr9zAknhbI

8. Soul Mining - The The

Although we weren’t to know it at the time it was Matt Johnson’s follow-up to this fine record, 1986′s crusading, state of the nation classic Infected, that would truly stand the test of time. Soulmining shouldn’t be neglected, however, with fine tunes like “This is the Day” and “Uncertain Smile” to its credit.

Selected track - “This is the Day”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAue9jqLB74

9. Perverted by Language - The Fall

Probably The Fall record I played the most down the years (along with Live at the Witch Trials), mainly because I was obsessed with “Eat Y’ Self Fitter”. Any track beginning 

I’m in the furniture trade / Got a new job today / But stick the cretin / On the number-three lathe’, deserves our absolute devotion.

As with most Mark E. Smith compositions, I haven’t got a scooby’s as to what the substance of the song is actually about, but it doesn’t really matter, does it? when you can belt out  ‘Where’s the cursor? Where’s the eraser? until you’re fit to drop.

Selected track - “ Eat Y’Self Fitter” of course!

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFCOt6wbm80

10. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart - Van Morrison

The Belfast Cowboy’s streak of legendary albums, from 1968′s Astral Weeks through to 1974′s Veedon Fleece (discounting workmanlike efforts such as His Band and Street Choir in 1970 and 1973′s Hard Nose the Highway), was well and truly over and his mid-eighties slump entirely predictable by the time of this average undertaking. Still, anything that bears Morrison’s stamp upon it is bound to include a magical track here or there. In this case, it was the momentously odd “Rave On, John Donne” and the Morrison masterclass that is “The Street Only Knew Your Name”.

Selected track - “The Street Only Knew Your Name”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa8sdU6bxlA

Clearly, there are some glaring omissions here, but I was a 21-year-old slip of a lad at the time, and all in all, it’s a pretty fair list, I think. The top 4 are all still to be found in my top 30 albums list and I wouldn’t disown any of the others 35 years on. Those were great gig-going years - many thanks to Duncan, Huw and Stephen who accompanied me to some of the concerts mentioned above, and plenty of others besides in my indie heyday. I guess I still owe you petrol money, guys?

[khunvegas]

Malec Fanfic Rec! 2.0

Here I am again with a list too long for those who are Malec Trash.

Since this fandom loves drama (the unnecesary one) this list contains lots of that, with tears, angst, happy endings and everything in between in these Malec writing goodies, that hopefully can appeased those who wants drama and those who really are looking for good fanfiction to bear this hiatus.

And all the love to these amazing writers that can bring everything above and more with just a few words and make you sit still until the end of the chapter and make you want more

My stalking skills are a little rusty and there’s a few authors that I could’t find their blog. So, for whoever read this and knows the author and tag them, that would be very much appreciated.

A Kind of Magic by thegaminebruise

"I'm a warlock."

"Are we roleplaying? Because you know I’m down, but I would really like some time to prepare and, like, flesh out my character, maybe write down some major story points. I don’t know if –”

---

Or, Magnus tells Alec about his magic.

A Lesson in Love by CobaltCorvus

Alec should have known he was doomed from the moment he decided to ask Magnus Bane for help.

A Tail to Tell by CobaltCorvus

Magnus dresses like a work of art, there's always something new to see every time you look, and Alec is a tad disappointed he didn't notice this little detail before.

Animal by lbrt_audrey

Based on the song Animals, by Maroon 5.

Magnus description of Alec, his touch, his body ... everything that made him feel.

As long as there's the two of us, we've got the world and all it's charms. By Taliehere

And when the world is through with us, we've got each other's arms ~

At first Alec doesn't notice, but Clary does.

Better for You by @zrdu

Magnus' and Alec's relationship comes to a sudden halt when Maryse interferes. They both try to cope without each other.

Blame The Tequila by @scarlett-ice

Alec took a sip of his coffee as he tapped on the message inbox and nearly spat it back out again at the sight that greeted him. He had to be dreaming, hallucinating, because that…that wasn’t Mark’s name at the top. Alec blinked a few times, even put down his coffee to pinch himself, but nothing changed. It still wasn’t Mark’s name.

It was Magnus’.

He’d sent the message to Magnus Bane. He’d sent a flirty shirtless picture to his boss.

