#you can see what playlists people add your videos to!!

[studentbyday]

week 3: let's get this bread! (famous last words...)

Omg I can't believe it's only week 3, sm has happened, I swear more time has gone by than actually has 😅😮‍💨🙃 Starting this week feeling a little discouraged because I still have a backlog of schoolwork to catch up on, but let's see if I can get my hopes up again by the end of this week! 🙏🏻🤞🏻If I want to achieve my goals, I need to drastically reduce my screen time. Here's to only using my phone for essential communications and for music, guided meditations, and pilates/yoga videos this week! 😤

mid-week update: this week has been a f*cking mess. mentally, emotionally, physically, existentially. i have not touched the db course so far which was my main goal for this week...every week i'm trying to add something new. i had my reservations about keeping on my original plan for this week, knowing i ended the last one still behind on school, but i went ahead with it, wondering, hoping if it was at all possible. well. we'll see where i'm at by the end of this week. at the very least i'll be closer to caught up.

end-of-week update: posting this early so i don't have to on sunday. i'm making progress but it's still slower than expected. insomnia is a problem. my nerves feel pretty frayed. must find ways to decrease the stimulation. time to reinstate the no-phone mornings (probs should add to my “bingo”) and a social media detox... not sure if i'll have time to post again next week. i find it hard to keep up. i'll probably come back if/when i get things under control...so bye for now (and i sincerely hope your semester is going better than mine 💗) 👋🏻

Academics:

Check and send pathology assignment!!!! ✅

Confirm immunology discussion due date!! ✅

Watch documentary on Wangari Maathai ✅ (glad i did this first thing on monday after sending the path assignment because it was really inspiring and lifted my spirits enough to keep going 💗)

Meet for pathology assignment ✅ (2 members in my group are like...really high-energy and gung-ho. i'm glad cuz that means it's a lighter load for me but woah was that overwhelming at first 😅 and the thing is...these guys aren't the first i've encountered like this. and i'm low-key jealous of them... they're the kind of people who give off the aura of “i'm capable of doing it all” because they're that driven...and based on what i've seen of them, i don't think they're faking it.)

Read all assignment descriptions for global health before you... ✅

Email chosen essay topic to TA by Thursday ✅

Finish M1 pathology by Wednesday ✅

Complete pathology M1 case questions

Finish half of M2 pathology by Sunday

Start pathology M2 case questions

Finish half of M2 global health by Friday ✅

Finish half of M3 immunology by Sunday

Finish M2 microbiology ~ (made some progress but not finished)

Start M3 microbiology

Participate in global health meeting ✅ (wasn't bad but also...not sure when this happened but i've gotten quite nervous speaking up in class and then in my overstimulation, forget some of what i had intended to say, ughhh just gotta keep practicing...)

Complete immunology discussion ✅

Send other pathology assignment ✅

Complete global health discussion ✅

Health:

Meditate x1

Journal x3

Yoga x2

Cardio x1

Pilates x1 (the first time i made it through a 30 min class in one sitting whooooo!!!!!)

Other life things:

Change bedding

Laundry

Music in My Head:

andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante

study music // 1 // 2 // 3

a strange playlist for strange people

piano trio no. 4 in e minor, op. 90, b. 166, “dumky”: i. lento maestoso / ii. poco adagio

pavane op. 50

Things I'm looking forward to:

end of the semester

the height of autumn

christmas

My not-bingo bingo (thinking I'll recycle this every month lol):

[boygirlctommy]

looking through youtube analytics is so fascinating

[certified-bi]

Okay all my thoughts because some people have been saying that not supporting this change is not supporting artist and creators and as an artist fuck that.

1. Audiences owe you nothing. You have to convince them to engage with your creation not the other way around. This is something both the nonprofit theatre I work with recognizes and huge companies realize. It's just part of life. There are so many talented people in the world making amazing art, videos, music, writings, and on and on, and there's only so much time in the day. I'm not saying you shouldn't know your worth, just that being flippant about how little you care about those who can't pay isn't a good move. On that note...

2. PR is everything. If you haven't made a visible effort to push patreon, channel memberships or other avenues of making money, don't be suprised that your creation that was previously accessible to those without extra cash and to those who can't support foreign subscriptions due either to conversions or because it simply doesn't work, being made private isn't popular. There's a big leap from "We want to have more artistic control" to "We can't afford to make our content accessible to most of our audience," and people are smart enough to see this. You either have to make budget cuts or give into sponsors. This isn't unique to Watcher, it's part of literally every production from broadway, to Hollywood, to YouTube. Unless you can fund it yourself or get viewers to pay(which given how many are already strapped for cash...) that's life.

Not to mention they simply do not have enough followers to make the switch to a paid only site(dropping the first epsiode only on YouTube isn't going to draw people in, they're just going to say "oh why start if I'm not going to see the rest" and not watch) especially not one that is buggy and a security risk. Even if the switch had been supported its not going to end well. The only reason services like nebula and dropout work is because of the large amount of series and creators and the fact those creators still are partly on YouTube so new people are drawn in.

3. As for the price, 6 dollars a month is a not a good starting price for only their content and that's as someone who pays for nebula. I'd be paying the same amount for a fraction of the access to others work. Actually it'd be twice as much. And before someone says "it's only a coffee-" that's for you. Not everyone has your lifestyle. And with every other patreon and subscription service that says the same thing, it all adds up and I simply don't think 60 dollars for 48 videos a year on a subscription basis where you don't get to keep the videos if your situation changes, some of which don't appeal to every viewer is a good move. If you were able to buy physical copies of your favorite series they've made that'd be different, but that's not what this is.

4. I do believe that the employees deserve a livable wage. I also did not hire them. It is not on the viewers that they hired more people than they could afford to. They can charge that much if they want to to try and balance this out. They also shouldn't be suprised if not many can or will sign up. They also don't have to be based in L.A. L.A has ridiculous costs associated with it, and quite honestly it doesn't really add much to the content. I'm not saying they need to move to the middle of nowhere Kansas. Simply that living and basing your studio in a super expensive city and then being suprised money is tight is just weird.

5. Something that occurs to me is that they might get more views if their playlists were better set up. Only some series are given playlists. It'd be easier to find all of the series and binge them if they didn't just show off their more popular shows. Honestly the only draw the streaming site has to me is that the series are actually labeled well.

Do I think the weird ass energy towards Steven is necessary? No. He's not the only one at the company and they're all adults. I actually liked grocery run and homemade, and like to see them back. The parascoial attachment to Ryan and Shane is annoying in people's criticisms, but that doesn't make them completely wrong. If you're going to brand yourself as the anti capalist underdogs you can't get away with being dismissive of your poorer fans. The dissonance is what is causing this backlash and makes you look like hypocrites. I definitely think Steven is turning into the fall guy which is fucked up, his statement and the fact dish granted is one of those shows that make people uncomfortable about wealth flexs doesn't help matters.

[byler-week]

BYLER WEEK MASTER LIST - DAYS INFO, ETC.

DAYS : july 8th to july 14th, 2024.

RUN BY : Andy4Yippee and AidyAiden on MAIN

INFO : youre given a noun, verb, and adjective. These are for fanworks. You may use them all and post separately, combine them, or just use one, or two, whatever you please. Youre also given colors, these are for fanart, or moodboards. Theyre not needed, simply encouraged. There is also a AO3 collection.

SMALL FAQ SECTION

how do i do this?

Make any fanwork, post it, using the tag #bylerweek2024, and tag me, @byler-week so i can see and reblog your fanwork!

whats aloud?

Fanfictions, art, graphics, gifs moodboards, playlists, videos, edits, whatever kind of fanwork you want to make! As long as its fanwork:)

Whats this for, generally?

Its to share fanart and our love for a sub-plot/ship in a show! A lot of people really, really love byler, its important to them— and i appreciate sharing fanwork amongst ourselves! Can i do NSFW?

preferably, no. if you do, please age them to the age of consent. do whatever you'd like in the privacy of your own phone, but here, you must age them up.

Can i do HEAVY Angst?

yes! Its welcomed. Just put CWs!

