#i really love this exchange because it's them trying to figure out ig the rules to their banter

[shivasdarknight]

I got more wips here and it's just more dialogue exchanges that I really adore

There was a lot that she said that Estinien could’ve commented on — the easy sleight against her that was the list she’d so helpfully supplied, how readily she mocked and insulted her beloved captain, or the relevant history of the spear — but instead he looked at her for a few moments to settle on commentary she nearly hit him for: “If how you portray your captain is accurate, then it truly does explain why you were such an unruly pain in the ass when you first joined the Knights Dragoon.”  A pause.  “Granted, you may be more tolerable now, but I see how this captain of yours has shaped you.” “Like you’ve any right to speak!”  She had half a mind to go into all the ways he’d been a pain in the ass back then, but she caught the damndest thing on his face: the faintest of smiles, just barely visible.  It stopped her from making any further comments, surprised it was there to begin with. “I don’t,” he replied.  “But I’m still going to.” Maybe she’d test her luck with him again.  Surkukteni gave him a once-over, a scoff of a laugh prefacing her response.  “Despite all that’s happened, you still don’t know how to keep your opinion to yourself.” “If I did, then that’d be reason to believe I’d been replaced or possessed.”  A pause.  “But in all fairness — as much of a pain in the ass as you were back then—” “Please learn to come up with better lead ups to compliments.” The look on his face said that he wouldn’t so long as he lived; the quick “Pass,” only confirmed it.  “The stir you caused among the dragoons was funny, I’ll admit.”

[nightswithkookmin]

GOING ON A HIATUS

Thanks to everyone who's taken the time out to read my posts and has enjoyed it so far. It's really been fun and entertaining exchanging thoughts and having these much deeper ship discussions.

I thought this issue was gonna go away but I woke up this morning to more people messaging me about finding my last video analysis on several other platforms without appropriate credit.

But that's not disturbing. The disturbing part is the people sliding into people's DM'S on other platforms to get them to take down my video because they don't want people sharing my content on other platforms as they believe it would only make my blog popular.

For those worried about this whole credit business, thanks for showing this much concern for me? I really appreciate the love and concern if it's from a genuine place of concern. Thank you...

I think some of you already know this by now or might have figured it out, I am a law student, I am very much well aware what is and what isn't within my rights? Lol

I honestly didn't see this whole credit thingy as a big deal. It's not. Not to me. Lol. I repost people's photos without credit too all the time. Often, it's because I don't know who to credit and most time my lazy ass just forgets to. Lol. I think it's normal? It's inconsequential I mean.

The videos I use are usually often water marked by the appropriate owners so I don't go through the hustle of figuring this whole credit business out. If I should decide to come back here again I will check that habit of mine?

While this whole credit business is not a big deal to me, malicious slander and defamation to my character is and I don't take it lightly.

It has been brought to my attention that some Jikookers from Tumblr have since been sliding into people's DM's on other platforms asking them to take down my video and or remove the credit they give to my post.

They are telling people I am problematic, calling me the Taekook Lives of the Jikook community. That I have been spreading lies about Jikook, that the Jikook Tumblr community hates me or something like that and to further caricaturize me and make me appear more evil in order to get people to turn on me and hate me, they make up the most ridiculous lies about me claiming that I believe a notorious serial killer is innocent.

Now I have since deleted my YT account because I don't want my colleagues to find out I am into shipping too lol- shipping is a guilty pleasure of mine and I know how this fandom works unfortunately. I've been a silent part of it since 2014. I mean it's started already. The Doxing and shit.

The original post under which these replies are from couldn't save sadly as my account has been deleted but you can see from my notifications the general feel of what my interests outside shipping looks like.

I am interested in a myriad of topics, from literature, Aliens, writing, Harry Potter, history, activism, advocacy, philosophy, law, politics, NASA, and mystery and murder among other things.

My quora is mostly filled with notifications from my Book community and True crime community and often I do share my thoughts and answer questions with regards to the psychology of murderers, legal evidence, notorious villains in literature- well I guess now you know the kind of lawyer I want to be if and when I'm able to complete law school.

But what has my interest in these topics got to do with Jikook and shipping please?? How does this prove I hate Jikook and spread lies about them?

This Kookie Min Monsta person slipped into someone's DMS and asked the person who had put up my video analysis to take it down or discredit me because to her I am problematic. She is not the only one.

You want so bad to paint me black- no pun intended just to win an argument? You claim I am the evil malicious person here but I am not the one sliding into people's dms trying to take credit away from people for their hardwork, spreading hate and negative energy, making things up to manipulate people's perception of others and get them to hate and turn on them- and all because of A SHIP? Damn. This is pathetic.

Who died and made you the gatekeeper of the jikook shipping community? Honestly antics like these don't work on me try again.