Caffeinated Wolves by @softmagnusbane

“They’re really good” finally turning to face the barista Magnus feels his mouth go dry. The man behind the counter is gorgeous: pink lips, cheekbones slightly flushed, mesmerizing hazel eyes, surely a model on the side...maybe he could model Magnus’ clothes, or, model his suddenly inspired underwear collection. He’ll have to get right on that.

Coffee Shop Dalliance by @imawriteriwrite

Everyone who worked at and frequented J&L Coffee knew two things for sure. The first was that Simon under no circumstances should be allowed anywhere near the expensive coffee machines unless they wanted to destroy the coffee shop. The second was that the beautiful glittery man that sat in the front corner of the shop every day sketching and the dark-haired boy who sat in the back corner reading (and happened to be Isabelle the barista’s brother) were made for each other.

Also known as: the one where Magnus and Alec have been pining over each other across a crowded coffee shop for eight months and Isabelle is tired of it.

Devotion by @jezthemadficster

Magnus Bane is one of the most well respected and loved professors at Edom Hall University, but although he adores his students and fellow faculty, he likes to keep his private life ...private. The mystery surrounding his life intrigues everyone at the University but the intrigue picks up to another level with the arrival of flowers one day.

Differences by @theonetruenorth

Five times that Alec is taller/bigger than Magnus and one time he isn’t.

Five People That Heard Magnus' Ringtone for Alec and One Time Alec Heard It Himself (and Shared His Own) by darkangel86

The fact that it took as long as it did for Jace to hear Magnus' ringtone for Alec was surprising. After all, the blonde Shadowhunter had been living in the loft for well over a month before it finally happened.

Freud is a Dick by @sanctuaryforalluniverses

He, Alec Lightwood, had just sent his boss, Magnus Bane, a dick pic. Of someone else’s dick.

Fleeing the country would not even begin to be enough of a response to this.

Glitter and Misunderstandings by Torius Armitage (VictoriaSkyeMarsters)

He had tried. When he was nearer Clary’s age, he had not held back in his efforts to be wooed, but whenever the courtship took its turn for the serious and permanent, Magnus would retreat, realizing he felt empty inside in regards to the suitor. And he would not settle for emptiness. He yearned for genuine, overwhelming, inescapable love, like the heroines and heroes of the novels he consumed. Why sentence oneself to a life absent of magic? But Magnus was learning, after years of lackluster options, that the magic he sought, in his world anyway, was nowhere to be found.

--

In other words, Pride and Prejudice drenched in glitter.

Hard Choices by heartsdesire456

Even before arriving at the house where Clary and Alec had gone to meet the Warlock that was supposed to be bringing back their mother, Jace could tell that something was very wrong.

Note: this fic is HEAVY. The contain of it is not for everyone. First of all, it has male pregnancy, a lot of angst, torture at some point, discussion of abortion, rape not described but it’s there, I think there’s panic attacks at some point. I feel obliged to say it because anyone can see this post and feel triggered for this. I put it in here, anyway, because this fic is worth it, because the author makes it bearable and for me, the author is cautios for some topics in the fic. For those who can’t really digest this kind of fics, don’t even click it, please, just keep scrolling and find a fic that you really like, and for those who knows the author and knows the writings, I really suggest to give it a chance because it was very well written.

Hold On, We're Going Home by @unorthodoxpartofyourworld

At Esther's request, Alec begins his foray into the mundane world so he can be a believable Matthew Daddario.

He sees something he can't really unsee.

(This is a companion piece to Soul Glitch, you should probably go read that first so you generally understand what's going on. Takes place right after Chapter 3)

Honey, i'm home by Shorty

Magnus gives him a once over as he steps out of the elevator, and for a second Alec lets himself believe that it’s flirtatious.

Of course, that’s all dashed seconds later as Magnus disappears through the door to his apartment with a loud, happy, “babe, I’m home!”

...

Or, in which misunderstandings are made.

Hoodie by @alec-dark-wood 

It’s soft and fluffy and the first time Magnus sees it,he has to backtrack and take a closer look.He walks towards the grey lump slowly,hardly daring to believe what it could be.

Hopefully it's Enough by onihunter305

Magnus could tell something was wrong with Alec from the moment he touched his elbow outside of the Institute. He could feel the tremors that shook his body. He knew Alec needed someone to take care of him, and even though he was momentarily distracted by Alec’s declaration of love, he was going to make sure he took care of the man he loved.

