#like how do you have the money to pay big name actors to do your documentaries

[yamat0]

i started watching queens the new nat geo series and why do we need pop music playing to emphasize the girl bossery of these animals i just want to watch a documentary on animals

[bowtiepastabitch]

Here's the deal on the Good Omens limbo situation. My optimistic and analytic two cents, if you will.

If we look at this through a capitalistic lens, the chances of the show being cancelled are pretty slim at the moment. Think for a moment about the top three amazon prime originals that you pay/keep the platform for. Can you think of three? I honestly can't, not off the top of my head. I know I'm not really the target audience for streaming services, since I don't watch a lot of new shows, but still. I can name plenty of netflix shows I like/might watch. That's why Netflix can cancel anything and everything so easy. They don't have just one or two fandom cash cows.

Amazon, though, doesn't have a lot. Here's a list of all their original shows. I only even recognize 8 titles. I've only actually watched 2. Plus, Good Omens is currently one of the biggest fandoms in fandom right now, with Aziracrow being the top ship on ao3 for the Jan-Dec 2023 wrap up and again on the Summer 2024 leaderboard, as well as the top ship on tumblr and Good Omens as the top tv show (plus second overall after Artists on Tumblr) for 2023. We're a big deal, and I'd bet money that they're betting money on us. I also lowkey think we're the reason Amazon is spending money on a british miniseries starring Michael Sheen tbh but that's just speculation. The show has also won a slew of awards, the same of which cannot, to my knowledge, be said of many of their other properties.

So let's talk production changes; I think there's a good chance they're doing this for the same reason. Our fandom had unique access to the creator via tumblr, and a majority of the conversation around the allegations of SA against Gaiman were and are taking place in fandom spaces. There have been petitions to fire him from the show and conversations (both productive and otherwise) about the duties of fandom when engaging with content connected to problematic individuals. Meanwhile, Gaiman has effectively dissappeared from the internet. Additionally, the video and threads sharing that Terry Pratchett wrote most of the original book have been making the rounds here and I think on the bird app(?). All that to say, if they're betting on us they want to make us happy and keep their good PR. I don't ever expect a major corporation to make a "good" decision, but they will always make the profitable one.

There is, of course, also the matter of the Pratchett estate and the other major players in the matter: the actors, directors, and creative team. These are forces at play with the power to block or stall productivity and profit for Amazon through copyright and labor power. I can imagine there's conversations happening backstage that we don't know about as well as what we see in headlines.

Ultimately, I think the biggest risk to season 3 is unfortunately going to be Neil Gaiman himself and how he responds to the situation at hand. If he steps back quietly, we're living in our best case scenario and everything moves forward as much according to plan as can be expected with at least this small justice being served. I see a hissy fit on his end as the greatest potential wrench in proceedings, but that would exacerbate the (currently quiet in the mainstream) bad PR for him so I give it low odds.

All that to say. From a pragmatic viewpoint, Amazon's best interest seems to be entirely tied to ours as a fandom, and I anticipate Season 3 being made and most likely being only minorly delayed. Either way. What happens behind the scenes in corporate office buildings between rich white men is entirely out of my and your control. I know how huge anxiety can get when it relates to a special interest or a community that has a huge role in your life, and whatever happens we're in this together as a fandom. It's going to be alright. Take a deep breath and maybe get some water. Whatever happens, we're in this together as a fandom, and at least it won't be the end of the world;)

[pascaloverx]

OUR SECRET — MYG

chapter one

Summary: You and Yoongi are having an affair. No, you are not being his lover. But the world is not ready to know that an idol is dating someone. So you two were doing your best to make sure no one found out. Until he breaks up with you. His mistake.

Author's note: This fanfic will contain inappropriate language and intimate moments between some characters. Be warned. I will let you know if anything becomes inappropriate. Please enjoy this Yoongi fanfic.

AO3LINK NEXT

"You're in denial, you could just say you didn't want me anymore. But you prefer to pretend that..." You throw his favorite book out the window like it means nothing. 'Cause now it doesn't mean.

"You can't blame me, our romance should have ended a long time ago. But you and I..." Yoongi seems almost too serious saying this. Do you mean nothing to him?

"You and me what?" You respond from the balcony of your apartment. Luckily your neighbors aren't too curious to know why you're yelling at your ex-lover.

"You know I can't shout that here, some fans might be here." Poor little thing, at that moment you wonder where the brave man is who asked you to embark on this relationship even though you knew your worlds would never be the same.

"I thought the whole point of paying a lot of money to live in an apartment far from the big city and known for its discretion would be being able to yell at you at two in the morning." You don't care if he thinks he's going to leave you without anything more or less, and that you're going to come out of this situation smiling, he should have found someone else to have sex with.

"If you would let me come up, we could talk like adults." He speaks subtly with an impressive poker face. If he stops being a musician, perhaps he could try a career as an actor or a gambler.

"Like adults? I'll be waiting for the other adult to arrive." You say throwing some clothes that are in your apartment that belong to him.

"Like you're being mature about all this. Damn!" One of his belongings ends up breaking near his feet. In fright he lets out several swear words, you luckily end up laughing.

"You break up with me over the phone and I have to be mature. I gave up part of my freedom to be yours. And look what I get in return." Anger took over you initially but now all you can do is try to keep from crying.

"Y/N. Let me in, so we can talk. I can see you almost crying from here." You smile lightly as you feel tears fall down your cheek. What a humiliation.

"If you cared about me you would have had the decency to say that you wanted to finish it the last time you were here." His cowardice can only be explained by his fear of having to do this in person.

"I couldn't. I didn't..." That was exactly what was left of the two of you. An awkward silence and resentment.

"Do you know how frustrating it is not being able to curse your name or tell someone you broke my heart?" You say that sobbing. What a tragedy it is that has made you sentimental now.

"Just because we don't work anymore doesn't mean I don't love you." You look at him and for a moment you feel more sorry for him than for yourself.

"If this is how you love someone. I'm sorry to inform you that you don't know love." Ironically it makes you smile. Maybe this is all his fault, not yours.

"Love..." It's very painful to see the man you've been involved with for the last year, call you that and not be able to respond.

"I'll send the rest of your things to the company. Don't worry, I won't expose you any more than I already have. Now get out of here, you and your fake love." Using one of his songs as the grand finale was a majestic act. Crying yourself to sleep, unfortunately, is not so majestic.

Two Months Later...

"You were the only person I thought would understand my situation. Try not to judge me but I need an opinion." You say looking Namjoon in the eyes. You got really close to him during your secret relationship with Yoongi.

"Is it too big a secret?" He asks entering his new home. A home where you swore you would start over.

"You tell me..." You say, opening your coat and revealing your stomach.

"Did you call me here because you gained weight after the breakup or do you have worms?" Namjoon asks and you smile nervously. Until you shake your head denying.

"Let's say the weight gain is due to something prior to the breakup..." You try not to say the word. Maybe the situation will go away if you don't name it.

"You are pregnant?" He named his current situation. Now it means it's really happening.

"Surprise!" You say trying to liven up the situation but you know you're fucked. Namjoon seems really surprised. As soon as he assimilates the information, he hugs you. You knew you could lean on the friendship you two have.

[accio-victuuri]

their ordinary life. 🏠

i am referencing this post which was allegedly shared in 2021. i like how it’s written and the cpn clues inserted, then making a whole story out of it. a reason why most of us love lrg and other rumor anecdotes is because it’s simple and shows what their day to day life is like. tho they are celebrities with extraordinarily busy lives, the thought of them just being zz and bobo is comforting and sweet. it may be confusing cause there are parts where they are both referenced as they. and then it will switch to “i” as if in the person’s first person pov.

all of this is fake & fanfiction…

they should have a cat and a dog. everyone knows the cat's name is Tao, the dog’s name also matches the cat very well, it’s called Lizi. it’s a puppy ZZ bought it on impulse, but in the end I had to give it to my mother in Chongqing to deal with the aftermath. they have a home in Beijing, with a room full of helmets and musical instruments. there is also a room equipped with a projector, with warm and artistic decoration. when the two people are tired, they can lie here and watch movies together. there is also a big LCD TV, two people playing games to decide the outcome and doing housework.

the kitchen should be well-equipped, but the storage of materials is not alot, both of them are busy and have little time to cook, but there should be someone that makes trouble while the other person is cooking, and the other person will teach. when that person was making hand cakes, he had a headache several times and wanted to curse.

the room they sleep in, well, the bedding must be of high quality, it must be very comfortable and considerate for two people who both have the habit of sleeping naked. someone should install a night light in the toilet so that people who are afraid of the dark can get up in the middle of the night. there will be lights as soon as the toilet is near. there should be a lot of things on the bedside, eye drops, stomach-protecting tablets, Ryukakusan, cough cough... In short, both of them takes good care of your body! there will be a light fragrance in the room. they are all people who love cleanliness, maybe it’s also due to the scented candles.

there is a huge closet, which could have been used as a styling area in the beginning. one will often buy several pieces at a time and wrap them up. the other will also complain that one person loves shopping so much that he is not frugal and knows how to organize his clothes regularly. it was painful to pick out an old model to wear, and taught another person: "See, this is okay. As for clothes, save money and don’t buy so much. You still have a mortgage. ” another smiled and didn’t say anything. clothes that smell like them over time are familiar and reassuring, as if they are by each other’s side. In this way, they give each other company. Sometimes the trip is too urgent and I don’t pay much attention. both people will pack the wrong clothes into their suitcases. there should also be a small gym, where two actors and teachers can work hard. One person is envious of another's eight-pack abs, and the other possesses someone's waist (don't ask me why I know it's possible because I am a barbell. )

both of them have been doing more and more endorsements, and they have a lot of products at home. when the two brothers are in a good mood, they take one out and play with it, jokingly calling it "opening a blind box." most of the time, they kept sending them to my family, and the family group was noisy.

the two of them still can't stay at home most of the time and are always on the road. yes, headphones are a common item. why? because they are used for making phone calls and watching videos and to chat online. I took out my mobile phone to complain after getting off work. i quickly called to tell him that I miss you. people’s true emotions finally have a safe and secure place. how good is this, just wanting someone who can always listen to me in my life. you act coquettishly. you can complain and cry.

i also surfed the Internet, but I just browsed casually, after all, it was all the same rainbow fart, I want to take some time to listen to that person blowing it to me. sometimes it’s annoying to see fans quarreling. i used my account number to tell them to stop arguing, but it didn’t work. just switch to my other account and fight bravely with heizi ( antis ) and lose. until the account was suspended and blocked, then I took screenshots and felt aggrieved. he said, "Baby, look at me, I've lost another number by helping you.". The other person was amused, and he was no longer troubled by the remarks.

the other side is also keen on surfing and secretly saves a lot of emoticons, all of which are like pigs. regarding this, after I sent it, I laughed so hard that I hit the table and couldn’t stop having fun. hey, of course you can hear the voice of someone screaming on the phone: "Why does it have to be a pig?" "I'm a leopard! Not a pig! You What a stinky rabbit!”

they will take care of eating, taking medicine, drinking water, and taking care of each other when they are sick. they will take good care of each other and care for each other. if you are disobedient, it will be known immediately, and you will be punished, and then you will obey because I want to live a long with the other person. if possible, I hope it will be the same in my next life.

he will also get jealous, lose his temper and act awkward. Alas, as an actor, he is still in the entertainment industry. what can I do? Buy gifts, buy food, make phone calls. if you want to talk, send WeChat, and send some updates and stuck points that fans can’t understand.

