#queues all my posts cause I so badly want to be active but also I was sooooo triggered the other day I do not think discourse is something

[ryqoshay]

TA Side Story: Say It Like You Mean It

Primary Pairing: RyoYuki Also Starring: Shizuku Words: ~2.5k Rating: G Fandoms: Love Live Nijigasaki Parent Fic: Tri-Arame Time Frame: Sometime after college Event: Wake Up Challenger 2022 Source: Idol Fanfic Heaven Discord Challenges: 5, 6

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Author’s Note: Challenge 5 is to write a fic with a character I’ve never written before. Challenge 6 is to write a fic based on a title from a provided list.

I’ve had a rough idea for this scene sitting in my WIP and Notes Warehouse for several months, but it’s never made it into my active queue. Until now.

Summary: Koyuki sees something she didn’t want to see, and starts to contemplate how things reached that point

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“<Masquerade!>” The Ensemble sang in English.

Pas de chat. Koyuki thought to herself before letting her muscle memory work through the practiced motions.

“<Leering satyrs, peering eyes…

Masquerade!

Run and hide – but a face will still pursue you!>”

Pirouette. No, don’t look.

Shizuku and Ryo meandered through the throng of chorus dancers as other members of the main cast sung through a conversation. Eventually, their lines neared, and they made their way toward the front of the stage. Signaled by the clink of glasses, they emerged from the chorus.

Soubresaut. Focus.

Koyuki continued to dance along with the rest of the Ensemble as Shizuku and Ryo, playing the parts of Christine and Raoul, sang their parts. She turned again towards the other two and…

Eh?

Wait. Foot down! Foot down! Koyuki commanded herself before nearly stumbling into the other dancer next to her.

“Cut!” The director called, loud enough for those in the orchestra pit to hear.

Oh dear, did I mess up that badly? Koyuki found herself grimacing. However, it wasn’t just the fear of having made a mistake that caused her frown, but also the sight she had just witnessed.

“Osaka-san, you missed your line.” The director continued. “And Aikawa-san, what was that kiss all about? That’s not in the script. And for good reason, Christine and Raoul are trying to keep their engagement a secret.”

Oh, so it wasn’t me… But still, why was Ryo kissing Shizuku? Even if it was only on the cheek? Sure, they had kissing scenes in the script, but those were supposed to be stage kisses. What Koyuki just saw had not looked like a stage kiss. Why…?

“My apologies.” Ryo gave a slight bow “May we try that part again?”

“Eh, it’s about time for a break anyway.” The director dismissed with a wave. “Alright, everyone, take five.”

Ryo turned to Shizuku and bowed even deeper. “It seems I got caught up in Raoul’s passion. Please forgive me, Shizuku-san.”

Koyuki felt heat rise in her cheeks as Ryo’s natural charm radiated out, affecting many of the others on stage. Then, she felt something else…

Wait. No. No… Not here.

Koyuki fled the stage, ducking past the other actors to find the nearest, hopefully secluded area.

By the gods, she felt stupid, as the first tear slid down her cheek. She had known Ryo since primary school, and had known she was in love with her since at least high school. And yet, she had always, always been too shy to actually do anything about it.

Of course, the fact that despite Ryo’s debonair demeanor, she seemed utterly clueless when it came to recognizing Koyuki’s feelings for her. Or anyone’s feelings for her for that matter… Memories filled Koyuki’s mind of Ryo shrugging off a locker filled with love letters or chocolates or the like on Valentine’s or casually dismissing the confession of the umpteenth underclassman like she had no idea how devastated she was leaving the other girls.

Also, it hadn’t helped that they were two years apart. Koyuki had enjoyed a wonderful first year in both middle and high school, being able to spend time there with Ryo. But those were followed by two years of scrambling to find time outside of school. Sure, the two lived near each other, but the older they got, the busier their lives became, and the harder it was to find time to be together. And post high school managed to make things even more difficult as they had attended different schools.

They had, and continued to share a chatroom on LINE, as they both loved the stage, even if Ryo preferred acting while Koyuki preferred dancing. But it was not the same as meeting in person. School idols had been common ground for them, and Koyuki had been thrilled to continue to see Ryo show up for many shows even after graduation. But again, high school passed, they both stepped out into the adult world, and would have completely lost track of each other had it not been for LINE.

It was as if by some miracle that a mutual friend had recommended that Koyuki apply to a local community theater upon graduation. She had been accepted, and immediately recognized one of the theater’s top stars as Ryo. Koyuki had mentally chastised herself for not realizing the theater Ryo had been talking about on LINE had been the same one she had just joined. Not that it would have affected her choice to apply… or rather, perhaps it would have made her that much more anxious?

And with her stardom had come many admirers, both on and off the stage, whom Ryo handled in much the same manner as she had back in high school. She would hold herself with the air of a prince, smile grandly, add unnecessary flourishes to her movements and regularly speak in an almost regal manner. And then she seemed not to notice when girls swooned, fumbled their lines, or flat out forgot how to act.

Of course, not everyone was affected by Ryo’s charm. Shizuku, for example, was nigh unflappable once she got herself into her character’s mindset. In fact, the light dusting of pink on her cheeks after Ryo… after… Koyuki didn’t want to remember it, but the memory came anyway… after Ryo kissed her, was the most reaction Koyuki had seen of Shizuku. Had Ryo finally breached her barriers?

Was Ryo pursuing Shizuku? That was the age-old trope, right? The protagonist never went after the girls who threw themselves at their feet, but instead wanted the one that didn’t; the one that required the protagonist to chase her, to actually put effort into romancing her.

