#i watch it on youtube though and leave it in the background most of the time i promise i do other things with my life 🤫

[n3onwraith]

IM SORRY YOU'RE ON SEASON 10??? ITS BEEN LESS THAN A WEEK

DUDE ITS BEEN LESS THAN A WEEK SINCE IVE STARTED RVB AS A WHOLE, IVE BEEN CONSUMED BY THIS SHOW 🙏

[vivwritesfics]

(She's) Off The Track

Y/N is pregnant, not allowed to race, and she's pissed about it

When the video went up on everybody's social media, the fans panicked. It was similar, eerily so, to Sebastian Vettel's retirement announcement.

But she couldn't be retiring, could she? She was only in her mid twenties and hungry for a win. There was no way she was retiring already.

She sat there in the video, a white wall behind her, and stared. For a full two and a half seconds she said nothing, but it felt so much longer. Anxious fans waited chewing on their nails as they waited to see what was going on.

To Y/N, the person in the video, it felt like she was doing one of those youtuber apology videos. Well, this was a severe and continuous lapse in her judgement, but it had ended in something wonderful.

"It's with regret that I sit here before you all to tell you that I will not be partaking in the rest of the Formula One season," she said and breathed out, like a massive weight had been lifted from her chest. "In my place Liam Lawson will be driving in the second seat of the AlphaTauri."

"We thank you all for your continuous support and look forward to seeing all of you when I return to the grid next year."

She never said why, never let the fans know why she was going to be absent from the track. The fans still saw her everywhere, though. In the paddock, cheering on her replacement, or in the background of her boyfriends streams.

"This is your fault," she said as she sat on the beanbag behind Lando, placing malteasers into her mouth. "If it weren't for you, I would still be racing."

Although she sat it, it wasn't serious. It wasn't his fault at all. Actually, she didn't want to blame this on anybody; it was a welcomed surprise.

It had been a good sixteen weeks since she last sat in a Formula One car. There one race that Y/N wasn't at, leaving all the fans speculating where she could be. And then there was a two week gap between the races.

The next race she attended, something was clearly different. Lando held her hand, staying close to her while Martin Brundle interviewed her. He walked her to the AlphaTauri garage, something he didn't normally do, and didn't leave until she was being safely escorted by Daniel Ricciardo.

But the most noticeable difference was the baby bump was she sporting.

SHE'S PREGNANT!! said everybody online. It was maybe the best kept secret of the paddock.

Even though the secret was out, Y/N and Lando still didn't address it. If any interviewer tried to ask about the pregnancy, Lando would walk her away or place himself between her and the interviewer, protective fiancé mode engaged.

When the last grand prix she was allowed to attend before she had to stop flying rolled around, Y/N spent more time than usual in front of the car that should have been hers. Her hand rested on her stomach as she looked at the number 40 car. It should have been number 69, her driver number.

"Next year," she said through a sigh as Liam approached. He offered her a smile, the kind that said he sympathised with her.

Towards the end of the season she had to stop attending. There were only two races left and Lando was predicted to be on the podium for all of them.

And he was on the podium. She was forced to watch it from their television at home. She celebrated with a glass of water and a nap.

Y/N went into labour at the start of winter break. It was lucky, actually, that Lando was home and able to rush her to the hospital. He held her hand through it all and, soon, their baby boy was crying in his arms.

Ten months went by. Y/N and Lando spent the entirety of the winter break as a family, caring for their son, introducing him to the family (the grid family and their actual families) and celebrating firsts with him. When they brought him home, when he first slept in his crib, his first trip in the car, first trip in the zoo, taking him around the marina.

Lando took pictures of it all. His jpg account was full of these pictures, as long as they didn't show their sons face.

His first introduction to the Formula one world came when he was just ten months old, at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Before Y/N and Lando left their hotel, it had been a big debate over whether he was going to be wearing a McLaren onesie or an AlphaTauri onesie (Lando had won and they walked him around in a bright orange onesie).

The grid loved meeting Emmet "Chuck" Norris (Daniel thought he was really funny with that one). Emmets favourite people were Danny and Max, who had worked together to teach him to respond to his name of Chuck.

He sat in his parents cars and that was when Y/N and Lando knew, he was going to be a racer.

[kevinsdsy]

THE TROJANS SOCIAL MEDIA AU HEADCANONS pt. 2

jean moreau & shawn anderson dynamic

jean properly likes having shawn around. although he keeps telling shawn to fuck off. and to leave him alone. and to shut up. he doesn't actually mean it (most of the time).

and shawn knows this too. and what’s so great about shawn is he knows to set boundaries even though jean has never asked him to do so, but when jean seems even more quiet than he usual is, shawn takes a step back.

shawn notices when they're in a group environment jean is keeping more to himself and staying in the background where he can watch the group instead and shawn lets him without trying to put too much attention towards jean.

ananya deshmukh

ananya is a youtuber. idek why i made this a thing. i just love girls vlogging and blogging and i want her to be an it-girl like.

haoyu liu & travis jordan

look i'm going to be really honest. i forgot they were mentioned in the books for the longest time and then i did some stalking and was like ohh they exist too so i made their accounts on the same day and now they're dating each other in my mind

shane reed

OKAYY SO hear me out shane has not yet be mentioned in the au. but i’m posting this now for his introduction in today’s upcoming part. i was going through the book and noticed i missed his appearance when starting out the au which is CRAZY because he's mentioned quite a few times when the foxes vs trojans game is happening.

BUT I DECIDED TO ADD HIM AND I HAVE A FEW THINGS IN MIND FOR HIM (i want to give him shawn anderson treatment LMAO) but his character would be connected to kevin and it might be weird to have a canon x canon ship that's build on shit and giggles

but now that i think of it, is that literally not what jerejean used to be anyways??? SO LET ME TALK MY SHIT!!!!!!!!

with the summer olympics socmed au coming and having the foxes and trojans in one place i want to have them flirting with each other

like one day they barely know each other and the next day people are like ...wait?? what's going on here.

and not many of the trojans even know about the sexuality of either one of the guys so they all have to go and be like WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN

and i just think i can have a lot of fun with that LMAOO but maybe i'll decide to not even do it we'll see

angela "angie" lewis

angie, god bless her, has to put up with shawn during media training

angie pretends to be so sick and tired of shawn but she actually absolutely adores him

i was talking about them with @amberlouigi and i told them how i think when shawn graduates she will always mention him and be like "you guys be better! you will never believe, but i had to put up with shawn and he said..."

if shawn ever becomes pro he will be an ABSOLUTE menace to society/press/social media @amberlouigi said they think angie would get a call/message from his pro team asking if she wants a job. and angie decides to take it.

shawn will not necessarily stop his behaviour, but he respects and loves angie enough to cut back a bit on his behaviour so he can prove to everyone how well of a job she's doing.

i truly wish i had added angie to the socmed au before and added more of their dynamic together :((

bonus: kevin day

KEVIN DAY IS BISEXUAL !!!!!!!!! i think in canon he would have a lot of feelings to deal with and to unpack this but in the au he knows this about himself and he doesn't really care. he keeps it hidden from the press & media tho

[futurehunt]

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to." -Eris Vanserra and his hidden motives

The story of Eris Vanserra haunts me. At this point, most of the characters in ACOTAR are an open book in terms of their backgrounds but Eris's is still so shrouded in mystery and I have to know more. Consider this the inspiration for my following lengthy analysis of all the Eris Vanserra scenes we've been given. Additional inspiration being this clip of SJM from a since deleted live stream on Instagram (still available on YouTube) :

Love that SJM says that Eris is her favorite Autumn Court character but more importantly she spills a little detail about Eris having a secret history and a secret motivation behind his character. I think most readers assumed by now that Eris is primed for a redemption arc but this simply could've been reserved to him making amends for leaving Mor injured in the woods. No, this is something more than that- something significant that affected his actions back then and is still influencing them now.

Let's start breaking everything down:

Everything starts with: Eris found and left Mor in the woods at the Autumn Court border after she was tortured dumped there by her father, Keir.

Why did he do this?

“I knew why you did it... So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms" - Eris in ACOWAR

After Mor slept with Cassian, Eris knew Mor did it because she wanted out of the engagement (for a secret reason- on her end- that we'll touch on in a bit) so he ended the betrothal as she wished.

But why did Eris leave her there, injured with fatal wounds? This is still the biggest point of hostility between him and the IC.

"There were forces at work that you have never considered," Eris said coldly. "And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me" - ACOWAR

What are these forces?

We're given an answer to this question during a scene in ACOFAS when Mor is recalling the memory of that day at the Autumn Court border.

“No one touches her,” he said. Eris. “The moment we do, she’s our responsibility.” Cold, unfeeling words. “But—but they nailed a—” “No one touches her.” - ACOFAS

If Eris or his men provided aid to Mor she would've become their responsibility, implying that she would've become a ward of the Autumn Court essentially. This is probably why Keir even dumped her on the border in the first place, because he knew that if the Autumn Court provided her aid they would have to assume responsibility for her. It was created as a lose-lose situation for Mor: get help from Eris and be trapped at the Autumn Court or be refused help and left to suffer and potentially die in the woods.

“I take it you do not wish to live here, Morrigan.” She would rather die here, bleed out here. She would rather die and return—return as something wicked and cruel, and shred them all apart. He must have read it in her eyes. A small smile curved his lips. “I thought so.” -ACOFAS

He knew she'd rather die than live there so he acted according to her wishes, even though it was done cruelly. This scene, which we're given from Mor's perspective, shows that she heard the true reason why Eris refused to provide her aid but because of the trauma of the whole situation she likely never put two and two together.

But the situation is a bit more complex than that. There is more to the reason that Eris left her in the woods to have her freedom.

“Eris nodded to where Mor watched them from beside Feyre and Rhys, her face neutral and aloof. “She knows the truth but has never revealed it." “Why?” “Because she is afraid of it.” - ACOSF; dance scene between Nesta and Eris

Eris knows something about Mor that she's afraid to reveal. What's the only fact we know about Mor that she's been hiding her entire life? That she's queer. It seems somehow Eris was aware of this.