In the end, I still couldn't coax him, so I could only study how to fight authentically and run to see the other party. the time is very short, and you may only be able to stay in the car, room, or corner. i left after an hour or two, my temper was gone, and I kept looking at the other person. laugh, give a hug, hold hands for a walk, kiss, and talk for a long time. if it's been a long time, your eyes will inevitably turn red when you separate.

“Every time it’s so short, it’s hard to be separated, and I won’t be able to come next time.

“But I miss you.

"...I know, I'll come see you next time."

knowing that there will be an event for two people on the same stage will make them excited for a long time, and they will fall in love at public expense. love, doesn’t it feel good?

no matter what, they won’t understand the meaning of it anyway. meet backstage, eat a meal together, take ugly photos of each other while doing makeup, and fight. let’s sit together and look at our phones and chat about the current situation. the two people at the back looked right at each other when Fang doesn't speak, the staff will consciously go out and leave them alone.

think hard. I miss you even when I walk. I miss you when I sit. kiss the necklace that you bought for me, look at the blue sky and white clouds, draw a picture, then take the archeology test, and look at the other party’s dark history, snap screenshots and make emoticons and throw them over. it’s the happiness that only artists can have when they fall in love, don’t you understand~

regarding the public, the feeling of being watched by millions of people cheering and blessing that summer it’s really good. surrounded by love from all over the world, you will feel that there is nothing better than our happy couple. maybe, one day, wait for the rainbow to come. On that day, I am Lao Wang and he was Lao Xiao. We walked in front of everyone. before, he drew a story about us, told by me since I was 21 years old.

[crackrodent]

Check out the rest of my Flufftober library!

Parts of a Sinner

Valentino was pissing you off today. You were glad most days to me a mid earner. Flying under his radar. Unfortunately, SpiderCunt pissed him off and now the lowest earners are on vacation respawning. So now you need to get some extra money fast to earn your keep under his care.

Some of the other actors helped set you up with one of the higher-paying clients they utilized when Val ran low on their personal poison and they had to pay on their own. It was days like this when you were glad your drug of choice was always in high supply with him. It didn’t help you now though. Still had to turn in the difference to match the rates everyone else brought in with just their videos. Lucky bastards.

You make your way to the apartment number Tiffany gave you, warning that she hadn't seen the guy in years. The door is covered in a translucent green crust. You sign before putting on your big-money smile and knocking. not the worst thing you've ever touched but hey, you haven’t seen him yet. Could still break records.

When he opened the door you were not surprised to see him in a trench coat. You were disappointed however to see his four arms. But they didn’t really hold your attention long either. His murky-greenish yellow skin reminded you of the color of early autumn leaves. It was your favorite time of year on earth.

“So, I heard someone here was looking for a good time?” You quote the same script you always do. Makes it go faster you think, having a system.

He stands off to the side and gestures for you to enter. You walk in and see a homey little studio apartment. The wooden floors creak with each step you take.

The living room, if you could call it that, was simple. A full-sized mattress pushed against the wall that was going to be a struggle to work with with a TV hung on the wall to the left of it. That was it. There wasn’t enough space left to even justify buying a rug.

You sit down on the bed and he takes off his coat and stands in front of you. You have seen worse but he makes the list. His parts looked alright but not exactly the kind one would look forward to touching.

“Can I call you Bertha?” He asks. You do not like that idea but business is business.

“You can call me whatever you want sugar,” You say as seductively as you can, while looking into his pink eyes hanging down near the top of his slug head. His eyes started to water as you finished your line.

“Sugar?” You had seen criers before but he did not meet the profile. “What’s wrong baby?” You reach out to touch his shoulder and he leans into your touch.

“I-” he sniffles “She used to call me sugar.” His four arms pull you into a standing hug as his eyes start pouring tears into your hair. “Before-” His breathing was getting shaky. You almost felt bad for him. He was a pitiful man.

“Before what sugar?” You say and cringe as the tears start soaking into your light t-shirt.

“He-” The slug took a deep breath, “He turned her against me.”

Oh shit. Tea? In this economy?

You start getting too curious for your own good again. You can already feel your feline ears twitch in anticipation for the rest of the story. “How about you tell me some more names? Start with yours maybe?”

“Barry. My name is Barry Trench-”

“Hold on!” You interrupt, like a bitch, “Like Tom Trench, yall related or something?” you almost laugh but you feel him nod into your shoulder. “Is he who-” You feel the nod again.

“He married Bertha. She was my childhood friend. But she was a couple of years older than me. She was ready for marriage and planned to wait for me but my brother convinced her father to make her marry him instead.” Berry was spilling all the gossip.

You wondered if this could be useful if you sold this info to Vox but the foam building up around the sinner’s eyes hurt to see. Gently you wipe his eyes.

“And she said yes?”

“It was the last decade of the 1800s, if her father said to do it, she was going to.” He let you go and together you sat back down on the bed. “I had a bad reputation in town. My brother and I were close as kids and he, uh, he had a habit of looking in windows of people.” You grab one of his lower arms and watch as a small smile forms on his face, “We looked pretty similar up on Earth. The first time he got caught he had been borrowing a book of mine and he left it behind in the chaos I guess.”

“Well, That’s pretty shitty of him to not fess up.”

“Yeah, it was the day our brotherhood died. We weren’t the same after that, Tom and I. It was when I met Bertha. My Pa didn’t like me being friends with the girls. Thought it would seem indecent. He knew the rumors weren’t true. Tom really didn’t like seeing me with Bertha.”

“The bastard took her just to piss you off then?” You were going to start getting your news from Instagram. Channel 666 News was not gonna profit off your views anymore, that's for sure.

He laughed at that and your heart felt a little lighter than it had been as of late. You feel a small laugh escape your lips too.

“Yeah. They only ever had one kid together. Looked just like her luckily.” Berry smiled at you, “I never married. She was the only one for me. I always hoped I would find her again when I made it to heaven, thought I did alright.”

Still holding onto your hand he leaned back on the bed monologuing. “She died before me. Started as a cough, and got worse. I was thinking about her while working six weeks later. Factories are not safe places to get distracted while working.”

You scoot over to look at him better. “You find her down here?”

“She did do alright. I just stumbled I guess. I wasn’t perfect then but I am much worse now.” He looked at you with a guilty look on his face, “ I flashed a random woman today, she was just singing!”

You bite your lip to hold back your laugh. “Who the fuck just goes around hell singing? Fucking Lilith wannabe, am I right?”

He starts laughing again. His laugh is a bit like a deep chuckle and a dying frog combined. Terrible in concept but it hit your ears just right.

Barry wasn't the best man, but you think he could hit the mid-list.

[groovyzombiellama]

Chemistry

Title: Chemistry

Requested? No.

Plot: You decide to try out as an actress and you move to LA, eventually landing a role opposite Nicholas Galitzine.

Words: 2243

---***---

You decide to give your dream a chance, to take the leap and head to LA, not knowing how many times you're gonna be rejected and have to start over, but confident enough in yourself that you can survive the rejections. Actors who get their first lead role after their first audition are rare, and you know that even sometimes the same actor will audition for the same role multiple times, just so the casting crew can solidify their choice, find their perfect casting to bring their characters to life. But you were ready, you felt ready and after finishing college and not being able to get a good job, you took the money you made at your odd jobs and other jobs you worked on and you were on the first plane to LA. You didn't have much, but it was a start, it would get you a hotel room for a few days, while you look for an apartment. The thought of one day actually getting the lead role in a movie or TV show filled you with immense joy, but even if you never do end up getting more than a minor role, or you end up having to go back home, you will still be happy that you tried, that you gave it all your could and didn't spend any more time simply sitting in your room, staring at posters of famous actors, wondering if you could make it.

Now you were gonna find out the answer to that question, and finally know if you had what it takes. You checked in to the hotel room, and freshened up, grabbing a newspaper from the foyer and immediately started looking for an apartment. You soon had a couple places circled, determined to check them out as soon as possible. Even if you don't end up as an actress, you could try and find another job there, after all, new places, new opportunities. A few days later, you'd already checked out a few of the places that you had circled. One was a lady that was kind at first, but hearing that you we're going to live in the apartment alone and you didn't have a husband, and weren't even in the works of finding one, she became rather rude to you, complaining about how there was so many women like you nowadays that didn't value the proper things and wanted your "independence".

Oh how you hated the face she made when she said that word in the most condescending tone you've ever heard. Another one was in a really bad neighbourhood, but you didn't even care about that, because all you'd be doing is heading to auditions and back, you wouldn't be bothering anyone, but the guy that was renting it had a sketchy vibe to him, even making a joke about always being able to come over in case you needed some "company", the implications really evident in the way he said that. And then another was a place almost rundown, filled with cockroachoes, and even rats, as one scurried across the floor as you entered the bedroom. Big nope on that one. So the next day, you decided to head to an audition. You didn't want to aim high and audition for the lead immediately, so you chose the script for a best friend character. You were super nervous about it, and that was probably the reason why they weren't so stoked to have you hired as the character. But you weren't going to give up. You went to another audition and another and another, eventually landing a role of an extra, with one line. Okay, that was a start, and you were excited about it.