If you have any other questions, please, message or comment! Thank you,

- Xander

IMPORTANT. IMPORTANT ADD ON!

-> Byler week is taking place on SHARK WEEK. You can draw them as SHARKS ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. This is totally acceptable now that we know the information.

[autisticlalna]

how to watch Skyblock Kingdoms!

because i'm dragging all of you down with me.

what is Skyblock Kingdoms?:

Skyblock Kingdoms, or SBK, is a Skyblock survival server made by VikingPilot where 18 20 players are split into groups of 2 and have their own island to take care of. each island has a unique wood type, and have a monopoly over that wood type! trade between kingdoms is allowed and encouraged, but any saplings belong solely to their original island-- with the exception of oak, which is a freebie anyone can have.

the teams are theoretically a mix of seasoned skyblockers and people not as familiar with it, but in practice there's more novices than experts so comedy has quickly ensued.

what's the story?:

in most cases, SBK is more of a casual improv vibe. think Hermitcraft rather than Empires. what this means is that there's no overarching story everyone is following, but some players have bits they've decided to commit to that, in typical MCYT fashion, are spiraling. some perspectives stay away from the action, some are playing along with whatever bit is tossed their way, some have their stories to tell, and Avid is the reason i'm having to rewrite this paragraph.

we've got capitalists! we've got OSHA! we've got witches feeding the void to try and appease it so it stops eating their bridges! we've got signs of the timeline falling apart! we've got a fortune-telling wizard! we've got something trapped deep down in limbo! we've got somebody cursed to be a monkey by british sun tzu! we've got selling your soul for a weekly lootbox! we've got a kingdom being overtaken by snow and sculk! we've got an airline with a 75% mortality rate! we've got a lawyer?

what's the format?:

there are edited videos being released regularly on Youtube by most of the creators, but a couple of POVs are stream-only so far. however, you can easily keep up with the server shenanigans without watching any streams-- there's some stuff that doesn't make it into videos, but not anything that would leave you locked out of the loop.

you can find all of the episodes out so far in release order in this one massive playlist by Doovid! thank you Doovid <3

on top of videos and streams, SBK has songs written and performed by Avid for his episodes! please listen to Through the Void, it's really good. there's also an animation for it that's used as his intro, which is also really good. if you want to listen to cool tunes made for SBK by one of the creators, you should watch Avid.

who to watch?:

depends on what you're looking for!

if you want a focus on building, then Fixxitt and KingElffe are both working on large-scale projects that are downright stunning to see in Skyblock. if you're interested in the Void storyline, then your best bets are Avid, Marmalade, and Trog-- and if you want lore in general, you can add Rubyco, Vintage, Milkman, and Anathra (and potentially Viking) to the list. if you want something chill, then Doovid, M1G, Kale, Anathra, and Leon are pretty laid-back. if you enjoy cinematic editing, then you should check out Avid, Trog, Doovid, Leon, and Viking. if you're here for comedy, then you'll want to check out Viking, Doovid, Milkman, Leon, CodeNeon, and Kittrix, but honestly everybody gets in on that one as they mess with each other constantly. and that's still not covering everybody!

i recommend watching everyone's episode 1 to get a feel for their style and go from there. Anathra, Artemis, Neon, and Leon's perspectives start around the Ender Dragon fight, and Fool and Tea are stream-only.

who's on the server?:

as mentioned, some of these POVs are stream-only!

Dark Oak (VikingPilot + Fixxitt 412) - industry on a massive scale Cherry (Rubyco + vintage_applesauce) - friends with everyone Jungle (AvidMC + Doovid) - the universe has it out for them. Birch (TheFoolsFam + SadMilkman) - the villain is always capitalism Bamboo (M1G + KaleHameron) - samurai shenanigans Mangrove (Marma1ade + Teaish7) - witches with a void problem Acacia (Dr. Trog + Kittrix) - triangle-loving chaos-causers Spruce (AcornBandit + Anathra) - very chill (both definitions.) End (CodeNeon + LeonSBU) - have been here the whole time! Mushroom (KingElffe + Artemis8bit) -

tl;dr Watch Skyblock Kingdoms.

[restinslices]

Earth realm boys dating a popstar???? 👀👀👀👀

“Send me ideas guys” *proceeds to hit brain block* I didn’t know if you wanted the Lin Kuei Bros or Syzoth involved but imma add this little rule/guideline(?) so I don’t throw myself down the stairs. So the Earthrealm Boys will be Johnny, Kenshi, Kung Lao, Raiden and Liu Kang. Lin Kuei Bros are Bi-Han, Kuai Liang and Tomas. You can also ask for specific characters but IMMA LET YALL KNOW RIGHT NOW y’all have a limit of FIVE people per post or I’m sleeping in traffic.

Johnny Cage 

If you think Johnny Cage is anything other than excited, you're wrong. 

There's no way he doesn't enjoy dating a pop star. 

He'd tell you how great your names sound together. Johnny Cage the movie star and you the pop star. 

He's probably asked you if your songs can be in his movies. 

I think he'd be extremely supportive. Sometimes a little overbearing. Some people might enjoy him wanting to come to every show, while some people may say “dude, calm down”. 

Your ringtone on his phone is one of your songs for sure 

He also asks for some of your merch for free since ya know, debt 😀

If there's a dance that goes along with it, I can definitely see him learning it and showing you how good (bad) he is 

Please let him be in your music videos. He's on his knees begging 

He has such a huge ego, he'd probably say something like “you can't possibly turn down an A lister like me”

He's so President of your fanclub 

He also posts exclusives of you on his social media 

This may sound selfish but he's hoping your popularity will increase his. When we meet him, his fame is dying out so he's hoping being seen with you will remind people he exists 

Don't get it misconstrued though. He adores you. He just can't help but have these thoughts 

Probably makes you promise to dedicate a song to him too. Realistically he wants an album but he'll take whatever

He's so Ken coded to me and remember, Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him. You're his Barbie, regardless of gender 

Kenshi Takahashi 

Considering the fact that he's on the run from the Yakuza, uhhhh he's not the happiest 

Is he proud? Yeah. But dating him puts a huge target on your back. Kenshi can hide. You, as a popstar, can't do that. You're always in the spotlight. And since the Yakuza got connections, they'd find out somehow. 

He'd encourage you to take a break until things cool over. Only problem is he doesn't know when that'd be, and the music industry is competitive. You don't have time to be on a break. People could forget about you. 

Under any other circumstance, he'd be happy for you. Not many people can make it in the music industry. There are tons of people who have big plans but settle for less. 

In any other circumstance he'd listen to your songs, spread the word about your concerts, buy your merch cause he's not in debt, even attend a few concerts. 

Now though, he's uptight and worried. Every concert you have he's worried will be your last. Any fan meet you have he's worried will end in death. 

I honestly think he'd try to actively avoid anything that has to do with your career. It's a constant reminder that you're doing the exact opposite of what he's asking you to and you're putting yourself in danger. This could possibly cause a lot of arguments since he could come off as controlling when in reality he's worried and trying to be cautious 

He's trying to avoid anything to do with your career but every playlist he has has your songs sprinkled throughout them 

Overall he's proud of you but life has him pretty uptight. He'll be his normal self once he restores his clan. 

Kung Lao

This cocky little shit is so hype his partner is famous 

I can see him talking about your music with others like “my partner? They make music. You probably know them. I don't know yours though cause they're unknown. How are y'all paying the bills?”

You tell him not to do that but he continues anyway. Everyone had to know how awesome you were compared to them

Idk why I have this scene in my head of him buying your concert tickets to sell it again but make it more expensive. I legit don't know why but I couldn't ignore it. 

Kung Lao has such a huge ego and your success does not help that. In fact, it makes it worse 

How many people can say they're dating a popstar? Or anyone famous for that matter?

I can see him “helping” with lyrics but the shit he tries to add is dog shit so you do not add it, which he does not get. 

“I have an ear for music” “An ear. Not a talent”

Starts a fanclub and forces Raiden to be involved 

You'd think he's the popstar with how much pride he has when it comes to your career 

Like Kenshi, he has a whole playlist dedicated to you and your songs are sprinkled throughout his other playlists 

If you ask for his honest opinion on a song, he's gonna give you his honest opinion so be prepared. It's like asking a kid if a jacket makes you look fat. 

