#Mad Max Fandom Spotlight

[so-shiny-so-chrome]

Mad Max Fandom Panel: The Original Trilogy

Welcome to the first in a series of fan-run, Mad Max virtual panels. Our first topic is: the Original Trilogy. Our Moderator is Kalashnikorn @main-force-patrol , and our panelists are Kalashnikorn @main-force-patrol , Vanfu @crunkmouse , Tyellas @thebyrchentwigges , Owlship @v8roadworrier , Jaetion @jaesauce , and Weirdness_Unlimited @burn-your-face-upon-the-chrome .

If you have a question for one or more of the panelists, please send it directly to @main-force-patrol or @so-shiny-so-chrome . Please do not reply directly to this post unless you are on the panel, and then please use a “read more” tag to keep this post from becoming too massive.

[spnwatch]

Season 1: The Rankings

WOW it’s been ages since I’ve posted here. But before moving on to s2, I wanted to talk about my TOP TEN FAVE EPISODES. 

Something that surprised me about spn now i’ve finally watched some of it is how variable the episodes are in terms of quality. They’re not afraid to experiment either, and that flexibility is probably one reason this show lasted so long. Some things worked for me, some things didn’t. ANYWAY these are my opinions etc. just from a first time watcher!!  1.) Episode 6: SKIN. This episode, man. Where to even begin: I could be here all night. Suffice to say that the sequence where the shapeshifter sheds his Dean skin to “Hey Man Nice Shot” is just. Chef’s kiss. For the first time, the true depth of Dean’s self loathing truly came to the fore. How socially outcast he knows himself to be, all that hidden shame, that resentment he harbours towards Sam for having (potentially) a way out of the hunter life, coupled with his desperation not to lose him to the “normal world”: somewhere that Dean knows he can’t follow him. After so much posturing and bravado, that inner parodox was SO interesting to witness - he SHOOTS HIMSELF at the end -- and, for me, really steered the character into more *~ thematically complex territory ~* All the songs were good tbh. In-a-Gadda-da-Vida? Yes. 11/10 

2.) Episode 11: SCARECROW. There was just so much going on in this episode, but the thing I liked most was the setting. It looked so good!! Autumnal and pastoral. After a couple of (in my opinion) not very good-looking episodes, it was a real breath of fresh air. I also loved Sam in this episode: he looked so small standing by the side of that road. I fully understood the argument, but I also loved how dean just... called him intermittently to update him on the case?This episode really drove home to me how alone they are, how they really have no-one but each other. It also really highlighted how far Sam has drifted from episode 1: he’s on the fringes now, too. All too quickly backsliding into the role of rootless grifter, an identiy he’d tried so hard to claw his way out of. Also, there’s a tome. 10/10 

3.) Episode 12: FAITH. This. Episode. Slaps. To be honest, this is probably technically the masterpiece of the season in terms of plot, visuals, antagonist, music etc. but w/e it’s my list. Right off the bat Dean is dying and he’s like it’s fine Sammy, I’m not even mad about it, which is fucked up but then what is more fucked up is that his dad doesn’t even come when Sam leaves him a message? Dean seems to view dying as like. A thing grownups just have to do sometimes. Like jury duty. It’s extremely,extremely sad. Anyway I love the drama of Sam smashing apart the altar, I love the big tent, I love the “don’t fear the reaper” montage. It’s all, quite simply, a *~cut above~* 10/10 

4.) Episode 7: HOOK MAN. I don’t know if I was meant to love this episode so much?? I just really, really liked it. I loved the central mystery, and I thought Sam in particular really shone when it came to dealing with the townsfolk and the afflicted girl. It was one of the most thematically coherent episodes when it came to tying the monster to sublimated fear, in this instance, sex and sexuality! Damn do Americans have a weird relationship with sex. And not just with women; this episode really shone a spotlight on Sam’s sexuality wrt his guilt over Jess, his desire for normality, his coltish nervousness in Lori’s presence. There was SO. MUCH. Bonus points for ugly mid-2000s fashions. 10/10

5.) Episode 3: DEAD IN THE WATER. This was the first episode which really made me sit up and go, oh, okay. I can see why people lose their minds over this show. When it’s good, Supernatural just. Shoots a volt of pure catharsis straight into your chest. This was also the first time I really sat up and took note of Jensen Ackles’ acting chops. There’s just so much going on with him every time he’s onscreen, and each little paradoxical turn he gives to Dean’s character is a joy to witness. It was a visually beautiful episode, with a strong supporting cast. The moment I saw her in her silky lavender nightgown, twisting up her unrealistically perfect chingoin, I wished to marry Amy Acker’s character. I know she doesn’t come back to spn but she should’ve!! She should’ve!! 10/10 

6.) Episode 5: BLOODY MARY. I’ve heard tell of this episode being a bit of a fandom classic, and I support it. The last few minutes at the end? When Sam sees Jess at the side of the road in that slow panning shot, to the Rolling Stones song Laugh I Nearly Died? It was just... I think it changed me as a person, honestly. This show. It’s lower down on the list for me because how how freaking dark the lighting was at the end, but that might have just been the poor quality stream I found. But yeah, I really liked the plucky teen girl who helped them; I was pleasantly surprised to see a glamourous queen bee-type portrayed as smart and competent, and remain alive by the end. Gold star for you, spn. I know it’s all downhill from here. 9/10 

7.) Episode 15. THE BENDERS. First off, I have to give it points for the production design on that house. My brother was of the opinon it would’ve made a good video game enviroment (according to him a lot of spn is akin to a video game which... yeah). This episode also made me really acutely feel for Dean. Could it be because I’m an older sister and this was a literal nightmare scenario? Perhaps. But again what really came to the fore was the single-mindedness with which Dean acted. Sam being dead was literally not an option for him. On a lesser show that might have been left as a given, but the time was really taken to give an almost sinister intensity to Dean’s thoughts and behavior. Some really pretty car shots too. 9/10

8.) Episode 17: HELL HOUSE. What can I say about this? It’s just fun. I love the two conspiracy guys, I love the sibling prank war, I love the concept of a monster created by shared belief. The set design was cool, as was the montage at the beginning where they’re interviewing all the witnesses. It’s a briskly paced and lighthearted episode, which was a breath of fresh air and welcome break after last episode left the Winchester boys abandoned by their father. Yet. Again. Ugh. Throw the whole dad away. 9/10 

9.) Episode 19: PROVENANCE. Haunted painting! Haunted! Painting!! This is a simple lil episode but it receives points for Sam and Dean’s best and least convincing disguises thus far -- art dealers -- and a fun, sweet love interest for Sam. He’s so bashful! I thought she was smartly written and I especially liked that she took a more active role and actually helped them solve the case than other side characters we’ve seen so far. I also liked when they were standing over the grave and she was like wow, your lives are really fucked up... it’s true wtf these poor guys?? Anyway 8/10 

10.) Episode 14: NIGHTMARE. This spot was a real toss-up between this and SOMETHING WICKED, but NIGHTMARE just edged it out because of the strong supporting character Max, as well as the sheer conceptual power of psychic Sam. Something about the way Dean treats his brothers latent psychic powers as... kind of a concern, but ultimately about on a par with him developing, like, a shellfish allergy, is hilarious to me. They have so many problems, it’s just low priority! Sorry Sammy. But what really clinched this episode for me was the three second-ish sequence where Sam shoves the dresser free with his mind, Dean gets shot in his vision, and Sam bursts into the room. Brilliance. Someone call the x-men. My heart was in my mouth. BIG minus points however for the extensive heart-to-hearts. It was just too much for me. It went on for so long. 7/10 

This certainly is a show. I see that now. Anyway. Onto season 2!

[minghellafine]

Full article below.

Spiral is now available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digitally. The Saw spin-off stars Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, and Max Minghella in the lead roles and is directed by Saw II-IV director Darren Lynn Bousman in his return to helming the horror series. While it exists in the Saw universe, it’s very much its own thing and provides a fresh experience.

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Spiral star Max Minghella about the film, a possible sequel, his relationship with the Saw franchise, and much more.

Tyler Treese: I really liked Spiral and it’s this great mix of genres as you’ve got the Saw-type horror and the torture scenes, but the first half of the film is very much kind of like a buddy cop movie. Can you speak to that interesting blend of genre that we have?

Max Minghella: I was very excited when I started to realize that that’s the direction the movie was going to go in. I love buddy cop movies. I really miss movies like that. I had been craving it as a movie fan, so I was really relieved by that. And then I thought that the needle thread of the Saw franchise and the identity of that franchise into this other story was so brilliantly handled in very kind of successful, you know what I mean on the page. I can really see how this works and is very much the movie I’d go and see even if I had nothing to do with it.

You couldn’t get a better buddy cop partner than Chris Rock. He just has so much natural charisma. He’s so funny in the first 30 minutes of the film. Can you talk about your chemistry on set and how it was getting to have him as your buddy cop?

Yeah, I mean, it’s an insane privilege and he’s just somebody I love so much in every way. I love him as a actor performer. I loved him as a filmmaker and it was really fun just getting to have meaningful time with somebody you look up to so much and see how they work and pick their brain. I’m sure Chris got very bored of me badgering him with questions all the time, but I had such a good time getting to work with him. We really had fun together.

Before signing onto Spiral, were you a big fan of the Saw franchise, and what was it like coming into such an established series? It just crossed the billion dollar mark. What are the expectations of coming into a series like that?

I think it’s the first franchise thing I’ve done. I love franchises just in general. I love the concept of them. I love how they exist in film culture. I like the challenges of having to keep them alive and what’s about them and it really appeals to me. So that was just exciting, just fundamentally to be a part of a franchise, like you said, and sort of take on that responsibility, I suppose. I also love so much about the DNA of Saw movies, so I love the kind of whodunnit element of them. I love how sort of visceral it is an experience for an audience, especially when you’re watching it. It’s so fun to watch these movies with people. To answer your question about my familiarity with the franchise. I had seen several of them, but the one I’ve always loved, and I think I owned on DVD like way before being involved in this, was Saw II. I love Saw II. I’m a big twist guy, like a big twist fan, and that movie has got a great twist.

Spiral saw the return of Darren Lynn Bousman as the director. How exciting was it to get to work with him? He has helmed so many great Saw films in the past and now he gets to reinvent it here with you and Chris Rock onboard.

Yeah. It was great to have Darren back. He was such a smart choice. To have somebody who was one of the architects of the Saw aesthetic, which is a very specific aesthetic. I don’t think any other movies share this sort of visual technique. So there’s a lovely, I mean, I think the movie is a great blend of the old guard and then the new kids, you know, Chris [Rock] and Sam [Jackson] and Marisol [Nichols], myself, we’re all completely new to the franchise, but then almost everybody else involved has been there for a minute and it’s like a family, you know what I mean? It really does feel very kind of an intimate group of people and very familiar.

You grew up around movies, you’ve gotten to work with so many incredible actors, so I’m sure it’s not super often where you’re like, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m with this guy,” but Samuel L. Jackson. If that’s ever going to happen, it’s probably him. How cool was it getting to work with a legend like him and cross that off your bucket list?

It’s pretty cool and unexpected. This movie was sort of almost always a pinch yourself kind of job, to be honest. There’s very few days on set where I wasn’t like, I can’t believe I’m going to [do this]. Sam Jackson is truly one of the great actors of all time, it’s a pretty ridiculous situation to be in.

One thing I really like about your character is that he has these very valid grievances about police corruption and that’s a true-to-life issue. Spiral spotlights it, but it’s a very real issue and very timely for the society that we’re in. Did having that interesting backstory for the character really help you dive into playing this role?

I love when you have compassion for a villain. I think it’s so much more compelling than when they are impossible to relate to. So that was really important to me that when he said things. It was his own sort of mad logic to him, obviously the way that he goes about practicing his beliefs is completely wrong, but there’s something there sort of relatable I think to what he’s saying. That’s much more interesting always.

We see that in the original series with Jigsaw and Saw always had some social commentary and some interesting morality questions. Can you speak to Spiral also bringing those philosophical elements and how the series has stayed really interesting? It would have been so easy to just be leaning into just the gore element, but instead, you keep that philosophy and having the moral ambiguity.