“Eris looked between them, smiling faintly. Secretly. As if he knew something that Azriel didn’t. "I knew why you did it" Again that secret smile that had Mor shrinking." -ACOWAR

Later on in ACOWAR, we find out the big secret Mor is hiding is that she's romantically attracted to females. Alright, so somehow Eris knew Mor was queer back when they were betrothed. It seems that this was part of the reason he left her to her freedom.

Despite the cruel nature he's described to have, Eris keeps the knowledge that Mor is queer to himself. Eris left Mor in the woods because he knew she wanted her freedom and the reason she wanted her freedom was because she is queer. Out of some uncharacteristic kindness, Eris won't share this information with the rest of the IC because he seems to not want to out her because he knows she's afraid of the truth. Refer to the quote between Eris and Nesta above for proof of this.

But what are Eris's own secret motivations in all of this?

“So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms.”

“And what happened next,” Azriel growled.

A shadow crossed Eris’s face. “There are few things I regret. That is one of them. But … perhaps one day, now that we are allies, I shall tell you why. What it cost me.”

This is such an important line and one that if you don't dissect it properly, you won't understand it's real meaning.

"What it cost me". The cost that Eris is referring to is one that he suffered as a result of leaving Mor unaided in the woods. NOT from breaking the engagement, from leaving her. "The cost" is something that would've been unaffected by breaking the engagement (because Eris has no remorse over that) but affected by abandoning an injured Mor (because this is what Eris labels as one of the few things he regrets). Mor being left in the woods was, in the grand scheme of things, inconsequential for the rest of Prythian. The only people negatively affected by it were Mor and the rest of the IC.

"Perhaps one day... I shall tell you why" when Eris says this, he means: perhaps one day he'll them why he regrets it, NOT why he did it. It's important to read this quote in the context of its surrounding passages because you'll see that he had an opportunity to explain why he left her but he instead tells Mor he's not going to "waste his breath explaining it to her."

So after breaking down those lines we know: Eris regrets abandoning Mor because of something it cost him in relation to the IC now hating him after the events at the border but "the cost" is something he's hesitant to reveal to them.

For the sake of the analysis, let's go over a few things we know Eris does canonically care about and why they are not the cost he's referring to:

His father's throne: It's not secret that Eris wants to usurp his father. Feyre even notes how startled she was to hear Eris discuss killing his father so blatantly. Also, if the marriage to Mor would've aided Eris in taking the throne then Eris would've expressed remorse at ending the engagement but he didn't. He only regretted leaving her injured.

His mother, Lady of Autumn: The text shows us that Eris is concerned over the welfare of this mother when he angles his body to protect her during the High Lord meeting scene. However at the time of Eris's betrothal to Mor, his mother wasn't miserable in her marriage the way she's described now. It wasn't until LoA's affair with Helion was revealed, which happened decades after the Eris and Mor situation, that Beron began abusing his wife. Of course, Eris undoubtedly wants his father dead because of this but we know it's not "the cost" that Eris references since it wasn't a factor at the time.

“Helion shrugged. “On and off for decades. Until Beron found out. They say the lady was all brightness and smiles before that. And after Beron was through with her. You saw what she is.” “What did he do to her?” “The same things he does now.” Helion waved a hand. “Belittle her, leave bruises where no one but him will see them.” - ACOWAR

Lucien: Eris has a soft spot for Lucien but he wasn't born for decades after everything happened so he can't be a factor in why Eris regrets his actions.

His father tortures him: It's revealed at the end of ACOSF that Beron tortures Eris after Cassian realizes Eris is injured after returning back from Autumn. We're not told how long it's been occurring and Eris is extremely reluctant to speak on the matter. However, if this was the big secret Eris has been hiding there'd be a bit more emphasis placed on the reveal. In fact, Cassian pushes him again after that to tell him the true reason he left Mor on the border (keep in mind Cassian doesn't know Mor is queer and Eris is refusing to reveal that information to others) and asks Eris for the real reason he's back the Night Court trying to make amends.

Why is Eris back at the Night Court after everything that happened, pushing so hard to build an alliance?

When pushed for the truth, Eris tells Cassian:

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to" - ACOSF

Cassian assumes Eris means Mor and tells him she won't want to hear his explanations anyway. But is Mor really the person Eris was referencing. I think not, given we've been given these lines:

Eris nodded to where Mor watched them from beside Feyre and Rhys, her face neutral and aloof. “She knows the truth but has never revealed it." -ACOSF

"There were forces at work that you have never considered," Eris said coldly. "And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me"- ACOWAR

Eris says that Mor already knows the truth and has explicitly said he doesn't care what she thinks about him. He has nothing to explain to her. And aside from those two facts, which already make it clear enough that Mor is not the person Eris meant, what more would Eris gain from speaking to Mor? Assuaging his guilt? That could be a reasonable explanation if it weren't for Cassian already asking Eris if guilt is what was motivating him, Cassian realizing it's not and pushing for Eris to "give me a damn answer".

"You're not the person I want to explain myself to"

So, who in the IC does Eris want to explain himself to?

Mor? No, for reasons stated above

Cassian? No, they're speaking in that scene and if Cassian were the person then Eris wouldn't have said that

Feyre? Nesta? Elain? Weren't alive so aren't applicable

Lucien? Wasn't alive during the incident and is thus unaffected

Rhysand? We're told in ACOSF (Chapter 7) that Eris already has Rhysand's trust and allyship

Amren? I guess I can't necessarily eliminate Amren as the person Eris wants to explain himself to but let's be real, it's not her.

Azriel? Hmm....The person who arguably hates Eris more than even Mor herself. Who has such a burning passionate rage towards Eris that he attacked him during a High Lord meeting, yet also dropped everything to fly to the Continent to save Eris when he was abducted by Koschei.

Conclusion and remaining questions

Let's put everything together:

Eris is back at the Night Court attempting to smooth things over, make amends, and build an allyship. On the surface, we're told it's all because he wants the throne. But what we now know from SJM (in her interview) and our textual analysis is that Eris paid a big, deeply personal price due to the fall out of leaving Mor injured at the Autumn Court border. This cost was directly tied to the IC's perception of him. Eris lost something or the chance at something when the Night Court began to hate him. So he's back, 500-ish years later, attempting to make amends because of the same problem that plagued him all those centuries ago. We also know there's only one person he's interested in explaining himself to- and that person interestingly seems to be Azriel. Why would Eris want to explain himself to Azriel? Why go to these lengths to make amends with him? Was "the cost" Eris paid 500 years ago tied to Azriel?Is this all tied to Eris's "secret history and secret motivations" that SJM referenced? Crack theory time: What if Eris and Azriel are mates? If they are, it would seem maybe Eris knows about it but Azriel isn't consciously aware? It could explain Azriel's extreme and passionate reactions to Eris. What if when Eris became an enemy of the Night Court he lost his chance at having a connection to his mate. It would also explain why Eris is so tight lipped about his secret motivations. We know that Beron tortures Eris as he is now, imagine what he would do to Eris if he found out he was queer. If Eris is queer it would also explain his empathy to Mor and his reluctance to tell her truth to other people. This could also explain why Azriel is the one person Eris wants to explain himself to, because Azriel is the only person whose opinion he cares about. AND this would also provide an answer to the great "Azriel mate debate". I know Gwynriel is a popular theory but the text has not given us any indication that they are (yes, bonus chapter included) and Azriel had never displayed any mate-like behavior around her. Eris and Azriel also provide interesting foils to one another: flame and shadow- which is a theme that's mentioned in both of SJM's other series. We also know how much SJM loves her enemies to lovers.

"There was an icy rage in Azriel I'd never been able to thaw" -Rhysand in ACOMAF

Azriel is routinely described as icy and frozen, physically and emotionally. What better to thaw ice than fire!

If you read this far- thank you and ily.

Feel free to let me know if you have any critiques to my reasoning!

[onehelluvafan]

IncuBlitz Part Three: Just an ex??

This is part three of a three-part analysis related to "Better Than Blitzo" (or "IncuBlitz" as I like to call him) and the look that he gave Blitz, right before he kissed Stolas.

Click here for Part One: His Tattoo, Part Two: Verosika, or keep reading to dive into Part Three: Just an ex??—what his personal motivations could be for taking the time to check if Blitz is watching before kissing Stolas.

My last theory, and the one that I think is the most likely, is that he’s just an ex of Blitz’s at the party who saw an opportunity and took it.

As we can see from when Blitz and Stolas first enter the room, IncuBlitz is already standing in perfect line of sight of where they sat down to have their conversation.

Considering that IncuBlitz doesn’t pop in until over five minutes later, when Stolas is breaking down, I think his intention was genuinely just to ‘rescue’ Stolas from the person who was making him upset.

It does beg the question though: Was his primary motivation to help out Blitz’s “freshest ex”? Or did it have more to do with the fact that the person bothering Stolas was actually Blitz?

There’s definitely no question that he does know that Stolas is the ‘freshest ex.’ He explicitly mentions Stolas’ song, saying that he has “great pipes,” where Stolas had been introduced by Verosika as the “special new guest of honor.”

But did he recognize Blitz? And if so, at what point?

As with Verosika, there are several times throughout the night when anyone could have noticed and recognized Blitz. But in addition to those mentioned earlier, there’s one moment in particular that I think kicked off the events that followed. During the scene where Stolas stands up on the couch, yelling, “Harriot! Don’t get on that train. It’s going to London, and I cannot be without you!” there’s at least one moment where Blitz’s full outfit is exposed. Not only was this in that same line of sight from where we’d originally seen IncuBlitz, but we can also see that the people he’d been standing next to, both turned to look directly at Stolas.

Whether or not he recognized Blitz in that moment, I do think it’s the moment that his attention was brought to Stolas and where it seems to have remained.

While it is possible that he was no longer standing in that exact spot anymore, we do know for a fact that he was still nearby. 

Because 15 seconds later, when the point of view changes to Blitz, you can actually see IncuBlitz in the background, just a few feet away.

This places him well within earshot when Stolas wails at Blitz that he doesn’t want him there and to please go home, followed by a moment of distressed weeping.