I made a video commentary on my Booktube YT account- yes I am part of the book YouTube community as well sue me or better still slip into their inboxes and tell them I voted for Trump therefore I hate chipmunks.

The commentary I made on YT months ago was when I was in the highs of finding a new passion and it was on Ann Rule's book, The Stranger Besides Me- a true crime novel on Ted Bundy which I found so poorly written that at the end of the book it left with me wondering whether or not Ted Bundy was guilty at all!

The Author's writing style which deviates from most writing styles of True Crime novels I have read gave me trust issues as I stated in the video. It felt more as if she was writing a made up fictional novel than an actual True Crime novel but because she knew Ted Bundy in person she made it seem as if we just had to believe her account.

Then there was this whole thing about the police not being able to match the DNA samples taken from his rape victims, to his own Semen because his Semen was DNAless- in lay man's terms. I'll spare you the technicalities involved.

As I stated in that video, I do believe Ted Bundy was guilty but I do not have much faith in the Judicial system, or criminal procedures or even the Author of that book- a sentiment most people within the true crime community share as well. We just had differing views on whether the writer's style took away from the narrative and waters down on the extent of Bundy's guilt.

We had a Similar conversation about Chris Watt. If the community I was engaging in didn't have a problem with my commentary why do you? Please don't meddle in things you know nothing about. It's embarrassing.

The conversation about whether or not Ted Bundy is innocent is moot but a philosophical one. It has nothing to do with Ted Bundy's guilt but more so the criminal procedures involved in his case and the different accounts that exists surrounding his case.

He was electrocuted, he confessed to his crimes no damn person with brains would think or assume he is innocent and I never said anything of that nature drew any conclusions to that effect.

Besides, I moved on from Ted Bundy a long time ago. Now I am into the Serial Killer who writes death poems and signs it off with drawings of the size of his dick at his crime scenes- mind your own business please or don't and let's have an intellectual discourse about him? Lmho.

I am also into cat memes if you care to know and have a whole IG dedicated to cat memes. I believe human beings are the most dumbest species in all the galaxies and when the Aliens arrive I am snitching.

When my mind is at rest, I often wonder if Aliens have masculinity complex and if they do whether or not their masculinity is contingent on the size of their dicks or whether they have to engage in a battle to the death with an alien grizzly bear to determine who is the man.

I love BTS memes too- a little too much and often end up debating over the internet with random people over whether BTS memes are funnier than cat memes- I'm weird, true. But how does all of that make me a bad person?

It's crazy how these people can go on these other platforms to ask people to take down the credits to my posts as well as my posts itself but can't ask people who run to these other platforms with misinterpretations of my work to take those down.

Instead they come on here to call me out for people's interpretations of my work?? It doesn't work that way. You are the author of your own opinion and interpretation of other people's work. You don't call out the original author for someone's opinion of their work. If that were so I would be emailing Stephanie Meyer for Anna Todd and her After series. Get some education.

I have since blocked this person and others whose Tumblr I have been able to find thanks to all those that's helped me finding them on here.

My gf also tried reaching out to the persons who shared my post after we realised this was becoming an issue and had asked them to credit her or my blog- but honestly I don't care about that yet she won't give it a rest. Lol. My ride or die this one. Sigh.

However, we realized soon that this is not about 'stealing' credit- can't call someone out for not giving credit when I suck at that myself. Lol.

This is about people's malicious intentions and their attempts to silence me and take away my right to freedom of expression however way that they can. This is wrong and evil.

I honestly don't care for all these ship politics these people are engaged in. I've had enough intelligent conversations to know the distinction between arguments that flows from bruised egos and actual conversations around a subject matter.

This whole I am right, she is wrong politics... y'all get that the point of having an opinion is not to be right, right? We all cant have the same perspective and you can't call someone a liar for holding views that is different from yours. That is a bizarre mentality to have.

As I stated in my post, that content I made was a rebuttal to the Taekook theories running around on the internet alleging JK glared at Tae when he pulled on his shoulder because he was jealous Tae and Jin were having fun behind him. He wasn't. He was worried Tae was gonna expose him and JM holding hands behind Suga.

If you don't think they were holding hands then Taekookers were right and his reaction was because he was Jealous of Taejin I guess...

But thats your truth. That's not my truth. I don't believe Taekook is real. JK isn't jealous of Taejin he is not Twelve- but then again he was sneaking around behind Suga holding his boyfriend's hands so I guess he is twelve? Lol. Jikook!

Do you.

But please stop the evil malicious attacks and seek immediate help. There is such a thing as right and wrong and this is just plain wrong. Your Karma and chakra are in the negative nodes and you need to fix it. It is not funny anymore.

Thank you to everyone who has shown genuine concerns for me in the past few days and thank you so much for trying to stand up for me. There are good people on here and I have met and interacted with a lot of them and thank you so much for such a wonderful experience and insightful discussions.