Let's hope getting the apartment will also get sorted out. You were heading to more places you had circled, eventually coming to an agreement with a kind old lady for a studio apartment, close to the city center. You applied for a job at a nearby café, to be sure you'd be able to pay for the place if you don't get payed a lot for the role. At least you will have one credit under your name. You had landed another audition, only to be dropped a couple days later, due to as they say finding a better fit for the role. You were a bit sad about it, but trying not to let it deter you from pursuing further. Finally checking out of the hotel and moving to the small apartment, where the only separate room you had was the bathroom, you felt a bit more comfortable. You'd lived in studio apartments as a college student, so this was nothing new, and you didn't really expect to find anything large, nor did you need anything large. The most important thing to you was having a place to sleep, a place to eat and a place to shower. That was enough for you.

The day of shooting was approaching, and you were happy that you were gonna be there for even a day or two to say your line and to be a background extra for a few scenes too. Arriving at the specified location, you were directed where to go and when you got there, you realised who was shooting this movie. It was none other than your celebrity crush, Nicholas Galitzine. He was chatting with the director and the, what you assumed was, lead girl in the movie. He was chuckling at something that was said, and his smile made you stop in your tracks. You had his photo as your phone background and the background of your keyboard, specially photos of his smile, so seeing it in person was a whole new experience, and he was just as mesmerising as he was on camera. You had to quickly compose yourself and not stare at him for so long, and end up being perceived as a huge creep. So you stayed behind, as the background extra, and as the camera would no longer have you in frame, you would watch him act, smiling softly at his mannerisms and the way he looked, like he was born to be an actor.

Your big scene was approaching, where you were playing a bartender, that would be asking Nicholas' character what he wanted to drink and then making it and handing it to him, and you were genuinely nervous. Not just because you were going to be on screen, but because you are going to be on screen with him. You had a bit of experience as a mixologist, from working at a few bars, and so the crew didn't need to make the drink for you and just have you serve it, you knew exactly how to make it. Another thing you didn't even know was a dream of yours would come true. Not only were you a part of a scene with Nicholas, but also a part of a blooper, because he ended up spilling a bit of the drink on himself, making everyone on set laugh, including you, as you giggled at his adorable behaviour. He apologised to you for making you redo the scene, but you shook your head, not even remotely upset about it. After doing the scene again and the director yelling cut, Nicholas turned to you.

"You sure know how to make a drink. Where did you learn that?"

You smiled and told him about your background in mixology, the two of you sharing a couple of words, as you tried to calm your heart down, to make sure it doesn't burst out of your chest. He was not only near you, but talking to you, and you could see his lovely personality first hand. The director paused for a moment, seeing your exchange, the way your conversation flowed, and it got him thinking for a moment before approaching Nicholas to talk to him about another scene. It was true what they said, that Nicholas just naturally has chemistry with people. His co-star Anne Hathaway even said he could have chemistry with a lamp. And honestly you'd ve jealous of that lamp, but moving on, you were back to being a background extra for a few more scenes that day and a few tomorrow. The director couldn't seem to shake off a feeling he had seeing the interaction you had with Nicholas. He was trying to figure out if it was just Nicholas' natural chemistry and charm or if there was something else. He wanted to work with Nicholas again, but he was yet to find his female lead. Could you be that female lead?

As your part of the shooting wrapped up, you were approached and handed a few pages of a script and told that the director wanted you to try and audition for that role. You were extatic at the prospect of actually getting to go to that audition and you were so incredibly thankful to the director for even considering you and giving you a chance. You still had no idea you would be acting opposite to Nicholas if you got the part. You studied the script long and hard, trying your best to portray the emotions that were expected of you. You had panic attacks in college a lot, but you decided to try and not put so much pressure on yourself, and just do your best, and you if you succeed, you succeed, if not, you won't be mad at yourself, because you did your best. You arrived to the audition a few days later and you were told that if you got the part, filming wouldn't start until the end of the male leads previous project, but that they started looking for the female lead a but earlier. You did what was asked of you for the audition, and they told you they would give you a call. You were walking out of the audition room and saw a bunch of other girls who were auditioning for the same role, and you smiled at them, wishing them all luck, and you genuinely would be happy even if you didn't get the part and one of these other girls did.

About two weeks later, you were at work at the café as you got a call to come back and do another audition and that you'd be doing a chemistry testing also, since you were in the next round of auditioning. And so you arrived to the arranged address, did the audition, and they instructed you to stay outside the room as they wait for the male lead to arrive for the chemistry test. You were on your phone for a bit, as you heard a familiar British accent and lifted your head up to see none other than Nicholas Galitzine walking in. He smiled seeing you, and he actually recognised you from the set of his current project.

"So you're my new potential co-star? I'm happy for you getting the opportunity to do a lead."

He was so sweet, that it made you fall for him even more. He winked at you, which he definitely shouldn't have done to your poor heart and entered the room, where you were soon called in for the test. You were supposed to act out a scene together, the one you were given to rehearse. It was a breakup scene, and you had to get into that mindset, which was actually somewhat easy for you because you had this way of imagining scenarios as you read them and you imagined that scene multiple times in your head, so when it came time to do it opposite Nicholas, you already had the general idea of how it was supposed to go. And your crush on Nicholas definitely helped the feeling of not wanting to be apart from him, but having to.

"I know I can't ask you to wait for me-"

Nicholas started and you were supposed to come in next and cut him off.

"Then don't. Don't "ask me to wait". Just don't go."

Nicholas sighed, fully in character and approached you to lean his forehead against yours, making your heart skip a beat and your eyes admired his features as he spoke about how he had to do it, and then it was your turn to sigh, knowing that there was no way to get him to stay. The two of you went on with the scene, and you were so into the moment, that your tears flowed naturally, as he hugged your frame close to his chest, begging you not to cry, as he couldn't bear it. As the scene came to an end, the two of you untangle yourselves from each other and you wipe your tears, as Nicholas smiles at you. He genuinely thought you did a really good job and hoped that you'd be cast as his partner. And in the end you were. A week later you got the call to tell you that you got the part, all that was left was to rehearse and prepare as Nicholas wrapped up his previous project, and could work on this one. Being in the lead role and acting opposite of your celerity crush, it was your dream coming true. Nicholas is no longer going to be a crush you watch on screen, he was gonna become your friend, your co-star. Would he become more?

---***---

I am doing my best to try and get back into writing, I'm not sure this is any good, but I wanted to write about my favourite little british bean. This guys charm and wit and talent have truly captivated me, that I just had to put it into writing to stop thinking about him constantly. And I still continue to do so. It's a little something I did today on the bus to my college town. I'll try my best to get to my requests as soon as possible... Sorry for not being more active...

[blues824]

Housewardens+Jamil with a fem! s/o that opens a dessert cafe at the school to make some cash.

These came out very short, I’m sorry. Also, I’m naming this unofficial dessert cafe ‘Crooks and Nannies’ because that’s how Doc the Dwarf (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) butchered ‘nooks and crannies’.

Riddle Rosehearts becomes a regular. We all know he has a very big sweet tooth, so this was to be expected. He thought that Trey’s treats had nothing against yours. You inspire him to support small businesses, since they were usually the places that had the best goods.

He doesn’t really complain if you have high prices. With how much attention you give to each individual thing you make, it’s no wonder. Plus, you had to make some profit so that you could pay Crowley to keep your shop running.

Leona Kingscholar doesn’t really have a sweet tooth, but like everyone else he has those moments where he just needs something sweet to finish his meal with. That’s where you come in. He swears by his kingdom that you made the best sweets.

Another person who doesn’t complain about high prices. He is a literal prince, so he has riches in amounts that people could never comprehend. In fact, he donates money to your dessert cafe just to make sure you never shut down.

Azul Ashengrotto sees you as competition at first. However, you bring up something that could bring you both profit. If you both were to partner with each other, Crooks and Nannies with the Mostro Lounge, more people would see it and visit both shops more often.

With this partnership, prices lowered significantly on both parts because you both now had the funds to do so. This meant even more profit. This also meant that Crowley would be making more money as well. It’s a win-win-win situation!

Kalim Al-Asim becomes another regular. He loves when you make tropical-themed desserts to sell because he loves the flavor of the fruits you incorporate, especially coconut. You always have at least one batch of some sort of dessert for him to pick up.

Yet another person who does not complain about high prices. He descends from a long line of merchants, so his family has accumulated wealth throughout the decades. He becomes a major donor to your small business and fully supports you.

Jamil Viper also doesn’t have that much of a sweet tooth. However, you sometimes make savory treats for people who prefer salty rather than sweet foods. You often make egg cups with a topping that depends on the person who called in the order. It wasn’t on your normal menu, but Jamil knew that it was a secret of yours.

He understands the high prices, but he doesn’t particularly like them. He handles the finances for Scarabia, so he doesn’t become a regular. When he does go to you, it’s usually a large order for his whole dorm or because Kalim did good on something.

Vil Schoenheit doesn’t become a regular. He knows that you have options for many different dietary restrictions, so that’s not the issue. The issue is time. He doesn’t have a lot of time to stop by somewhere and get something. However, when he does have the time, he will post a picture of his dessert on his Magicam while tagging the cafe’s account.

He likes to take over the promotion part of your business. While that in itself is a huge contribution, he also donates a lot (not most, just a lot) of his revenue from being an actor to the cafe. That way you can get top-quality equipment and ingredients.

Idia Shroud constantly orders from your cafe online. You have a delivery option, and he hates going places; it works out. In addition to that, he has a huge sweet tooth. Every week, you have a special dessert and he is the first to put in an order for it.

He comes from a very rich family, so he doesn’t really look at prices. He just clicks ‘checkout’ and fills in his information. He likes to make donations from time to time (which is whenever he makes an order) to show his support.

Malleus Draconia wants to become a regular, but can’t because of his retainers. His favorite desserts are either the mochi you make or the soft-serve ice cream you make. He doesn’t have a favorite flavor for either, and when he visits late at night he will tell you to surprise him. He most definitely donates a ton of money. You don’t have to worry about financial complications for the next millennium, alright? And that’s after you upgrade all of your equipment. He also wants you to have the best-quality items just so it’s easier on you. You also have more room in the budget to hire help.

[tickle-minion]

The Photo Shoot

Pretty safe for work tickling story. Ended up a bit longer than I expected, but what can you do?