And why wouldn’t Ryo want to pursue someone like Shizuku? She was a rising star at the theater, hot on the tail of Ryo, with a rapidly growing fanbase that was pulling in new patrons. She probably could have earned the main role of Christine, instead of understudy, had it not been for the fact that she had only joined the theater earlier this year. And not only that, but Shizuku thrived in the spotlight, like Ryo herself, and unlike Koyuki, who was more comfortable blending into the corps de ballet.

“Yuki-chan?”

Oh no. Koyuki flinched. No. No. No. No. No. Why did it have to be her that found her? Literally anyone else would have been better…

“Are you alright?”

A hand landed atop Koyuki’s head, causing her to instinctively push up into it. It was a long-standing tradition between the two that had actually been started by Koyuki. Ages ago, when Ryo was the timider and more prone to tears of the two, Koyuki would pat her head in an effort to comfort her friend. Then, as Ryo grew into her confidence, she began to return the gesture. And nowadays, with their height difference, it was almost exclusively performed by Ryo, though Koyuki still managed to get in a few pats here and there if she caught the taller girl sitting.

“Yuki-chan?” Ryo repeated.

“How did you find me?” Koyuki heard herself ask, before her conscious mind had a chance to reconsider.

“I’ve been here over two years.” Ryo explained with a chuckle. “I know all the places my dear Yuki-chan might seek to hide.”

Koyuki quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve, thankful that she was not wearing makeup as it was merely a rehearsal.

“Oh dear.” Ryo said as Koyuki stood and turned toward her. “Whatever might have upset my dear Yuki-chan to the point of tears?”

Something wrenched within Koyuki as she was reminded that Ryo was asking because she honestly did not know. But how to even begin to tell her…

“It’s nothing.” Koyuki decided to say.

“Nonsense.” Ryo dismissed. “The Yuki-chan I know may cry easily, but she doesn’t cry over nothing.”

Koyuki wasn’t sure she liked the phrasing, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny it either.

“Are you stressed by being on a professional stage? Have you been eating alright? Or sleeping alright?” Ryo pressed. “Did you happen to step wrong at some point? Are you hurt in any way? Would you like me to carry you?”

“… Kiss…” Koyuki finally murmured.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You kissed Shizuku…”

“I most certainly did not.” Ryo stated. “The Viscount de Chagny kissed Christine. ‘Twas certainly a mistake in timing. But we shall rectify that henceforth.”

Of course… Of course, Ryo would see it that way. When she got into character, she truly got into character. And Koyuki knew this. And yet…

“<If perchance I have offended.>” Ryo suddenly spoke in English. “<Think but this, and all is mended. I shall not kiss whom I love not. Lest… For? Uhm… I… no…>” She fumbled. “<It seems I lost my train of thought?>”

Koyuki couldn’t help giggling a little as she realized the line technically worked.

“A-anyway.” Ryo continued, trying to recover. “Fear not, Yuki-chan. Fair as she may be, Shizuku-san shall never be the girl for me. None shall ever be as precious to me as my dear Yuki-chan.”

Koyuki repressed a sigh. There she goes with the dramatics. She thought to herself, watching Ryo accentuate her words with unnecessarily flourished hand and arm movements.

“Yeah…” She said softly.

“Thou still doth not believe me?” Despite the formal wording, Ryo seemed to have deflated a bit.

“No, I believe you. We are the best of friends, right?”

“Friends, yes, of course. Always.”

Wait. Something felt… off. Koyuki reviewed all that had just transpired over the last few minutes. What was she missing?

“Ryo-chan?”

“Yes, Yuki-chan?”

“Are you alright?”

“I beg thy pardon?”

“Are you alright?”

“O-of course I am. Whatever reason would I have to not be alright?”

“Ryo-chan… I told you what was bothering me just now. Why won’t you do the same for me?”

Ryo squared her shoulders. “Yuki-chan. I would have you know that I treasure our friendship above all else.”

Koyuki smiled, though she sensed a “But…?”

“But I must beg thy forgiveness. For the longest time, I have desired more.”

What.

“And to that end, I have occasioned confessions. But thus far, to no avail. ‘Twould seem you are only interested in maintaining our friendship.”

What?

“Again, please forgive me if I have spoken out of turn. I do not wish to damage or lose our friendship.”

“Ryo-chan… you…” Wait… Koyuki mentally balked. “When did you confess?”

“Numerous times.”

“But…”

“The most grandiose would likely have been after our performance at the School Idol Festival hosted by Nijigasaki.”

Koyuki scanned her memory. She remembered the event overall, as well as the follow up event a couple months after. She had loved performing on stage with her fellow idols, especially Ryo of course. And their celebration afterward had been… wait…

“Ryo-chan… did you… confess with all of your…” how best to put it… “melodramatics and such?”

Ryo blinked. “Perhaps.”

“Ryo-chan…” This time, it was Koyuki who felt deflated.

By the gods, she felt stupid. All this time, she thought it had been Ryo who was romantically dense, but it had been herself.

Well, Ryo was probably still was dense as well, but…

“Maybe… you could just say it like you mean it?”

“But… I have always meant it.” Ryo insisted.

Koyuki shook her head. “Without all the dramatics. Please. Say it as the Ryo-chan I’ve always known off stage. The Ryo-chan who was worried and searched for me just now. The Ryo-chan who gently patted my head to reassure me, even before she knew what was wrong.”

Ryo swallowed and held Koyuki’s gaze for a long moment. “Yuki-chan.” She finally spoke but paused to swallow again. “I love you.”

Koyuki felt her heart skip a beat. And moisture began to gather in her eyes. Geez, was she going to cry again?

“I… I love you too.” She said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“Yuki-chan.” Ryo closed the distance between them and placed a hand under Koyuki’s chin.

Oh, was this happening already?