Like you said, man, it’s so essential to the DNA of these movies. There’s John Kramer and he always had some interesting perspective on things and reasons for doing things. I think it’s essential that that sort of stays in it, even though Spiral is obviously a very different direction. I think for these movies it is its own story and its kind of its own sort of journey in a way, but there are certain things you don’t want to lose and that’s one of them. You want a compelling villain and I think compelling villains aren’t just being idiots with their point of view.

There’s not many people that can say they fought Chris Rock in a fistfight. How fun was that final fight sequence in the film, and you got the punch Chris Rock! How cool is that?

Again, man, it was all so much fun. Everything was so much fun. I just felt like a kid on the playground. It was crazy. I mean all of it’s like the stuff you sort of dream about doing as a kid. I think there’s a line in the movie where, “I started dreaming about this since I was 12 years old,” and I felt that was pretty resonant for me because I really have. I grew up with a Beverly Hills Cop poster above my bed since as long as I’ve been a conscious person. I really like movies like this where the genre movies have real stakes, but have a sense of humor and aren’t pretentious. It’s very specific to what I want to go and see.

Before we get the big reveal of yourself as the villain, we see the villain in a pig mask a lot. Was it actually you wearing the mask in those scenes?

That’s funny, man. You’re the second person to ask me that question. Yes, not always. I mean it depends on what we’re doing. But absolutely. As long as it’s not some big dangerous stunt.

There are some gruesome and really clever traps in Spiral. Did any of those stick out as a particular favorite for you and what was it like getting to see how they’re actually, with the movie magic and all that, how they’re actually concocted?

It’s dope, so cool. It’s really fun. The subway trap is my favorite. I feel it was really brilliant way into the movie, so cinematic, and that set was crazy sort of built that station. That was so cool. I felt like going to Universal’s studio tour thing. That was how I felt.

Saw fans are very passionate. How’s the reception been? You talked about this being your first franchise, how cool was it to enter that fandom?

I’ve got to say, I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t anxious before the film was released. Obviously I felt a huge amount of responsibility to the fans of these movies and didn’t want them to feel let down by the performance. I’ve been so like grateful and moved by how kind of nice that community is. I mean, nice is maybe a weak word to use, but they’re really supportive. They love these movies. They’ve been really supportive of the movie and supportive of us, the new actors, and I’m very relieved and it means a lot.

With the way the film ends, there’s obviously some unfinished business between yourself and Chris Rock’s character. Would you be interested in returning for a sequel?

For sure, if there was an appetite for us to come back. I think we both love to do another one. But we did this without any expectations of anything beyond. I think it’s a very unusual ending and also very unique and exciting one. I haven’t seen something that sort of ends with such a pronounced cliffhanger. So I’m certainly curious to know what’s gonna happen.

For your other projects, you’ve got Babylon coming up, which has just the most incredible star-studded cast. It even has Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I know. That’s cool, right?

It’s really cool. I believe filming starts on that soon. How thrilled are you to just get to work with so many talented actors on one set?

Yeah, man. Amazing. I’m a huge fan of Damien Chazelle and he’s sort of one of my sort of heroes. So I’m really looking forward to getting to be on set with him and see how he works. All of this is sort of like an education, you’re really just trying to work with people you can learn from and hopefully, we’ll make it better. I can’t think of a group of people to be around that’s more talented.

We spoke about passionate fans earlier. The Handmaid’s Tale has so many passionate watchers and Season 4 had a really shocking ending. What are you looking forward to the most in Season 5?

Season 4 is, by some pretty wide margin, my favorite season we’ve shot. I really loved the season. It’s funny because it’s an ensemble show, and as a result,I don’t know what everyone else is doing. I’m not there on set when everyone else is shooting that stuff. I play a pretty small part in the show, so when it comes out, I get to watch it like an audience member and go along for the ride. I just had such an amazing time watching it this year. I was so proud of everybody in the cast and crew. It was tough circumstances, as you can imagine, shooting during a pandemic and especially Elisabeth Moss just was incredible this year, really just took care of everyone and for it to come out as strong as it was, was really amazing. I never thought I’d be so excited to go into Season 5 of a TV show, but I get more and more excited every year as we get further into it and it just keeps staying so strong. It’s amazing. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be on a show that is that good.

It’s kind of rare to see a show building on its quality over time. Usually it peaks in Season 2 or 3, but like you said, Season 4 is the best one yet. It was very exciting as a fan to see how it’s going to continue.

Thank you. It’s amazing and that people are still watching a show and sticking with us. We are all so conscious. It’s sort of pathetic actually, whenever The Handmaid’s Tale cast talk about anything, we’re just all so conscious of how singular this experience is and how we can’t take it for granted. I think stuff like this comes along very, very rarely, and when you’re lucky enough to be a part of something that you like so much and other people seem to like.

Over the past five years, we’ve seen you find success as a screenwriter and a director as well. Working behind the camera and looking at the scenes from that different perspective, does that help your acting as well?

That’s a good question. I dunno. I don’t know if I can do anything about my acting talents, but it comes from a very simple place, man, because I just love movies so much. Just the fact that I don’t really know about anything else. Like if you asked me about where any country is on a map, I would have no idea, but I’m okay with movies. Like I kind of know movies and, and so I get impatient. I’m a bit of a workaholic and I just want to do whatever I can. So it would be on set. So we get to engage creatively and I can do it a little bit. It’s really different. Well, what I think is interesting about it is often have a day where I have to have a call maybe as a producer and then a call as a writer, then a call as a director, then a call as an actor, and each conversation I’m treated quite differently or my job is so different. Switching those hats is I think quite good and keeps you in check and keeps your feet on the ground and keeps you hungry and all that stuff. So I feel very lucky I get to do different things.

When you were growing up, one of your goals was to be a music video director. Is that something that you still want to wind up doing down the line?

I got to make a movie that I think exorcised a lot of those demons. So I have to be honest, I have less of a burning desire to sort of work in that space because I felt like I got to sort of express that part of me a little bit. That said, I love music videos. It’s one of my favorite mediums. The tricky thing, and I’m sure most people would tell you this, is that music videos have very, very limited budgets. When I was a kid, this was the year of like Francis Lawrence and Hype Williams where people were getting like $4 or $5 million to make these two-minute clips. Now when I’m sent music video stuff, it’s like the budgets are very, very limited. So you really have to be passionate about it because you’re basically going to have to spend money to make it. So to answer your question I would love to do some music videos, but I think there has to be things that I was really, really married to.

In the past decade and some change we’ve seen superhero films become all the rage. Would you be interested in those types of projects and are there any comic characters that appeal to your acting sensibilities?

I kind of like all kinds of movies. I don’t have a genr that I’m not into. Yeah, I’m totally open to that. I think as long as I felt useful ther., I mean, that’s totally how I approach everything. It’s not so much about the glamor of an opportunity so much as whether I think I could actually contribute something. If I can’t, I don’t think it’s helpful for me to do it, then nobody wins. But if there was a show that I felt like, oh, I could do this and maybe not sink the ship then for sure.

[sugarcarnation]

Hey sugar 💖

P + Q for the ask game?

hey 💛 thanks for the ask

Q - a ship you’ve abandoned and why

i already answered this here and basically my answer was i can’t think of one

P - invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

i’ll use this is an opportunity to talk about my totally self indulgent klaine sunset boulevard au

im not sure if y’all are familiar with the musical but if you are then you might say sugar this is not a happy musical and also the relationship between the two main characters is extremely unhealthy why would you want that for klaine?

and then i’ll say you are correct but hear me out. it’s actually an au in which they put on a production of the musical

in case anyone is interested here is a short summary that i stole from here

Norma Desmond, a one-time famous silent-screen star finds her life down in the dumps and becomes a recluse. Her crumbling Sunset Boulevard mansion where she lives with her butler, Max, has become her self-contained world. Protected and isolated from the world by Max, who was her director and husband in the past and still loves her, Norma believes she can make a comeback.

She meets Joe Gillis, a small-time writer who wants to break into the movie industry. She has him move into her mansion so they can collaborate. But when Joe meets studio reader Betty Schaefer, Norma becomes jealous, descending further into madness.

and now here are my notes about the au i made some time ago

-it’s an enemies to lovers au because i say so

-there was no glee club (and not everyone went to mckinley)

-kurt and blaine are both at nyada (i guess nyada puts on a production of this? with an all male cast? idk i just want this to happen)

-i couldn’t help myself and there are a lot of characters in this au

-we have kurtcheltana

-they all went to mckinley together and became friends

-im pretty sure without glee all their lives were kinda bad (sorry about that)

-but now they’re all kinda in a mindset of it’s a dog eat dog world out there

-what im saying is that im making them a mean girls trio

-because they’d be terrifying and i wanna see that

-kurt and rachel both go to nyada but i’m sure santana still has her dancing lessons there and just randomly appears so people know them around there

(-because no one can stop me there’s probably some pezberry)

-enter blaine

-idk he’s a nice dude? i don’t think blaine could be too mean to anyone

-i’m pretty sure him and kurt have their rivalry over pretty much every accomplishment they could possibly achieve at nyada

-basically it’s probably just that kurt started to feel threatened, started their rivalry and blaine went along with it

-but still. it’s enemies to lovers. blaine can’t be too innocent here

-ive decided that he lives with tina, sam and artie (i felt bad about not taking artie to new york so he is also here)

-none of them went to mckinley

-artina is a thing here

-they went to different schools and met when they were competing against each other in one of those brainiacs things (the one from night of neglect)

-they did an enemies to lovers speedrun that was really just them competing against each other and then reluctantly acknowledging the other ones talent after the competition

-cue friendship and after that dating

-blaine still went to dalton but he knows tina (childhood friends? maybe?)

-they all go to new york together (artie does the same thing as in canon, tina does acting. but like on screen acting)

-they somehow ended up with sam as a roommate (he also does the same thing as in canon)

-there is samcedes here

-mercedes is gonna be the link that connects the kurtcheltana trio and the blaine/tina/artie/sam squad (but i think it’s gonna be a while until they figure that out)

-none of them know her before new york

-she’s also doing the same thing as in canon but i made her work at the spotlight diner as well (because she looked really good in tinas fantasy)

-kurtcheltana work there too

-the kurtcheltana trio answers to no one but mercedes jones. that’s just how it is

-elliott is gonna be here too but idk what he’s doing yet

-anyways i think i’m done with the characters

-so obviously kurt and blaine end up both getting a part in sunset boulevard

-kurt is norma (because he sang as if we never said goodbye on the show. and i wanna see him be all dramatic)

-so blaine is joe

-over the course of the play (and rehearsals and whatever) they’ll eventually become closer

-but first there’s a lot of drama and tension

-it’s great because norma and joe have a very dramatic kiss at the end of act 1

-kurt and blaine are gonna have to rehearse that scene so much

-so joe has another love interest in the play

-that could lead to some drama. maybe there’s something going on with blaine and the actor of joes love interest

(-or at the very least kurt could think so. whatever it is he’s not amused)

-idk any details but this au is dramatic (of course) but mostly just kinda fun

-a lot of friendship and character development because i love that

-and kurtcheltana as a mean girls trio

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

all the good girls go to hell

Summary: Alya and Kagami break down.

Warnings: Torture, murder, mentions of child abuse and neglect, mentions of children being sold, references to sexual situations. 

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 Alya had a normal childhood. Sure it was a bit effed up from time to time- Nora had anger issues and her boxing was only discovered later in life- but it was normal. Busy parents, babysitting your little siblings when you were only nine and your sister was off somewhere and-

 Okay so maybe it wasn’t so normal.

 Alya… didn’t have much to complain about though. She was fine right? Everything was okay. 

 It was fine.

 “Sugar, you’re amazing,” said the grubby handed man as he grabbed at Alya. She giggled and managed to escape his grasp. Alya was a blue-haired girl with a skimpy outfit showing everything off.

 “Naughty Mister! I’m on shift.” She pouted at him and he laughed. Inside she laughed at the reminder she’d bugged him with a tracker when he’d grabbed at her.

 Heroes and saving the day and journalism. It’s all she wanted. Alya dreamed of one day being like Lois Lane or Clark Kent and reporting on her own heroes. She dreamed of being famed for her words. Having Ladybug appear? Cemented that. Having a best friend, a boyfriend… it all cemented it. 

 Then Lila showed up. At first, she’d paid into it. It sounded awesome. But slowly Alya started seeing the cracks, the truths. She felt awful and begged on bended knee to Marinette who’d accepted. It would go back to the way things were.