------

Ryan always knew he was going to make it big.  Ever since he was in high school he’d always gotten the lead parts in the school plays, and now that he was in university he was showing success in independent student productions.  Of course he didn’t make any money off of any of those, and tuition for his school was expensive, which meant he had to work and had thousands in student loans to look forward to once he was done.  He took this all in stride since he knew there was a pot of gold at the end of this very expensive rainbow.

One thing Ryan knew he needed if he was going to continue trying to be an actor was to get some professional pictures taken for auditions.  So far he’d gotten free head shots taken by photography students.  The problem is you get what you pay for, and some of the shots were clearly student work.

Luckily for Ryan, there were other photographers in town who were willing to work with students to get them some professional shots at a reduced rate.  After a few days of searching, Ryan came across a photographer named Jay.  He liked what he saw on Jay’s website (and liked his student discount even more) so he made an appointment to meet him.  The two met for a consultation and Ryan booked a time slot to come to Jay’s studio. 

On the day of the shoot, Jay brought several pairs of clothes to wear.  Something formal, something casual, some streetwear, etc.  When it came to the casual look, Jay instructed Ryan to take off his shoes and socks.

“Take them off?  Why?”

“Shows vulnerability.  Most people don’t show their feet at all, so it exposes a little bit more of you.”

Ryan wasn’t entirely convinced, but he still pulled off his shoes and socks and continued with the session.

It may have been his imagination, but Ryan felt that Jay kept glancing down at his bare feet.  It wasn’t super obvious, and as far as Ryan could tell his feet were never the focus of any shots, but Jay’s eyes kept trailing down to them.  Strange, yes, but Ryan didn’t want to cause a scene when he felt there was so much on the line.

Finally, with that last shot, they were done.

“Alright Ryan, that just about wraps it up.  I think we got some good shots, but it will take me a few days to go through and clean them up.”

“Wow, alright, thanks.  I’m looking forward to it.  Can’t wait to see how they turn out.”

Ryan started to put his socks back on.

“Hey, kid, before you go any further, I have a business proposition for you.  That is, if you’re looking to make a few bucks.”

Ryan stopped and looked over at the photographer.  Extra money was never a bad thing.

“I mean, money is money, I guess.  What are you looking for?  This isn’t something dirty, is it?  Because I’m not taking off my clothes.”

“Don’t worry, you’re already as undressed as you’d need to be.  I just want to make a little video to post on my website.”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed.

“I’ve seen your website.  You don’t have videos.”

The photographer gave a large toothy grin.

“Not that website, a different one.  Here, come and take a look.”

Jay motioned for Ryan to follow him to the back of the studio where he had a large computer setup.  Camera equipment and props were everywhere.

“Alright, just better not be anything too freaky.”

Ryan walked over to the far end of Jay’s studio on bare feet.  When he got to the computer he was shocked by what he saw on the screen.

“Are those guys getting… tickled?”

Jay nodded and scrolled down the page a bit, showing Ryan more videos.  Each one showed a young man (around Ryan’s age) being tickled.  Some were tied up, some had their feet in stocks, and some just had their ankles being held down.  Most were dressed like Ryan (which is to say fully dressed except for the shoes and socks), but others were in various states of undress.  No one looked naked, though.

“Yup.  Tickling sells well, you know.  Lots of guys, and hell, women too, love seeing guys getting tickled.  And it pays.”

Ryan’s ears perked up.

“People are willing to pay?”

“Oh sure.  People are willing to pay for these videos if the model is cute and ticklish enough.  And I have to say kid, you’re the exact type of guy they like to see.”

Ryan didn’t have much to say.  His eyes stayed glued to the screen.

“I’ll make you a deal.  You let me tickle you a little bit, just your feet so you don’t have to take anything else off, and not only will I not charge you for the shots, but I’ll actually give you a bit of what the video makes.  What do you say?”

Ryan wanted to say no right away, but he hesitated.  Not only would he get his shots for free, but he’d also get some cash for it, too?  It seemed too good to be true.

“I mean… alright.  I guess.  As long as this is just tickling.  I’m not doing anything else.”

“Alright, sounds good.  And don’t worry, all I do is tickle guys, nothing else.”

Jay explained what would happen: Ryan would lay face down on a couch in the studio, so no one could see his face, and hang his bare feet over the side of the couch.  Jay would sit on his legs and tickle his feet.  It sounded easy enough.  Ryan lay down, letting Jay move his body a little bit for the camera, and let himself relax (as much as he could).  Once he was in place, Jay set up the camera and started recording.

Ryan was laying down on his stomach, bare feet on the arm of the couch, when he felt Jay straddle his ankles.

“Alright folks, this is our new tickle toy Brad.  This is his first time with us, so let’s see how ticklish he is.”

Ryan (apparently going by the name Brad) tensed his whole body, waiting for whatever was supposed to come.  Suddenly, he felt one finger on his right sole.  It started up near his heel and trailed down towards his toes.  Ryan flexed and curled his foot at the light ticklish sensation.  No one had ever touched his feet (not that he could remember, anyways) so it was a strange feeling.  The finger repeated the same movement on his left sole.  This time Ryan wiggled a little bit under Jay, his foot waving side to side.

“Got some squirming going on it looks like.  Let’s try something a little more ticklish”

One finger, one at a time, on each sole was suddenly replaced with five fingers on each sole.  Those fingers dug into the insteps of his feet, scratching the soft sensitive skin there.  Ryan jumped (though stayed pinned down by Jay’s weight) and started to kick his feet.  

“Oh shit, what the fuck?!”

“Oh yeah, we got a ticklish one here.”

The fingers really worked their way in there, kneading the flesh of his feet.  Ryan kept trying to kick those tickling fingers away, but Jay’s grip was just too strong.  There was nothing that Ryan could do to make it stop.  He could, of course, always say stop, but then he’d have to pay for his headshots.  That was a huge motivation to stay here on the couch.

Several minutes after just assaulting the center of his feet, the hands started roaming over the real estate that was Ryan’s soft size 12 soles.  The fingers came up to Ryan’s heels and attacked.  Ryan jumped, and was suddenly barking out with laughter when Jay found an especially ticklish spot: the part of his sole right before his heel.  

“Oh, sounds like we got a live one here!”

“NOO!  PLEEEEASE!”

Fingers descended on that spot on each foot.  It wasn’t just fingers working their way into the foot, but now nails were scraping and scratching too.  The only thing Ryan’s over stimulated mind could think of was that this was like ringing a doorbell.  It was loud, it was intense, and it was beyond annoying that Jay found this spot that reduced him to a laughing mess.

“Holy crap is he sensitive right here.  How are you doing Brad?  Want me to stop?”

“Y-Y-YES PL-PL-PLEEEEASE!”

“No?  You’re all good?  Sounds great to me!”

“NOOO!”

Jay continued to exploit the sensitive spot, attacking viciously with his fingers.  Ryan was sure he was going to pass out when the tickling mercifully ended.

“Th-thank God…”

“He thought that was bad, wait till he gets a load of this…”

“Wait, what?!”

“Here comes the brush!”

Ryan’s entire body jolted when a broad hairbrush started attacking that same sensitive spot.  The brush moved violently back and forth with cruel abandon.  This was the worst feeling yet.  Ryan was in absolute hysterics, thrashing as much as he could, trying to buck Jay off his legs.  His feet kicked and squirmed to get away, one foot trying to cover the other for protection.  His face and throat were starting to get sore from the laughter.

“Oh yeah, we got him right here.”

Not even able to say anything, Ryan continued to cackle.  The brush alternated between feet, and each time it switched feet it was like the first time all over again.  Tears were starting to stream from his tightly shut eyes.  This was the first time he truly regretted his decision, and despite the promise of free shots and money, he found the urge to call out stop was right on the tip of his tongue.  He bit it back though, he wasn’t going to give up.

The tickling changed, and now the brush was going up and down his soles.  Again, Ryan tried curling his foot up to avoid the tickling, but Jay grabbed Ryan’s toes and flexed them back, stretching his sole out.  Jay’s grip was too strong and Ryan wasn’t able to escape.  He laughed and giggled, unable to stop as the brush scrubbed up and down his flexed sole.  People got off on this?  Ryan figured they must all be sadists.

“Let’s see how ticklish Brad’s toes are.”

The brush stopped for just a second (giving Ryan exactly one second of peace) before attacking the toes that Jay was holding back.  Oh god.  This was bad.  This was worse than the spot hear his heels.  This was like fire.  Ryan didn’t just laugh, he was screaming.  Tears were flowing so freely that he could taste them on his lips.  He wanted to yell stop, he wanted this tickling to end, but he couldn’t form the words.

Jay continued tickling those toes, holding them tightly, even as the feet started to become slick with sweat.  This of course made the brush slide and glide all the more easily.  The brush scrubbed the tips of the toes all the way down to the sensitive little gap under each toe.

The tickling continued for a few minutes until finally, mercifully, it stopped.

“There we go, that was Brad.  I think he did pretty well.  Let me know if you want to see more of this boy.”

Jay concluded by slapping both of Ryan’s sensitive soles, making him jump and squeak.

Jay got up off of Ryan and turned off the camera.

“There we go kid, that’s it.  You did good, I have to say, I think you’re going to be pretty popular.”

“Holy shit that was bad.  Like… holy shit.  You were torturing me.”

Jay laughed.

“That’s why they call it tickle torture.  People love it.”

Ryan didn’t want to stick around much longer.  He got up off the couch (his clothes were sticking to his body from all the sweat), put his shoes and socks back on (which was hard since his feet were so sensitive after the tickling), thanked Jay and left.

Several days later two things dropped in Ryan’s email.  The first was a set of edited photographs.  Ryan was happy to see that they looked professional and much better than any of the student work he’d had done so far.  The second was much more interesting.  It was an e-transfer for a couple of hundred dollars.

Ryan stared at the screen for a few minutes before he decided to call Jay.  

“Hello?”

“Hey man, It’s Ryan.  Thanks for the pictures, I just got them.  They’re really good”

“No worries, I’m happy you’re happy.”

“So… what was the money you sent?”

“I told you that you’d get a bit of the money from the tickle video.  It was pretty popular right off the bat, so that’s your share.”

“All that for just letting you tickle my feet?”

“Oh yeah.  And if you’re ever interested we could do it again.  You could maybe even make some more next time.”

“Like… how much more?”

“Depends on how far you’re willing to go.  There’s some bondage, there’s some upper body tickling, there’s even some foot worship and tickling that drives some people wild.  You interested?”