Koyuki pushed up as far as she could onto her toes, with her ballet training giving her at least an extra centimeter over someone else of her height. All the while, Ryo leaned toward her, bringing their faces closer.

Closer.

Closer…

Koyuki closed her eyes.

Contact.

Koyuki was unable to stifle a slight whimper. Gods, she had wanted this for ages, and now that it was finally happening, she could scarcely believe it was real.

And she wanted more.

However, as she was already on the tips of her toes, Koyuki was unable to push herself up anymore. Thus, instead, she wrapped her arms around Ryo’s neck, hoping to pull the taller woman down a little more to deepen the kiss. Thankfully, Ryo wasn’t dense about this and responded appropriately.

“Ah, there you two… Oh, um, please excuse me…”

Koyuki yanked her arms off Ryo’s neck and tried to push away, only to remember too late that she was still standing on her toes…

“Woah, I got you, Yuki-chan.” Ryo lurched forward and slid an arm around Koyuki’s back.

However, even though her actions had steadied the shorter girl, Ryo continued to stoop and slipped her other arm behind Koyuki’s knees.

“Eh?” Koyuki uttered as Ryo hoisted her up into her arms, bridal style. Or was it princess style? Either or, it didn’t matter as she could feel her face burning with a strange mixture of embarrassment and delight.

“Thank you for fetching us, Shizuku-san.” Ryo said as she stepped out of the alcove. “I presume our break is over and rehearsal is to resume?”

“Yes, that is correct.” Shizuku confirmed from where she had moved just outside the hidden area. “Oh, and… congratulations, Ryo-san, Yuki-san.” She added with a genuine smile. “You two look lovely together.”

“Thank you.” Ryo acknowledged. “I believe this has been long overdue. But that is neither here nor there. Right now, what matters is the stage. Let us make haste.”

Koyuki laughed lightly. Of course Ryo would want to get back to acting as soon as possible. It was one of her greatest passions, and one of the things Koyuki loved most about her.

However, “Uhm… you can put me down now, Ryo-chan.”

Had she blinked, she might have missed it, but Koyuki was sure she saw a flash of an expression that made her believe Ryo wasn’t ready to put her down just yet. And it was quite adorable. Nonetheless, she relented.

“Thank you.” Koyuki said as her feet found the floor again.

“Will you be alright to dance?” Ryo inquired.

“Yes. Thank you” Koyuki nodded. “But… uhm… maybe…” She moved in close.

“Right, see you two out there.” Shizuku said, quickly stepping through the wing and onto the stage.

Without a word, Ryo leaned down and pressed her lips against Koyuki’s for an all too brief moment.

“Thanks…” Koyuki said as the taller girl righted herself.

Ryo offered a grand smile and held out a hand. “Come. Let us return to the stage.”

“Right.” Koyuki accepted and let herself be led out, amusing herself for second or two about being able to leap significantly higher than she ever had before once rehearsal began again.

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Author’s Note Continued: This was a fun one to write. Even if I probably worried a bit too much about keeping the two characters, well, in character. But I suppose if I didn’t, there will be at least one individual who will correct me.

That said, I’ve written Ryo a handful of times, and have plans to write more for her when I need an extra actor for whatever situation. And if I’m going to pair her with Koyuki, because I’m a sucker for childhood friends getting together, I should probably look to write more for the two together as well.

I guess that means I should assign them monster types for PoH. And while I think I have an amusing idea for Ryo, I may have to think a bit more for Koyuki.

And finally, for any readers unfamiliar with these two characters, here are their initial cards from SIF:

[suncaptor]

If Sam can't be exactly what Dean wants him to be, he gets beaten physically and forcibly shaped into it. This includes if what Dean needs Sam to be is a punching bag. If Sam, for any reason, is incapable of shaping himself into it, he is faced with extreme force, even when everything he's asking for from Dean is help.

[yer-cute-when-you-scream]

Unsuspecting Activities~ Jung Jaehyun

WARNINGS: Smut, Hair Pulling, Rough Sex, Almost Being Caught 587 Times. (I’m probably forgetting something)

Request:  Husband Jaehyun being denied by you and also because family members are walking in on them until he snaps mad Jaehyun with extra hair pulling

A/N: I’m back from the dead, this was requested a long while back and I had finished it and then forgot the hair pulling so I wrote that in literally last minute so I’m so sorry if you feel it doesn't have enough of that in here. I have been sick so that's why I haven't posted in a bit, but I'm putting a Got7!Prince in the queue for tomorrow! 

I kept glancing over towards my husband, Jaehyun, taking in how gorgeous he looks when he isn't even trying. The black jeans he wore fit him so nicely, his shirt was unbuttoned at the top so his chest peeked out of it, and a silver chain adorned his neck.

My family was having a cookout and Jaehyun and I decided to come, unaware of the fact that I would randomly get horny in the middle of it.

My inner thighs felt warm, my panties were sticky from arousal and they clung to me uncomfortably. Jaehyun finally looked over to me and smiled, I motioned for him to come here and he did, I grabbed his hand and led him into the house.

”Babe, where are we going?” Jaehyun asked confusedly, but never slowing his pace. ”To my old bedroom,” I reply before opening the door to said room.

It still had most things from when I was a teenager, my parents still don't know what they want to do with this room yet so they just left it alone.

After shutting the door I turn around and pull Jaehyun closer to me, a smirk appears on his face as realization finally hits him.

”You're horny, aren't you?”

I nod then pull him into a heated kiss, our tongues explore each other's mouths and begin to make us needier. My hand hovers over his bulge and I start palming him through his pants, a small groan leaves his mouth and his hands go to my ass.

Pleasure was written all over his face as I kept rubbing him and bringing him closer to the edge.