Even then, we don’t actually see IncuBlitz pop in until it’s clear that Blitz is not only choosing to stay, but is also about to try engaging with Stolas further.

It’s at this point that not only does he interrupt them, but he explicitly does not look at nor react to Blitz throughout the entire exchange. In fact, it’s actually noted as an intentional detail in the official storyboard. Storyboard artist Tony Raphielle uploaded clips of this to YouTube three days after the episode was released. 

They even noted in the video description that for this scene, the voice actors' performance was based on what was blocked out on the storyboard. 

This is the reverse of how their earlier conversation was handled. For that scene, the voice acting was recorded first, with the storyboards being drawn afterward. 

This leaves me even further convinced that IncuBlitz’s behavior and timing, from beginning to end, was very carefully crafted by the Spindlehorse team.

And finally, let’s discuss the kiss that shook Blitz, and many of us in the fandom, to the core. 

Now, obviously, we can’t know at what point, if at all, that IncuBlitz recognized Blitz specifically as the person who was bothering Stolas.

But I personally feel confident that by the time he looked up at Blitz, right before that kiss, he knew exactly who he was messing with.

Because honestly, the entire context of the party would make it almost impossible for IncuBlitz to not have recognized him.

First and foremost, there’s the fact that Stolas’ invitation implies that the people in attendance either dated or at least had a brief encounter with Blitz. 

There’s also imagery of Blitz plastered all over the place, with the exact same outfit that he wore to this party.

And if IncuBlitz somehow managed to miss recognizing him before whisking Stolas off to the dance floor, it would feel downright comical to me if he still did not recognize Blitz while he was up on the balcony. 

Because not only is the tablecloth hanging open, revealing his signature outfit, but Blitz had also taken down his hood, leaving his hard-to-miss horns and unique forehead tattoo exposed to anyone who looked up.

Either way, the fact that IncuBlitz looked up at the person that he perceived to be bothering Stolas, right before he kissed him, in my opinion, was definitely intentional and personal.

And it’s entirely possible that it’s actually just as simple as that. 

After digging into this and doing my best to analyze and consider all of the evidence, I personally think it’s the most likely explanation. That he was just someone at the party who saw an opportunity to help out Stolas and stick it to Blitz.

I am super curious though, to see if the show mentions IncuBlitz going forward and under what circumstances.

Considering that his canonical name in the credits is “Better Than Blitzo” Guy, I think it’s safe to assume that this will not be a recurring character. 

I do hope that we at least get to hear if his interaction with Stolas ended on the dance floor or if they actually ended up spending the night, or several nights, together.

I will definitely be surprised if we don’t see at least one awkward moment between Blitz and Stolas related to this. Even if it’s just a nonverbal decision to not talk about that just yet.

[vermil1ion-sky]

Streamer AU

Some of our favorite characters as streamers or youtubers! Including some I haven't seen done before so I wanted to bring something new to the table.

Characters: Ayaka, Xiao, Wanderer/Scaramouche

A/N: this ended up... being really long so I did less characters than I originally intended but if you guys like it I can do more!

--

Ayaka

A fashion-focused youtuber, who occasionally dabbles in traditional practices, such as tea ceremonies and dances, and explains the stories and origins to her followers.

Most of them follow her for her fashion content but they religiously watch whatever she posts because her demeanor is so polite and elegant, it's almost like they can't look away...

Found a sudden influx of comments about her brother the first time he appeared in one of her videos, in the background asking if she wanted dinner, which she finds entirely embarrassing (Ayato thinks it's amusing).

After a lot of convincing from her fans, she ocassionally collabs with Ayato, both of them posting content on their respective pages featuring each other. Those videos tend to be their most popular.

Ayaka thought the teasing over her 'hot' brother would end after the hype sort of died down...

She was right but wrong as another wave of playful, teasing comments was soon to come.

You, like Ayato, appear first on accident; you just wanted to check in on your girlfriend who hadn't left her room in a while, unaware she was recording.

Ayaka turns to the door opening just as she was trying on another outfit from a recent purchase. She sees your face, blushing slightly though its entirely off camera and just for her to see, and giggles when you start to apologize.

"It's alright love." Ayaka's voice is... softer than her followers are used to. In the video, they can hear your voice in the background as you speak. "You... look really cute... Cuter than usual I mean."

She laughs at your awkward compliment but smiles, soft and lovingly, as she thanks you.

"Maybe you could wear that for our next date." That's the sentence that made Ayaka blush, making her turn towards you and punch your shoulder playfully, off camera.

"Aight sorry, I'll go, have fun." You kiss her cheek, your face only appearing in focus for a second, before leaving the room.

Even though it wasn't related to the video, Ayaka kept the footage in because she found it endearing.

She slightly regretted it as 90% of her comments after that were yelling that they wanted to know this mystery person that Ayaka's clearly dating.

She tries to draw attention away from you but it only works for a little bit. people really seem to want to know you.

Ayaka sighs, her face in her hands, but a small smile on her face. Guess she should bring it up with you one day, to see if you were okay with the idea of appearing once in a while.

Xiao

A gaming streamer, famous for beating most games without much effort.

People flock to his streams for his careful plays, like he's analysing every possibility to win fast and easily. Also his voice and looks are nice, so it's a bonus for them.

Does both single and multiplayer content. The latter he usually games with his friends, also streamers.

Gets along the best with Venti, argues the most with Scaramouche, gets eye twitches when Heizou purposefully does a bad play to see everyone's reactions (but otherwise he bites his tongue and stays quiet) and with Kazuha, he's oddly patient, with him being the least into games in the group.

People are naturally curious about his life, as Xiao's usually very reserved and doesn't mention anything private. He tries to keep it at an arms' distance from his fans, just because it's what makes him feel more comfortable.

That quickly comes crumbling down when you make an unexpected appearance in his stream one day.

Xiao's usually very aware of his surroundings even while gaming, so catching him off guard is extremely hard. This time, however, the volume on his headset was higher than usual and he doesn't hear you enter the room.

You call out his name and he can't hear you but his chat definitely can. They're exploding the chat, asking who that is; unfortunately for him, he's entirely too focused on the game to look at chat.

You call him again, touching his shoulder slightly and he immediately jumps, cussing outloud, his headset falling from his head.

He sighs as he tries to steady his heart thats about to jump out of his chest. The chat can now hear your voice clearer.

"Sorry baby I didn't mean to scare you..." Your voice is soft, a hand reaching from off camera to run your fingers through his hair. Xiao closes his eyes and starts to lean into your touch but stops midway, remembering he's live and hopes his chat doesn't notice.

They definitely do.

"...it's okay..." He speaks softly, looking at you and it's so obvious that theyre's a lot of love behind that stare. "Did you need something?"

"Oh no, I just... I thought you'd be hungry after playing for so many hours... I brought you some almond tofu, a little snack..." You smile shyly at him and Xiao can swear he feels his heart melt, grabbing the plate so gently.

"...thank you..." He smiles and it's so soft, so full of affection... His cheeks are dusted with a slight pink color and everyone's teasing him about it. "...let me know when dinner's ready I'll join you..."

"...yes of course... I'll leave you to it, have fun baby." You lean closer, slightly in frame as you kiss his forehead, before stroking his cheek lovingly and leaving the room, leaving behind your flustered boyfriend who is only now reading all the comments.

From people asking to know his significant other, fans and even friends, to others teasing how red Xiao's face is, how 'whipped' he is, etc.

You can hear him yelling from outside the room, into the mic that he's not a 'simp' and you can't help but giggle at how... flustered he sounds.

Wanderer

Also a gaming streamer like Xiao, and they usually play together with their other friends. Those two are also the two who fight the most and Kazuha's the one who breaks up their spouts.

Besides the occasional gaming with his friends, he's mostly a single player content kind of guy. He just gets mad at random people if they don't play as well as he does.

Gets jokingly called emo boy by his fans, which terribly annoys him.

Also similar to Xiao, he keeps his personal life to himself, not wanting people to meddle on his business. So, he tries to keep you off camera and not mention you while he's live.

Unfortunately for him, he chose to date someone who enjoys teasing others and being a little shit just as much as he does.

You really never minded the possibility of appearing on Scara's streams but he never offered so you kept it at that, not wanting to possibly push a button by asking.

Still, one day you feel particularly cheeky and want to play a small prank on him.

With his stream on your phone, you pick a time when he's clearly too focused on playing to possibly noticing you entering your shared bedroom/recording room. You open the door slowly, his back facing you as hes hunched over, mashing keys as he seems to be trying to beat a hard boss. You smirk slightly, slowly coming closer, waving at the camera and putting your index finger to your lips, to tell the viewers to not say anything or redeem any tts that might startle Scara.

Right as he died again and he grabs his face, sighing in frustration, you make your move. You grab his shoulders quickly, out of nowhere and it's impossible to not laugh at how he jumps from his seat, yelling and falls off his chair, with only his legs in shot.

Well, that and you laughing way too hard, clutching your stomach as you cant stop giggling; your boyfriend's glare certainly doesn't help, he looks entirely not amused at how you're laughing at him.

"The fuck's wrong with you?!" "So many things babe, take a pick."

He grumbles as he picks his chair up and sits back down, running a hand through his fringe. You smirk, hugging his shoulders from behind and it's certainly funny to you how he tries to shake you off with no real malice nor effort.

"You're so cute when you're mad, Kuni." "I swear to God one of these days I'm going to change the locks of this house." "Oh noo I'm soo scared~"

Scara rolls his eyes, and yells at his chat to shut up with all the comments professing their love towards you. You get closer to read them, still clinging to his shoulders and you laugh.

"They love me already, probably more than you do~" He frowns when you say that. "That's not possible you-"

He catches himself too late, realizing what the implications of his... choice of words could come across. You stare at him in slight shock but it soon wears off. tightening your grip on him and nuzzling his cheek.

"Oh, my Kuni is so sweet~ Chat aren't I lucky?" You wink at the camera and the blush on Scaramouche's face is bright pink; his face gets redder as you press a kiss on his cheek as he tries to push you away.

"Oh my God get OUT." You giggle as you finally release your boyfriend, waving a goodbye to the camera, leaving your boyfriend behind to deal with the onslaught of comments asking for more details about you.