 Or well she thought.

 “You’re my best friend,” a woman sobbed onto Alya’s shoulder. Alya soothes her, paying her back as the woman cried. Alya was brunette that day, with green eyes and frumpy clothing. “I’m so stupid!”

 “Aw honey, ya ain’t stupid. He’s the stupid one.” She soothed, grabbing the woman’s phone and tossing it away, snapping a small hacking bug on it for Max. “C’mon don’t let him talk to ya anymore, alright?”

 Lila was… something. To this day Alya doesn’t know what. But she was a rat. She knew how to play the game and her lies for some reason just… worked. Even when they were ridiculous. 

 People believed them. People looked at Alya and her friends and beloved rumours. Alya’s parents stopped wanting her to watch her sisters. Bad influence. Nora eyed her sometimes but never said if she believed the rumours.

 Her baby sisters… they did. And they hated her.

 “I’m sorry,” sobbed the man. “I’m so sorry baby…”

 “No, you’re not!” Alya shouted, bottle blonde with blue eyes and a fake chest. “You’re nothing but a liar and a cheat!” In Alya’s pocket was a USB full of files on the gun trafficking the man was doing. She was done with him. 

 She hadn’t been sure when she started her relationship with Chloe. Her and Nino had kind of talked about a third occasionally but that was casual. Chloe just made her so mad she just did it. Luckily Nino liked it. 

 And it was wonderful. Her parents did not approve and it just added to the rumours but Nora actually pulled her aside to say sorry. For like everything. Including the effed up bits of their childhood. 

 She felt like she could breathe. Maybe.

 Then Chat was stabbed and he was Adrien and Ladybug was Mairnette and things went to hell.

 “Sup Nora,” Alya said into the phone, a redhead with grey eyes that day. She smirked and winked at a handsome man across the room, a man with his fingers in various drug rings.

 “Not much. The brats are doing good after mom and dad lost custody.” Nora replied. Alya smiles softly. 

 “That’s good. I’m happy you’re all doing better.”

 “You doing alright?”

 “Oh just doing my job, I’m keeping safe. Promise.”

 They beat Hawkmoth and instead of their happy ending they were hurt. Instead of their happiness, they got fucking Lila muscling in on their glory, their earned achievement. 

 And then she pushed. And she nearly killed Marinette. 

 They all just… snapped. 

 Alya wished she was the one to kill her.

“Sup baby,” she kissed Nino as he approached her, confusing the pathetic sob in front of her with a ring in his hand. “Got the info on the drug ring?”

 “I did. Got the info on their finances?” Nino asked and the dumbass stared in horror. Alya grinned, her hair going from pink to her normal shade, her glasses reappearing.

 “Baby you know me.”

-0-

Kagami had a shit childhood. She had to be the best. Everything has to be perfect, she had to be perfect. Or she’d end up like her siblings. She had a lot but no one knew. Her mother gave them away. The League of Assassins likes them. The Council of Spiders did too.

 Kagami wondered how many siblings she had.

 She was a tool, her mother’s next reach into the world. Her mother’s hopes and dreams. 

 Kagami sliced through the man’s throat, hot sticky blood covering her. She sighed. The man hadn’t bothered being a challenge. He’d basically given up as soon as she started.

 How disappointing. 

 “Mother would be upset.” She said casually to no one before she left the scene. 

 When she moved to Paris she’d been scared. Would mother give her to the League now? Would she be safe? But instead, she met Adrien. Adrien who smiled and laughed and who mother wanted her to marry. 

 Mother got what mother wanted even if Kagami wasn’t sure about romance. 

 Kagami found friends though. Adrien was a great friend and he led her to more friends. It was… awesome. 

 Then Lila happened.

 Kagami dove under a sword strike and threw wind at the man, blowing him back hard enough to slam into the wall with a sickening crack. But Marinette wanted his head so she’d bring it. She walked right up the man, lifting the sword and bringing it down with a thud.

 “Messy,” She grumbled, staring at the blood. “Though somewhat fun. Perhaps I’ll pick up your sister tonight. She seems fun.” Kagami told the corpse before she took the head and walked away.

 Lila didn’t really touch her so much. Her mother knew they were lies but… 

 People hated her friends. She didn’t like that. She didn’t like the looks and the sneers and the snarls. She didn’t like how they glared. She wanted it to stop.

 It got worse when Kagami’s things were destroyed- when she was glared at and sneered at. Her mother did not approve. Luckily she couldn’t vanish. Not yet. Not when Adrien was her friend and he would see if she vanished.

 She was safe. For a while.

 Kagami glared at the body in front of her, feeling heavily annoyed. 

 “What’s wrong Dragon?” Asked Marinette as she came into the room, dressed in a nice black suit. “Oh. Well, who is this?”

 “An annoyance Horse will have to track,” Kagami growled. “He scared off my partner for the night.” She glared even more at the body. Marinette sighed.

 “Sorry. I’d offer but neither of us like the bottom.” Kagami sighed.

 “Correct. Hmm… is Snake up?”

 “He is. Have fun.”

 It all went to hell when Gabriel showed he was Hawkmoth and ran his own son through. They saved him. They all died they saved him and they were bonded ever closer to him in a form of harmony. 

 And Kagami was in danger again. 

 She got lucky that Adrien still dragged her into the spotlight, that he kept eyes on her. That he needed someone to be his voice.

 But Lila was trying to change that. 

 Kagami drove her sword into the gut of the ninja in front of her, a snarl on her face.

 “Tell Ra’s I Said go fuck himself.” She announced to the shadows, knowing others waited. “I won’t go to him. My mother had no right to sell me and I will cut anyone down who tries. I did it to her too.” Her mother lying on the floor after Kagami had cut her down, after learning she’d been sold, filled her mind and she bared her teeth. 

 She would not be part of the League when she had her own team already.

 Lila nearly killed Marinette. Nearly killed Ladybug. And no one gave a damn. Not even Marinette’s parents. It made her blood boil and her lungs fill with fire and smoke.

 Was it any wonder they snapped?

 She was just happy Lila died at her hands. 

 “Please!” Lila screamed as Kagami drove her sword down, separating her leg from her body. Kagami had already claimed her arms, her blade hot and preventing blood loss from killing her. “Please stop.”

 “No.” Kagami grinned, vicious and deadly. 

 She wouldn’t stop. 

@northernbluetongue @ines-nz  @seraphichana, @glasswolff, @crazylittlemunchkin, @miraculous786, @viinaa08, @18-fandoms-unite-08 @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @my-name-is-michell @emjrabbitwolf @starsshineandgivehope

[doctorofmagic]

June Solicitations: Doctor Strange confirmed appearances

DR. STRANGE #7

MARK WAID (W) • TOM Reilly (A) Cover by MAX FIUMARA LIVING VAMPIRE VARIANT COVER BY MIRKA ANDOLFO • Are YOU Doctor Strange’s biggest fan? • Would you jump at the chance to join the Sorcerer Supreme on an epic magical adventure—no matter the danger??? • Those are the questions that Kermit, Stephen’s office assistant and #1 Strange fan, will have to answer, as he gets swept up in Doctor Strange’s latest mystical maelstrom! 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

STRANGE ACADEMY #4

SKOTTIE YOUNG (W) • HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C) VARIANT COVER BY TBA CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT VARIANT COVER BY ART ADAMS TAG, YOU’RE IT! The students at the Strange Academy blow off their homework for the craziest game of tag ever. • Every door of Strange Academy holds a surprise – one takes you to Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, another to Weirdworld, another to Asgard; and some doors’ destinations are unknown even to Strange himself. • The students plan on stepping through every door, and at least one of the students will bear some significant consequences of their actions. 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

MARVEL #4 (of 6)

ALEX ROSS, STEVE DARNALL, DANIEL ACUÑA, DOUG RICE & MARK WAID (W) ALEX ROSS, DANIEL ACUÑA, LUCIO PARRILLO & HILARY BARTA (A) Cover by ALEX ROSS VARIANT COVER BY Daniel ACUÑA As Doctor Strange continues to contend with the machinations of Nightmare in the framing story by Alex Ross and Steve Darnall, a bevy of other creators lend their talents to stories from all across the Marvel Universe: Daniel Acuña spins a saga of the Deviants in the world of the future; Doug Rice and Hilary Barta explore the earliest adventures of Doctor Droom during the time of the Marvel monsters; and Mark Waid and Lucio Parillo pit the Hulk against a fighting mad Wolverine in a brutal painted saga! 40 PGS./Rated T …$4.99

THE DARKHOLD ALPHA #1 (not confirmed)

STEVE ORLANDO (W) • CIAN TORMEY (A) • Cover by GREG SMALLWOOD TEASER VARIANT BY GREG SMALLWOOD Variant cover by AARON KUDER ENTER THE PAGES OF THE DARKHOLD... IF YOU DARE! Critically acclaimed writer Steve Orlando (Martian Manhunter, Batman, Wonder Woman) makes his Marvel debut with a story that will delight and terrify! For hundreds of years, scholars and heroes alike have searched for the complete text of the Darkhold — A.K.A. the Book of the Damned, written by the elder god Chthon. Now one of the greatest sorcerers in the Multiverse has found it — and Chthon has found him. To save them all, the Scarlet Witch must gather the world’s greatest heroes…and unleash their inner darkness. Witness the Marvel Universe’s descent into chaos! 40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99

SAVAGE AVENGERS #14 (not confirmed)

GERRY DUGGAN (W) • Patch Zircher (A) • Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO Conan leads a team of Savage Avengers against an Asgardian dragon in a quest for treasure. Get out your twenty-sided dice and roll to attack with Conan, Magik and new Savage recruits the Black Knight and Juggernaut! 32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

June seems a good month! First, I’m very worried about poor Kermit. Hope he’s fine, in the name of this fandom! Second, even though the kids from Strange Academy won’t be seeing Stephen, I’ll talk about it all the same. Finally, can’t wait to read more about Alex Ross’ plot with Stephen and Nightmare!

Now, concerning the not confirmed appearances... Although Darkhold doesn’t mention Stephen, he was directly involved with the book in the past. I’m very curious, especially when there’s Victor on the cover and a mention to magic characters. I’m always eager for a magic team haha. And Savage Avengers, well, he was leading this team, so it’s possible. Plus, Illyana! I’m very excited!

[astro-b-o-y-d]

Dadvid does not have to be endgame/Jasper does not need to come back/Max doesn’t always need to be the center of attention, and that’s FINE

Alright, I felt like I finally had to throw my hat into the ring, especially with us getting so close to the end of the season (not series, season) and the unfortunate pattern I’ve been seeing from the fandom over the course of it.

As you may or may not know, I’ve been here since before the beginning of the show. I remember when the first trailer dropped, and I’ve stuck around since. I’ve watched the fandom grow and change, in good ways and...not-so-good ones.

But overall, the one thing I’ve noticed stay consistent was how kindly the fandom treated the writers. Sure there were episodes that weren’t very good before (I will not pretend the entire series is flawless, obviously), but the fandom has never treated the writers poorly. We’ve had our spats within the community itself, but the writers? Nothing but respect as far as I could see.

However...that’s sadly changed this season and I’m really not liking what I’m seeing.

The fandom is growing entitled. Every week it’s ‘Oh when’s Jasper coming back?’ or ‘If Dadvid isn’t endgame we riot’ or focusing on Max being in an episode when the episode is NOT about him.

And before anyone gets mad, let me emphasize that liking Jasper or Max or even Dadvid is NOT a bad thing. I happen to like two out of three of those things very much myself. I love Dadvid content and to see how far it’s come since its creation is a truly wonderful thing. I love Max, and he’s been absolutely adorable over the season, and to see how happy he’s become since the first episode of the show is so heartwarming. And even if I’m not as obsessed with Jasper as a lot of you are, I know he means a lot to you and that’s totally tub-No, I’m just going to say cool. I’m not THAT old.

But....none of that is what the show is by itself. The show has other characters outside of Max and Jasper and other dynamics outside of Dadvid. That’s the entire point of season four. They even told us the season was about change at the VERY BEGINNING.

And to beg and plead for the usual stuff in a season that was supposed to be about mixing things up and exploring new dynamics is...missing the point.

And it starts getting...demand-y. And when a fandom gets demand-y, they start getting entitled.