I can do that by @softmagnusbane

Prompt: soulmate au where the first time you touch you both get a vivid mental image of the other’s biggest kink.

I Love You, Too by parabacrybaby

This takes place the morning after the morning of the battle in the winter finale of season 2A.

I'll make you (beg for mercy) by thesorrowoflizards

Magnus wears body glitter. Alec appreciates this very, very much.

Inspired by combining three one-word prompts: softly, strawberries, and glitter

It's nothing by @steakandvodka 

Alec is pretty sure someone, or something, is stalking him. He just isn't sure if it's an innocent kitten, or something a bit more malicious than that. -- In this world, Alec is the one to find their pet cat and bring it home to Magnus.

Kids in the Kitchen by @perpetual-j0urney

“It’s Alec Lightwood,” He finally said, after another moment of hesitation. Then, both sets of puppy eyes were locked on Magnus once again and waiting for his answer. “No”. More than a few customers turned to look at the outburst as both boys pulled away from Magnus and simultaneously cried, “But Papa!”

-------

Magnus Bane liked to believe he was a good father, but there were just some requests that one could not grant their kids. For instance, a good dad wouldn't let their child crawl into a lion's cage to pet the furry kitty. Alternatively, a good dad also wouldn't bring their kids to a cooking class taught by the angriest chef on the Food Network.

Kiss With A Fist by @clockworkswans

When agent Alec Lightwood is given his first kill hit, he doesn’t expect much trouble. Of course, he also doesn’t expect it to be a cheerful assassin who lands him in a whole load of trouble. Enter Magnus Bane: an assassin turned thief who reluctantly teams up with Alec - and The Clave - after he pisses off a very important and powerful crime boss, Valentine Morgenstern. In a world of violence and unjust laws, can the two put aside their differences and work together? Aka: in which Alec is sent to kill Magnus, doesn’t, and then really wishes he had. (but not really). Enemies to friends to lovers.

Never felt that type of fear before by creativitea

The risk of his heart in Magnus's hands is worth it, compared to the risk that would lie in keeping it hidden. He trusts Magnus with it more than himself, and he needs him to know; even if it's a bad idea. The risk of Magnus not knowing is worse than the risk of it being out in the open.

New Neighbor by Chrystie, kate882

Alec Lightwood isn't the most social person in the world, but his new neighbor is ridiculously attractive so he makes an effort. It's too bad Magnus seems to think that Alec is married to his best friend.

Nobody says that anymore by vomitingwords

Magnus is over 300 years old and Alec is okay with that. Sometimes more often than not

Oh darling (put your arms around me) by thesorrowoflizards

Also known as: Six times Magnus doesn't dare initiate physical affection, two times he doesn't even think about it

Pardon the Interruption by Obsessivecompulsivereadr

But one thing they could never seem to fix was how often they got interrupted whenever they did have time to spend together. It seemed as if no one in the entire shadow world could function without dragging Magnus and Alec into their problems.

So that’s what this vacation had been about, three weeks away, just the two of them.

Prettiest person in the world by @katychan666 

(A fanfic inspired by the prettiest person in the world post on tumblr)

Alec making Magnus speechless with his smugness for the first time :)

Pretty Thoughts by @rosegoldhell 

After being homeschooled all his life, and unintentionally sheltered, Magnus Bane has to navigate his way through American Highschool. He goes in thinking the worse possible scenarios, and quickly learns that not everything you see in movies is true. Sometimes the unexpected happens, and magnus soon realizes he has fallen for one of the most popular guys in school, and it might not be as one sided as he thinks.

Put the heat on if you’re cold by @ohlafraise

Alec pulled back the delicate tissue paper and looked in the box. Oh. Okay.

Or: Alec isn’t attracted to women, but that doesn’t mean he’s not attracted to femininity.

Save it by onihunter305

Magnus knew something wasn’t right the moment he heard the telltale sound of Isabelle Lightwood’s distinctive heels on Raphael’s slate floor. If she had hurt his dear Alexander, she was about to wish she had never returned to this apartment.

Secrets Told at 2am by AdorkaGabe

Alec can't stand it. He has to get out. The roof isn't far enough. He goes to Highland Park in Brooklyn and meets an interesting confidant in a glittery Warlock.

(Or what happens when Alec meets Magnus BEFORE they met at Magnus' Loft.)