Ryan looked at the e-transfer again.

“Yeah, maybe.  Tell me more.”

[blazehedgehog]

a negative question (those aren't fun i know) but what would you think of as some awful moments in gaming or gaming history?

I mean top of the list is Gamer Gate. Gamer Gate was, by the admission of the person who started it, his way of getting back at his ex-girlfriend. That's all it was. And it spiraled out of control into an entire hate movement that's still leaving ripples to this very day.

I am also of the opinion that most people who believed Gamer Gate was about game journalists were mislead and ultimately don't understand a lot about what they were campaigning against. The whole "ethics and lying in game journalism" largely stems from a growing series of misunderstandings and ignorance, which was largely exploited by bad actors to target women and minorities.

You cannot and will not convince me otherwise. Never ever.

That's because, in my 12 year stint writing for TSSZ, I took the job very seriously. It may not have paid much, but it did pay, and I did get a lot of valuable experience. And I watched friends in similar boats actually elevate their careers and become big, well-respected names in the games media/journalism space. Which gives me a better perspective than some folks have on what really goes on in that space.

I've talked about this at length many times over the years. About the weird adversarial relationship the press has with their fandom. And it's too big of a topic to contain in one single tumblr post, because it's many subjects, spanning decades. I cannot sum up why journalists used to (and still do) dunk on their fanbases, and why readers continue to value their opinions even in spite of that.

But I will say this: real, genuine corruption is a lot less common than you think. A lot of people get very twisted up in imaginary scenarios that simply do not exist. Most people in the press are simply trying to survive by whatever means the system allows them to. And I'd argue a lot of them are spiteful of their readers because some of you are genuinely insane and jump to these outrageous conclusions over literally nothing. Some folks don't know what an opinion means, or understand subjectivity, and treat it as a declaration of war.

Do conflicts of interest happen? Yes, absolutely. But with the way the market currently is, a lot of those things are necessary to keep media companies afloat. That's unfortunate, but it's not corruption. Not at the level you think it is.

When you see a website covered in ads for WAR OF DUTY 8: REDACTED OPS 4 and there's a prominent review for that same game, I can guarantee the person writing that review does not benefit from those ads and did not choose to put them there. All that money and all that blame goes to the corporation that owns the site. To the marketing managers and the CEO sitting at the end of the board room. That corporation may even go as far as to suggest edits to what probably starts out as a very honest review. But it is not the writer's fault. The writer has bills to pay. The writer needs to buy groceries. The writer needs to keep this job. The writer had real feelings and it was the corporation that changed the text.

And even then? The scenario I just described is rare.

You want to know what's even more rare? An indie developer sleeping with a writer for coverage of their game. A game, that, might I add, didn't even cost money. What was to gain there? Clout? You're out of your mind if you think that actually mattered.

Also? It's entertainment criticism. It is literally "Does this person like this piece of media yes or no?" This is not Watergate. It is not 9/11. Does honesty matter? Sure. But if you don't like a writer, go find a different one. There's a lot of us! But don't circle the wagons and prepare for battle, because that makes you a psychopath.

(Better yet: if you don't like a writer, start writing your own stuff! Be the change you want to see in the world and then understand how you're treated for that)

Which again just feeds into the idea that people who still believe that gamer gate was legitimate were tricked. It was a smoke screen. You were part of a hate movement. And how you react to that says a lot about you as a person and your values in this world.

[atopvisenyashill]

Every time I think of Game of Thrones and shipping I go a little bit insane because of the fact that Jon and Dany are supposed to actually love each other according to the script and have ZERO on screen chemistry meanwhile Jon and Sansa have such good on screen chemistry and it amounted to nothing. The thing is that I could get behind either ship under specific circumstances but the show didn’t really offer my preferred circumstances for either and it completely fumbled both in different ways. What do you mean we’re supposed to believe Jon still loved Dany even to the end? What happened here?

okay let’s rant about the show acting.

the thing about kit is he needs a STRONG scene partner to kick it into gear. a lot of the early night’s watch scenes are awkward as shit bc the other guys ARE good but they’re not strong enough (whether that means less confident or less seasoned, take your pick here) to herd him into good acting all the time. when he gets to the wildlings, i think he hits a high point bc he has some strong scene partners - rose leslie, ciaran hinds, Kristofer Hivju, i think they just brought out something a bit deeper in him. i haven’t watched the meli scenes since they aired so i can’t speak to that one yet but i do think this carries into the winterfell story arcs. sophie is just a very good scene partner for him! and tbh, i thinks this even fits with jon’s character a bit - kit is so much better at the Stark Aspects of Jon and of course he is, because imo the overreaching arc of jon snow is him defining himself as a son of house stark in character if not in name. it would have been nice if they cast someone who didn’t need to be herded as much as kit tho aksjdjd

the thing as i see it with emilia is…..i have no fucjing idea how to get a good performance out of that girl aksjdjd like her good moments are even more fleeting & hard to pin down. tbf her writing is also consistently bad from the jump. you know how skai jackson posted her audition tape for gossip girl and she was doing the exact sort of disney channel snarky delivery & it was like well That’s why u didn’t get cast. somehow, emilia got cast (and AIDEN I DONT UNDERSTAND IT HE ISNT GOOD ITS GIVING PREMINGER FROM BARBIE OKAY CONLETH SMOKES HIM IN EVERY SCENE). i think that scene where she puts the egg on the brazier & irri walks in is p solid. the scene where she slaps the fuck out of viserys is solid. the final shot of s6 where she’s on the ships is solid. the battle of the bells scene is excellent. her two big dothraki speeches (i think it’s middle of s6 & the last episode?) are very good. everything else isn’t even like, cringe, it’s straight up bad. i think she had good chemistry with iain jason peter & for those 5 seconds elyes, but there’s also a stark difference in acting there that jars me that doesn’t jar me out of say, the “if we die we die” jonygritte scene. but again, can’t overstate how ass her writing is. they’re relegating her to screeching at people & smirking, they very notoriously use emilia’s body a LOT for sexy tiddy scenes so much that once she blew up as a character she leveraged her new found pull not for more money but to not have to show her boobs anymore. that’s just not an added stressor that kit was dealing with.

anyways so, what happens when you get two actors who aren’t very good at acting on the screen is that you just don’t get a lot of good acting. and when there’s no good writing to speak of, well, that’s how you get the romantic story lines of later game of thrones. the one that actually goes canon is just perplexing in how it’s written and badly acted. the one that stays non canon is well acted but also perplexingly written & it doesn’t even get solid pay off at the end? not even expecting them to kiss, like, there’s no focus on how they’re feeling about the events of the final season they just hug once and dip. not that the canon one gets pay off either skdjd like these are just very stupidly written arcs for these three. the only people that won were jon/tormund truthers and even then they flanderized tormund so bad that it’s like eh.

[supercorpzine]

Over the years we’ve been asked many times about how to run a fandom zine, so to finally answer those questions here is our incomplete and rough guide/collection of questions to ask yourself on good practices for running a fandom event or charity zine. By no means is this an exact how-to, but we hope this will help answer questions and prompt you in the right direction for running a clean and organized event safely and responsibly!  

Purpose

What is the purpose of your zine (or event)? Why are you doing this? Is it for fun? Are you raising money for charity? Are you doing it because you just want to and because you love fandom and your ship? Is it a combination of all of the above? Will it be fan fiction? Fan art? Gifs? Video edits? Music? A combination of any? Are you going to run a big bang or reverse bang? Are you running a gift exchange for the holidays? These are all incredibly important questions to ask yourself when you first decide you want to lead a zine or event!

If this is for charity, decide your charities before you launch anything. It is good practice to have a solid plan on what you want to do and what you want to accomplish before posting an interest check. It is better to be prepared and have to postpone your zine or event than to try to run a project with no clear cut agenda. Projects that do not have a clear path or set agenda have a much higher risk of fizzling and falling apart.

When choosing your charity, make sure to research them first before making your final decision. To best protect yourself and make sure your money is going to a real cause your charity should be a 501(c)(3) registered charity and you should be able to view their IRS 990 form on their website, or on a helpful website called Charity Navigator.

WARNING. If you are involving money, it is in your best interest NOT to include photoshop manipulations, gifs, videos, or any other form of media that includes real photography or the voices of your characters (this includes voice actors). Actors and companies are very strict in their contracts about how their likenesses and voices can and can’t be used for profit. You would be risking the integrity of your event as well as financial responsibility. If anything, you could potentially receive a Cease & Desist with a threat of legal action.

If you are concerned about the safety of your money, draw up a contract with any partners that protect those funds from being stolen-or result in legal consequences if so. If you are running a non-fandom event and paying your artists, you will need to speak to a lawyer to make sure you safely and legally can compensate them for their work. Find and speak to a lawyer or financial advisor to see what your options are.

Audience

Who is your audience? Events and zines with narrower focuses are easier to maintain. Are you prepared to keep a close audience or are you going to go broader? If you are thinking of a broader event you should look and see if other people from different fandoms are interested in running a fandom project to help you organize the process and spread the word. Do your research on fandom relations. Some fandoms are often not held in favorable light by other fandoms and trying to marry two together may result in a failure to organize. If you are determined but may not have the audience, start small with something like a fic exchange and see how it goes.

Though not necessarily true, a good way to gain an audience is by generating content. Have you been active in the fandom you want to run your zine/event for? If so, how have your posts been doing and have you been interacting with other people? People are more likely to trust and join a project if they at least know of the person running it even if they aren’t a “BFN” (Big Fandom Name). There is no way to truly determine if you will even get an audience as much of fandom’s attention now is based on what’s the newest and what is going to bring the most instant gratification. Fandom events take a lot of time, how will you maintain your audience during the lulls?

Organization

How are you going to organize this? What social media platforms do you want to utilize? Will you set up a Discord? Only contact via Email? How will you collect and organize the contributions? Google drive folders or documents or an AO3 collection? Will you have your contributors email you word docs or PDFs if you are distributing? 

Is it a call for all admissions or will you have curated limited slots? Are you doing an invitation only event? If you are doing applications, what are the requirements? How will you vet people? Allowing transphobic creators into a zine raising money for trans charities is not ideal, which is why we encourage having the vision for your event before you put out an interest check. What is your schedule? How long do you want to dedicate to the entire process while still allowing adequate time for people to contribute? How are you going to share it?