I don't hate people because of our differences in thoughts, beliefs, opinions. There's always room for dissenting opinions in every sphere. At the very least, we can agree to disagree and shake on it. But You can't make up shit about people just to prove your opinion is right and their opinions and views which differ from yours are 'wrong.

I am not a victim though, and they are not bullies, psst. They are just vile pathetic human beings exposing the greens of their insides. What you do says more about who you are as a person and human being. And this is who they are.

Just be a nice decent human being. That's what this world needs. Fix whatever is broken inside of you and free your mind and spirit. Hate is never the answer.

I'm going to be away for a while because I have studies, work and other interests I want to pursue at the moment- it's just my AADD flaring up so if you see me henceforth raving about Nana at least you'd know why. Lol. She's wrecking my Jimin bias. Lmho.

Spread positivity, do the right thing, stand up for a good cause and keep supporting Jikook. Jikook is real.

Until we meet again.

Signed,

GOLDY

[wayward-mikaelson]

Centuries-One

Word Count: 2571

Characters: Reader, Dean, Sam, Cas, Jack, Crowley (Mentioned), Lucifer (mentioned), Maggie (mentioned)

About: The reader wakes in a field with no memory of how she got there. She calls the only person she knows she can trust. When the reader finds out that she was gone for a year, she starts to doubt that given the only lead on her blank memory is the phone she found in her pocket. The reader is also made aware of Deans behavior and can’t wait to get to him.

Warnings: Language, Blood, Fluff, Angst

A/N: Read Devilish Angel before you start this one! 

A/N 2: If you want to be tagged, Comment below! 

A/N 3: I love feedback and I love it when my readers guess where the story is going to go.

TAG LIST: @donnaintx​ @myinconnelly1​ @magssteenkamp​ @elansaidaris​ @squirrelnotsam​ 

18+ CONTENT. CHILDREN MOVE ALONG. NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

**PLEASE DO NOT COPY MY WORK AND POST IT ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I ALSO POST MY WORK ON IG, WATTPAD AND AO3 BEFORE HAND TO AVOID PEOPLE STEALING MY WORK. I ALSO SAVE THESE INTO FILES WITH DATES AND TIMES TO AVOID THIS AS WELL***

You know, nothing really prepares you for death. You can face it many times and beat it but, there will always be that one time where it just creeps up on you. Then boom. Black. You're gone. Either you go up or you go down.

I ended up doing both.

The last few moments of my life I remember so clearly.

I was in that field with Sam and we were fighting angels and trying to save Dean. Trying to break him free from Michaels hold. But I knew I wouldn't make out of this once that angel grabbed hold of me. Once my body had passed through the Gates of Heaven, I saw darkness for a brief moment then I saw heaven. My soul slowly turned into my human form. I saw a few angels standing there and then, something happened. Something dark and something powerful took hold of me and pulled me from heaven.

I felt myself being dragged further and further from the pure and clean energy I felt in Heaven. I felt myself being pulled down to something much more darker and much more sinister. Then it stopped. I was able to open my eyes and find that I was in my body. A body that should not exist at this point because it became tiny little molecules when it passed through Heavens gate.

Then Crowley showed up. Of course Crowley had something to do with this. He was always up to something. He sat down and told me he that he was able to recreate my human body with a simple spell so that my soul, which was all dark and twisted now, would be able to enter. I knew I was better off dying at the hands of Michael once I learned I was demon.

As time went on, I did my duty as a demon and then I learned to love it. I became a better torturer. I enjoyed torturing poor unfortunate souls. I made those hard to make deals with those hard to make humans. Billionaires. Millionaires. Celebrities. CEOs. I worked my way up the demonic ladder in hopes of being Crowleys right hand. Then I would over throw him and rule Hell.

Then, I was summoned to the crossroads.  

As a crossroads demon, you had to say yes to whatever a Winchester wanted. Crowleys rule. But I just couldn't. Dean wanted to make a deal. Of course he asked for an exchange. My life for his. But I knew better. I knew that once I was human again, I would do whatever it took to get Dean back. So I did what I did. I lead him on and pulled his blade on myself. I could see the pain and horror on his face as I drove the blade into my chest.

Finally, everything was dark. I could finally rest.

Or so I thought.

I open my eyes and see that I am laying down in a field. I sit up and instantly grab my side. Blood is slowly spilling out. I take the flannel I am wearing and press it to the wound. The wound is right above the mark that Michael put on me. Why is that still there? I ask myself. I look around and there are few bodies next to me. Clearly they were demons given there's an angel blade in my hand. It's not the sight that gets me all tripped up, It's the fact that I'm alive. Alive, human, and I have no idea in hell how I got back.