And as someone who’s been here since the beginning of the show, I’m genuinely afraid of this fandom getting entitled, to the point where it stops doing the one thing it’s always done right since the beginning and RESPECTS THE WRITERS.

Jasper doesn’t need to come back. If he does, that’s wonderful! But if he’s the only reason you’re watching the show, then...why are you watching the show? He was in...three episodes? Four max? Also he’s dead, so it’s inevitable that if he’s NOT gone completely, he will be in time.

Max is a fantastic character, but he isn’t the only main character. David, Gwen, Neil and Nikki are all main characters too. And not to mention the main characters don’t always have to be the focus in the show! Camp Camp has been really good about giving its side characters the spotlight and its been doing that since season one (remember how a good portion of the campers got their own episodes back then?). Max doesn’t and isn’t always the focus. And as cute as he can be, we need to remember that there are other characters. I liked Max and the puppy in Party Pooper, but...guys, it WAS a Gwen episode that gave us an incredible look at the relationship with her father, and we brushed it aside for Max being cute with a puppy.

And as for Dadvid...please, PLEASE, I beg of you, fandom. Do not make Dadvid a negative aspect for the fandom out of entitlement. I love Dadvid (Hell, I kinda-sorta helped get it started on Tumblr) and I will always have a soft spot for it. But...it doesn’t need to be canon. And also people do NOT need to like it. That’s not this argument, but like....don’t force people to like Dadvid if they’d prefer not to. It’s not like...a necessity in order to be in the fandom. I might not like Brovid myself, but if people prefer them having that kind of a relationship over Dadvid, who am I to tell them they’re wrong? 

Also people don’t have to focus on Max and David’s dynamic at ALL if they don’t want to! It’s not a necessity! And it doesn’t have to be the endgame for the show. We can still make Dadvid content, even if the show doesn’t end with it! Hell, I actually kind of hope it DOESN’T myself. David is still very young (he’s younger than me by this point) and I hope he waits a bit before becoming a father. I know, I love exploring Dadvid content as much as the next fan, but when it comes to canon? It’s not a necessity and we shouldn’t act like it is.

Overall, we as a fandom need to step back and remember all of the above. Remember how, no matter what, we need to not be like every other fandom out there and lash out at the writers if they don’t do what we want. We need to be better than this, and remember that it’s not the end of the world if Jasper doesn’t come back or if Dadvid isn’t canon, and we definitely need to remember that other characters aside from Max exist in the show.

(Also reblogs are fine, but please refrain from talking badly about any of the above topics in your tags or reblogs. This isn’t a post to shame folks for liking those things, it’s a reminder to calm down and step back and not let the fandom turn into other RT Animated fandoms when it comes to how we treat the writers or when it comes to focusing on one character to the point where others suffer).

[starryace]

my personal introduction to vav

so i have a few friends who’ve been wanting to get into vav but dunno where to start so... i’ll just do this lil thing. obviously there’s gonna be my own opinions so don’t take everything i say to heart but like... here we go

vav (very awesome voice -- pronounced vee-ay-vee but i say vav bc im lazy) debuted in 2015, but when they debuted they had a different lineup. zehan, xiao, and gyeoul all left to pursue other activities. ziu, lou, and ayno joined the group in 2017! the fandom is called vampz because of the groups original concept but we don’t talk about that

title tracks/mvs: *under the moonlight | *brotherhood | *no doubt | *here i am | venus (dance with me) | flower (you) | abc (middle of the night) | she’s mine | spotlight | gorgeous | give it to me | senorita | **so in love | **thrilla killa | **i’m sorry | give me more

* = pre-line up switch! | ** = without jacob (due to his participation in a chinese program)

more about the members under the cut!

st van (lee geumhyuk)

note: during updating i ended up having to redo this entire section bc my computer deleted it all... sigh.

everyone’s dad

kinda gives off party vibes, like a cool club dad, you know?

super duper soft :(( he laughs at everything and he loves gentle things and he may be the oldest but he’s babie

gets really embarrassed really easily and blushes and laughs it off

oh! he also laughs with like... his entire body ekhrbgj

tattoos! on his shoulder and right arm

full sleeve completed

self composed the track “im sorry” off of the thrilla killa album

he lived in china for 13+ years and can speak fluent (if not, almost fluent) chinese

he’s super good cook and he wanted to be a chef before becoming an idol

loves jacob :(( with all his heart

weird but he can drink a lot of water really quickly, that’s his special talent

got a dog with the group! her name is cash and she’s super cute

im sure there’s more but i got mad after my computer deleted everything so i’ll get back to updating this part when things dawn on me

baron (choi chunghyeop)

dancer extraordinaire! he actually used to be in a dance team before vav

smiley boy ;;;; literally he has the prettiest smile and the nicest teeth

he can play the piano and a lil guitar im p sure!

he’s honestly a lil shit but we love him anyway

he’s very mom like, and loves taking care of the members, but i spy with my lil eye someone a lil more mom-like but that comes later

he choreographed a cover of shape of you!

unfortunately, his mom passed away early this year (may she rest in peace).

his nickname is baby prince (from his mom) and it was because of his mom that he was able to become and idol

baron singing??? yes,,, yeS!! his voice is godsent istg

he loves loves loves music and dance

wont shut up about millennium dance studio

was the pizza delivery boy in minx’s why did you come to my home

has a very intensive skin care routine

he!! loves!! food!! constantly nomming

ace (jang wooyoung)

remember how i said how i thought there was someone more mom like? meet ace.

literally babies everyone

eSPECIALLY ayno + ziu (sometimes lou, when lou will let him)

sassy, diva, can also be a lil shit -- esp with baron... 92 line is just lil shit line

lil fucking tease, too--

he has an oral fixation-- licks his lips a lot no bueno for me

teal hair? god tier. senorita? also god tier. everything about him? god tier.

plays the guitar... see senorita

“you’re doing wonderful sweetie” but like... a living version of that

abs... abs for days..........

works out with jacob

dimples!! but it’s more prominent on the right cheek.

god he’s??? literally ethereal. like i can’t put into words how pretty he is

he ;;;; has the purest, most sweetest heart

they need to start letting ace have more lines bc omg his voice ;;;;;

really good with kids ;;;;; they love him

he’s a BIG flirt, it’s like when he opens his mouth the only thing he thinks to do is say “i love you” or “you’re mine” or smthn

Prince Wooyoung™

ayno (noh yoonho)

was on no.mercy -- still kinda keeps in contact with monsta x now (hims was lil babie minhyuk)

yknow how baron is dancer? so is ayno -- aYNO IS GOD TIER DANCER ok he ;;;;; ugh he’s literally so talented

he raps too! also god tier

hims a soundcloud rapper -- dropped zero coke (mixtape) and god that boy is talented

self composed their song touch you (aka one of my fave vav songs)

ace’s baby... really, he’s vav’s baby, but still

fake maknae to the max. it still baffles me that he’s older than the others ima list

hims also pretty shy, but it’s real cute ;;;;

lou has such a big fat crush on him and he’s always embarrassed by it

he zones out a lot and is very mellow & quiet until something inside him switches and then he’s like BAM loud and crackhead

ziu.... brings out... the crackhead in him lbr

former happyface ent trainee w/ ziu

puppy!

also really good with kids!! prolly bc he is a big kid himself erhbjeg

often writes his own raps for songs

jacob (zhang peng)

resting bitch face to the max

800% done with everyone’s shit

chinese member!

he was performing in a chinese show called all for one -- his team got eliminated (sad) but that means he’ll be returning to the group (happy!)

that’s why he wasn’t in so in love/thrilla killa/im sorry

hims loves his st van

he also eats... a lot.

ok but like... he works out with ace, right? boy has such chiseled and nicely defined abs, it pains me

he’s a happy lil sunshine boy

savage as fuck

his smile literally adds 5 years to your lifespan

all of the members miss him so much ;;;; its honestly super wholesome and every once in a while they’ll be like “omg cobi would love this” or “jacob....... we miss you”

but then you have shithead lou being like “i mean... its nice having the room to myself” wrehbjehg

he dance too! idk what type of dancing it is but he does it!!!

he was in the chinese movie “the dreamer on the catwalk”

BRING HIM BACK ATEAM PLS I MISS HIMS

HE HAS RETURNED AND HE’S STRONGER THAN EVER

lou (kim hosung)

my #1, my one and only, my precious sweetheart

tall as fUCK

has a deep ass motherfucking voice

grew up in georgia as a kid (can speak fluent english) and then the philippines when he was a teen!

kinda the more quiet & reserved member

but dont let that fool you......

he too is a lil shit

AND A CHAOTIC GAY -- ziu bothers him a lot but he has a big ol’ crush on ayno and he never shuts up about how pretty he is and how much he loves him

he can be a grouchy lil bitch too tho hkerbjeg

in this interview baron and st van were being cute and he’s just in the corner like “youuuu shouuuld daaaate” -- gay. in the same interview thats one instance where he wouldn’t shut up about ayno

hims a rapper too!! he often writes his own raps for songs (much like ayno)

his own mixtape (goodnight) literally is so nice i listen to it all the time

he has a vlive thing he does called lou-dio and it’s real cute

big ears = the cutest thing ever ehkrbgjeh

he collects a bunch of stuff!! like pop figures and toys, like souvenirs from everywhere they go

he was in the youtube webdrama “lemon car video” (eps 1, 3, 7, and 8)

his stage name is lou (pronounced “low” but i refuse to say that) because his voice is so low

ziu (park heejun)

chaotic. just chaotic. chaotic gay, chaotic maknae, chaotic man.

he’s the real maknae tho... doesn’t look it, huh?

manly af

literally so charismatic and funny as hell

wants kisses + love + attention from everyone

goes in for a kiss -- everyone else usually backs away but he’s always disappointed that no one gives into him

kisses kisses kisses

did i mention kisses?

he makes a lot of random ass noises all the time

screm... lots of screm. like you know opossums?? think that kinda screm.

his vocals ;;;;; his singing voice is so, so nice ;;; i adore it.

his room is dirty af i could NEVER

he does some really questionable things sometimes... see here.

like i said, i cannot express this enough... he’s so charismatic. so charming. so handsome.

also!! super hyper fluff ball. hims cute.

aegyo up the wazoo too

former happyface ent trainee with ayno

was in the fri.sat.sun teasers by dalshabet

can get p loud & annoying but that doesnt change how much we love him

idk if any of that made sense... but there you go! there’s so much more to vav and everything they do and who they are, so i hope this just kinda gets more people to look into them? it’s a stepping stone, not everything possible to learn.

+ keep in mind, a lot of this stuff comes from both kprofiles, what i’ve seen in videos, and my own personal opinions & inputs. so... yeah. don’t use what i say as truth/fact unless you see stuff to back it up (or you adopt it as your own opinion idk).

thank you for taking your time to read this!!

[jeonsolar]

Miraculous Ladybug 2x13

Lets comment this again. So i’m starting a little late in the episode cuz I dont want to fake it, and I just remembered to do it, so lets go:

1:57 Someone hug Chloe!

1:59 Ok, the animation? Fucking awesome so far. Like something about Chloe looks so . . . perfect. This is good animation.

2:06 Chloe’s voice sounds different. Like she finally hit puberty. Also, wtf? Buy a second heart?

2:13 Also, Chloe’s back and in the spotlight, so what this hoe gonna do to akumatize another civilian? Also where was she? Sick? It was like 3 episodes. Betcha Gabriel went to the hospital and healed her with his bear hands. “I need you. There’s less angry people in the world, since you’ve been gone.”

2:17 Prediction: Chloe will steal Marinette’s gift, Marinette will throw a tantrum, no one will believe- everyone saw the gift. . . . or maybe chloe will throw it away.

2:34 I was right. But this bitch does know that everyone saw marinette bring this gift right? What does she expect? Everyone will forget?

2:59 Miss Bustier is Lily Evans.

3:00 How will she get mad?

3:14 . . . Not what I expected. Also, Bitch, if you want to get away with it don’t fucking smirk! This is why I can’t like Chloe. She’s not even a good nemesis. And bad people who smirk when they are caught because they know they will get away with it are the worst things to exist. FIGHT ME ON THIS.

3:21 EVERYONE’S VOICES SOUND LIKE THEY ALL HIT PUBERTY except Max and Adrien.