Footsteps came down the hall and I jerked my hand away and turned around before he could release, my body blocked the view of his pants so no one could see his boner.

The door opened and revealed my sister, she raised a question, ”Hey, what are you doing in here?”

”Oh, I was just showing Jaehyun my old room, he has never seen it before,” I answered, surprised at myself that I didn't stutter.

She understandably nodded and closed the door, her steps fading down the hall. I turn back around and see how red Jaehyun’s face is, I choke on a laugh and he glares at me.

”You should see your face,” I giggled, he rolled his eyes at me and pulled me close to him again.

”Haha so funny...now where were we?”

He holds my face with one hand while the other holds my waist, backing up until my back is against the wall. This time I unbutton his pants then slide my hand into his underwear, wrapping my hand around his length and slowly pumping it.

”Shit, I need you so badly Baby.”

His lips found their way to mine, he let out a harsh exhale into the kiss then moved his hands to my breasts, softly massaging them through my clothes.

Once again, our movements froze when we heard footsteps coming down the hall, Jaehyun quickly fixed his pants and I opened the closet door next to us.

The bedroom door opened, this time revealing my mom, her voice was cheerful as she sparked a question, ”I was wondering where you two went.”

A small chuckle leaves my mouth as I pretend to look through the closet, ”I was looking for one of my photo albums I left here.”

”Oh, I think they're in a blue container up there.”

Jaehyun immediately reaches to grab it as I tell my mother we would be out in a bit, after she walks away I walk over and shut the door. ”That was a close one,” Jaehyun states, he puts the container down and comes closer to me. 

Lust clouded his eyes, he presses his lips against my neck as I loosen his pants again, nibbling softly at my skin. He slipped his hand under the sundress I wore and rubbed my clit through my soaked panties, I sighed in pleasure and pushed his pants to his ankles. 

Dropping to my knees, I lick a long stripe along his length before taking all of him in my mouth, my tongue swirling around his tip every now and then. Jaehyun grips my hair and throws his head back, ”Fuck, Baby,” he moaned out. 

I hallowed my cheeks out and bobbed my head back and forth at a quicker pace, Jaehyun’s breathing is rapid. 

”Baby, I'm gonna-” 

His sentence is cut short as my name is called once again, I remove him from my mouth and stand up, Jaehyun rolls his eyes and pulls his pants up with a huff. He hides behind the door and I open the door with an annoyed look on my face, my sister stops in her tracks and raises her eyebrows. 

”When are you coming back?” she asks. 

”Jaehyun and I are having a serious discussion, can you please give us like thirty minutes? It's important.” 

”Oh, I'm sorry, I'll let you guys continue your talk.” 

She quickly walks away and Jaehyun shuts the door, this time locking it, he picks me up, causing me to squeal as I wrap my legs around his waist. 

”I’m so sick and tired of being interrupted,” he grunts and takes me to the bed, ”I just want to fuck my wife and finally get the release I've been deprived of.” He drops his pants and lifts my dress up, pushing my panties to the side, ”Fuck, you're so wet,” he groans as he rubs his head against my entrance, making me whimper. 

He harshly pushes into me and grips my hips, thrusting in and out of me before I adjusted. My hand covers my mouth to muffle my moans, an intense pleasure began to course through my body and I knew everyone would hear me if I didn't cover my mouth. 

”What’s the matter, Babe? Getting to be too much for you already?” Jaehyun grunts as he deeply pounds into me. 

I mewl against my hand and scratch down his arms with my other, wrapping my legs around him to pull him closer. My body shook beneath him as I felt a pit in my stomach, and Jaehyun could tell by the way my eyes screwed shut. 

He halts his movements and grabs my face, a dark look in his eyes, “Don’t you dare cum yet,” he growled in my ear. 

I look up at him with wide eyes, his jaw was clenched and his aura almost seemed merciless. He pulled out of me and with one hand on my hip flipped me onto my stomach, wasting no time to penetrate me again. 

A frantic gasp left my mouth and I buried my head into the bed, the feeling of hips rocking into me was invigorating. My head was quickly lifted by force, Jaehyun had his hands tangled in my hair, “God, you feel so fucking good.”

My mouth hung open as I tried to choke down my moans, the way he was brutally thrusting into me and pulling my hair had me delirious and I was soon feeling that pit build up in my stomach again.

“Baby, please let me cum!” I pleaded through a moan.

I could tell he was close as well and my pleas only brought him closer to edge, Jaehyun moved his other hand to my throat and squeezed the sides of it, growling as his pace sped up.

”Cum for me.”

His words were more than enough for me to release the orgasm I desperately wanted, pure ecstasy washed over my body, my moans were silent as Jaehyun choked me. He grunted loudly and emptied his load inside of me, sloppily thrusting as we rode our highs out together. 

He removed his hand from my throat and helped me turn back around, he deeply kissed me and began to pet my hair.

”We should get back out there,” he sighed, pulling out of me and tugging his pants up. Sitting up, I agreed, smoothing my dress out before smiling at him. 

I pulled him by his shirt closer to me and he chuckled, ”Hopefully, we can continue more of this when we get home,” I suggested. The quick smirk that appeared on his face showed lust, but it changed into a sweet smile. 

”Of course, Babe.”

Jaehyun held my hand as we walked back out, everyone unsuspecting of of the activities that took place in my old bedroom. We continued stealing glances from each other for the rest of the time we stayed.

[sol1056]

let’s just leave this here

so let’s see how quickly I can get through a bunch of these, just so they don’t languish for the next month... here we go. behind the cut:  why the opening never changed, why DW is deploying Josh again, a few about Iverson & Hedrick, is a reboot possible, staying in fandom vs leaving... and some others in the same vein. 

why did they keep the same opening for all of vld seasons, considering the line-up was never supposed to come back to the original from s3?