Shaky Ground, Stabilized by onihunter305

Alec had once been told that he would blow up the very ground he stood on to make things right. If that was true, why did he feel as though the ground below him was disintegrating at the same rapid pace as the relationships he once held dearly.

So He Told You About That? By @bcnedrah

Magnus' face in 2x08 when talking with Jace about sleeping with Alec was a face of sex gone wrong.

Someone should kill the sun by MsEnny

“You know, Mags. Last night I had a kind of revelation.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I-… I know it’s late, but I realized, stupidly, that I never really told you how much I love you.”

Magnus didn’t talk anymore. He didn’t have to.

Stay Here Forever by @imawriteriwrite

A year before, they didn't even know each other. Then there was this hookup app, and months where they thought they could be "just fuck buddies". Things went downhill. Things went uphill.

Now, it's been months since Magnus Bane (head of Bane Co.) and Alec Lightwood (kind of officially a lawyer) finally figured their shit out and started a healthy relationship. Now it's Valentine's Day and their relationship is put in danger as they compete to out romance each other.

Based on the cheesy line "I've caught feelings. I hear it's contagious. We should both be quarantined in bed all day." Literally nothing but self-indulgent fluff.

Addicted To You Valentines Day!

The Drunk Giraffe, Alec Lightwood by just_a_winchester

Drunk Alec tries to break into Magnus's apartment.

The Kissing Booth by @hornedqueenofhell

Alec will 100% totally and completely blame this on Magnus

The Lightwood-Bane Saga by @achilleanragnor

Alec and Magnus come out by kissing each other on the ice, but the media takes it in a way they never expected. aka 3 +1 times the media got it wrong and the one time they made sure the media understood

The people that matter by @steakandvodka

“God, you two are so in love it’s disgusting,” Jace said, breaking the short silence. He and Izzy grinned as they waited for Alec to blush and stammer his way through a denial, as Alec always did when he was confronted about his feelings for the warlock.

They were stunned into silence when all Alec did was look back at where Magnus left, smile softly, and nod in agreement.

The time Magnus Bane got drunk by @katychan666

It's Alec's birthday and Magnus threw him a party, at which he drank... a lot, even more than he usually has. This ends up with him turning into an emotional and over-dramatic mess.

The Trouble with Words by Obsessivecompulsivereadr

There’s just something about Magnus Bane that makes people feel safe. Cared for. Loved.

And Alec would fight for that till his last dying breath, not just for himself, but for others, too. He just never knows how to tell Magnus that because, while he loves to read, he hates words.

The trouble with words is that they always fail him, and Magnus is too important to him to lose simply because he said something stupid.

The truth, for you by @serendipitiness

He’d meant it – he still means it, and he thinks he’ll mean it forever – but Alec never wants to have to say it like that again.

(or how Alec tells Magnus he loves him the second time, the way he really wants to)

Touch Me by wordsmithraven

When Alec starts to question why Magnus so rarely initiates contact, the powerful warlock and Alec's own siblings are put on the spot. It's a conversation a long time coming but is Magnus ready to have it? And can Alec handle the answer he receives?

Two's company, three's a whole lot of Alec Lightwood eye rolls by all_stories_are_truth_and_lies

This was just all so new, Magnus and he, Alec was nervous but excited to see where it would go. How in the hell was he ever suppose to ever get some alone time with Magnus with Jace-the-constant-mood-killer-Wayland as an unwanted houseguest? The story of how Alec Lightwood tries but doesn't always succeed in moving his and Magnus's relationship to the next step.

‘Alexander…’ Magnus whispered, his breath hot in Alec’s ear. ‘Tell me if you want me to stop.’ Stop? If Alec wasn’t so far gone he might have actually laughed at the thought. Alec gave a quick nod of understanding before pulling Magnus’s mouth back to his, pretty sure he felt the Warlock smiling against his lips.

One-shot set post episode 2.06 Malec trying to get it on with Jace cockblocking all over the shop.

Underneath by @sfjessii

“You already know everything.” Alec whispers but Magnus is alerted instantly, his eyes open, craning his neck to get a glimpse of Alec’s face.

He stays quiet, merely squeezing Alec’s hand to try and soothe him. Alec’s sigh rips right through Magnus and he wishes he could pull him into himself to protect him from any harm.