3:33 Yo, what drugs does she take cuz I want them. I need to be as happy as this psycho.

3:40 .... The entire class became the fandom. We’ve all said those things at one point, and Astruc is now fucking with us by pointing them out on his show.

3:47 I never considered that there are like 12 students in that class. That’s small.

4:04 I love every single time Astruc hints at akumatizing Marinette. Is like ‘haha, never gonna happen, but here’s a tease’. Also, whenever Mari gets angry like that she gets a shadow of her mask on her face. Watch the intro, after Chloe pushes her.

4:14 Predictions(again) Butterfly will get on its way to marinette, happy go lucky teacher will calm her down, butterfly will get confused. Still not sure how Discount Lily Evans gets akumatized.

4:54 Bustier saw the akuma, and desperately try to happy-up marinette.

4:54

Akuma: Here I go-

Marinette: *I’m not in trouble...*

Akuma: fuuuuuuuuuckkkkkk, wheeerrreee dooo I goooo noooww?

5:09

Akuma: I hate my job. Dude, just look for another person.

Hakwmoth: NO! This bitch has evaded me for far too long. Stay put!

Akuma: Ugh, I should have quit when I had the chance.

5:34 I’m so glad we finally get that scene of someone aware of those butterflies and freaking out about it. But sad that Discount Lily Evans doesn’t understand that by touching them you get akumatized.

5:52 YO! this show is getting serious with it’s story! I love this! An actual civilian fighting back! Finally! Dept! after the last childish episode this one is soooooo pleasing!

6:17 So my theory on my fanfic is becoming true. Hawkmoth can see into their mind and sweet talk just about anyone to do his biddings, no matter how nice you are. I feel smart.

6:25 From Marinette/Ladybug’s point of view, that had to be hard to watch. I was not prepared for feelings in this episode.

6:44 One swipe both lips? Damn! That lipstick IS magic!

7:27

Zombizou: And feel the love!

Chloe: Ew.

That’s good comedy right there. Because Chloe is all of us here in tumblr.

7:49 Thank God for the suit, because otherwise Marinette would have a broken neck, or a really bruised back and be unable to walk.

8:13 This got gay really quick.... can’t wait for it to get gayer.

8:27 I swear I read a fanfiction just like this. It ended with Ladybug and Chat Noir fucking.... Now I’m going to watch the pg version of it. Ugh. Or maybe this one will end with an orgy....

8:39 No Adrien, you can’t look back like you just lost a soldier in battle! They are just hugging and kissing! This is the sweetest and mellowest episode yet! You’ve been jokier and sillier through worse akumas!

9:38 Ok, it was bad definition. . . but I swear I saw Adrien in the kiss spell running to Ladybug.

9:53 They are saying ‘Kisses Kissu’ ... isn’t Kissu how Japanese/Korean people saying Kiss?

10:08 I’ve been waiting for this moment for too long. This is quickly becoming my most favorite episode.

10:30 I know why he did it, but what if he was also hoping to sneak one to Ladybug? Hahaha, funny Adrien.

10:50 Plagg and I share a brain.

11:14 .... So I CAN make the joke about french kissing! Thank you Astruc for dropping the steryotypes first!

11:51 this is getting close to becoming my fanfiction... I WROTE IT FIRST! (kinda, this episode was written a while ago)

12:03 . . . Bitch WANTS to get thrown to the hordes. Why else would she say shit like that.

12:18 Even Marinette sounds like she hit puberty. Can’t wait for Adrien to hit it too.

13:23 Don’t lie. You weren’t even trying to catch her with your arms spread like that.

13:47 ok no. Fuck this, no. Chloe is a brick and these fuckers are letting themselves drown with her. Rule number one of being a hero: The Needs of Many Overpower The Needs of One. Drop Chloe.

14:04 Woah . . .. Adrien’s voice just dropped.

14:28 Nevermind.

14:40 . . . Maze runner? Walking dead? iZOmbie? Every zombie movie cliche ever? ROSE? Why is it some get turned immediatly and Ladybug had a conversation with Kim before he turned?

15:04 What should happen: Alya and Nino, powercouple ftw, grab Chloe, look at Ladybug and Chat Noir straight in the eyes, and just throw her towards Rose. What will happen: bitch will probably be the only one besides Ladybug to not get turned cuz Chat tends to fall for these a lot.

15:52 Oh the romance! Yes! More Nilya! Make it like Titanic:

Nino: I’ll never let go Alya, I’ll never let go!

Alya: For the love of god Nino, just go, I ain’t dying.

Nino: *whispers really close to her face* I’ll never let go!

16:08 . . . These are just kisses right? Why they acting like they gonna die if they stay like zombies for more than an hour? It aint fatal!

16:14 THROW HER OUT!

16:19 I’m so glad Nilya is here, cause waiting for Ladynoir or Adrienette is killing me and Nilya is my life support.

16:24

Nino: Lets make out babe!

Alya: Kissu!

Nino: YES!

16:49 Predictable: Chat Noir gets taken. Unpredictable: Ladybug acting like her boyfriend was taken. just partners huh?

16:55

Ladybug: Chat! I’ll save you!

Chat: I’ll just stay here Ladybug, if we are gonna end up kissing, I’d rather it be after you save us.

Ladybug: ... This . .. this isn’t the right time to flirt Chat. Why do you always do this?

17:23 ... Dark Owl had her earring almost off and this is the closest you’ve gotten, Hawkmoth? How do YOU measure it?

17:40 His voice dropped again. the actor should stop highpithing his voice and let Adrien hit puberty too. #LetAdrienHitPuberty2k18

17:43 WHAT WAS SHE EXPECTING?

17:56 This revelation will last till the end of the battle then she’ll be a bitch again. Change my mind.

17:59 I hope they keep making more animations of Chat with weird faces like that. We need them for the memes.

18:01 Ok, fine. 5 points to Chloe. But she’s on -6,458,827,247 so she’s got a long way to go.

18:04 -6,458,827,227

18:36 LIPSTICKS ARE EXPENSIVE LADYBUG!

18:58 So by these standards Nino and Alya should be getting it on downstairs, right?

19:24 They didn’t show us Nilya... they are Getting. It. On. Also, #TellUsWhatHappenedToEmilieAgreste2k18

19:53 Hasn’t said anything but “No.” yet, but .... -6,458,827,200

20:17 -6,458,826,000

20:24 -6,458,826,200

20:37 that number is long to write, just add a -500 more for me being right that she would revert to Bitch Chloe when this was over.

21:29 ... What happened between Nino and Alya?

--

OK, call me Cinema Sins cause that’s basically what I’m doing. Overall, I love this episode. It had the beauty of a fanfiction. Thomas Astruc and his team are reading fanfics #confirmed. But yeah, they had to soften Chloe at one point to turn her into Queen Bee. And Marinette will most likely do it, so she had to see it. There.

#Chloeisabrickmadeofclayandisfinallydisolvinginwater.

[adelmortescryche]

Fic Writers Week - Day Three

Hurray, it’s the day for recs, meaning I can actually contribute stuff as a reader alongside reccing one of my lesser known fics as a writer/creator! I’m going to try hard to control myself, and I suspect a few of these are still going to be recognizable... but here’s hoping that this list will give at least some of you something new to read. Here’s my post for day 3, @ficwritersweek​.

Day 3: Small But Mighty

Readers: Highlight underrated fics/writers - Do you know those fics that you think should’ve gotten more attention, those writers that you think more people should know? Time to bring them to the spotlight!

Writers: Highlight your new/underrated fics - Have a story you’re proud of but that you wish had gotten more attention? Just published a fic and want people to see it? This day is the perfect chance to talk about them!

Fic Recs:

The Genevan Paso Doble by FullmetalChords - A Leverage and YOI fusion! This series was so much fun to read. And, really, Grifter!Yuuri, what more do we need.

wish by spirit and if by luck by @midnightluck - One Piece, ASL Brothers reunion fic. This is probably a bit more well-read than should really be on this list, but frankly, I only stumbled across it by chance, and this writer’s take on the ASL bros dynamic has to be my favorite yet. And the best Sabo, honestly. I haven’t seen anyone else mention it in an ASL bros rec list till date, so here we go.

Extreme foolishness or unsound mind (defines insanity) by @aerialflight​ - Inception and Mad Max fusion. Eames-is-Max-is-Eames. Honestly, I love this fic so much. I might be a teensy bit biased since I’ve been around for the more recent plotting, but the idea is epic and should probably be seen by more people, just because of how much potential it has. Give it a whirl if you like either of the base series.

Fierce as Fire by chiiyo86 – FMA and AtlA crossover/fusion. With Ed as the Avatar. This borrows bending and some mythos from AtlA, but it’s still largely FMA. This was rec’ced to me by a friend, and is absolutely fantastic. So much fun to read!

Shining Delinquent Dragon by calikocat – Gokusen. For anyone who wanted to see what Season Two of the drama could have been like if Shin had been around! With added Shin/Yankumi. This is very well built, with plenty of screenshots and images to supplement it – enough so it feels like reading a visual novel of the drama. I remember having a lot of fun reading it, the first time around. Frankly, anything by calikocat is worth a look, especially if you enjoy BtVS, but this one definitely has a fond place in my heart.

Origin Story by creamycomet – Boku dake ga Inai Machi | ERASED. A canon divergent, what-if fic. Honestly, this one’s verging on For Want of a Nail – Yashiro befriends Satoru when they’re both still children. And Satoru’s presence in Yashiro’s childhood brings changes to many things. Primarily Yashiro’s abusive household. No time skips in this – they’re kids in all of what’s been posted so far.  This fic is gorgeous, I love everything about it, and I need more Yashiro fix-its for this fandom. And more platonic interaction for these two, okay. I just do.

Wild Things by Haberdashette – Daiya no A, MiSawa. What DnA could have been if it had been an urban fantasy while still sticking to the canon plot. The traces of the supernatural and the way it exists alongside regular life in this fic is fascinating. Such good worldbuilding.

Never Leave the Island by booksindalibrary – KHR, Gen. Tsuna is a Siren/Merman. Except this is before the canon plot – him being a human at all is because he’s kidnapped and sealed by Iemitsu and Timoteo. And I’ll reveal no more than this, for fear of spoilers. Gotta say, I love the way Tsuna’s been written in this. And the idea on the whole. Astral Projection! Non-human-and-mildly-terrifying-Tsuna! *starry eyes*

Fic Recs from my Works:

Of all my work, I’d have to say the Sailing Strange Seas series is probably what’s least well known, while also being something I’m ridiculously fond of. It’s a PotC and One Piece crossover; the series as a whole is set post-Dressrosa, pre-Whole Cake Island for One Piece, and post-trilogy for PotC. While taking On Stranger Tides with a pinch of salt. Here are the summaries for the two fics posted so far in the series:

Sailing Strange Seas - The crew of the Flying Dutchman fish out a strange pair of men from the waters of the Locker. And Will finds himself faced with men who are either unwilling to face their death, or are from rather further away than the land of the living. Luffy just wants to go on an adventure, and Zoro is caught between wanting to find a way back and simply waiting to see where this particular journey is likely to lead. Two very different sets of pirates are set face to face, and yet, some things remain the same.

Strangers in Strange Places - Elizabeth Turner née Swann was perfectly happy holidaying in Port Royal with her children or, at least, claimed to be perfectly happy holidaying in Port Royal, ridiculously cumbersome corsets and dresses notwithstanding. Well, making the acquaintance of a queer stranger on the streets of the Port should serve to keep her boredom at bay, if nothing else.

(Or: That one in which Law, separated from his travelling companions when they run through a portal after leaving Dressrosa behind, goes on a quest to track down his missing, troublesome not-allies. In his defense, following the rumours of a Pirate King in this strange, alien world seemed to make sense when he started out.)

Well, that’s it for my recs. This got longer than expected, in spite of removing a large part of the recs I’d wanted to add. I guess I’ll just have to make more rec lists over time, if people like my taste in fic. *wry grin*

[so-shiny-so-chrome]

Mad Max Fandom Virtual Panel #1: The Original Trilogy

Our inaugural virtual panel will take place this Saturday at 20:00 UTC. That's Sunday morning for all the mates down under. This is your chance to talk Mad Max franchise with fandom superfans.