Every indication is that originally, the team would return to the original lineup. Keeping the opening was probably meant to remind audiences of that inevitability. Or you could believe LM, who said the opening cost 20K to make, and thus was too expensive to do more than once. She’d rather spend that money on a vacation. 

So I've heard that Josh Keaton is doing damage control for S8. Do you think Dreamworks sent him in because they know that he's the one guy that no one can get mad at? After what some of the fans have done to him this past year [...] I’m amazed that he's willing to stick around and try to make his fans happy for as long as he can. I can see why people say "We don't deserve him."

Josh has somehow managed that sweet spot between charming the fandom and gaining its trust. Doesn’t hurt that he’s got the chops, voice-wise, to take written dross (no, really, some of those lines are horribly clunky) and spin it into gold. More than anything else, he comes across as genuine, and that adds a certain credibility to his words. 

But... Josh doesn’t really have a choice. Playing Shiro is what catapulted Josh upwards, and the last thing he can afford to do is piss off DW by refusing to play ball. He’d only be damaging himself (and his reputation among potential employers) if he didn’t snap to attention when called. Plus, I think he really does sincerely love the character, but it’s got to be a tough spot for him right now. 

When you get down to it, the only one on VLD’s (former) staff who seems to believe Shiro belongs in the story and should be respected as part of the story... is Josh. Who else can Shiro’s fans look to, if Josh stops speaking?

So, yeah, Josh is it. And I bet he knows that, and knows it’s just part of signing up for such a major role. This is part of his job. 

So I came across a pic of Mitch Iverson from SDCC 2018 where he and Tim Hedrick weren't in the panel ... and [Iverson] was wearing a SHIRO BLACK PALADIN top ... while the EPs & Hamilton were in the panel promoting S7, Iverson supported Hedrick & his story, and Shiro.

Hedrick was actively involved in every script as the story editor, and reportedly conceived of Shiro as an astronaut returning after his capture by aliens. Iverson got his start thanks to Hedrick, thus it makes sense that Iverson would be simpatico with Hedrick’s vision of the story. 

On top of that, by SDCC Iverson already had his next gig lined up. He continued to write for VLD, so he had to be subtle... but a t-shirt was a good way to make his sentiments clear. Can’t blame the guy, seeing he probably knew what was coming and chose a quiet protest of his own.

As an American, how would you take it if someone, that is, Iverson, called himself a redneck? From what I know thats derogatory term & for people not exactly inclusive & supportive of minorities. He also retweeted an art of Allura with a quote: ‘Laters’, which I found in really poor taste...

Redneck is another slur adopted by the in-group. My guess is that if you called Iverson a redneck to his face, he’d be offended. But if you introduced yourself as a redneck, and then called him one, it’d be different. And yes, as a term, redneck has a complex history, and it changes subtly in terms of how each generation defines/uses it. 

As for retweeting things in poor taste... eh, most people don’t have any training in social media. Jokes are the hardest; it’s so easy for them to go so wrong. Until VLD, I’d bet Iverson was lucky to have a few hundred followers. How many follow him now? It takes time to find your footing in striking the right balance of humor and dignity. 

Sometimes the best course is to ignore the stumble. They’ll either learn, or they won’t. Either way, it’s their problem, not ours. 

Will Tim Hedrick be allowed to continue the voltron universe the way he planned it?  

I doubt it. He’s got a new project. If you’re now an EP finally getting your name at the top, would you really want to go back and fix someone else’s story? Sometimes it’s just better to leave it behind, and make sure the next thing you do is something you can have pride in.

...why do you keep saying the last episode Tim Hedrick wrote was The Feud? A lot of people keep repeating it, like it was his last 'fuck you' to the showrunners. But official sources all say 'The Journey Within' was his last episode.

All we can say for certain was that tJW is the last Hedrick episode broadcast. That doesn’t mean it was the last one written. 

Here’s why a lot of us peg tF as Hedrick’s last written episode: the story editor credit. Hedrick's the sole story editor on all his other episodes; tF is the only one in which both Hedrick and Hamilton share credit. The simplest explanation is this episode was edited in that window during which Hedrick had one foot out the door, and Hamilton had one foot in. iow, Hedrick put it into the queue, edited half, and moved on. Ergo, last written.

I can’t believe how they just managed to anger literally everyone no matter your favorite character or ship.

I recall a quote from early on, where LM said they had a feeling they couldn’t please everyone. The problem (which I noted at the time, and has remained true) is that the answer isn’t to just piss off everyone. 

It’s to figure out who you want your audience to be, and to write the best damn story you can for that particular audience. If you end up with a story only old-timer DotU fans love, and kids are lukewarm about, fine. If the reverse is true, fine. You can’t please everyone, especially in a reboot/remake. So you pick your battles, and write your story accordingly. 

Looking around social media, most people I'm seeing are either rightfully upset, or they're hyperfocusing on the one single scene they liked because they just don't have the energy to deal with the show's bullshit right now. How can they fuck up the last season so badly that it seems like the general reaction is disappointment and denial?

I think there’s a common cause for the fandom reactions: exhaustion. 

In American broadcast television, a 26-episode season runs from September to May, then a summertime lull, during which people digest and discuss. Binge-watching is changing this, but it seems one thing hasn’t changed: no matter how fast we watch a show, we still require processing time. 

What did we get? A half-season, two months’ break, another half-season, two months’ break, a full season, three months’ break, and a final full season. If every season had provoked a spike equal to S1/S2, we might’ve been begging DW by June to just freaking chill. Fandom had barely begun to process one season and a new one was already landing on our heads. 