What's It Gonna Be by @lemonoclefox

Fairchild’s bakery is a second home to not just Magnus, but also to most of his found-family. As a pastry chef, he works long hours and takes great pride in his craft – so much so that he has little time or attention for much else. Least of all romance. After plenty of experience with heartbreak and disappointment, he has come to expect the worst from anything in that department, and the arrival of the wealthy Lightwoods in the neighborhood isn’t about to change that. Especially not when their eldest son might just be the most insufferable prick Magnus has ever met, no matter what anyone else has to say about the guy.

(aka the Pride & Prejudice/bakery AU no one asked for)

[meganambers]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who continue to visit my website and share my thoughts on their social media accounts. Despite being away for almost 3 months now, you have shown nothing but kind gesture and words, and I will always appreciate that. Thank you.

I stepped away from my site to bring back the focus that was so desperately needed in my life. I was trying to do way too many things at once and I found myself in a rut. A lot of my attention was depended on by my son Michael, and him getting used to being in a new school with new children. Which, despite what most people would think, a young child getting acquainted with a new teacher and new children is a process all within itself. But while I was away, I did learn a few things about myself and my relationship with myself and with others. It was not a very easy lesson to learn, but as they say (paraphrasing, of course) If you don’t learn your history, you are doomed to repeating it.

In the beginning of the year I wrote a post about my goals for this year and why it was important for me to meet them.  And although some things that I didn’t share in the post has come true, the year is still young and there is still time to make the rest of my resolutions, a reality.

July is almost over and it fascinating to me how much I did get to do already. So I want to do a little recap on what’s been going on in my life for the last 7 months. I am still on a high over finding what feels like the perfect apartment for myself and my son. It took a while for us to get familiar with the neighborhood and our new surroundings, but its been 5 months now and we both couldn’t be happier.

During the transition of moving and getting back to the old pre-baby me, I worked a few weeks under a publicist from Las Vegas that I met through networking from twitter. My place was not only to work under her, but I was also in charge of the other interns to come. Although it was a short-term experience and I walked away knowing more than I knew, but it just became a little overwhelming for me to keep up with the workload that I was given and other work that I had at the time. So I went my own separate way, with the hope that we will work together again on a later date. This year has definitely been a year of more UPs than DOWNs. Lessons and blessings. Shortly after moving into my place, I celebrated my 30th birthday and it was well welcomed. I remember going through this dramatic reaction that you may witness most people go through with the idea that growing older. However, next to the year I had given birth to my son, this has been my best year thus far. While I took that time to reconnect with myself and the woman who I was created to be on a spiritual level, I also reconnected with a friend who invited me to a show that he had here in NYC. (READ HERE)

  I had the pleasure of watching him in his rarest of form, along  with his sister. And after 7 years of correspondence, I finally had the opportunity to meet and talk to her in person and she really is as sweet as you would expect her to be.

This year I took the initiative to tale michael on little “mommy and me” trips around the city. I took Michael to the zoo for the very first time, during spring break. Never had the opportunity to take him before and with a friend and her little niece, we visited one of the popular zoos in NYC, the Bronx Zoo. It was hectic and people were impatient, but overall we had a great time. He loved looking and learning about all of the animals that he has seen on TV and in school. I can’t wait for the opportunity to take him to the aquarium next. 

Last month, I unexpectedly scored a pair of wristbands from Fader for the Governor’s ball NYC (a three-day music festival that is held annually here).

 I decided to go with a former colleague from the website I worked at last year. Since this was my first time attending the festival, I could only imagine this experience would be like how I imagine attending Coachella would be. It was very much what I expected. There were people on top of people everywhere. People lying on the grass, taking selfies, flower crowns everywhere, and the occasional blunt and vapor pens. A modern-day Woodstock. We missed the first night with Chance the rapper (long story) so when we attended the Saturday show, we were excited to see Wu-Tang Clan’s performance because it just so happened to be their 20th anniversary since their first album. It was amazing to witness how so many people (young and old) Knew every word to every song verbatim. Some experiences, however, was not expected. For instance, I got caught up in a mosh pit (not as fun as it seems) and people were crowd surfing. LOL We were also sprayed with Moët and water, courtesy of RZA and Method Man. Afterwards, we walked what seemed like a mile to the other stage to catch Childish Gambino’s performance. And I must state that watching him is a life-altering experience, and If you have never seen a Childish Gambino live performance, sell a lung (if you must) and go to see him. You will not regret it. Afterwards, we got lost looking for the transit bus and i didn’t get home until almost 3 AM. 