Panelists: Weirdness_Unlimited @burn-your-face-upon-the-chrome , Vanfu @crunkmouse , Tyellas @thebyrchentwigges , Owlship @v8roadworrier , Kalashnikorn @main-force-patrol , and Jaetion @jaesauce

Moderator: Kalashnikorn @main-force-patrol

Panel will take place live on Tumblr. Please submit any questions/discussion topics to the moderator or to @so-shiny-so-chrome . Questions may be for any or all panelists.

[bai-xue]

While I agree with you on the sexism and misogyny, I do have to say that there is definitely some room for consideration regarding the race of your OC...I'm not sure what the right answer is but there are an awful lot of white folks telling POC narratives and who end up with much more visibility than POC folks telling POC narratives. Just something to keep in mind although it's honestly irrelevant to the original point.

You make a really good point! That was honestly part of my consideration when I started out writing. I definitely don’t want to take any limelight away from POC who have their own stories.

At the same time, I have to admit that my OC (Mint) kind of leapt from my head fully-formed. From the moment I saw her in my mind’s eye, I knew she was mixed race. And the writer in me wanted to be true to that.

I do agree that writing a story about a white man (well, multiple white men) abusing a black girl is definitely treading on a very fine line. With that in mind, I’ve done my best to be respectful of Mint’s (and her mother’s, and the twins’) race. I also wanted to keep her as mixed race, both because it more deeply explores racial subtexts in the film (Joe and the war boys are explicitly meant to be read as a ‘rebirth’ of the destructive white man subjugating everyone else), and because I realised it created additional, interesting tensions in the story. How is Mint, a mixed race girl, going to react to her abuse compared to the twins - who I explicitly wrote as Indigenous Australians? How is she going to react compared to Caucasian characters like Kindest (an OC), Capable, and Angharad? Most importantly, how is she going to react to it compared to her own mother, who is also a mixed-race woman?

Race admittedly wasn’t the foremost consideration in my writing process - I spent more time exploring the dynamics of gender and emotion, as that’s also my academic speciality - but it was something in the back of my mind as I was going into it.

Part of this was something of a hope to add a little more diversity to Miller’s world. Though MMFR already is fairly diverse, it’s still overwhelmingly white. I refuse to believe that the majority of Immortan Joe’s previous wives would be white, especially in Australia, which has such a diverse population. I absolutely believe that there needs to be more diverse representation in media, fan media included, so I hoped to do my part, at least a little bit, by making Mint a three-dimensional character instead of a stereotype. I believe that white writers have a responsibility to write diversely, too, even if it involves writing from a perspective we’ve never experienced.

There have been some claims that “this isn’t my story to tell” as I’m not a black or mixed race woman myself. My question is, then, whose is it? Do I sell the story idea to a WOC? Do I ghost write for her? What I could not do was just sit on it silently - this was a story that, as soon as it popped into my mind, was screaming to be let out. So I let it out, as carefully as I could. In large part, Such Things has been my own exploration of things that happened to me. I definitely was never a sex slave, but the emotional abuse and gaslighting? A lot of that is autobiographical. 

I admit, I’m not perfect. I definitely struggle with inherent racism taught to me by a racist society - as all white people do (or at least should). But I did try to keep a firm line between writing a character who happens to be a WOC, and writing some kind of fandom version of blaxploitation. 

Regarding some of the accusations I’ve been getting, I certainly don’t think that black women’s suffering is my own personal toy. I also certainly don’t “get off” on what I write about in Such Things. Yes, I have a big thing for Immortan Joe, but all my shameless pwp is strictly confined to the limits of my other fic, Roadside Find - whose OC, by the way, is a white girl like myself. Such Things is not about my personal sexual preferences or masturbatory fantasies, even though sex is  a big part of it. Sex, both the healthy and unhealthy aspects of it, is a big part of almost all my writing. It’s a way for me to explore emotion and communication that doesn’t have much parallel anywhere else in human interaction. That certainly does not mean that if I’m writing a sex scene, I am getting off on it.

Ultimately, I 100% agree that, when writing stories about POC, white people need to be careful not to take the spotlight from actual POC. We also need to be respectful, and actually write POC characters as characters, not stereotypes. That’s what I’ve been trying, and I hope succeeding, to do with Mint. But I don’t think that I should necessarily stifle myself if a story is born in my mind and happens to involve a POC character. Of course, this would be a very different story if I were writing about, say, slavery in premodern America. That would be a lot more delicate, because those black women actually existed, and using them to write fiction, even fiction that helps me rid myself of my own demons, would be incredibly selfish. But Mint doesn’t exist. Neither does Immortan Joe, or the Citadel, or the world of Mad Max. Thank God. So I’m very uneasy about dictating what writers can and can’t write based solely on modern identity politics, especially when it comes to fantasy and sci-fi genres. That silences a lot of stories that may have some value, even if the writer is of different demographics than their subjects. 

Anyway, thank you for your respectful criticism - I really appreciate that. You’ve made a wonderful point but managed to do so without being hateful. Thanks again.

[driftingglass]

Get to know your author: favorite book, favorite film, first fandom. First hardcore ship. Current ships, top 5 shows. Cat or dog person? :)

Huh. Interesting questions. And you asked some pretty hard ones…

Sorry, I can’t just choose one. Even my most consistent favorites (with anime as an exception) change every few years or so, and usually it has to be organized by genre, and when I saw it, and so forth. 

Sorry for those rules, but, they’re necessary for this kind of breakdown.

Okay.

I’m also going to provide the links to each title through Amazon so that people can read samples and/or meander through the sales pages. Just for kicks.

Novels I Love  [ No Particular Order ]

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Eragon by Christopher Paolini - (Going to be rereading this soon, actually).

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

Legend by Marie Lu

SIDENOTE: I recommend the masterful Redwall series by Brian Jacques to just about anyone. Disregard the fact that they’re animal fiction. Honestly, they opened my world to literature and fantasy when I was very young, and I looked up to Jacques’ writing style (along with Paolini) for the majority of my childhood until I grew into my own. 

Okay. Now, favorite movies? 

I love movies as much as I love books. I live for film critique and extensive analysis in just about anything I watch, so this opinion is even picker by comparison. I’ll just stick to… a handful, that I’ve loved over the last few years. I could break them down into various lists but that would take too long. 

I’m also taking my anime/animated favorites out of this list since I already posted one earlier… and it would be too hard to sort through it and find ones I would pick over others. It’s just in a league of its own, in all honesty.

I will also post a list with my favorite animated films separately from this because those are just… very special to me, and I don’t think about them in the same way as I do with live-action films. So both anime and animated will be left out of this.

Alright. So. 

This list is gonna be long… sorry about that.

Movies I Love [ No Particular Order ]

The Godfather (Part I and II)

Citizen Kane

Baby Driver

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Last of the Mohicans

Amadeus 

The Babadook 

Silver Linings Playbook

Ida

Amour

Moonlight

Gladiator

Rear Window

Vertigo

Wonder Woman

The Dark Knight

Shaun of the Dead

Tim’s Vermeer - [ Documentary - highly recommend to anyone who appreciates art in any way, shape or form ]

Spotlight

I have so many more I could put on here, but… those are what popped into mind and I could write essays on why I adore each and every one. They’re all worth the look. Please watch them if you haven’t. 

I think I’ll list Amadeus as my favorite, if I had to choose… it’s the most inspiring, masterfully crafted homage to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart I have ever seen, and the acting, writing, and overall fantastic production design and story are all phenomenal. One of the best films ever made, and I recommend it to every single person I know at some point.

My first fandom? 

Um… I believe it was Bleach? Man, those were the days. Haha. Yeah, I think it was Bleach. I really loved that anime and it was part of the “gateway” fandom experience for me, and was the first anime I really got into aside from, you know, classic childhood favorites like Pokémon. 

I still enjoy the first two seasons quite a bit, and Rukia Kuchiki was my favorite female character in anything for a good while.

My first hardcore ship?

Haha. Um. Speaking of Bleach… my first hardcore ship was a crack pairing (I liked a lot of crack pairings in high school). Hitsugaya Toushiro/Rukia Kuchiki, otherwise known collectively as HitsuRuki, was my ultimate OTP for the longest time. 

This ship, clearly, still has a place in my heart, but because I’ve definitely lost all interest in Bleach at this point, the ship suffers. Oh well. It was great while it lasted and it drew me into a fandom.

My current ships?

My permanent favorite OTP is Gon Freecss/Killua Zoldyck, otherwise known as KilluGon, from Hunter x Hunter, and I also really, really love Katsuki Bakugou/Izuku Midoriya - otherwise known as KatsuDeku / BakuDeku - from Boku no Hero Academia. 

So, yep. Those are my ships. 

My top five shows? Haha, this is way, way easier to answer… I’m so much pickier with shows and trying them out in comparison to books and movies. (I’m a very picky person in general but it fluctuates depending on the medium). 

I’ll include anime in this one.

My Top Five Favorite Television Shows

Breaking Bad

Hunter x Hunter

Game of Thrones

Westworld

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Haha, and now, the ultimate question of all…

Am I a dog or cat person?

I like… BOTH. 

But for different reasons! I love cats and I love dogs. But, I mean, mostly big dogs, and I’m not really a fan of small dogs… they’re yippy and annoying.

Big dogs like to tackle me to the ground though, so that’s kind of frightening, even though I love them and cats seem to resent me wherever I go. I can bear the one-sided affection though because I appreciate them.

Thanks for the fun asks, Anon!

[rickhorrow]

15+5+5 To Watch : 4119

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5 

RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 1 with Jacob Aere

As we head to the Final Four, March Madness ratings are way up. Will they stay that way with overall No. 1 seed Duke out of the picture? Sunday came to a close and saw Michigan State, Texas Tech, Auburn, and Virginia packing their bags for Minnesota. As Sports Illustrated noted, “It’s safe to say that the teams heading to Minneapolis were not a popularly selected quartet two weeks ago.” But this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has definitely been popular with viewers. According to Nielsen, the NCAA Tournament on CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV is having its fifth-best audience since 1991, when the event expanded to its current TV format. The four networks are averaging 9.1 million viewers, up 6% from 8.5 million last year. When streaming from March Madness platforms is added in, the tourney has a total audience delivery of 9.5 million viewers, up 7% from 8.9 million last year. That is the second-best figure since 1991. Since each of the top four conferences has a representative in the Final Four, expect regional interest and intrigue around an unlikely pair of matchups to prevail and keep those numbers strong.

Final Four. Millions of brackets. All of them busted. Brackets are big business, and this year’s ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge game collected more than 17.2 million completed brackets and set new one- and two-day records for signups, according to the network. By the end of the first day of the tournament, only 42,828 (0.25%) of all brackets remained perfect after just 16 games. At the end of ESPN’s Tournament Challenge Marathon last Tuesday evening, ESPN had collected 9.3 million bracket entries, 1.1 million more than last year. Much was made nationally of Ohio neuropsychologist Gregg Nigl, who had a perfect bracket going into the Sweet Sixteen and stood 49-0 when Purdue busted it with their overtime win against Tennessee. One man who is likely delighted Nigl isn’t his employee? Warren Buffett. For several years, Buffett, a master of market odds, has been so certain that a perfect Sweet Sixteen bracket was statistically impossible that he pledged $1 million for life to any of his several hundred thousand employees who could log one.

Ahead of the Final Four, brands continue to utilize broadcasters as endorsers. The NCAA Tournament is always a prime spot for brands to roll out new campaigns with sports industry endorsers, and one specific group that sees a lot of brand work is tournament broadcasters. Before the Sweet 16, SportsBusiness Daily took a look at which broadcasters are appearing in March Madness-themed ads across the airwaves and internet, and who they are representing. Regular tournament personalities like Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson are back, while notable newcomers like Candace Parker have also broken onto the scene. AT&T is one brand that has often put NCAA broadcasters in its March Madness spots, but this year it has featured fictional announcers as part of its longtime "Just Ok" campaign. Some notable names who have endorsed brands around March Madness but have not been featured in any NCAA-related spots so far this year include Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Reggie Miller. My favorite? You can't beat Barkley's bright blue "Chuxedo" in ads for Capital One, mirrored in a cameo by fellow sports guy Jim, on his way to the "Big Nance."