I painfully stand up and try and make myself move but, the pain in my side is killing me. I lay back down and feel something in my pocket. I reach in there, wincing at the pain that I now feel all over my body. I pull out a phone. Theres a few missed calls and texts from someone I don't even know but, they clearly know me. I unlock the phone and dial the only person I can trust.

"Hello," a gruff voice answers.

"Cas?" It's getting hard to breathe now. "It's me. It's YN. I need your help."

Within the hour, I literally crawled my way to the nearest highway with Cas's help. He said he would meet me at the closest mile marker and to just sit near it. By the time I get there, I look down at my flannel and know I lost more blood. I'm starting to get dizzy and pray that Cas is driving fast. I begin to think I may die a second time.

I am just about to pass out thinking about Dean when I hear a vehicle approaching. I force my eyes open to see Cas's truck pull up and him rush out. His trenchcoat flowing behind him. He's by my side in seconds. Already assessing the wound. A wound I have no memory of getting.

"This might hurt when I touch it," He says placing a cold hand on my wound. I suck in a deep breath as a sharp pain bolts through my body. The pain is gone and I can breath again. "How did this happen?" Cas asks helping me up.

"I don't know," I answer. I really wish I knew. "The last thing I remember was killing myself to keep Dean from making a dean with me. Did you tell him about me?" I can't imagine what Dean would feel when he saw me again. Had he moved on? Had he found someone new?

Cas shook his head. "No," he says looking around. "He and Sam are on a case and have been out of reception for most of the day. Even if I had a way, I wouldn't. Not until I made sure."

"Right," I say raising my arm up to Cas. A good old fashioned 'Are you human?' test. "Give me you best."

Cas turns to walk away. "I don't need to check. When I touched you and knew that you were human right away."

I smile and follow him back to his truck. "That's right, Angels can tell who is human and who isn't." I open the passenger door and slip on in. "Cas," I say softly. "I really don't know how I got hurt. I don't even know how I am even alive. I should be dead dead."

Cas looks at you. "We will figure it out once we get back to the bunker."

"The Michael mark, did you get anything from it? Does he know I'm back?" I need to know. Since I was dead before everything finished. "Or was Sam successful with that crystal thing?" I really hope he was otherwise I was in for a treat with the Archangel.

"Sam was able to trap Michael and he hid it in a box to keep demons and angels and witches out and dropped it in the deepest parts of the ocean." Cas stopped talking and starts to drive.

We sit in silence for most of the drive until Cas starts talking again. "Dean never moved on." He says. "He hides it really well but, when he's not hunting and he starts to drink, we notice it. He's too occupied trying to find a way to get you back."

I sit there already knowing deep down Dean wouldn't stop if he knew there was a slight chance at finding me. "How long has he been doing this?" I ask looking at my hands. There was still blood on them. I'm kind of scared to know the answer but I really need to know.

"A year," Cas says. "A lot has happened too. Lucifer broke free. He slept with a human which resulted in a nephilim who isn't anything like Lucifer at all. We somehow managed to kill Lucifer. Dean has been non stop hunting these last few weeks as it's almost the anniversary of your death."

A year?  I think to myself. It feels like I've been here all along. I pull out the phone I used to call Cas with. "This is the only thing I have connecting me to the what happened. Once we figure that out maybe I can take Dean out for a small vacation somewhere."

The rest of the drive is silent. I want to get back to the bunker. I want to see Dean. I want to tell him he was stupid for not moving on. I want to get back to what normal of life I had before all of this. But what would I do if he had moved on? I suddenly begin to think. What if he did and was forced to choose between his new love and me. I shake my head and just focus on the now. I lean my head back and close my eyes.

Once I'm asleep I see things that are confusing. A cabin that looks all too familiar. A person that looks all too familiar. A conversation that plays in my head that makes my heart race and my side sting. Could this be the person that stabbed me? That's a real possibility. That same person kept saying a name over and over again. That same person kept pointing and referring to a newly made vessel.

"Michael!" I snap my eyes open to see Cas had pulled over. He's looking at me with a hand resting on my shoulder. I am drenched in sweat and my heart is still racing. The slight sting in my side fades away.

"YN, are you okay? You were breathing pretty hard and shaking." Cas leans back into his seat. "Was it a nightmare?"

I rub my face, "I don't know," I answer finally. "It had something to do with Michael though. Cas how long until we reach the bunker? I really need a shower before we tackle this." I also need to test that mark once I'm alone.

"We are a few minutes from it," Cas answers and puts the truck back into drive. "Sam called. They are back at the bunker right now unloading their gear."

I look up at Cas. "Did you tell Sam about me?" I really hope he didn't but, I also didn't care if he did.

"No, I didn't," Cas says taking a deep breath. Something is off. "The last couple months have been hard on him. Maggie was found dead in the woods. Throat slashed open. Telling him that Dean's girlfriend is back from the dead would be hard on Sam."