What if it’s 100% digital? Will you do an online collection on AO3? If not AO3, how are you compiling it? Will you have the contributors send you a PDF that you will then stitch together? Will you find someone with design experience to do it for you?

What if you want to print? Who will you print with? How will you ship? Will you offer it internationally? It is possible some printers will not want to work with you if you are trying to do monetary sales on fan fiction and fan art for fear of copyright infringement. Make sure to do your research for online companies (Lulu does not like to do this, Smartpress is a decent option) or look around at a local printshop (tends to run more expensive, especially now with continuing material shortages). If you are doing print things get trickier, especially if you need to adhere to print specifications-usually CMYK, 300dpi, press ready PDFs following the printer’s templates for safety area and document bleed-at a minimum. You’ll have a smoother time if someone on your team (or you) have some sort of design experience. It’s easy to put words on a page to print. It’s hard to make them look good.

At a glance digital considerations:

Where to host (do not tie money to ao3, see note in Outreach & Promotion)

Create a visual standard (colors, sizes, ‘logos’, etc)

Create submission standard (word count or other content requirements, location, file type/size, etc)

At a glance print considerations:

Digital layout for print

If offering both digital & physical versions, you will want to have files tailored to each application (see notes about bleed & printer templates above)

Finding and working with a vendor

Shipping

-International packages come with their own caveats about where will accept what shipping companies -Physical items: generate labels, acquire boxes & protective stuffing, physically package items (where? Enough packagers?) -Schedule pickups -Size of product will affect size & therefore cost of shipping per item

At a glance overall considerations:

Sales vendor/storefront if applicable

Tracking sales items

Tracking costs & transparency documents

Tracking participant communications

Tracking customer communications

Upkeeping social media posts & communications (& generating content)

Tracking participant deliverables

With all of this considered, clear communication is key. Having clear expectations of deliverables, dates, and timelines for your participants and as well as clear responsibilities between leadership individuals will help you be successful.

Timeline

Your timeline is important and you should try your best to stick to it. Have it posted, have an FAQ, again be transparent about both internal scheduling for your contributors and public scheduling for those watching. 

When creating your schedule, it may be helpful to do a ‘workback’ schedule - pick an ideal final date, and working backwards, add in estimated times and dates for every single task and deliverable to see what is realistic to accomplish for contributors and for leadership. If you are ordering physical items, build in buffer times - particularly remembering that with today’s chaotic global supply chain, things may take more time. Required check-ins can be helpful for visibility and prevent procrastination.

Also do your research on your fandom. Have there been previous events? If so, are you potentially overlapping with other events? Potential overlap can harm both events, so look around and think about potentially starting when one is finishing up or has just finished so you can reach a bigger pool of creatives. Don’t be afraid to reach out and talk to other event organizers, they may be wanting to participate in other events that aren’t theirs but have been unable to due to scheduling. BUT, don’t let others’ schedule dictate your own, you need to stick to a calendar that you know you can abide by.

Quality and Curation

An “all welcome” zine or event is far different from a curated zine or event. What is the quality of work you are looking for? People are more likely to interact with work that is of better quality if it involves money, so if you are wanting to raise money or pay your participants (or have enough funds for production and shipping alone), then you might need to think about running a curated project. Even with talented contributors, if the time isn’t right or if something changes with the event leadership the quality can still be affected.

Another consideration when deciding on curation is physical (and to a lesser extent) real estate. If you are printing, costs of printing itself and shipping are affected by page size and number and weight, so remember to account for this when looking at curation, printers, shipping, and finances.

When thinking about curation and before opening applications, leadership should be in agreement on how many spots for each type of media are ideal, and what parameters the project is looking for ie x amount of fanfiction or fanart or both, certain styles, certain themes, certain content, certain subjective qualities etc. Those are qualities based on submitted work but there could be other factors you might filter your participants by, such as age if you have explicit content, previous participation in fandom work, etc. Having these clarified will help the team confidently select participants as well as give applicants better expectations and understanding of the decisions made.

Rejection, unfortunately, is the reality of a curated project. It can be difficult to turn an application down because you can see the passion and excitement, but the work isn’t right or ready for the project. Not everyone will be accepted if they don’t meet the standards that you are looking for, and not everyone has the formal creative background through school or career to teach them how to navigate these rejections. There will be some people who don’t have experience applying to something like this before or who won’t understand why they weren’t chosen or take a rejection as a personal attack. You must be prepared for upset or inappropriate responses and be able to act calmly and professionally while sticking to your decisions, and without lashing out. If you need someone on your team skilled in PR or customer service, this will be a good time for them to help you. This is your project, and you must stick by what you set out to do.

Outreach and Promotion

How are you going to find contributors? Are you going to rely on word of mouth or ask people to join? Do you have a minimum count of people you would like to join? How are you going to spread the word? Social media accounts? What kind of content are you going to generate to keep up the attention to the project? How will you get this content-yourself or asking those interested to help?

Find your core audience and cater your posts to catch their attention. Use hashtags, graphics, buzz words etc to bolster this. Retweet/reblog/share to your stories regularly a few times a week to keep the momentum. The more you put this on people’s radar, the better chance you’ll have at it stabilizing and gaining momentum. There is no “easy step” to starting and maintaining an event.

**Remember, please DO NOT use Ao3 as a platform for promoting a monetary project. You may use it as a means of distribution and sharing but be conscious of how that work is presented. Bringing money into Ao3 risks the legality of what the OTW’s legal team has fought and won for fandom.

Finances

Things get harder when money is involved. If you plan to sell your zine or raise money through your event it is in your best interest to make it 100% not for profit. If you are creating a fanzine it is highly recommended that it is solely for charity to protect yourself from copyright and receiving a cease and desist letter (and possible legal retaliation).

This means your contributors nor you will be receiving a single monetary amount for anything, everything will be going to the charity (or charities) you have chosen. If you choose to print, you will have to account for 30-50% of your gross going to production and shipping and any other materials you may need. If you are determined to raise money, offer your zine or the content as a limited exclusive offer for a few months before allowing your contributors to post. Doing so helps drum up excitement and generate sales therefore helping you raise more money.

An easy and clean way to raise money is either through PDF sales or a fundraiser where interested supporters share a receipt of a donation so you don’t have to touch a cent. Your gross profit would then become your net profit, and you can give the entirety of the funds raised without messing with the logistics of printing and shipping. Don’t get yourself in trouble. Account for every cent.

Taxes

Talk to a tax accountant for guidance for your state and country.

While you may not be planning on counting your raised money as taxable income and donate every cent, the IRS (or other government tax offices) may not think so. Make a financial plan that protects you from owing extra income tax as some charities don’t accept PayPal donations and you will need to transfer funds through a bank account-or plan to take a small percentage to pay taxes on or consider registering as an LLC depending on how long you want to be in operation. You can then of course turn around and donate the percentage taken to truly donate every cent. Don’t get yourself in trouble. Account for every cent.

Transparency

If money is involved you MUST be transparent.

This will not only protect you and your contributors in the long run, but gain trust. This means records of all receipts, record of orders, record of donations, EVERYTHING (with your personal information blacked out). Show a record for any reimbursement of materials if you choose to take that reimbursement. Not sharing the bare bones of your financial records can open you up to questions and criticisms and grow distrust-which would then hurt future endeavors. 

The first step is to open a new clean paypal account for zine-only transactions, this will help you with transparency. Don’t get yourself in trouble. Account for every cent.

Dedication

Here’s the kicker. If you don’t have the dedication to run your project, it will suffer and possibly even fail.

Running a fandom zine or event takes a lot of time and energy on your part. They simply don’t spring into existence just because you think it would be fun and you have the passion for it. Things would be so much easier if that were the case!

Some events will be easier to maintain than others, like fic exchanges. Big bangs can also be as easy or as hard as you want them to be depending on the number of contributors and if you are doing a regular-or reverse bang, or an open or closed big bang.

Zines usually require a lot more dedication and effort to complete because of printing, production, shipping, and finances. At the shortest, these endeavors can last from three months to six to eight months, with zines ranging up to a year or over depending on internal scheduling even if your supporters only see it publicly for a couple months. Even if you do try to do everything right, sometimes projects just don’t work out. Anything could happen to halt or slow down the process, but it’s up to you to keep it going if you can and if you want to.

In the end, this is a fun project that you can do. But there are many moving parts to make sure that it runs smoothly. In short: take your time, get your ducks in a row, and have a clear goal of what you want to accomplish because it will take a lot of work. Good luck!

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 15: PAINFUL RE:BAKE - Episode 9: Bring On The Risk

Azami: …

Azami: (Yeah, this pay’s no good. What landmine did I step on this time?) 

Azami: (Thanks to Ibuki’s advice, my followers have been steadily increasing. But all the job offers I’ve been getting are crap.)

Azami: *Sigh*...

Sakyo: Oi, can I use this for my nighttime skincare?

Azami: Sure, but… What brought this on?

Sakyo: I’ve got a shooting tomorrow.

Azami: Ohhh? Movie or TV drama?

Sakyo: Drama.

Sakyo: … I thought of takin’ a page from Nanao’s book and trying film acting, so I got in touch with Kamo, from when we did Yin Yang Midnight, and he introduced me.

Sakyo: I’m just something like an extra, though.

Sakyo: I only say two lines, but I’ll be shown on the screen, so I gotta be in pitch perfect condition.

Azami: The most important thing in skincare is routine, you can’t just fix yourself overnight.

Sakyo: … I know that.

Azami: … Well, you leave me no choice but to teach you a special kind of skincare.

Azami: Just to keep it real with you, spending money on cosmetic surgery is the quickest and easiest way to go on about this.

Sakyo: That’d be a damn waste if it’s something that can be achieved with routine.

Azami: Only people who actually put in the effort can say that.

Sakyo: Ugh–

Azami: Use this. It’s a special luxury pack. It’s expensive, so don’t let it go to waste.

Sakyo: How expensive are we talking?

Azami: 3000yen per piece.

Sakyo: That much…?

Azami: Duh.

Sakyo: Can’t I use it 3 times?

Azami: Quit while you’re ahead. You don’t have any other choice, do ya?

Sakyo: … You’re right. Thanks.

[Flashback starts]

Ibuki: Seeing the person behind an account leaves a big impact on people. You don't have the luxury of picking your methods if you wanna gain followers, y'know?

Ibuki: Social media is an unpredictable place, it’s not so simple that you’ll be discovered just because your makeup skills are good.