On top of that, S3-S6 weren’t exactly walks in the part, post-release. In terms of controversy, S7 dwarfed them all. That made an awful lot of people (across the entire spectrum, from almost every sub-group in the fandom) disengage. Those who remained dialed back on their expectations (”as long as X happens, that’s all that matters”), or they hung in there, insistent it would turn out alright. 

So either you’re exhausted from not being able to fully disengage with the final season still in the wings, you’re exhausted from convincing yourself this one specific thing would be enough, or you’re exhausted from defending what turned out to be indefensible. 

Frankly, disappointment and denial is a fairly soft landing, compared to what might’ve been. But any way you cut it, the fandom’s worn the hell out.   

Do you think LM and JDS are gonna address this or are they just going to ignore the complaints, wash their hands and move on?

They don’t need to do anything. They don’t work for DW anymore. If someone has to address the complaints, it’d be DW or DW’s chosen spokesperson. I guess you could call that washing their hands, but the simple fact is they’re not on the payroll. They’re not responsible for VLD anymore.

do you think it's possible for dreamworks to rewrite season 8? i've never heard of a show doing that before and i'm afraid that we'll be stuck with what we got, but damn, i really hope that we will get to see the characters get the endings they deserve, if nothing else.

I’m not sure why anyone would bother. S7 was rife with problems; S3-S6 meandered back and forth. If I were to do a soft in-series reboot, I’d go back to the end of S2. That’s the clearest break, story-wise. 

But if you’re going backwards 50+ episodes to the 26th, just keep going and start over. More to the point: not a lot of creators would sign on to inherit problems not of their own making. Same reason new directors on a property will want to rework the script in some way (if not start over from scratch). 

Do you think this is truly the end of Voltron: Legendary Defender? I know that a lot of the cast and crew wanted to continue on with a sequel, and there's so many possibilities and things they can do in that universe, not to mention that Voltron is (or rather, was) a money bank...

Your guess is as good as mine, really. Hopefully we’ll get at least hints when the SACanime panel rolls around in early January.

There's a change petition for the "original s8" to be released ... [people] believe that LM and JDS are NOT the ones who ruined the last two seasons and that it was "exec meddling." Like, no, sorry, exec meddling appears to be what made it good in the beginning.

If we consider Yoo an exec by virtue of being CEO of Studio Mir, then I kinda wish he’d meddled a bit more. 

...I'm wondering if the original version exists, completed. In one post, you said DW picked Tim over L/J so surely that got animated? What do you think? Be real. I don't want to get my hopes high thinking there's some buried treasure out there to find.

Ah, no, sorry, I wasn’t speaking in the sense of VLD but in the overall corporate sense. Here’s how the scenario often plays out: manager A and employee B do not get along. The longer they clash, the greater the chance A will find an excuse to fire B. The project is literally not big enough for the both of them. 

B could resign, quit, or do a preemptive strike: go over A’s head and ask for help. If B leaves the company shortly after, it means the higher-up said: “I’ve heard A’s side, and I think A is right.” The exec might offer a good reference, or blame it on a no-fault bad fit. Doesn’t matter; the exec’s chosen A’s side. 

Now, consider what actually happened: B gets transferred off the project, and gets a major promotion -- basically up to the same level as B’s former manager. Either B has some of the most amazing dirt ever, is phenomenally good at twisting reality to seem like the wronged party... or the higher-up reviewed the situation and decided that of the two, B was the one worth keeping. 

Having decided that, the exec made an offer B couldn’t refuse, which would be to run a show that’s practically tailor-made to fit B’s dream job. That’s what I meant by losing the battle (how VLD would go) and winning the war (being the party seen as in the right, by the execs). 

The only way for A to turn things around is to have a blisteringly successful final product. It could literally kill two careers with one stone: the (former) employee, B, who spun such a good story, and the exec(s) who believed B. 

Given the numbers I’m seeing for S8... that exec did choose wisely.  

ETA (sorry forgot this part): There might be pieces, but it really depends on what version control is in use (if any). For that matter, even if there were saved copies, who’s to say those didn’t get, whoops, deleted at some point? I’d put my bet on there being nothing, now, except what we got. Sorry. 

I could understand if you never want to have anything to do with this show ever again.

Oh, jeez, I was here before VLD and I’ll be here after. Once we all get over our mutual exhaustion (and the holidays, bloody great timing, there), it’ll be time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Fandom’s got a lot to do, putting things back together in all the shapes that’ll make us happy. This is the best time to be in a fandom, if you ask me. Everything’s just getting started!

[mavwrekmarketing]

Image copyright Ena Miller

Sylvia Mac has spent most of her life trying to conceal the extensive scars which cover her body – the legacy of a childhood accident. Here she explains how, at the age of 48, she decided it was time to stop hiding and come out into the open.

There’s not actually any part of my body apart from my face that is normal.

My burns start from the top of my neck all the way down to the top of my bottom, and then around the front of my stomach and down my left leg. And then on the rest of my body I’ve got lots of little pinprick holes all down my arms and my legs from where they took skin.

I was very badly burned when I was three years old, suffering third- and fourth-degree burns.

My mum was boiling water in saucepans for our bath. She would pour the water into bowls and she put the bowls on the bathroom floor.

We were just playing around, me and my siblings, and I ran into the bathroom and shut the door. We were told not to go in there. I went in there and my sister pushed the door, and that’s when I fell backwards into the bowl of boiling water, causing very bad burns.

There was pandemonium in the house, screaming I went into shock and was having fits. Then the ambulance arrived.

They gathered my family together and told them that I wasn’t going to make it through the night.

I remember always being in pain

They baptised me and I had my last rites.