My heart stops. Maggie? Dead? How? Maggie was my best friend in the whole world after I killed Ketch. She was always there for me and really wasn't afraid to tell me what she thought. Unless I was injured then she would tread lightly because I was the worst patient ever. I'm sure there were times when she wanted to kill me.

"Poor Sam," I say. I remember they were close too. I knew they liked each other but, they never told each other. I wonder if they ever did before she died. "He wasn't the one who found her was he?" I hope to God that he didn't.

"No, he wasn't. It was another hunter who was staying with the boys." Cas says pulling into the bunker. "Dean wouldn't even let him see her body. It was horrible. But we gave her the hunters funeral that she deserved."

My heart races as I see the impala and I smile. I never thought I would see that beauty again. Then, I see Dean and a young boy walk out of the bunker. The boy smiles and laughs making Dean smirk a bit. It makes your heart melt with happiness. "Cas, you said he didn't move on," I say as he parks a bit away from the Impala. "That right there is moving on. He looks happy with that boy. Who is he?"

"Jack Kline. Lucifers Son. Dean's a good father figure for him and Jack looks up to him." Cas gets out of the truck.

I put my hand on the door handle and hesitate for a second. It's not everyday you come back to life mysteriously. Unless you're a Winchester. But I wasn't one. I close my eyes and say a small prayer of sorts and say screw it. I open the door and step out into the Kansas heat.

"Hey Cas," Deans voice sent shivers down my spine. I missed the sound of his voice and how it always made me feel. Weak in the knees and safe. "Whos your friend...?" His voice trails off when he sees me. He hands the boy, Jack, the bag in his hands and makes his way towards me.

"I know what this must look like," I say holding my hands out. I have no idea what Dean was planning on doing. I can't be too prepared given he has thrown me up on a wall in a very not so sexy manner. "I don't know how I came back. I woke up in a field and I called Cas who came and saw that I'm clearly human."

Dean ignores all that I say. He gets to me and grabs my hands and pulls me towards him. I don't have time to think about what is happening because the next second Dean has his lips pressed to mine. I melt right into the kiss and wrap my arms around his neck. This kiss is emotional for the both of us. I can feel both of our tears mixing together. Dean walks me back against the truck. His hands trail from hips up to my face. Leaving goosebumps through my clothes. I let out a small sigh.

Dean pulls back enough to look me in the eyes. There are a few stray tears lingering in the corner of his eyes. They make his green eyes shine though. "I just needed to make sure this wasn't dream." He pulls a stray hair out of my face and the feel of his hand resting on my cheek makes me close my eyes. I can stay in this moment forever. Even if this were a nightmare, it would have been the best kind.

"Who is she?" I heard Jack ask. His voice is higher than the rest of the guys.

I open my eyes to see that not only Cas and Jack are watching but, Sam was out too. There is both happiness and sadness in his eyes. Cas was right not to tell him about me before. Dean pulls me into his side and walks me over to them. "Jack, this is YN YLN," Dean kisses the side of my head. His lips linger there and I know he's taking in my scent.

"I thought you were dead," Jack says looking you over. He was skinny looking kid with long ragged hair that matched his green eyes.

"Didn't seem take," I answer smiling at him. I think I might like this kid too. "So, you're Lucifers kid. You don't look like you're one."

"I had to grow up fast. My mother told me it wouldn't be safe for me as baby."  Jack answers.

Thunder is heard in the distance. I didn't realize that there was storm rolling in. "Let's head on in." Dean begins to walk me inside. His arm tightens around me and I know that he's still thinking that this could still be a dream. Again, if this were a dream or nightmare, it's the best kind. It's been the happiest I've been in a long time.

[onewayglass]

Houseki no Kuni Exchange FAQ (updated 2/5/18)

I’m running a Houseki no Kuni exchange via Twitter, and here’s a bunch of your questions answered (plus some preemptive ones)

SIGNING UP/DEADLINES

Where do I sign up?

Here.

Do I need a Twitter account to do this?

I am running the exchange on Twitter, so it would surely be more convenient, but having other social media (IG, Tumblr) is fine so your gifter can post who their gift is for during reveals. If you don’t want to have any, sign up anyway and I’ll email you to figure something out. 

When is the deadline to sign up?

sign-ups close on December 11th, 2017 at 11:59 PM PST

Is there any age restriction on this?

You must be 18+, since I am allowing the possibility of NSFW content

(”how can Houseki no Kuni bc NSFW? they’re just rocks!!” if you’ve been in fandom for as long as I have, rule 34 is not to be underestimated)

Can I edit my sign-up?

yes, you may edit your sign-up as many times as you want before the deadline. I believe I have added edit capability to the form. If not, DM me @ luzrovrulays on twitter.

When will I get my assignment?

I will try my best do have them matched up and sent out within 2 weeks after the sign-up deadline

When is my gift due?