You turn the stream back on and see his cheeks are still red, partly from what happened and from how mad he is at his chat. It makes you smile as you can hear him yelling in your room to his chat to stop trying to get you back in.

[magical-wishies]

To love or not to love, that is the questio-

Ok whoops wrong reference. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I made a MV of the song "Darling Dance" by Kairiki Bear featuring my favourite little tricksters for the occasion!

I'd rather you go straight to Youtube to watch it because Tumblr always finds a way to cut the quality, lol.

Eng subtitles are available too!

Here it is! Hope you enjoy my pride and joy. Basically like a hopeful child but in video format. Reblogs are specially appreciated because Youtube sucks at promoting new channels!

This also acts as a behind-the-scenes post, so let's get straight into that, shall we?

MV Project 1 "Darling Dance"

Illustration time: 37 hours

Editing time: Approx. 30-35 hours

Total: 70 hours

*Cough* Holy freakin' moly does making an MV take so long. Before you roll off your bed, I'll say that part of the reason making the art took so long was because I have trouble drawing Marx consistently.

Here's some unused assets! Look at them, they're all salty over not making the cut.

In all seriousness though, a lot of times I don't really see a lot of editors/ MV makers getting appreciation for their efforts. And now that I've personally experienced making an MV for the first time, it's also increased my admiration to the people who dedicate their time to this! All the kudos to them.

Now, I'll go scene by scene then comment along the way! Spoilers ahead!

Verse 1

Pretty good for what it is. In the first image, you see that heart behind Magolor? I discovered the motion of it on complete accident lol. Capcut is hard to figure out..

I also really like the color palette of 2nd image. That art of Marx was the last one I did during production (aka I drew it this morning), and just look at him. He's such a bastard he's the best.

Pre Chorus 1

Mmmm yeah it sure is the pre chorus! I put a bar behind the text in the middle because I didn't want people to stare into their soulless eyes for too long. That probably worked!

1st Chorus

When I first added in the expression change, I fangirled over it a little on the first rewatch. Like, come on! They suddenly look mischievous, and the color change on the background! I know I drew it but still!

For the rest, I experimented a little with all the "Nah"s! I think it ended up well. Most of the lyric editing in this MV is completely original, so I had a couple of things to try out!

Verse 2

This song is horrifically outdated because it says Twitter instead of X!! (/sarcasm)

This scene is my second favourite. I'm really proud of the details on the tabs and the editing at the beginning! Wish I could put more images but the app only allows ten. Bummer.

Pre Chorus 2

I think it's cute, and I used it as my pfp on YouTube! That's about it though.. image limit is killing me I can't put anything here :(

Chorus 2

...Not gonna spoil it! I like how I drew them, but there ain't anything notable. Unless you look at the last image I put right before the bridge. :)

Bridge

This is where my editing comes in freakin' clutch. Ooooooh it's so satisfying to look at. Chef's kiss. Also those Marxs (Marxes?) are really cute.

The second part of the bridge is nice as well! I tried to make the lyrics snap to the rhythm. Glad I added that tv effect in the bg too!

Chorus 3

This scene is my favourite! Wanna know why?

This sequence right here. I think I will etch it into my brain forever... I love me some snappy editing. Like a lot. Like a lot a lot!

The second part of the chorus is like the original song's MV! I loved the hearts popping in and out whoever thought of that is a genius. Putting it into the MV was a good decision!

And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoy the MV as much as I enjoyed making it. And, stay tuned for next time! I have a feeling a certain jester is getting his own solo MV...

Feel free to leave your thoughts either in the Youtube comments section or here. See you around!

[ravenshavenn]

Modern day muggle Snape headcanon

He would teach chemistry if he still needed to be a teacher but if not then I feel as though he would run a bookstore or work in a library while doing some strange science projects on the side

He'd prefer reading from books rather than technology like a kindle or his phone

All of the technology that he did own would be outdated as he simply doesn't care and prefers items the he knows the function of rather than the latest updates, he'd still be incredibly interested in all the latest advancements but wouldn't bother to purchase many himself

If he owned a car it'd be similar to his phone, computer, TV, ect with the fact that its old, dusty and kept to the bare minimum of cleanliness, he wouldn't leave rubbish in it and would tidy up after himself but it would still need a good hoover, dust and wash in order to be considered clean

Because of the modern day being relatively accepting of receiving help for mental health I'd like to think that as the smart man we know he is Severus would realize he needs help and with some encouragement from friends and family try and help himself

I personally think that he'd at least see a therapist or go to some form of grief support group as he feels more able to now that talks around mental health are more common and seen (by most) as a valid form of treatment

He's fascinated by YouTube videos discussing theoretical nerdy topics such as aliens, conspiracy theories and natural phenomenon not that he believes anything irrational, all his thinking is purely logic based but he still enjoys watching them regardless purely to think about the concepts

Along with this he'd also enjoy works of fiction like Sci-fi shows such as star trek, star wars or anything else that's typically considered "nerdy" but he prefers not to discuss it as is worried he'll be made fun of

There would also be an incredibly grumpy pet that he'd care for maybe a cat, lizard or some sort of bird, he'd have a sort of roommate relationship with it but when he gets tired he'd want to sit down and watch TV with it or it'd just sit on his lap while he reads

I feel as though with mental health support like therapy becoming more normalised Severus may choose to get help, as personally I think he's a smart person and in a

If there's one thing he hates its the concept of dating apps, how are you meant to trust someone you met online? They could be a murderer or the dark lord himself and you'd never know!?

He's also not a big fan of social media, he enjoys keeping up with all of his current fandoms and interests but rarely posts anything if at all, maybe just a few blurry photos of something he found funny like a strange looking cat or a picture of a cool science project he finished once and then he'd never post again

Music isn't something he's particularly interested in but when he does listen to it its normally rock, metal or something gothic but occasionally the odd bit of classical music if he wants to feel high status or is working on a project and wants music on in the background that won't distract him while he works

[w1ngedsoul]

hi can you do headcanons on dating elijah mikaelson tvd x fem reader

This man is so polite.

Holding doors, helping you sit down, constantly asking you if you're alright or if you want to leave a party/random event.

He always makes you text him so that he knows you got home safe when he can't walk you home.

Flowers, jewellery, teddy bears. This man is amazing at gift giving, he quite literally knows you inside and out.

If you're curvy, then he'll love to hold onto your hips while kissing your neck.

If you're religious, he'll want to be as educated as possible. For example, if you're Jewish, he'll support you fully when you tell him you don't celebrate Christmas.

He'd practically internally scream watching you wear the clothes he buys you.

He wouldn't be able to keep he hands off of you.

"You look irresistible, darling. But, I'm afraid you would look far more stunning with that dress on the floor."

He knows exactly what to say in every conversation.

He has such a way with words that can either have you on your knees or crying on his shoulder.

He face was absolutely priceless when he told you he wanted to introduce you to his favourite classical pieces and you already knew all of them, in fact, you had a playlist full of classical.

Every Sunday morning from 11am-2pm, you'll sit in your living room with books in your hands, taking it in turns to read to each other.

Date night is something that Elijah takes very seriously. He'll take you to the finest, romantic restaurants and be an absolute gentlemen throughout the whole night.

And at the end of the night, when you've arrived home and you just placed the keys into the trinket, you'll hear a sharp whisper next to your ear.

"Undress."

Something he loves doing, is taking you to the theatre and watching a pantomime. He knows you used to watch them throughout your childhood but stopped as you grew older, he felt as if you should stay connected to those calming memories.

He's honestly the most loving boyfriend you've ever had, he'll remember all of the little things such as what your favourite song is to the perfume you wear only on special occasions.

He also remembers every detail about you, I mean that literally. Everything you've ever told him about yourself is ingrained in his brain, from the mean boy in primary school to graduating university.

He doesn't know why or how, but he's a lover for candlelit baths. Whenever he's stressed about a sibling or something came up at work, you'll run him a hot bath with candles surrounding the bathroom. Usually you'll put on sensual music in the background, but for most of the time he enjoys the silence.

Speaking of work, he actually has a job. Even though he's a vampire and doesn't necessarily need one, he wants to be as connected to a human life as possible. His siblings shamed him for it, claiming it was 'pathetic' of him and he should 'own his species'.

You supported him fully and he was forever grateful, he got a job in business which he's managed to keep for a good five years and so far, everything's gone well for him. He's the manager at his company and trains new employees daily, you've honestly never been prouder.

But, there are times where you let his mind slip when he's at work...

"You sent me pictures of you posing in lingerie in front of our mirror, while I was in a meeting."

"Did you like them? I made sure to wear your favourite colour."

You two don't keep anything from each other, you're always honest with one another which is what makes your relationship so strong.

"Hey J? Do you want to hear more about my aunt's aff-"

"Tell me."

J was a nickname you picked up randomly when you first met, it stuck ever since.

Once, when you two were talking about hobbies, you mentioned your grandmother taught you how to knit and crochet.

From that day forward, Elijah bought a ton of crochet tools and pulled up YouTube tutorials every evening practicing.

Then when your anniversary rolled around, he presented you with a bouquet of perfectly crocheted flowers.

"Do you like them, darling?"

Something that Elijah tries to keep hidden: he gets jealous so easily.

If there's someone staring at you with the wrong look in their eyes, Elijah will make sure they won't have eyes to look out of by the end of the hour.

Or if someone asks for your number, he'll make sure to introduce himself, and maybe introduce them to his newest spiked bat...

He's not really one for torturing people, but when it's necessary like when you're in danger he'll go through hell and back to make sure you're untouched.

He'd kill for you, even his siblings if it came to it.

He would quite literally die for you, he even told you this when you were gazing at the stars.

"You know, even though you have made this life wondrous in so many ways, I'd let the world take me just so you'd be safe."

[ratwithhands]

I'm curious. I've seen your art and something that's come to my mind is what actually got you attached with the Subway brothers. Your narrative on their different AU forms is so unique which is what brought me to that question

Alright, rat history time.