He doesn't mean to be malicious. He just can't have you releasing bad shit. His approach just isn't the best but it's all with love 

“What do you think about Bubblegum?” “The chorus isn't catchy at all if I'm being honest. You've definitely made better” 

He'd help though by saying what he liked from other songs and it'd steer you in the right direction 

Your career? No. Y'ALL career. UterUS type shit

In all seriousness, he's very happy that out of all the celebrities you could be with, you chose a non celebrity like him.

Raiden

Honestly I don't think anyone would even know you're dating. He's just too shy. 

With Johnny, he's famous and has no shame so that's how people know you're together. The Yakuza is out here so that's how they know about you and Kenshi. Kung Lao is Kung Lao, idk how else to explain it. With Raiden though, I don't think he'd want your fans to know you're dating. 

He's shy and also values privacy and you respect that. Your fans know you're dating someone just not who. 

He probably has a second account he uses to stay up to date with fan discourse 

Likes every edit of you and shows you them. 

“Were you looking these up?” “I… don't know what you could possibly mean”

I don't think he's a big concert person. I don't know why. At least not a huge, no personal space type of concert. So I think he'd do other things to support like using that second account to promote your activities, reposting edits, and buying your stuff. 

Knowing his luck, that second account for privacy and being sneaky would end up getting fans attention. He'd become the main update page everyone goes to. Guess he wasn't sneaky enough 

Probably asks you to sing to him when it's quiet 

Has bought a poster of you and forgot to take it down when you came over 

“Kung Lao put that up” “Mhm, sure”

He has two hats. His normal hat and a hat that has stickers of you on it. Kung Lao or Johnny probably did it to tease him but he kept it anyway 

Dedicate a song to him and watch how flustered he gets. He'd be so honored 

If you had an MV and there was a love interest in it, he wouldn't wanna be jealous but it'd happen. 

Everytime he sees you perform or hears you, he falls deeper in love. Like Kung Lao, he's very happy you picked him to be your love and muse 

Liu Kang

He probably saw this coming based on your life in the past timeline

Knowing how the past timelines were though, your life was probably chaotic and your music career was probably disturbed by the constant threats 

Seeing you just having fun and making music in this timeline would make him extremely happy and proud of himself for creating such a peaceful timeline (at first)

Liu Kang has glowing eyes so there's a chance concerts aren't happening, but I think he'd still stream your music like everyone else 

Would probably try to keep you far away from any disturbances. When he takes his champions to Outworld, he makes up a lie. He doesn't want what you're passionate about disturbed at all 

Supportive in the sense that he's always going to say “yes” to whatever ideas you have. A breakup song? Great idea. A fun party song? Awesome. A fan meet? Sounds fun. 

He genuinely just wants you happy this time and music makes you happy. 

You could talk him into using his fire as some background effect as long as others won't see 

He talks you into doing smaller performances at Madam Bo's. You're spying on Raiden and Kung Lao without even knowing 

Whenever you find out about the shit storm going on, he does not want you involved and will say so. He wants you to focus on your passion and let him take care of it. Whether you do or not is up to you 

After all that though you'd probably end up making music for Johnny's movie about shit that happened. He doesn't disapprove but thinks you can do better than make a soundtrack for Johnny 'Big Mouth’ Cage 

Secret fanboy. Forced to act all serious all the time but he's mumbling your lyrics under his breath, even if it's super cutesy. 

He's just so happy for you. I know I keep repeating it but you probably DIED in the past timeline or some shit so seeing you happy and just living? It shows his efforts for peace paid off. 

I usually say smth after but idk what to say. I wanna start art commissions so bad but half bodies are kicking my ass. I’m finna start tweaking fr

[sydneymykah]

☆☆THE STRUGGLE OF ROUTINE ☆☆

✧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Some people can just get out of bed and automatically do what they need to do to get the day started. And the same people seem to be the ones we see the most on our screens. "My Morning Routine", "My weekly regimen", "What I eat in a day", and "My Nightly Routine". These people are seemingly put together and perfect like their said routines. But here you are slouched on your undone bed, still in your pajamas, wearing makeup from the day before after waking up after 12 pm. You meaning me, lmao. ☆...

☆The struggle of routine is something we all face regardless of what social media persists to tell us. But I don't really want to talk about how "social media is fake" because that's not even fully true. Some people really do live like this and have very structured routines for their day to day lives, granted it's what pays their bills but that's still technically their routine. But I'm more concerned about talking about how DIFFICULT it is to keep a constant routine. Especially in this weird time we live in.

ミ★I'm a perfectionist. I hate when things don't go the way I want and I tend to want things one way or not at all. But life doesn't live by those rules. Life will throw whatever the hell it wants at you, whenever it feels like it. As an individual you have to learn to work around it all. For me it's an inconsistent work schedule, minor (or major) inconveniences, mood swings, and of course the main culprit is laziness/lack of discipline.

☆We've all done it. On a random day of the week you're up way too late reflecting on your life and what you're doing with it. You suddenly feel the hyperactive urge to fix everything about yourself. You want the perfect body before the summer. You want your hair to grow longer faster. You want to get all your life goals written down and planned out dow not the last minute. You want to post a 1 minute video everyday on TikTok at exactly 3 pm EST and post at least 4 pictures to your instagram every other day. So you open the notes app and make an extremely specific, unrealistic, and way too intense routine to follow everyday. You set reminders, add 30 new alarms to your phone, you fill your amazon cart with stuff you believe you'll defiantly use. And after you make yet another playlist of YouTube workout videos you go to bed confident your life is gonna change forever after this...

Now one of two things happen:

You completely throw away the routine the minute you wake up the next day

Or, you do it for a few days but eventually burnout and find yourself back where you were before, now with just more useless junk you have no room for...

ミ★I have personally been both. But we can all empathize with this because if maintaining a routine was easy it wouldn't be such a successful phenomenon online. Out of the millions of views under "my morning routine" posts, many, if not majority, of them are people who wish they can live the way these people do. I think we as people have developed mindsets that are negative first, positive later. Ever since the quarantine we've been used to online overconsumption. The idea that "more is better", and the scare that was the virus has sparked this fear in us that is wasted time. Hence us wanting to build new giant routines in the middle of the night just to eventually abandon it because our minds and bodies don't evolve or develop like that overnight. Most the time the routines are grueling and just makes us feel exhausted over accomplished. When we don't see immediate change a lot people, including myself, give up then and there.

☆Im not here to tell you how to keep a constant routine or how to become more disciplined because all that information is in the palm of your hands. Honestly at the end of the day it's about your mindset. Realizing what is around you and remembering the reality you live in. You want that body? You want that hair growth? You want to post? It's all possible but here's where the issue lies:

ミ★We forget to forgive ourselves and to be patient with ourselves. We fall under the pressure to perform for social media as well. In this digital age we try to make social media real life 24/7 and put real life on the back burner. Everything must be aesthetic or else! Or if you can't keep a constant routine for a week you're a failure! But the reality is no one just wakes up in their perfect aesthetic one day and has this perfect routine down pat the first time. Another thing that we keep doing is what everyone else is doing. Another example of putting the online first before real life. We've forgotten the beauty of growth, and how things develop overtime. It reminds me of how small artists have the potential to blow up overnight. They suddenly have all these eyes on them and then the GP turns on them simply because their exceptions don't match the artist's personal growth. I think we do the same to ourselves. But regardless of what other people, social media or even what you might even say to yourself the best way to find a good routine is get to know yourself, not someone else. And to not go by others expectations. It's good to hold yourself to a high regard and to make ambitious goals. But you should remind yourself that you want this to last and you don't want to burn yourself out trying to perfect your life like it's a speed run.