Baseball’s Opening Day has come and gone, and gate and viewership were strong. Yet MLB's average salary is "on track to drop" for an "unprecedented second straight season." According to the Associated Press, the 872 players on rosters and injured lists averaged $4.36 million, down from $4.41 million at the start of last season and $4.45 million on Opening Day in 2017. These "back-to-back drops follow consecutive slow free-agent markets." Last season's drop was "only the second" since the end of the 1994-1995 strike. All five of the "highest paid players" this season are pitchers, led by the Washington Nationals' Max Scherzer at $37.4 million and Arizona Diamondbacks' Zack Greinke at $32.4 million. The Boston Red Sox are "set to lead the major leagues in payroll for the second straight year," followed by the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Having the league’s highest payroll paid off for the Red Sox last year – months from now, we’ll know if another World Series is in their players’ well-compensated grasp.

Ahead of The Masters, Augusta National hosts inaugural women’s amateur event. The Masters has long held its honorary first tee ceremony, and on Saturday, Annika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez, Lorena Ochoa, and Se Ri Pak will continue that storied tradition at the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur. Following that first tee ceremony, the top 30 from two days of competition will play a final 18 holes at Augusta National for a silver trophy and the only first-ever women's amateur crown at this famous venue. The first two rounds will be played Wednesday and Thursday at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans. The 72-player field will be cut to 30 players after 36 holes. The final round, which will be televised by NBC, is scheduled for Saturday at the home of the Masters Tournament. Meanwhile, the kids’ amateur Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals will air on Golf Channel on April 7. With a long history of the club supporting amateur golf and with a stated mission to grow the game, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley took the bold step a little over a year ago to add women to the on-course mix. It’s about time.

With Opening Night this Thursday, Minor League Baseball fans at numerous ballparks will have a more modernized experienced via smart displays and on social media enabled by ISM Connect’s technology and the Allegiant Airline Network. Through its work with ISM Connect, MiLB is introducing new technology to create a more exciting social experience at 25 ballparks on Opening Night, and 31 by the end of 2019. Smart displays located across select stadiums will broadcast exclusive content from both teams and sponsors, giving fans a unique view into the players and teams they root for. In addition to the smart displays, ISM is connecting teams and their fans through mobile devices and social media while they’re at the ballpark. Ballpark Insider (@BallparkInsider) connects fans with MiLB and its teams on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The social channels reach a national audience of MiLB fans and allow stadiums and advertisers to hold exclusive giveaways, share announcements from all teams on the network, and give followers an exclusive look into the world of MiLB.

Kraft Heinz, in partnership with the NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), unveiled the four finalist communities competing for the title of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2019. Each of the four finalists will receive funds for rink upgrades from Kraft Heinz, with the grand prize winner awarded the opportunity to host an NHL Pre-Season Game and receive $150,000 in rink upgrades. The four communities advancing to the public voting round are: Calumet Colosseum in Calumet, Michigan; Wexford County Civic Center in Cadillac, Michigan; Eagle River Sports Arena in Eagle River, Wisconsin; and Bernicks Arena in Sartell, Minnesota. The runner-up will receive $30,000 in rink upgrades, and each second-place rink will receive $10,000 in rink upgrades. In addition, each of the four finalists will receive $10,000 worth of new hockey equipment from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams program. Ever since its establishment, the Kraft Hockeyville program has been a shining example of how brands can activate to put the spotlight on small communities whose sports fandom is every bit as big as their major market peers.

NASCAR schedule changes benefit ISM Connect and other circuit partners. NASCAR is giving its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule an overhaul next year. The biggest change will see the NASCAR finale shift from Miami to Phoenix, where it will be held at the just-renovated ISM Raceway on November 8. Meanwhile, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race in Bristol will become a part of the 10-week title battle as the first cut-off race on September 19, joining the Bank of America Roval 400 on October 11 and the STP 500 in Martinsville on November 1. The Daytona 500 will once again open the NASCAR season during President’s Day weekend on February 16. “The fans and the industry as a whole have been vocal about the desire for sweeping changes to the schedule, and the 2020 slate is a reflection of our efforts to execute against that feedback,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. Besides NASCAR fans, perhaps the biggest winner in the schedule revamp is venue tech leader ISM Connect, which stands to gain millions of dollars’ worth of impressions and exposure since its sponsored racetrack will now host the prestigious NASCAR season finale.

WWE increases its WrestleMania mainstream star power – will Gronk be next? WWE has announced that “Saturday Night Live” cast members Michael Che and Colin Jost, hosts of SNL’s “Weekend Update,” accepted Braun Strowman’s WrestleMania challenge and will both now compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35. WrestleMania 35 will stream live on WWE Network from MetLife Stadium on April 7. Meanwhile, newly-retired Rob Gronkowski's "established image and amiable nature already have him ahead of the game" when it comes to "post-football opportunities," according to the Boston Globe. In Q Scores, Gronkowski has a 39% level of awareness among the general population; the "average sports star" is at 26%. And his 22 positive Q Score, meaning 22% of the "general public that is familiar with him considers him one of their favorite personalities," ranks "sixth among players who were in the NFL last year." It seems like a "sure bet that Gronkowski will end up playing a role in some capacity" for the WWE, after already having "appeared at WWE events, including WrestleMania 33." Don’t count him out at MetLife come Sunday.

As the first full weekend of “real” baseball concludes, Nielsen research has broken down fans of Major League Baseball as the league celebrates its 150th year and boasts more than 170 million fans in the U.S. and 10 million in Canada. According to Nielsen data, the average MLB team fan base is more than 2.5 million people, with St. Louis, Kansas City, Cleveland, Houston, and Pittsburgh having the highest percentages of fans in their local market populations. MLB is also gaining fans around the world, especially in Mexico and Japan, where the league returned to host games in 2019. According to Nielsen Sports Social24, brands sponsoring MLB teams experienced 3% to 13% of additional media value from their social media content. On television, the most visible sponsorship real estate appears on camera behind home plate as a batter is ready to swing at a pitch. But interestingly, the outfield actually gets more exposure via social media channels because big plays like home runs and acrobatic fence line catches often make highlight reels. 

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has sold 10-12% of his NFL franchise for roughly $300 million, the bulk of which was purchased by Canadian mining magnate Alan Kestenbaum. Kestenbaum was a runner-up last year in the sale of the Panthers. The transaction values the Falcons at around $3 billion – excellent news for Blank, who purchased the team in 2002 for $545 million. “We got a very acceptable valuation based on the trends in the league, sales of teams, sales of ownership and what have you,” Blank said, adding that he plans to use the proceeds for his Arthur M. Blank Foundation, which has gifted $400 million since its founding in 1995. “My (six) kids all want me to do more during my lifetime,” he said during the NFL owners meeting in Arizona. “So, they are encouraging me to do more in terms of philanthropy.” In addition to Kestenbaum, existing limited partners Doug Hertz and Ron Canakaris bought additional small stakes as part of the Blank sale. Asked how much of the team Blank owned, a team spokesperson responded, “A vast majority.” NFL rules require the controlling partner to have at least 30%, and Blank is clearly well above that figure. 

Panthers owner David Tepper last week "reemphasized that any future projects for his franchise will impact both Carolinas." According to the Charlotte Observer, Tepper, speaking at the NFL owners' meeting in Phoenix, said, "We're a two-state team. I view it as a whole region." South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and state legislators have "offered incentives in recent weeks as they woo Tepper and the Panthers" to build their headquarters and training facility in the state. Meanwhile, North Carolina officials have "expressed the desire for the Panthers' facilities to stay put." Tepper said that he has met with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and "made it clear" that the state "continues to be included in his future development plans." Tepper has also "previously offered up the idea of team 'fan fests' in cities on both sides of the state line." The team could also positively impact infrastructure: Governor McMaster noted that the team could be the "impetus for developing a new light rail line from Rock Hill to Charlotte, connecting the two states and team facilities." 

United Airlines offers to retreat from L.A. naming rights deal. On Friday, United Airlines offered to withdraw from a $69 million deal to change the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum into United Airlines Memorial Coliseum following criticism that "adding a corporate name is disrespectful to the facility's history of honoring troops who fought and died in World War I." According to the Los Angeles Times, the airline made the offer to USC, which "announced the agreement" for the naming rights last year as part of its $270 million renovation of the venue. United Airlines California President Janet Lamkin said in a letter to USC that the company "made 'a significant commitment to financing this project' in exchange for the naming rights and was careful to keep the words 'Memorial Coliseum' to honor the memory of veterans." However, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, also President of the Coliseum Commission, soundly "criticized the new name." Other options are possible, including renaming the facility "United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum." With the vast majority of Coliseum renovations already completed, it is likely that United, USC, and the city will work quickly to resolve the naming issue to mutual satisfaction.

Ice Cube’s Big3 basketball league has "secured the support" of Serena Williams and Snoop Dogg as content partners for its $10 billion bid to buy the 21 Fox RSNs from Disney, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. Private equity firm Centerbridge Partners and entrepreneur Carolyn Rafaelian are already financial backers of the Big3, and Ice Cube is now "teaming up" with Williams, Snoop Dogg, actor Kevin Hart, and Michael Strahan’s SMAC Productions as "content partners." Sources said that the Big3 presented a plan to "expand the Fox networks with 24-hour, culturally diverse national programming built around live sports." Ice Cube and Big3 co-Founder Jeff Kwatinetz are "targeting young people and want to spend money on marketing and advertising the networks." Rappers Nas and LL Cool J are also "collaborators on the project.” While the Cube group is likely a longshot to purchase the RSNs, their diverse voices and focus on millennials and Generation Z without a doubt represents the next wave of sports and entertainment media property ownership.

MLS has launched its 2019 Soccer For All campaign, showcasing its commitment to end discrimination, as well as the collective effort taking place across the league to drive social change and foster more inclusive communities via the MLS WORKS platform. This year’s Soccer for All Public Service Announcement features a diverse group of players from all 24 clubs, and it includes fans for the first time, looking to further reinforce the message that all are welcome. The PSA, produced in English, French, and Spanish, will be promoted across league partner broadcasts, MLS digital channels, and in-stadium. The broader Soccer For All celebration will begin May 22. MLS has long been considered America’s most progressive and diverse pro sports league. FIFA, however, take note – messaging about ending discrimination and driving social change on the eve of the Women’s World Cup are particularly poignant in light of recent allegations of pay discrepancies and subpar playing conditions faced by women’s soccer teams.

Top Five Tech

Washington Nationals fans have food delivered to their seats through Square. To help start the season off right, the tech company partnered with the team and Levy Restaurants to support in-seat food orders for fans at Nationals games. To order food, fans download the Caviar food-ordering app, place the order, and pay from their seats. Then, they pick up the food at the designated concession stand once they are alerted on their phones. According to Mobile Marketer, Caviar will feature food from its exclusive partners, including a rotating series of pop-up offerings, throughout the season. Overall, professional sports teams are adding more mobile-based services to appeal to fans on smartphones. The future of sports entertainment is through mobile apps, which will provide services like parking information, paperless ticketing, wayfinding through stadiums, food ordering, and real-time data about players and teams. 

Opendorse announces a partnership with the MLBPA to enable a larger Twitter presence. The new agreement will enable fans to decide which player’s at-bats will be streamed live on the social media platform through online voting. According to SportsPro, MLB’s official Twitter account will also post highlights of every home run hit during the season, with some dingers presented in a nightly video montage. The league will also produce livestreamed Twitter shows for such mega events as the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, MLB Playoffs, trade deadline, and the inaugural London Series between fierce rivals New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Overall, this partnership aims to give MLB stars access to more content from their team, league, and brand partners, which they can then approve and publish to their own social accounts which will help MLB catch up to tech-savvier sports leagues like the NBA and NHL. 

The first esports arena in the U.S. will be built to host the Philadelphia Fusion. This is a big deal, as the Overwatch League's Philadelphia Fusion will start building a $50 million esports arena to host its matches and is expected to game in the new building by early 2021. According to Engadget, the Philadelphia Fusion’s owner, Comcast, has plans to break ground on the 47-acre, 3,500 seat arena site this summer. Strategically placed next to other major sporting arenas, the Fusion arena will be located in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, home to the city's NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAA teams. The 60,000 square foot building will house a training facility, broadcast studio, and Philadelphia Fusion team offices and will double as a venue for other live events. Overwatch players are expected to be on the road in 2020, with all teams playing in their home cities. At present, all Overwatch teams continue to flock to Los Angeles' Blizzard Arena to play their games, so a new stadium will be a welcome addition to the buzzing U.S. esports environment.