During this hiatus, I also started to go back to networking events again. It was suggested to me by Erin Ashley Simons (formerly Revolt Tv and now Cycle media) to get out there and meet new people. I left with two business cards, Instagram info from one musician from south Carolina and contact info from the co-founder of the digilogue (the creators of the event). Not so bad for a girl out of practice. 

Oh. And this happened. 

And yes, it is a really big deal to me. LOL 

And lastly, the most recent thing I’ve done was become a contributor for DJ Vashtie’s website. This opportunity is important to me because it gives me room to grow as a writer, to expand my knowledge of wellness and beauty content. When I worked for HU and even on this site, I always spoke about music, pop culture, current events and so on. I never had the opportunity before to talk about wellness, health regimens, beauty products and etc. This is a time for me to step out of my comfort zone and expand my writing skills to new and higher lengths. 

 A good writer can write about anything … really well. An exceptional writer can write about everything… really well. 

Totally just made that up just now. But tell me I’m wrong. 😌

So I am so very excited to be a part of her team and I can’t wait to see where this adventure takes me. http://www.vashtie.com/author/megan/ (You can find me here.)

Before I end this quick (not so quick) post, I wanted to do a short rundown on the top 10 things that has happened in the celebrity world while I was away. Some may and some may not be important to you, but it for certain was trending.

10.Diddy’s Can’t stop won’t stop movie.

9. MSFTRep and Roc Nation partnership 

8. Migos vs. Joe Burden

7. Blue Ivy freestyles on 4:44

6. Kanye working on a new album

5. Kid Cudi returns to the stage at BET experience

4. Rob got robbed by Blac Chyna

3.Jay-Z releases his 13th studio album 4:44

2. Beyoncé has Sir and Rumi Carter 

1. We lost Chester Bennington of Linkin Park and the Original batman, the Legendary Adam West

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IAmMeganAmbers.com will be back up and running on Tuesday, August 15, and I really miss it and desperately need to get back into the swing of things.

See you then.  

RECAP: The last seven months of 2017 -During my hiatus  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who continue to visit my website and share my thoughts on their social media accounts.

[xjmparrish]

31 Day Character Development Writing Challenge

(days 11- 31)

DAY 11: When does your celebrity feel their best? Are they the type that does best with time off, hanging out at home with the family or the dog on the couch, or do they find themselves feeling the most at ease while working?

She feels her best when enjoying some time off to work on herself. This is typically during hiatus for her, where she can start off her day feeling like a badass post workout, hang at the beach with her girls, then be lazy for the rest of the day on the couch with Kleo and a bag of chips. Everybody needs time to just chill out, and it’s a time for her to be her best self that doesn’t involve waking up at 5am for hair and makeup as most other times in her life. 

DAY 12: Why did your celebrity choose the house that they’re currently living in? Was there something that drew them to the space, or a price point that it fell under, or some special reason that they decided to take the plunge?

Janel loves any excuse to be near the water, so settling over in the Retreats was a natural choice especially in comparison to the home she was just moving out of blocks from the beach. She’s used to a smaller, simpler living. It was a perfect compromise considering other options she’d seen in town. 

DAY 13: Describe the contents of your celebrity’s night stand. Is it full of naughty secrets? Do they keep precious family mementos? What about the surface, do they have things thrown about, is it organized?

Her night stand is fairly organized, though she does tend to collect things like water bottles on top. Inside of the drawer is mostly miscellaneous things like packs of tissues and a handy bottle of painkillers. Books occasionally make their way on and off of the table, as now most reading she does isn’t from from a physical book. Always found are always pens, pencils, and highlighters as well as she tends to read her scripts while in bed. Anything else, might need to be cleaned out but it isn’t messy by any means. 

DAY 14: Winter can be a bit dark and bleak, and sometimes that leads to down days. How does your celebrity handle those? Is there someone they talk to, something they do to feel better, or do they end up keeping it to themselves and dwelling?

Janel talks to her mom and sister every day, even if for just a few minutes. If she needs to talk to anyone, they are her go-to. However, as someone who is prone to feeling everything hard, if she can’t talk things out with family she immediately turns to locking herself in her music room to write. Writing and the occasional composition is her personal form of therapy. If she didn’t write, she’d end up keeping it in until she blew up, so in order to avoid that music and wine is her go-to to feeling better. Maybe even a good cry. 