☆When following creators who makes content like this I advise to follow people you relate to first. Not saying you can't follow those extremely aesthetic ASMR morning/Night routine videos because hell I watch them too. But know that I watch them for simply that. I've come to the point where I can watch that stuff and not feel incompetent or that I'm failing in life but I digress. Don't pay attention to the many trends and what's hot, just look for people who you might see yourself in, or people who have qualities similar to yours. Physically, mentally, ect. Because if you're a black girl who wants to know how to do a specific 4C hairstyle you're not going to the white girl influencers for tutorials are you? For me I watch Jackie Aina. Her and I don't even have the same tastes in certain aspects, specifically clothing and home decor but she reminds me a lot of myself and some of my values. Her content inspires me but doesn't make me feel like I need to reinvent myself overnight. That's not realistic nor healthy. I think subjecting yourself to that will just give you an identity crisis. Her content helps me feel confident and you should follow people like that too.

ミ★My purpose of this post is not "continue to be a slob" (I'm a Taurus stellium and Venusian. Girl we don't do that over 'chere.) it's to remind and to encourage. A reminder that what you see online isn't what real life is 24/7. Doesn't mean it's all fake, it just means that life doesn't just look like one thing. Social media just tends to make our vision a bit tunneled. Yes, some peoples lives surround what they eat in a day, what they do when they get out of bed, and the steps they follow in their nighttime skincare routine. But our attachment and overconsumption to these types of creators constantly fails to remind us that they're still human. Hell even when the human creators tell y'all "hey I'm human" they still aren't treated as such but guess what? They are! So are you. You are still human. Finding a groove that works for you will take time. And many times you will fail. You will probably forget to do something, you won't have the time for certain tasks, or an inconvenience will pop up out of no where that knocks you off course. But if at first you don't succeed, try again. Social media picture perfect propaganda (lol) has made us forget that life happens and that we will essentially always struggle with routine. Some things stick, some things don't. Some routines last a long time, some only stay for a day. We live in an age where everyone's trying to move as fast as they can to keep with the trends, keep up appearances, and to make up for lost time. And as much as I love the thrill of the fast life, how can I expect to see my growth, what I like, what needs changing and how to fall into a good rhythm when I'm too busy trying to keep up.

✧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Xoxo, Sydney Mykah -☆

[ftmtftm]

ftmtftm's reading (and watching) list

So I've been putting this list together to help people understand my beliefs and also to expand their own. This is a list of theorists, poets, authors, artists, and people that I often source from whose works have deeply impacted my framework of the world. I hope someone else can find them useful as well.

I've included several videos because I know how inaccessible academic text can be, but I do encourage you to read the text if you're able and seek out copies of books listed at your local libraries or independent book sellers/second hand book shops! When I could not find a PDF for a written work I have added Thrift Books links. Also double check the Internet Archive, Trans Reads, and The Anarchist Library for more readings!!

If any of these links break please let me know and I'll see what I can do to fix them. I'll be adding to this list as time goes on as currently these are just the books I can see on my bookshelf and videos I could remember I've seen before!

3.4.2024 - This list is slightly outdated in that there are several authors and works I need to add. Please seach the names James Baldwin and Audre Lorde or simply my reading list tag on my blog for additional resources.

Theory

Kimberlé Crenshaw:

Critial Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed The Movement - thrift books

Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color - PDF

The Urgency of Intersectionality - video

Kimberlé Crenshaw Intersectionality is NOT identity - video exerpt from her WOW keynote speech

Angela Davis:

Angela Davis Criticizes "Mainstream Feminism" / Bourgeois Feminism - video

Angela Davis What it means to be a Revolutionary (1972 Interview) - video

Roxane Gay:

Bad Feminist: Essays - Internet Archive

Roxane Gay: Confessions of a bad feminist - video

Roxane Gay, Feminism and Difficult Women - video

bell hooks:

Feminism is for Everybody - PDF

The Will to Change - Internet Archive / audio book - YouTube

All About Love - PDF / audio book - YouTube

Teaching to Transgress PDF / audio book - YouTube

Speaking Freely: bell hooks - video

bell hooks & john a. powell: Belonging Through Connection (Othering & Belonging Conference 2015) - video

bell hooks & Gloria Steinem at Eugene Lang College - video (intro ends 7:24)

Emi Koyama:

The Transfeminist Manifesto - PDF

Ijeoma Oluo:

So You Want to Talk About Race - thrift books

Ijeoma Oluo Talks at Google - video

Public Presentation with Ijeoma Olua - video

History / Journals

P. Carl:

Becoming a Man - thrift books

Library Labyrinth Live Presents: P. Carl Becoming a Man - video (intro ends approx. 3:20)

P. Carl Prologue UCCS - video (audio quality poor)

Keith Haring:

Journals - PDF

Keith Haring Documentary - video

Keith Haring On The Fence - video

Jack Lowery:

It Was Vulgar & It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic - thrift books

Susan Stryker:

Transgender History - PDF

Transitions, with Susan Stryker - podcast - YouTube

Lou Sullivan:

We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan 1961-1991 - trans reads

Trans Oral History: Meeting Lou Sullivan - video

A series of video interviews with Lou - playlist

Fiction / Poetry

Chinua Achebe:

Things Fall Apart (novel) - PDF

I'm trying hard to not add too much of my own commentary to this post but personally I really think it's helpful to read Things Fall Apart in theoretical conversation with The Will to Change by bell hooks and in direct conversation with one of the works it was written in response to, The Heart of Darkness

Arundhati Roy:

The God of Small Things (novel) - thrift books

Arundhati Roy talks about her life and views on the world - video

Warsan Shire:

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head (poetry collection) - thrift books

Warsan Shire reads her poetry - video

Zadie Smith:

White Teeth (novel) - Internet Archive

White Teeth (4 part Real Drama adaptation) - videos

Zadie Smith Interview: On Bad Girls, Good Guys and the Complicated Midlife - video

A Conversation with Zadie Smith - video

Pamela Sneed:

Funeral Diva (poetry and prose collection) - thrift books

Pamela Sneed Discusses "Funeral Diva" - video

I offer you a secret meme for your time (with books I still need to add to this list):

[topsytervy]

Santa Looks Familiar

So, I thought of this while on my drive home yesterday from work. I decided it was finally time to listen to Christmas music willingly and so I put on my playlist, appropriately named tis the season bitches, and I forgot I had Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy (Travis Tritt version courtesy of my mother) on it and this came to be.

I just couldn't think of who I wanted it to be so I made it as vague as possible so you can imagine whoever you wanted it to be. Sports player, video game character, movie character, whoever. I'm just going to add some tags so this can make it's rounds.

Happy Holidays folks.

synopsis: your daughter notices that Santa looks kind of familiar. Almost kind of like daddy?