[Flashback ends]

Azami: (... I don’t have any other choice, either.)

-

Sada: Sorry for keeping you waiting. My meeting went on a little longer than expected.

Azami: Thanks for agreeing to meet me despite being busy.

Sada: Please, I could say the same to you. I’ve been interested in what you do, so I’m happy you contacted me.

Sada: Thank you for attending that hair and makeup class. … So, are you going to accept my part-time job offer this time?

Azami: Uhhh, there’s that too, but I wanted to talk to you about something else…

Azami: I’ve been thinking of taking up some kind of big challenge like working outside of the troupe, in order to hone my hair and makeup skills.

Azami: I’m happy ‘bout the part-time assistant job offer, but… Is there anything else I could do to gain experience?

Sada: I see… I also saw what you’ve been uploading on Inste under the name “ZAMI”.

Sada: I found you amazing back when you were in middle school, but it seems your technique and sense have improved drastically since then.

Sada: But you’ve got me curious now. If you’re looking for such a big job, why won’t you put yourself out there a little more?

Azami: …

Sada: The thing with asking finding a fitting someone for a job is…

Sada: We don’t make an offer until we know what the candidates’ personalities, beliefs and sensibilities are like.

Sada: It’s important for us to want to work with this person.

Sada: Your work as a makeup artist is interesting, and your sense comes through, but no one can tell what you look or act like.

Sada: So… Why don’t you upload pictures featuring you? I think it could work in your advantage, since you’re an actor.

Azami: Well…

Sada: I mean, you could have your own reasons. Maybe you don’t want people to judge you by your age, or you just want them to look at your makeup skills.

Sada: Social media isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, after all.

Sada: But there are many people your age– high school students– who do well as professionals, right?

Sada: Your same-age rivals are faring much better, because they use social media in a more effective way than you do.

Azami: ——

Sada: There is a big challenge that’d be perfect for you, if your feelings of not wanting to lose to them are that strong.

Sada: … Well, I was given this offer, actually. But I think it’d be more interesting if you participated, and you’d also gain experience from it.

Sada: Problem is, if you mess things up it'll bring down your image, you'll risk facing strong backlash on the internet... Climbing back up will be a hurdle. Are you still in?

Azami: … Of course I am.

Azami: The higher the risk, the higher my gain. If I can also get more recognition from this, it’ll contribute to the Autumn Troupe.

Azami: (And, if it’ll bring all the pain it can, the way Banri-san requested, then even better. Bring it on.)

Sada: I see. You have my full support, then.

Sada: I’ve had high hopes for you for a long time now. In return, if you succeed, you should introduce me in your social media too.

Azami: ‘Kay.

Azami: (... That’s sly. Just what you’d expect from a freelancer.)

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) sada's name is 英, which has various other readings (such as akira, aya, shigeru), i'm not actually sure whether this is the correct one, so i miiight be wrong...? but i couldn't find his name voiced anywhere

[talesfrommedinastation]

How the Bad Batch got white-washed: a script

(Don't know if this is how it actually happened, but it's my personal theory that came out after some wiiiild discussions on Discord. I don't believe this actually happened, but I do think liberties were taken to secure audience members and ratings. Enjoy, my little crumpets!)

CW: Everything. Just...at this point, in between fics and art filled with violence and Naughty Times and Doug's irrational ramblings about Toaster Strudel and SEC football, you should probably leave if you're under 18.

-----

(Be Star Wars animation studio, probably Florida, who knows)

Studio Executive: Yo, animator, we got a problem here.

Animator: Yes?

Studio Executive: These clones, the new guys in this new show, 'The Bad Batch'…they all look alike. All bronzed, good looking guys with dark hair and thick shoulders. 

Animator: Yes, that’s, um, kind of what clones are, sir? They are genetic duplicates of an indigenous actor from New Zealand. 

Studio Executive: That’s the problem.

Animator: Say what?

Studio Executive: Who is watching this damn show? Who is paying for Disney + subscriptions? Who is our main money-making audience here?

Animator: Um, I guess…families? And, uh, lonely single adults?

Studio Executive: EXACTLY. And you know what is declining, besides civility in an ever-crumbling society? 

Animator: What?

Studio Executive: THE BIRTH RATE.

Animator: Uh, actually--

Studio Executive: YOU KNOW IT, I KNOW IT, THE WORLD KNOWS IT. DAMN GREAT RECESSION AND PANDEMIC AND CRUSHING REALITY GETTING MILLENIALS ALL (legitimately) SCARED OF HAVING BABIES. WE NEED MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE TO START BREEDING LIKE RABBITS IF WE WANT TO HAVE A STEADY POPULATION OF AUDIENCE CONSUMERS OF DISNEY PRODUCTS.

Animator: Well, that seems aggressively eugenics-oriented, with a tinge of classism.

Studio Executive: WHATEVER I MAKE THE BIG BUCKS SHUT YOUR ART SCHOOL MOUTH. Now, redesign those new clones!

Animator: To…what?

Studio Executive: First of all, the tech guy! What’s his name?

Animator: ….Tech. 

Studio Executive: WELL THAT SHIT’S EASY TO MARKET. Anywho, get rid of the tan and the muscles and the thick dark hair. No nerd looks like that, come on. Make him a skinny white guy with receding hair, slap some hipster glasses on him too. Actually, you know what? Meander your ass over to the accounting department on the second floor and draw a few of the weirdos conducting audits in there. Base the tech guy off of them, not a buff, golden, Maori man.

Animator: But the guys in accounting look NOTHING like Temuera Morrison! This is just wrong!

(pictured above: Not the average CPA in the USA. That rhymed)

Studio Executive: Bro, get real. Are these lonely single ladies and the exhausted moms watching this show with their kids going to run into Mr. Morrison while working their office job? You think Boba Fett’s tanned self sits at the corner cubicle and tries to hit on them when they go to the copier? What are you smoking?! And on that note, make that tech character sassy, smart, and nurturing! Make him the perfect guy!

Animator: Why? I am so confused.

("Wanna come look at some Excel spreadsheets with me, baby?")

Studio Executive: Because we want all the 30-something ladies watching this show to get so hot and bothered over Tech that they decide they need to have this clown’s babies, like, now! And they’ll run over to the accounting office, drunkenly hook up with one of the auditors in a broom closet after Thirsty Thursday, and boom! Another consumer born, 9 months later!

Animator: This is sounding astonishingly like eugenics.

Studio Executive: WHATEVER. Same goes for the other clones! Make that tall bald one look like the aggressively outgoing construction worker that’s laying cement outside of the accounting office! The one that always wolf-whistles and screams ‘Jesteś piękna! Beautiful like model!’ at every woman! The one that all the ladies in the office watch and go ‘Oh, yes, take that shirt off, it’s a hot day today, daddy’. Watching that fun guy on this show means those ladies with THROW THEMSELVES at guys like this! And bam! MORE CONSUMERS FOR DISNEY BORN. 

(Wrecker has raw contractor energy. ::lays pipe::)

Animator: I am not enjoying this conversation’s direction.

Studio Executive: CAN IT AND TAKE IT UP WITH HR. Now the leader, I know we’re going with Rambo, and I’m okay with it, but give him a little extra smolder and snatch that waist a bit. I want to go for a ‘hot waiter at Cooper’s Hawk that slips you his number after you tip him 40%’, vibe. 30-something ladies love Cooper’s Hawk, there’s been market research, do it. 

(He'll judge your love of pinot grigio, but not how you pay him, wink wink)

Animator: No.

Studio Executive: SHUT UP AND DO YOUR JOB. Now, the last two…bald, calm guy that always seems tired but is still constantly there for you? Basically, every exhausted Millennial man right now? Make him extra pale because he hasn’t left his condo since 2020 and his only social outlet is playing STEAM games with his other lonely friends. Perfect. Job well done. 

(He uses his scomp to play 'Dave the Diver'. You know he does)

Animator: Yeah, his name is Echo and he– 

Studio Executive: Good, make him like I said, and trust me, ladies will see men like him and want to fix them, and then promptly ride said men like it’s Derby Day. More consumers born, we will have a bumper crop of tickets purchased at Disneyworld and Galaxy's Edge within the next couple of years. Excellent. 

Animator: Sir, you are a sick, sick man. 

Studio Executive: Speaking of which, the last guy. Just make him Clint Eastwood. 

Animator:…Clint Eastwood. Isn’t he old as hell?

(Oh, Daddy Warcrimes, you and your toothpick are the Internet's Everything)

Studio Executive: Yeah, but, daddy issues abound amongst many of our consumer audience. And this is a show about daddy issues. And hopefully, by watching this, we will turn more people in daddies and KEEP OUR CONSUMER NUMBERS UP ON DISNEY +! 

Wait, where are you going?!

Animator: I’m resigning and joining the Peace Corps, I can’t do this anymore.

[celestialfantasiess]

How do demon bros react to MC who is Ruri-chan voice actor and whose name is Levi?

Requests: open <3

。lucifer 。

‣ Chaos it's chaos, at first introduction he had expected you to be indeed a bit more like your namesake only to find out you were actually pretty much the opposite.

‣ The first hint should have maybe already been your job, it proved you were willing to work for your money but also you had no problem with fame and lot's of people around you.

‣ When you got used to the devildom you were an absolute menace to him first the money making with Mammon which he had to admit was not of the worst ideas the both of you had come up with at least this time it was legal.

‣ He had tried to keep you apart from Belphegor and Satan but eventually you had banded together and your one goal together was to make his life miserable.

‣ Finds it very frustrating that you both have the same name because whenever he is looking for one of you and he calls out for you you either both reply or only one replies but somehow that is always the one he isn't looking for.

‣ (Sucks to be you Luci, should have picked an other exchange student then.)

。mammon 。

‣ Finds it very annoying when he gets assigned to watch over you because who want to watch over another Levi. Thinks you will be a carbon copy of his brother at first because you have the same name and you are the voice actor for Levi's favorite anime character.

‣ Quickly changes his mind when he discovers how much anime fans are willing to pay for a clip of the voice actor of their fav anime character saying something they want.

‣ You go along with the plan because money who doesn't want that, Mammon gets only a percentage of the money you make of of it. He wasn't happy about it until you reminded him you could also just don't do it anymore.

‣ Best part is Lucifer can't stop this money scheme, because it isn't a scheme it's legal and nothing is being stolen and all participants are willing.