DAY 15: What kind of lover is your celebrity? Are they the sweet, giving kind or more in it for themselves; openly affectionate in public or more reserved?

Janel falls fast and loves hard. She’s always one to sacrifice for love, or what she thinks is love, even work. Her priority is typically her man, though at the end of the day even without her realizing it, her relationships often suffer because she has difficulty waiting to jump into the next. Affectionate does not begin to describe her. She wants everyone to know who her boo is, constantly posting pictures, without any ability to keep her hands.. or mouth to herself. She is always one to start throwing around “I love you” quicker than most would think appropriate but at the end of the day, she can’t help it when she feels she’s in love. 

DAY 16: The world stops on a certain day of the year, and stays that way forever – what day would your celebrity choose to stop the clocks on? (Month and day.)

Any of the last few times she’d been reunited with her entire family, particularly her grandparents. Since her grandfather’s alzheimers diagnosis, it’s been tough on the family not being able to get together often to see him. So, maybe her sister’s wedding being the last time everyone was together. 

DAY 17: How does your celebrity handle being sick or hurt? Are they the type of person to obey the doctor’s orders and stay in bed? Or are they the kind that’s up and doing things far before they should?

Being sick and being injured are two completely different stories for Janel. If she is sick, she will refuse to see a doctor and revert back to being a needy child. Sick days require home remedies, soup, and cuddling with either another human or Kleo or her stuffed bear. Maybe even all three. Being injured however, she’ll keep quiet for as long as possible. With a pretty high pain tolerence, it takes quite a lot of pain for her to cry. If she’s in enough pain to shed tears, she knows it’s serious enough to get professionally checked out. And although she does her best to follow doctors orders, she may decide to ignore them if they interfere with work. 

DAY 18: Pick three things that your celebrity owns or possesses that are important to them, and explain why they care about them so much. Please exclude animals or people!

Her final wrap gifts from Liars, the ring and jacket, in remembrance of a chapter as a family for the group who survived seven years together creating something they’re truly proud of. She also has priceless jewelry given to her by her grandmother back home which is important for that very reason. 

DAY 19: Does your celebrity have a lot of friends, or do they tend to rely on a smaller group of friends?

Janel truthfully has a small circle that are her true friends, but often times calls acquaintances her friends, and her friends her best friends. She has a specific handful who have stuck with her through thick and thin who were truly her best friends and those she has made more recently who are on their way to join that position in her life.  

DAY 20: What’s your celebrity’s relationship history like? A lot of hook-ups, many long-term relationships? Have they ever gotten very serious with someone before?

Back to back long term relationships over the past decade, with the occasional fling in between. She is a serial monogamist who does not know how to be single for very long. Most of these men are people she has worked with, at one time or another. However, her two most publicly speculated relationships are both unconfirmed flings that she refuses to speak on as they occurred back to back and interfered with her job. Of all of these relationships, only one has ended close to marriage. 

DAY 21: Travel time! Where in the world would your celebrity like to go if they were given the opportunity to take an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the entire world? The catch is… it’s a solo trip that they’re taking alone.

Anywhere where she can drink from sun up to sun down while lying out on the beach. It might be nice to visit Turks and Caicos again, as last time she took her sister she had purely jumped at the opportunity as a means to get the hell out of LA and away from the drama overwhelming her life at the time. So, it would be nice to return to what was one of her favorite vacation spots, without having to feel doomed about returning home. 

DAY 22: Whether they’re into acting, music, a sport… what has been the project that your celebrity is the most proud of?

Her two biggest projects thus far. Liars established her career as a real actress and taught her about the business. It’s given her career the opportunity to expand in ways she never even considered, all stemming from the show. Luckily, the spin off gives her a chance to continue that journey and testing her limits in acting. Of everything else she’s done over the years, Dancing had the most impact on her personally. The journey challenged her not only physically but emotionally and mentally to a degree she never expected, and it was all worth it for the experience in the end. She grew up a lot in the aftermath as well. Both shows shaped an extensive part of her life from which she grew up, and looking back, is the proudest accomplishments of her career. 

DAY 23: And on the opposite side of the spectrum, is there a project that your celebrity has worked on that they absolutely regret, for one reason or another?

She doesn’t regret any projects because they have all taught her about life and led her to where she is now. But let’s be real, Bratz is a little embarrassing to watch back. It was her first major film, and it bombed, and watching back is cringe-worthy. However, it gave her her best friends to this day and taught her lessons she needed before reaching the level she would a few short years later. 