warnings: none except probably grammar/spelling, and one mention of beer

word count: 1,075

~~~

“Asher, wake up, wake up.” The young boy groaned, flipping onto his side as he pulled the blanket up higher. “Asher, come on. Santa’s here.” 

Asher’s eyes shot open as he sat up, “really?” He asked his older sister and she nodded, putting a finger to her lips. 

“We gotta be really quiet though.” She whispered before motioning for her little brother to follow her.  

The two of them creeped out of the bedroom and into the hallway, keeping low as the peeked through the banister, looking down into the living room as the man in the red suit put the last of the gifts under the tree, standing up afterwards. 

“That’s the last of them,” the siblings heard him say and Lily furrowed her eyebrows. 

The voice sounded familiar to her, but she shook her head. 

How many times had she thought she heard their mother’s voice, but it turned out to be a complete stranger? 

“Look, Lily. He’s going for the cookies.” Asher nudged her and she watched as he reached over, snagging a couple of the cookies, taking a bite of one. 

“And what do you think you’re doing?” 

The two trained their eyes on their mother who was walking over to Santa before stopping in front of him, hands on her hip. 

“Santa tax,” he shrugged before holding a cookie out to her, “you really outdid yourself on these. They’re amazing. Here, open up.”  

Their mother rolled her eyes before opening her mouth, the kids' eyes widening as Santa popped the cookie into her mouth before his arms snaked around her waist pulling her close. 

“Uh oh. He better be careful or daddy’s going to beat him up,” Asher whispered to Lily and Lily squinted at the two. 

She watched the two adults for another minute before grabbing her little brother's arm. 

“Come on. Let's go before they catch us.” She whispered, softly tugging him back to his bedroom.  

She tucked Asher back into bed, saying good night before shutting the door until it was only open a crack. 

She glanced between her room and the stairs before heading towards the stairs, going down them as quietly as she could. 

She didn’t see her mother, but she did see Santa, his back turned to her as he drank the milk. 

The little girl cleared her throat and the man in the red suit froze, swallowing the milk in his mouth before turning towards her. 

“Well, if it isn’t miss Lily. What are you doing up and out of bed?” he questioned before leaning down, dropping his voice to a whisper, “you know, I take away presents from kids who aren’t in bed when I come right?” 

Lily stared into his eyes, the eyes that seemed oh so familiar with the same twinkle and color. 

“Daddy, is that you?”  

Santa raised an eyebrow, “now why would you think I’m your father?” 

“Well, you sound like him, and your eyes are the same,” she started. 

“A lot of people share the same eyes and voice as your dad.” He shrugged and she cocked her head. 

“And you’re not fat.” Lily was blunt with her words. 

“That’s not a very nice thing to say, Lily May.”  

“And you know my middle name. No one knows my middle name except mom and dad.” She stated matter-of-factly and he narrowed his eyes. 

“I’m Santa. I know everyone’s middle name. I know your middle name and Asher’s. I even know your parents' middle names.” 

“If you’re not dad, then why did you hug mom?” 

Santa waited a second before responding, “because all your dad wanted for Christmas was for your mom to make sure she was very loved and in order for that to happen, I had to hug her very tight so she could feel the love from you guys.”  

Lily blinked at him, “really?” 

Santa nodded, “yep. There’s no way to wrap love up and just hand it to someone. You have to give it to them through hugs.” 

“Oh,” Lily said, her eyes casting downwards before she turned them back towards Santa, “I’m sorry for getting out of bed and eavesdropping but between us,” she leaned in close, “my dad would’ve hurt you if he saw you hugging mom like that. He’s very protective of his family so I was just looking out for you.” She whispered. 

“Ah I see,” he smiled before reaching behind him and grabbing a cookie from the plate, handing it to her, “well, since you were looking out for me, I think I can overlook yoy being out of bed this one time.” He told her with a wink, and she grinned, nodding her head as she took the cookie from him and turned back towards the stairs. 

“Merry Christmas Santa.” She told him before heading back to her bedroom.  

“Merry Christmas Lily.” 

** 

Your eyes moved from your book to your husband as he came into the bedroom, removing the fake beard and hat.  

“Did you enjoy your milk, Santa?” You teased and he shrugged. 

“It was aright but between the two of us, I’m more of a beer guy.” He grinned before beginning to get changed from the costume to his pajamas and you bookmarked your page, setting the book on your bight stand. 

“What took you so long anyway honey?” 

He took a breath and looked over at you. “A very close call with Lil.” 

Your eyes widened. “Oh god.” 

“It's okay. I’m a fast thinker.  Explained any suspicions of Santa being daddy away. Many people have the same eye color and voice. Of course I know her middle name, I know everyone’s middle name.” he chuckled as he came over to his side and climbed into bed, “and that Santa was hugging mom because all dad wanted was for mom to know she was loved,” he pulled you into his chest and pressed a kiss to your head as you blushed, throwing an arm over his waist. 

“I love you,” you told him, pecking his lips. 

“I love you too.” 

“You know she’ll figure it out eventually, right? Two years from now she could look back on this moment and put two and two together. That Santa and daddy looked an awful lot alike.” You told him. 

He shushed you as he closed his eyes. “Let's push that thought far away from us and just enjoy the fact that our kids still believe in Santa.”  

~~~~

[safetycar-restart]

(I am literally hunting your ask box with the amount of asks soz.)

But....small dick Charles and the porn Au go brr.

Maybe a bit of angst when some comments get left under the videos shaming and you have to reassure him. Cue a video of praising Charles.. honestly you can't not praise this obedient sub.

Or Piarles with you could add Pierre tripod Gasly in the video with Pierre teasing Charles..

Ok firstly, never apologise for sending tons of asks! I love it! Feel free to make yourself at home in my askbox! You can even claim an emoji if you'd like so you can get your own tag. Anyway, I am obsessed with this idea oh my god.

So firstly, charles is a massive hit with his small dick. The fans absolutely love it. The only thing they don't like is the fact they there are never any videos of Charles getting humiliated for his dick size. It always confuses fans, because there are plenty of videos of other actors from your company being humiliated for their dick size. There's an entire playlist that's just Carlos being humiliated for it. And yet for some reason, the one actor who actually DOES have a very small dick somehow never gets humiliated for it? They don't get it.

But the reason for this is very simple - which is that Charles is your darling little princess and you will never ever allow anyone to humiliate him, ever. Everyone in the company knows this, knows that Charles has a very special place in your heart and that he's your darling who can never ever be messed with.

You try not to have favourites, but everyone knows Charles is your absolute favourite. The rest of them all get treated equally, but Charles is the only one who ALWAYS gets to see you after shoots and who can ALWAYS convince you to join in on shoots and who can ALWAYS come into your office.

And honestly, no one even minds this because he's everyone subby darling. He truly is the people's princess.

And so when you hear that Charles doesn't want to come out of his dressing room to start filming the solo video he was scheduled for, you of course have to go and find out what's going on with him.

You find him in nears, looking at his phone. You find out that someone had left hate comments on every single one of his videos, shaming him for how small his dick is and the poor thing is so upset.

Of course you immediately reassure him, promising him that none of that is true and that person is just hateful. You tell him that you and so many others love his body just how it is, but the poor thing is just so so sad and so worked up.

You know exactly what you have to do.

You tell him that you'll be filming with him today, that instead of a solo video it'll be a video of him sitting between your thighs while you play with him. He perks up at that, because no matter how upset he is he'll never turn down an opportunity to film with you.

As you're escorting him to the set, you get a brilliant idea - Pierre. He should be included in this.

Just like it's common knowledge that Charles is your darling, it's also common knowledge that Pierre is kinda sorta... absolutely fucking obsessed with Charles's dick. Maybe the three of you haven't even gotten together by this point? Pierre is just openly insane for Charles's pretty dick.

You call Pierre and tell him the situation and even though he wasnt supposed to film that day, he immediately agrees. And when he hears that someone insulted Charles's body, he goes borderline feral because no-one gets to say that. No one.

You start off the video without Pierre. Charles sits between your thighs and you play with him, using different toys and vibrators on him. You praise him the entire time, telling him how pretty he is and how much you love his pretty dick. The poor thing is an absolute mess, shaking in your arms.

And then Pierre arrives.

Charles is so ready for him, and the moment Pierre arrives his mouth is immediate on Charles's dick (seriously, he's obsessed).

[ycmalholidayexchange]

❄️🎁❄️You Could Make a Life Holiday Fanwork Exchange 2024❄️🎁❄️

Hello!

Hockey is almost back which means it’s time for another You Could Make a Life Holiday Fanwork Exchange!

Mixing it up a bit this year and the event will be organized by your humble Luigrein. We hope to see you all participate!

The format will be the same as years prior:

❄️What is this?

Just a pretty normal and chill fandom exchange to celebrate the holidays. In short, you create something for another fan and get something in return!

Anyone in the You Could Make a Life fandom can participate. You can check the wrap-up posts for 2019, 2020, and 2022, or check this blog's latest posts in 2023 if you want to have an idea of what people have previously created.

❄️What can I make/get?

The idea is to:

write fic of at least 1000 words; or

make 1 piece of fanart; or

make 1 playlist of at least 11 songs with a cover; or

make 1 gifset; or

create a short video edit (minimum 30 seconds); or

one complete and edited podfic of a text that is originally at least 1000 words;

one complete and edited podfic of at least 10 minutes.

You can specify whether you prefer fic and/or art when you sign up!

❄️What am I allowed to create/request?

Any pairing, theme and rating are allowed. However, since this universe is huge, please be flexible and include as many things you like as possible in the request and the offer. If you are only willing to receive a Trigger/Crane Matchmaker AU, while we appreciate your dedication to goalies, we may not be able to find you a suitable match! We may contact you if, for any reason, it’s impossible for us to find a match for you and we need you to think of more options.