So basically back in 2021-2022, I was working on an old OC storyline (about 3 years old by then) and I was in grade 9 so I was like “A new Pokémon game? Pfft, like I care” and just didn’t watch any of the stuff related to PLA when it dropped. I still got recommended Twitter posts about it on Instagram and I ended up seeing this one.

I tried looking up Ingo cause I was like "oh, funky design, looks like a captain or something" but I didn't end up finding anything so I didn't press further. Anyways in March break of 2022, I got bored and decided to put some game streams on in the background while I drew. I saw Alpharad's PLA video and decided to watch it for a bit when I saw Ingo.

I was like "Hey you're the guy from Twitter!" and since I knew his name now, I looked him up and found his Bulbapedia article. I found him much more interesting than the rest of the PLA cast since he had history outside PLA, and I ended up reading up whatever I could find on him. I also by extension discovered Emmet this way, which only served to suck me deeper down the rabbit hole. By the end of March break I had a fan OC and 2 AUs made with more on the way, as well as a YouTube recommended page with nothing but theory videos on Ingo and decade old Submas content.

Around May I decided to decommission my OC storyline for personal reasons, and by this point Submas was starting to occupy more of my creative work anyways. Since I didn't have my storyline to put my energy into, I started funnelling literally any story ideas into Submas. This led to nonstop content for a shockingly long time, and ofc I'm still coming up with stuff now.

Long story short, I got attached to them by accident! It was a "right place, right time" sort of thing since they came in as I was starting to get sluggish with my original content and I ended up being more interested in writing for them.

As for narratives, I am effectively playing dolls with these guys. Usually the kind of stuff that I write for them is meant for OCs, but I dumped the 60+ person cast so I put that energy into them instead.

Most AUs will either have a core theme, an out of pocket idea, or both to make things interesting. Usually I just come up with a dumbass idea like "what if we brought ReBURST back for a rerun" or "what if Emmet signed a contract with an eldritch space spider" or "what if Submas could see into the future" and stuff like that, then it picks up themes as I keep writing. For some silly examples:

Burst is based on Pokémon ReBURST and the idea of human-Pokémon fusion, but there's focus on skill, how characters misperceive it, and resentment as a result. There's also a spotlight on inferiority complexes, bottled up guilt, and blind confidence depending on which main character you look at

Journal is about a diary that helps Ingo to regain his memories, and it focuses on remembrance and regret as a result of him reading it. Spotlight on lacking awareness vs hyper awareness and the monotony of living as people around you leave

Oracle is exactly what it sounds like, with the twins being able to see into the future. It focuses on cooperation and the importance of working together, but also learning how to work alone. The spotlight's on jealousy and gratitude for this one, though the latter greatly outweighs the former in this case

I also just have AUs I made to try deranged shit for funsies, like Sapioflora, Cybernetic/Z-Λ, Team Supernova, and Idol. Those are mostly for exploring goofy ideas that may or may not go anywhere.

Right anyways basically I just saw Submas after watching PLA gameplay and found the twins more interesting to write about than the project I'd exhausted by then. The narratives are like that because the AU ideas I make are actually OC concepts that I modify to fit Pokémon specifically for these two or ideas about the two that I'd like to explore. Hope that answers the question ^^*

[haikyuufanficwriting]

Chapter 18: Akaashi

You were an international sports journalist. You figured since you loved sports but wouldn’t dare play them, loved travelling, and loved writing, it was the only logical solution.

You were living your dream, going from country to country, giving your take on all the world’s most exciting games. But when you heard of an international Japanese Volleyball team, that had a majority of players with histories dating back to high school…

Your little journalist brain just couldn’t take it.

It didn’t take much to convince your boss to assign you to the MSBY Black Jackal vs. Schweiden Adlers Game set in Japan, seeing as though with your background research found a myriad of TV-worthy stories that audiences would drool over. The gruelling flight came with practiced ease, and before you knew it you were waiting outside the stadium trying to get into the press box.

Key word trying.

"Press pass," The worker repeated, Japanese accent mudding his words as he gestured for you to produce the necessary document.

You nodded vigorously, rummaging through your bag in search of the pass. "Yes, press pass! I have it right here," you exclaimed, holding up the laminated card triumphantly.

However, the worker's furrowed brow indicated that your efforts were in vain. He continued to stare expectantly, clearly not comprehending your English explanation. Truthfully, you know you should’ve practiced some Japanese before you came here, but you were just coming from another job and didn’t have nearly enough time to brush open a book or YouTube video.

Right now, you were regretting it immensely.

The man at the door spoke to you, the language going through one ear and not the other, not even being able to correctly decipher the context clues he’s trying to give you.

“Sir, please I need to get in! The game is about to start!” You said desperately showing your pass, to which the man only shook his head in growing annoyance as he repeated his words with more force, as if you’d suddenly understand them.

“Pardon me.” A voice came from behind you, soft and melodious, sending shivers down your spine. You turned around cautiously, almost as if you wanted to make sure you weren’t dreaming.

Then you locked eyes with him. Possibly the most beautiful man you’d ever laid eyes on.

A wave of awe washed over you, leaving you momentarily stunned. His appearance was like something out of a dream – the sleek lines of his dark hair framing his face, the subtle curve of his lips as he spoke, and the piercing gaze of his eyes that seemed to see right through you.

You couldn't help but be entranced by his presence. His features held a timeless elegance, with a jawline so sharp it could cut through glass, and eyes that sparkled with a depth that drew you in like a moth to a flame. He was undeniably handsome, but it was more than that – there was a magnetism about him that was impossible to ignore.

When you had realized you were staring you shook yourself out of it.

“Do you need help?" He had spoken in English, but you could tell it was a bit of a struggle for him, which made your heartbeat faster than you thought it would. You couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in your chest as you struggled to find your words. "Yes, please," you managed to say, your voice betraying your nervousness. "I have my press pass, but he doesn't seem to understand." You spoke slowly, trying to make sure that he could understand you, and after a minute of what you assume is translating in his head, the man nodded in understanding, his gaze never leaving yours. With a confident yet gentle demeanour, he effortlessly took charge of the situation, addressing the worker in Japanese with a calm assurance.

You watched in amazement as he spoke, his words flowing smoothly and effortlessly. Even though you couldn't understand the language, there was something undeniably captivating about the way he carried himself.

After a brief exchange, he turned back to you, a soft smile playing on his lips. "You have, uh," He paused, clearly not knowing the word, but you notice his eyes light up with an idea as he pulls out his wallet and shows you his driver’s license, smiling lightly once you understand. “Oh! Yes I do!” You sighed in heavy relief as you pulled out your wallet from your purse and showed your driver’s license, to which the worker nodded and opened the doors.

You had to stop yourself from jumping with joy, afraid of looking stupid in front of the incredibly beautiful man.

You got to say than you in English, before pausing and using your very limited knowledge to say a butchered ‘thank you’ in Japanese, making the man bow and nod slightly, as if to say ‘its no problem’.

You smile, not wanting to look away or for the interaction to end, but when you hear the worker gruff something out and gesture to the press box you quickly turn and make your way inside.

To see the gorgeous man following suit.

You look behind you, clearly surprised and happy. You make quick eye contact, finding that his eyes were already meeting yours before putting your hand on your heart to try and still its fast-paced beating.

Focus! You’ve got a job to do! You chastise yourself as you find the closest seat to the game, losing sight of the black-haired man. You try to forget about him (at least for now) as you watch both the teams warm up with various exercises, noticing the looks the players give each other.

You couldn’t contain your grin as you make notes in your notebook.

What you would give to speak to any of them. You thought, knowing that their recount of the game or of their history would be sure to give an amazing piece. But the amount of work to find a translator as well as to find a time wouldn’t be feasible with next job being somewhere off the coast of Europe.

You’re deep in your note-writing, already imagining what your opening is going to be, when you feel a presence over your shoulder.

“You are writer?” You whip your head to find him, standing there in such perfection you wouldn’t be surprised if he was a sculpture made of marble. You immediately felt yourself blush, covering your little notebook. “Yes, I write about sports.” You point to the game, trying to make your words more understandable. He looks flustered, before putting his hand on his chest and saying, “I write too.”

Well, that makes sense seeing as he’s in the press box. You smile not sure how to add to the conversation with your mutual limited knowledge in each other’s respective languages. Not wanting to give up your second chance at conversing with him, you gulp before attempting more bad Japanese.

“What Name is?” You shakily say, feeling almost too giddy when his eyes lit up with your words and sitting down beside you. He gestures down to your notebook and pen, silently asking for them. Slightly confused, you give it to him, watching as he turns the page to a blank one, and elegantly writes the Japanese script in a beautiful font.

If he wasn’t beside you, you would’ve assumed it was some sort of printer.

“Akaashi Keji.” He slows down his words, pointing to each script as he sounds it out. It was such a beautiful name. Fitting, really.

“Akaashi.” You repeated cautiously as to not mess it up, feeling your heart skip a beat with the look he gave you.

You felt your blush come on twice as strong, taking the notebook and pen back as you wrote your own name in English, teaching him how to say yours. You did your best to hold back your giggles when he struggled to pronounce constants, but when he got it.

Him saying your name did things that no other man had ever done to you.

Hearing the warning whistle that lead to the start of the game, you knew the moments was over. But looking at him…

You knew it was the start of something amazing.