The NHL selects its official sports betting partner: William Hill. According to Reuters, the league will get marketing revenue from the sports book, which can use NHL brands in its advertising, except for the NHL’s new puck and player data. William Hill already has partnership deals with the Vegas Golden Knights and the New Jersey Devils, but isn’t dominating the hockey wagering market. Previous sports betting deals for the NHL include FanDuel and MGM. MGM justified the investment via the data it will generate from putting sensors inside pucks and on players’ shoulder pads that can be used for specific in-game wagers. William Hill is one of many sports betting partners involved with the NHL, and will thus have to differentiate itself from the other companies to capitalize on the U.S. Supreme Court legalization of regulated and taxed sports wagering.

Twitch uses AI-driven data to properly value esports sponsorships. Amazon’s esports streaming platform has partnered with MVPindex to measure and value its branded content worldwide using artificial intelligence. The motivation behind the agreement is to make it easier for brands and agencies to enter the esports industry, providing value to sponsorship sales Twitch oversees in leagues, tournaments, gamers, and teams. According to SportsPro, MVPindex’s technology leverages AI and speech processing programming to measure and value audience engagement and is able to monitor text and audio mentions, as well as logos within live streams and posts by esports athletes and content publishers. MVPindex can further measure streams and video-on-demand (VOD) files, as well as value hours watched, concurrent views, and lifetime follower and viewer growth within specific streams. As such, it will provide greater marketing value to esports.

Power of Sports Five

 The largest mobile esports charity tournament sees players contribute to end breast cancer. Skillz, the worldwide leader in mobile esports, announced that it has raised over $120,000 for Susan G. Komen, the world's leading breast cancer foundation. According to PR Newswire, more than 25,000 esports players participated through the Skillz platform. The total amount raised exceeded the original $100,000 anticipated by more than 20%, and included participants from 38 states as well as more than 60 countries. Susan G. Komen invests in groundbreaking research and provides potentially life-saving education and patient support programs across the country. As esports grows as an industry, charity tournaments help the sport become more deeply ingrained within mainstream culture and attract otherwise absent fans.

FIVB helps launch Good Net volleyball sustainability project. Good Net will be launched on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the site of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games beach volleyball tournament. According to sportanddev.org, FIVB has teamed up with marine conservation group the Ghost Fishing Foundation to launch the new program designed to recover discarded fishing nets from the world’s oceans, with many to be recycled into volleyball nets for local community use around the world. Every year, 640,000 tons of fishing gear finds its way into the oceans, where it continues to trap marine wildlife, including whales, dolphins, turtles, and fish of all kinds. Good Net aims to raise global awareness of the problem of pollution while also creating a solution by spreading the game of volleyball. The new initiative is two-fold, as it will help to clean our waters and encourage physical activity while encouraging conversation about eco-friendly practices.

Kirk Gibson’s iconic 1988 World Series home run lives on at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers announced that the seat where Gibson hit his pinch-hit home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series will be painted blue and autographed by the ex-Dodger with a plaque to acknowledgement the moment. Additionally, the seat will be part of a special fundraiser for the Kirk Gibson Foundation. According to the Orange County Register, the seat will be sold as a pair with a companion seat for $300 all season, with $200 of the purchase price to be donated to Gibson’s foundation. His charity raises money and awareness for research into Parkinson’s Disease. The Dodgers also partnered with Gibson’s foundation for a series of events and promotions during the season-opening weekend series against the San Francisco Giants including a 50-50 raffle, a silent auction, and a Kirk Gibson bobblehead. The Dodgers’ game-worn jerseys from the second game of the series will also be auctioned off online to benefit Gibson’s charity. Both Gibson and the Dodgers have immortalized a moment in their storied history to give back to a disease that has personally inflicted Gibson. 

Former Harvard basketball player Christopher Egi steps up for social justice. After the murder of Trayvon Martin, Egi began to open his eyes to social justice and formed a team across the Ivy League to create the organization No More Names. The platform was built to spark discussion about social justice issues and connect students to activists and organizations already doing work in their individual communities. The most significant partnership for No More Names has been with Campaign Zero, which has worked to construct concrete plans for police reform through policy change and community initiatives. According to the Boston Globe, No More Names has also worked closely with Save Money, Save Life, the charity founded by Chicago rapper Vic Mensa that teaches civilians throughout the city to be first responders. Ebi’s message is fast spreading across Ivy League schools, and demonstrates how college athletes can also make a community impact.

The biggest charity knockout event celebrates the 25th annual Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night. According to Sports Rants, the stars came out to give, show support, perform, and to continue to raise money and awareness in hopes of one day finding a cure to Parkinson’s disease. Celebrity Fight Night has gifted more than $86 million over the past 24 years benefiting the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. The Barrow Neurological Institute is the world's largest neurological disease treatment and research institution, and this year the Celebrity Fight Night also supported the BNI’s Alzheimer’s and Cognitive Disorders Program. Special honorees for the evening included 27-time Grammy Award-winner Quincy Jones, Arizona State University President Dr. Michael Crow, and Dr. Abraham Lieberman, the medical director of the Movement Disorders Clinic at Barrow Neurological Institute as well as Renee Parsons of the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. Although Ali, long retired from boxing, died from complications of Parkinson’s disease in 2016, his fighting spirit spreads the courage to stand up and battle for change.

[so-shiny-so-chrome]

Witness: Sacrificethemtothesquid

Creator name (AO3): sacrificethemtothesquid

Creator name (Tumblr): sacrificethemtothesquid

Link to creator works: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sacrificethemtothesquid/works

Q: Why the Mad Max Fandom?

A: It's hard to put it into words. I went into the movie anticipating car chases and explosions and came out enraptured. Max and Furiosa's dynamic was incendiary and I couldn't leave it alone. 

Q: What do you think are some defining aspects of your work? Do you have a style? Recurrent themes?

A: My style is long. Too long. 

Q: Which of your works was the most fun to create? The most difficult? Which is your most popular? Most successful? Your favourite overall?

A: Length & Breadth was the big project, and it's been a huge journey to see it finished. It wins for most difficult because I had no idea what I was doing or if I could even finish something, and it blows my mind that it resonated with people. My favorite has always been Seven Thousand And One. It hit me so hard and it was so intense to write. It was done in a day and when I came out of it, I was staggering.   

Q: How do you like your wasteland? Gritty? Hopeful? Campy? Soft? Why?I

A:  am a firm believer that gritty and soft or gritty and hopeful aren't mutually exclusive. I like sinking my teeth into the ugliness of the world. I wrote enough awful grimdark edgelord dreck when I was growing up depressed and it seemed like there was no end in sight. I like that I've learned there's always an up somewhere, even if it doesn't feel like it in the moment. Also I like to break people and put them back together. The harder the breaking, the bigger the healing. 

Q: Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished product. What's your prefered environment for creating? How do you get through rough patches?

A: I write down just about every idea I have. Usually they'll come as blips and scenes that I build around later. I find that I write best when I'm supposed to be doing anything else, and the more important the anything else, the easier it is to write. When I hit a rough patch, I step back and let it sit, or jump into another section that feels easier. For me, hitting a rough patch usually means I'm grinding at something that isn't necessary. @thebyrchentwigges gave me some of the best advice I've ever gotten, and that was to start in the middle of the action. It's okay to set the scene, but I can write 10k of buildup without blinking, so dropping myself right into the meat usually cuts away parts that weren't necessary in the first place.

Q: What (if any) music do you listen to for help getting those creative juices flowing?

A: I'll come across one song that hits just right and then I'll listen to that on repeat until it loses its power. I guess it's like a kind of meditation? There's no set process to finding The Song, but the Discover Weekly algorithm on Spotify usually delivers. I've got playlists saved for each story.

Q: What is your biggest challenge as a creator?

A: Length and making less of it. I'm working on being concise. It isn't going well.

Q: How have you grown as a creator through your participation in the Mad Max Fandom? How has your work changed? Have you learned anything about yourself?

A: I had bits and blobs for other fandoms that never really got posted, but I never really committed to anything until people started showing up for L&B. "Thank you" feels absolutely grossly inadequate, so I keep writing things hoping people understand their presence means the world to me. I feel like a toddler presenting macaroni art - I made it because I have no idea how to express how much I love you. 

Q: Which character do you relate to the most, and how does that affect your approach to that character? Is someone else your favourite to portray? How has your understanding of these characters grown through portraying them?

A: Furiosa. She's so powerful. I don't think I'd ever seen a woman be so angry and raw, and it was like looking into the sun. 

Q: Do you ever self-insert, even accidentally?

A: I think it would be hard for me to write if I didn't.

Q: Do you have any favourite relationships to portray? What interests you about them?

A: As brutally called out by @fuckyeahisawthat: "Dude rolling around in grief and self-loathing, hopelessly besotted with a hypercompetent killer woman". 

Q: How does your work for the fandom change how you look at the source material?

A: It forces me to dig deep into canon, which always leads to interesting places. Having that level of familiarity and knowing how much work and worldbuilding it involves makes source richer. The thing I love about George Miller is that I KNOW he's done an insane level of worldbuilding; the problem is that he doesn't SHARE the details of it, so I have to go spend thirty hours becoming an expert in oil cracking just to call something "guzzoline". I like knowing the other 70% of the iceberg, and I think overthinking.

Q: Do you prefer to create in one defined chronology or do your works stand alone? Why or why not?

A: I'm such a global thinker that even if I do manage a one-shot, it can't exist in a vacuum. If I have more than one fic in a fandom, it's going to adhere to an established timeline because otherwise, there'd be nowhere for the plot to go.

Q: To break or not to break canon? Why?

A: Canon is canon is canon. I need to have my work fit seamlessly into the source material and the more solid the canon, the greater the challenge to adhere. For me, it's actually easier writing within a more solid and comprehensive canon, since it helps set the parameters for the story and lets me focus on the emotions.

Q: Share some headcanons.

A: Valkyrie lives. 

Q: If you work with OCs walk us through your process for creating them. Who are some of your favourites?

A: Because I keep religiously close to canon, I tend to avoid OCs. That being said, if the story requires them - my Repair Boys, for instance - I try to make them as canon as possible. I look at the existing characters - the ones on-screen for half a frame, the ones mentioned in the production notes, etc etc - and build from that. I'm pretty fond of Keno. I couldn't give my Capable the arc she deserved without him. In my original work, I walk them around in my head and do vignettes from their point of view. What are their influences, what are their weaknesses, if they a choice of things, what they would choose. They're people - think of your best friend or your partner or that weird guy on the bus - and get to know them that way.  

Q: If you create original works, how do those compare to your fan works?

A: Strict adherence to canon. I'm always worldbuilding in my head for something. Nothing about being alive exists in a vacuum, and I'm fascinated by paths of influence. It's an endless game of "why?" and "and then what?"

Q: Who are some works by other creators inside and outside of the fandom that have influenced your work?

A: All creators have their own unique take and for me, the variety is what gets me excited. One of the best parts about fandom is that someone else will always bring up something you'd never think of on your own. The MMFR fandom is incredible because there's so much talent. I haven't come across a single piece of work that left me underwhelmed. As a reader and content consumer, it's spoiled me completely, and as a writer, it's set the bar very, very high. It's been a huge honor to be part of this community.  

Q: What advice can you give someone who is struggling to make their own works more interesting, compelling, cohesive, etc.? 

A: Don't assume you have to write everything in one unbroken line. If you've got ideas for a scene, write that first. Connecting scenes later might still be a drag, but you'll have a better idea of what that connection should look like. I like thinking of my work as a quilt: I know the general pattern and what each square looks like, but once the squares are done they'll need shuffling. 

Q: Have you visited or do you plan to visit Australia, Wasteland Weekend, or other Mad Max place?

A: We went to WW16 and WW17. It was so powerful to put faces to names and have actual meatspace time with people I'd come to love online.  

Q: Tell us about a current WIP or planned project

A: Fandom-wise, I'm doddering along with an amorphous thing for Dragon Age Inquisition. My main focus (read: the thing I'm procrastinating on) is an original work. It started out being about wizards and now I think it's a murder mystery. It doesn't really know what it is, so neither do I. 

Thank you @sacrificethemtothesquid