❄️I don't understand podfic, tell me more.

It means somebody will record an audio version of a fic. If you are interested in receiving a podfic, you will be able to add links to works you'd like to have in that format (please make sure the author allows for this type of transformative work), or you could request any of your own fics.

❄️Timeline

Sign-ups are open now and end on October 10th 3pm EST.

After that, we will start matching people and you will be notified as soon as possible of the person you have been assigned.

By November 30th, we will be emailing you to confirm that you are still participating. If for some reason you cannot participate any more, please notify us as soon as possible, so that we can make sure we find a pinch-hitter.

The works will be posted between December 15th and 31st, in whatever platform best suits your work. Please make sure you inform us (tagging this blog, for instance, or via ask box/email) and the recipient. Everything will be shared in this blog.

❄️Ok this sounds cool, how do I sign up?

Just fill in this form! Please read the sections carefully since we have changed some wording/formatting things. And don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions or comments :)

Thanks!

-Luigrein

[ohmyeyesmyeyes]

daylight - mat barzal

mat barzal x f!reader

warnings: swearing

in which they fuck around with fans

liked by gracieabrams and 87,293 others

barzal97: champagne problems

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fan1: fuck me

fan2: give us a warning sheesh

fan3: my post notifs are on and i still fell to the floor in maccies

fan4: i just died dead rip me

fan5: the lyrics of that song though...

fan6: and the ring on the necklace??? it's literally y/n's

fan7: but she's got a boyfriend

fan6: not unless mat has anything to say abt it i'd assume

liked by barzal97

fan8: they make me so sad

liked by barzal97, dannyramirez and 5,852 others

ynofficial: lover, you should've come over

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fan9: so we all thinking the same thing rn?

fan10:' 'will i ever see your sweet return?' and 'maybe i'm just too young to keep love from going wrong' is so them-coded

fan11: barzal97

comments on this post have been limited

liked by haileesteinfeld and 96,854 others

barzal97: if the whole world was watching, i'd still dance with you

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fan12: stop that's the pic from when she got in the car before awards night last year

fan13: he was looking right at her i remember it

fan14: it shouldn't be fair that he posts the hottest photos of him desperately in love and pining for y/n at the same time, it's an inner conflict

fan15: ynofficial ynofficial ynofficial

fan16: ynofficial ynofficial ynofficial

liked by shityoushouldcareabout and 4,245 others

ynofficial: and wonder about the only soul who can tell which smile i'm faking, and the heart i know i'm breaking is my own

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fan17: grow a pair already

fan18: WHAT OF THE BOYFRIEND???

fan19: barzal97

fan20: barzal97

fan21: y'all are acting like he won't have her post notifs on

liked by ross_lynch and 103,286 others

barzal97: i knew i'd wish you would've changed your mind

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fan22: the significance of those photos have me bawling my eyes out

fan23: what happened?

fan22: on the left he got asked in a post-game interview how he felt when his gf was put on the kiss cam with another guy and on the right, in that video you could hear him say 'i need to check with the missus because i think this one's coming home with me'

fan23: AND THESE PEOPLE AREN'T TOGETHER????

fan24: ynofficial

fan25: mat, you brought out the cardigan voice notes. i'm unwell

liked by barzal97 and 452,268 others

ynbarzalofficial: hi guys. it's come to our attention lately that there's been a lot of speculation in the media about our relationship, so we just wanted to pop in and clear some things up. first of all, mat and i have been together for eight years now, which was something we did not choose to disclose to the public immediately -- the irony is that that privacy backfired on us, because no, we did not break up; i do not have a boyfriend -- he is in fact my brother's friend and was helping us out with our new house. secondly...we may have been fucking around with you all and purposefully posting all those angsty cringey stuff to our accounts because we thought it was funny (and i am sorry about that), and that (big shocker)(take a deep breath) we have been married very happily for three years. third: watch this space for a surprise soon.

comments have been turned off for this post

liked by ynofficialbarzal, nhl and 629,266 others

barzal97: it was all my idea, and i have to say it went quite well; we got the privacy to enjoy our relationship without worrying about the pressures of the media. i can finally say that i am a very VERY happily married man. gosh i love my wife. that feels so good to say. and you wouldn't have a complete playlist of our relationship without the final song: daylight by taylor swift (and because we love it so much, add cowboy like me on there too). i can't wait to spend forever with you ynofficialbarzal and i'm so excited for the future. it feels so weird saying you're my wife on social media after we've been married for years already.

comments for this post have been turned off

liked by ninanow, jhughes and 726,285 others

barzal97: i was told to tag ninanow for this. i forgot to mention earlier (silly me) that we also have two kids! one of each and another on the way!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!! anyway, see you all in 2 years. i like leaving everything in shambles and ynofficialbarzal and myself will be watching twitter with a glass of wine (me) and a mocktail (yn)

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[hotdaemondtargaryen]

OLIVIA COOKE INTERVIEWED FOR FLAUNT MAGAZINE.

Waiting just beyond reality’s gauzy guardians, the other world lies just under the duvet in the throes of school night darkness: a library book stuffed under a pillow, a cave of blankets, thrilling stalactites of story to be illuminated by a covert flashlight.

That’s how Olivia Cooke remembers her induction into the fantastical, anyway.

“Reading all night, and then sobbing into my pillow at 4am—audibly—with my mum shouting at me to go to sleep.”

Cooke isn’t taking any breaks—she’s already working on a new project with Robin Wright, psychological thriller The Girlfriend, set to be released through Amazon Prime Video.

The actor has a propensity for vivifying characters to the fullest extent regardless of medium or genre:

“I am picky,” she tells me about the breadth of her work,

“But I’m just not exclusive.”

WHAT IS IT THAT AUDIENCES LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT MUTILATION AND POWER, ABOUT CREATUREHOOD AND POLITICS IN WESTEROS, THE LAND UPON WHICH GAME OF THRONES AND HOUSE OF THE DRAGON IS SET?

Cooke muses, people are fascinated with the idea of escape—an out that the Game of Thrones franchise has certainly provided to an anxious, overworked public.

She ponders further, positing:

“We as humans want to feel like we’re giants and godlike creatures who can tame a beast like a dragon. Maybe it’s this innate feeling in us of the need to conquer."

“God, especially the fucking Brits.” [She laughs]

“What does that say about us?”

I ASK COOKE IF THE EXCITEMENT SURROUNDING THE SERIES—PARTICULARLY THE QUESTIONS SHE (GLADLY) FIELDS ABOUT THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP—HAD MADE ANY IMPACT ON THE WAY SHE FRAMES HER OWN RELATIONSHIPS?

“I don’t think that the show has necessarily made me reevaluate friendship.”

“I just think that with the age that I am at now, getting into a new decade, I’ve prioritized my friendships in a different way.”

“I think that, especially in culture, [friendship] sort of takes the backseat.”

“You’re meant to prioritize romantic relationships and familial relationships in your life, but friendships feel deeper and everlasting in a sense.”

WE APPROACH THE SUBJECT OF POWER—THE TIMES WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO KEEP IT, THE TIMES WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DELEGATE:

“I think it’s always better to relinquish power when you recognize wisdom.”

“Relinquish unhelpful power, whether that be insecurity or ego, when you are confronted with someone who has more lived experience or is just more knowledgeable in said field.” Duly noted.

Cooke feels the most powerful, though, when she’s surrounded by friends, going on walks listening to a well-curated playlist, or when she really finds the music in a particular scene.

Though she doesn’t make music herself, there is a symphonic quality to her acting—it’s the same sort of kinetic energy governed by a discernible rhythm that makes any sort of artistic output worthwhile.

“It’s all sort of coming from the vulnerable prism of you, isn’t it? Any sort of creative endeavor.”

OLIVIA COOKE MAKES A PLAYLIST FOR EVERY CHARACTER SHE'S EVER PLAYED—SAVE FOR ALICENT.

She claims she “doesn’t know why,” but one might suspect tracks for the Alicent playlist wouldn’t be readily accessible on any sort of streaming platform...

Perhaps a Gregorian chant or a live recording of a knife being sharpened on a hot stone would be more appropriate.