Your gift must be posted by June 6th, 2018, 11:59 PM PST. 

If you know you will have problems finishing it, please contact me at least two weeks prior, so I can set up a pinch hit.

I will also send check-in emails before the deadline to make sure everybody is making good progress, dates for those TBD

What is pinch hitting?

Pinch hitting is when one steps in to take on somebody else’s assignment because that person is unable to complete it. 

Unfortunately pinch hitters do not get extra gifts if they take on extra assignments, so I’m eternally grateful if you volunteer to be one!! (as the sole mod with limited time, I can only pinch hit once)

The term comes from baseball.

Oh no, I missed sign-ups! Can I still participate?

Unfortunately, I cannot add late sign-ups to the pool, but pinch hitters are ALWAYS WELCOME, if you don’t mind not receiving a gift/just want to create something.

GIFT-RELATED

I allowed a wide variety of artistic mediums on the sign-up form so I’ll answer questions pertaining to those.

How do I gift somebody traditional art?

While traditional art is best enjoyed in person, not everybody is comfortable giving out their address to have it mailed to them, so please scan it in, or take a really good photo.

If, after reveals, the giftee wants the original physical copy and the gifter is willing to mail it, feel free to work out an arrangement.

Can I draw a comic instead of a picture?

Yes, definitely!

How long does my fic have to be?

There is no restriction on fic length - all that I ask is you put genuine effort into it and produce a gift you would be proud to give somebody!

< 1k oneshots can be great, so don’t feel compelled to make it long

on the other hand, if you feel super inspired to write a multi-chapter epic, go for it, but make sure you can finish your gift on time with quality you’d be satisfied with

How long does my poem have to be?

same applies for fic - no length restriction, just thought and effort

since poems tend to be shorter than fic in general, feel free to write multiple poems in different formats if that interests you!

Can you explain more in detail about photography-related gifts?

Sure! Cosplay photoshoots and aesthetic moodboards were two possible possibilities off the top of my head. If you have specific questions about other photography-related gifts, DM me on twitter @ luzrovrulays 

For cosplay photoshoots, either pics of you (as the cosplayer) or ones you have taken of other cosplayers are fine, as long as every party involved (cosplayers, photogs, etc.) is okay with using the images for this exchange.

What are aesthetic moodboards? It’s difficult to explain in words, here’s a good example - a collection of images and text meant to evoke a character, ship, etc. I believe it can be used to fulfill prompts as well

Important things about making moodboards: PLEASE CHECK to see if the photos you are using are free to use - since this is an exchange I won’t be super strict on this, but SOURCE ALL YOUR IMAGES after your captions if they aren’t your own, and no, “google” isn’t an acceptable credit. DO NOT use fanart, unless the artist has given explicit permission to, and include a screencap of that permission in your credits section. 

Any rules/restrictions on making screencap edits/gifs and AMVs?

I’d strongly recommend sticking to official art only (anime and manga footage). But if you have a fanart piece that you’re dying to use, provide a screencap of permission from the artist in a separate post.

I know editing can be hard work but make sure your gift fulfills the prompt somehow and isn’t just pretty/flashy.

What does ‘songs’ entail? Are fanmixes okay? How do we go about giving music as a gift?

For songs, I primarily meant originals, but I am also accepting covers of existing melodies with re-written lyrics to fill the prompts you are given (e.g. if you want to do Phos x Cairngorm-themed lyrics to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” that is acceptable)

I love fanmixes, but they aren’t included this time, sorry. 

Record your song somehow. I’m not expecting everybody to own top-tier recording equipment, but make sure the quality isn’t overly scratchy - usually smartphones nowadays can record something semi-decent. If you have more specifc questions on how to capture and gift somebody a song, DM me.

Instrumental songs are also a-okay, but I think it is difficult to directly answer a prompt without lyrics. However, if you feel up to this challenge/have a lot of inspiration, by all means, go for it!

Are multimedia works and multiple gifts okay?

Definitely! If your giftee marks multiple categories for what they’d like to receive, feel free to mix them into one work!

If your giftee did not mark a medium you’re burning to create in, I’m not stopping you from making an extra piece, but do it after you’ve finished filling their request in the medium they requested.

[chrisescobar-social-blog]

What is a Photo Meetup? Are they worth going to? Where can you find them?

Are photo meets worth going to?

Do you have to be a professional to attend?

Is this only for amateurs?

How much is it to go?

Am I going to get a bunch of new instagram followers because the models at the meets have thousands of followers?

Is it only for photographers?

How do I find photo meets near me?

Can I go to be a model?

How often are there meets?

Should I bring all my gear?

Is it safe?

How many people go to the meets?

What is the photographer to model ratio?