My first recollection was lying in the hospital bed wrapped in bandages from underneath my arms down to my hips. I remember always being in pain.

Whenever I visited the hospital I would have to undress from top to toe and stand on a bed and turn around so that they could inspect my back and the rest of my body, with all the student nurses looking at me. I had nightmares over it.

I’ve probably had hundreds of operations now.

When I was growing up a lot of people used to tell my mum, “Oh, she’s beautiful, she’s pretty.”

But in my head I always thought, “Why are they saying, ‘You’re pretty’? I’m not. Underneath my clothes I’m burned.”

I always felt ugly, so it’s affected me mentally as well as physically.

Children would call me different names like “witch” and “snakeskin”, and they were really nasty. I was told that I would never have boyfriends, never get married, never have children. Showing my back was always going to be a negative thing.

Find out more

Hear Sylvia Mac talking about coming to terms with her scars on Woman’s Hour on Monday 14 August 2017 at 10:00 on BBC Radio 4

Or catch up later on the BBC iPlayer

I loved swimming – once I was in the water I was in a different world, it was great – but I was terrified about people seeing my body. When everybody got out of the water I’d wait until they went to change and be the last one to sneak out.

There was a particular teacher at secondary school, our PE teacher, who decided that we were all going to have showers at the end of the lesson. We all had to queue up with our towels around us.

As I got to her, I was pleading with her, “Please, please, I can’t shower, there’s no way I can shower,” and she just pulled off my towel and pushed me into the shower. Having everybody look at me was awful, I just felt like everyone was laughing at me.

Eventually my dad wanted me to join the local swimming club. I don’t know if he did it in the hope that it would help me open up and meet people, but actually it was quite damaging.

I never actually won a race just because of the thought of everybody having to look at me if I did come first.

I’d dance with guys and they’d be rubbing their hands up my back and they’d whisper in my ear, ‘Oh, that’s really nice, you’re wearing a basque’

Having my picture taken was always something I avoided – even school photos – so it’s difficult to find pictures of me as a youngster. And sometimes I’d get a bit paranoid that people might be taking photos of me even if they weren’t.

I couldn’t go through many things in life, I couldn’t sit exams, I couldn’t go to job interviews because I just had no confidence and had low self-esteem, and I didn’t realise why I was so down and so depressed.

It was almost like I was encased in a shell and I couldn’t get out, and people never really listened to me.

In my teenage years there were times when I thought, “I’m going to step in front of that bus and just finish my life.”

I can’t look back now and say it was my mother’s fault. But there were times when I took it out on her.

I got to a point where I was attacking everybody around me and it was the only way that I could deal with my emotions. I’d literally call people up, like my sisters, and be really nasty to them, a really vile, nasty, horrible person.

Relationships were very difficult. When I used to go out clubbing with my friends, I’d dance with guys and they’d be rubbing their hands up my back and they’d whisper in my ear, “Oh, that’s really nice, you’re wearing a basque or a corset.”

They could feel the burns, they were like ropes – they still are today. And I’d just walk away.

Eventually I met a really lovely guy and we just got talking all night. I explained to him about my burns because I felt so comfortable, he was a really good friend. He said he didn’t have any problem with it, and that I was still beautiful. I was in love straight away because he accepted me. It just felt right. I’ve gone on to have three children with him and a grandchild.

Last year I was on holiday with my mum. We were at the pool, it was quite busy and the sun beds were close together. I had a bikini on. We were sitting down and I noticed the guy behind us pointing his phone towards me so I decided to get up. He moved his phone to follow me and every time I moved he followed me with his phone, so I knew then he was recording me.

It was really upsetting me so I said to my mum, “This is horrible, I want to get out of here.”

So she said, “Let’s go to the beach.”

I saw my mum sitting on the sun lounger and she had her head down, and I remember just seeing her so sad, it was quite upsetting actually. I realised that what I’ve gone through has affected her as well.

I had always noticed her looking at my burns. I wanted to say something to her – to say, “It’s OK, I’m OK.”

At that moment something just clicked in my brain and I decided that I was going to draw a line and make her happy. I took my dress off and I walked down to the edge. People were looking at me and I looked at my mum and I smiled, and I went, “Mum! Look! Look at me!”

It’s like taking off a coat and saying, ‘This is me’

And she started to smile. I put my hands on my hips and I started to pose on the water’s edge and she was so happy.

I went over to her and I said, “From now on I’m going to let people take pictures, and every time they do I’m going to smile and I’m going to pose.”

I think that moment on the beach was just a turning point where I realised that no counselling, nothing on Google, was going to help me. It was time for me to help myself.

I went out and bought a swimming costume – it had a big hole in the back – and then I set up my swimming classes. I invite people with disfigurements to come and swim. When I’m in the water and I’m swimming I just feel at peace, I feel calm, and I can think of lots of wonderful things.

Image copyright Ena Miller

I also started a website, Love Disfigure, and became active on social media to raise awareness and show support for those living with a disfigurement. It may comfort people to know there are others out there going through the same thing.

I talk to a lot of people that have been burned, too. There are youngsters who want to kill themselves when they’ve just been burned, and I try to tell them, “Look, I’ve got all the way through my life and you can do this too.”

It’s been such a long journey. It’s like taking off a coat and saying, “This is me now, and I don’t care what people think.” I’ve noticed a big change in my life and I’ve been able to accept the way I look.

My message to people with disfigurement is to just go for it, do whatever you want to do in life. Don’t let anything stop you or stand in your way.