ACROSS ALL CREATIVE MEDIUMS, ACTING OR OTHERWISE.

Cooke adds that she’s “trying to nurture that spark of vulnerability and not shy away from it is quite important.”

“We’re so mannered now— especially the English—so repressed in that sense. We still have this culture of having a very stiff upper lip in the face of adversity and real emotion and grief.”

“To be able to play those emotions in a really intense way—but in a very safe environment—feels very cathartic, and it’s an opportunity to push yourself to those limits and see, as an experiment, what your body does and how you would react in those moments.”

“You’re always trying to find the truth in it.”

Cooke likes to dive into characters (the tender, damaged Lou, the cystic fibrosis patient Emma Decody, the terror-stricken Laine Morris, the ever-vengeful Alicent)

“Because of this exploration of truth, but also because she’s really nosy and curious.”

“I want to dive deep into who [these characters] are... I think that is the most wonderful part of [the] job, that we get to live all these lives in one life if we’re lucky.”

Olivia Cooke speaks with a diction nearly impossible to not listen to. Her outwardly energetic parlance and melodic speak might be the recipe for a certain viral video involving a beverage choice.

SHE COMES FROM A THEATER BACKGROUND, AND WHEN ASKED ABOUT A CLAIM SHE MADE A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK IN WHICH SHE POSITED SHE MIGHT BE MORE CUT OUT FOR TV THAN THEATER BECAUSE OF THE REQUISITE “BIG FACIAL MOVEMENTS OR BIG ARM GESTURES.”

“It’s so awful, isn’t it? Just like...What a cocky little twat! No, I’d love to do theater [again].”

“That girl does not know what she’s talking about. Bless her,” she says, still giggling.

“Sometimes the things I’ve said get repeated back to me and I’m like, ‘God knows...’ because usually I am just making stuff up in the moment.”

IS THERE ANYTHING MORE TO LIFE, THOUGH, THAN THE MOMENT?

She finds herself hoping that, in her golden years (if she’s not senile), she reflects on this present moment aglow with new work and long friendships and internet memeage—with fondness.

“I would like to remember, despite all the constant worrying, that I had a lot of fun.”

“I allowed myself to have a lot of fun. You can indulge, you’re not going to be smited. You can enjoy this time. It’s not going to go away just because you had a nice time.”

Though being smote is perhaps the most terrifying thing any actor or civilian might experience by most standards.

There are other, more tangible things that scare Cooke: Laziness. Inactivity. The vast blankness of dormancy.

“When there’s a bit of a fallow period, that’s when I scare myself with my own thoughts.”

“My mum always says: An idle mind is a devil’s playground. I completely relate to that.”

“When I’m not generating, when I don’t feel like I’m working towards something, that can be quite a scary place for me.”

ABOUT HORROR FILMS AND SOME FILMS FROM HER LETTERBOXD.

The horror is not in the hiding, but in the not knowing.

It shows in her work. It shows in her Letterboxd.

“My Letterboxd does veer on the side of the MORE INTENSE.”

“BORDER by Ali Abbasi is one of my favorite films.”

“I love ROSE GLASS.”

“I think SAINT MAUD was incredible.”

“These are really uncomfortable films to watch but incredibly artful ones.”

“The Luca Guadagnino SUSPIRIA as well...”

“[I like] the ones that leave you with such a distinct off kilter feeling after you’ve left the cinema.”

We’re talking, again, about traversing that seam between the worlds of fantasy and reality—that ever-opaque, grotesque sublime that was so easily accessible so many years ago, that ever-thickening border between adulthood and the imagination.

“It’s a bit of a thrill, isn’t it? It’s like being on a roller coaster. That’s the anticipation. That’s the unique selling point. You want that ride.”

[roo-bastmoon]

The Long Game

First, let's acknowledge some major mismanagement by BigHit. Then, let's talk about what I think *might possibly* be their long game.

These are just guesses I have right now--I'm not stating facts and my opinions are subject to change as new info becomes available. But come with me for a few minutes...

In early 2022, Jimin's mail was "omitted" four times by BigHit employees, which lead to late insurance premium payments, which led to an on-paper "seizure" of his apartment. The press sat on that news for three months until the day his With You OST dropped and the scandal overshadowed his release. Jimin went to ground, avoided all social media for months. At this time, Jimin's personal information was leaked on the internet, and that was the last time we saw Jikook hang out alone that we know of.

Now in 2023, since Jimin's album FACE dropped, we already know about the sabotaged sales and streams by Hanteo, Billboard, YouTube, and Spotify. There was the issue with his in-ears not working properly during an encore. On top of all that drama, BigHit didn't get all the physicals shipped in time, they didn't playlist his songs for several days, they never sent his songs to radio (that we can see), they made one tweet to acknowledge Jimin's #1 on Hot100 but nothing else--not even a cake like the other solo albums got, they didn't let him film more than two music videos when they did that for their new groups, the press releases about their stocks going up after Hot100 also credited their new groups, and Jimin only had 9 days of uninterrupted promo between other members' works.

Now I am not a conspiracy theorist. I well understand that the military enlistment compressed schedules, and that each member had say in their creative works and promotions. I'm not a manti. But none of the above is a good look. Add up all those fumbles together, and you could make a solid case for mismanagement.

And now today, we see PD Bang on the cover of Billboard (which, OF COURSE, mentioned Blackpink in the same breath).

JUST LOOK AT THE WAY THE STORY IS BEING SHAPED FOR AMERICAN READERS. You see what's happening here? You think SM is gonna get a cover story for their side of the corporate shakedown?

And then there's this little gem:

"If your question is about the possibility of creating an artist like BTS again, the answer is no. However, if you were to ask whether there would be a K-pop artist from HYBE that tops the Billboard Hot 100 chart, my answer would be yes. [Jimin became the first BTS member to achieve this as a solo act on April 3 when his single “Like Crazy” debuted at No. 1.] The experience of managing BTS and operating different labels gave us access to powerful networks, infrastructures and experiences. With these, HYBE can repeat its remarkable results with the help of talented artists.

Okay so before everyone starts rioting online, take a moment, pause, reflect, think about what all might be going on here, behind the scenes, in this very political world of the music business.

Do I think Bang PD screwed Jimin over to score points with Billboard? No, I do not. But neither do I think Jimin's solo effort is anyone's priority but Jimin's.

"HYBE is primarily focusing on leveraging its accumulated expertise in managing and producing acts that consist of multiple members, rather than solo artists or mixed-gender groups in K-pop."

I think no one ever expected Jimin to make it to #1 on Hot100 and industry insiders felt pretty sure the West wouldn't let him stay in the top 10 the next week. Why? Well, partially racism. But mostly it's bad for their bottom line.

If your entire business model is that people pay for radio play and that gets them on your private chart and the private chart leads to more advertisers and awards... and then someone comes along and DOESN'T pay to play and gets to the top of your chart? Nobody needs you. So you HAVE to sabotage them. You absolutely have to change your rules. (I'm just sitting here waiting for Jimin to release his other songs so that Billboard can change their rules to say you can't be on Hot100 if your name starts with J- and ends with -imin.)

Now, it might have been satisfying for us as fans to see BigHit come out swinging and put Billboard on blast for his sake and ours. But they have ZERO. LEGAL. RECOURSE.

Billboard is privately owned and they can make whatever rules they want. They are part of a larger media company that has connections to every media outlet; no one is gonna publish an exposé any time soon, I promise you. We got exactly ONE English-speaking website to write about it and that was it. Everyone in the industry knows what is going on, and no one has the power to do anything much about it.

So what does that mean for the future?

Well... Bang PD just recently paid a HUGE mark up of $26 million to buy Trevor Noah's home out in LA.

And now he's on the cover of Billboard. WHY? Neither of these things will result in any immediate payout for him.

It's a long game.

And frankly, a very old and honored way of doing business. It's how they went up against the big three and it's how they are gonna go up against the West, I feel it in my gut.

Bang PD is getting a home on US soil. He will be paying US taxes. He's making in-roads by being nice with Billboard folks. He's making contacts; he's already had phone calls with Pharrell and Bieber and Grande and Laroi. Some of those are already shaping into collabs. We already know Hybe has set up shop in the US with Scooter at the helm.