DAY 24: How does your celebrity handle the holiday season? Are they the kind that’s very excited and upbeat? Do they tend to get somber around the holidays? Are they religious at all, or more in it for the traditions they create on their own?

Christmas is her favorite time of year. Christmas music makes her happy to the point she’ll be told to shut up several times throughout the month. The holidays always come up far to quick, in her opinion, and leave even quicker. She didn’t grow up particularly religious but her family does celebrate Christmas with early morning presents and brunch. Typically, because her extended family is so far away, it’s a quiet and comfortable day spent relaxing and enjoying family time. 

DAY 25: What is your celebrity’s Christmas (or other/no holiday, if they don’t celebrate) routine like? Do they travel out of town, have family over? Wake up early, or take advantage of the holiday and sleep in? What do they do with the day? How has it changed since they were younger and at home?

Most years, her sister flies in and they both spend it with their parents and dogs. By that point, Janel has typically moved back in with her parents for a few days already, staying with them upwards of a week beforehand and a few days after. Christmas day is typically an early morning, breakfast mimosas and presents type of deal. A games of Chinese checkers while laying on the living room floor leads to Janel’s solo tradition of watching RENT or the Sound of Music or any other musical she’s deemed Christmas appropriate while her folks rest. The day is just to relax and enjoy family time, typically ending with some wine and a book in hand to end the night. Back in Hawai'i, it would be a day spent at grandmas with the whole family and Janel was the one singing for the family after presents. Since moving to LA, it’s been her and her parents and sister. That list now includes her brother in law and the family dogs.   

DAY 26: When the holidays end, is your celebrity the type that wants to undecorate and move on immediately to get back to normal, or do they keep things up and keep the spirit going longer?

Janel is lazy and will keep things up until her mom comes over to help take everything down. She loves Christmas and wishes it lasted longer, so as long as the decor is socially acceptable is good with her. New Years is often time the cut off for her to bring everything down.  

DAY 27: Is your celebrity more of a city-dweller, or a farm person? Do you think that where they grew up had a big impact on that? And how do they do when they’re living in the opposite situation?

She refuses to live downtown, the suburbs are more her scene. Growing up in Honolulu, she enjoyed her time when the family lived a ways away toward the mountains and spent her days on the beach. The house she owns in LA is a relatively small home in quiet neighborhood in North Hollywood. She was previously living in Long Beach, blocks away from a small beach. Now she’s out by the water yet again in town. If she were to go back to living in a place like DTLA she would probably rip her hair out, it’s too much. Living out far in farm country also may not work, she relies too much on food delivery.

DAY 28: Growing up, was there one person that your celebrity looked up to more than any other, whether it be family, friend, or just someone else in their life? How do they feel about that person today?

Her mom, older sister, actresses like Lucy Liu and Ming Na Wen or Lea Salonga, and as she got older her cousin actress Kelly Hu when she began making it big. Each woman had a big impact on her life in different ways, mostly teaching her to believe in herself and that she was capable of anything no matter who she was, where she came from, or how she looked.

DAY 29: Imagine if your celebrity had never come to Bayview… where would they be right this moment? Who would they be with, and what would they be doing?

She would still be in Toronto working, but in her previous relationship heading for the alter. Without Bayview, she’d be caught up in work to distract from everything else happening in life, and balancing that with wedding planning instead and in need of some time off. However, work prospects would still be the same, as she signed on for them over a year ago. 

DAY 30: It’s the year 2022, and your celebrity is still living in Bayview. Describe what you think their life is going to be like in five years; are they still in the same house, doing the same work? With the same person and social circle? Or has their life changed astronomically? Do you think the reality of where they are is where they would have wanted to be back in 2017?

Probably in a bigger place in the suburbs, married, maybe have a kid but she’s still got plenty of time. All her time is spent between town and on location filming, her music career has also taken off. The same consistent people around her keeping her grounded. It’s a good life. Life has started to fall together, so the next five years are expected to continue the trend. 

DAY 31: If there was one wish that your celebrity could have come true for the upcoming year, what would it be and why?

To finally settle down and be happy, while work continues to be steady. So in other words, to be living comfortably. Other years have not been so nice. It would also be nice to get a little more credit and recognition for her work, which oftentimes goes unnoticed.