Hear Sylvia Mac talking about coming to terms with her scars on Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4 on Monday 14 August 2017 at 10:00 or catch up later on the BBC iPlayer

Join the conversation – find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

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The post Me and my scar: It took me 45 years to love my body – BBC News appeared first on MavWrek Marketing by Jason

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[hallilikeberry]

Lyon + Post: June

Lyon + Post is a free service that is designed to eliminate the need for fitting rooms. They send 4 items from your queue of favorites at a time. You get to try them on in the comfort of your own home, and you only pay for items you decide to keep.

I received two shipments from Lyon + Post in June. You can really get as many or as few shipments as you want. I tend to keep my items for the full 7 days before sending them back, to give myself enough time to try everything on and be sure of what I want to keep.

I love this service so much. I love to keep my queue full of pieces that I might actually keep, but I also love to throw in some dreamy pieces that are just amazingly fun to try on. Here are the shipments I received this month!

My first parcel was full of dreamy pinks & whites. It’s the perfect palette for summer!

Artemis Trench Coat by Jack by BB Dakota

I had high hopes for this coat. I’ve been looking for the perfect trench forever, and just before this one arrived, I received an email telling me that this one had gone on sale! But unfortunately, it just didn’t look right on me. It’s also a bit too thin for Maine weather. So the search continues!

Elissa Dress by BB Dakota

I was a bit disappointed when I pulled this peach colored dress out of the box. It looked prettier online than it did in person. I love a good lace dress, and the details on this one are divine. I love the circle lace that trims the neck and arm holes, and the delicate diamonds at the hem are just perfect.

But I didn’t love the stiffness of the lace. I’d hoped this dress would be more flowy and romantic. But it just has a bit too much structure, which causes it to poof out a bit too much at the waist for my taste.

Hope Dress by BB Dakota

Now THIS is a dress! Holy jesus I love this dress so much. But I’m wondering if it will get enough use. It’s bit too fancy to just wear around on the weekend, and  pure white doesn’t exactly lend itself to casual afternoon BBQs or evenings at the bar. But the off-the-shoulder style also isn’t appropriate for work.

So, I’m going to pass for the time being. I added the dress back to my queue and will wait and make the decision another time. I can totally picture myself wearing this for various wedding-related activities, though. I’m hoping that maybe it will go on sale eventually, and I can snap it up then.

Allie Top by Velvet by Graham & Spencer

This top is beautiful. I instantly fell in love. Again it’s the beautiful lacy look that I’m very into at the moment. I also feel like it’s totally versatile. I can picture it tucked into skirts for work or worn with skinnies for a more casual look on the weekend.

Unfortunately, it’s a little too big. The arm holes are very obviously gaping. It’s still available in all sizes, so I added it back to my queue in a small. I’m hoping that the smaller size will fit better.

So how did we fair?

I didn’t purchase anything from this box, but there are two items that I loved enough to add back to my queue. Realistically, if I wanted either piece badly enough, they’re available online from a couple retailers (places like Nordstrom) for the same price. But I prefer this approach, as I don’t have to deal with paying up front and then sending things back if they don’t fit.

Let’s move on to shipment number two!

This go-round I leaned more toward the blues, which are probably my very favorite colors to wear.

Marceline Faux Suede Dress by Jack by BB Dakota

As soon as I pulled this dress out of the box, I knew it was love at first sight! This is the most amazing dress! (And it doesn’t hurt that it also happened to be on sale!) I think the faux-suede, which is very of the moment, is both gorgeous and super soft against my skin, and I really appreciate the structure that it leads to the dress.

The full-length zipper is such a cool touch, and I love that it has actually real front pockets! So handy! I can see myself wearing this with sandals in the summer, and with a shirt under it, jumper-style, with tights and boots in the winter. So versatile!

LS Striped Pocket Tee by Sundry

I am really great at keeping my closet full of fun, unique pieces, but I’m not so great at keeping it stocked with basics. So I’ve been making an effort to find some t-shirts and casual pieces. I had high hopes for this shirt, which fits solidly into that category, while still having a bit of flair.

I love stripes, and they go with everything. I especially love the gold stitching down the back. What a cool detail! But this shirt just seemed to fit me a bit oddly, and it was a bit pricey for a shirt that I didn’t absolutely love.

Quad Tank by Sachin & Babi

Sachin & Babi is a brand that I discovered using Lyon + Post, and I absolutely adore their stuff. The perfect dress I bought earlier this year was by Sachin & Babi. And just like that piece, this tank has some really cook mesh details. (They must be from the same collection!) I love the windowpane effect from the print. too. 

Unfortunately, this tank is a little too tight around the boob area and a bit too short for me. I’d try it in a size up, except that I don’t love that the fishnet material lines the whole tank. It’s just uncomfortable enough to make me pass.

Sprit Swimsuit by Alia Blue

I’ve been in the market for a one-piece swimsuit since last winter. I was hoping to find one before our vacation in Cancun at the end of February. I love this print-- it’s the most perfect colors. And I was hopeful that the tie-neck would mean I could make this suit fit comfortably on my freakishly long torso.

But no. It seems there’s no way to wrap a piece around my long bod. When I tied it comfortably taut (i.e. with my chest actually covered), the swimsuit ends up too stretched out and makes my boobs look weird. If I tie it loose enough to look natural, I’m a nip slip waiting to happen. The search continues...

So how did we fair?

I think finding one piece a month that I love from Lyon + Post is the perfect amount, so I’m thrilled with this month. The suede dress is like nothing else that I own, but I already know that it’s going to be become a year-round staple. I love that this service is risk free, as it costs nothing to participate. I can’t see myself quitting anytime soon. It’s such an easy way to discover new loves!

**Lyon + Post is not a sponsor. But! If you’re interested in trying them out (and how could you not be!) you can use this link to sign up, and you’ll get $30 in credit to use on your first purchase!