Meanwhile, BigHit is adjusting in real time to the new rules around the charts (culling is happening to Yoongi too, so they changed up the check-out process of the BTS US Store). Suddenly there's plenty of focus on promoting via TikTok and other viral social media. They are dipping their toe into AI. They are discussing their own in-house ticketing option. This company is looking toward the future and hedging its bets.

Do I know with any certainty what's up their sleeve?

Absolutely not.

Do I trust any corporation very much?

Nope.

Do I have faith in BTS?

Probably more than anything else in my life, at this point.

So while I have no insider info, I just feel like the company is making very intentional and methodic footholds into the West. They are not complaining or screaming or suing or threatening anyone. They are not badmouthing competitors or whining about unfair deals. They are laying ground on complicated, political in-roads, one step at a time.

The Expo is in 2030. I'd wager by that time, BTS will have conquered the West and have some radio play.

And I think the company believes that in order to do that, they have to make their new groups profitable while BTS serves. They have to survive for the next two years.

When BTS is back, and their dues have been paid, I think they will be unstoppable. I hope they get to work on solo projects AND group projects. I think they will take over every corner of the world, if managed properly.

They just need to do it in a way that also assuages the Western music industry. The American Powers That Be have a chokehold on music and they will demand their pound of flesh somehow.

I strongly suspect BTS will never pay to play. But they will build relationships and find a way to become so interwoven in the cultural fabric that to deny them a place in Western spaces is to be left behind. And they will do it politely, and gently, and come out smelling like a rose.

So before you go off on social media and scream the walls down about neglect (and there WAS some, in my opinion) and abuse (we don't really know that), just take a moment to consider--if they had no legal recourse against Billboard, how can they beat them at their own game?

The best way to defeat an enemy is to make them a friend.

I'm just guessing here, but I think if fans stay loyal, BTS just might have the last laugh, here. I think they got radio scared as hell.

It sucks that Jimin didn't get fair treatment at this time. He is my bias and I feel it like a knife to my own heart. But he DID make history with his #1 and they can never take it away.

So I say give it time. All the people sniggering at him and BTS right now are going to sing a different tune in the future.

My best guess is that this is a long game, and it will require sacrifices that are totally unfair, but in the end... well, as long as BTS has ARMY, they cannot be denied.

Apobangpo.

[nctsworld]

10k followers... insane!!! i'm always appreciative for all the love on my gifsets, stories, and more. i know i haven't been that active in the last year or so, but i'm always around and am grateful for those who've stuck by over the years. thank you so much <3 y'all are amazing!!!

RULES:

followers only (i will accept anon messages but i'm hoping you follow me ;_;)

reblog this post (likes don't count)

send me an ask with any of the following emojis and respective specific info below

i will be taking asks/submissions until sunday, october 22nd at 11:59pm pst (pacific time)

as always, please be patient and no promises on getting everyone’s gifts done!

tagging everything with #nctsworld10k for blacklisting purposes

some of the ideas for this i've taken from this sleepover post!

gifts for you:

💚 gifset of one to three nct members

send in the names of one to three nct members and i’ll make a gifset of them!

feel free to add concepts, colours/colour palettes, videos, moments, etc. (eg. renjun + 7llin series; yangyang + xiaojun + smiling; taeil, jeno, jaemin + blue, etc.)

🎨 aesthetic archive moodboard/gifset

i will glance at your archive and blog and create a moodboard/gifset based on what i see!

optional: let me know what is your specific aesthetic if it isn’t obvious (eg. water, cities, neon lights, colours, etc.)

📖 blurb/fic request

send me one nct member, a genre or two (fluff and/or smut preferable, but i can also do angst and comedy), and any mixture of tropes/kinks/aus/prompts from this list and i’ll write a short blurb or fic!

🎵 song from my spotify list

i will put my liked songs playlist on spotify on shuffle and give you the song that comes up!

gifts for me:

🍵 confessions

confess to me something on or off anon

🤞 guess the fic 

explain one of my fics to me badly and i have to guess which one it is - here is a link to my masterlist

☀️ song recs

send me your favourite song + the artist who does it and tell me why you like it!

tagging the wonderful people who have made my time here awesome!!! special shout-outs to y'all :3

@ambivartence @baekhyuns-lipchain @baekonbaek @baekwin @dearlyminhyung @delhyun @djxiao @fadedinmysong @haechanhour @hchan @hotdogct @huangrenjuns @husbandhoshi @hyuckles-chuckles @hyuckworld @hy-ck @jae-min @jaemtens @jenodreams @jeongvision @jjsungie @lee-minhoe @leehanie @leemarkies @lunena @nakamoto @nctaezen @nctdream @nctsjaemin @neocitycafe @neoneun-au @ohoshi @potatzu @ppangjae @ressonancee @sehunniepot @taeminnomuyeppeo @uservernon @vamphaechan @winsmoke @yunogf

[coqxettee]

- January 5th 2023-

(@coqxette) Kellen <3

- Aesthetic of the day -

How to master the Rosyblog 2013 Aesthetic

Last night I was lying in bed and scrolling through loads of old 2013, girly aesthetic pins and pictures on Pinterest. It really got me thinking about how much I love the loved the girly vibe and aesthetic back when I was just 9 😭. I didn’t have a phone but I had a tablet, and I remember seeing all of these photos on the internet and on Tumblr (that I really didn’t understand how to use at the time 🤣) I decided to spend my day like all of those IT girls did back in the day, full of girly things and doing fun, girly activities, and so I wanted to write a blog post on it 🛼🎀🧁💗☕️

Visuals in the aesthetic

(Key things that can be seen within this aesthetic)

Ariana Grande (Yours Truly era specifically)

Old school YouTubers (Think Gabi Demartino, Zoella etc…)

Victoria secret | PINK

Cath Kidston

Anything floral

Baby and soft pink tones

Aqua/Turquoise

Fairylights

Starbucks

EOS lip balm/lip smackers

Cute phone cases (That one Rillakuma one for bonus points)

Decorating your lock screen/Home Screen and organising phone to make it aesthetically pleasing

Donuts

Polaroid cameras & Polaroids

Essie nail polish

Yankee candles

The wardrobe:

The rosyblog wardrobe consisted of a traditional girly wardrobe but with certain elements that really let people identify it as “Rosy” ☕️🎀

Ariana Grande in 2013 is literally the main style inspo for ANY rosy blog outfits, her fits were always girly but comfy, and co-ordinated but casual.

Rosyblog wardrobe staples:

Floral tee’s tanks, cardigans, jackets, coats…

Burton up cardigans

Sweaters

Skater skirts

Shorts

Pea coats

Ballet flats

Bailey ugg’s (Bonus points if they are pink with the bows on the back! 😫🎀)

Skinny jeans

Tracksuit bottoms

Leggings

Tights

Cami tops

Peplum tops

Skater dresses

Strapless dresses

Headbands

Bows

Pearls

Knee high socks

🛼🎀🧁☕️💗🛼🎀🧁☕️💗🛼🎀🧁☕️💗🛼

Rosyblog Activities

A girly girl, needs girly things to do right? Here’s some things you can do to feel like your still living in 2013… because even though we’re not, it’s still the same old world ☺️🌸

Go shopping! (Go to the mall like all the IG YouTubers used to back in the day)

Wear an adorable girly outfit

Go to Victoria Secrets & Starbucks

Have a pamper day!

Paint your nails

Watch OG YouTube videos, Gabi’s room tours, old Zoella vlogs

Make a 2013 inspired Playlist. I have one on Spotify I made today, titled “Rosyblog” (My Spotify is @coqxette)

Listen to old songs from 2013 (Ariana’a Yours Truly album and Taylor Swift!)

Take 2013 inspired photos, and filter them

🎀☕️

Done!

I hope you enjoyed my aesthetic guide and let me know what others you would like me to do in the future. I will probably add to these posts as I become more educated on the styles and aesthetics in the future. After all, that’s what I am passionate about.

Love you all, have a rosy day, Kellen 🎀🌸☕️