These are all questions that I had, or questions my colleagues had when we wanted to attend our first photo meet, and didn't really know what to expect. The very first time I went to a meet, it was StreetMeetLA one that I really wanted to go to because I started seeing it trend on my Instagram explore tab. I started seeing more and more posts of the same model but shot from different photographers, on the same day. Photos of guys and girls dressed in Dia de los Muertos candy skulls, holding smoke bombs, along with fire breathers, and some of the coolest and scariest make up looks I have ever seen! I wanted to go so bad because I have never really shot actual models, I mainly shot landscape because I didn't really know anyone willing to model for me... Besides my girlfriend and occasionally some pigeons after I throw a fry or two. 

I'm going to dive into what to expect at a photo meetup, who can attend, when these meetups occur,  where you can find them, and whether or not it's worth going to? If you’re new to meetups, I recommend reading the full article and subscribing to our newsletter.

 Who can go to photo meets? Certain restrictions?

So you would think that the simple answer to ”who can go?” is pretty straightforward, but actually, there's a little more to photo meets than just the models and photographers. There are a variety of creatives in the photography community, where photographers and models are the main attraction but aren’t the only ones who co-exist at these meetups. You’re probably saying “yea yea, there are make up artists and hair stylists maybe?” and the answer is of course yes. However, there’s actually a lot more than just that!

Here’s just a list I could think of at the top of my head, but I know there’s plenty more.

Dancers

Fire-Breathers

Hobbyists

Professionals

Beginners

Hair Stylists

Sponsors

Influencers

Youtubers

Digital & Film Photographers

Models

Makeup Artists

Videographers

Designers

Graphic Designers

Publishers

Bloggers

Editors

Yes, even fire-breathers!

People go to these events for some of the following reasons.

Connect and Network with other people that have the same interests as them.

To try and create something to add to their portfolio or collection.

To inspire others and entertain.

They just want to be a part of a community that they can feel welcome in.

To show off their skills and make friendly competitions.

Grow their social network profile.

To help others build their social status.

To get over stage fright.

To start feeling confident in their own body.

To search for a new passion for something or to grow and master their own skills.

There are plenty more reasons why people go to these events, those are just ones I’ve heard from others or from personal experience. The biggest one though is for networking, you meet so many amazing, talented, and creative people at these events. If you are thinking of going to one, just go. Go to a few different ones, by different communities, and get a feel for each one and see which one you fit in. The best thing is, no age limit on any of them that I have seen. Every single meetup I have gone to, there are a variety of people and ages, and they are usually in public places.

Below is a video for you to see for yourself, what it’s like to go these meets, who are the people that go, and some inside to the @OCCreators community.

Also, a very special shout out to Maddie Snyder (@Masque.Era) for hosting our first photography/cinema vlog!

This is our first video for the P-Log, Hope you enjoy!

The best thing about these meets are how nice the community is. Every person I have encountered has always been so nice and supportive. In our video, we interview a few of the people that showed up. Some professional and some beginners, and even a hobbyist with a 1936 Graflex Film Camera, Frankenstein-ed with a projector lens.

Interview

Model Eliden

IG Handle: @Eliden__

She has done runway and some shoots in the past but her modeling career hit a pause when she had her children. She did not hesitate to get back into modeling, the second she could. So now she is a mother to 2 beautiful children. Yay! For #ModelMoms

We asked Eliden:

Who is your favorite photographer?

“They call him the Sexy Guy!” **Laughs

She says she does not remember his name, but what she loved about “The Sexy Guy” is that he had very strong communication. He knew how to pose her and make her look the best she could look as far as posing, and lighting.

Who do you draw inspiration from?

Tyra Banks

Photographer jesse

IG Handle: @WolfsAndCrows

He’s been to 10-15 different meets, and he is a beginner photographer that like black and white, along with some color pop. He started doing photography going on hikes and taking pictures of flowers, and posted them online. Someone messaged him and suggested he go to “StreetMeetLA”, a photography community in Los Angeles that hosts one of the biggest photography meetups in Southern California.

Jesse says he did not have a lot of fun at the StreetMeetLA meetup due to the fact that they are extremely overcrowded because of popularity. He then found smaller photography communities that he enjoys.

I will have a list of meetup communities towards the bottom of this article.

Designer/Model Jessika

IG Handle: @Jesssickaaa

Jessika came to the meetup looking stunning with a yellow skirt and matching crop top that she designed herself. If you didn’t watch the video, you have to check it out. She made it from a 3X size skirt!

How long have you been doing this? How long have you been making clothes?

“I started when I was a kid, but I went to school. I went to FIDM for fashion…”

She went to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising for Fashion, then started a blog and making clothes since 2012. You can check out her blog here: fashionplayhouse.wordpress.com

We highly recommend you go check out her stuff!

Photographer Andy

IG Handle @Andypham7

Andy had a 1936 Graflex film camera with him. The lens was Frankenstein-ed onto this camera and being used at the meetup.