‣ Keeps calling you human, says it's to prevent confusion between you and Leviathan since you have the same name and only one of you is human. Sometimes though you hear him say my human. You're pretty sure he doesn't even notice it when he does this.

。leviathan 。

‣ Freaks out when he hears your voice, at first he thinks your voice just sounds freakishly much like ruri chan.

‣ But when you explain what your job is and that you did in fact voice ruri chan, his favorite anime character he just promptly passes out.

‣ Does think it's kind of weird that you both have the same name, it's especially confusing when someone calls out for one of you and you both reply to it.

‣ Will request you to say certain things in the voice you use for ruri chan. Has now multiple voice recording on his D.D.D of you saying the most random things in ruri chans voice.

‣ Has made you cosplay as ruri chan and dragged you to conventions with him.

‣ Does think both of you having the same name is very confusing for the both of you and also kind of strange.

。satan 。

‣ Asks you a lot of questions about your job and how you got into that branch of work. If you have done any more big projects etc.

‣ When you tell him that since you are a voice actor you have picked up a lot of trick and that you can almost flawlessly copy other people their voices when you have heard them talk enough.

‣ You now will be pulled into lots of pranks because of said talent, Satan and Belphegor appreciate your assistance in these pranks.

‣ Has askes you if there is another name he could maybe use for you as to prevent confusion if there isn't he just always adds on the human or exchange student.

。asmodeus 。

‣ Thinks you have a cool job without having to do much at all all you have to do is talk. hey that sounds perfect for him no actual hard work and just talking .

‣ You have to try and tell him that you can't just become a voice actor and that your voice has to have a certain range in emotion, expression and tone. It's acting without the body language so you have to be very expressive with the tone in your voice.

‣ He tries it and doesn't get cast so he'll just stay as devil gram model that's way easier to do.

‣ Thinks it's kind of weird to call you by the same name as one of his brothers has even though it is also your own name so he probably only calls you pet names or you get your own personal nickname from him.

。beelzebub 。

‣ Doesn't really care for your job, but it's nice that Levi is that happy about it. He likes seeing his brother that excited about something that is something in real life instead of on a screen.

‣ Is however happy to watch the anime with you if it makes you happy. If it contains food he will definitely ask you if you know how to make those foods because it looks absolutely delicious.

‣ Now get's confused when people use the name Levi or Leviathan because are they talking about you or they talking about his brother so most of the time that has to be made clear.

。belphegor 。

‣ Doesn't really care for your job and never uses your actual name anyways so that won't cause any confusion. He just lovingly insults you <3 (Idiot, loser etc.)

‣ Satan, Belphegor and you are menaces together. Lucifer tried to keep the three of you apart because the general lack of respect for rules all three of you hade would be a disaster when combined.

‣ He was right though the three of you together are a danger to everyone around you. Especially when Belphegor decides not to nap for a time and you both think of something together. Satan is mostly the voice of reason between the three of you so remove that and you have chaos.

‣ Has asked you to sing to him once or twice, he likes your voice and the tone range it has. Did fall asleep to it though.

[k-simp]

If you could collaborate with Willem Dafoe on a film project you had creative control over, what kind of role or story would you write for him?

I'm so glad you asked. It's a stupid idea but just hear me out.

1. My idea comes from the part 16:11 in an interview: Willem Dafoe on 'The Lighthouse,’ Popcorn with Peter Trevers

Where they talk about "how does Willem store away all of the characters he played?"

I have this movie idea for him called "Ready, Action!"

Where after years of his career of acting, Willem's career slowly starts going to shit, mainly because of his lack of control and random outburts of lines and stuff he has when acting(maybe it's something like personality disorder/Tourette's Syndrome or something) and it gets him fired from countless roles to where its soon came to the public about this situation. He goes to therapy, but it's sorta useless after trying it for a month. There's not much money coming in, and His wife (not his real one, some other bullshit woman) leaves him. He gets evicted due to him not being able to pay his rent. So he winds up resting and staying outside somewhere on the street, he called his mom so he could live with her for a while but she wasn't available at the moment, he tears up and rubs his face before he just curls up into a ball on a bus stop bench while it slightly drizzles rain, using his coat to warmth him.

I was on a walk and found him sitting there, i get surprised seeing him there, we get an understanding that I'm not here to take pictures or videos of him, I give him my umbrella as I run off to order us some food then come back with it and we eat as we talk and introduce myself, what I wanna do in life and stuff and we bond and stuff. I decided to bring him back home with me and let him stay but my roommate is like

"...did you fucking kidnap him?"

I talk it out with him, and he let's Willem stay and stuff.

And over time, he realizes that I'm actually a big fan of his, I'm a good artist, and I have some movie ideas of my own. We later discuss that maybe we can make something that will get him back into acting.

We go through a few ideas, but one that lands is something that he always wanted to do was be an acrobat or something. We start writing and stuff, and we get him some lessons and stuff, and while he's there, he meets one of the trainers Giada Colagrande (his wife irl) and they slowly catch feelings and stuff after a while. And the movie from there is him getting training to be a proper acrobat, nursing him back to health, us doing photoshoots and dressing him up in different costumes, hanging out and making the movie.

Later on, there's some conflict where he gets offered to do a movie, but he has to leave now in order to do it and abandon our project. I get a little saddened, but I encourage him to take it, I know it's gonna be a great movie and help him get back on top. He relectuctanly packs a bag or two and flies down there to shoot the movie, I go to my room, close the door, and lay there in the dark for a long time.

Will gets there but doesn't feel happy or ready to go back to work. But after a couple of mess-ups with his acting and showing up, the director went to his trailer and put him in his place saying "we don't need you Dafoe, your lucky that (actor name) left and you were just a another perfect match for this role, we're paying you well for you to stay and do this movie. Now you better get up here and act goddammit"

And that hurt Willem bad but made him realize that he made a mistake and so he gets a flight back to the country I'm in and gets back to my house and knocks on the door, my roommate and him gets into an argument and slams the door on him, I hear it and come out of my room and lean against the door to talk to him while he's outside. After making up, I let him in and my roommate forgives him.

We finished editing the movie we made, and we tried to find somewhere to broadcast it at so we just decided to put it on YouTube or something and invite a bunch if people who helped with the movie to watch it with us somewhere with a screen for us to use a projector.

The movie does well. Both me and Willem get offered some jobs to do, we kinda part ways, but we stay in close contact to make something else, and the movie ends with some behind the scene clips and retakes in the credits.

And the 2nd movie (idk have a name for yet), is just the film we made in Ready, Action

I know I know it's stupid but yeah that's it.

[farmerbebop]

It seems like an entire lifetime has passed since I last posted. I was back in my hometown. And here are some updates.

1. The only one who was still there, had time and was interested in hanging out with me is mostly just my dad. (You shouldn’t be so surprised to find out you are not so popular in real life if you have been blorbo posting to an audience of ten people on tumblr dot com). I spent most of the time at home listening to him talking about everything and eating with him. That’s something he can’t expect from my little sister and brother. They would rather go out to eat foreign food and don’t like to listen to him “moralising”.

I was born in a different time. When I was a baby, dad made chicken broth for me out of chicken feet because he couldn’t afford any meat. When he needed pork for my porridge he would buy bones but sweet talk the butcher lady so she left some more meat on the bones. Then he would take me out drinking with him after kindergarten (don’t worry it’s not what you think). I was the only kid among a bunch of drunken men so I was treated like a princess by the waitresses. They would bring me the best food they could find every time my dad brought me in. That’s how I got to eat chicken drumsticks for free.

Even if I had all the money in the world, no waitress would treat me better than when I was just a poor man’s daughter.

2. They have put an automatic door at the gate of the Temple of Literature. You have to scan the ticket to get through it. Buy some dried plums at the shop and you scan their QR code to pay with your phone. Ask a 15-year-old where they hang out with their friends in their free time and the first answer is “shopping mall”.

I asked my stepmom about a new piece of wall decor at home and she said it’s some Japanese secondhand stuff. “Importing thrown-away stuffs from Japan is a business now. We are like their dumpster”, she said. My cousin’s daughter speaks better English than me, she is four year old.

They recently built a big museum for military history. It’s not completed yet and the entry is still free. When I was there with my friend on a Thursday morning, it was packed with people. Everyone was taking selfie or having photo taken as if they didn’t just see thousands years of wars, after which their country is becoming more and more like its enemies.

3. My little sister used to say she would go to the fine arts museum with me when I’m home. But ever since she got into the most famous “elite” high school in Vietnam, she has been “working” day and night for the six clubs that she is in. Every time I asked what she was doing she was “working on her deadlines”. She has meetings, interviews, reviews, feedbacks. She knows 600 fellow club members. She has to write posts, design posters, organise events. Her ambition is to get promoted to a “higher position”. I only got to see her at dinner. And she just got into high school a few months ago.

She showed me the instagram page of the robotics club at her school. They have photoshoots for their members as if they were actors. And my blorbo looked in most studio photos like he just came back from a parent-teacher meeting.

4. My little brother is still not showing much interest in studying. But he still wants “an easy job with a high salary” and doesn’t show any interest in “hard work” either. My dad has tried a lot of things and still can’t get his son to turn over a new leaf. “The family method” wouldn’t work on my brother, he said. He means the way his uncle “fixed” him back in his youth.

Back then, dad didn’t learn anything at school. One day after he failed the university entrance exam, his uncle came to his house. He was drunk and he told my dad: “Look at your parents! They gave you everything and you are a good-for-nothing! How can people as talented as your parents have such a useless son as you?! You don’t deserve to bear our last name!” Then he vomited everything he has just eaten and made my dad eat that.

My dad, as proud as he was, had to eat the vomit and started studying after that.

The education system has ruined this new generation, he said. They learn to get good grades and they give out good grades when it fits them. All the politicians telling them to learn hard today will be arrested for corruption the next day. There are as many university graduates as puppies, just as clueless and just as helpless. If your parents are not rich, are not high-ranking officials or don’t have any “connections” then you are on your own.

“Whoever has land to sell nowadays is rich”, he said. And the famine drove my great grandparents out of their hometown in 1945 so we don’t have any land, he also said.

5. My aunt called me a rice ball because I have gained weight. Too much blorbo posting, I guess. Everyone tells me I need to exercise more. My exercise is now my new hiatus and I hope they don’t mean the same thing.