[cyle]

you've talked before about the difference between what tumblr users seem to perceive as the norm for how to use the site, versus what the statistics actually say. how much, if any, of that difference do you think is a difference between superficial use and dedicated users? for example, by far the #1 cateogry watched on youtube is actually music, but that's not what people who actually use the site "on purpose" are there for. hope my question makes sense?

the question kind of makes sense to me. it highlights an important distinction, because if you're on youtube, how do you know what it's "for" and what actions are "on purpose"? what does that really mean? how is using youtube "for music" invalid? how is that not also "on purpose"?

that's an interesting case study, because youtube's response to people uploading music wasn't to shut that down and ban it, it was to make the default YouTube app experience stop playing videos when you background the app, and make the YouTube Premium paid experience not do that... probably because they knew they were essentially making a music app, without it being a music app.

yes, Google has a music product as well adjacent to YouTube, but why not capitalize on the thing that's probably supporting what you're considering the "on purpose" part of the platform? that's a pretty clever way of taking a large group of peoples' behavior and essentially paying for everything else, the usage you're saying is what youtube is "really for".

with that in mind, i guess i'd ask you what you think are the actions and behaviors of "superficial" people versus "dedicated" people.

i usually refer to two groups of people on tumblr (and most platforms): power users and casual users. power users are the minority (10%? 20%? on some platforms it's 1%) but they perform "multiplicative" actions more than others: making posts, reblogging stuff, etc, and they're very active (as in they use tumblr daily). then there are casual users who are the majority, and they may use tumblr daily as well, but they're not performing as many actions as that group of power users. fundamentally, the behaviors are different.

are the power users keeping the site alive, or are the casual users? the answer is both. it's a balance. if all of the casual users went away, tumblr would basically stop making any money (right now we're not making enough as it is), and it'd be shut down very quickly. doesn't matter how dedicated the remaining power users are. if all of the power users went away, either the casual users would adapt somehow, or they'd leave too, but it'd take longer, because there's far more of them. not great either, because the fundamental part of the engine would be broken.

this is a very simple and incomplete example though. it's too narrow of a way to think about it, in my opinion. tumblr has millions of people using it. it's an ecosystem, one that's too big to see accurately if you're inside of it. it's hard to see even at my level. the plankton don't know about the sharks, and the sharks don't know about the plankton, but the two are symbiotic. you can see that as a marine biologist, but even they don't have all the answers.

[neontoad]

“Ouch.”

“Oh, stop whining, you rabid dog,” Dazai says, pulling the thread through the loop and tightening the knot. She takes one last look at her stitchwork and hums, brushing her hair out of her eyes and finally making eye contact with Chuuya. “You wouldn't have been injured at all if you paid attention to your surroundings for once.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Chuuya snaps, sceptically looking at the stitches. As always, Dazai did a perfect job patching him up. That doesn’t mean he won’t bitch at her. “I’m the reason why your ass doesn't have a single scratch.”

“Yadda-yadda,” she says and theatrically yawns. “I would have dodged the attack. But how would you know that, right? I’m only the best strategist of the Port Mafia. No way I would have predicted that ambush, yeah?”

Chuuya grits his teeth and turns away. So what if she’s right? Maybe when Dazai calls him a dog, she’s not too far from the truth. Blindly protecting people around him is what Chuuya has always been doing. He’s not planning to stop, even though the person he’s protecting is the most annoying lanky mackerel in the world. 

“Whatever.” Chuuya looks around the safe house. It’s a decent one. As opposed to the ones they are used to, it’s pretty spacious, there’s a kitchenette, a working shower and even a TV, a luxury for a place that’s only used in extraordinary circumstances. “Wanna watch TV?” he asks, prodding Dazai’s foot with his.

“How fun.” Dazai rolls his eyes, but still, she gets up and grabs the remote control. “I’m choosing,” she says and brushes her unruly hair out of her eyes.

Chuuya nods and plops onto the couch. He doesn't really care what Dazai picks. He just needs some kind of background noise, as well as long-awaited peace and quiet. As long as he’s getting that, he’s content with whatever horrid TV show is gonna be on TV for the following few hours. 

Of course, as expected of Dazai, she opts for some bizarre obstacle course gameshow, bush as much as Chuuya hates to admit it, it’s really fucking fun to watch. Two cans of beer materialise out of nowhere and the evening gets somewhat tolerable despite throbbing pain in Chuuya’s chest where he got hit.

As he watches the show, Chuuya keeps seeing Dazai’s hand darting to her hair from the corner of his eye, brushing it out of her face and behind her ear, only for the unruly locks to fall back a few seconds later. 

“Wanna tie your hair?” Chuuya asks when Dazai fixes her hair for the millionth time. 

“Do I look like a person who owns a hair tie?”

“Uh. Yeah. You don't, actually.”

“Mind your business then,” she says and tucks her hair behind her ear, an uncharacteristic curse leaving her mouth when it falls on her face again.

“Ok, here,” Chuuya says, his hands acting faster than his brain, and rips off a strip of fabric from his t-shirt. It’s ruined, anyway. Won't hurt to make it into a makeshift hair tie for his slob of a partner. 

“It’s not gonna help,” she says, without ripping her eyes off the TV. “It’s still gonna be everywhere. It’s annoying.”

“Cut it, then.”

“Eh.”

“Or I can cut it for you.”

“Nah.”

This is so Dazai - being obviously uncomfortable but doing absolutely nothing to fix it. Sometimes he wonders what’s happening in her brain. Sometimes he’s too afraid to know. 

“I have an idea,” Chuuya says. “I can braid it.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Didn't know you were an undercover barber. Then why is your hair so shi-”

“I don’t fucking know how to do it!” he snaps, regretting he offered it in the first place. “I’ll follow a fucking Youtube tutorial. Or whatever.”

For a few seconds, it’s silent. 

“Ok,” Dazai says. “Fine. It’s gonna be hilarious. I just know it. Go ahead, Chuuya. Unleash your inner stylist. Try not to rip my head off, though.”

It’s gonna be hard not to, Chuuya thinks and opens the first braiding tutorial that pops up. It’s the most basic braid. He just can’t fuck it up, right? 

Needless to say, the third time he has to start again, Dazai is laughing and shaking so hard, Chuuya feels like her hair strands are reigns and Dazai is a particularly insufferable pony on crack. 

“I need a fucking hairbrush! Don’t you have a hairbrush?!”

“What do you think, Chuuya? Does it look like I have a hairbrush?”

In a way, Chuuya is glad there’s no hairbrush, otherwise, it might have become a murder weapon. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. “Stop fucking moving, shitty Dazai. I can do it. Give me a minute.”

“Of course, you can,” she says in the sweetest voice which makes Chuuya want to smack her. At least she stops moving.

“Maybe you should practice on yourself.”

“My hair is too short for braids if you haven't noticed, you blind mole.”

“Maybe you should grow it out. Like a mullet.”

“A mullet my ass,” he hisses through his teeth, trying his best to focus on crossing the hair sections in the right order. A fucking mullet. Never in his life. He’d just look like a moron. 

Finally, the braid is ready, and, feeling content and accomplished, Chuuya ties it with the strip of fabric he’s been holding between his teeth. 

He looks at the finished work. 

He swallows. 

It looks fucking horrendous.

“Uh,” he says, scratching his head. 

“What?”

“Uh. Nothing. Wanna see it?”

Instead of an answer, Dazai hands Chuuya her phone and he snaps a quick pic of that abomination of a braid. 

He mentally braces for another taunt (or probably a lifetime of taunts), when Dazai finally speaks.

“I love it.”

Chuuya blinks. 

“Thank you,” she says and moves to her seat on the couch, eyes fixed on the screen, a light blush gracing her cheeks.

“Uh. No problem,” Chuuya says, taking a sip of his beer. 

When they go back to the Port Mafia headquarters the next day, Dazai is still brandishing her ridiculously crooked braid. 

She still has it the day after. 

And the following day as well, even though it has gotten way too messy. 

Dazai still seems to like it. Chuuya likes it, too - although Dazai doesn’t have to know about it. 

“Wanna braid my hair?” she asks him the following day, handing him the strip of the ripped t-shirt, her hair messy and unruly. 

“Sure,” Chuuya says, opening the tutorial again. 

Hairdressing might have just become his new passion.  

Thank you for reading! Check out this lovely femzai art by Aimi on twt! I'm in love <3

[tasty-littl-snack]

same anon as before; thank you for your thoughtful answer and analysis, i hope you don't mind if i give some additional thoughts

for background, i was one of the fans that was soured by the announcement of the streamer. i didn't go and spam hate, though, it just felt like a kind of blow which slowed down my support from them. it never wavered though, and i still watch their things on youtube from time to time (i can't afford a subsription or any subscription, for that matter, i only have a spotify student discount). i guess what upset me so much is knowing how many people were in the same situation as me.

obviously the discourse was blown out of proportion (if you can even call it discourse, at times it was pure venom) and things changed for the worse (in my personal opinion). they were enclosed in a decision which was supposed to be freeing from them and backtracking to youtube meant increased dependency on performance-analysis when making content-based decisions (as their overall audience on youtube became smaller and people left, so did other fans like you and me, who prefer non-spooky shows - ultimately leaving the large percentage of horror fans to "dictate" the performance of their content). I think this aligns with what you said in your reply; that GF, MF and AYS are the best performing; but they are also the most "conventional" shows that Watcher makes, appealing to the widest audience. It doesn't leave a big space for fans who prefer niche topics (i'm sorry, but i don't see ghosthunting or telling ghost stories as niche at all, even when they do it in their special ways :/)

i agree with what you said about making different channels for different types of content. i will admit that i am one of those rare (?) fans who doesn't care for horror OR food content. i recognize that this isn't their fault, because it's my personal preference, but again we come back to the fact that OTHER shows will get pushed back, which again, upsets me. this is obviously largely on me, though.

i kind of disagree with your point about the podcast. i certainly feel as if watcherpod started as something different than being about the goings-on and current things in watcher ent. just look at their earlier episodes, something like from ep. 1 to ep. 15 (?), when they all had to come up with a one-word topic and chat shit the whole podcast about random stuff. i loved those episodes as they provided us with a different view of all three of them and gave us some great anecdotes and running jokes. the podcast has become worse, in my opinion, because now it feels like an (unnecessary?) extention of content they already have put out (the ghost files debrief s3 episodes were an hour long? and more? basically a podcast ep). sure they provide some good insight, but how much more can they talk about ghosts? i have also noticed the influx of new fans who send them questions on the pod, which is great, but i find myself listening to stories and answers which i, and many other long time fans, have heard thousands of times over, and are well-known in the fandom space. i'll admit here too that this one is more of a personal grievance and relates back to the fact that i dislike horror content.

sorry for the word vomit but i am looking forward to your reply :)

Thank you for your thoughts. I didn't consider that there are actually fans who came back after having been soured by them, I admit in the last half year I became more of in a bubble of being on the streamer since it is something I am fortunate enough to afford. But as you mentioned many fans couldn't, and thus watcher needed to focus on youtube again and make adjustements.