How do you work this thing?

Watch the video for full instructions! WOOOHOO!!

How did you start photography?

“Actually I’m really new to it, I didn’t get serious until 2016.” It started at Burning Man 2016 when a guy tripping on LSD came up to Andy and told him he was a photographer, he told him “you have the vision!”

Andy decided to pull out his cell phone, and he took a bunch of photos. Then one of the photos he took got featured on Burning Man’s profile and got over 18,000 likes!

So how much is it to go? And where can I find them?

So depending on which community you decide to try out, there are different price ranges. Some are free and some aren’t but usually the ones that aren’t, have perks to paying.

I have seen some on Meetup.com but most of the ones I have found are on Instagram by simply searching “Photography Meetup”

Heres a list of Meetup Communities that I know from Southern California:

@StreetMeetLA - @IE_Shooters - @Empire.Meets - @MeetUpss - @CaliforniaMeetups - @LM.Meets - @OCCreators - @tfti_la - @maskdemons - @retro.ladies - @ie_niteowls

@retro.ladies says to bring your automobiles as props, because their meetups include that!

Please comment below if you know more, so I can add to this list!

How often are the Meets?

Each community usually has a meet once a month, sometimes more. So just check to see how often they post fliers.

Am I going to get a lot of Instagram followers because I am taking photos of models with thousands of followers?

No, if you haven’t figured out how Instagram works nowadays, then you need to do some research. Instagram followers come naturally. If your work is good, people will follow you. If it is not, then they won’t. It’s simple.

How do I sign up to be a Model? or Fire Breather or something?

Simply message the group, they will tell you :)

Can I do whatever I want at the photo meetup?

No, everyone who participates has to abide by a few simple guidelines. If you can not follow these simple rules, then you are NOT WELCOME to the photo meetups

Respect EVERYONE. If someone is being disrespectful, it needs to be brought up so that we can find a solution. The meets want you to feel safe and feel welcome. Speak up, if you don’t feel comfortable, safe, or welcome because of someone.

Respect your SURROUNDINGS. These events are usually free, at a public area, that is NOT OWNED BY YOU! So do not leave any trash, drink alcohol, smoke weed, or do anything that should be done at home in private. The laws are still applicable, there isn’t some invisibility cloak for anyone that disrespects the properties they host events at. Even worse is some meets take place in a private studio property, just because you paid to get in, does not mean you paid to be invincible. RESPECT OTHERS & YOUR SURROUNDINGS

Do not come to the meets with the intent of picking up chicks or dudes! Do not come to with the intent of getting models numbers for your private home videos. DO NOT BE A CREEP! That’s what Tinder is for.

These meetups can get crowded. DON’T WORRY IF YOU DIDN’T GET ANY GOOD SHOTS. There are meets at least once a month, or message a model you saw at the meet and schedule a 1 on 1.

If you go to a meetup and exchange info with a model because you took photos or whatever, don’t leave the model hanging. They took time and effort to buy an outfit, get their makeup done, and are getting in front of your camera. Have the decency to send them at least a message telling them why they didn’t get something from you. It’s like ordering something very important to you on amazon, and then checking the mail every single day, with no notice that the package was delayed, or even worse, never shipped.

Lastly, If you share content that you are in, but someone else created. or Vice Versa. CREDIT them! That content would not exist without the creator or model. Treat the creator or model good by tagging them in the photo, the description, as much as you can. There is a myth that needs to be busted right now!

You should want to tag everyone involved in the creation of the photograph or video, because it’s just attracting more attention to the subject. It’s tagging and notifying the persons followers that you tag. It’s a WIN WIN to TAG the OWNERS and MODELS of the CONTENT!

So why is it such a hard thing for thing to share? Stuck in 1st grade?

Should I bring all of my gear? Is it safe?

As much as I want to say it is safe because Spider-Man got our backs, but we live in a very cruel world. So my answer is, it is as safe as each community allows. What I mean by that is, some of these events get so big that they get out of control. Tons of traffic is caused, people getting mad because of there being too many photographer, not enough models. So depending on the event, as long as things are managed correctly, it will be safe.

Bringing all of your gear is not a good idea in my opinion, unless all of your gear consists of everything fitting into a bag.

What is the average Photographer to Model ratio?

Always more photographers than models.

All in all, Photo Meetups are really for anyone that wants to be a part of a community, to build content with other artists, and to grow together.

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I only recommend tools that I personally use and love and I always have my readers' best interest at heart.

The Gear I used for the video:

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV ------https://amzn.to/2QGhgt2

Canon 50mm f1.2 ------- https://amzn.to/2C5xibL

Canon 24-70mm f2.8 ------ https://amzn.to/2QI8A5g

Sony A5000 ------ https://amzn.to/2Psv89O

Zoom H4N -------- https://amzn.to/2A2UJkA

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