I find it interesting that you said that both of us left in a way, and that might skew the amount of views they get on non-spooky content. I didn't think of it that way, but indeed putting things on the streamer diminishes the youtube views, this is even true for the podcast which went up yesterday. And I did the thing they expect me to and didn't give a view to the youtube version because I could already watch it earlier. I think the same is for the shows. Fans of spooky content will always come back for it, while fans who might have watched and enjoyed www didn't because they still had feelings about not wanting to support them. (I'm not saying it's you but I've seen some opinions that skew that way).

This is also an insteresting year because Puppet History didn't premiere so we don't know how that would have preformed. Maybe if they did premiere it, some fans would come back earlier and they'd see that they don't need to change into spooky content in everything they do. But we'll never know at this point. I hope the new season preforms well enough that they'll keep it on the main channel, because while not performing as well as ghost files I feel like it has many dedicated fans and is one of the staple watcher shows, wether they planned for that or not.

Yes ghost hunting content might not seem like a niche one but I meant it in comparison to other youtube channels, or if you were to explain watcher to a new person who hadn't heard of ghost hunting before. If youtubers read stories then they just pull them from reddit and not think about it, ays is more of a unique way to do it than just people reading a story and laughing about it.

That's the tricky thing about having a production company as a business but doing personality driven content. It all hinges on people wanting to watch and trust that the shows will be good and the content will not change. Therefore implementing changes is always a risk.

It seems that the main criticisms that they took to heart was that they don't listen to their fans. This is why they made a way for them to contact them, and I didn't get the impression that they answer the same questions all the time - only when people call in live, which happened twice or maybe three times at this point. This puts them on the spot and they have to answer a question that would be usually filtered out by Matt, the producer of the podcast.

When you mentioned that the first fifteen eps seemed different I went back and saw that they didn't have Matt Real in them yet (In a speaking role or otherwise as a producer, the camera angles and lights are different). Therefore the shows are less structured than in the later eps, and they go on a tangent a lot in a way they don't later because mr Real heards them like a pack of sheep to topics and segments that he comes up with. It might be a personal preference wether that's good or bad, personally I love him and I like the vibe that they all get along. But that might lead to the impression that these are friends hanging out and they have topics between themselves that a listener is not a part of. You can always tell them that, if you plan on listening later. I know that when they started taking in the viewer questions many people said that they prefer the off the cuff topics they come up with and they seem to have one or two questions per ep now. (They take last 15 minutes of a one hour podcast and they sometimes also go on tangents from them.)

That change happened in June I think and that's when they let go of their patreon and another show that was basically answering questions my absolute beloved wife, watcher weekly +. (rip sweet prince I miss you every day). Of course these shows were shorter (up to 30 mins every week), but they did go into the behind the scenes content of watcher in a way it is now continued in pod watcher and I really appreciate. But yeah if you started to listen to the podcast for them I get how it might be dissatisfying. (WW+ also went under major overhaul somewhere in the middle of 2023 and became more of a structured show, for the ease of them batch shooting the episodes, and I think that's one of the things - if they shoot say two podcast eps per day, then they can't really have current topics, or talk about what happened last week because it's still the same day and they are people at the end of the day. It is more convenient for them to shoot the eps this way and ultimately they have to produce content in a sustainable way for them.).

About the debriefs, well I think that since they plan on probably keeping the alternating week schedule, they need to justify the content by length. It also probably has to do with youtube algorythm because as I said earlier - uploading content similar in nature around one hour, or 40 minutes is good for it, even if it might make less sense for the structure of the episode (and in the last one they answered the same question twice, and that also has to do with catering to the youtube audience. One part of questions is from the streamer people, the other is from youtube viewers, which sometimes makes for interesting corrections they wouldn't have made, but sometimes they answer questions they already did weeks ago. My personal theory is that they didn't plan on having them that long but then realized that not answering questions from youtube might once again bring the haters in and people saying that they don't care about their audience. So debriefs are a way to compromise and satisfy both audiences. (This is pure speculation on my part though).

So yeah in the end they need to carter to many people and they're at least trying to give the people what they want. I'm very interested to see how they will respond to the comments that people gave them. It's great that most of them are positive and people aren't afraid to tell them what they think. I hope it can only get better from here :D

[atzupdates]

[230303] ATEEZ are showing the world another side of K-pop by Taylor Glasby of i-D

Going stratospheric despite their small agency beginnings, the arena headliners discuss manifesting success and their secret ambitions.

ATEEZ have just played a raucous show to 20,000 fans at London’s O2 Arena. Backstage, with the adrenalin still pumping, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yeosang, Mingi, San, Wooyoung, Yunho and Jongho are talking about football. Mingi, deep-voiced, his cropped hair cotton candy pink, is a Chelsea fan. Jongho, the band’s youngest at 22, follows Spurs. “Which is better?” asks Mingi. My tentative, uninformed guess (“Spurs?”) yields triumphant hoots and disappointed groans, as Jongho reaches over for a fist bump and hi-five. This exchange isn’t so much about football, as it is a reflection of ATEEZ wanting to make everyone they encounter feel welcome – a habit unchanged despite their stratospheric rise through the global pop landscape since debuting in late 2018.

During their week-long stay, they meet fans (known as ATINY) at a signing event, make late-night TikToks beneath the glow of Big Ben, go live on YouTube from a cosy corner of a hotel room, and watch South Korean forward Son Heungmin score at a Tottenham Hotspur game. The club’s home stadium (soon to host Beyoncé’s five London concerts) leaves a lasting impression on Yeosang: “When I saw how big it was and how loud the people were, I thought about how I want to be an artist that can play there,” he says in his slightly raspy voice. Wooyoung’s thoughts, however, linger Stateside in the wake of their most recent EP, Spin Off: From The Witness, earning them a second Top 10 entry on the Billboard 200 in early January. “I don’t know if it’s a team goal or my own,” he admits, “but I do want a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hoping for it to happen is the easy part, but what’s necessary is the confidence and bravery in the belief that it will happen.”

ATEEZ’ ambitious nature is an overarching constant to their rapid growth as individuals and artists, useful as both a touchstone of their success and a beacon for their creative output. It was present on their first record, Treasure EP1: All To Zero, which set up a rebellious narrative (now a complex and sprawling alt-world storyline) just as much as it drives their meteoric singles and the exploratory genre-overlaps of their B-sides. As a result, they’ve become a prolific and landmark group. The World EP.1: Movement (their ninth EP, out in July 2022) was ATEEZ’ first platinum-selling release, a major accomplishment for an idol group from a relatively small K-pop agency.

Hongjong, the band’s leader, thinks and talks fast (today, in English) but he pauses to take a moment to muse over their trajectory. “Many people say that I can be proud of being a group from a small company that has made their own way. So if we continually do it like this with ATINY, then in the future people might agree that ATEEZ have made a change in K-pop. I think for now though, we haven’t done enough.”

They hope, notes Seonghwa (the band’s eldest member at 24), that their achievements will eventually be on a broader scale. “We’d love to be the people behind that movement,” he says. Hongjoong nods in agreement: “I want for us to provide people with a better understanding of K-pop worldwide. There are people who continue to say that K-pop is so technical and manufactured but K-pop isn’t just a single genre; each group has a different type of art and I want to show how we express our art to everyone. When I look into the crowd at concerts, I can see so many people of all ages and backgrounds yet stereotypes against the artists and the fans still exist.”

In the early days of ATEEZ, it was evident that Hongjoong and Mingi played a key role alongside their music production team, Edenary, and that a sense of individualism seemed to be encouraged in the group’s performances. These are both now acknowledged as strengths in their arsenal. The Fellowship: Break The Wall, their third world tour, serves to highlight their unified stance while showcasing the members’ idiosyncrasies — from dance style to sense of humour — but also how comfortably they inhabit the stage.

“During our 2019 Expedition tour, we learned a lot about how to perform with every show we did,” says Yunho, an effortlessly impressive dancer. “Then during the pandemic, we studied and developed how to really make the performance; working on the stage configuration and synchronisation of moves amongst ourselves. When we came back to Europe and the US last year for the Fellowship: The Beginning of the End tour, we were able to see how everything we’d worked on and our personal growth came together on that stage.”

For some members, the process has involved looking beyond the stage in order to feel more at home on it. Yeosang’s regimented program of working out put him physically and mentally in a stronger place: “I relieve my stress while exercising, but my breathing got better and my muscles also got better, so overall it connected into a great result on stage.” San and Seonghwa also turned inward, sifting through mental libraries of borrowed or imaginary traits to build and inhabit new characters for their performances.  

“I always have a lot of imaginative thoughts,” says Seonghwa, whose general serenity is replaced by a lightning-strike energy on stage and sparks of playfulness when you least expect it. “Even before sleeping, I tend to think about fantastical things,” he continues. “I use these to decide on how I’m going to be on stage and make sure the atmosphere matches with elements like my outfit.”

“For San, it’s movies and dramas [that inspire his performances], he takes those characters on,” explains Wooyoung. San, widely lauded for having an explosive stage presence, makes his creative choices the day of. “If there’s something I think of that I want to do that day, I share it with everyone to see if it will be okay. Then we create that image together and I simply express myself.”

Wooyoung, who is both mischievous and magnetic, looks to those he admires for guidance. “I mostly look at videos of our seniors – Jimin (BTS), Taeyang (Big Bang), Hoshi (SEVENTEEN), there’s so many – I get inspiration from them and make it my own on stage.” It’s a process also adopted by Yunho. “There are artists that I can pull from, like Rain, learning from them in order to realise my own style,” Yunho says. “On stage, it’s just me, I’m myself, but I have all this in the back of my mind.”

The title of their current tour, The Fellowship: Break The Wall, is derived from last summer’s single, “Guerrilla”, on which the phrase “break the wall” is chanted with increasing ferocity, culminating in a screamo-style vocal outro. It’s one of the show’s many high points, with ATINY putting their everything into screaming along with the band. The atmosphere grows feverish, the stage bathed in red light as the giant screens flash through the dystopian city of their storyline. It’s unbridled to the point of being transcendental. San grins, reflecting on this moment. “It’s difficult to explain,” he says of the experience, while Hongjoong sees in it the removal of cultural barriers through music. “I see ATINY during ‘Guerrilla’ singing along really loud and really tough,” he says. “They come to our show, they memorise our lyrics, they shout. That’s how they’re breaking the wall, by coming together.”

Since last October, ATEEZ have been playing arenas across Asia, the US and Europe, adding extra nights as they go in order to accommodate the demand, and garnering rave reviews — even from broadsheet media, for whom K-pop remains a confusing phenomenon — in the process. But their feet, heart and heads remain earthbound. “Nothing in this world is guaranteed,” says Wooyoung. “We’re always grateful for everything. It’s something we’ve discussed as a group, but it’s all thanks to ATINY’s love and support that we’re where we are now. To become global artists and a good influence on even more people, we have to hold a sense of responsibility to give our all on stage and deliver our truth. Honestly, it’s less about dreaming of an unknown future and more about how we have to work harder so we can go even higher and pave our own path.”

ATEEZ’ success is holistic in form: personality, performance and music. A harmonious but intriguing balance of authenticity and polish. Their impressive discography features recurring motifs (waves, moon, light) and ideologies (power, truth, rebellion, movement), yet Mingi and Hongjoong — who have written lyrics on every ATEEZ track so far — admit they’re still learning how best to combine what’s on their minds with what’s conducive to furthering their storyline. It is, they agree, not always an easy task.

“It’s absolutely hard to focus on so many themes,” says Hongjoong. “Sometimes my brain stops, so I watch movies or our music videos again. I think too much when I write but, after that work, the lyrics have more power for the fans who know our storyline; they get different emotions and a different effect when I’ve done that work well. It’s really hard but it’s important to do.”

Hongjoong had an epiphany when he picked up a camera while touring last year. “There's such fierce competition – not just in music but all industries – so if there’s no purpose, I’ve always found it really hard to create freely. We have continuous deadlines. I do the first album, then the second, and once I complete the second album I have to start on the third. I’ve found my hobby with a film camera. I walk around taking photos and I can see that even if I have no immediate purpose, I can create something.” It’s something that’s changed his approach to songwriting. “These days, when I write lyrics or produce a song, I just start from zero,” he explains. “Before, if we had a pirate theme, for example, I would start with that as a topic. That’s why I found it so hard.” He now works backward, getting down exactly what he wants to say before connecting it to the narrative markers. “It’s quite different but it’s more comfortable for me and the results are better than before.”

Hongjoong and Mingi, the group’s rappers, point to last year’s "Halazia” as the hardest storyline track to pen. “The atmosphere of the song is already quite difficult and complex,” Hongjoong notes, looking over to Mingi, who explains his process of cataloguing his many thoughts to later draw from. “I write down a lot of them as memos on my phone, so I always go back to them to see if they match what we’re going through (as a group); that’s how I write my lyrics,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll think of it as writing a script, to really get into that persona."

Mingi and Hongjoong are not the only collectors and creators in ATEEZ. “In my case,” says Seonghwa, “I always memo whenever I hear a line from a song or a line from a poem that I like, just for me to look back on. I’m the type to jot down my feelings if I experience something special. These help me when I write letters or want to say something to ATINY because I’m able to better word my feelings.” San, meanwhile, cites legendary South Korean poet 나 태주 (Ra Tae-joo) as an influence. “I love poems too — I’ve been writing my own but I keep them to myself,” he says. “They can be about my feelings on a certain day, the weather, objects or characters. I’m able to lay out my feelings like this.”

Now in their fourth year, ATEEZ remain as set on the idea of constantly challenging themselves as they were when they were hungry rookies. Take Jongho for example, whose rich, gut-punching vibrato forms the backbone of many of their songs. When he listened back to The World EP.1: Movement for the first time, he admits that he was “worried because my voice was used in ways that I hadn’t tried before, and I wondered how my vocal colour was going to fit”. He sat down with their producers and worked through “how we could still make it still an ATEEZ song and match my tone, while trying something new. I’ve gained more confidence — it makes me want to do better for all the albums to come.”

Hongjoong laughs. “It means our next albums are, uh, a big thing,” he reveals, knowingly. “There are so many good K-pop and pop stars that if we want to go higher, we have to have more good songs and try other genres, too.” But even as he muses on ATEEZ’ continuing expansion, the idea of one day becoming ‘too big to fail’ doesn’t appeal to him. “No, absolutely not that,” he says, gaze steady. “I want ATINY to be able to tell us if something is bad. I like it when they do this because we don’t want to just give them our popularity. I want to give them good quality, not just a song or a video or a performance.” Does the fact that music is subjective; that no single song can please everybody, bring some comfort? “We try to find the middle ground,” Hongjoong says. “The first thing to note is that if we think it’s really great but someone else says that they think it’s trash, then we don’t really care what they think. But when we’re unsure and questioning and someone says, ‘Yeah, it’s bad’, then ok, we go back to square one.”

The thought of ATEEZ honing their creative output through repeated baptisms of fire might well upset some fans, but the band are not only accustomed to the fame game’s highs and lows but wholly pragmatic in the face of its shadows. So when Wooyoung says he’s aware of “many people” who openly disparage their music, Hongjoong shrugs a little as he responds. “Yeah, there are. We talk about this a lot together, but if there are many more haters than before, it just means we’re more popular than before,” he reasons.

The group finds positive equilibrium via a heartfelt focus on ATINY, and all that comes with being an idol group who are years into a very successful career. “When we look at line-ups now, we’re closing the show,” says Wooyoung. “And as we perform, we see the other artists watching us, and we realise we have more responsibility. Firstly to ATINY, who have been loving us and supporting us from the start, but there’s also a responsibility to spread K-pop and Korean culture because we’re travelling around the world as Korean artists.”

One of ATEEZ many dualities is that while they have big, burning aspirations — Billboard charts, Grammys, performing at the Super Bowl — that make them look at each other starry-eyed, some of their ambitions are precious in a different way: they’re simpler, more immediate. “I’d like to be happier than the day before,” says Mingi. “And I want for us to never change our sincerity toward music and gratitude to our fans,” adds Seonghwa. This is echoed by San, who adds that ultimately, “I’d be satisfied if ATEEZ’ name came up when someone asks who the coolest artist is at the end of the year.”

“I want to make more events with ATINY,” says Hongjoong. “That’s a goal for this year because we always miss them and they always miss us.” Jongho, sitting in the middle of the group, is smiling. He’s been manifesting a more personal ambition. “By next winter I want to be able to snowboard,” he says. “I want to buy my own board, go down the mountain and not fall.”

[sweetdevil-sims]

Get to Know Me - Sims Edition

I was tagged by several people (thank you!), so I decided to get off my ass for once and answer this 😆

What’s your favorite Sims death? I think the mummy's curse one! There's just something about that ominous vignette during the countdown days, only for the sim to dissolve into dust at the end 😩👌

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? Both! Maxis Match for clothing, Alpha for hair.

Do you cheat your sims weight? Nope! I leave them at whatever weight they happen to be, unless they want to learn/practice the Athletic skill. I do cheat to give them more muscle tone if they're super muscular already, though; EA really should've made that slider move along the muscle mass one :/

Do you move objects? Oh yes. I can't imagine decorating without it.

Favorite Mod? Nraas Master Controller my beloved 💖 Can't forget BrntWaffles's lighting mods, they make the game look so beautiful that sometimes I like to just leave it on 2x while watching the sunset over the sea.

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? The first EP I got was World Adventures and it's still my favorite. The first and only SP I have is HELS, along with bits and pieces from the others.

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? The latter, though this question tripped me up the first time I saw it 😅

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Ohh that's a tough one. Fergus Vane is definitely among my favorites, he was a Johnny Bravo knockoff who eventually got married and I swear that he and his wife could NOT keep their hands off each other 😆 First is him making friends at uni, second is him with his wife.

Have you made a simself? Oh yeah, when I got the game and was trying to figure out how to play. Didn't last long until I started making serial black widows, lol.

Which is your favorite EA hair color? That platinum blonde looks so tacky that I can't help but love it.

Favorite EA hair? I think EA struck gold with: Loose Curl, Dramatic Ponytail, La Dolce Vita Updo, Chorus Girl Curl, Pin-up Pretty, Skinny Dreads, Wavy Bob, Elegance Style, and Wild Fire.

Favorite life stage? Young Adult, because it has the most things available.

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? Ohh it depends. I go through phases when I'm not interested in gameplay at all, mostly when I set up a savefile for the first time. But now I've been more into gameplay for a few months.

Are you a CC creator? Yeah, mostly with CAS items and minor annoyance fixes.

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? I have a lot of simblr mutuals where I feel like a nosy person sometimes poking their head above the neighbor's fence to see what's going on 😆

Do you have any sims merch? / A Youtube for sims? Nope.

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? I give my concrete boxes a few more decorative elements now 😅 For once, I stopped playing serial killers (mostly to avoid the NPC pudding spam that ensues), and am making an effort to not micromanage sims as much and to fulfill their wishes instead of ending up with mostly level 10 chefs and gardeners all the time.

Who’s your favorite CC creator? Oh man do I have to name someone?? SimplexSims, @aroundthesims, Mutske, @simtanico, @simaddix, @twinsimming, @bioniczombie, @martassimsbookcc, @simbouquet, @plumdrops, @ifcasims, @sim-songs, @deniisu-sims, @bellakenobi, @brntwaffles, @omedapixel, @wanderingsimsfinds, @simlicious, TheSweetSimmer and on and on.

How long have you had Simblr? 2016! Sometimes I can't believe it's been so long.

How do you edit your pictures? I have a few customized Gshade presets, and only convert gameplay screenshots to JPG. For CC previews, I may change the background color and will combine several previews into one image (and I occasionally correct small issues like unsightly clipping due to the poses).

What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite? World Adventures is #1, followed by Seasons and prooobably Supernatural.

Oof we're at the end! Thank you for tagging me and for reading, and I tag ✨anyone who wants to do this✨!